Читать книгу It Started One Christmas - Susan Mallery, Susan Mallery - Страница 11

AS KEIRA PULLED into the driveway of the hundred-year-old, three-story house on the edge of Lake Washington, she felt a zing of relief combined with happiness. Everything was exactly as she remembered from her last visit. Although, as she’d been home for dinner a mere two weeks ago, a case could be made that she should stop worrying.

Keira knew she couldn’t help it. She wasn’t like a lot of other people her age—she was a worrier. Until age twelve, she’d never been sure about being loved and welcomed. She wanted to take things for granted like everybody else, but sometimes it was hard not to assume the worst.

After she parked Dalton’s car by the steps leading up to the front door, she glanced at her sleeping passenger. He was still pale and sweaty and looked like crap. She was pretty sure he had the flu or something equally normal, but if he wasn’t better in the morning, she was going to drag his butt to an urgent-care center.

She left him where he was and went inside the house. After breezing through the huge two-story entry decorated with a twelve-foot tree, wreaths and lit pine garland draped along the staircase banister, she went directly to the kitchen, where she knew she would find her sister. Visiting with her niece and nephew would have to wait—Callie ran a tight ship, so to speak, and Keira had arrived during mandatory nap time.

Sure enough, Callie Trejo stood at the huge island, expertly chopping vegetables into perfectly equal pieces. It was Thursday and therefore spaghetti night. Questionable ingredients, like vegetables, were often discreetly placed into otherwise kid-friendly dishes.

“I’m home,” Keira said. She grinned at her sister, then took a step back as Callie started to put down the knife. “Let me wash my hands before we hug. I might have icky flu germs on me and I don’t want to spread them.”

Callie chuckled. “I continue to be amazed at how perfect you are.”

Keira rolled her eyes. “Then you need to look at raising your standards.” She washed her hands at the sink and dried them before turning and hugging Callie.

The two women were about the same height and of similar build. They both had blond hair, blue eyes and lots of freckles. While they had different mothers, they shared a father and were nearly thirteen years apart in age.

Almost six years ago, Keira had been plucked from foster care in Los Angeles and brought to Seattle to live with previously unknown relatives on her late father’s side. At first she’d lived with her half brother Malcolm, her grandfather Alberto and the housekeeper, Carmen. A few months later, Callie had been found and joined them. Theirs had been a rocky start as a family, but now they were close and perhaps just a little too involved in each other’s lives.

“So who’s the guy?” Callie asked, returning to her vegetables. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”

Keira fought a wave of guilt. When she’d called to ask if she could bring Dalton for the holidays, she’d sort of implied that they were possibly involved.

“Yes, well, it’s not like that.”

Callie made a little moue of disappointment. “Here I was hoping you’d finally taken the plunge and decided to find yourself a boyfriend.”

“No. Yuck. Why?”

“At some point you’re going to have to surrender to your baser emotions.”

Keira grabbed a tiny square of carrot and popped it into her mouth. “I’m perfectly happy being single.”

“You’re eighteen. You’re supposed to fall in and out of love with boys. It’s the way of the world.”

“Not my world.”

Keira was not the least bit excited about giving her heart to some stupid, oafish guy. They were too interested in sex, too selfish, too big, and sometimes they smelled. Thank you, no. In her heart of hearts, she knew there might be some leftover emotional issues about her past, but why go there?

For a couple of years in high school, she’d wondered if there was something wrong with her. Or if she was a lesbian. But she had no interest in playing for the other team, and every now and then, she had to admit she got a bit of a quiver when she met a guy. But then he ruined it by doing something gross like burping or trying to kiss her or lying about how beautiful she was. Keira was smart (not as smart as Dalton claimed to be, but still, she did okay), funny and passably pretty, but she wasn’t anyone’s standard of beautiful.

“Besides,” she said, leaning against the huge island in the center of the massive kitchen, “you should be discouraging me from falling in love. What if I start having sex?”

“I’ll be very happy for you.”

“You’re supposed to treasure my virginity!”

“Yeah, not so much with the treasuring. By the way, I got out all your ornaments, and Santiago put up the tree last night. So you’re good to go.”

Keira hugged herself and spun in a circle. “Thank you, thank you. I can’t wait to put it all together. Okay, I’m going to go drag Dalton upstairs. I promise to keep him isolated until we know he’s getting better. And no babies up there. I don’t want them getting sick and missing Christmas.”

She’d barely finished speaking when she heard the sound of canine nails skittering across the hardwood. She turned and dropped to her knees as a small mixed-breed brown-and-white ball of fluff crashed into her.

“Emerson!” She scooped up the small dog and hugged him close. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Emerson wiggled and kissed her face before shimmying free and racing over to Callie. He stood on his hind legs and scratched at her thighs, begging for a carrot.

“You’re the most spoiled dog on the planet,” Callie grumbled, even as she handed him half a raw carrot.

He took the treat and made a beeline for his bed in the family room. Keira stood and stretched.

“All right, it’s time to begin my mission of mercy.”

“Let me know if you need help wrestling your young man into bed.” Callie paused. “That sounded way more dirty than I intended.”

Keira laughed and retreated to the car.

Dalton was exactly where she’d left him, and he hadn’t been kidding about planning to live in his car. He had a couple of duffels, a cooler, a bag of cold supplies and tissues from a local pharmacy, a blanket and two pillows.

“Practically a five-star hotel,” she murmured, opening the passenger door. “All right, my pretty, let’s get you inside.”

Dalton’s eyelids fluttered. “Do I know you?”

“Not really, but you’re sick enough that it doesn’t much matter, does it? There’s no way you could fight me off. All right, big guy, on your feet.”

He surprised her by obliging. Excellent. As long as he was willing to follow instructions, this should go smoothly.

“I’m going to get you upstairs and into bed,” she told him. “Unfortunately we’re going to the third floor, so that could take some doing.”

He rubbed his face. “Where am I?”

“My place.”

He looked at her, then frowned. “You’re not Mandy.”

“I’m her sister. Come on. She’s just inside.”

“Really? She didn’t dump me? That’s so great. God, she is so beautiful.”

Keira rolled her eyes. “You’re incredibly shallow. Why is that?”

“I was physically and emotionally abandoned as a child.”

“Really?”

He flashed her a smile that caught her completely unaware. She felt hot then cold, and there was an odd sensation in her stomach. She shook it off and told herself it was just because she was afraid of getting the flu.

“No,” he said, walking unsteadily toward the house. “My parents were very nice people who supported and loved me until they were killed in a car accident ten years ago.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” He looked at the house, then back at her. “Mandy isn’t waiting inside, is she?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think so. And you brought me here because...”

“You’re sick and it’s Christmas, and I’m not going to let you spend two weeks in your car.”

He shuddered. “That makes me sound pathetic.”

“If the shoe fits,” she murmured, then motioned to the door. “Let’s get this done.”

Dalton managed to get up both flights of stairs, although the climb seemed to suck the last of his strength. He was shaking and swaying by the time he staggered into the guest room. He managed to stagger across the room before falling onto the bed facedown, leaving Keira with a six-foot-tall dilemma.

“See,” she said, mentally sending the image to her sister. “Men are a giant pain.”

She walked toward Dalton. She had to get his shoes off, and she would feel better if he was on his back. Otherwise, she was going to leave him where he was. This wasn’t some ridiculous romantic comedy where she struggled to undress him and things got out of hand.

She got off his worn boots, ignored the hole in his sock and poked him in the shoulder until he groaned.

“Roll over,” she said in her most forceful tone.

He complied but didn’t open his eyes.

Lizzy, her calico cat, raced into the room, meowing her complaints about Keira being gone for so long. Keira picked her up and snuggled her close.

“Hey, pretty girl. I missed you.”

Lizzy rubbed her head against Keira’s chin and purred loudly.

“I’m home for the holidays. We’ll be together every day, I promise. Oh, and I got you something wonderful for Christmas.”

Lizzy gave her a quick kitty kiss before jumping onto the bed and sniffing Dalton.

“I can explain that,” Keira said. “Or maybe not.”

She left him in Lizzy’s capable paws and went back downstairs. Callie met her in the foyer, and together they carried his duffel, the meds and his backpack upstairs.

“What’s he like?” Callie asked.

“He thinks he’s really smart, but he’s stupid when it comes to women.”

“That’s very judgy of you.”

“I call them as I see them.”

Callie chuckled, but her laughter faded when she walked into the guest room. “He’s totally out of it.” She crossed to the bed and felt his forehead. “He’s got a fever. Go get the thermometer. It’s in the linen closet on the second floor. Also, get the Tylenol and that small basin on the second shelf. I should have everything else I need up here.”

“Callie, no. I’ll take care of him. You have enough to do.”

Her sister smiled at her. “I’m going to spend about an hour with him, getting him settled and comfortable. Then you can take over.” She glanced at her watch. “Hurry. In ten minutes you need to wake up Adalyn and Logan.”

Because a schedule was a schedule, Keira thought. She smiled at her sister.

“You’re amazing and I love you very much.”

Callie smiled back. “I love you, too. Now get my supplies.”