We'll Be Home for Christmas by Helenkay Dimon Page A

hands to himself and ended each night within ten minutes of putting the last clean dinner dish away. Even now the lights on his first floor burned bright. She hadn’t ventured up there, thinking it was his sanctuary and she’d invaded enough of his life, but she knew from the talk around the nursery the bottom floor of the big house consisted of offices and he lived on the floor above.
    Lost in her thoughts, she still heard a whistle right before the crunch of footsteps and had to smile. She recognized the low-pitched sound because Travis spent a good portion of his workday whistling. “You trying to warn me you’re coming?”
    “A smart man doesn’t sneak up on a woman and a worthwhile one does everything he can not to scare ’em.” His voice came out of the shadows.
    “That’s a good life motto.”
    “Heard Spence’s father say it once and it stuck.” Travis stepped onto the porch with his heels thudding on the wood and his broad shoulders blocking her direct view of the farmhouse. “It’s pretty cold to be standing out here in slippers and without a jacket.”
    She glanced at the pink fluffballs covering her feet. They were a gift from Spence that morning after breakfast and just looking at them made her smile. Being reminded she was outside had the opposite effect. A chill rumbled through her as she watched her breath turn to fog on the night air.
    “I just wanted some fresh air.” The excuse sounded lame even to her.
    He leaned against the porch railing and crossed one ankle over the other. “Working outside all day isn’t enough for you?”
    “I guess not.” She noticed the V-neck sweater peeking out under his partway-zippered jacket and tried to remember if she’d ever seen him in anything other than a sweatshirt or plaid shirt. Looked like she was seeing the back end of date night. “You strike out tonight?”
    He chuckled. “No, ma’am.”
    “Must be nice to be so popular.” She doubted he spent many nights alone, but seeing him before midnight made her wonder if he’d even treated the woman to dinner first.
    Thinking of sex sent her mind spinning right in Spence’s direction. Before she could stop, her gaze traveled to the farmhouse for the briefest of seconds. She realized what she was doing and dragged her focus back just in time to clash with the amusement in Travis’s eyes. Talk about getting busted in the act. “What?”
    Travis glanced at the area in question then back to her again. “He’s working.”
    She balled her hands into fists, even dug her nails into her palms to keep her expression neutral. She wanted to play it cool and not care. Certainly didn’t want to drag Travis into a conversation about his boss’s private life. This wasn’t high school after all.
    Still... “Because of the holidays?”
    Travis shifted around, uncharacteristically fidgety all of a sudden for a guy who had the ability to blend into the background and soak in everything happening around him. “That’s part of it.”
    “What’s the rest?” When Travis shrugged, she lowered her head until he gave her eye contact again. “Tell me.”
    “You should ask him.” He traced a random line on the porch with the toe of his shoe.
    The diverting. The shrugs. The non-answers. It all added up to whack her in the dead center of her chest. “Son of a...it’s me, isn’t it?”
    “I don’t know.”
    The pieces fell like dominoes. Spence, his employees, they showed up each day, dedicated so many hours to getting her business up and running. There had to be blowback somewhere. She wanted to kick her butt for being too stupid to see it.
    “Don’t play innocent. Spence is working now because he’s spending most of his days at the campground with me.” When the night stayed silent except for the soft rustle of wind through the trees outlining the cabin, she refused to let the subject drop. “Travis, talk.”
    “Okay, yes. Something like that.” He almost spoke over her as he answered.
    “You mean