Free A Christmas to Remember by Jenny Hale

wished he’d stay still, sit down, and talk to her. She was interested in knowing more about him, but he seemed to always be on the move, always working.
    “Have you been baking?” he asked.
    “No. Just the stew. Why?”
    “I smell peppermint.”
    “Oh, it’s the Christmas candle.” She pointed to a large red and white striped jar flickering on the island. It had been one of the purchases she’d made with his credit card.
    “It’s nice,” he said. When he sat down, she slid the two cards toward him. “What’s this?” he asked, taking a sip of wine.
    “David and Olivia have written you a letter.” She put her finger on the front of each card. “Why You Should Get a Christmas Tree With Us,” she read, looking up at him as anxiety tickled her skin. She didn’t know him very well, and she was pushing things to impose something like this on him It made her feel a little worried that she’d offend him, but she’d already started the conversation, so she’d better finish it. Trying to keep her hands steady, she opened the cards. “Olivia said that you should get a Christmas tree because they are heavy, and you can help to carry it for us. See,” she tapped a circle with eyes on the paper, “this is you carrying the tree.” She took David’s card and read it aloud. “David says you should get a Christmas tree with us because you could help us pay for it. That’s his money there.” She set the cards down on the table. “Olivia thinks you’re strong and David thinks you can provide for the family.” She didn’t want to point out the obvious—that neither child said they wanted to be with their daddy to get a tree. She was hopeful that Adam would make that connection and realize that he needed to be with them sometimes if he ever planned on having any kind of bond with them.
    He studied the cards for quite some time, and Carrie wondered if he understood her message. Was he contemplating the fact that he hadn’t spent any time with them since she’d been there and probably before that? Or was he actually wishing they had written something more loving in their cards? He didn’t seem heartless whenever she was with him, but his behavior said otherwise. Didn’t he care that his children didn’t know him? Surely he did.
    He cleared his throat and looked up. “When would we buy this Christmas tree?”
    “How about Saturday?”
    He was looking at her face, but it was clear that he was thinking, not waiting. “I was planning on going into the office this weekend. I need to get a few things done, and there’s no way I’ll get them finished by Friday.” He shook his head. “Things are very busy right now.”
    “Maybe one evening?”
    “They’re asleep when I get home.”
    In every other part of her life, she was unsure and a little nervous, but when it came to the needs of children, she was as fierce as any businesswoman. She wasn’t backing down. Carrie mustered all her strength and said, “Maybe you can find some time when you can come home while they’re awake.”
    His eyes narrowed just slightly, and she could feel the acid stirring in her gut. She’d bothered him with her suggestion. She could tell that he didn’t like her prying into this personal realm.
    “Easier said than done.”
    Even though she’d known him only a short time, she felt that she needed to be honest with him. He’d better get used to it anyway because that was who she was. She wouldn’t act differently on his account. “From what I’ve seen so far, you seem pretty good at getting things done. Perhaps you can get this done as well.”
    At first, he looked at her indignantly—it was just for a moment—and she wondered if he’d ever been spoken to that directly before. She hadn’t meant to be rude, just honest. His children needed him. Their wellbeing was her number one priority—he’d said that himself. She could feel the splotches crawling up her neck, and she wished in that instant that she hadn’t said