Free A Family for Christmas by Noelle Adams

of branches and stuff that needs clearing out—but otherwise I’ll have to
make up things to do.”
    “This
house is gorgeous,” Jessica said, looking around at the beautiful kitchen and
family room.
    “Micah
did it a couple of years ago. He always does a good job.”
    “Yeah.
So what are you going to do to fill your time until you leave for India then?”
    “I
don’t know. I might look around for volunteer work. I was actually wondering if
I should get some sort of job, but who’s going to want to hire me for four
months?”
    “I
don’t know. Maybe Gabe has something for you to do. Daniel said he’s scrambling
to tie up loose ends with his company before the summer.”
    Lydia
hadn’t thought about that. She wondered if there might be something she could
help him with. She was pretty smart, and she’d been through law school. She
wasn’t used to having no purpose at all.
    “Where
is he, by the way?” Jessica added.
    “He’s
in his office with Ellie. You should say hello while you’re here.”
    They
walked down the hall toward the office, which was at the back of the house. The
door was shut, so Lydia automatically raised her hand to knock on it.
    Then
she wondered if Jessica would think it was strange that she knocked on a door
in her own home.
    “Just
in case he’s on the phone,” Lydia murmured, using the only explanation she
could think of for the knock.
    “Come,”
Gabe called from inside.
    He
sounded brusque, business-like.
    Not
like an adoring newlywed husband.
    Jessica
appeared to be hiding a smile when Lydia swung the door open.
    Gabe
was at his desk, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, staring down at papers that were
spread out all over his desk, gripping a pen in his hand.
    Ellie
was sitting at a chair that was pulled up in front of the credenza, staring
down at a spiral-bound notebook opened in front of her, gripping a pen in her
hand.
    Lydia
almost chuckled at how exactly alike they looked. Then she said, “Gabe, Jessica
stopped by with a casserole.”
    Gabe
blinked over at them, his eyes appearing more heavy-lidded than normal, as if
he could barely pull his focus away from his work. “Oh. Thank you. Hi,
Jessica.” He put his pen down and started to get up.
    “Hi.
Please don’t get up. I can’t stay long. Just thought I’d save you all from the
trouble of fixing dinner.”
    “We
appreciate it,” Lydia said.
    “Yes,
thank you.” Gabe glanced over at his daughter, who was still focused on writing
in her notebook. “Ellie, say hello to Mrs. Duncan and thank her for the dinner
she made for us.”
    Ellie
looked up, and then smiled. “Thank you!” She sounded almost genuine. Much more
genuine than she ever sounded with Lydia.
    “You’re
welcome. What are you working on so hard in here?”
    “I’m
writing a story.”
    “Is
that for school?” Jessica asked.
    “No.
My school is over until after Christmas. I’m writing a story for fun.”
    “Oh,
wow. That sounds great. Maybe you’ll let me read it when you’re done.”
    “Maybe.”
    Ridiculously,
Lydia was almost jealous over this pleasant conversation. Why couldn’t Ellie
respond to her that way? She was the one who had to live with her, after all.
    She
smothered a sigh and showed Jessica to the door.
    “That
looks familiar,” Jessica said, nodding back toward the office and idly rubbing
her rounded belly.
    “What
does?”
    “Him.
In the office that way with the door closed. Not that Daniel had a daughter
with him, but still…” Jessica sighed. “Don’t let him stay in there all the
time.”
    Lydia
felt a strange little jump in her chest. “What do you mean?”
    “Maybe
I’m wrong, but if he’s anything like Daniel, he’ll want to hide in there. Don’t
let him hide from you.”
    Lydia
suddenly felt uncomfortable again. Jessica didn’t have a weird
marriage-of-convenience. She had a wonderful marriage with a man who adored
her—whose adoration was obvious for all to see. Lydia wasn’t in the same situation.
And,