Free Christmas in the Air by Irene Brand

my pack under that seat. Will you bring them? I tore my pants. I’ll go to the supply room and change them.”
    Although Quinn tried to be nonchalant, the episode had embarrassed him. He didn’t like to be the center of attention. But was it worth having ripped pants and a sore leg to witness Livia’s obvious concern for him? Could he dare to hope that her anxiety indicated a kind feeling in her heart for him?

Chapter Seven
    W hen her pulse stopped pounding from the trauma of Quinn’s fall, Livia sat on the front pew and picked up her needlework. Quinn watched her, studying each feature of her face. Should he capitalize on her anxiety over his fall and try to lessen the tension between them?
    More than a century of grime had accumulated in the attic, and as Quinn surveyed his hands, it looked as if most of it had rubbed off on him. He cleaned his hands with several hand wipes before he changed his pants. When he came from the supply room, he looked around for Livia.
    He limped toward her. “May I join you?” he said. “Everyone is determined to treat me like an invalid and won’t let me work. Eric and Allen are bringing in the fuel, and Sean is shoveling the drifted snow. I think we could make a country boy out of him if we tried.”
    Quinn was concerned about some of the gestureshe’d noticed between Sean and Livia. Sean was close to her age, and so likeable that Quinn wouldn’t blame any girl for choosing him.
    She moved the basket of yarn from the seat, and critically examined the stitches she’d made, She found it difficult to ply the needle in and out of the yarn because her fingers were cold.
    â€œSit down. This gift isn’t for you, so you can watch if you like.”
    He sat beside her and stretched out his left leg. He watched her long, sensitive fingers as she wielded the metal crochet hook through the red wool yarn.
    â€œI was making this for my brother,” Livia said, interrupting his thoughts, “but since I drew Sean’s name, I’m finishing it for his gift. Evan won’t mind. I’ve made him several scarves.”
    â€œDoes Evan manage Heritage Farm?” he asked.
    â€œDaddy and Evan are in partnership. Daddy does most of the managing, but he’s semiretired. Evan and his family live on the farm. He also has a full-time job as county extension agent, so he’s very busy. His wife, Wendy, has a teaching degree. She taught school for two years, but she decided to become a stay-at-home mom when Derek was born. Wendy’s maternal grandparents came to spend Christmas with her, but they couldn’t stay long. I hope I don’t miss seeing them.”
    â€œYou invited me once to visit Heritage Farm. I’m sorry I didn’t make it.”
    Livia hesitated, not knowing what to say. She double-crocheted a few inches, made a turn, and started the last row on the scarf.
    â€œYou’d be welcome anytime. It’s a good farm with fertile river land and some hill acreage. You’d like my family, I’m sure.”
    â€œI’ll take you up on that invitation before long. I hope we can stay in touch now. If you’ll give me your telephone number, I can call you once in a while. And as far as that’s concerned, it’s not so far to Columbus that I couldn’t drive in to see you occasionally.”
    His comment flustered Livia, and she concentrated on her needlework. She stretched out the scarf and decided it was long enough. To put on the finishing touches, she took a skein of white yarn from her basket to make a border of single crochet stitches around the whole scarf. Fortunately, she didn’t need to count this simple stitch. Quinn’s comments had disconcerted her, and she was tormented by confusing emotions when she sat so close to him.
    Should she ask Quinn about his personal life? If he was romantically involved with someone else, she’d see to it that she wasn’t at home when he