Free Expecting a Christmas Miracle by Laura Iding Page A

off his dark hair as he entered the house. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from him, especially the way his muscles flexed as he maneuvered the mattress down the hallway to the spare bedroom he’d already cleared out for her.
    So far, Jadon certainly didn’t look as if he minded the extra work. Or that he was regretting asking her to stay. Did he really want to talk about the possibility of a future? And could she trust him if he did? How could she know if Jadon would really stick around for the long haul? Especially with the stress of raising not just one baby but two?
    “Hi, Alyssa,” Simon greeted her, coming in behind Jadon, lugging a large suitcase she hoped was full of her maternity clothes. She felt like a lost waif in Jadon’s sweats. “How are you and the babies feeling?”
    “We’re fine,” she said with a smile. Simon was a nice guy—in fact, they’d gone out on a couple of dates prior to her meeting Jadon, but there just hadn’t been any spark. She was glad they’d been able to remain friends. “Thanks for moving all my stuff.”
    “No problem. I think it’s very good that you’re staying here with Jadon,” Simon said in a serious tone. “You shouldn’t be alone, not with all the complications you’ve had.”
    “I only had complications because I was silly enough to fall into Lake Michigan,” she protested. “Not because of my pregnancy in general.”
    “It wasn’t silly to save Ben’s life,” Jadon said, walking back through the living room.
    “No, but I should have been able to get Ben out of the water without falling in.” She wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t factor in how much larger and lower my center of gravity is.”
    “All that matters is that you’re both safe,” Simon said.
    “Come on, Simon.” Jadon clapped him on the shoulder. “Help me carry her bed frame inside.”
    “How did you get all this stuff over here?” Alyssa asked with a puzzled frown.
    “Jadon rented a truck,” Simon answered over his shoulder. “And a good thing because the four-wheel drive sure helped us get up that hill on your street.”
    She vaguely remembered Jadon saying somethingabout the slippery, snow-covered hill on the street leading to her apartment. It was one of the reasons she’d ended up here with him in the first place. She didn’t ask any more questions until they had everything moved in.
    Including her small, lopsided Christmas tree.
    “I can’t believe you brought it along,” she murmured as Jadon set it up in the corner of the living room, directly in her line of vision from her position on the sofa. Simon had left a few minutes previously, to return the rented truck.
    He rocked back on his heels, flashing her a quizzical, sideways glance. “Well, I couldn’t just leave it there in your apartment, the poor thing looked lonely enough as it was. And since I didn’t have any Christmas decorations up of my own, I figured this would cheer you up better than nothing.”
    “Thanks, Jadon.” She was foolishly touched by his consideration. “I’ve been really looking forward to Christmas this year.”
    “Yeah?” His smile was infectious.
    “Yeah. So, uh, do you have to work tonight?”
    “No, I’m off the next two nights.” He spent more time making adjustments to the tree, until he finally stood and put his hands on his hips in disgust. “I swear I’ve done everything to straighten this tree. Nothing works. It’s still crooked.”
    Her lips twitched at his vexed tone. She lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “I kind of like it that way.”
    He rolled his eyes. “Figures. Okay, I give up, then. The tree is up, and Simon helped me put your bed back together, so all we need to do is unpack your clothes. Do you want me to do that for you?”
    “Ah, no,” she said hastily. It was bad enough that her maternity clothes probably looked like giant tents, she didn’t need him going through stuff any more than he already had. “I can do it.”
    “But you’re supposed to