Free Second Chance Christmas (The Colorado Cades) by Tanya Michaels

Justin needs a tree,” she reminded Kaylee. “Any suggestions?”
    The girl offered opinions ranging from “that one might make Santa sneeze” to “this one’s got a bald spot, like our principal.”
    Justin made a show of weighing her sage advice as he steered her away from any tree over four feet. “My house isn’t very big, so I need a small one. Those are the best, anyway, because it’s easy to reach the top.”
    “We always had an angel at the top of our tree,” Kaylee said shyly. “The angel’s pretty, but not as cute as my teddy bear snowman. That’s my favorite of all.”
    Elisabeth inhaled sharply, cursing her lack of foresight, and Justin met her gaze over the top of Kaylee’s head. Michelle’s Christmas decorations were amid the many boxes stacked in a storage unit in Denver. Elisabeth had brought all of Kaylee’s belongings with them and sold Michelle’s bigger pieces of furniture. But there were tons of items Elisabeth hadn’t been able to face. She’d planned to sort through it all with Kaylee when the girl was older.
    They were supposed to decorate their tree tonight, their first together as a family, and she suddenly suspected that Kaylee wasn’t going to be very impressed. Throughout Elisabeth’s childhood, the Christmas trees had always been gaudy affairs, strewn with a mishmash of school pictures in painted macaroni frames, funky knit snowmen made by Grandma Donnelly and all of Lina’s favorite ornaments clumped together in one group.
    Once she moved out on her own, Elisabeth was free to have an elegant, color-coordinated tree. All of her ornaments were blue and silver, many of them crystal and not very kid-friendly. She didn’t even have an angel. She used a three-tiered Waterford topper made of blown glass. It was exquisite, but it was no teddy bear snowman.
    “I think I saw some ornaments for sale in the tent,” Justin said. “Maybe you could pick one out before we go, a souvenir from Cielo Peak.”
    “What’s a ‘souvenir?’” Kaylee asked.
    “An item that helps you remember special places or events,” Elisabeth explained.
    The little girl looked indignant. “I would never forget Cielo Peak! It’s my home.”
    Not for long . Elisabeth bit her lip, torn between reminding Kaylee that they had lots of new, wonderful things to look forward to in California and simply letting her enjoy the moment. It was wonderful to see her smiling.
    “Snowball fight!” Justin called his announcement at the same time he lobbed a ball in Elisabeth’s direction. It thudded against her shoulder, distracting Kaylee’s attention and putting an end to Elisabeth’s internal struggle. For the moment, anyway.
    Elisabeth bent to pack some snow between her gloves, making Kaylee laugh with her vows of retaliation.
    But the impromptu snow battle highlighted why Justin Cade had never been the right man for her. He excelled at temporary distractions, not long-term solutions. When relationships got too intense for him, he slipped away faster than a snowball would melt in the summer sun. Kaylee might be too young to understand that, but it was Elisabeth’s job to remember it for both their sakes.

Chapter Six
    When Elisabeth arrived at Arden’s studio Saturday morning, she expected to encounter a few reminders of Justin—after all, he was Arden’s brother. But she hadn’t been expecting to encounter Justin himself. She drew up short in the doorway, sucking in her breath. You have got to be kidding me.
    He smiled ruefully over the head of the infant he held against his shoulder. “I’m not stalking you, I swear.”
    “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” she asked, finally remembering to move so that Kaylee and Steven could also come in from the cold.
    “I’ve got an odd shift today. Don’t go in until after lunch since I’ll be working abnormally late.” He reached down to tousle Kaylee’s curls when she hugged him. “I’m teaching a first aid class around seven and leading a