A Gift of Family (Love Inspired)

by Ross, Mia

  “No, Seth,” she corrected him with a grateful smile. “It’s you. You’re making her feel better. You’re making me feel better, too.”

  He couldn’t help grinning back. “At least I’m good for something.”

  “Lots of things, actually.” Ducking under his arm, she cuddled in and stroked the now-dozing cat’s long fur. “You’re a handy guy to have around.”

  Since she’d made the first move, Seth figured it was okay to put his arm around her. Sitting there, snuggling on the sofa, watching TV, was incredible. Like he was meant to be there with Lisa, sharing some of the worry she was feeling. After everything she’d done for him, it felt good to repay some of that kindness.

  “I’m not sure what to do about tomorrow,” she confided while they watched a guy attach the last of Santa’s reindeer to the roof of his house. “Cleo needs company, but I work from six to two.”

  “I’m sure if you explain things to Aunt Ruth, she’ll give you some time off.”

  “Ordinarily she would,” Lisa agreed. “But three of our waitresses have the flu, and we’re really shorthanded. We’ve been so busy lately, I’d hate to call in at the last minute like this.”

  “Could someone at the farm watch Cleo for you?”

  Lisa shook her head. “Everyone’s in and out all day, but the house is empty most of the time. I want someone with her in case she needs something. I guess I’ll just take her to the vet and let them watch her.”

  Her unhappy tone made it plain the animal clinic wasn’t her favorite option. Careful not to disturb the sleeping cat, Seth slipped off his boots and crossed his feet on the coffee table. “Well, my schedule’s pretty flexible. I could hang out here till you’re done at the diner, then head over to the church. There’s plenty of folks on the crew who know what they’re doing, and if anybody needs me, they can call my cell.”

  Pulling her head away, she looked up at him with a hopeful expression. It was obvious she didn’t want to impose on him, but he didn’t see it that way. She needed help, and he could give it to her, simple as that.

  “Are you sure?” she asked. “That’s such a pain.”

  “Not really. Maybe I’ll follow Cleo’s example and get caught up on my sleep.”

  Bathing him in the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen, Lisa leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Seth. That would be great.”

  Before she could fully retreat, he caught her cheek in his hand and drew her in for a real kiss. He’d been hoping for a chance to do that since their staged show at the diner, and it was worth the wait. When he pulled away, her eyes sparkled with approval.

  “No mistletoe this time,” she teased.

  Not sure if she viewed that as a good thing or a bad thing, he kept his response light. “Nope, just us.”

  “I liked it.”

  Relief flooded in, and he chuckled. “You sound surprised.”

  “I am. A little,” she added quickly. “I mean, we’re not much alike, are we?”

  Keeping his arm around her because he liked how it felt, Seth leaned back to give her some space. “That just keeps things interesting.”

  “I’m still going to Europe,” she pointed out while she surfed for something else to watch.

  Seth’s instincts told him it was significant that she wouldn’t look at him when she said it. Warning bells went off in every corner of his brain, screaming that things between them were rapidly snowballing out of his control. Determined to keep a grip on his sanity, he searched for a way to stop the slide without hurting her feelings.

  “And I’m still going home when the church is fixed,” he reminded her as gently as he could. “I’m not looking for long-term any more than you are.”

  “Okay,” she said, still staring at the TV. “That works for me.”

  Her optimism sounded forced to him, and he wondered if he’d read her wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d misunderstood a woman, after all, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. In the short time he’d known her, Lisa had come to mean a lot to him, and he’d do anything in his power to keep from hurting her. He wanted their relationship—whatever it was—to be absolutely clear.

  With that in mind, he asked, “So where does that leave us?”

  Tipping her head back, she gave him a saucy grin. “Friendly but unattached.”

  Her quick answer told him this arrangement was truly what she wanted, and he grinned back. “Sounds good.”

  On the screen, an old-fashioned theatrical opening came on, and she gasped. “White Christmas! This is my favorite Christmas movie.”

  “Really? I’ve never seen it.”

  Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened with shock. “You’re kidding, right? It’s a classic, right up there with It’s a Wonderful Life.”

  Seth was beat, but it took him less than a second to decide he’d hang around to watch it with her. “What’s it about?”

  “These two soldiers meet during World War II.” Pausing, she gave him a hesitant look. “That might not work for you.”

  While he appreciated her sensitivity to his military past, he grinned to ease her mind. “I wasn’t even alive back then.”

  “I mean, it’s about a war. Not the whole movie, but—”

  “Why don’t we just watch for a while? If it’s too much for me, I’ll let you know.”

  “Okay.”

  As they watched the opening credits, Seth was glad to be headed home soon. Cozied up with her on the sofa, he tried without success to ignore the scent of flowers that followed her everywhere. As if that weren’t bad enough, she fit perfectly against his side, filling a place that had been vacant for a long, long time.

  He’d done his best to keep his emotional distance from Lisa Sawyer, he grumbled to himself, but every day it was getting harder to do. Her sunny, generous nature was irresistible, and he could no longer deny that she was starting to get under his skin. If he stayed in Harland much longer, he might do something really stupid.

  Like tell her he was falling in love with her.

  When she swiveled to face him, her solemn expression brought him back to the present with an unpleasant jerk. Uh-oh, he thought. Serious time.

  “Seth, can I ask you something that’s absolutely none of my business?”

  He couldn’t move without waking Cleo, but he forced himself to meet Lisa’s gaze directly. After the way she’d stood by him, he owed her that much. “Sure.”

  “You were more than just a soldier, right?”

  “I can’t talk about it.”

  “I know, and I won’t pry, but I can’t help wondering how bad it was for you. Being in a foreign country during a war, I mean.”

  Sifting through the grim history he’d fought to put behind him, he searched for something he could share without scaring or depressing her too much. “It was tough, but I was there with some of the best people I’ve ever met. We helped each other through.”

  “Until you came home,” she said quietly. “Then you were on your own, and you couldn’t really talk to anybody about it.”

  “My parents helped.”

  “Family can only do so much, though, can’t they? Eventually, you have to stand on your own two feet and make your life work.”

  Those gentle, compassionate words sliced through every defense he’d created, straight into his heart. She’d nailed the emotion he felt most keenly, the one that drove him to keep going, even when it was hard. Equal parts determination and fear, it was a baffling combination he’d struggled to comprehend. In that moment he knew that, despite their obvious differences, he and Lisa had one very important thing in common.

  He gently ran his finger along her soft cheek. “You really do understand, don’t you?”

  “I think so. Not the details, maybe, but I can follow the gist of it. Being strong
and independent, doing things your own way.” Pausing, she gave him one of her amazing smiles. “That I get.”

  As she snuggled against him again, he wanted to tell her how much that meant to him. How much she meant to him. It took every ounce of restraint he had to keep those words to himself, but somehow he managed. It was safer that way.

  Chapter Nine

  It was still dark when something woke Lisa from the first real sleep she’d gotten all night.

  Her foggy brain cleared just enough to register the soft knocking on her door. Cleo shifted a little as Lisa untucked herself from their cozy place on the sofa and slowly stood up. Her legs and back were stiff from being cramped in one position all night, and she felt about a hundred years old as she shuffled to the door.

  “Seth?” she whispered to avoid waking her cat.

  “Room service,” he murmured back.

  When she opened the door, she caught a whiff of fresh cranberry muffins and Ruthy’s high-octane coffee. “You’re the absolute best. What time is it?”

  “Five.” Glancing over at the mess on the sofa, he looked back at her with a grin. “I figured you wouldn’t get much sleep, and it might be nice to have someone bring you breakfast.”

  “Very nice,” she agreed with a yawn. “Thank you.”

  “No prob.” Setting the bag and cup carrier on the coffee table, he hunkered down to give Cleo a gentle stroke on the head. “How’s our furry patient doing?”

  “No change, really. I couldn’t get her to eat anything but she drank some water a while ago. That’s probably a good sign, right?”

  As tired as she was, Lisa fully recognized she was leaning heavily on someone who had much bigger problems than she did. She wasn’t thrilled about that, but she appreciated Seth’s reassuring look.

  “Very good. Why don’t you get ready for work? I’ll see if I can convince her to try some yogurt.”

  “Good luck.”

  Lisa took her coffee, downing several bracing swallows on her way to the closet. She got out a clean uniform and headed for the bathroom. By the time she’d showered and dressed, the caffeine had started to kick in and she was feeling more or less human.

  How she looked was another matter entirely. She solved that with some extra concealer and foundation, topped off with a blush called “Perky Pink.” After trying out a smile in the mirror, she decided the cosmetic commercials were right. There was nothing you couldn’t hide with the right makeup.

  Wary of bothering Cleo, Lisa eased the bathroom door open and peeked out. The scene in her living room made her heart go all warm and squishy.

  Seth was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a spoon in one hand and a jar of yogurt in the other. While she watched in amazement, he dipped up some yogurt and ate some, leaving a little on the spoon. When he offered it to Cleo, she licked up the remainder and blinked up at Seth as if she was asking for more.

  “That’s incredible,” Lisa approved as she walked through. “What’s your secret?”

  He shrugged, which she’d learned was his way of deflecting praise he wasn’t comfortable with. One of these days, she vowed silently, she’d get the man to take a compliment.

  “I don’t know,” he replied. “Maybe it’s ’cause I’m eating it first, and she feels like she’s being sneaky.”

  “Whatever it is, it’s working.” Going into the kitchen, she took a pill bottle off the windowsill and handed it to Seth. “I gave her one at midnight, and she should have another one at noon. It’s a gel cap, and she doesn’t like it,” Lisa warned. “But it’s important. Make sure she doesn’t spit it out.”

  “Will do.” Smiling, he resettled Cleo on her quilt and joined Lisa near the sink. “Go to work and try not to worry. When the vet calls you, let me know what he said.”

  The thought of hearing bad news shredded her already fragile nerves, and Lisa felt tears welling in her eyes. Staring at the sleeping ball of fluff on the sofa, she whispered, “What if it’s bad news?”

  Before she even finished her question, Seth gathered her into his arms and rested his cheek in her hair. “Then we’ll figure it out, one way or another.”

  Any other guy she’d known would have confidently told her the cat would be fine, whether he believed it or not. But Seth would never lie to her just to make her feel better, even if it was what she wanted to hear more than anything.

  Burying her face in his soft flannel shirt, she let a few tears fall. “I’m scared, Seth. I want her to be okay.”

  “I know.” Kissing the top of her head, he wrapped her up a little tighter. “But sometimes life throws stuff at us that we can’t control. We just have to do the best we can.”

  This was a man who understood that bitter truth more clearly than most. He lived with it every day, struggling against the memories that obviously still haunted him. If anyone knew the value of taking life as it came, it was Seth.

  Pulling her head free, Lisa gazed up at him. “All night, I just held her and prayed. Do you think God heard me?”

  With a sad smile, he kissed her forehead. “I think if He listens to anybody, He’d listen to you.”

  Lisa took the comment as a hint that Seth might be edging back toward the faith he so desperately needed. “Maybe He brought you here to Harland for a reason.”

  “Aunt Ruth’s rehab work brought me here.”

  “That’s done now,” Lisa pointed out.

  The frown Seth had been wearing darkened into an outright scowl. “I got roped into helping with the church project. Another week or so, it’ll be far enough along a monkey could manage the rest.”

  “And you’ll go home.”

  “For Christmas. After that—”

  He shrugged as if it didn’t matter all that much. While Lisa was eager to explore the world outside her tiny hometown, she couldn’t imagine not having a place to return to. A place where she belonged, full of people who loved her and would welcome her back with open arms from wherever she’d been.

  In her heart, she knew Seth wanted the same thing. And she was just the one to make it happen.

  “Come to church with me on Sunday,” she blurted before she could talk herself out of interfering. When he started to protest, she cut him off. “I’ll buy you breakfast afterward.”

  Narrowing his eyes, he gave her a suspicious look. “Bribery, huh? Isn’t that against the rules?”

  “Come on, Seth,” she prodded. “You set up, then you put everything away afterward. You know most of the folks who will be there, and it won’t kill you to sit for an hour and listen to Pastor Charles’s sermon. He’s really good.”

  After a few moments of silence, Seth shook his head. “It’s really not for me, but I appreciate you asking. You’d best get going or you’ll be late.”

  He’d been so wonderful with Cleo—and her—that Lisa decided not to push. Seth was a grown man, after all, and he’d made it clear once again that he didn’t want her poking around in his life. If he wanted to stagger along without faith, that was his choice. She only wished he’d give God another chance. She suspected that whatever had pushed him away was buried in his mysterious past, and he’d get past it if he put his mind to it.

  One step at a time, she reminded herself. He’d come so far already, he was bound to get there with or without her help. Eventually. Most of the men she knew preferred to do things the hard way. Why, she had no clue, but apparently that trait came embedded in their Y chromosome.

  “Okay.” She smiled to let him know she wasn’t insulted. “There’s not much in the fridge, but help yourself to whatever you find. If things don’t get crazy at the diner, I’ll see you a little after two.”

  “No need to hurry. The queen and I are just gonna take a little nap.”

  He stretched out on the sofa and lifted the cat onto his chest, draping her quilt over top of
them. After a halfhearted murmur of protest, Cleo cracked one eye open. Seeing it was Seth who’d disturbed her, she went right back to sleep.

  Truly amazing, Lisa thought as she locked the door behind her. You had to love a guy who was so good with animals. That thought stopped her dead in the middle of the landing.

  Did she love Seth?

  Honestly, she wasn’t sure. Getting to the point where she liked him had been challenging enough. Would loving him be twice as difficult? Her heart said no, but her mind had a different opinion altogether.

  She was aware she was treading in very dangerous territory, and she forced herself back to reality. As she went down the steps, she reminded herself that she and Seth had agreed to the let’s-be-friends approach. They enjoyed spending time together, but his plans didn’t include her any more than hers included him. Whatever might be happening between them would end when he left Harland.

  Maybe, that little voice in her head piped up. Maybe not.

  She was really starting to hate that voice, she thought as she went through the diner’s side entrance. It was annoying.

  Fortunately, there was enough for her to do that she didn’t have time to ponder anything beyond catering to their breakfast crowd. Mornings were always busy, and with only a few shopping days left until Christmas, folks were in full-on holiday mode. Some had started their vacations early, and relaxed laughter filled the dining room. As an added bonus, her tips were bigger than usual.

  Today she’d probably make enough to pay for that guided tour of Montmartre, she thought with a smile of anticipation. The Sacred Heart Basilica there was impressive enough, but for Lisa the beautiful neighborhood held a more personal appeal. She’d actually be walking along the same streets as Monet and Picasso, spending time in the historic shops and cafés where they’d hung out during their lifetimes. How cool was that?

  While she worked her way through the dining room, a lot of the talk was about how quickly the church project was coming along. She heard that the roof repairs would be complete on Monday, so their Christmas Eve service was a go. She was refilling Gus’s mug with extra-strong coffee when her phone began singing Charlie Brown’s “Christmas Time is Here.”