Christmas Ever After (Puffin Island 3)

“And you know how that feels. Seems my parents are like yours.”

“We both know your parents are nothing like mine.” She gave a wan smile. “I’ll talk to your mother later and tell her the truth. I should have tried harder over lunch but they all seemed so happy and I wasn’t really sure how to handle it.” Pale as a fresh fall of snow, she sank onto the edge of the bed and Alec frowned.

“You’re feeling terrible. Why the hell didn’t you excuse yourself sooner?”

“I’m feeling just fine. But I’ll lie down here for a while and that will give you a chance to be alone with them.” She slid off her shoes, crawled onto the bed and curled up like an injured kitten.

Concerned, he took a step toward her and then stopped. Whatever she said to the contrary, he knew she was vulnerable. The last thing he needed was for her to see him as some sort of rescuer or hero figure.

He already knew how that ended.

“Do you need more pills? You should have said that you were feeling this bad.”

“I’m not feeling bad.”

“You must have been stressed by it all. The questions. The talking.”

“Envious,” she murmured, her eyes drifting shut. “I was envious.”

He stood there, locked in a mental battle between instinct and common sense as he tried to decide how to handle this.

And then he realized there was no decision to make because she was already asleep.

He waited a moment and when she didn’t stir he walked over to her, reached for the thick, dark green throw from the bottom of his bed and covered her gently, careful not to wake her.

When she didn’t stir he leaned over and moved her hair gently, studying the livid bruise on her head.

He thought again about that sterile, emotionless message from her mother. It was likely that she hadn’t known about Sky’s injury, but she knew about the breakup and not once had she asked her daughter how she was feeling.

Her friends were thousands of miles away.

All she had was him.

Ice filled his veins.

He didn’t want that responsibility.

The door opened and Nelson plodded into the room. Without looking at Alec, he sank down in front of the fire.

Alec sighed. “You shouldn’t be in here.”

Nelson yawned, stretched and ignored him.

Alec glanced toward the bed and then back at the dog. Why not? “You’re on guard. If she moves, come and get me.”

Nelson settled his head on his paws and Alec went in search of his family intending to lay down some ground rules.

And while he was at it, he thought, he needed to make a few for himself.

SKY WOKE UNABLE to move. Something heavy and hot was pressing on her legs.

She opened her eyes drowsily. The only light in the room came from the fire. Outside there was nothing but darkness.

Wondering what

time it was, she tried to sit up and realized that the weight on her legs was the dog.

He grunted but didn’t move and she was about to lie down and go back to sleep when there was a tap on the door, and Alec’s mother walked into the room carrying a tray.