Jane's Gift (Lone Pine Lake 1)

Jane smiled as she went to the hall closet and grabbed a handful of coats. “Is there someone in particular you want to see?”

“Not at all,” he said too quickly. “Is there anyone in particular you want to see?”

“No,” she answered just as swiftly. And damn it, she felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment. Like Chris would be at the tree lighting anyway. He was a young, single man, too, who didn’t have to hang out at an event so geared toward families and children. For all she knew he was out on a hot and heavy date.

Please don’t let him be out on a hot and heavy date.

She really needed to get over herself. But she hoped he’d be there tonight. She wanted to see him. Talk to him. Flirt with him…

“So what’s going on with you and Chris?”

“Kids, let’s go! Uncle Mac is here!” Jane ignored her brother’s question, involved herself with getting the children ready to leave. But she could tell he kept a close eye on her throughout.

“You’re avoiding me,” he said once they’d loaded up in her SUV, Mac behind the wheel.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She glanced out the window, smiling faintly when she saw so many houses already decorated with Christmas lights. Reaching over, she flicked on the radio and searched until she came to a station playing Christmas music.

“You and Chris? When I found you two in the dining room alone yesterday, it looked kind of serious. And he told me you went to the movies together.”

“It was nothing. We’re just friends.” Jane even waved her hand for emphasis.

“That’s exactly what he said.” Mac was quiet for a moment, as were the children.

As if they were absorbing every single word the adults were saying. “Can’t we talk about this later?” She gave a subtle flick of her head toward the back of the car.

“Oh. Yeah. No problem.” Mac looked remorseful, and Jane hoped he suffered just a little bit. Much like she’d suffered when he started drilling her.

“He’ll be there tonight, you know. Santa rides in on the fire engine every single year.”

“Santa’s going to be there?” Logan’s hopeful little voice sounded from the backseat.

“He sure is.” Jane turned sideways to talk to him. Tried to ignore the fact that Chris would be there. A heady mixture of nerves and excitement trembled through her. She was going to see him, but she didn’t want to make a big deal about it, not in front of Mac. “And if you’re a good boy, you’ll get to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what you want.”

“Yay! I can’t wait to see Santa.” Logan clapped his hands together.

“What about you, Lexi? Are you going to sit on Santa’s lap?”

“No. I just want to see my cousins.”

“They’ve played together for the last two days. She loves the girls,” Jane told Mac, and he nodded.

“Yeah, and Madison told me something but I don’t want to talk about it.” Lexi sounded stressed. Jane turned, peering into the semi-darkness of the backseat, trying to make out her daughter’s face.

“What is it?”

Lexi shrugged. “I told you I don’t want to talk about it.”

“All right. Maybe we can talk about it later.” Worry filled Jane. She didn’t like to see any of her children upset, and from the sound of it, something was bothering Lexi. Could it be all the talk about Chris? Maybe it wasn’t smart, seeing him while she was with her children.

But they were such a part of her life, how could she avoid it?

The drive to the small downtown area of Lone Pine Lake was short, and when they arrived, both the streets and the small parking lots that surrounded the area were packed. Mac finally found a spot, though they’d have to walk a bit.

Making sure everyone was bundled up against the cold, Jane and her family exited the car and headed toward the giant, unlit tree. A large crowd surrounded it, and Jane noticed a makeshift booth set up to the right of the tree selling hot cocoa and snacks. They found Patrick in line, flagging them down and looking desperate for help. Mac stood with him so they could carry all of the drinks, and Jane went to find Lyssa, Patrick’s wife. It was cold, the coldest night yet, and Jane knew just by the scent in the air that snow was on its way. After growing up there, she knew it was a sense a local just didn’t forget.

“Jane, there you are! We’re so glad you came.” Lyssa wrapped Jane in her warm, parka-covered embrace, and Jane returned the hug with equal fervor.

She considered herself lucky that Patrick had married such a nice woman. She’d thought Marty was nice once, too, though lately he’d seemed so distracted. Her heart panged and she hurt for Mindy, wished that she was there with them. She hoped everything would be okay. She knew her sister was strong.