Page 116 of The Redemption of Remy St. Claire

She used to bristle when he called herkid. They were, after all, colleagues, and barely half a dozen years existed between them. Then one day Betty let it slip that Zach’s younger sister would’ve been Remy’s age if she hadn’t died tragically in a car accident when she was seventeen. If Zach wanted to call her kid, Remy’d deal with it. Plus, she had done well today. She’d earned her keep.

The drive home was uneventful, since the road crews had plowed the roads. The cold front had moved on, so the air wasn’t as nippy. Christmas was less than a week away, and the forecasters were calling for rain.

If precipitation was inevitable, she’d have picked snow for the kids’ sake, but was happier with rain. Her little car wasn’t good in snow. Now that she lived in the hills, she should get a vehicle designed to handle tricky weather conditions. Might as well get an SUV. A minivan might even be more appropriate. With two adults, two kids, a dog…and maybe even more kids?

She’d never envisioned herself having kids. Now, at twenty-eight, she was a mother to two little girls. Well, an older sister and stepmother—but those were just semantics. Along with Rusty, she was responsible for the health and well-being of two precious little girls.

She, more than most, knew what a dangerous world they faced.

The Christmas lights shone as she pulled up the driveway. A new festive wreath she didn’t recognize hung at the front door. Stepping across the threshold, she resisted the urge to say,Honey, I’m home. More and more this place was her home, not just her parents’ house. Her old dingy studio apartment was a distant memory.

“Remy’s here!”

She barely had time to put down her drink before two paper-wielding toddlers charged at her.

“See what we made.” Mira held up the paper like a trophy she’d won.

“Me first.” Calleigh’s lower lip quivered.

Sitting on the couch, she pulled each girl under an arm. “I take it you ladies had a good day.”

Two enthusiastic nods greeted her.

“We made Christmas cards today,” Mira explained. Then she handed over a multi-colored drawing.

Remy cringed. She had no idea what she was looking at.

“That’s a Christmas tree.” Rusty offered the information helpfully.

Glancing over her shoulder, she favored him with a grateful smile.

“And Calleigh made you a snowman.”

When her sister presented her drawing, Remy could almost make out a snowman. Almost.

“Can we put these on the fridge?”

“Yeah!” Both girls scrambled off the couch, taking their pictures from her.

When she started to rise to follow them, a gentle hand pressed on her shoulder.

“Take it easy.”

His voice was soft against her ear. She wanted to argue, but her body was screaming at her. The thought of moving was too painful to contemplate, so she let her head loll, resting it on the back of the couch.Just a moment.She’d just close her eyes for a moment.

Chapter forty-eight

WhenRusty’swifewentboneless immediately after relaxing onto the couch, his heart took a knock. She looked exhausted. He shouldn’t have let the girls bowl her over the moment she’d arrived home, but they’d been so enthusiastic, alternately watching Dora and the driveway to see when Remy might appear. He’d give her a half hour. If she was still asleep after that, then he’d carry her to bed.

He grabbed a throw and laid it across her motionless form.

“I’m awake.”

“You can rest, you know.”

She took in a deep breath. “I smell pizza, and my eggnog latté is sending me a siren’s song.”

“You don’t need the caffeine at this hour. If you drink it, you’ll never sleep.”

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