Page 28 of The Christmas Fix
“I wish I had a brother or a sister,” Sara sighed. “But Mom and Dad had to get divorced, so that sucked.”
Noah swiped a hand over his face, knocking his glasses askew. If he didn’t get Sara back to school in the next four seconds, she’d spill all the family secrets and embarrassments to his potential enemy.
“Well that’s the nice thing about friends. You can be just as close to them as you can a brother or sister,” Cat said wisely. “I bet you and April are practically sisters.”
Sara brightened. “We really are! So, when are you coming over? Tonight? Not today 'cause I have to go back to school. But tonight’s good.”
Cat laughed. “Well, what’s for dinner?”
Sara whirled around. “Dad? Can we have pizza or something? Oh, wait. Cat likes kale salads and black bean soup,” she recited. “Can we find that—”
Noah pressed a hand over his daughter’s motor mouth. “Honey, I think we’d better check with the rest of our guests to make sure they’re okay with more company because I have a feeling Cat would like to bring a camera crew with her.”
Cat was nodding. “I really, really would. Like a lot.”
Great. Now his already overcrowded home was going to be under the scrutiny of a camera crew for a national audience.
Sara pulled his hand away and jumped up and down. “Will you ask them if it’s okay? Will you, Dad?”
He sighed, gritting his teeth. “I guess.”
“You’ll let me know,” Cat said. It wasn’t a question.
Noah nodded briskly. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I should get this young lady back to school.”
He was just about to pick Sara up and stuff her into his SUV before she could invite Cat to move in with them when a shiny black pick-up truck rolled into the lot, windows down, music blaring.
Cat, arms in a V over her head, whooped out a welcome.
The truck eeked to a stop, and two men bounded out, one short and dapper in trousers and a yellow checked shirt. The other was tall and broad and looked vaguely familiar. The tall one reached Cat first and swept her feet off the ground in a dramatic hug. He placed a loud kiss on her mouth before settling her back on the ground. “Hey, gorgeous.”
He was tall and self-assured as if he’d had years of people telling him how great he was.
Noah felt instantly uncomfortable, and he wasn’t sure why.
“Hey, yourself! I’ve missed your face,” Cat laughed, cupping the man’s face. He let her slide to the ground, and she leaned in and offered a one-armed hug to the second man. “Henry, I’ve been going crazy without you.”
“Of course, you have,” he announced in a clipped British accent. “I hope you haven’t cocked it all up already.”
“Impressionable ears, Henry,” Cat said, nodding in Sara’s direction.
“Sorry, darling,” Henry said, flashing a dazzling smile at Sara.
Sara giggled, and Noah noticed his daughter had a slightly dazed look like she was a concussion victim. The last thing he needed was men amping up Sara’s recently acquired obsession with boys. He was about to drag her away when Cat twined her arm through the taller man’s and led him over. “Sara, I’d like you to meet my friend Drake. He has his own show, too.”
Sara turned a shade of scarlet Noah hoped to never see on her face again.
“Hey, Sara. Nice to meet you.” Drake—of course his name was Drake—squeezed Sara’s arm in a friendly greeting. Noah didn’t like it. He didn’t like the guppy fish look on his daughter’s face, and quite frankly, he didn’t care for the way Cat was glowing up at him either.Get a freaking room.
“Noah,” he said, by way of a greeting, and gripped Drake’s hand in a steely hold.
“Drake. Great to meet you. I’m excited to be working with this lovely lady again,” Drake said, bringing Cat’s knuckles to his lips.
Cat’s phone chimed. She frowned at the screen and shook her head. “I know I’m late, Henry. Get out of my calendar, and stop texting me!”
Henry shrugged. “Why don’t I come with you to meet the parks manager so you can fill me in on the way.”
“Don’t you want to settle in first?” Cat asked.
