The Super Mum

The boy met his eyes this time. “Yeah. Last year Mom tried to do it herself and the whole thing fell over the next day. It was a mess.”

When Angela laughed self-consciously, David could have kissed her. She was so cute when she blushed. “Your son is a practical kid.”

“He doesn’t want more of his favorite ornaments to break. I can’t say I blame him.”

“At least they picked a straight tree.” He grinned, as he took his saw from the sled they’d brought along to transport the tree.

After David cut down the fir and arranged it on the sled, Anthony asked if he could pull it, and Michael insisted on helping. David motioned down the trail to the barn where the proprietor of the farm was bagging the trees so they were easier to take home. All the kids started down the hill, cooperating for a change.

“That won’t last long,” Angela said with a smile.

David knew Olivia’s invitation had taken Angela aback. “I don’t have to stay for supper. I know you weren’t prepared for that.”

For a few moments, she looked over the rows and rows of fir trees, as if debating with herself. Then she said, “All the kids want you there. I think they’re starved for a father figure. The question is, do you want to be that? Mentoring Anthony is one thing. Having two other kids pile on is another.”

“You’ve got great kids. I’m a novelty right now. Hopefully Anthony and I can form a friendship that will help him. But if your other two kids want to be part of that, I don’t mind. I intend to give Anthony alone time, though, because I think that’s what he needs.”

“You’re right about that. He and Jerome never spent a lot of time together, but whenever he could, Anthony tagged along with his dad.”

“We could just stop for a pizza on the way home,” David suggested, not wanting to put her to any bother.

“Pizza’s okay once in a while, but I try to get them to eat wholesome food whenever I can. I have leftover roast beef in the fridge. I’m thinking of hot roast beef sandwiches, if that’s okay.”

“That sounds fine. You really do try to be Super mom, don’t you?”

She bristled a bit. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“No. Not if it doesn’t wear you out.”

Her shoulders relaxed. “It does. But as long as I can do it, I’m going to try.”

They could hear the kids chattering as they trudged down the trail. They could see them. But David knew the trees blocked the kids’ view of them. No one else had followed them into these rows of trees, and it almost felt as if they were alone in the middle of nowhere.

Angela was looking up at him with those big, blue eyes. He’d taken off his gloves after he’d cut down the tree so he could rope it to the sled. Now he was glad he had. Her swingy hair brushed against her cheek, and he pushed it back, letting his thumb linger on the softness of her skin. Her eyes grew bluer and wider, and he saw the same desire there that he was feeling. They were both wondering—wondering what a kiss would be like…wondering if a fire would start…wondering if the earth would move.

He rarely acted on impulse anymore. But now, desire drove him to seize the moment, answer some of his questions, discover if the chemistry he was feeling was real. When he bent his head, she raised her chin. His lips covered hers.

Did the kiss last for an instant? Or maybe an hour?

There was no time as heat exploded in his body…as he pushed his tongue into her mouth…as she responded quickly and fiercely.

When her children’s laughter soared up the hill to them, he broke away and stepped back, feeling turned inside out.

That was impossible. The kiss had begun and was over in a few seconds. How could he be so fully aroused? How could he want to lay her down in the pine needles and the patches of snow and take the passion she seemed willing to give?

He’d thought his questions would be answered after a kiss, but there were only more of them. “I shouldn’t have done that. The way Anthony is feeling right now, if he senses anything going on between us, he’d never let me become his friend.”

“You’re right,” she murmured. “And I’m not looking for…for…for an involvement. I don’t have time. I don’t have the energy. Men cause me nothing but disappointment.” She brought her hand to her lips when she realized she’d said out loud what she was thinking.

“I’ll try not to disappoint you where Anthony’s concerned,” he vowed solemnly. “Come on. We’d better catch up.”

She didn’t argue, and he knew she didn’t want to linger, either. She’d obviously been hurt, maybe by someone other than her ex-husband. They both had scars that would keep anything from developing except a hot affair.

And it would be hot. That sample kiss had told him that.

But he had to put Anthony first.

He’d make sure he stayed away from Angela Schumacher. That was the only reasonable thing to do.

Chapter Three

Later Sunday evening when the doorbell rang, Angela was still reeling from David’s kiss at the Christmas tree farm. It had practically knocked her boots off, yet she’d acted as if nothing had happened and he’d left after a quick supper. Now, for a change, all three kids were watching the same program on TV while she tidied up the empty ornament boxes.

When she opened her front door, she found Rebecca Peters. Rebecca was the newest neighbor on Danbury Way and Angela had liked her immediately. She was one of the most stylish women around, with gold highlights in her dark-brown hair, blue eyes and a very fashion-forward wardrobe.

She, too, had found romance.

“I thought you and Joe were away for the weekend.”

“We didn’t go. Joe couldn’t find somebody to cover for him at the clinic.” Joe Hudson was a veterinarian and took his responsibility for his furry friends seriously.

“But…” Rebecca drawled, holding out her hand to Angela.

“It’s beautiful!” Angela stared at the simply exquisite solitaire on Rebecca’s finger, then gave her friend a huge hug. “This is wonderful. When are you getting married?”

Taking Rebecca by the hand, Angela tugged her toward the kitchen. “We’ll have a cup of tea and you can tell me all about it.”

Rebecca laughed as she followed Angela into the wine-and-spruce-green kitchen with its island in the middle, eat-on counter along one wall and numerous birch cabinets.

After another look at Rebecca’s diamond under the brighter kitchen lights, Angela said, “I knew this would happen sooner rather than later.”

“Me, too,” Rebecca confided with a shy smile. “I love him to death. Since he had to go to the clinic, I told him I was going to come over and tell you our good news.”

While Angela put on the tea kettle, Rebecca wiggled her hand under the recessed lighting. “We’ll probably be planning the wedding for spring. I want the works—from wedding gown to flower girl.”

They chatted for a few minutes about the type of gown Rebecca might choose, about colors she liked for her attendants, about possibilities for facilities for receptions.

The teakettle whistled, and Angela brought it over to the counter where she poured water into two mugs.

Adding the teabags, Rebecca admitted, “I really came over here to find out who that hunky man was in your driveway this afternoon.”

“You weren’t too busy to notice someone in my driveway?” Angela teased.

Although Rebecca’s cheeks turned a little pinker, she admitted, “Joe and I can’t spend all our time in bed.”

Both women laughed. Then Angela sobered up quickly when she thought about David. He was going to pick up Anthony on Friday to take him to the movies. They’d settled that much. Actually, there wasn’t anything else to settle, she told herself firmly.

“He’s going to be Anthony’s Big Brother, although Anthony still isn’t sure he really wants one. We all went sledding yesterday, and then this afternoon we found a Christmas tree.”