"Why didn't your siblings go with you to Pennsylvania?" he asked, wanting to distract her from the sad part of her memories.
"Tyler was only four. He wouldn't have been able to sit still that long. Kelly was fourteen and into her teenage years. She didn't want to leave her friends to visit the old people, as she used to call my grandparents. But I wanted to go, so my dad took me while my mom stayed home with Kelly and Tyler. It was a great trip."
"It sounds like it. I wish I'd gotten to know your dad better."
"He was a wonderful man and a fantastic father. He always made sure to spend time with each of us. With me, it was ice-skating. He was the one who first taught me how to skate and then drove me to practices and competitions. With Kelly, it was all about horseback riding. That was their thing to do together, and with Tyler it was baseball." She smiled. "Sometimes, I wonder how he had time to work."
"He made time for his family," he said shortly, wishing his father had been half the man Hannah's father had been.
"He did," Hannah agreed. "And he'd always tell me that as the middle child, I was the most special, which was a complete lie, but I appreciated the effort. It wasn't always easy to stand out in a line-up of three kids. Kelly had a big personality and Tyler was the cute baby."
He sat down on the couch, propping his legs up on the coffee table. "I think you always stood out, Hannah."
"Probably not in a good way," she said with a self-deprecating smile.
"Well, that's what made you interesting. You were never entirely predictable. And you always had a lot of ideas, especially when it came to revenge."
She grimaced. "I don't think I want to be reminded."
"Remember your old neighbor, Mr. Fordham? You got mad at him because your ball went over the fence, and he wouldn't give it back. He said he'd told you a dozen times not to kick your ball into his yard."
"He was a grumpy, old man, and I think you were the one to kick the ball over the fence," she retorted.
"I was responsible for the ball, but you were the one who painted happy faces all over his stone patio."
"It washed right off, and I thought he should think about smiling more." she said defensively. "But I got grounded for a week."
"Because you didn't realize he had a security camera in his backyard."
"That was a mistake," she conceded. "However, I'm fairly sure I told you my idea beforehand and you loved it."
"I loved you," he said, the words spilling out of his mouth before he could stop them.
She jerked, surprise and wariness filling her pretty brown gaze. "Don't—don't say things like that."
"It's the truth. I didn't actually mean to say it, but it's not a lie. You were the first girl I loved."
"But not the last," she said sharply.
He actually wanted her to be the last, but she was already rattled by what he'd just said. "Who knows who'll be the last?" he murmured.
She stared back at him. "You don't have to hang out. Brett and I can finish the tree together."
"No way. I want to see the end results. My lights are on there. I'm part of it."
"Fine. You can stay, but no more talk of the past."
"Deal. How do you feel about tinsel?"
"What?"
"Tinsel or garlands? It's usually one or the other, but I don't see either in your boxes."
"We never used tinsel or garlands. We had a dog when I was little—Tiger. He would either eat the tinsel or pull the garlands down, so we just stopped putting them on. It was all about the ornaments."
"Is Tiger in heaven?" Brett asked.
"He is," Hannah admitted.
"Stormy is in heaven, too." Brett said. "He's with my dad. Mommy says they can still see us. Daddy knows when I'm being good. He's proud of me."
Hannah gave her nephew a sweet, tender smile. "I'm sure he's always proud of you, honey."
"He liked me a lot," Brett added. His expression shifted. "Russ liked me a lot, too."
Hannah stiffened, shooting him a quick look.
He was as surprised by Brett's comment as she was. From what they'd learned about Kelly's boyfriend, Russ, it didn't seem like he was a good guy or a man who would like children.
"He said he'd always protect me and Mommy," Brett continued. "We didn't have to be afraid. He would take care of us."
"Do you know where Russ is?" Hannah asked carefully.
"He's camping. He's going to catch a big fish. Mommy said he had to stay and wait for the fish to come. I wanted to wait with him, but she said we couldn't." He paused. "Can we turn the lights on now?"
"We're just about there," Hannah said. "We need to put some ornaments on the top of the tree first."
Jake jumped to his feet. "That's my cue." For the next few minutes, he filled out the tip-top of the tree while Hannah worked on the middle, and Brett gave them suggestions on where to put the ornaments. They ended their decorating when he placed a beautiful angel on top of the highest branch. "Now we're done," he said. "Hannah, do you want to do the honors?"
"They're your lights. Go for it. But wait—let me turn off the lights in the room."
As Hannah darkened the room, he hit the switch and the tree lit up. Brett's expression of amazement made Jake's heart flip over in his chest. They'd created a magical moment for this little boy, and in light of everything going on in his life, that was a very good thing.
"Is Santa coming tonight?" Brett asked.
Hannah shook
