How valuable she was.
“It’s not much.” He was suddenly embarrassed that he’d purchased her something so personal. He’d been in the store trying to decide if he should get her a scarf or a sweater. He’d called Nick to ask for advice. Of course his brother the playboy had assumed the gift was for a girlfriend and had suggested jewelry.
Now when Kay was looking at him with her big, innocent brown eyes, it seemed inappropriate and a little pervy that he’d gotten her a necklace. What if her boyfriend had gotten her something similar?
That’s what he got for taking advice from Nick. He should have gotten her the stupid scarf.
“It’s beautiful, Eli.” She lifted it out of the box and held it up to the light.
“It’s a mother’s pendant. That’s Hope’s birthstone, isn’t it? I hope I got it right.”
“It’s a garnet, right? You got it right.” She looked so happy with the gift that Eli relaxed a little.
“I hope I’m not stepping on any toes.” When her brow furrowed quizzically, he added, “I’m hoping your boyfriend didn’t already get you one.”
“Boyfriend? If you’re talking about Craig, we broke up at the end of the summer.” She fumbled with the clasp of the necklace. “I hope I can get it on without breaking the clasp. Can you hook it?”
Eli just stared stupidly for a moment. His brain was still stuck on processing her words. He hadn’t liked the slimy, girly-voiced singer she’d been dating over the summer, but he would never wish for her to be hurt.
“Sorry to hear that,” he lied. She was still waiting for him to hook the clasp, so he moved closer and tried to focus on threading the minuscule loop onto the hook. Instead, he was so entranced with the curve of her neck and the fact that when she posed like that, holding her hair out of the way, it pushed her bottom and her chest out. It took him five tries before he managed to get the necklace fastened correctly.
Kay snorted. “I’m not sorry about it. Craig was too in love with himself to have much room for me to like him.”
Her description was so perfect that Eli smiled. She stared at him. “You’re smiling.”
“I am,” he replied.
“You have a really nice smile. You should do it more often.”
Chris ran up and shoved his latest superhero toy in front of Eli’s face. “Look what I got, Uncle Eli!”
He turned to his nephew and tried to show the appropriate amount of interest in the toy, but his attention was on the enigmatic woman sitting next to him. She wasn’t intimidated by him and definitely got under his skin in a way that no one had in years.
If anyone was capable of understanding what it was like to make a mistake, it was Kay. Maybe it was time to allow someone to see him—the good, the bad, and the shameful.
For the first time in a long time, Eli wondered if it was time to come home in more ways than one.
CHAPTER FIVE
KAY WOKE CHRISTMAS morning to soft light coming through the blinds. Hope slept peacefully in the borrowed playpen, her bottom in the air as she clutched her blanket. Kaylee had been worried about how Hope would adjust to a new environment, but it looked like her daughter wasn’t the one she needed to worry about.
Julia had been kind enough to offer her a pair of boy shorts with the tags still on that she’d purchased for herself just the previous week, a pair of pajamas, and a sweater to wear the next day. Kay had taken a shower the night before, so she stripped down to her new underwear and then dressed in the borrowed sweater and her jeans. She was really thankful for everything Julia had offered, but it was a little weird to be wearing Eli’s mom’s clothes.
Yeah, because that’s totally sexy.
She cringed a little at the thought but shook it off. It wasn’t much, but at least Eli hadn’t looked at her the way he usually did, like he couldn’t wait to get away. They’d had a lot of fun last night watching the kids playing with their toys, and she wasn’t going to let anything ruin her holiday spirit. Especially not insecurity about her figure. She got enough of that from her mother—she didn’t need to add to it.
Next week she’d be sure to stop by the mall and buy Julia something really nice to say thank you. While she was there she’d pick up something for herself, too. It was time she started loving the body she was in. It might not be perfect but it was hers.
There was a soft knock at the door. She rushed to answer it before the sound woke up Hope.
Ridley stood in the hall and turned when Kay opened the door.
“Merry Christmas,” she whispered. “I heard you moving around and I wanted to ask what you like for breakfast. I’m trying to surprise Julia by cooking for her. She usually gets up before everyone else and makes breakfast, but I wanted to do it this year.”
Kay stepped out into the hall, pulling the door closed gently behind her. “Oh, I think you’ve surprised her already.”
Ridley flushed with pleasure. “I surprised myself.”