He wanted to spend Christmas with both daughters. And withLynn, who was inescapably part of their peculiar mixed family. The day stretched bleakly before Adam and Rose. Both sets of parents had come last night. He'd cooked a huge ham and all the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs then. The two mismatched couples had made polite conversation and avoided inflammatory subjects like politics. His parents had left as soon as possible with their usual excuses. He imagined that today his father had gone to the hospital and his mother was working at her wheel and keeping an eye on the red-hot kiln.

Angela and Rob had wanted him to bring Rose to their house today, but he'd demurred. The past week, they'd dropped talk of lawyers and court the Christmas spirit must have gotten to them but the threat wasn't removed, only in abeyance. It tainted his affection for them. Just lately he'd noticed, too, that Rose was nice to them, but not comfortable. She didn't run into their arms for a hug, or go to Grandma when she b.u.mped herself on the coffee table, or confide in her shy voice to Grandpa.

Not the way she did withLynn.

"Don't you want to play with your new toys?" he asked Rose now, as they stood looking at the aftermath of last night's and this morning's whirlwind of gift opening.

"Will you play with me?" she pleaded. Not dolls. Please, not dolls. "Did you get any games?" he asked hopefully.

"Uh-huh." Her mood lifted. "Chutes 'n Ladders. I've played that one at school. And Grandma 'Closkey gave me a clown game. Only, I don't know where it is."

Oh, G.o.d. He supposed he should clean up. Where washis Christmas spirit?

InOtterBeach. The answer came swiftly, certainly.

"Lily," he said, "let me make a quick phone call."

"Okay." She didn't correct her name, a barometer of how spiritedshe was feeling. "Then can you help me find my new games?"

He crushed her into a hug. "You betcha, Violet."

A giggle rewarded him. "Daddy! I'mRose ."

In the kitchen, Adam dialed and drummed his fingers while the phone rang once, twice, four times.

When someone picked it up, "Jingle Bells" was playing in the background. "h.e.l.lo?" said an unfamiliar woman.

Rose's grandmother. "Uh ... merry Christmas to you. May I speak to Lynn?"

"Of course." The voice was warm and friendly. "And the same to you."

Lynn came on a moment later, sounding breathless. "Adam!" she exclaimed, when he'd identified himself. "Did Santa visit?"

Thinking about his living room, he said ruefully, "Big time. Did he touch down there, too?"

"Oh, yeah. Did you want to talk to Sh.e.l.ly?"

"Actually..." Unconsciously he squared his shoulders. "I was wondering. Do you have anything special planned for today?"

Stupid question. It wasChristmas , for Pete's sake. But he didn't retract it.

"No," Lynn said quietly. "Except, my parents are here."

"So you said. Um, what I was thinking is..." d.a.m.ned good thing he didn't stumble and fumble like this all the time. He finished more strongly, "That maybe Rose and I could drive over today. She wants to play with Sh.e.l.ly, and your parents could meet her."

"Today." Lynn sounded dazed.

"If it's not convenient..."

"No," she said quickly. "No, I'd love to have you. I just thought ... aren't you getting together with your parents? Or Jennifer's?"

"We did that last night."

"Oh." He could hear a dawning smile in her voice. "Please. Come. We'd love to have you. Can you stay the night?"

"Your parents..."

"Have a room at an inn." She laughed. "That soundsfitting, doesn't it?"

"Rose and I'll pack up and be on our way as soon as we can."

"I'm so glad you called."

He was, too. Suddenly Christmas Day had become joyous.

* * * LynnChanak's home at Christmas was everything he'd imagined it would be. Everything, despite the poverty of herpossessions, that his wasn't. Her mother and stepfather were warm, uncritical and present not just in a corporeal way, like his own parents. The Millers seemed delighted to meet him and they swept Rose into an affectionate circle of games and stories that soon had her chattering as naturally as she did with him. Carols played in the background, the delicious smell of turkey and stuffing in the oven drifted from the kitchen, the decorations were more affecting for being modest and homemade. If Sh.e.l.ly hadn't gotten as many gifts as Rose, she hadn't suffered. She and Rose would have plenty to do today. A cold rain fell outside, but the early darkness pressing at the windows suited the season and made him all the gladder for the golden glow of life and liking in here. With four adults and two children, there were hardly enough places to sit; except for the girls and Grandma, who insisted on joining them at the kitchen table, they ate with plates on their laps and drinks carefully set on the floor at their feet. He and Hal Miller, Lynn's stepfather, talked about the economy and the stock market. Miller had enough investments to be interested and to have some intelligent questions and observations about the recent, unexpected drop in the prime rate. The feds had everyone puzzled. "I've bought shares in several of the more solid Internet companies, even though they're not making much of a profit yet," he commented. "It's got to be the future."

Lynn made a face. "Don't tell me you've invested in my compet.i.tion?"

"'fraidso." He grinned. "Figured we'd better have a cushion in case the independent book business crashes." She rolled her eyes, but grinned. "Oh, thank you. I'll have you know we had a fabulous Christmas season!"

"Weather was good this fall," Adam said. "Did that keep tourists coming?"

"It didn't hurt, but tourism is booming over here no matter what the weather," She answered. "Off-season rates entice people to get away for a few days. I guess an ocean storm sounds exotic and wonderful compared to a Portland or Seattle drizzle. Everyone hopes to find a treasure washed up on the beach afterward. In the meantime, they get here and it's rainy and cold and they didn't bring enough to do in their hotel rooms." She sounded smug. "They come and see me."

"Ah." Her stepfather nodded seriously. "Not hard to find something to read in your place. I browsed yesterday." He glanced at Adam. "Good section on money and investing."

"I noticed." Adam had browsed, too. Wanting well, h.e.l.l, admit it, he thought to find out how smart LynnChanak was.

Very, he had concluded. She knew her business, which a surprising number of people who hung out a shingle didn't.

Lynn excused herself to dish up apple pie,a la mode, for those who wanted it. The pie was warm and obviously homemade. Flaky crust, the apples spicy, tart and melt-on-the-tongue soft.

Taking a sip of coffee followed by a mouthful of pie, Adam almost groaned in pleasure. Without a drop of alcohol, he felt as if he'd imbibed a snifter of fine cognac, not enough to get fuzzy, just enough to make him relaxed, benevolent.

In one corner of the living room, Rosebud and Sh.e.l.ly squealed happily over a game that seemed to involve contorting their bodies into absurd positions to put hand or foot on big bright colored circles on a mat. Grandma Miller spun a dial and announced, "Right hand, blue!" and the girls both collapsed in an attempt to move their hands.

The next round, they spun the dial while Grandma and Mom played. Adam savored the sight of Lynn, her nicely rounded bottom sticking up in the air as she struggled to keep left foot on yellow, right on blue, and her hands on two different colors. Her legs, he couldn't help thinking, were deliciously long, her hair a glorious tousle that tumbled to the mat and exposed a pale, delicate nape. Her cheeks were flushed with laughter, her eyes bright,her groans throaty.

d.a.m.n it, he washappy , Adam realized in some astonishment. He and Rose had good times, but it wasn't the same. Heliked being here, or having Lynn and Sh.e.l.ly, of course staying at his place. He wished they could do it more often. He was amazingly comfortable with Lynn. As far as he was concerned, she could just move in with Sh.e.l.ly...

Bang. He might as well have walked into a sliding gla.s.s door. Dazed, head pounding, Adam saw the answer to everything through the clarity of the gla.s.s.

A marriage of convenience. Miraculous convenience. They could share the girls, each have a legal claim on the other one. The grandparent problem would be solved. He could help Sh.e.l.ly and Lynn financially. He didn't have to miss them. Rose and Sh.e.l.ly would be sisters in truth.

He hardly sawLynnfall amid giggles, leaving Grandma triumphant but needing a hand to straighten up and unkink her back. Adam was too busy examining his incredible idea.

Yeah, okay, he argued with himself out of habit, he wasn't in love with her. Presumably she wasn't with him. But he wasn't seeing anyone else, and he hadn't heard even a hint that she was. He liked her. They could talk about things he usually stayed closemouthed about, and he had an idea she felt the same about him. G.o.d knows, they had something profound in common: their daughters.

He wasn't looking for a love match. Once was enough. But he missed having a woman in his bed and at the breakfast table. He'd been disconcerted by his attraction to Lynn, but what had formerly been a problem now was a bonus. Despite the peculiar beginning, they might make a comfortable, affectionate marriage out of it. It didn't have to be temporary. He could see himself growing old with her.

a.s.suming she saw the logic of his proposal.

d.a.m.n, he thought in astonishment. Proposal? Did he mean it?

"Is something wrong?"

Adam swung his head around sharply enough to crack a vertebra. Lynn had sat down on the couch beside him and was gazing at him with soft concern.

"Wrong?" he croaked. "No. Nothing's wrong." It was right. He wanted to shout and seize her hand. Go to his knees.

Now? Her parents were making leaving motions. He could let her tuck the girls into bed, and then ask.

But he wasn't a man of impulse. No. Wait until the chill gray light of morning and see whether his idea seemed as brilliant. Maybe he'd be dying to escape back to his big solitary house after a look at Lynn Chanak in her bathrobe before a cup of coffee.

Of course, he'd seen her that way before, and she'd looked cute.

Wait. Don't be an idiot, he told himself.Be sure before you jump.

Morning was soon enough.

Adam awakened at the d.a.m.ned crack of dawn after another wretched, chivalrous night onLynn's too-short couch. He felt as if he'd had more than a snifter or two of that nonexistent cognac. His head pounded, his mouth was dry, and his joints ached. He dreaded the drive home.

Christmas was gone, and with it his cheer.

He couldn't stand under the hot spray in a shower, because that might wake everyone else up. Disgruntled, he rooted in his overnight bag and got dressed in clean clothes. After gulping a couple of painkillers in the bathroom, Adam went to the kitchen, put water on to boil and dumped two teaspoons of instant coffee into a mug. Then he braced his hands on the edge of the counter and stared at the kettle, waiting for steam and gurgling.

What if she walked into the kitchen right now? Smiled shyly, offered to make breakfast? Adam asked himself. Would he wish her to Hades, or feel his mood lift?

The kettle stayed still. The force of his stare didn't heat the water.

His thoughts stumbled back into a rut worn by a night's worth of brooding.

Was he insane to think of marrying a woman he didn't love, didn't even know all that well except as the mother of his three-year-old daughter?

No.

The answer stayed the same. It made sense. So much sense, he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of the possibility before. He wondered if Lynn had.

Maybe it would have occurred to him before if he didn't find the idea of a temporary marriage abhorrent. He was old-fashioned in believing that a wedding vow should be kept. No matter how convenient it would be to take Lynn and Sh.e.l.ly into his household, he wouldn't have considered proposing if he didn't think they could make the marriage work for the long haul.

The teakettle whispered and gave a little hop.

He heard a footstep a second before Lynn said, "Good morning."

There she was in a new,nubby cotton bathrobe and fuzzy slippers, with her tousled hair, sleepy eyes and sweet smile reminding him sharply of his no, her daughter on early weekday mornings. Yet there was nothing childlike about her. The bathrobe sagged open above a loosely knotted tie, giving him a glimpse of flowery flannel and creamy throat and chest with a sprinkling of cinnamon freckles. He had to tear his gaze from the first swell of b.r.e.a.s.t.s beneath a lacy edging on her nightgown.

"Good morning." After hearing his scratchy voice, he cleared his throat. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I just didn't sleep well." Her gaze flew to his. "Oh, dear. There's no way you did, either. I wish you'd let me take the couch."

"Maybe next time."

"I'll hold you to that." Lynn advanced hesitantly into the kitchen. "Your water's boiling."

"It is?" The kettle was rattling on the burner, steam bursting out. "Oh. Right. Can I get you something?"

"I'll make a cup of tea." She stood on tiptoe and took down a copper canister that held tea bags.

Adam wanted to take a step across the tiny kitchen, wrap his hands around her waist and bury his face in her wild, soft curls.

Hands fisting, he managed to stay put as she murmured under her breath and got out a mug, adding sugar and one of those tea bags that brought the scent of oranges and spice into the kitchen. With an apology, she took the step to him, but reached past him for the kettle. Adam stood frozen as she poured boiling water into first her own cup and then his.

"Are you hungry yet?" she asked.

"Um? Oh." The grit was in his throat again. "No." Still he didn't move, watching as she took her mug to the table. "Were the girls still asleep?"

Her smile was fond. "Rose was giving little snorts. Sh.e.l.ly has her head under her pillow."

She'd momentarily distracted him. "Rose sounds like a little pig when she's deep under. I've wondered if her tonsils will need taking out."

"Well, snoring is not hereditary," she said in amus.e.m.e.nt. "Brian didn't, and I'm pretty sure I don't."

So she slept quietly. Would she burrow like Rosebud did when she slept with him? Would she murmur under her breath, the way she did when she was puttering around the house? Would he wake to find her head on his shoulder?

He grabbed his mug and took a scalding gulp. The burst of caffeine failed to clear his head.

"I'm not looking forward to going home," he said abruptly.Okay, it was a beginning.

Lynn looked up in surprise. "You're welcome to stay another day if you'd like. I know Sh.e.l.ly would be pleased. In fact, stay as long as you'd like. Are you taking the week until New Year's off?"

"No, I wasn't planning to."

Actually, a generally disappointing Christmas retail season was playing h.e.l.l with the stock market. Right now, he didn't give a flying you-know-what.

He took another gulp of coffee,then tried a new tack. "I was thinking."

"Yes?" Her eyes were wide and clear, a gray as luminous as the dawn sky.

"I've thought of a solution to this back-and-forth business."

Her lips parted and he imagined that her expression became wary, but she said nothing.

"Will you marry me?"

She stared at him for the longest time. Adam shifted uneasily.