Her Christmas Hero (Home To Dover 6) Read Free Page A

But she hadn’t been able to bring herself to trust another man. She’d been betrayed too many times.
    “Do I have to go to school tomorrow?”
    She smiled at the dread in his voice. “Yes. We’ll get you registered first thing. I’m sure you’ll make wonderful new friends.”
    He lowered his head and shrugged, kicking fallen leaves up as he walked. “I guess.”
    Gemma pulled him close for a quick hug. “Don’t be afraid to talk to the other kids. I know it’s been difficult for you staying with Grandma and Grandpa, then moving across the country to Miss Caroline’s, but now it’s just you and me, okay?”
    “What if I make a mistake or do something wrong?”
    Gemma set her jaw. Her perfectionist mother had chipped away at Evan’s confidence with her constant criticism. Gemma had been so busy dealing with the aftermath from Darren’s betrayal and losing her business she hadn’t realized how hard it was for her son until the damage had been done. Growing up she’d grown a coat of armor against her mother’s ways, but Evan was too young. When Caroline offered her a place, Gemma had jumped at the chance to escape the oppressive expectations of her overachieving parents.
    “It’s okay to make a mistake, Evan. And nothing on this earth is perfect, no matter what your grandmother says. You do the best you can and I’ll always be proud of you. Understand?” Evan nodded and gave her a sweet smile.
    They stopped at the edge of the creek. Broad and shallow, it posed little for her to worry about. Evan would have fun exploring. As he started to poke around the stones and mud, she wandered off a short ways. Her gaze drifted to the mansion. She stopped when movement caught her attention. A man stood at the edge of the porch. Linc. Was he watching them? Making sure they didn’t do any damage? Had he talked to his mother?
    She shook off the concerns. She had every right to be here. If he didn’t like it, that was his problem. Hers was creating a series of Christmas events that would give Dover the economic boost they needed. She already had lots of ideas and couldn’t wait to meet with the Chamber members tomorrow to get started.
    Unable to stop herself, she glanced at Linc again. Even across the distance his personality reached out and touched her—sending a shiver along her spine. She’d have to be vigilant. Strong. Keep her confidence in place. No one was going to make her cower, or take advantage of her ever again.

Chapter Two
    L inc was not a fan of Monday mornings. Especially when it meant sitting behind a desk in an office. He’d much rather be in his truck headed for a job site. The figures on the page before him dissolved into a cloudy blur. He closed his eyes, rubbing them with his fingers to ease the strain. Calculating the estimates for a project bid was his brother Gil’s area of expertise. Linc was more at home with managing the actual job. But with Gil in Mobile and Dad gone, it fell to him.
    Leaning back in the chair, he scanned the office. His dad’s presence lingered heavily in the air. At any moment he expected to hear his deep voice, and to see his sturdy frame striding into the room. The ache inside Linc’s chest expanded, and a lump rose in his throat, so painful that it made his eyes burn.
    As long as he could remember he’d wanted to be exactly like his dad. He wanted to do everything he did, including running the family business. But his dream had always included working side by side with his father—never running the company all alone. Technically, Gil was a partner, too. He was the planner, the negotiator, the one who won bids with his precise numbers. Linc was the hands-on guy, supervising the electricians, managing job sites and dealing with the construction issues.
    He swiveled the chair to look out the window and studied the sign out front that proclaimed in shiny steel letters on a blue background the company his grandfather had started. Linc had trained and studied his