Home in Time for Christmas Read Online Free Page B

was saying to her.
    â€œAnd it’s…Christmastide?” he asked.
    â€œNearly. At the end of the week.”
    He nodded. “Rose petals.”
    â€œWhat?”
    He half smiled, glancing over at her. “Do you believe in magic?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œNeither did I.”
    â€œLook, I really don’t know what you’re talking about. But… I don’t want to have to take you to the police. You may be hurt. But my mom was a nurse. She retired recently but she can take a look at you. I mean, seriously, if I have injured you, I’d want to pay the bills. But…wow, I don’t know. You should really go to a hospital—”
    â€œPlease, no. I’m not injured.”
    She should dump him by the side of the road then.
    It occurred to her that while Mark would order her to do that kind of thing, her brother would never consider such an action.
    Where did she stand herself?
    â€œSo, I’m going to take you home with me. I don’t know who you are, if you’re crazy, or whether you sustained a blow to the head. I’m going to have faith that you’re not a dangerous maniac.”
    â€œI’m not a dangerous maniac, I swear.”
    â€œGod help me, I’m going to believe you. But there are a couple of things you’re going to have to get straight first,” she said firmly.
    â€œHonestly, I’m just trying to get home,” he assured her.
    â€œSo where is home?”
    â€œGloucester,” he said.
    â€œFine. I can just drop you off.”
    â€œI have to find out where,” he told her. “And I’m not so sure I can get there by…car.”
    â€œGreat. You can walk, skip or jump, once you’ve gotten it figured out,” she said. “But until then, you’re a friend of mine. We met at college.”
    â€œYou went to college?” he asked her, fascinated.
    â€œYes, I went to college,” she said flatly. “So—”
    â€œWhere?”
    â€œBoston College. That’s where we met.”
    â€œBoston College,” he repeated.
    â€œWill you listen, please? This is important.”
    â€œYes, yes, of course. Whatever you wish.”
    â€œWe’ll make you a…an English lit major. And your tremendous interest in local history and lore made you go to work for one of the tour companies. That’s why you’re still dressed up à la General George.”
    â€œDressed up?”
    This was ridiculously difficult. “You are wearing old-fashioned clothing. It’s no matter, I can rummage through my brother’s things, and my brother is the type who would literally give anyone the shirt off his back, so we’re fine on that. The traffic was horrendous, I was desperate to get headed north, so I wouldn’t let you go back for your things.”
    He was staring straight ahead. She realized that she had come around the curve that led to her house. She was about to take the turn onto the driveway.
    â€œJake, are you listening to me?” she demanded, trying to slow the car without doing any more skidding.
    â€œMy God,” he breathed.
    â€œWhat?”
    The lights.
    Of course, it had to be the lights.
    Her mother definitely got carried away with lights. The house looked like a giant birthday cake with candles in a multitude of colors. There were reindeer on the lawn—fashioned in wire and covered in lights as well—that burned brilliantly, as well.
    Even the old oaks laden in their snow blankets seemed to be glistening. Ablaze.
    It was a warm house, a welcoming house.
    It….
    â€œIt’s my home,” Jake said. “It’s my house. Where I live.”

2
    O kay, that was all she needed.
    The mental-man thought that her house was his.
    She inhaled deeply. “Okay, okay, I hit you on the head really hard. But you can’t go in there telling my folks that this is your house.”
    He was staring at the lights. It was as if he had never