She shrugged. “For holidays, sure.”
“Is there anything she cannot do?”
“That’s easy.” Trista laughed. “She absolutely positively cannot make fudge. She ruins it every time.”
“Well, that’s a comfort.” He grinned. “Even I can make fudge.”
After she left, Kyle sat in his now lonely office. Before, he’d been so deep in his book that he’d been oblivious to the world. Now he became aware of the life around him, as if Lexi brought this perspective to him. He could smell the wonderful scent of cinnamon wafting past his nose. He could hear the happy yells from outside.
He had never had a deadline so close to Christmas. Was that his problem? The whole Christmas thing from his past was here to block him?
And was it his own doing? With surprise, he realized it was. When his agent called, he’d been too darned proud to ask for more time, much less complain about less. He wasn’t honest about his own needs--with others or with himself.
With a sigh, he turned back to his keyboard. Before he started typing, he glanced out the window.
His father, brothers, sister-in-law, niece and nephew, Lexi and her kids were all rolling snow into balls. There were already five snowmen started on his front lawn, scattered among the lighted reindeer.
When he realized she wanted him to make a snowman, he chuckled. Lexi saw him looking and motioned to him through the window. He wanted to go outside and join in the fun. But he had to be responsible. He had to finish this book.
He turned back to the screen and stared at it for a long moment. What was the use? He was typing--but he wasn’t accomplishing anything. He just kept retyping the same scene, over and over, trying to make it work. Maybe she was right. Maybe a break would do him good.
He needed a break.
He’d do it. With one more glance outside at the enticing scene before him, he grabbed his winter gear. Bundling up, he opened the door and stepped outside to play.
* * *
As Kyle stepped outside, Lexi hid a smile at the look on his face. It was obvious he was torn. He must never let himself relax and enjoy life. Well, it was about time he tried it.
Steven and Justin rolled a huge snowball around the yard, laughing as they narrowly missed the reindeer. Trista and Jill were patting down their completed snowman, filling in bumpy spots with more snow and making their snowman perfect.
Keefe threw a snowball at Kyle and hit him squarely in the chest. “Welcome to the world of fun, Bro.”
As Lexi rolled her large snowball, as it grew, she glanced at Kyle. He was watching her and smiled when he caught her eye. He held up the tiny snowball he’d patted together. She mouthed way to go.
When she figured her snowman’s mid section was big enough, she hefted it, dropping it onto the bottom. “There,” she said loudly. “I’m done.”
“Ah, come on, Lexi.” Kenneth put his hand on his hips. “I’m surprised a famous decorator like yourself doesn’t know snowmen have heads.”
“Unlike some real men I know,” Alyssa tossed out.
Lexi laughed and glanced at Kyle again to make sure he was listening. He was. “Unfortunately there’s a real nut case who’s been going around the neighborhood taking the heads off snowmen. I’m not going to risk that. So mine is done as it is. Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Snowmen.”
Quickly, Kyle covered his smile with a frown. “I heard it was justifiable snowman homicide.”
Kenneth just shook his head. “It doesn’t look right. But if that’s the way you like your men, then you’d better stick with old Kyle here. He’s the only one who’d lose his head if it wasn’t attached.”
A snowball slapped Kenneth in the back of the head. Laughing, he raised his index finger and said to Lexi, “Excuse me. I have something I need to take care of.”
Then he was off at a run, scooping up snow and retaliating. Soon he and Kyle and Kenneth were all three exchanging zingers. The kids immediately joined in. Alyssa and Lexi worked their way to the relative safety of the porch.
* * *
Kyle aimed his snowball carefully, and it splatted on the house to the side of the women, who laughed. He stood ten feet away, tossing another snowball straight up and catching it as it fell, looking at Lexi in a calculated way.
She put her hands up as if to protect herself. “Oh, no, you don’t.”
Kyle tossed up the snowball again. Caught it. “Tell me why not.”
Looking indignant, she put her hands on her hips. “Because I won’t help you with your book if you do.”
If anyone else had suggested helping him, if she hadn’t been joking, he might have resented the offer. He grinned as he caught the snowball. “Like I need your help.”