Daddy by Christmas / Christmas Magic on the Mountain. Patricia Thayer

love you all, too.”

      She’d tried for a lot of years not to get too close to people, except for Brad. Starting with her parents. Whenever she’d let people in, they’d ended up hurting her. She looked across the room at Jarrett standing in the doorway. She definitely had to keep this man away.

      “Tell everyone thank you.”

      “I will,” Nola assured her. “Now, you rest and don’t worry about lunch. Sylvia will be here to fix you something.”

      “She doesn’t have to do that.”

      Nola raised her hand. “She wants to. We all want to help.” The older woman went out the door, followed by Jarrett. Mia called him back. “Mr. McKane, could I speak to you a moment?”

      Frowning, he came toward the bed as Nola left. “Suddenly I’m Mr. McKane again.”

      “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. It’s better if we don’t become too friendly…given the situation.”

      He studied her for a moment. “The situation you are referring to is that you’ve already gotten to stay here until the spring.” He shrugged. “But, hey, I won’t bother you again.”

      He turned and walked out. The soft click of the front door let her know she was truly alone. She told herself it was better this way. She couldn’t get any more involved with a man like Jarrett McKane. Not that she had to worry that he’d ever give her a second look.

      She rubbed her stomach. All she needed to focus on right now was her baby.

      Jarrett kept hearing a ringing sound. He blinked his eyes as he reached for his cell phone on the bedside table.

      “Hello,” he murmured, running a hand over his face. It was still dark outside.

      “Oh, I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

      It was Mia. He sat up. “Mia? Is there a problem?”

      “No. No. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”

      “Wait, Mia. Tell me what’s wrong. Is it the baby?”

      “No, the baby’s fine. I just need a favor, but I’ll call back later.”

      “I’ll be right over.” He hung up, grabbed a pair of jeans and put them on along with a sweatshirt. He grabbed his keys and phone and headed across the hall. He let himself into her apartment with his master key and hurried to the bedroom.

      Mia was sitting on the bed, dressed in a thermal long-sleeved shirt that hugged her rounded belly and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. Somehow she managed to look somewhere between wholesome and far too good at this time in the morning.

      Was it morning? “What’s the problem?”

      She looked embarrassed. “I’m so sorry I woke you.”

      “Well, since you have, tell me what you need.”

      “Could you pull out the table and see if my cable is plugged in? I didn’t want to move the table by myself.”

      “You’re on the computer at this hour?”

      She shrugged. “I slept so much during the day, I’m wideawake. So I thought I’d get some work done.”

      Jarrett went to the bedside table and pulled it out. Seeing the loose battery cable, he knelt down and pushed it back into the outlet. “It’s fixed.” He moved the table back and stood next to the bed. “You’re really not supposed to be working.”

      “I’m bored. Besides, if I don’t work, I don’t eat or pay my rent.”

      The computer screen lit up and he asked, “What are you working on?”

      She kept her focus on the screen. “A Web site for a Denver-based company.”

      He glanced at the home-page logo. “Are you going back to law school?”

      As she clicked the mouse and another program opened, she didn’t show any surprise that he knew her history. “Not for a while, but I hope I can go back someday. It won’t be easy with a baby.”

      “I’m sure everyone here would love to help you.”

      “We won’t be living here…together,” she said.

      When she looked up at him with her scrubbed-clean face, large sapphire eyes and her hair in a ponytail, she looked fifteen. “How old are you?”

      Mia blinked at his question. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to ask a woman her age?”

      He shrugged. “You look like jailbait.”

      “I’m twenty-nine. How old are you?”

      “Thirty-seven.”

      She studied him for a few seconds. “You look it.”

      Frowning, he combed his fingers through his hair. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

      “What did you mean when you called me jailbait?”

      “I meant it as a compliment. You look young for your age.”

      “Thank you.” She sobered. “Are you really going to try and find us all a place to live?”

      “I’m not sure I can find everyone a place, but I’ll see what I can do.” Was he crazy? Where would he find affordable apartments for them all? He moved away from the bed. “Man, I’d kill for a cup of coffee.”

      “Sorry, I’m off caffeine for a while,” she told him. “But I’d fight you for a jelly donut.”

      “I guess that’s one of those crazy cravings, huh? Well, I’d better go.” He walked out, thinking a donut didn’t sound so bad.

      He retrieved his car keys and a jacket from his apartment and headed down to his car. The ground was covered in a dusting of snow. He climbed into his vehicle, missing the warm garage back at his house. Pushing aside his discomfort, he started the engine and the heater. He was on a quest for one hungry pregnant woman.

      In every town there always seemed to be a twenty-four-hour donut and coffee shop and Winchester Ridge was no exception. He picked out a couple of dozen assorted donuts along with a large coffee and an orange juice.

      He returned to the apartment building just as dawn was breaking. Funny, this wasn’t how he usually spent early mornings. He’d never shared breakfast with an expectant mother, either. With his offerings in hand, he returned to Mia’s apartment and gave a loud knock before he walked in.

      “It’s me, Ms. Saunders. I’ve got something for you.” After hearing Mia’s greeting he walked into the bedroom.

      She was still working on the computer. “I thought you went back to bed.”

      “Not after you talked about donuts.” He raised the box. “Freshly made.” He opened the large box and the aroma filled the room.

      Mia groaned. “Oh, my God.” She put the laptop aside and reached for one. He pulled back.

      “I thought you were going to fight me for one.”

      She looked confused.

      “Of course, if we were on a first-name basis, I’d happily share. Especially if someone had been willing to get up before dawn and help out a neighbor.”

      Mia was embarrassed by her actions. Yesterday after Jarrett had left, Nola had returned and told her how he’d stayed at the hospital and called everyone with any news. She was even more ashamed when she learned that he’d bought the paint for her bedroom.

      “It does seem to be one-sided, doesn’t it? I apologize. You have helped me so much. I don’t know how I would have made it to the hospital without you.”

      “Did I say I minded helping you? I just don’t want to keep being treated like the enemy here. I can’t change