Lauren shifted her gaze from Seth to Dani then back to Seth. Surely Dani didn’t actually believe in Santa Claus. Lauren’s parents had set her straight at a young age about the jolly bearded man, a figure perpetuated by advertising firms and retailers.
“I want to go to bed now,” Dani announced. “’Cause if I’m not asleep, Santa won’t stop.”
Seth nodded his approval. “Did Mrs. Swenson help you wash up this evening?”
Dani nodded. “But I do have to go to the bathroom.”
“I can take her,” Lauren volunteered, not sure what helping would involve, but willing to try. After a delicious dinner of prime rib and mac ‘n’ cheese followed by three fast-paced games of Candyland, she was ready to stretch her legs.
“Thanks, but I’ve got it covered.” Seth pushed to his feet, leaned over and lifted Dani into his arms then whinnied. “Hold on, cowgirl. The horsey is leaving the starting gate.”
Lauren stared in awe as he galloped from the room. She couldn’t imagine her father playing such a game with her. In fact, she couldn’t remember her father ever even hugging her. He had shaken her hand when she’d graduated from college. And again when she’d earned her master’s degree…
She shoved aside the memories and rose to her feet. By the time Seth trotted back to the living room with Dani, Lauren had finished her eggnog, put away the board game and returned the pillows to the sofa.
Seth smiled at Lauren as he settled Dani on the sofa. “I’ll be right back.”
He returned a moment later with a glass of milk, a plate of graham crackers and a container filled with assorted Christmas cookies. After removing the Tupperware lid, Seth carefully placed the container on Dani’s lap then held out the plate.
Lauren stared with interest at the array of cookies. She couldn’t believe they were going to eat more after the big dinner and popcorn they’d already consumed. “They look delicious but I don’t think I can eat another bite.”
“These aren’t for us.” Dani’s fingers tightened around the lip of the container, as if fearful Lauren was going to snatch them away and gobble them down. “These are for Santa.”
Dani selected three of the most brightly colored sugar ones and carefully placed them on the Christmas plate.
“He gets milk, too.” Seth positioned the plate next to the glass on the table.
“And we put out extra for the reindeer,” Dani added.
“Yep.” Seth nodded, his lips quirking upward. “They have a lot of flying to do. They need to keep their energy up.”
Lauren’s smile froze on her face.
“Time for bed, kiddo.” Seth scooped Dani into his arms. Though the plastic cast had a rocker ball so she could walk without putting pressure on the fractured leg, Seth had told Lauren that the doctor preferred Dani keep her weight off it for at least the next couple of days. “Tell Miss Lauren good-night.”
Seth stepped closer and the exuberant seven-year-old surprised Lauren by flinging an arm around her neck and planting a big kiss on her cheek. “Thank you for coming and eating and playing Candyland with me.”
Lauren gently smoothed a strand of hair back from the child’s brow. With her blond curls tousled around her face, Dani looked like a little angel. “Merry Christmas, Danica.”
“Merry Christmas to you, too,” Dani called to Lauren as her father carried her from the room.
Since her injury, the child had been sleeping in the master bedroom on the main floor, while Seth had moved to the guest room. When he’d shown Lauren the bedrooms, he’d made it clear that if she did agree to move in, the guest room would be hers and he’d sleep in Dani’s canopy bed.
The thought of the rugged cowboy in the tiny twin bed with its frilly pink-and-white bedspread brought a smile to Lauren’s lips. As if her musings had conjured him up, Lauren heard the click of cowboy boots on hardwood. She turned to find Seth in the doorway, a satisfied smile on his face. “Surely she’s not already asleep?”
“She’s pretending to be,” Seth said with a grin that caused her breath to catch in her throat. “She wants Santa to show up and knows he won’t come until she’s asleep.”
The comment pulled her attention from his mouth. Though she told herself it didn’t matter if his daughter believed in mythological figures and he indulged such thinking, the strange tension gripping her said somehow it did matter.
“Isn’t Dani a little old to believe in Santa?” While it may have been a question, her tone made her feelings on the matter quite clear. And Lauren didn’t stop there. She gestured to the plate of treats and the glass of milk. “And practices such as these just fuel the illusion.”
The words hung in the air for a long moment. Lauren thought about calling them back. Though she’d meant what she’d said, she could have been more diplomatic.
To her surprise Seth didn’t seem to take offense. In fact, by the twitch of his lips, you’d have thought she’d said something amusing. He reached over and grabbed two cookies from the plate, handing one to her and keeping the other for himself. “These practices are about embracing the magic of the season.”
An illogical argument if she’d ever heard one, but charmingly delivered. Lauren took a bite of cookie and chewed for a moment. “Dani’s a smart little girl. She can’t really believe in elves and reindeer and Santa Claus.”
“She seems to,” Seth said, without a hint of embarrassment. “And as long as she does, I’m going to be supportive.”
“Supportive? Of a lie?” Lauren wasn’t sure what had gotten into her. Her training had taught her the importance of every word uttered. These outbursts weren’t like her. But something about the whole Santa lie felt…personal.
Seth’s brows pulled together and for a second he looked as if he might argue the point. But instead he shut his mouth and studied her for a long moment. “You never got to believe in Santa.”
Instead of comforting her as perhaps he’d intended, the observation stirred up a hornet’s nest of memories. Restless, she moved to the front window and, for several seconds, gazed out at the thick blanket of snow.
“My parents called him a bogus, fantasy figure,” she said, turning back to face him. “A myth that contributed to the commercialization of Christmas.”
“Did you ever go to a store and sit on his knee?” Seth asked, ignoring the outburst. “Whisper in his ear what you really wanted for Christmas?”
“Since he wasn’t real, what would have been the point? Besides, it wouldn’t have mattered,” Lauren said with a sigh. “My parents didn’t believe in giving gifts for Christmas. Still don’t.”
“Not at all?”
Lauren shook her head. “To them Christmas is just another federal holiday.”
Seth hooked his thumbs in his front pockets and appeared to ponder her words. It took a moment before he spoke. “If you could have sat on Santa’s knee and asked him for a gift when you were Dani’s age, what would it have been?”
Lauren shifted her gaze, remembering back. “There was only one thing I ever wanted for Christmas. That year I gathered my courage and approached my mother. I told her there was something I really, really wanted. I promised if she’d buy it for me I wouldn’t ask for another gift ever.”
“What did she say?”
“She asked what it was. When I told her…she laughed.” Lauren pressed her lips together, the long-ago hurt returning, squeezing her chest. She took a steadying breath. “Still, I went to bed that Christmas Eve hopeful. In the back