Read Once Upon a Winter's Heart for Free Online Page B

like I did.”
    â€œTristan and I were just talking about how much we’ll miss him,” she explained. “But I was telling Tristan that Poppi left pieces of himself with us—you know, things we can remember him by.”
    â€œLike my hands.” Tristan held up his hands. “Aunt Emma says they’re just like Poppi’s.”
    Lane nodded. “I think I can see that too.”
    â€œAnd we have his hair and his eyes,” Tristan continued. “Did you know that Poppi’s hair used to be just like mine?”
    â€œI didn’t know that. But now that you mention it, I can imagine it.”
    â€œAnd I’m sure Poppi left some things for you,” Emma told Lane. “Like Hemingway and Dean Martin.”
    Lane laughed. “That and a lot more too…I hope.”
    â€œThere you are.” Anne came to the entrance of the sunroom now. Positioning herself by the potted palm, she looked sleek and sophisticated in her dark blue satin dress and diamond earrings. She could easily be a guest at a Manhattan cocktail party. Anne shook her finger at Lane. “I was looking all over for you,” she told him. “I thought you’d left here without saying goodbye to me and I was all ready to be vexed with you.”
    â€œI was just getting acquainted with your sister,” he explained. “And we were all reminiscing about your grand­­­­­­­father.”
    â€œYes. That Poppi—he’s going to be missed a lot.” Anne sat down next to Lane on the couch. Gracefully crossing her legs and smiling prettily, she looked so together—from the top of her blonde French twist do down to her elegant black heels. She was such the picture of perfection that Emma suddenly felt awkward and unstylish in her long-sleeved gray knit dress and worn black riding boots. But instead of wilting away like an unwanted wallflower, she decided to stay put and find out more about this Lane Forester. After all, if he was really her future brother-in-law, she owed it to her nephew as well as her sister to check him out.
    â€œSo, tell me, what do you do?” Emma asked Lane. “I mean for a living.”
    â€œLane’s the director of KidsPlay,” Anne told her. “He organizes all the extracurricular sports in town. From preschool to middle school, he oversees everything from baseball to soccer to basketball.” She pointed at Tristan now. “Speaking of basketball, Monica’s boys were looking for you. They wanted to shoot hoops.”
    â€œAre they already outside?” Tristan asked eagerly.
    Anne nodded. “Get your coat, young man.”
    Tristan took off like a shot and Anne turned back to Lane, tapping her hand on his knee in a proprietary sort of way. “This guy is also heading up the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in town.” Her smile seemed laced with pride, as if she were partially responsible for Lane’s achievements. And maybe she was.
    â€œWe just started the BBBS foundation a year ago,” Lane told Emma. “Big Brothers Big Sisters seemed like it could have such a natural link with KidsPlay. I’d noticed there were a lot of young kids in need of some mentoring. I just do what I can to get them together with mentors.”
    â€œThat sounds like a win-win for everyone,” Emma told him. “I’m sure this town appreciates a program like that.”
    â€œI’m helping Lane with a special fundraising event this Friday,” Anne said with enthusiasm. “We’re hosting a benefit show at the gallery—all the art pieces have been donated by Northwest artists and a hundred percent of the proceeds will go to BBBS.”
    â€œThat’s fantastic,” Emma told her. “Mom said you’re managing the Hummingbird Gallery. I’ll bet you’re great at it, Anne.”
    â€œIt’s my dream job,” Anne said.
    â€œThis fundraiser is a real boost for Big