Read Second Chance Christmas (The Colorado Cades) for Free Online

Arden how to play cards. That’s what the holiday season had become for Justin—rubbery lasagna and explaining blackjack to his sister.
    Now, he survived November to January by hoping for good ski conditions and ignoring the hectic whirl of shopping, decorating and televised specials.
    His mind slipped to the Donnellys. While he’d never been inside their house around Christmas, he imagined it was thoroughly decorated. After all, Mrs. Donnelly had gone to great efforts simply for his birthday—streamers and humorous miniposters, balloons on the mailbox and an elaborate home-cooked meal. They were a close-knit family who liked to celebrate together.
    Yet Elisabeth was choosing to move away. Brushing his hand over the smooth, cold edge of his parents’ gravestone, he couldn’t help but wonder, did she have any idea what she was giving up?

Chapter Four
    Elisabeth finished drying her hands and consulted her watch. 11:28 a.m. She should hurry back out to the lobby and—
    No. No hurrying. She wasn’t some sixteen-year-old eager to see her boyfriend. She was a grown woman who was doing Justin a favor by meeting him. Frankly, her schedule was already full. The lodge was doing brisk holiday business, and Steven was arriving tonight. She’d shuffled several tasks to squeeze in this lunch. It might do Justin some good to wait a few minutes.
    Taking her time, she pulled her brush and lipstick out of her purse, but then stopped. She might not want to rush on Justin Cade’s behalf, but she wasn’t about to primp for him, either. He was not the reason she’d dressed that morning in formfitting black jeans and a gold sweater that was both festive and complemented her coloring. No, if she’d put any extra care into her appearance, it was for her fiancé.
    She pushed open the door to the ladies’ room and made her way through the evergreen-scented lobby. In addition to the fourteen-foot tree the staff had helped decorate, Elisabeth and her father had hung a dozen wreaths throughout the main building. Currently, her dad was working a shift as ski lift operator, and she hoped he’d stay out of the main building while Justin was here. For a month after the breakup, Graham Donnelly had threatened daily to “give that bounder a piece of my mind.”
    Elisabeth had also gently maneuvered her mother, Patti, into leaving the premises. The school system’s two-week winter break kicked off today with an early release for students. Patti was picking up Kaylee from school and taking her to lunch. As difficult as the past few months had been for Kaylee, the one bright spot had been watching a girl who’d never had an extended family blossom under the attention of doting grandparents and a conspiratorial aunt.
    Thoughts of Kaylee’s lunch plans scattered when Elisabeth locked eyes with her own lunch date. Justin leaned against the corner of the reception desk. Though his body language was relaxed, he had that intense, hyperalert gaze that had so often caused her stomach to flutter. Of all her reasons to be angry with him, that gaze topped the list.
    Elisabeth wasn’t naive—she’d heard rumors about Justin before dating him. But since she didn’t let gossip make her decisions for her, she’d gone out with him, prepared to make up her own mind. In spite of his flirtatious, skirt-chasing reputation, he’d never looked at another female when he was with Elisabeth. He’d smiled absently when a cute waitress fawned over him without ever taking his eyes off his date.
    When he’d unceremoniously dumped her, he’d reminded her, “I told you I wasn’t looking for anything serious. I didn’t lie.” But he had. Not verbally, but with his actions. He’d made her feel adored and singularly special.
    While she and Kaylee were in New Mexico visiting Steven, he’d apologized for being preoccupied with the software update his company was about to release. Frankly, Elisabeth found it a relief to be with someone who didn’t constantly make