LITMIR.BIZ

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so fast? Bitterness coated her tongue, making her want to vomit even more.

      Her mother had certainly been at her flaky best today. Icy tingles raced over Dayna’s flesh just thinking about it. She was so angry her skin flashed cold and then hot. Her fingers shook, and she clenched them into fists.

      Not again. She couldn’t believe her mother had run off with some guy again. Why did she have to be so irresponsible and selfish? Was it so much to ask that she stay in town for one holiday and meet Nathan? Did Dayna mean so little to her?

      Yes. That was what she’d always feared. Her mother was beautiful and charming but completely wrapped up in her own wants and needs. She was never satisfied with what she had; she always wanted the next best thing. Her mother loved her—she just didn’t love her enough.

      Thank God for Rainbow. Who would have ever thought that a flower child would be the best thing that had ever happened to her? But she was.

      Dayna lurched to her feet. This wasn’t helping. Going over and over it in her mind wouldn’t fix this. When she stepped out into the hall, she looked around for a moment, uncertain where to go. She didn’t really want to deal with her family and Nathan, but she also didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts. She really wanted to have Aunt Rainbow hug her, stroke her hair, and tell her everything would be all right because she’d had a vision that said so.

      A laugh straggled out at that. Dayna pulled in a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and turned for the stairs. Time to face the music and enjoy her holidays as much as possible, no matter how much everyone seemed to dislike each other.

      She met Jake on the stairs; he was carrying a limp Toby against his broad shoulder. “Just laying him down in Sam’s old room.”

      “Okay.” Scooting around him, she ignored the shiver of awareness that went up her spine when she brushed against him on the narrow staircase, trying to beat a hasty retreat. She didn’t want to see the condemnation in his green eyes at Nathan’s behavior. Her head was spinning, and she didn’t think she could handle much more.

      “Dayna.” His voice froze her on the bottom step. She didn’t turn around when he spoke again. “I have to say, you could do better. That guy is an asshole.”

      Well, that was Jake, wasn’t it? Mr. Opinionated. But she wasn’t in the mood. She spun to face him, planting her hands on her hips. Lowering her voice to a hiss that wouldn’t wake Toby, she glared up at him. “You know what, Jake? Shut up. I’m having a shitty day, and you are not helping. So just leave me alone unless you have something to say that will actually help.”

      His dark blond brows rose. “He called Rainbow crazy. She cried. I doubt that’ll help, but you should know.”

      Oh, that was just it. She had had enough. The anger, frustration, and helplessness building inside her since Nathan had insisted they come here for Christmas exploded. She clenched her fists tight and the muscles in her body shook. Grabbing her coat and Nathan’s off the pile on the couch, she stomped into the kitchen where Nathan and Sam sat in silence at the table. Her aunt had disappeared.

      “Nathan,” she snapped. He jerked and stood to face her. She shoved his coat against his chest. “I need to speak with you outside. Now.”

      Wariness flashed in his dark eyes, but he put on his coat and followed her to the front porch. The bitterly cold wind made her skin tighten as she rounded on him. “You know, it was your idea to come here for Christmas. No one forced you.”

      “I know, but—”

      She cut him off. She didn’t want to hear excuses for more uncivil behavior. “Did you actually call my aunt crazy? To her face?”

      After having her mother bail out on her yet again, it pissed her off to have anyone speak ill of her very supportive aunt. Crazy she might be, but she had always been there when Dayna needed her. No way in hell was some guy who didn’t even know Rainbow going to come in and judge her.

      A muscle twitched in Nathan’s jaw. His nostrils flared with annoyance. “I may have mentioned that her ideas were a bit farfetched—”

      “Crazy, Nathan. You called my aunt crazy.”

      His long fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dayna, she thinks the base of Mount Shasta holds an entrance to a magical underground land.”

      Her shoulder jerked in a shrug, her temper completely unappeased. “She’s a little eccentric.”

      The incredulous look on his face just made her anger flare hotter. Now he was looking at Dayna as if she were insane. “A little—”

      “You know what?” she bit out. Her hand sliced through the air. “I believe in an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient being in the sky who watches over the whole world and will judge me by his personal moral code when I die. I also believe he forsook his only son so I could be granted forgiveness for any wrong I have done or will ever do. To someone who doesn’t believe the same way I do, that would sound pretty weird, wouldn’t it? If I celebrate my beliefs with a Christmas tree, and my aunt celebrates hers by burning a Yule log on winter solstice, then I’m going to accept that she has as much right to her beliefs as I do to mine. You don’t have to agree with me, you don’t have to agree with her, but you do have to treat her and her beliefs with respect in her house. So try for a little bit of understanding, Nathan. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?”

      He sighed. She hated it when he did that. It made her feel like an idiot even when she knew she was right. Gritting her teeth, she spun on her heel and paced the length of the porch. She knew this would be a mistake. He just wasn’t the type to get why she loved her family.

      “You have to admit she’s not normal, Dayna. Be reasonable.”

      She threw up her hands. “Normal. Is that all you care about? How people appear? How successful they are?”

      “That’s pretty rich coming from you, Dayna. You want everything in your life to be perfect. Normally.” Irritation twisted Nathan’s face, and the way he spoke made her feel like a scolded child.

      She hissed at him, “I’m not the one being nasty and calling old ladies names.”

      He stabbed a finger in her direction. “You know what? This entire discussion is cr—”

      “Crazy?” A saccharine smile curled her lips. “You really seem to like that word today.”

      Shaking his head, he took a step back. “Who are you?”

      “What?”

      “This”—his gesture encompassed her—“is not the woman I asked to marry me. I feel like you’re an entirely different person here. I feel like I don’t even know you. Have you been hiding this side of yourself all along?”

      Yes. Her brows snapped together, rage and…fear coursing through her veins like ice water. Her hands fisted, and she shook her head in a denial. Of him or herself? She didn’t know anymore. “How can you possibly say that? You’re the one who’s been rude to my family.”

      He folded his arms and made that sigh that set her teeth on edge. “Fine. I’ll apologize to your aunt.”

      “It’s not about my aunt.” She propped her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re not really sorry—you just don’t want me to be upset.”

      A snort was his answer to that. “In any other situation, you wouldn’t be upset. You’d agree with me that she was crazy.”

      She resumed her pacing. “Rainbow is family, Nathan. It’s different. I don’t expect you to understand that.”

      “I see. Then maybe we should take some time to rethink where we stand with each other.”

      Stopping, she turned to face him, wariness and unease sliding through her. The knot in her belly expanded even further, twisting tighter. “I don’t understand.”

      “I don’t expect you to.” He arched

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