Chapter 74

Taren sipped hot chocolate as he watched Abby with Kiki, pleased that his daughter had taken up so quickly with Kiki. They spent the evening hollering at the game and drinking hot chocolate. Once, Abby had even yelled at the referee for what she had thought was a bad call. At that moment, Taren knew he had taught his daughter well.
After the game ended, Kiki and Abby looked tired, and Taren knew it was time to leave. So, he said his goodbyes as he put on his own coat and helped Abby on with hers. Then he scooped his sleepy daughter up into his arms and carried her out to the car.
She fell asleep on the way home from the hospital in the back of Taren's Jeep Cherokee. He had a blast watching the game with Abby and Kiki. Kiki seemed a bit distracted, probably still feeling the effects of the fire. But he was glad that she was on the mend and would be going home the next morning.
Snow flurries fell through the headlights as he drove Abby home. What are you doing? He asked himself. After what Scarlett had done to him, he was in no hurry to jump into another relationship. Not now. Maybe not ever. But he had to keep reminding himself that he and Kiki were just friends. He just wished someone would tell his heart. He hadn't felt this way about anyone since Scarlett, and he was surprised that he felt it now.
Taren was surprised that Abby got along so well with Kiki. When she started getting tired, Abby curled up against Kiki and was nearly asleep by the end of the game. Kiki didn't seem to mind. It was too soon to say it, but Kiki was quickly becoming one of them. It was natural with Kiki. She was so down to earth and had a very quick wit, which was one of the things that he had always liked about her in high school.
And Taren had never seen Abby so comfortable with anyone- not even her own mother. He guessed that it was true that children were a good judge of character. If anyone would have told him that it would have turned out the way it did between him and Scarlett, he wouldn't have believed them. But if it meant that he would have Abby, he would do it all over again.
As he drove past the town square, he noticed that the giant Christmas tree was lit. It was a live tree and a permanent fixture in the town. There was a crew that took care of the landscaping and maintaining the tree year round was part of it. After a few turns, Taren slowed down when they neared their home. Within minutes, he pulled down the long driveway leading to his mother's house. When his father was alive, it had been a farm. But since his father had passed away of cancer, neither he nor his mother had time to farm. His mother, Evelyn, kept a small garden in the summer, but couldn't handle the huge spread of a hundred acres alone. And Taren was busy with the fire department. He often felt guilty for not having more time to spend on the farm. But it had been his father's dream, not his.
But he had often thought that it would make a nice horse farm. He loved horses and knew that Abby would, too. He was sure that his mother wouldn't mind, but he had enough on his plate at the moment.
Taren was thankful that the house was only an acre off the main road. Otherwise, it would take over twenty minutes to get through the land they owned.
The house was still decorated in multi-colored lights and, as if it had been planned, snow fell on the branches of the evergreens in the front of the house, accenting them just right. Nature sure knew what it was doing. He pulled the Jeep to a stop to the left of his mother's gray Grande Caravan. Taren smiled, remembering that she had bought it right after he had told her he was moving back home with his daughter. When he spoke with her about it, his mother hadn't hesitated to let him come home, telling him that the big house was too much for her to care for alone. And since he and Abby had been living there, everything had worked out perfectly. He had no intention of doing anything to mess it up.
"Come on, little girl," he whispered as he unbuckled her seatbelt and picked her up. She immediately laid her head on his shoulder.
"Are we home yet?" Abby asked, her voice groggy. He wondered if she would remember having talked to him in the morning.
"Yes, sweetie." Taren rubbed her back. "We're home." He hit the lock switch on his keychain of his car and fumbled for his house keys under the light. But his mother was already there and opened the door.
"Come on in," she whispered, patting her granddaughter's back. "Looks like someone's all tuckered out." Then she looked into Taren's eyes. "Did you have fun?"
"Yes, we did." He nodded. "Let me put her to bed and I'll be right out."
"Okay. I'll make us some coffee."
"Sounds good." Taren carried his daughter down the hallway to her room, opened the door, and laid her down. Then he took off her shoes and pulled the blankets over her, knowing it wouldn't hurt to leave her fully dressed for one night. Once she was snuggled into bed, he walked across the hallway to his room, and hung up his coat. Then he sat on the edge of the bed, and kicked off his shoes. Once he put them away, he headed down the hallway to the family room and plopped down on the couch. Then he built a fire and lit it. Soon, warmth filled the room. He sat down on the couch and watched the yellow, orange, and red flames lap hungrily at the wood. What am I doing? He had no intention of getting involved with someone, let alone someone he pulled from a burning house. But then again, they had been friends in high school-.