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“We’ll figure that out in time, but there are lots of choices. We can hang them, we can tie them up the banister, we can top our tree with one. You can never have too many bows.”

“Can we make a star for the tree?”

“Great idea.” Keen to keep the children happy and occupied, Izzy abandoned bow tying in favour of star making.

She glanced up and saw Brooke and Mabel still deep in conversation with their heads bent over a book. Matt was reading a book on the history of covered bridges.

“I had no idea there were so many covered bridges in this area. Why have you never taken me to see any?”

Brooke glanced at him. “I don’t know. Because we’re always short of time when we’re here? The focus is on spending time with my parents.”

“I don’t want to make a star.” Poppy abandoned her attempt to tie a bow and jumped to her feet. “I want to build a snowman. And I want to build it with Izzy.”

Izzy felt a rush of affection and warmth. They were adorable children. She wished they were her family. She would have loved to have nieces and nephews—someone she could claim time with occasionally. She’d take them to the park. They’d make homemade pizza (she’d never made homemade pizza, but it sounded like a fun activity). But she was an only child so there was no chance of that.

Brooke’s gaze slid to the window where the snow was coming down horizontally. “I think we might have to wait a little while to build a snowman. In the meantime, we need to find a different game.”

“You said you like horses. Let’s play horses.” Jason had been staring out the window, but he turned and smiled at Poppy. “I have it on good authority that I make a great horse.”

Izzy watched as he dropped onto all fours and let Poppy climb onto his back.

“Hold on tight,” he said. “No accidents. No falling.”

She gripped his shoulders tightly. “Go! Go!” She kicked his ribs with her legs and Brooke winced.

“That had to hurt. Poppy, be gentle.”

“I want to go fast!”

Jason obliged and even made a few horse noises that had Poppy in fits of giggles.

Izzy laughed, too. He was so natural and comfortable with the children and for a moment, she pictured him with children of his own. He’d be an amazing dad.

Something stirred deep down inside and she looked away from him.

She shouldn’t be having these thoughts. It wasn’t doing her any good at all.

For all she knew, he might already be a dad. Or maybe he was planning that soon with his one and only.

She reminded herself that it was possible he’d had sex with her while he’d been involved with someone else. Her instinct told her that wasn’t the case, but either way, once Christmas was over he’d be going back to his family, and Brooke would be joining her family along with Matt and the girls. And Izzy would be going home alone. Sometimes she thought her loneliness must be visible, like sunburn or a bad rash. She imagined people looking at her and thinking no one wants to be with her.

Maybe she should ask Mabel if she’d like company for a bit longer. She could stay on. Maybe help clear the snow.

“Izzy?” Elsie tugged at her arm. “You need to finish the star.”

“Yes. Sorry.”

“You have a knack for this,” Brooke said to Jason, her mind clearly going in the same direction as Izzy’s. “Do you have children yourself?”

Izzy froze.

“Me?” Jason steadied Poppy as she slid off his back. “No. No children. No significant other. I’m single.”

He looked directly at Izzy as he said it and her breath caught in her throat.

She told herself that it didn’t matter, but it did matter.

The moment was interrupted by Poppy, who had clearly decided he was her new special person.