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“Nonsense,” Xander denied. “We’re three grown men. I’m sure we can manage. And you should no longer be here, so get off and enjoy yourself.”
She thought she detected a hint of regret in his voice, but she knew she was probably projecting.
And now there was nothing left to do but leave.
She hadn’t told the children; that wasn’t her place.
And for once Em was glad because that would just hurt too much.
But it would seem that fate was still not on her side.
Chapter Five
THE TAXI SHE’D CALLED to pick her up was late and Emalee was suddenly surrounded by four very upset children.
Well, three very upset boys and one rather angry girl.
“Where are you going?” The twins chorused together like they’d rehearsed it.
“She’s leaving us and going away for Christmas,” Kira snarked with a pout as big as the scowl she wore, and her arms crossed mutinously across her chest.
“Noooo!” Nicky wailed, flinging his chubby arms around her knees, so she almost toppled over.
Bloody Hell! Emalee sent up a silent but heartfelt curse into the ether. If her three damn bosses were intent on sending her away, they could at least have made it easier on her by keeping the kids out of the way while she sneaked out.
In fact...
“What are you boys doing on this side of the house? I know it’s free time, but this is out of bounds.” Em threw a sharp look at Kira and the little girl had the decency to blush, but she didn’t back down.
“You were sneaking off without saying goodbye,” she said without an ounce of apology.
Em crouched so that she was at their height. “I’m sorry. I thought it would be less upsetting for all of us without the goodbyes. And besides, you’ll be so caught up in Christmas that you won’t even notice I’m gone. You’ll have ‘daddy time’ all the time. Won’t that be great?”
“Don’t you want to be here with us?” Alex asked in a quiet voice, and it was this that had the first tear falling as her heart squeezed.
Emalee pulled all four of them in for a hug.
“You know Christmas is my favorite time to be with you, but your daddies gave me a very special gift, and that is ten days holiday. Wasn’t that thoughtful of them?” She almost choked on those final words, but she managed to get them out.
“You don’t look very happy about it,” Kira remarked, seeing far too much, as usual.
“Where are you going?” Axel demanded, saving her from answering the young girl.
“I’m going to stay in a lovely hotel with a pool and sauna and I’ll have lots of yummy food cooked for me.”
“You can have all that here,” Kira said sullenly.
Em didn’t know how to answer that because she was right.
“Will your family be there?” Alex wanted to know.
Em gave him a watery smile. “Not this time. They’re away on a cruise.”
She couldn’t lie to them.
“So, what will you do?” Axel chimed in.
Em stared blankly at the little boy and more tears came.
