The boys all cheered and clapped and yelled. This wasn’t fair. If she said no, she’d be the bad guy.
Xavier got her long red coat out of the front closet and was holding it out for her to slip her arms into. “The temperature dropped today, and it’s supposed to get colder.” He leaned in close and his peppermint scent softened her as he whispered against her ear. “I’m trying to create new memories here. New triggers. Are you gonna help a lost Scrooge out?”
“That is not how you use the word triggers. Plus, that’s not fair.” She buttoned her coat. “Are we going to a place that sells trees locally?”
Xavier picked up Finn, tickling the boy. “What’s the fun of you knowing where we’re going if it’s supposed to be a surprise?” Tossing Finn over his shoulder, he headed to the door. “Come on, troops, we got a mission to accomplish and time is running out.”
Selena took Oliver from her father. “Do we have their bags, sippy cups and snacks if they get hungry? What about extra clothes? With toddlers you have to be prepared for anything.” She looked around. “We can’t just leave with three babies.” She looked at her dad.
Xavier opened the back door of her Suburban. Stretching over, he buckled in Sawyer. “Your dad packed everything and we’re ready to go. Do you want to sit with the boys or do you want to ride shotgun?” He turned and accepted Finn from her father. It took him a little bit longer, but he got both boys secured in the far backseat.
She looked at her father. “You know what’s going on?” She crossed her arms. “And we have everything the boys need?”
Her father took Oliver from her and got him settled in. Then he turned to her. “Do I need to buckle you in, too?” He hugged her. “Anyone ever tell you you’ve got to learn to roll with it? Xavier has planned a road trip for the family. You can be grumpy and all practical or you can embrace the day and enjoy whatever may come. Life is about creating memories, babe, and today we are creating a memory. Get that phone of yours ready to take the pictures of a lifetime.”
“Okay. I’ll ride back here with Oliver. Xavier, you should be in the front. Less car sickness there.”
Xavier held the door and motioned her to get in. “New memories for a new and improved life.” He winked at her. Soon they were all settled in and heading out of town, crossing the bridge to the mainland.
“What are we doing? If I’m going to have to spend a lot of money on a new tree, at least do it locally. Going to some big box store in the city will not help our economy.”
From the driver’s seat, her dad made eye contact with her in the rearview mirror. “Looks like Grumpy Gus is back.”
“Gumpy Gus,” Finn repeated.
Xavier grinned at her. “Are we only allowed to support Port Del Mar businesses? How about supporting another small town’s mom-and-pop business?” There was pure happiness on his face. The boys were excited.
She took a deep breath and pushed out the bad energy she had been holding on to.
Twisted against his seat belt, her husband looked at her. There was a twinkle in his eyes she hadn’t seen in over five years. “Have you always been this set against fun and surprises, or am I just forgetting this about you?”
Rolling her eyes, Selena crossed her arms. “I can be spontaneous if given enough chance to plan things and make sure everything is—” She pulled up short when Xavier and Riff both fell into laughter.
The boys joined in, even though they had no clue why their father and grandfather were laughing.
How could she not smile? Relaxing, she sat back and enjoyed the sound of happiness that filled her car.
“This ain’t nothing new.” Her father looked at Xavier. “From the time she could talk and walk, she wanted to plan. Drove me crazy. You were always good for her, making her loosen up.”
“I thought this would be a fun surprise,” Xavier told her. “Your dad made sure the boys are ready for an all-day trip. If you want me to, I’ll tell you exactly what you’re going to—”
“All day?” She scowled at him, her commitment to going with the flow already out the window. “Where are we going?”
“We’re going to the Hill Country.” The grin on his face got bigger. “I found a Christmas tree farm. They even have a snow machine, hot chocolate and Santa’s favorite longhorn. The pictures on the website look great. I noticed all the photos you have of the boys. I thought you’d love the snow and trees. There’s even a red wagon they can ride in while we go through the forest to pick a tree.”
She stared at him as if he was speaking a different language. “Santa’s longhorn?”
“Yep. His name is Rudy. The reindeers don’t like coming this far south. Plus,” he added as he winked at her, “I’ve never had a real Christmas tree. I’ll get to chop it down and everything.” He pointed to the boys dressed in red and green plaid with little red suspenders. “They’re gonna pick out a tree just for their mom.”
“Twee. Kismas twee.”
“Mama twee.”
All three boys talked over each other.
That did it. Her insides went soft and gooey as she looked at her sons.
“How far away is this Christmas tree farm?”
“It’s about two and a half hours. But we have a couple stops on the way to make sure the boys can get out. It’s all planned out. You’re just not the one who planned it.” He turned to face the road. “Lunch is at a roadside café with a playground.”
She sat back. “Sounds like you thought of everything.” Pulling out her phone, she took a selfie of her and the boys. Stage one of their Christmas tree adventure.
* * *
A little over three hours after they left Port Del Mar, they turned down a long country road. Xavier looked back at his family. The boys had fallen asleep soon after they had left cafe. When she was first forced to sit still, Selena had dozed off, but she stared out the window now.
They passed under a wrought-iron gate that said Christmas Ranch. Along both sides of the dirt road was a wood fence decorated with greenery and red ribbon.
Longhorn cattle and other exotic animals grazed in the pastures. Selena woke up the boys. “Look, zebras.”
Faces pressed to the windows, they made a bunch of excited noises. As they drove farther into the ranch, they saw barns and elaborate Christmas light displays.
Selena stared out the window. “They have lights everywhere. I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Lights were always her favorite part of Christmas,” Riff said, as he turned off the main road. An arrow pointed the way to a red-and-white-striped sign welcoming them to the North Pole of Texas.
“Riff did a lot of shows during the Christmas season.” She had the same wide-eyed wonder as the boys. “We never had a tree, but he would drive me around whatever city they were playing to see the Christmas lights.”
“I didn’t know you wanted a tree,” her father grumbled. “We could have gotten a small one.”
“We were on a bus. I just assumed Santa only went to houses. And why have a tree if there were no gifts?”
“Oh, baby. I didn’t know... I can’t... I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I saw more Christmas lights than any other kid in the world.”
Everyone was getting sad and it was killing Xavier’s new Christmas spirit. He needed to stop the spiral. “Are we ready to get the best Christmas tree ever?”
“Twee. Twee. Twee.” Finn led the chant.
“We have a decision to make.” He twisted around and winked at Selena. “Do we start with the Charlie Brown tree or go with the Paul Bunyan tree? What will fit your house?”
“My artificial tree was eight feet.” She twisted her lips to the side as if she wanted to say more.
“Do you want to go taller?” He raised his brows.
Her gaze darted to her father, then back to him. “How tall do you think we could go?”
&
nbsp; “With your ceilings? We could easily go ten feet. The Suburban can handle it. Let’s do it!”
She shook her head. “No. That has to cost a fortune.”
Riff joined his cause. “It’s Xavier’s first tree and he’s home. We didn’t think we’d ever have him with us again. I say we go for it. I’ll help. I owe you for all the trees I never gave you.”
“Oh, look. Planted Christmas trees. Maybe we can plant a Christmas tree in the city plaza. Each year we could decorate it as it grows.”
“Hang on, girl,” Riff told her. “One tree at a time. Today is all about you and the boys.”
There were trees of all different sizes covered in snow. Something that looked like snow, anyway. A red-and-white-striped pole marked the offices. White lights were strung across the top, running to the trees nearby and completely surrounding a building that looked like a fairy-tale gingerbread house.
There was a lot full of cars, but not many people visible. Behind the gingerbread house was a playground and a cute little shed that had “Hot Chocolate” and “Apple Cider” hand painted across the top. More of the fake snow was piled along the edges of the fence.
The door to the office opened with a jingle. An older woman with her silver hair in a long braid that wrapped around her head greeted them with a big smile.
As they pulled the excited boys from the Suburban, Xavier was thankful they had a man-on-man defense.
“Welcome to the Christmas tree ranch.” The storybook granny slipped her hands into the pockets of her red apron and pulled out an old-fashioned pocket watch. “You must be the De La Rosa family.”
He grinned. “That we are.”
“I’m Jill. My, my, my, what do we have here? I heard about you. This must be Oliver, Finn and Sawyer. Santa has said some very good things about you.” She clapped her hands at the boys’ wide-eyed expressions. “He told us to be ready for you to come and pick out a special Christmas tree for your mama. Is that you?”
They each bounced and clapped. “Kismas twee.”
“Mama’s new Kismas twee.” Finn nodded with all the seriousness of an old man.
“Perfect. We have one just for her and you’ll get to find it in Candy Cane Lane, right past Reindeer Drive. If you want to go play and get something to drink, I’ll give your daddy all the information he needs.”
Daddy. Xavier wasn’t expecting that hit to his chest. It was the first time anyone had seen them as a normal family. At home everyone knew his story, but here he was just their daddy taking care of the details. For a moment, he wasn’t sure he knew how to breathe.
A warm hand came to rest on top of his. “Xavier?” Concern laced Selena’s soft voice.
He smiled at her and put Finn down. She took the toddler’s hand before he could run off. “Are you okay?” Her voice was low.
“Yes. Just logging new triggers.” He leaned closer to her. Wanting to kiss her. Idiot.
He quickly turned to Jill before he did something stupid.
She explained the map to him. Then she pulled out the biggest red wagon he had ever seen, complete with all-terrain wheels. With a smile, she sent him off to his family.
When he turned to the playground, he paused as he watched the triplets climbing and falling without fear. His family. Selena cupped her hot chocolate between her gloved hands as she laughed at the boys’ antics. She took his breath away. More than just beautiful, she took care of her family and the whole town. Giving more than she took.
He knew in that moment that Selena had been his light and strength. All doubt about how he had felt for her was gone. His heart had always belonged to her, but he had left her when she had needed him the most.
She looked up and smiled at him. He had the power to put out that light. He’d done it before. Clearing his throat, he called out to the boys.
“Okay, men, follow me. We’re going to the north pasture, the land of—” He looked at the map, then pointed. “Wild reindeer, until we find Candy Cane Lane. That’s where we’ll find our tree.”
The boys cheered, repeating his words. “Waindea. Waindea. Canny Can. Canny Can.”
With the large red wagon in hand, he offered to pull the boys, but they were too excited to sit still.
Riff laughed as he followed them, scooping up Sawyer before he took off too far from his brothers.
Selena shook her head. “Boys, where you going?” She chuckled. “Do you know where Candy Cane Lane is?”
Her father looked over his shoulder and pointed to the colorful signs that marked the way. Every few rows there was a candy-cane-striped pole with arrows showing the direction for the different pastures. Elf Avenue. Holly Street. North Star Road. Noel Lane.
Going to the west trail, the offices and fake snow gave way to Hill Country gorgeousness. The little valley sat snug in the middle of greenery, surrounded by rolling hills.
Selena grabbed Xavier’s free hand. “It’s so beautiful, I could live here. Thank you.”
“Thank you, for letting me do this for the boys and...and you.” So many emotions swam in his chest that he couldn’t find any more words. His chest vibrated with a frustrated growl.
“Xavier?” Selena searched his eyes. “Are you okay? Do we need to go back?”
Shaking his head, he broke eye contact and stared at the boys. Finn and Oliver held hands as they danced and jumped around their grandfather. Sitting on Riff’s shoulders, Sawyer pointed to the signs, laughing and yelling at his brothers.
They didn’t know they had a broken father.
Another family passed by and everyone waved a friendly greeting.
Selena pressed against his side. “They’re having a great time. Even Dad. I never even imagined this kind of holiday tradition.” She pulled out her phone and took a few pictures of her sons and father walking through the Christmas wonderland.
Riff slid Sawyer to the ground but held his hand before letting him go with a warning.
He took a deep breath. “My guess is the wagon is for the trip home when they’re too exhausted to walk anymore.”
Sawyer ran ahead, then back. Zigzagging, he fell once, but was up and running again before anyone could respond. Oliver headed to his mom.
“Tethers might be a good idea for those two,” Xavier said as he surveyed the area. “It would be easy to lose them.”
“They usually don’t go too far from me. This enchanted forest has them overly excited.”
“Was this a bad idea?”
“Oh, no. This is amazing. Before, you would have gone out, bought me another fake tree, set it up and proclaimed to have the problem solved. Didn’t matter if I wanted it or not.” She waved her hand around her. “To plan this for all of us to have a Christmas experience together? Seriously, thank you.”
His throat felt itchy. Making sure to relax and enjoy the moment, he smiled at her. “A side benefit of forgetting who I am. We can make a new and improved me as we go along.”
“The old you wasn’t that bad. He had his moments.”
Once they got to the correct pasture for their tree, the triplets were turned loose to pick one. The adults did more laughing as they darted from one perfect tree to another.
After about the tenth tree, Xavier was ready to call it. He carried the ax over his shoulder and stood behind Selena.
“This looks like a winner to me. What do you think, Mom?” The boys surrounded him as they all looked at her and waited.
“They’re all so beautiful.” She looked at him.
Oh, no. She had tears in her eyes. He had called her “mom” He frowned and went back to staring at the tree. He hadn’t meant to say it, it just happened. “Selena—”
“But this one here...” She wiped at her face, then a soft laugh followed. Now she was laughing. “This is the one that has been waiting for us.”
The boys bounced with excitement, cheering.
“Good job, guys. Let’s take her home.” There were a few piles of fake snow one row over. While Xavier swung the axe, Riff took the boys to play in it a safe distance away.
“Are you sure you can or should do this?” she asked Xavier when he was about halfway through the tree trunk.
He paused long enough to give her a look. She held her hands up. “Go for it.”
A few steps back and she was with her dad and the boys. “You know, one of these days we’ll have to take the boys to see real snow.”
Her dad scoffed, then slipped forward and picked up Sawyer. Swinging the little boy over his shoulder upside down, he blew against the exposed round tummy.
“Snow is overrated,” he said. “I hated the gigs where we had to drive through it. Give me the fake stuff anyday.”
“Tree is down!” Xavier pulled a rope from his pocket. “I can pull it back to the car.”
Her father brought the red wagon around with Sawyer sitting inside. Finn climbed in.
“Oh, I want to get a picture of all my men with the tree and wagon.” Selena picked Oliver up and tried to hand him over to Xavier. “Here, hold him.”
Oliver shook his head and clung to his mom. He turned his face away from Xavier.
“Come on, little man. Let me hold you so your mom can take a picture.” Xavier didn’t know many adults with the kind of stubborn chin he saw on Oliver. He had no choice but to concede defeat. “It’s okay. Don’t force him. Here, I’ll take the Finn-man.” With the ax leaning against his leg, he held his son on the opposite hip. “What about you? Let me take a few of you and the boys with your father.”
“Oh, no.” She turned her back to them and lifted the camera high. “Smile, everyone. Merry Christmas!” She took a few selfies. She and the boys made funny faces. Then she put the phone away. “Okay. Let’s get this tree back to the house.”
Riff offered to help, but Xavier needed something to focus on that was not his wife and sons. His family. It was dangerous to get too comfortable.
The Texan's Surprise Return Page 12
