The Cowboy's Christmas Surprise

by Marie Ferrarella

  Holly took a deep breath, trying to center herself and calm down. “She is now. Oh, by the way, congratulations.” Her eyes crinkled as she grinned at him. “You’re an uncle.”

  As far as he knew, Alma wasn’t due for another couple of weeks. The doctor had calculated that the baby was to arrive right after Christmas. He stared at Holly blankly. “What?”

  “Alma just had her baby,” she enunciated slowly, then corrected herself. “Her babies.”

  Ray was still working his way through the first part of the sentence. “Here?” he cried.

  She nodded. Opening a drawer located off to the side, she took out several fresh towels. “They couldn’t wait.”

  “Wait— What? They?” Ray repeated, clearly confused. He stared at Holly, trying to decide which of them had lost their minds. “What do you mean they couldn’t wait? Who’s they?”

  “They are your new nephew and niece. Alma gave birth to twins,” she told Ray. “Seems that she and Cash were holding out on us. Apparently, only they and the doctor knew. Speaking of which, where is he?” she wondered out loud. “Miss Joan sent someone to go get him.”

  Meanwhile, Ray was apparently not listening. He’d stopped at the mention of the word twins. She’d never seen Ray turn pale before.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Twins?” Ray repeated. “Two babies?” He stared at her as if she’d just told him that aliens from Mars had landed. “Are you sure?”

  It was amazing what men decided to question. Didn’t he think she could count?

  “I brought them into the world one at a time, so yes, I’m sure. What would you call two babies born a few minutes apart?”

  “A shock,” Ray answered automatically. “Oh, my God, Cash doesn’t know she gave birth already, does he?”

  “Not unless there’s a spy camera inside the ladies’ room. Can you go get him?” she asked. “And see what’s keeping Dr. Davenport, too,” she added. “I’d go myself but I’m a little bushed right now,” Holly confessed.

  “I’m an idiot,” Ray suddenly realized, saying the words by way of an apology. He’d been so stunned by the information she’d given him and so concerned about his sister, he’d completely ignored the fact that Holly had been there for Alma when his sister had needed someone the most. “Can I get you anything?” he asked, glancing around to see what he could get for her. His familiarity with the diner ended on the other side of the counter.

  Ray’s question surprised her. And touched her. She waved away his offer even as she secretly held it close to her heart.

  Most likely, Ray probably didn’t know how sweet he was being, she thought. But that was okay. She knew, and that was all that mattered.

  “No, I’m okay,” she told him. “Alma did all the work. I just coached her. But if you could get the doctor and Cash here, that would really go a long way to ensuring Alma’s well-being on all fronts. She looks healthy enough, but hearing Dr. Davenport say so will make all concerned happy.”

  Ray nodded and was halfway to the door when he suddenly spun around on his boot heel and doubled back to her.

  Surprised, she looked at him uncertainly. “Something wrong?”

  “Nope, not a thing.” And then he grabbed her by the shoulders and planted a very enthusiastic kiss on her lips. “You’re the best!” he declared with equal enthusiasm.

  Then he released her shoulders and made it through the diner’s front door in less than two thuds of her accelerated heart.

  If her knees hadn’t felt weak before, they certainly did now.

  But, before, it was all due to tension. Granted she knew what she was doing and, thanks to her studies, and because of Molly, she had more experience than the average person when it came to helping a woman through the painful process of giving birth. But there was always the danger of something going wrong, some unforeseen element throwing the equation out of kilter.

  In contrast, her knees now had the strength of overcooked spaghetti because Ray had just kissed her and told her she was the best.

  She knew the reason any of it had happened was because Ray was both relieved that his sister was all right and grateful that she’d been there for Alma and hadn’t just gone to pieces the way someone else might have—especially when confronted with the need to deliver two babies, not just one.

  But whatever the reason, he’d kissed her and said those magical words. Words that made her feel absolutely special, if only for a few fleeting moments.

  “You forget where the linens are, girl?” Miss Joan asked, suddenly appearing next to her. Startled, still embedded in her temporary euphoria, Holly gasped in surprise. Dropping her tough-as-nails facade, Miss Joan asked in concern, “Are you all right? You’ve been gone long enough to have gone to the emporium for those fresh towels.”

  “I’m fine,” Holly was quick to assure her, then explained why she hadn’t come back. “Ray was just here, looking for Alma. I sent him to get Cash and see what happened to the doctor.”

  “Good thinking. I’ll go get those towels, you go keep that crowd in the restroom company,” Miss Joan said, nodding toward the rear of the diner.

  Holly waved the other woman back. “No, I got this. You just go back to Alma and visit with your grandbabies.”

  She expected Miss Joan to turn on her heel and return to the restroom, but instead, the woman looked at her and in an unexpected moment of tenderness, Miss Joan brushed a kiss on her cheek.

  When Holly looked at her, stunned, she murmured, “Thank you.”

  Holly shrugged self-consciously. “Like just I told Ray, Alma did all the work.”

  “But you got her through it,” Miss Joan pointed out. The next moment, she turned on her rubber-soled heel and disappeared around the corner, heading toward the restroom.

  As if coming out of a trance, Holly snapped to it. She rushed off to the linen closet to finally get the fresh towels she’d come out for.

  A minute later, Cash, looking far more stressed than she had ever seen him, came sprinting in like a man trying to outrun a cattle stampede. Seeing Holly, he cried, “Where?”

  “Restroom,” was all she said, pointing.

  Cash had no sooner disappeared into the back to greet his new family than Ray and Angel returned with the town’s only physician.

  “Sorry,” Dan apologized. “I was setting Zack Riley’s broken arm and I couldn’t just leave him. I’ve got to get another doctor out here with me,” he told Holly wearily. “So where’s my patient? Or should I say patients?” Dan asked, glancing around.

  “Alma and the babies are in the restroom. So are Cash and Miss Joan.”

  “Looks like I’ll need a shoehorn,” the doctor commented as he began to make his way to the back, as well.

  “Doc?” Holly called after him. When he stopped and looked at her over his shoulder, waiting for her to continue, Holly held out the towels she’d fetched. “You might want to take these in with you. I’ve got the twins wrapped up in aprons right now.”

  Dan took the towels from her. There was admiration in his eyes as he said, “You are one resourceful young lady, Holly Johnson.”

  Again she shrugged, as if to physically deflect the compliment. She was accustomed to hanging back, to being in the background, not being noticed for any outstanding reason. “You just learn to make do in an emergency,” she said by way of diminishing her accomplishment.

  Because there were no noises coming from the back of the diner, Dan allowed himself to pause for a moment longer. “Ray told me you’re studying to be a nurse and that you’ll be finished with your courses within six months. Is that true?”

  She was surprised that Ray had paid that much attention to what she’d told him. Usually their conversations were either about him, or the new woman who had caught his fancy. On those rare occasions when the conversation turned to
her, she just assumed what she said went in one proverbial ear and out the other, scarcely registering.

  “That’s right,” she replied, refusing to let her imagination go.

  Dan smiled. It looked as if he was finally going to have a little help. “You can put this down under interning. I’ll be happy to write a letter for you, and if you need more in the way of hands-on experience to graduate, come see me later and we’ll arrange something. I could certainly use a good nurse in my practice.”

  It was Holly’s turn to stare. She would have pinched herself, but she didn’t want to run the risk of being woken up.

  “I will,” she told him, feeling as if she’d suddenly been completely recharged and could go on for hours.

  Ray flashed her a grin and gave her a thumbs-up sign as he followed the doctor to the restroom.

  If she thought she would have more time to dwell on and possibly savor this new development in her life, she realized she was mistaken. Behind her, she heard the noise of people walking into the diner. Hungry people who started their long days by having breakfast at Miss Joan’s diner.

  Turning around, Holly scanned the incoming faces, looking for either Angel or Eduardo, Miss Joan’s short-order cooks. Energized or not, Holly knew she wasn’t going to be able to take down orders and serve the customers after first cooking those same orders.

  When she saw Eduardo coming in, Holly all but grabbed him and pulled the thin man toward the kitchen. “Oh, thank God.”

  The silver-haired cook, who had been verbally sparring with Miss Joan for as long as anyone could remember, looked at Holly and laughed.

  “I have had many women say that when they saw me, but I am afraid that you are a little too young for my tastes, chica.”

  “And you’re too young for mine,” Holly countered, getting a second laugh out of the man. “But we’re really shorthanded this morning and I need you to man the kitchen.”

  “Do I not always?” he asked, going behind the counter and opening the swinging door to the kitchen. “By the way, where is our grumpy boss?” he asked, looking around.

  For now, she thought that keeping quiet about what had transpired in the restroom was for the best, so she said evasively, “In the back. She’s busy. It’s just you and me running things right now.”

  “Ah.” He nodded his head knowingly, pleasure highlighting his features. “Good,” he declared with a wink, then disappeared into the kitchen.

  Squaring her shoulders and bracing for a long day, Holly went to take the order of the table at the far end of the diner.

  * * *

  HOLLY BEGAN TO feel as if the day was just never going to end.

  Miss Joan eventually came out to help in the diner, once Alma and the twins—over Alma’s protest—were taken to Pine Ridge to be thoroughly checked out.

  Knowing that, despite Miss Joan’s nonchalant act, the woman was concerned about Alma and the babies’ well-being, Holly told the older woman that she was free to go along with her daughter-in-law. Not surprisingly, Miss Joan waved away the words.

  “They need a little alone time right now—although alone time is what got them into this mess,” Miss Joan commented, smiling to herself. Taking a deep breath, she took a slow look around the diner. “I see you’re holding down the fort pretty well.”

  “Didn’t have much of a choice,” Holly told her, rushing by with three orders of pancakes and juice. “And besides, Eduardo’s here to help, so it’s not as bad as it could be.” If she’d had to cook as well, everything might have come to a grinding halt indefinitely.

  “Where’s Laurie?” Miss Joan asked, scanning the diner a second time. Laurie was the other waitress on this morning shift.

  Holly looked away as she answered, “She phoned in to say she was going to be late.”

  Miss Joan looked at her closely. “She didn’t call, did she?”

  Holly frowned. The only thing she hated more than lying was being caught lying.

  “No,” she admitted, “but Laurie’ll be here. She always is.”

  “Let me give you a very important little life-saving tip,” Miss Joan said, pausing to put an arm around her shoulders, forcing her to stop moving for a moment. “Don’t ever play poker, girl. You have a really lousy poker face.”

  Still holding a full tray, Holly nodded. “I’ll try to remember that,” she said wryly. “Right now though, I’m busy trying to remember who gets what at table number four.”

  “Doesn’t matter. That cocky little guy with the silver moustache back there can cook up boots nice and tender—and if you ever tell him I said so, you’re fired, got that?” Miss Joan asked, giving Holly a look that penetrated clear down to her bones.

  “Got it,” she assured Miss Joan.

  “Okay, then,” Miss Joan said, releasing her again. “Get back to work.”

  “That was my intent, Miss Joan. That was my intent,” Holly murmured under her breath, hurrying over to table four.

  * * *

  IT FELT AS if she’d been going nonstop and full steam ahead all day long. Added to that, in the middle of it all, Miss Joan had suddenly left her in charge and taken off with Harry to visit Alma at the Pine Ridge hospital.

  It had been decided by all involved that Alma deserved to spend a night in the comfort of a hospital bed, being looked after and cared for before she began the hectic existence of being the mother of twins, which, some had already hinted, was like being thrown headfirst into roaring rapids.

  After calling her mother to tell her to put Molly to bed because she wouldn’t be home for several more hours, Holly stayed on for the third shift as well as her own first two.

  Holly’s extra shot of adrenaline was completely depleted by the time she finally closed up for the night. Dragging one foot after the other, it was all she could do to walk to the door, flip the switches and lock up. But once it was done, she breathed a sigh of relief.

  Just as she turned away from the locked door, she heard someone knocking. Part of her felt like pretending she hadn’t heard a thing and just keep going until she reached the back office.

  But it was against her nature to turn her back on anyone. So, despite the fact that the other waitresses, as well as Angel and Eduardo, had left and she was all alone in the diner, Holly turned around to head back to the front door. Prepared to let in this night owl, she was going to warn him—or her—that all that was available was half a pie and the last of the coffee.

  When she saw Ray standing on the other side of the door, her pulse accelerated as it always did, but not for the usual reason. Ray had been gone for most of the day, visiting at the hospital along with the rest of his family. Seeing him here could only mean one thing, Holly thought.

  “Something wrong with Alma or the babies?” Holly asked breathlessly as she threw open the door to let him in.

  He looked at her a little oddly as he walked in. “Not that I know of. Why?”

  She stared at him, stumped. “Then what are you doing here?”

  He laughed. “I thought that maybe the woman of the hour might like a ride home. Near as I can figure it, you’ve been going nonstop since about six this morning.”

  “Five,” Holly corrected. “I’ve been up since five.” God, but that seemed like a lifetime ago. “But then, who’s counting?” she cracked. She stopped moving and stared at him again, as stunned now as she had been a second ago when she’d first heard him tell her why he was here. “You really came to give me a lift?” Not that you don’t do that every time you turn up near me, she added silently.

  “Sure,” he said expansively. “Why not? You’re my best friend,” he reminded her. “And you went over and above the call of best-friend-dom today,” he added with a wide grin. “So I thought that maybe I’d do something nice for you for a change.”

  As she sighed, she allowed herself t
o relax for a moment and feel the full weight of her exhaustion. It seemed endless.

  “I do appreciate your offer,” she told him. “Because now that I’ve stopped moving, I feel just about wiped out,” she confessed. But even though he said he was just doing payback, Holly felt she needed to offer him something in exchange for his being so thoughtful. “Would you like to have some dessert and coffee?” she asked, nodding toward the chocolate-cream pie that was still on display.

  Ray nodded with enthusiasm. “Pie and coffee would be great—as long as you join me.”

  Holly was about to demur out of habit, then thought better of it. After all, it was after-hours. “Sure. But give me a minute.”

  Then, as he watched, she moved around the diner, turning off the lights in one area after another except for the light near the rear of the diner, which was completely out of view of the front door.

  “What are you doing?” he asked. If he didn’t know better, he would have said that she was setting a romantic scene rather than apparently locking up for the night.

  “The diner’s closed for the night, so if anyone looks in, I don’t want them seeing the lights on. It might make them think that it’s still open. They’ll knock harder, expecting a response, and I’ll feel guilty about not letting them in. It’s a lot easier if I just turn off all the lights except that last one,” she said, nodding toward the table in the far corner.

  He laughed. It was all just so typically Holly. “That sounds like you, all right.” He rounded the counter, going to the coffee urn. “Tell you what, let’s have a division of labor. You get the lights, I’ll get the pie and coffee,” he offered.

  “That’s okay, I can—” But Holly didn’t get a chance to finish.

  “Don’t argue,” he told her, interrupting her protest. “It’s about time someone served you for a change.”

  She had no idea how to answer that.

  So she didn’t.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “How’s Alma?” she asked once she’d joined Ray at the table. She knew that he’d gone earlier today, along with the rest of his family, to Pine Ridge Memorial Hospital, to see his sister and the new twins.