The Texas Rancher's Marriage

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  “Surely you must have some ideas.”

  Merri savored the peppermint on her tongue. “That’s just it. I don’t.”

  Her friend furrowed her brow. “That isn’t like you. You always know what to get, in terms of gifts. What’s different about this?”

  Merri looked over the counter at the twins, who were so engrossed in decorating the train cars, they were oblivious to the adult conversation. “It’s our first Christmas as man and wife,” she whispered.

  Emily waited.

  She drew an enervating breath. Might as well get it all out. “I’m afraid I’ll disappoint him.”

  Emily helped herself to one of the spritz cookies on the counter. “And if you do, then what?”

  Merri took her friend’s elbow and guided her into the formal dining room. “Then people will see it as proof that we aren’t as in sync as a couple should be.”

  “Ah, yes,” Emily retorted gravely, “the Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole travesty.”

  Abruptly, Merri felt as cranky and out of sorts as the kids had before Jeffrey got the splinter. She looked at the beautifully decorated tree, and the elaborate Christmas village, complete with working Lionel train, which Chase and the kids had added to nearly every day.

  “It’s not funny.” She stalked to the mantel, where four stockings, embroidered with their names, had been hung in a row. Abruptly, although she couldn’t say why, she felt near tears. “I’m in crisis here.”

  Emily walked over to comfort her. “I know you are, and for no reason. Chase adores you. You adore him.”

  Her friend made it all sound so simple. It wasn’t. Not when there was biology, and legalities, and the demands of personal honor involved.

  Frustration mounting, Merri turned back to Emily and challenged, “Then why can’t I think of something that will demonstrate that to Chase, the way he already has to me?” Why do I continue to feel at such a loss? She thought she had put any inadequacy in a relationship behind her.

  “You’ll come up with a great idea.” Emily patted her shoulder encouragingly. “As soon as you calm down and take a breath, and summon up the information and ideas you already have in here.” She pointed to Merri’s head. “And here.” She pointed to her heart. “Just have a little hope and faith, and I promise you it will all work out.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Pleased that she had finally solved the dilemma that had been plaguing her for weeks, Merri walked down Main Street, Chase’s Christmas present in hand. Halfway to her SUV, she encountered their attorney, who also appeared to be taking the afternoon off to do a little last-minute shopping.

  Liz smiled as the BlackBerry in her pocket began to hum. “I don’t have to ask how things are going,” she remarked. “You look happier than I’ve ever seen you.”

  Merri stepped back to let another pedestrian pass. “Thanks. I am.”

  Liz shifted the packages in her arms to be able to check the message on the screen. “The impromptu wedding reception the other night was a very smart move, too.”

  Shock rendered Merri momentarily speechless. “We didn’t do it to prove a point.”

  “I know that.” Liz slid her phone back in her pocket. “I get that it was romantic in origin, and something you and Chase wanted to do.” Sobering, she went on, “But it was a very good maneuver to let everyone in town see how you and Chase feel about each other.” Her voice dropped a notch. “When you add that to what happened in the emergency room the other night—”

  Merri looked at her in surprise. “You heard about that, too?” she whispered.

  Liz led her into an alley between two historic brick buildings, so they could talk privately. “The kids calling Chase Daddy and launching themselves into his arms? Yeah. I heard about it. At least a dozen times, if not more. Apparently, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”

  Merri gulped, feeling a wave of emotion. Talk about joy and newfound love! This sure was the season… “It was pretty touching,” she admitted, trying not to become teary.

  Liz’s expression gentled. “My point is, when we talked ten days ago, you and Chase were worried about the public perception of your marriage, and the fact the kids didn’t seem to be accepting him. Now, thanks to recent events—some scripted, some not—word on the street is that has changed. So much that the four of you could be the poster happy family.”

  Merri couldn’t help but feel pleased about that, especially given the inept start she and Chase had experienced, trying to acclimate to each other and orient the kids to all the sudden changes.

  She breathed in the yuletide fragrance of freshly baked gingerbread cookies from the bakery two doors down. “You think it will get back to Judge Roy?”

  “Please!” Liz silenced her phone when it went off again. “In a community as close-knit as this? Of course it will.”

  Relief flowed through Merri. It certainly would help to replace the initial impressions she and Chase and the kids had made with something a lot more positive.

  “I still can’t guarantee results,” Liz reminded her. “No attorney can do that. But thanks to recent events, your chances for the outcome you want are a whole lot better than they were initially. So…” She grinned. “…merry Christmas!”

  Merri beamed. “Merry Christmas to you, too!”

  * * *

  “WHAT’S GOT YOU FEELING so chipper?” Chase asked Merri after they had put the kids in bed that evening.

  Happy to finally have a moment alone with her husband, Merri told him about her conversation with Liz.

  Chase didn’t look as surprised as she had been. “I was hoping that would help,” he murmured, following her into the laundry room.

  A shimmer of unease slid down Merri’s spine. She paused in front of the clothes dryer. “That wasn’t why you threw the party and gave me the diamond ring, was it?” she asked in a soft, wary tone. “To make our marriage seem more legitimate, and therefore help us in court?”

  If that was the case, it took all the joy out of both events. It also made her a romantic fool, because she’d thought—hoped—that his actions had been motivated by their newfound passion and growing feelings for each other.

  He reassured her with a sober glance. “No. Of course not. I gave you the ring and the party because our new bond deserves to be celebrated. I’m honored that you agreed to share your life with me and be my wife, and I want everyone to know how much you mean to me.”

  Merri wanted to shout out her love to the whole world, too. The only problem was, Chase had never mentioned love. Or even infatuation.

  She studied him, knowing him well enough to realize there was more there, just beneath the surface. “And yet you’re not unhappy it’s apparently had this result, are you?”

  He shrugged. “I want this matter settled as soon as possible, Merri. I want us to be a complete family, the two of us co-guardians of the kids.” He put his hands on her shoulders and intimately searched her face. “I thought that was what you wanted, too.”

  “Of course it is,” she declared hotly, wondering how they had taken something happy and turned it into conflict. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. She didn’t want to argue with Chase.

  His hands slid down her arms to her wrists. “Then?”

  She leaned back against the washer and forced herself to go on. “It occurs to me now that this could backfire. Particularly if Judge Roy were to perceive it as an attempt by us to put something over on the court.” The woman had certainly wa
rned them…

  Chase settled next to Merri. His back to the dryer, he laced a protective arm about her shoulders, drawing her in close to his side. “I don’t think she will take that view. I think at the end of the day she’ll know we’re sincere.”

  Merri hoped Chase wasn’t just telling her what he thought she wanted to hear. She resisted the urge to rest her cheek against his shoulder, and forced herself to play the part of devil’s advocate. “And if Judge Roy doesn’t?” What then?

  Chase intwined their fingers, squeezed. His gaze never left her face. “Then we keep on trying, because you and I know the truth. That our intentions have always been honorable.” He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, and his low voice was as soothing as his touch. “Everything we’ve done here has been to protect the kids and build a strong and loving family for them.” He paused to let his words sink in. “And as Kate pointed out to us, our relationship with each other is the foundation for that.”

  Which meant they had to be fully married, so if asked, they could swear under oath that theirs was a real marriage in every way.

  Chase misunderstood the reason behind her anxiety. “I know there’s still a lot up in the air, Merri, but it’s all going to work out for us. You’ll see.”

  * * *

  MERRI SPENT THE NIGHT IN Chase’s arms and woke up feeling much better. It was silly to worry about things they had no control of in the end. What mattered now was the twins’ first Christmas with a mommy and a daddy.

  As if to drive home that fact, the first thing Merri saw that morning when she opened up her email was an electronic holiday card for the entire family.

  “Look, Mommy,” Jessalyn cried excitedly when Merri showed the photo greeting to the twins. “It’s Addie and Nissa and Davita and Harmony and Polly and Starr!”

  All were wearing their Santa hats again. All were holding signs naming their various hometowns, with the message, “Next Stop, Christmas!” beneath.

  Chase, who was manning the griddle, making pancakes, came over to see, too. He grinned at the holiday gretting.

  “What’s that?” Jeffrey asked, pointing to a digital clock sign that said 84:22.

  “I think it’s how much time is left before they have to catch their flight overseas, to go back to work in the field hospital.”

  “Sorry you’re not going?” The words slipped out before Merri could stop herself.

  Chase held her eyes and shook his head. “I’m right where I’m supposed to be.” He gazed at her contentedly, then reeled her in and kissed her soundly.

  “Ooh” the twins said in unison. “You’re kissing!”

  They sure were, Merri thought, her spirits rising and her knees wobbling. It was times like this, when he was holding her in his arms, that it felt as if the barriers around their hearts had completely fallen away. She reveled in the feeling of hard male muscle pressed up against her, and the longing she saw in his eyes.

  Fortunately, the kids had already moved on. “Does Santa Claus kiss anybody?” Jessalyn asked, propping her hand on her chin. She watched as Chase went back to the griddle to flip the pancakes, which were a perfect golden-brown.

  Jeffrey traced the label on the syrup bottle already on the table. He scowled thoughtfully. “Maybe his reindeer,” he suggested finally.

  Merri grinned at the mental image. “And Mrs. Claus,” she said.

  Chase carried two plates of silver-dollar pancakes to the table and set them in front of the kids. “Speaking of Santa—” he flashed Merri a look, then returned to the griddle “—is there anything you little ones forgot to tell him that you want?”

  Jeffrey and Jessalyn looked at each other and seemed to communicate without saying a word. “No,” they said finally, in unison.

  “You sure?” Merri asked.

  “He knows. We already told him. At the hospital Christmas party, remember?” Jessalyn stated.

  But whatever they’d said remained a mystery to their parents. “You can always tell us, too,” Merri said.

  “No, we can’t,” Jeffrey argued stubbornly. “You can’t tell anyone your wish or it won’t come true. Remember what you said when we blew out the candles on our cake?”

  The logic of a four-and-a-half-year-old! “I think that’s just birthday wishes,” Merri told him, adding butter and syrup to both stacks.

  “Nuh-uh! All wishes are secret,” Jessalyn declared, “if you want them to come true.” She and Jeffrey stared into each other’s eyes yet again, in that magical way they had. “And we really really do.”

  “You can’t tell anyone but Santa what you want for Christmas, and we already did,” Jeffrey explained.

  Merri looked at Chase. He looked at her. This was not the kind of thing they were going to be able to reason with the kids about.

  So they did the only thing they could do, and called Dylan, who’d played Santa, when the twins were out of earshot.

  “Trust me,” Dylan reiterated, “it’s the kind of thing you’d much rather hear from them. I’m sure they’ll tell you tomorrow, when they wake up and get what they’ve been wanting for weeks now.” He exhaled sharply. “You are going to be off, aren’t you, Chase? You wouldn’t miss this?”

  “I’ve got today and tomorrow off,” he assured him. The other surgeons in rotation, who didn’t have small children anymore, had seen to that.

  “Well, then,” Dylan said mysteriously before hanging up the phone, “you’re all set.”

  * * *

  TEN HOURS LATER, THE KIDS were finally asleep. The cookies and milk they’d set out for “Santa” had been consumed, the presents arranged beneath the tree. Blissfully, Chase and Merri settled down for some quiet time in front of the fire.

  Chase’s eyes sparkled. “Was that home pregnancy test kit in the bathroom yours?”

  Aware this was the most exciting Christmas Eve she’d ever had, and that Christmas Day promised to be better yet, Merri flushed. She tucked her hand in his larger, callused palm. “You weren’t supposed to see that!”

  His heated gaze trailed over her features before returning with slow deliberation to her eyes. “I probably wouldn’t have, if I hadn’t been looking for a new blade for my razor.” He paused, his expression becoming even more hopeful and intent. “Are you pregnant?”

  Glad she had him beside her, Merri gripped his hand all the tighter. “I don’t know yet. I’m not supposed to take the test until I’m at least a week late, and that won’t be until the twenty-seventh.” Three days from now…

  Tenderly, he kissed the back of her hand. “But you think there’s a good chance.”

  She looked deep into his eyes. “Usually, I’m like clockwork, and this cycle I’m not.”

  He grinned like a proud papa-to-be. “Well, then, congratulations.” He shifted her onto his lap and delivered a long, sexy kiss.

  She leaned back, appreciating the excited gleam in his eyes, knowing what a great daddy he already was, and would be to another child, too. “Congratulations to you, too,” she replied softly. “But let’s not tempt fate by talking about it too much.” It scared her to want something—or someone—this much. And she did want Chase, so very much.

  He hugged her close. “Agreed. We’ll have plenty of time for that later. In the meantime,” he murmured, drawing back to look into her eyes once again, “since I think we might be just a little busy tomorrow morning, making Christmas dinner and setting up the new set of train tracks, I’d like to give you your last gift this eve
ning, if that’s okay.”

  Merri bounded off his lap. “More than okay.” She turned around with a wink and a curtsy. “Since I’ve got something for you, too.”

  Moments later, they settled on the floor in front of the beautifully lit and decorated tree, presents on their laps. “Ladies first,” he said, smiling.

  Achingly aware of just how much she had come to depend on him, Merri opened with trembling fingers the gift box he handed her. Inside was a platinum charm necklace, with the birthstones of all four of them set inside intricately intertwined hearts. He couldn’t have picked a more meaningful present. Aware he’d come close to her heart, as always, Merri sighed with pleasure. “Oh, Chase. It’s gorgeous! Thank you!”

  She paused to kiss him, reveling in the minty taste of him, then handed him a long, slender box that contained the gift she had spent so much time picking out. She beamed at him, hoping he would like his present as much as she liked hers. “Your turn.”

  He waggled his eyebrows teasingly, then tore open the wrapping. Inside was a thick envelope bearing the local travel agency’s logo. Curiosity piqued, he turned back the flap and saw the itinerary. A grin as big as Texas spread across his rugged features. “A cross-country train trip to Disneyland!”

  Eager for him to see, Merri pointed out the rest. “And a plane flight back.” She’d attended to every detail of the dream vacation. “It’ll be the twins’ first time on a train and a plane and at Disneyland. And their first big family vacation, too.”

  Chase laughed in delight. “They’re going to love it. I love it.” He gathered her close in a hug, then drew back, looking handsome and at ease in the soft twinkling lights of the tree. “Thank you.” He paused to look deep into her eyes. “This is an incredible gift.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” Merri said softly. Glad she understood what was in his heart, as surely as he did hers.

  Contentedly, they lingered before the fire, enjoying each other’s company, then went upstairs to further celebrate their first Christmas together. Feeling the connection between them deepening, they made tender, exquisite love, and Merri fell asleep wrapped in Chase’s arms, dreaming of the baby she was sure they had made.