Lone Star Twins

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  “Trace!” Poppy did a double-take. “You can’t quit the military altogether, not even for me and our kids. It’s in your blood!”

  “I know.” He nodded. “Fortunately there are other ways to serve our country, and I was able to arrange an inter-military-service transfer to the Texas National Guard. Starting in January, I’ll be on active duty one weekend a month and two weeks every year, plus whenever I’m needed, in an emergency.” He released a breath and went on. “The rest of the time, I’m going to work for your cousin Will. Turns out there is a growing need for air-ambulance pilots right here in West Texas. And that suits me very well, too.”

  Poppy stared up at him in wonder. “You’d really do that for me?”

  He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “For you and for us.” Their eyes locked. Encouraged, he continued. “For a long time, I thought the military was my home, but my real home is where my heart is. And that is with you and our babies. And to prove just how serious I am about that, I bought you a Christmas gift, which I am giving to you a little early.” He removed a small velvet box from his jacket pocket and handed it to her.

  Poppy opened it up. She gasped when she saw what was inside. A beautiful diamond solitaire.

  “I should have asked you to marry me a long time ago. The right way. But I’m doing it now.” Love rushing through him, Trace got down on one knee and took her hand. “Poppy McCabe, will you make our marriage a real and lasting one in every way, and be my wife and let me be your husband, for as long as we both shall live?”

  Poppy laughed out loud with joy. Still grinning from ear to ear, tears glistening, she tugged on his hand and pulled him to his feet. “You bet I will!” Then, eyes gleaming impishly, she reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out an equally small but very nicely wrapped present. “I have a little something for you, too.”

  He paused, reminding her, “You already gave me a gift—the party.”

  She wrinkled her nose then continued mysteriously, “This is symbolic. A token, if you will, of the many nights and days to come.”

  More curious than ever, he opened it. Inside the box was the sprig of plastic mistletoe that always brought a smile to both their faces. She kissed his cheek. “I figured it’s our good-luck charm.”

  He chuckled. “That, it is.”

  “And a harbinger of our many holidays to come.”

  “I like that, too.”

  They paused for another kiss. And then another and another. Poppy hitched in a breath. “Want to skip the party for something much more important instead?” Their reunion.

  He accepted the amorous invitation in the spirit with which it was given. Swinging her up into his arms, he mounted the stairs to their bedroom.

  “Sweetheart, you read my mind.”

  Epilogue

  One year later

  “What do you think?” Trace asked. “Walk or drive?”

  Poppy stepped out onto the porch to stand beside him.

  The December night was beautiful. Starry and clear, with a slight breeze. She turned, admiring her husband’s handsome profile. “It’s only what—forty degrees?”

  “I think so.”

  “If we bundle them up...?”

  “They’d probably enjoy a stroller ride over to your folks’ home.”

  Hand in hand, they went back inside.

  The twins were lying on the blanket on the living room floor. Dressed in matching red-velvet dresses, white tights and satin ballet shoes, their wispy blond hair sporting matching bows, they looked adorable. As usual, they were facing each other, waving their stuffed toys at each other, and talking softly in a series of gurgles and coos only they could understand.

  Trace paused to survey them, too, all the affection she had ever hoped to see in his hazel eyes. “I just want you to know,” he stated huskily as he knelt with her, “they’re not dating until they are thirty-five.”

  Poppy laughed as they each gathered an infant in their arms, and stood. “I think Ella and Emma might have something to say about that.”

  “Yeah, well,” he continued to tease sternly, all doting dad, “I expect you to back me up.”

  Poppy patted the swell of his bicep. “I think they’ll be okay. They’re half McCabe and half Caulder, after all. Women don’t come any stronger than that.”

  He grinned. “True.”

  He put on one coat and cap, she the other.

  Together, they settled the girls into the double stroller, donned their own jackets, locked up and headed off down the street. All the decorations were up. Some of the houses even had Christmas music playing. As usual, the twins were enthralled with all there was to see and hear.

  “I love this time of year,” Poppy admitted as they paused to study a particularly delightful display of Santa Claus and his reindeer.

  Trace put his arm across her shoulders.

  When they’d looked their fill, he continued pushing the stroller down the sidewalk, in the direction of her parents’ home, where the McCabe family Christmas party would soon be starting.

  “I love it, too.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze, kissed her temple. “Now that I finally have the happy family I’ve always wanted.”

  Poppy basked in his love, returning the affection full-force. “Is your mom still planning to visit after New Year’s?” In the throes of yet another divorce, Bitsy had elected to take a Christmas cruise for singles to the Bahamas. His father was headed out west, to check out a new strain of cattle.

  Trace nodded, having made peace with the fact that his parents were just not meant to be married to anyone for long. “Both are.” He smiled good-naturedly. “At separate times.”

  “That’s good,” Poppy said. She wanted him to be close to both his parents, and thanks to their new grandkids, that finally seemed to be happening.

  “The question is,” he mused as they turned the corner and walked down another festively decorated street. “What are we going to get each other for Christmas this year?”

  Poppy sighed wistfully, thinking about all the changes the past year had brought. “A full night’s sleep, maybe?”

  Trace nodded. “Twelve hours at a pop would be so great.”

  “Yeah.” They reflected, laughing. “Not happening.” The most they ever got at one time now was seven hours. And, given they had two infants who weren’t always on identical schedules, that was still a rarity.

  They chuckled some more.

  “Maybe we should give each other a joint gift,” she suggested.

  He was all over that. “Like a king-size bed?” Delight sparkled in his eyes.

  Poppy grinned, thinking how much fun they could have with that. And how much more comfortable her six-foot-four husband might be. “Sounds like a plan.”

  As they neared their destination, Trace halted the stroller. While the girls enjoyed yet another set of holiday decorations, he turned to take Poppy into his arms. “Have I told you today how much I love you, or that you and the girls have given me everything I ever wanted?” he asked thickly.

  He had.

  Unimaginable happiness swelled within her. “Or that you,” Poppy whispered, rising up on tiptoes and wreathing both her arms around his neck, “have made all my dreams come true?” She kissed him again, with all the emotion she felt in her heart. Their gazes locked, held. “I love you so much, Lieutenant.”

  That was, as it turned out, the most lasting and wonderful gift of all.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS FAMILY by Donna Alward

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  The Cowboy’s Christmas Family

  by Donna Alward

  Chapter One

  There were days when Madison Wallace felt like a single-mom Cinderella.

  She blew at a few strands of hair that had escaped her messy ponytail, then tucked them behind her ears for at least the tenth time in the past half hour and checked her watch yet again.

  Six twenty. The library closed at eight. The meeting was due to start in ten minutes and she didn’t even have the coffeepot going yet. The boys were in a playpen in one of the smaller meeting rooms, and her brain was on the verge of shutdown, with her body not far behind.

  Whoever came up with the idea of Snowflake Days needed their head examined.

  Oh, right. That would be her.

  Of course, she’d put forth that proposal last winter, and the mayor and council had loved the idea. She’d thought she’d have tons of time to help with the planning committee. The babies would be a little older, she’d be back at work, Gavin would be home at night to lend a hand, and life would be back to normal.

  And then everything had changed.

  She couldn’t think about that now. She didn’t have time. And playing the what-if game was a waste of energy, anyway.

  The meeting room where the twins were was quiet except for the odd babble, so she rushed around as committee members started arriving and gathered in the foyer, chatting. There were twelve altogether, a blend of male and female, young and old, business owners and retirees and anything in between. She put tablets of paper at each spot at the conference table as well as pens that said Gibson Public Library on them. A separate table held coffee, now dripping merrily into the pot, ice water, and an array of muffins and breads, which she’d baked just this morning while the boys were napping rather than taking from the library’s petty cash, which was always pretty tight.

  “Maddy, this is just lovely, dear.” Pauline Rowe stopped and patted her arm. “Thank you for setting it up. Now that Thanksgiving is over, we’re really going to get into the nitty-gritty of the planning. Lots of coffee required.”

  Maddy smiled at Pauline, who owned the town’s only dry cleaning and alterations shop. “Thanks, Pauline. Let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

  An ear-splitting scream punctuated the relative quiet and Maddy winced. “Sorry. I’ll be right back.”

  She rushed to the meeting room and found Liam and Lucas in the playpen. Liam was hanging on to the edge for dear life and crying, while Lucas whimpered softly in the corner, big crocodile tears on his cheeks.

  Her boys. Best friends one moment, fighting like cats the next, and at a year old, with no verbal skills to tell her what was wrong. She hadn’t been prepared for motherhood, let alone times two. And going it alone? Since Gavin died, she’d really had to fight against despair at times. Like tonight, when she was bone weary.

  “Hey, sweetie. Mama’s here.” She picked up Liam and settled him on her arm. He burrowed into her neck and stuck his thumb in his mouth, his wet face sticking to her skin. Her heart melted just a little bit. He was such a snuggle bug.

  “You had to bring the twins?” Pauline asked gently. Without missing a beat, she went to the playpen and lifted out Lucas, who stared at her with owlish blue eyes and sucked in his lower lip as he fought against crying.

  “Mom’s down with the stomach flu as of this morning. It was...short notice to find a replacement.”

  Short notice was her excuse. The truth was, she didn’t have the money to pay someone for child care today. It had come down to food and lights as far as priorities went. Filled tummies and running water were pretty important, and the holidays were coming.

  She gave Liam a bounce and smiled, and he placed a chubby, if damp, hand on her cheek. Despite the troubles and challenges, she wouldn’t trade her babies for anything. Things would work out the way they were supposed to. When times got rough, she found it difficult to remember that, but it was what she truly believed. Something good was around the corner for her. It was going to be okay. How could it not be?

  “Hello, is the meeting in here?”

  Maddy looked up and went dumb for a few seconds.

  Cole Hudson, all six feet of him, stood in the doorway. He’d taken off his hat and held it in his hand...of course he had, because he had impeccable manners. His dark hair was cut short, just long enough for his fingers to leave trails as he ran his hand through it, in what Maddy assumed was a gesture of tidying it but really gave it a mussed look. And blue eyes. Blue with little crinkles at the corners. Like the Texas bluebells she’d seen once on a trip she’d taken with her parents.

  A girl had to be blind not to get a little tongue-tied around Cole Hudson.

  “Sorry,” she said as she found her wits again. “The meeting’s across the hall.”

  In her rush to get to the boys, the door to the meeting room had closed and locked, so she dug in her jeans pocket for the keys on one of those stretchy wrist things all the librarians used. She fumbled and Cole reached around, took the key from her hand and put it in the lock. He was standing awfully close to her, and she suddenly found it difficult to take a full breath.

  “Allow me. You have your hands full,” he said kindly, swinging open the door.

  She adjusted Liam on her shoulder. “Let me get a door stopper so you don’t get locked out again,” she said, looking around, feeling unusually flustered. Pauline still held Lucas in her arms and he was starting to squirm, wanting to get down. Both boys were walking now, but unsteadily, which meant they were an accident waiting to happen when let loose.

  She put the stopper in the door, committee members started filing in—still chatting—and she took Lucas from Pauline, so she held a child in each arm.

  “Is there anything more you need?” she asked the group at large, holding tight as Lucas twisted and fussed.

  “We’re fine, Maddy. Truly.” Lacey Duggan came forward, a smile on her face. “This is wonderful. And you have your hands very full. We’ll come find you if we need something, but really, don’t worry about a thing.”

  “Thanks, Lacey.” Lacey was new to Gibson, Montana, and new wife to Quinn Solomon up at Crooked Valley Ranch. Maddy let out a small sigh. “I was kind of hoping to be involved, but...” She let the sentence trail off and gave a small shrug with her aching shoulders.

  “Your boys are adorable,” Lacey added, ruffling Liam’s hair.

  “Thanks. I’m not usually this discombobulated.” She boosted Lucas on her hip, getting him in a better position. “Work and babies don’t go together very well.”

  “Everyone understands,” Lacey offered sympathetically.

  Yes, they did. And it burned Maddy’s biscuits that she was reminded of it so very often. As if she could forget what had gotten her in this position in the first place.

  Gavin had been a cheater. And a liar.

  “Well, I’d better get back to the desk. Holler, okay?”

  She pasted on a smile and went back to the room where she’d set up the boys. She dug in her bag and pulled out a sleeve of arrowroot cookies and two sippy cups of milk that had been sitting against an ice pack. “Okay, boys, please be good for Mommy. Please. I have to check the front desk and then I’ll be back.”

  For the moment, the promise of a cookie and milk pacified the children and Maddy zipped out to the front desk. The library was quiet; other than the m
eeting there were no other special activities tonight, thank goodness. Two or three people browsed the stacks, and Maddy quietly went to them and told them to ring the bell at the circulation desk when they were ready to check their books out.

  A quick breath and back to check on the boys.

  And so went the next hour and a half. A quick check, back to the front. Change a diaper, back to the cart to put books back on the shelves. Slipping the twins into their pajamas, and then back to the drop box to scan the returned books into the system. She could hear the committee laughing behind the door and her shoulders slumped. She should be in there. She wanted to help. Last Christmas the boys had only been a month old. This year they were old enough to be excited at the bright lights and the sound of ripping paper, eating a real Christmas dinner even if half of it had to be mashed.

  Maybe she could make next week’s meeting. As long as her mom could babysit...

  At five minutes to eight, the conference room door opened and the noise got louder, just as Liam had nodded off and Lucas was finally starting to settle, curled up with a blanket and rubbing his eyes. The sudden change in volume startled them both, and Maddy closed her eyes for a second, let out a breath. It was nearly done. She could close up the library and take the boys home and maybe, finally, get some sleep.

  And for right now she was going to let the boys fuss and whimper for two minutes while she saw everyone out and locked the damn doors.

  The place was nearly empty when she turned from the circulation desk and saw Cole come around the corner, a very grouchy Lucas on his arm. She felt a definite pang in her chest, seeing her fussy boy being held by a strong man, like a father would. Only Lucas didn’t have a father. He was going to miss out on all of that.

  Then there was the impact of seeing Cole Hudson holding a baby. Men and babies... Maddy didn’t know if there was an evolutionary, biological reason for finding it so attractive or not, but there was no denying her heart softened just a little bit and her pulse started beating just a little faster.