Ryan’s eyes widened. “You got a pool table here? That is totally cool.”
Sawyer watched his father close his big hand over his son’s shoulder and guide him toward the stairs that would take them down to the rec room. He didn’t even realize what he was seeing at first as he followed Rebecca into the kitchen. “Did Ryan get a haircut?”
Rebecca nodded, busy setting the tray of peanut-butter-and-chocolate-chip cookies Ryan had made that afternoon on the table. “Finally. He and Eric got them when they were in Gillette. They went to a ‘stylist.’ Apparently that’s more acceptable than the barber in Weaver.”
“He’s got a white streak on his nape.”
She turned to him, smoothing the hem of her dress down her thighs. “Yeah. I wouldn’t mention it much to him, though. He’s rather sensitive about it. That’s why he likes to leave his hair long and constantly wears a cap. Hides the streak.” She turned her head toward the sound of female laughter. “I want to see the baby,” she admitted. “Do you mind?” Her eyes shone like amber.
“Go ahead,” he said. “Hold him and think about the notion of having another one of your own.”
Her lips parted. “Oh?”
“I’m not getting any younger.” He couldn’t resist kissing the surprise on her lips. “Only this time let’s get the marriage license taken care of first.” Thoroughly satisfied with the glazed look in her eyes, he grinned and left her standing there in the middle of the kitchen to follow his son downstairs.
Squire was leaning against the wet bar, watching Tristan help Ryan select a pool cue from the rack of them on the wall. Sawyer stopped next to him, leaning over to grab a frosty long-neck from the collection of them in the stainless-steel ice-filled sink. He thumbed off the cap and tossed it onto the counter. “Who is Sawyer Templeton?”
Squire’s eyebrows rose. “Your mother’s half brother,” he answered. “Why?”
Sawyer just shook his head, smiling faintly as he lifted the bottle to his lips. It didn’t matter anymore. It had ceased to matter when Ryan had spoken so simply about the luck of having two fathers. Perhaps one day he’d ask for the whole story of how he came to be named after an uncle he’d never known existed—perhaps.
Ryan was staring up at Tristan with fierce attention as Tristan pointed to the balls with his cue.
“That’s how I went gray,” Squire murmured after a moment.
“I remember,” Sawyer replied.
“Started at my nape and spread up. Boy’ll be totally gray by the time he’s thirty, just like I was. Like my grandfather before me. Looks like the trait has continued to skip a generation.”
“I expect you’re right, Dad.”
Squire smiled. “You’ll be a good sheriff, son.”
“News travels fast.”
“Always did.” Squire reached into his pocket and pulled out a narrow gold band with a trio of small diamonds. “It’s not fancy, son. But it was your mama’s. She’d want you to have it.”
“The wedding ring you gave her.”
Squire nodded. “Thought it might come in useful for you,” he said. “I got it out after I saw you and the doc dancing the other night. Be happy, son. Cherish every day.”
Sawyer picked up the ring. “I plan to,” he said huskily. Then turned when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He realized, too, that every male in the room looked up as the women descended.
Emily came first, holding her son who still didn’t have a name, along with Leandra who importantly carried the requisite diaper bag. They went over to Jefferson and caused a smile to light his stern features.
Maggie, who was trying to tie the matching ribbons on the backs of her daughters’ dresses—J.D. and Angeline. One was fair and one dark. But all three of them swooped on Daniel, who hitched both girls up in his arms even as he kissed his new wife.
Jaimie, with Sarah clattering beside her, was laughing gaily as she reached the bottom step. She shot a knowing look toward Sawyer and Squire, looped a slender arm around Matthew’s neck and kissed him boldly right in front of everyone.
“Makes a man feel good deep down, to see his sons happy,” Squire said. “Well, almost all of them,” he added, glancing at Tristan, who turned away.
Sawyer nodded, his attention focused on the shapely legs, clad in off-black silken hose, descending the steps. Saw Rebecca’s eyes skim over the heads before landing on him. Realized that her expression lit in the same way the faces of his brothers’ wives did when they looked at their husbands.
Gloria Day and her twin daughters, Nikki and Belle, were the last to descend. Gloria smiled at Sawyer, cast a challenging look at Squire, and accepted a glass of wine that Tristan was busily pouring now that Ryan was clearly in command of the pool table. The Day twins immediately headed toward Tristan as well, but his little brother didn’t seem unduly disturbed by the attentions of the college students.
Rebecca slipped her arm behind Sawyer’s back, and he reminded himself that standing there in the middle of his considerable family was not an appropriate place to want to make love to her.
But he couldn’t help it. He kissed her ear, murmuring his thoughts. She colored and shifted, standing in front of him. But the look she gave him from beneath her lashes was purely female. Purely satisfied.
Squire cleared his throat and just that easily, silence fell over the room. They could hear the faint strains of “O Holy Night” from the sound system upstairs.
Sawyer wrapped his arm around Rebecca’s shoulders, holding her back against him, closing his eyes for a moment as he inhaled the fragrance of her hair.
When he opened his eyes, though, it was to find Squire looking at him. “We haven’t really celebrated Christmas in this house for a long time,” Squire said. His gaze moved from Sawyer, touching on the rest of his sons in turn. “Because it was a time of loss for us, though your mama would never have approved of my feeling that way. But that’s the past. And I hope the future sees a lot more of these celebrations. All the women in this room have had a part in that,” he went on, his gaze turning finally to Gloria, who was watching him steadily. “And so it seems appropriate that during this season that Sarah always considered blessed, I move into the future, too, to count the blessings of my life with the woman who has brought Christmas back into my life. The woman I’ve finally asked to be my wife.”
“Hallelujah!” Daniel said fervently.
Rebecca turned in Sawyer’s arms and kissed his jaw. “What a Christmas,” she whispered. “But I like your idea of having our own newborn next year.”
“I’ll do my best to oblige,” Sawyer murmured. “I want to see you get big and round with our child. Next year we’ll have another child for Christmas. It’ll be our new family tradition.”
“What’re you two whispering about over there?” Squire demanded.
Sawyer smiled widely for his family. But his intent blue gaze was for Rebecca, alone. For the med student who’d loved him even though he’d warned her not to. For the young mother who’d raised his son finely and decently. For the woman who filled all his dark areas with light. Who challenged him and loved him and accepted nothing less in return. “Nothing,” he said, sliding the delicate ring on Rebecca’s finger. “Except you’re gonna have to work fast if you want to beat us to the altar. Life’s too short to waste. Isn’t that right, Dr. Morehouse?”
She looked up from the ring that fit perfectly. Her lips were smiling when he covered them with his own. “That’s right, Deputy Clay,” she said against his kiss. “That’s exactly right.”
Don’t miss the heartwarming conclusion to this
family saga when Tristan comes home for
Squire’s wedding and finds himself walking
down the aisle as well, coming only to
Silhouette Special Edition in Summer 2000.
ISBN : 978-1-4592-6048-1
A CHILD FOR CHRISTMAS
Copyright © 1999 by Allison Lee Kinnaird
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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imaginatron of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention
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Table of Contents
“We’re two breaths away from being lovers.”
Letter to Reader
Title Page
Dedication
Books by Allison Leigh
ALLISON LEIGH
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Teaser chapter
Copyright
A Child for Christmas Page 21
