Almost a Christmas Bride

by Susan Crosby

  He wasn’t a careless man, and she’d had plenty of reasons not to forget about birth control until the last possible second—or rather a second past that point.

  In one sense he’d felt numb the whole night, the unreality of potential fatherhood hovering over him, but overruled at every step by fulfilled desires.

  Shana Callahan was sexy, enthusiastic and generous. When they’d finally slept, they’d wrapped themselves together, as if it was the last time.

  Was it?

  There’d been no talk of her sleeping with him from now on, only of taking the one night for themselves.

  He cared about her more than anyone he’d met. He wanted to provide for her, to ease her burdens, to enjoy making love with her as often as possible. He liked her. He admired her, even when she’d been stubbornly independent.

  Did he love her? He’d long worried he wasn’t capable of love. He hadn’t had positive examples in his childhood to show him how to express or feel love, and since he hadn’t fallen for anyone in all the years since, he’d feared he couldn’t ever love.

  He wanted to, but maybe it would have to be enough that he felt other strong feelings for Shana.

  “Good morning.” Shana came in carrying a tray. She was dressed in her robe, her hair tucked behind her ears. “I’m glad you slept in.”

  He hadn’t even looked at the time, which said a lot. He was usually up before daybreak. “Good morning. What have you got?”

  “Sustenance. We had an active night.” She smiled. “We need fuel.”

  She’d fixed an omelet, country fries and ham.

  “It looks great, but there’s way too much.”

  “I figured we’d share a plate. Is that okay?” She set the footed tray next to him and knelt on the opposite side. “I mean, we’ve shared whatever germs we might have all night, so what difference does it make?”

  He laid a hand at her neck and gently pulled her forward to kiss. Her robe gapped a little, revealing the tempting inner curves of her breasts. As they kissed, he slid his hand down her chest to capture one breast then the other, loving the feel of her nipples pressing into his palms.

  This was the way he wanted to wake up every day, especially when she responded so quickly, giving him a look that said dessert would follow breakfast.

  They barely spoke while they ate, mostly just comments on the food, then he picked up the tray and set it on the floor next to the bed. By the time he turned around, she’d let the robe fall down her arms. She looked sweet and sexy at the same time.

  He reached for her, then a phone rang.

  “Hold that thought,” she said, digging into her pocket for her cell phone and answering it, listening intently but climbing off the bed at the same time. “Give me ten minutes.” She ended the call and headed out the door. “Emma is apparently inconsolable this morning. I need to go to her.”

  “I’ll come, too.”

  She stopped in the hallway. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea. You can be sure Big Dave has talked about your encounter last night. If we show up this morning together…”

  “If we wait until the last minute to start showing up together around town, people aren’t going to believe we got married because we wanted to, not because you were pregnant.”

  She winced at that. He reran his words in his head, trying to understand why that bothered her.

  “Okay,” she said, but wearily. “We’ll have to take my car. I don’t want to take the time to transfer her car seat to your truck.”

  They were out of the house in five minutes, reached Gavin and Becca’s house five minutes later. They could hear Emma crying as they rushed up the path to the front door, which Gavin opened before they reached it. They went straight inside.

  “Mama!” Emma cried out, opening her arms, trying to fling herself from Becca to Shana.

  “I’m here, baby. It’s okay.”

  Kincaid watched, fascinated, as Emma wrapped her arms and legs around Shana and burrowed herself against her mother. She heaved a few shuddering breaths, her whole body quivering as she tried to calm down. After a minute she opened her eyes and spotted him.

  What now? Would she start crying all over again? Turn away from him? Ignore him?

  “Kinky,” she said with a watery smile. “My Kinky.”

  That was it. She had him lock, stock and barrel. She owned his heart forevermore. It was scary as hell. “Hello, Miss Emma. Are you doing okay now?”

  She nodded.

  “I’ll bet you had fun with Uncle Gavin and Aunt Becca.”

  She nodded again, then looked their way as they stood arm-in-arm, brave smiles on their faces.

  “Ready for parenthood?” he asked them, laughing a little.

  “We’ll get out of your hair so that you can relax,” Shana said. She hugged each of them. Emma gave sloppy kisses. “Thank you for keeping her. Really. I didn’t think I was going to be able to handle it, but it was okay. I knew she was in good hands.”

  As Shana and Becca headed outside, Gavin’s hand came down on Kincaid’s shoulder. “I heard you had a little run-in with Big Dave last night.”

  “Already you heard that?”

  Gavin shrugged, as if to say, “You know this town.”

  “We didn’t come to fists or anything.” He watched Shana laugh with Becca as she buckled Emma in. Shana had her girl back. She’d relaxed.

  “Did you have a good night, too?” Gavin asked. When he didn’t answer, Gavin said, “My sister has a glow about her this morning. Or maybe it’s just her messy hair—and yours—that gives it away.”

  Kincaid met his glance but remained silent. He’d meant what he said to Shana—they couldn’t just spring it on people that they got married, if it came to that. They needed to set the scene ahead of time.

  “Doesn’t surprise me,” Gavin added quietly as they walked out to the car. “I saw it months ago when you and she worked on Becca’s condo.”

  And Dylan had noticed the attraction, too. So, maybe no one would be surprised, which was probably why there was a pool under way.

  “I approve, if that matters to you,” Gavin added before they got within hearing range of the women.

  Kincaid still didn’t say anything. Until he knew for sure what was going to happen, he didn’t want anyone thinking it was a done deal between him and Shana. But he did shake Gavin’s hand before he got into the SUV and headed home.

  Home. Suddenly it had a whole new meaning to him.

  On Monday morning, Shana carried Emma up Aggie’s walkway before she headed to Nevada City to meet with a new client. Excitement lightened her step. Kincaid had met with a man last week who wanted a master bedroom remodel, and he was willing to let Shana come aboard with design ideas.

  The anticipation took her mind off Kincaid and all that had happened in the past couple of days, if that was possible. She’d slept in his bed again last night. It had felt…right.

  “Good morning, Shana,” Doc Saxon said at the door, his eyes twinkling. “Aggie’s in the kitchen.”

  “Did you have a sleepover, Doc?” Shana asked with a wink. “I didn’t see your car out front.”

  He pretended to twist a key into his lips. “Hello, Emma. How are you today?”

  “Aggie,” Emma said, her tone indicating she was not happy about the change in her routine. Aggie always met her at the door.

  “She’s in the kitchen, sweetheart.”

  Shana put Emma down and she raced off.

  “Your friend Kincaid sure seems to be gaining some notoriety these days,” Doc said. “The Stompin’ Grounds must be a bad influence on him.”

  Before she could respond, Aggie and Emma came into the room. Emma was clutching a ball almost as big as her head.

  “Look,” she said, although it sounded like “wook.”

  “Jim picked it up for her,” Aggie said.

  “You’re bribing children to like you now?” Shana asked Doc.

  “Maybe.”

  Shana raised her brows. “Does tha
t mean you’ll be here a lot when Emma’s here?”

  “Maybe.”

  “We have a question for you,” Aggie said. “Is it possible to take two houses full of furniture and mingle them into one so that it feels right to both people?”

  “Is that your way of telling me you’re getting married?” Shana bubbled inside at the possibility. Aggie had been alone for such a long time.

  “Well, we can’t very well live together, can we? What kind of message would we be sending our children and grandchildren?” Aggie said.

  Shana jumped up and down. She pulled Aggie into a big hug, then included Doc. Emma raised her hands, wanting up to join them.

  “This is the best news ever,” Shana said. “I’m so happy for you both. And yes, it’s possible to do what you asked. I’d be happy to take on the task, if you’ll let me. I’d love to pay you back somehow for everything you’ve done for me.”

  “We’d be honored,” Doc said. “Now. There’s more. We’re not telling the family until Christmas Eve at the town party. You’ll keep it secret until then, right?”

  “Of course. Emma, too, right, peapod?”

  Emma nodded seriously.

  “I guess I can’t start until you’ve made your announcement, but I can come up with a plan. Maybe I could come see your house this afternoon, Doc. I know you downsized when you retired and Gavin got your old house, but I would need to do an inventory and take some pictures. I’d do the same here at Aggie’s.”

  “I’m renting a two-bedroom place, and it’s overflowing,” Doc said. “Maybe we’re being optimistic when we say we can mix our furniture. Maybe we need new, instead. We’re counting on you for an honest opinion.”

  “When will you get married?”

  Doc took Aggie’s hand, his smile loving. “We won’t be wasting any time. You get this house fixed up—it’s the only one big enough to hold our families for holidays—and we’ll have a simple ceremony and be done with it.”

  “Simple meaning a couple hundred people,” Aggie said, patting his cheek.

  “We’ll see,” he said.

  Shana knew who would win that particular battle. In fact, she bet the whole town would end up being invited. Doc had been Chance City’s only doctor for forty years. Aggie was well known and beloved.

  Shana made her farewells and drove to Nevada City to meet the new client, a man in his fifties who needed better access for his wheelchair, as his health was rapidly declining. Kincaid had built an entry ramp into his house a couple years ago.

  The client liked her ideas, so she was on a high when she got back to town. She stopped in where Kincaid and Dylan were putting the finishing touches on Joe and Dixie’s remodel. They would be done by mid-afternoon, then Shana would set the furnishings in place. Having had the luxury of six months to do the job whenever he had time, Kincaid had updated the kitchen, added a second story, enlarged the rear of the house to include a big family room and built on a covered deck. Joe’s landscaping crew had kept up the yard.

  “Hello!” she called out from the living room.

  “In the kitchen,” Dylan shouted.

  She found them installing wrought-iron cabinet door handles.

  “Dixie is going to be so happy with this,” Shana said. The room was contemporary yet with a rustic feel, right down to the farmhouse sink. “You do beautiful work,” she said to Kincaid, who smiled at her in an entirely different way than he used to.

  She tried hard not to look like a besotted fool in front of Dylan. “Mr. Broadburn says we’re hired.” She could hardly contain herself. “He also says he’ll pay a bonus if we can escalate the process.”

  “I’d already planned to. He needs to be able to shower easily. I can only imagine how hard it is for him now.” He wandered over, took her arm and moved her out of the kitchen, where Dylan was noisily drilling holes for the door pulls.

  “How’s your day been?” Kincaid asked.

  She wished she could share the news about Aggie and Doc, but she’d promised not to. “It’s been wonderful.” She lowered her voice. “It helped that it started off so well.”

  He’d awakened her with soft touches and butterfly kisses. She’d kept her eyes closed and simply enjoyed until she couldn’t stand it anymore and rolled over to get her fill of him. He’d been very accommodating. Then they’d laughed as he tried to change Emma’s diaper, Emma frowning as he fumbled through it but otherwise cooperating.

  The morning had been peaceful and tense at the same time.

  He gave her a kiss now, short and sweet. “Where are you headed?”

  “I have a few errands to run. Do you need me for something?”

  He gave her a look that made her blush. “But if that’s not possible,” he said, “then maybe you could go online and research showers with wheelchair access. I’ll custom build a vanity. I’ve only done one other handicap-accessible bathroom, and that was years ago. I’m sure there’s better equipment today.”

  “Roger, boss.”

  He cocked a brow. “Right. The day you defer to me will be—”

  “Boss!” Dylan shouted. “Can you take a look at this before I drill a hole in the wrong place?”

  “Be right there.” He tugged on Shana’s hair. “I’ll see you at home.”

  Home. His house had become that for her so quickly. If she was pregnant, it would be her home forever. If not…

  Well, she wasn’t going to think about that yet.

  She drove to Doc’s and went through each room, then checked out his garage, also stuffed with furniture. His patients had given him lots of original art through the years as payment, some of it good, some not so good, but he hadn’t wanted to hurt anyone’s feelings so he hadn’t thrown out anything. He had enough furniture to fit into Aggie’s much larger place and maybe another apartment to boot.

  It would be a daunting task to move and remove furniture, one she would need help with. The entire McCoy clan would need to get involved, and that was a lot of people. Doc’s children would probably come from Sacramento to help, as well.

  Shana loved the spirit of Chance City, the helpfulness and even the pettiness that happened now and then.

  And now that she’d come back, she never wanted to leave again.

  For better or for worse, she’d found home.

  Kincaid left Dylan to vacuum the kitchen floor and went to pick up a takeout order at the Lode for lunch. On his way, he spotted Shana’s car in front of Doc’s. Doc was one of her “errands”?

  Kincaid pondered that as he picked up lunch then headed back to Joe and Dixie’s house. Shana’s car was still at Doc’s. The retired man could often be found sitting on his front porch, but the mid-December, rain-threatening weather would keep him inside today, probably. What were they doing? Talking about? Had she gone to him because she wasn’t comfortable using her brother as her doctor?

  How long had she been there? To Kincaid, an errand meant you came and went, not lingered. Was she talking to him about possibly being pregnant—and what options she had?

  They hadn’t talked over the weekend about not having the baby. Not once. That didn’t seem like an option to her. He knew it wasn’t one for him.

  “Making too much of it,” Kincaid told himself. After all, how did he know when she got there? Fifteen minutes ago? Twenty?

  He and Dylan ate their lunch at Joe and Dixie’s then headed to their next job, a sink change-out at Aggie’s. Doc’s house was not on his way, but he drove past it anyway. Shana’s car was still there. He lived in one of Kincaid’s rentals, so she wouldn’t be there for a design job—and she would’ve told him about that. Maybe something had just come up. She would undoubtedly tell him tonight.

  Kincaid had timed his trip to Aggie’s for when Emma wouldn’t be napping, so that the noise wouldn’t wake her. He carried his toolbox, and Dylan followed with the new sink and faucets.

  Aggie was holding Emma when she opened the door. Emma looked from Kincaid to Dylan as if wondering who to greet first, then just smile
d shyly.

  “She just woke up,” Aggie said. “If you have time, I’ve got apple pie fresh out of the oven. Maybe you’d like a piece before you start working.”

  Dylan nodded, but then looked at Kincaid for agreement.

  “How about after we’re done, Aggie,” he said. “We just finished lunch.”

  Dylan tickled Emma as he walked by, leaving her giggling. They made the easy switch of old sink to new, then headed to the kitchen. Emma was chasing a ball around the room, kicking it by accident when she got close, then running to catch up with it.

  “Kinky down,” she said with authority. “Ball.”

  “Looks like I’ve been replaced as favorite male,” Dylan said, settling at the kitchen table with a huge piece of pie and a mound of vanilla ice cream.

  Kincaid sat on the floor, his legs spread open, getting Emma to do the same. They rolled the ball back and forth until Aggie offered her ice cream. Emma sat in his lap as Aggie fed her and Kincaid ate his pie. It was the first time she’d let him hold her. She wriggled a lot and clapped her hands after each bite.

  Aggie smiled at him. “I’m thinking we could use a Santa for our Christmas Eve bash.”

  “You seem to have some sway with Doc these days,” Kincaid countered, smiling back. Do you know why Shana went to see him?

  “He’s too slim.”

  “And I’m not?” He patted his stomach. “No bowlful of jelly here. How about Bruno? He wouldn’t need padding.”

  Aggie laugh. “I’ll tell him you said so.”

  Kincaid’s only local competition, Bruno and he got along okay. There was enough business to go around.

  “What do I owe you?” Aggie asked after they finished eating. Dylan had just taken the tools out to the truck.

  “I’ve told you fifty times, Aggie. You’ll never get a bill from me, not as long as we both shall live. It’s a vow I take seriously. I wouldn’t be here today if John hadn’t taken me under his wing. I’m who I am because of you and John.”

  She kissed his cheek. “I’ll keep trying.”

  “I’ll keep turning it down.”

  “So, are you looking for any advice these days?”