Gabe, too.
But it really drilled the point home when she saw their startled expressions. Probably the same reaction Ross had had, but now that surprise had settled into a tight knot of anger.
“It’s true,” Gabe said, stepping around her and walking closer to Ross.
Definitely not a good idea, not with Ross’s temper. Besides, Gabe might allow himself to be throttled just so that Ross could get some sibling justice that her brother in no way deserved.
However, Ross did deserve an explanation.
“I slept with Gabe a year ago and got pregnant,” Kelly tossed out there. “I didn’t tell him, or you, because I didn’t want to make the deployment worse than it already was.”
She hadn’t thought it possible, but Ross’s eyes narrowed even more, and though he probably couldn’t see well, he aimed his next glare at Gabe. “I got that part. The part I’m not getting is why you slept with my sister in the first place.”
Kelly opened her mouth to attempt to answer him, but Gabe stepped between Ross and her. “It just happened. Kelly and I didn’t plan it, and I certainly wasn’t thinking of you.”
“You should have,” Ross warned, his voice a low growl.
“Maybe. Probably,” Gabe amended. “But I didn’t. If you’re going to blame anyone for this, blame me.”
“Oh, I will. And I’ll blame you for that, too.” Ross tipped his head to the bed in the guest room. “One mistake I might be able to forgive. Might. But clearly you came here to repeat it.”
Gabe shook his head. “I came here to talk with Kelly and see my daughter.”
Another head tip to the bedroom. “That wasn’t talking.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake. Quit snapping at each other,” she insisted.
Despite the warning glance that Gabe gave her to stay put, Kelly didn’t. She headed straight for Ross until she was practically toe-to-toe with him. She loved her brother dearly, but sometimes his pigheadedness got to her.
Still, that didn’t stop her from putting her arms around Ross and hugging him. “Welcome home.”
Every muscle in his body was iron stiff, and he kept his glare nailed to Gabe. “A hug isn’t going to fix this.”
“I didn’t expect it to, but I wanted to say that before I reminded you that I’m an adult, capable of making my own decisions. Gabe didn’t lure me into bed. In fact, this time it was the other way around. We landed there together, but I’m the one who started it.”
Ross had to get his teeth unclenched before he could speak. “You’re my kid sister—”
“And Gabe is your best friend,” she reminded him.
“He was,” Ross snapped.
Oh, that hurt. Not just Gabe, but Kelly, as well. Gabe and Ross had been best friends since preschool, and she hated that she had come between them like this. The question was—how did she undo the damage and stop Ross from riding roughshod over both Gabe and her?
Kelly didn’t have time even to think of a way to approach this because she heard Noel start to whimper. She thought Gabe might volunteer to get her, and he did look in that direction, but he motioned for her to get the baby.
“Don’t you two dare fight,” she warned them.
But the verbal fight started the moment she stepped out of the living room.
“Kelly wasn’t supposed to be one of your conquests,” Ross snarled.
“And she wasn’t.”
“Right,” Ross said with a massive amount of skepticism. “I know the way you operate, Gabe. I know you glide from one woman’s bed to the other, and you should have kept your hands—and the rest of your body parts—off Kelly.”
Kelly scooped up Noel, kissing her and hoping that would be enough to soothe the baby. Noel probably wasn’t hungry, but she wasn’t exactly used to having two men yell around her. And Kelly made sure the yelling stopped the moment she went back into the living room.
“Use your inside voices,” Kelly called out to them, hoping she sounded like a determined librarian who wasn’t going to let a shouting match upset her baby.
But it was Noel who actually staved off more yelling.
Ross froze when he locked eyes with the baby, and Noel, in true precious form, smiled at her uncle. No way could a man stay angry or yell after that.
Kelly hoped.
“Sweet heaven,” Ross mumbled. “She’s real. A real baby. I mean, I saw her on the film that Delbert sent me, but it’s different seeing her like this.”
“Of course, she’s real.” Kelly went closer when Noel reached out to the newcomer. However, the baby’s attention was quickly diverted when she spotted Gabe. Noel’s smile got even bigger, and she reached for him instead.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Gabe took her and brushed a kiss on her forehead. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
That renewed the anger in Ross’s eyes, and he looked on the verge of cursing. Instead, he turned away from them, apparently trying to gain control of his temper.
“You can’t believe you’d be a good father,” Ross challenged, the moment that he turned back around to face them. However, he didn’t wait for Gabe to answer. “And what about Kelly, huh? Now she’s got a baby to raise, thanks to you.”
“I’ll help her,” Gabe said, but he couldn’t continue because Ross cut him off.
“How the devil will you do that? You’ll either accept that instructor job at Lackland Air Force Base or you’ll go to another base. Either way, you won’t be here in Sugar Springs, and we both know Kelly’s not budging from this house.”
Gabe nodded. “Lackland’s less than an hour from here. I’ll take the job and can see Noel often. Maybe even commute.”
“But that’s not a job you want,” Kelly reminded him.
Gabe’s thumb landed against his chest. “Well, it’s one I want now.”
It was happening. Gabe was compromising a career he loved. However, she could see that he loved Noel, too.
“There’s no need for you to be assigned to Lackland,” Ross said like some kind of divine decree that only a Norse god or a big brother could have managed. “My commitment to the military is up, and I can refuse another assignment and get out. That way, I can be here and help Kelly raise my niece.”
That was one of the scenarios she’d dreamed of when she’d first learned she was pregnant. Her brother, home.
Safe.
No more combat. No more going months and months without seeing him. They could be a family again.
But there were also flaws with those scenarios.
For one, she hadn’t thought Gabe would even want to be in the picture. It was clear from his proposal and the ring that he wanted to be.
Or did he?
Despite what’d just happened in the guest room, there’d still been no mention of loving her, only his desire to be with Noel. Well, he could do that and still stay in the military.
If that’s what he wanted, that is.
But there was also another flaw with Ross’s plan to move back.
“There aren’t exactly a lot of jobs in Sugar Springs,” she reminded her brother.
“I can teach at the military academy over in Fredericksburg. I’ve already made a call, and if I want the job, I can start next month. As far as I’m concerned, this is a done deal.”
Both Gabe and Ross looked at her. No doubt waiting to see what she thought of that done deal. However, she didn’t get a chance to say anything because Ross pointed to the Christmas tree. Specifically to the present from Ross that Gabe had brought with him.
“Open it,” Ross insisted. “You’ll see that we can have the life you want. Right here at home.”
Not exactly a welcoming invitation, but Kelly couldn’t imagine what was in that little box that would smooth all of this over. Still, she went to the
tree, knelt down and, despite her trembling fingers, opened Ross’s gift.
It was a cream-colored business card with fancy lettering.
“Deidre McIntyre?” Kelly questioned.
“She’s a top-notch agent who represents illustrators. Her nephew’s a combat medic, and I met him on one of the rescues. We got to talking, and he called her for me. One thing led to another, and I emailed her some copies of your drawings, and she wants to talk to you. She believes she can get you work as an illustrator. You have an appointment with her right after the holidays.”
Kelly stood there and let that sink in. It was the stuff of dreams. Something she’d always desperately wanted, and here it was. Falling right into her lap.
And she could thank Ross for it.
The giddiness rushed right through her, and giggling, she launched herself into his arms. It was yet another piece of that perfect dream scenario. Her, in her family home. With Ross. With the perfect job.
And now with the perfect baby.
It just didn’t get any better than that.
Did it?
Well, it wasn’t immediately perfect because Gabe was still staring at her, and Noel started to fuss. Really fuss. It took only a few seconds to turn into a full-fledged cry. One that Kelly recognized. Noel was likely wet and needed a diaper change. Since that wasn’t a job that Gabe had perfected just yet, Kelly had to take the baby.
“Don’t yell at each other while I’m gone, and don’t continue this conversation without me,” she insisted.
Did they listen?
No.
When she carried Noel into the bedroom, she could hear Ross and Gabe talking. At least they weren’t yelling, though. They were speaking in hushed tones, and she couldn’t make out what they were saying. However, she could practically feel the emotion and the tension.
She prayed Ross wasn’t threatening to kill Gabe.
While she was praying, Kelly added another prayer. That there’d be a Christmas miracle and that Gabe and Ross would be as happy as she was right now.
“Mommy might be an illustrator,” she whispered to Noel. “And Uncle Ross is coming home for good.”
And even though there was no way the baby could know what that meant, Noel grinned a big gummy grin and kicked her arms and legs. It slowed down the diapering process a bit, but Kelly was glad that Noel shared her happiness in her own baby way.
Kelly was about to head back into the living room, but she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.
Mercy. A train wreck stared back at her.
Yes, it was vain, but if Ross, Gabe and she were about to have a good hashing out, then she didn’t want them to see her like this. She freshened up a bit, brushed her hair and put on a robe. Not exactly battle gear, but better than just the pj’s.
Pulling in a long breath, she scooped up Noel and went back into the living room.
No voices.
Because no one was talking.
However, Ross was standing by the window looking out.
Alone.
That set off plenty of alarms inside her.
“Where’s Gabe?” she asked, glancing into the guest room. No sign of him there, either.
“Gone,” Ross said, and he mumbled it so softly that it took a moment for it to sink in.
“Gone?” Gripping Noel in her arms, she hurried to the window, practically shouldering Ross aside.
The ice was melting, creating more of that hazy mist, and it took her a moment to spot him. Gabe was on Herman’s red rusted tractor, and he was headed up the road toward town.
“Gone,” Kelly repeated. “But why?”
Ross made a sound as if the answer was obvious. “Because he finally came to his senses and listened to the truth.”
“The truth?” Her throat was squeezing shut, and had someone clamped a meaty fist around her heart? “And what truth would that be?”
“That he can’t give you what you need,” Ross quickly provided. “I made him see that he’ll make you miserable if he stays, along with ruining any chance we have of salvaging what’s left of our friendship.”
Ross paused, added a firm nod. “Gabe said he’d call you after he’s had time to cool off so you two can work out visitation with Noel.”
Kelly could only shake her head. “Why?” she repeated because she didn’t know what else to say.
Ross slipped his arm around her waist, pulled her closer to him. “Gabe did what he does best—he left.”
CHAPTER NINE
THE TRACTOR BOBBLED over the ice-slick road, and Gabe had to fight to keep it out of the ditch. A tractor wasn’t his preferred mode of transportation, especially one that appeared to be on its last leg, but if he hadn’t gotten out of the house, he would have either punched Ross or exploded.
Either would have made this mess only worse.
You don’t deserve Kelly and Noel.
Ross’s words just kept echoing in his head. True words that Gabe couldn’t dismiss. He didn’t deserve them. Didn’t deserve a chance at marriage or fatherhood that he hadn’t earned. Besides, now that Ross was back and with plans to stay at their family home with Kelly, Gabe was just a third wheel.
Not exactly a welcome thought.
It was about as welcoming as the chilly look Kelly had given him after she realized she could have it all with her brother. Of course, that chill might have been partly shock. Gabe had to concede that, but she certainly hadn’t shouted out for him to stay.
Now he had to regroup and come at this from a different direction.
That started with his getting some kind of split custody for Noel. He wasn’t walking out on his baby, but he needed to clear his head and figure out the best way to do that. Hire a nanny, maybe. Accept the assignment to Lackland Air Force Base and possibly buy a house close to Sugar Springs. One way or another, he would be a big part of Noel’s life.
Even if he couldn’t be married to Kelly.
With her frosty looks and silence, Kelly had made it clear enough that Ross was right. That Gabe wasn’t father or husband material. That’s why she’d turned down his multiple proposals.
But then, why had she come to his bed?
Yeah, why?
That question pushed Ross’s condemning words right out of Gabe’s head, and some new ones replaced them. What if that trip to his bed had been Kelly’s way of sleeping on it? Maybe she was still trying to decide what to do.
Except now her fantasy life had come true.
An exciting new job prospect as an illustrator. Ross safe at the home she loved. A precious baby to raise.
Perfect.
Gabe couldn’t argue that in her mind it was indeed perfection, but he still brought the tractor to a stop.
Was it really perfect?
Instead of sulking over Ross’s dose of truth, Gabe doled out his own truth reminder. Even if Kelly had perfect, it was still Christmas Day, and by God, he not only was going to spend it with Noel, but he was going to get a direct answer to his proposal.
Even if that answer was a big, messy no.
Even if it put a permanent wedge between Ross and him.
Even if Ross punched him.
He turned the tractor around. It wasn’t easy, and he darn near went in the ditch again. That wouldn’t stop him, but Herman wouldn’t appreciate having his tractor muddied up that way.
Gabe put the pedal to the metal and cruised back to the house at what felt like turtle speed. The moment he brought the tractor to a stop, he barreled off and rushed back inside.
Ross was there, right where he’d left him at the door. But Kelly was there, too, and she was holding Noel in her arms.
“You left,” Kelly snapped, sounding as angry as Ross looked.
Gabe was certain that he looke
d a little confused. Kelly was clearly riled, and she had nothing to be riled about. Or so he’d thought.
“Yeah, I left,” Gabe admitted. “Because I needed to cool off and wasn’t thinking straight. But I’m back now.”
“You left,” Kelly repeated. “How could you?”
“Again, wasn’t thinking straight. Am now.”
That only seemed to fluster her even more. Well, his stupidity flustered him, too. Not Noel, though. She reached for him, and when Kelly didn’t hand her over, Gabe went closer and got a very sloppy kiss from his baby.
He couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present.
“You don’t deserve them,” Ross repeated.
“No. But I’ll do whatever it takes so I do deserve them. You can give Kelly this house. Your safety. Your help raising Noel. But I can give her that.” Gabe pointed to the present he’d gotten for her.
Shaking her head, Kelly volleyed glances between him and the gift, and she finally handed off Noel to him so she could go to the Christmas tree. Gabe got yet another kiss and the biggest smile in Texas from Noel.
Those Christmas presents just kept on coming. And the best part? He could get this every day of the year.
“Daddy loves you, sweet girl,” Gabe told his daughter.
Since he’d apparently captured Noel’s heart, and vice versa, he needed to try to work the same miracle with Kelly. He made a quick trip to the guest room and came back with the ring.
“That marriage proposal is still on the table,” Gabe continued while Kelly picked up the gift from beneath the tree. “I’ll commute to the base, or I can buy a house and move every stick of furniture, every knickknack from here to there. You’ll still have your home, but it’ll just be in a new house.”
“You proposed?” Ross asked.
Gabe nodded and braced himself for another reminder from Ross that he didn’t deserve what he was holding in his arms. Nobody deserved anything this good, but Gabe was plenty glad he had her.
“I even read your manual on diapering last night so I’d do a better job of it,” Gabe added. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
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