All I Want for Christmas: A Kinnison Legacy Holiday novella Page 5

  Wyatt stood. “Thanks for the coffee.” He looked at Rein and slapped his shoulder. “I’ll bring the team to the church on Thursday.”

  Rein nodded, and amiable handshakes followed.

  Liberty went back to the stove and allowed Rein time to mull over his thoughts. The strain of the bakery project deadline combined with sharing the duties of having a child in the house had taken their toll this week—on them and their lovemaking.

  “It sounds stupid, but do you think there is some reason Jed seems more interested in Wyatt and Dalton?”

  She stuck a pan of biscuits in the oven and turned, wiping her hands on a towel. “Baby, I don’t know that I believe this idea that Jed’s spirit is in this owl, or that he somehow spoke to Wyatt or Dalton. I never met him. What I know of him is what I’ve learned from the three of you, and what folks in town say about him. It seems that most people had a great respect for your uncle, and, more importantly, it seems to me that he loved the three of you a great deal.”

  He nodded. “What with the holidays and seeing that old Santa suit, and hearing about Jed’s sage advice through some means I don’t even understand…” he trailed off, sounding pensive, then shrugged. “I guess it made me realize that he was forced to take me in. He was the only family I had. You know, maybe having three boys to raise was too hard for him.”

  Liberty held up her hand. “Okay, you can stop there.” This was not the behavior of her otherwise confident and too-often cocky husband. “Don’t you dare say such things. You ask anyone in town and they’ll tell you how he felt about you three boys. Good Lord, hasn’t Betty sung the praises of you three enough times?” She leaned on the island and looked across the counter at him. “Don’t you see? He had no children of his own. You three—you are his legacy.”

  “Daddy?” Cody called from the top of the stairs.

  Rein pushed away his coffee cup and stood. “I’ll go see to Cody. How long is supper going to be?”

  “Another thirty-forty minutes.” As she finished making supper, she wondered what Jed would have thought of her. Would he have been supportive of the fact that the daughter of his ex-wife, the woman who’d abandoned Wyatt and Dalton to Jed’s care had gone and married Rein, his one and only relative by blood?

  She looked out the kitchen window, startled by the streak of white flying through the twilight sky. She knew it was that damn owl. “So, talk to him already. What’s it going to take?”

  ***

  “Woo-hoo!”

  The sound of Emilee cheering as she stood jostled Liberty back to the present. The short rasp of the End of the Line fire truck signaled the beginning of the parade.

  For the next hour she watched as Dalton and Wyatt helped the kids collect the candy thrown to the curb and handed out by people dressed as elves and candy canes.

  Cody clapped and giggled, delighted by the colored lights and holiday music blasting from the various homemade floats.

  But nothing stirred her heart more than when Emilee pointed down the street and cried,” It’s Santa!”

  Cody wiggled from her lap, and she followed him to the curb. He looked up, raising his arms, his smile unstoppable. Lifting him up, she watched the excitement of the crowd as they welcomed the horse-drawn sleigh. They’d had to add substantial padding around Rein’s midsection, but he looked every bit the part with his white beard and black Stetson. He waved at the crowd, taking special notice of the children as he bellowed a deep “ho-ho-ho.” Tears pricked at the back of Liberty’s eyes and she glanced up, having only skated on the fringe of faith her entire life, and said a silent prayer that if any man deserved to be a father, it was this one.

  “It’s Santa!” Cody squealed, clapping his hands with glee.

  “That’s right, Cody.”

  His little hands clamped her face as he looked at her with eyes wide in wonderment. “He looked right at me and waved.”

  “I saw that, sweetie. He looked right at you. He must think you’re a very good little boy.” She hugged him.

  He pushed back in her arms and studied her with a frown. “Will he know if I’m not at Miss Ellie’s?”

  “Santa knows everything, sweetheart. Of course he’ll know where to find you.”

  Satisfied with her answer, he hugged her neck.

  ***

  “Careful, don’t get soap near his eyes.”

  Rein glanced up as Liberty placed a warm towel within his reach.

  “Why is everything so wet? Let’s try to keep it in the tub, gentlemen.”

  He picked up the shampoo bottle and squinted at the tiny print. “Nate said this one didn’t sting eyes.” From the corner of his eye, he noticed Cody taking aim with the plastic water pistol he’d also picked up at the drugstore.

  “You two have been up here for over an hour. I’m surprised he isn’t wrinkled as a prune.” She turned to leave as Cody fired. Rein ducked to one side and he felt a drip of water whizz past his ear. He watched in amazement as it stuck Liberty square in the back.

  “Oh, buddy, you’re in trouble now,” Rein cautioned quietly as he filled up the second water pistol he had concealed beneath the sudsy water.

  Cody’s laughter echoed through the bathroom as Liberty turned slowly and fisted her hands on her hips. Rein gave her credit for trying to look angry, but he’d seen that glint in her eye before.

  “You two are dangerous.” She laughed as Cody squirted the side of Rein’s face.

  He glanced at the boy and smiled. It was a guy thing. “One, two--”

  “Rein Mackenzie!” Liberty issued a stern warning.

  He grabbed her ankle and held her in place as he unloaded the water pistol on her. Cody joined in, his laughter lightening the earlier heaviness in Rein’s heart.

  “You rats!” Liberty screamed. “Two against one isn’t fair.” She struggled, twisting to get to the sink, where she dumped a towel under the water. After soaking it, she slapped it down over Rein’s head, much to Cody’s unmitigated joy. “Playtime is over, cowboy,” she said through her laughter.

  He pulled the sodden towel off his head and checked the front of his T-shirt, which was pretty much a lost cause. “Okay, buddy, she’s right. It’s been a long day and it’s time for bed.”

  Since his arrival Cody had spent nearly every moment with Rein or Liberty. He’d gone with Rein on errands. He’d met Nate at the drugstore where he’d had his first Green River at the soda fountain. They’d gone to the Git and Go where they’d shared a cherry slushy. They’d even been able to squeeze in a matinee at the movie theater. All firsts for Cody, it seemed, and for Rein a joy he hadn’t experienced in years.

  The sullen little boy who’d at first seemed quiet and shy had blossomed into a happy little boy under their care.

  Tomorrow would be their first Sunday supper with the family, what with it being postponed the last couple of weeks due to work, illness, and the like. Though Cody had been around members of his family, this was another first—everyone at once. Rein hoped that his family would accept Cody as one of their own.

  After reading the book about the magical dragon who’d befriended a little boy at least three times through, Cody had finally fallen asleep.

  Rein watched him sleep. There was so much he should be thankful for, but he feared losing the people he loved. His Parents. Jed. Their unborn son. And one day, Cody. Hearing the sound of water splashing in the master bath, he smiled. He had Liberty. He had his health. She had hers.

  He leaned against the master bathroom door, smiling at his beautiful wife soaking up to her neck in a tub of bubbles. “Hey, thanks for being a good sport about those water pistols. Impulse buys.”

  She returned his smile. “You’re getting used to this dad thing, aren’t you?”

  He shrugged and sat down on the edge of the tub, letting his hand drift lazily through the sudsy water. “I guess so. You going to tell me that the ‘mom’ thing doesn’t get to you just a little bit?” His fingertips brushed her knee. He loved when she sighed at his touch.


  “He’s only been here less than a month and already he’s set up a permanent spot in my heart.” She glanced at him, those eyes he adored shimmering with concern. “What am I going to do when he has to leave?”

  “Whoa, slow down, sweetheart.” He patted her knee. “One day at a time, okay? Think of it as a training ground.”

  “Is that how you do it?” She tossed him a curious look.

  “Do what?”

  “Manage not to get emotionally tangled up in all of this.”

  He smiled. “I don’t know if that’s true.” He stood to empty his pockets before peeling off his clothes and easing into the frothy bubbles. “I nailed it with this oversized tub, didn’t I?”

  “You’re invading my space,” Liberty stated with an arch of her brow.

  “Oh, sweetheart, I haven’t even begun my invasion of your space,” he said, running his hands up the sides of her calves. “I don’t believe I’ve formally tested the sturdiness of that two-sink vanity you had to have.”

  Liberty leaned forward and cupped his face with her wet hands. “Why do you think I was so insistent?” She brushed her lips to his with a smile, then met his mouth in a fiery kiss that led to yet another water mess to clean up.

  Sometime later, after the structural validity of the vanity had been fully tested, they lay together in the dark, listening to the radio. Rein figured that Thomas Rhett had it right when he sang about being able to die a happy man. If this woman was to be his family, he’d gladly live with that. He hummed softly to the tune, languid in his thoughts, glad to be alive, here and with Liberty.

  Her fingers traced concentric circles on his stomach, as always awakening his desire. “Did that bubble bath help to relax you, darlin’?”

  She made a soft sound of approval. “Among other things,” she said, sliding her leg against his.

  The north wind outside howled through the tall pines beyond the clearing of their yard. Another Christmas was upon them and with all the chaos of getting the bakery done and Cody’s arrival, he hadn’t yet had time to go shopping for her. “You know; Christmas is coming up. I happen to have an in with the guy in the red suit. You thought about what you’d like to ask for?”

  He drew her close, letting his hand rest on her hip. They’d grown accustomed to wearing pajamas in bed now to guard against being caught unawares. Still, the long gown she wore teased his mind knowing she wore no panties beneath. Rein turned to breathe in the scent of her hair, his hand caressing her hip.

  “Have you thought about what you want?” she asked, tapping his chest with her finger.

  The song he’d heard earlier—the one that rang so true in his heart—played in his head, even though the radio had moved on to a new tune. “Sweetheart.” He kissed the top of her head. “I have everything I need, right here.” He kissed the top of her head.

  “So, I should take back the Rolex?” she teased. Her cheek flexed against his chest with her grin.

  “Yeah, and you can cancel that trip to Paris while you’re at it.” He shifted to his side, holding her gaze as he ran his fingers down her cheek. “Honestly, Liberty, what more do I need? To hell with need. What more could I possibly want than what I already have?”

  She pressed his hand to her cheek and kissed his palm.

  Guilt for how he’d behaved the other day in front of his brothers surfaced, nudging his conscience. He’d said things in front of Liberty while wrapped up in his pity-party about not having a linage, and he’d been blind to how it might have sounded to his wife. “Baby, I’m sorry for how I behaved the other day with Wyatt and Dalton. I was feeling sorry for myself and I wasn’t thinking about you—us—and everything we have together.”

  Liberty silenced him with her finger to his lips. “It has been a stressful time, Rein, and if trying to have a child right now is adding to that stress, we can wait.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “Listen, I want a child as much as you and I don’t mind being determined about getting there.” He grinned. “But I want you to understand, if—and I mean if—there is some unknown reason that we don’t have kids of our own, I’d like to adopt. Maybe five or six.”

  She sat up and looked at him. “Five or six?”

  “Too many?”

  She smiled. “I can’t recall that we’ve even discussed numbers. We’ve been so busy just trying to have one.”

  He stroked her bare arm. “I guess what you said made a lot of sense. Look at Wyatt, Dalton, and me. We were raised by a single rancher. No mother figure, unless you count Betty’s watchful eye. And I think we turned out okay.” He pulled her down into his arms. “Besides, how lucky could a kid get to have a mom like you?”

  She rested her forehead against his chest, then looking up, searched his eyes. “But you do think we should keep trying, right?”

  “Good Lord, woman, there isn’t any place I’d rather be than here with you—day and night.” He held her face. “All I’m saying is that whatever happens—whether we have ten kids of our own or adopt that many—or whether we’d decide it’s just going to be you and me out here. Either way, I’m a happy man.”

  “Just when I think I can’t love you more,” she said, “you raise the bar.”

  Her lips found his and he locked his arm around her waist, the other sneaking beneath her gown, finding the warmth of where she straddled him.

  She reached between their bodies and eased her hand into his boxer shorts.

  “What are you doing there, darlin?” he asked, grabbing the headboard with both hands as he watched her bunch her gown around her hips. She freed him from the confines of the Ninja Turtle boxers he’d found that matched a pair for Cody. Incentive to get potty-trained, he’d explained to Liberty.

  “What was it Doc told us? Patience and—” She took him in fully, bracing her hands on his chest.

  “Dee-termination,” Rein said with a groan of pure pleasure. He lifted his hips, pushing deep. “Oh, yeah, I like your determination, darlin’.”

  “Then you can tell Santa…” she said, moving her body with his.

  Holding onto her thighs, trying to keep up nearly made Rein’s eyes cross.

  “That all I want for Christmas is…” A gasp tore from her throat.

  There was something different about this time. He felt it as he rose, pushing deep, giving her everything—his heart, his body, his future.

  “Is you, sweetheart,” she sighed. “Just you.”

  Chapter Four

  Per the judge’s orders, Cody had gone every Friday afternoon with Miss Ellie to visit his mother for a few hours. Each time had proved to be more difficult in terms of his behavior when he returned to them. It was as though his demeanor had changed. Sullen, quick-tempered, aggressive—he usually took a nap, preferring to be alone until he was ready to be social. Liberty had brought it up to Ellie when she met them at the diner that Friday. “I know you said to expect some changes, but it seems to be getting worse,” Liberty said to Ellie after buckling Cody into his car seat. “Is there any reason why? Something we should be more aware of?”

  Ellie glanced at the car and sighed. “His mother made him a promise that she’d be out before Christmas and that they would spend it together. Today, however, she seemed preoccupied. She seemed hypercritical of Cody—his hair, his clothes, how he spoke to her, and then would tell him how much she missed him. Mixed messages.”

  “We’ve been trying to teach him to use his manners. We’re not trying to overstep anything.”

  Ellie patted her arm. “I doubt that teaching a child a few manners is going to harm anyone.” She shrugged. “As long as they are basic manners that anyone would teach, I think you should go ahead, just as you’re doing.”

  “Sunday is a family dinner over at Wyatt and Aimee’s. Do you think it’s too much to force him to be social?”

  “You can see,” she replied. “But honestly, I think he needs family. Children tend to respond favorably when they’re welcomed into an environment of love and acceptance.�
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  Liberty nodded. “Taking my cues from you, Ellie,” she said, accepting Cody’s backpack.

  “There is something you need to know. Rowena’s lawyer is trying to get enough collected to post her bail before Christmas. And, I’ve heard something about a plea bargain. If that should happen, there’s a good chance she’ll get Cody back.” Ellie stated. “That said—I’ve made the offer that she and Cody are welcome to live at the house, with the caveat that she get a job and keep her nose clean.”

  Liberty realized for the first time the weight that Ellie placed on her own shoulders when it came to caring for and helping these displaced families.

  “It’s a gamble,” she said, “but I’d rather have her living in the house so my staff and I can keep an eye on Cody.

  Not thrilled by the news, Liberty headed home, knowing Rein would be even less enthralled. When he arrived home that evening after helping Nate with some renovations at the pharmacy, Cody was still in his room.

  Rein dropped his tool belt over the hook by the back door. He gave her a kiss and glanced in the family room. “Where’s Cody?” He narrowed his gaze. “Did he come back the same as before?”

  Liberty nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid so, but there’s more. It seems Rowena’s lawyer is trying to strike a deal to get her three-month sentence reduced and post bail before the holidays. She’s claiming she was a victim, that she didn’t realize she was meeting up with a drug dealer, claiming that she thought it was a job interview her friend had set up for her.”

  Rein frowned. “Christmas is just a few days away.”

  “I know. His mom apparently implied strongly to Cody that they’d spend Christmas together. She made it sound like a done deal.”

  Rein leaned back against the counter and listened. His eyes focused on his boots.

  “Has he been in his room since you brought him home?”

  “He took a short nap,” Liberty said. “When I checked on him a bit ago, he was sitting on the floor playing with the farm set.”