by Holly Rayner
“Duty calls,” Yvonne said, getting out of bed and dressing in a cozy red robe.
Per tradition at her mother’s house, they had decided to wear matching pajamas, and her whole little family was dressed in red and green. Zadid and Yvonne opened the door to the babies’ room, meeting three pairs of curious eyes as they walked in.
“Good morning, my little angels. You ready for your first Christmas?” Zadid whispered.
He picked up Kylo as Yvonne picked up Zayn and Amir, all three of them cooing happily to see their parents. Together, they made their way to the living room of their new, spacious penthouse apartment.
When Zadid and Yvonne had made their commitment to each other, he’d instantly insisted that they pick out a new apartment—one that could fit a family of five comfortably. There were two things the place needed: ample rooms for when the children got older, and a large, cozy fireplace.
Zadid set Kylo down on the carpet as he worked to get their Christmas morning fire roaring in the hearth. Yvonne prepared morning bottles for her boys and set to getting them fed.
Once the fire was going, Zadid joined his family, taking a bottle and a baby and helping with the feeding. Yvonne gazed at the Christmas tree, which was huge compared to the little one she’d had the previous year. Crowning it with all her glory was the crystal angel.
“You look like you’re ready for your Christmas presents,” Zadid said to Kylo.
The baby cooed at his father, and Zadid took that for an affirmative answer. Together, they all got on the floor, and Yvonne and Zadid helped their babies open boxes filled with toys and clothing from various family members. Then, they both opened their gifts from each other, meaningful presents that had them kissing while their babies wiggled in their arms.
“Another glorious Christmas morning,” Yvonne sighed, kissing each of her sons on the forehead.
“Our first all together! We had to make it a good one,” Zadid said with a twinkle in his eye.
Yvonne’s phone buzzed, and she checked the screen to see a text from Mackenzie. When she read it, she laughed.
“Mackenzie wishes us a merry Christmas, and thanks me for giving everyone the best gift of all—you, back at the helm.”
Zadid chuckled. “I have to say, John was more than willing to give me my share back. Turns out, he is more of a man of leisure, after all. I’m glad he figured that out before too many others had to deal with his management style.”
When Yvonne had shared with him some of the worse stories under John’s reign, his face had turned stony. He’d made quick work of reaching out to his old friend, patching up connections and putting out fires for the rest of the year, until suddenly, it was time for Yvonne to have the babies. Before they knew it, they were parents.
It had been one of the best years of Yvonne’s life, and there were only better ones to come.
“A cup of coffee and a hot shower for my lady?” Zadid asked. “We’ve got the whole crew coming in a few hours, and we’ll want to get our feast started. I don’t think they’d appreciate making the meal with us when we get distracted by old movies.”
Yvonne tossed a pillow at him, which he dodged easily with a laugh. “You get that coffee brewing, and I’ll get in the shower. Once I’m done, you’re next. We are going to do our absolute best to prove to everyone that we have it totally together with these three babies.”
“Mum’s the word on the truth, then,” he said with a grin, settling the babies into their chairs before heading toward the kitchen to start prepping for the afternoon.
By the time Yvonne’s shower was done, she could smell the tantalizing scent of fresh coffee, Zadid holding a cup out to her as she returned.
“Your turn,” she said.
He nodded, showing her the prep work he had already done before heading off to clean up. Yvonne stepped right in, always amazed at how well they worked together as a team. It was a good thing, too, because raising three babies at once was no small feat, and it certainly required solid teamwork.
Once everything was ready to cook, Yvonne and Zadid settled on their sofa to watch her favorite Christmas movie—that one she’d gotten lost in the previous year. As the movie came to an end, the doorbell rang.
“Is it time already?” she asked, jumping off the couch.
The babies had fallen asleep to the soundtrack of the film, and when she opened the door to Zadid’s parents, she glanced behind her to see if they had woken with the noise.
All three of them remained soundly asleep.
Yvonne had met Zadid’s parents once before, when they had flown out after the babies were born. She had been nervous when they’d met, knowing that she wasn’t their first choice for their son.
She needn’t have worried. They were the kindest people she had ever met, and they adored their grandsons, fussing and cooing over them like any other grandparents, in spite of the fact that they were royalty.
“It’s so good to see you!” Yvonne greeted, embracing them both.
They hugged her back, making a beeline for the babies straight after.
“Hello? Your cherished son is over here,” Zadid teased, and his mother waved a dismissive hand at him.
“We already got to experience you as a baby. Now, you’re grown up and boring. We want these little fellows!”
Zadid feigned offense as he headed back into the kitchen to check on the meal, which smelled more enticing every passing minute. Before Yvonne had a chance to close the door, both sides of her family appeared around the corner in the hallway.
“Yvonne!” her half-siblings all called out, rushing to her at once.
“Whoa! Merry Christmas, you guys!” she said, wrapping them all in a hug.
“Mom said if we’re super nice to you, we might have presents here,” Mya said, and Yvonne laughed.
“Go check under the tree, all of you. There may just be something fun for you to do while you’re here.”
They all squealed with excitement, rushing toward the tree as Yvonne greeted the adults at the party.
“Hi, everyone. Thank you all so much for coming.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” her father said, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he made his way inside.
The families had met once before, after the babies’ birth, and so Yvonne’s parents settled in nicely with Zadid’s as they all hovered around the sleeping infants.
“I miss when they were this small. Can we go back in time?” Cheryl asked, and Yvonne saw her half-brother stick his tongue out from across the room.
“You know you love us!” he shouted.
“Of course, honey,” Cheryl replied, her eyes bright with Christmas cheer.
The kids opened up a series of video game controllers before they finally opened up a just-released console.
“Awesome!” they cheered.
Zadid offered to set them up, and they bounced on the couch as they waited impatiently for the game to start so they could have something to play.
The oven dinged, and Yvonne pulled out a large turkey, mashed and sweet potatoes, and a pie from her double oven—one of her favorite things about their apartment. Her mother helped her set the long dining room table while Zadid’s parents snuggled and soothed the babies, who were waking up with all the noise around them.
They managed to pry the preteens from their game as everyone came together at the dinner table, Yvonne’s triplets propped up in little swings around the room. The whole dining room was filled with boisterous noise as everyone spoke at once, the conversation jovial as they filled their plates and enjoyed a sumptuous meal.
Several times during their feast, Yvonne caught Zadid’s eye, and they shared a secret smile, basking in the glow of familial love. As everyone ate, the turkey was carved of all its meat, and Yvonne’s father reached for and plucked the wishbone from the bird.
He stood, clearing his throat to get everyone’s attention. “I would like to give a big thanks to our host and hostess, who have prepared this amazing meal
and provided a place for us all to come together as one family. Zadid, we couldn’t be happier that Yvonne found you, and we are so happy to have you as one of our own.”
There was general murmur of agreement among the table before he continued his speech.
“Since you two are such great hosts, I’m offering you the wishbone, in the hopes that whatever you wish for comes true.”
He passed the bone over to Yvonne, with Zadid reaching across the table to hold the other side.
“Ready?” he asked, his eyes challenging.
She nodded. “You know how this is going to end.”
“I think I do,” he said, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
They counted to three and broke the bone, Yvonne winning yet again. Everyone at the table cheered, instantly demanding to know what her wish was.
“I’m not telling!” she said, blushing.
No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t get her wish out of her. Yvonne was laughing with her mother when the table grew silent, and she realized everyone was staring at her. Turning, she saw Zadid down on one knee.
“Yvonne,” he began, holding out a beautiful diamond ring. “Mother of my children, love of my life, light of my soul. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man on earth?”
Yvonne pressed her fingertips to her lips as she nodded. “Yes!” she cried, and the table erupted in cheers once again.
Zadid scooped her up in his arms and twirled her around, holding her close as their family all covered them with hugs and good wishes.
“I can’t believe it! This is the best Christmas ever!” Megan said, grabbing Yvonne’s hand and staring at the ring as the couple received congratulations from all sides.
After everyone got a look at the ring and began calling other family members to let them know the good news, Zadid and Yvonne slipped away, standing together beneath the Christmas tree. She rested her head against his shoulder as he cradled her in his arms.
Leaning in, he spoke quietly into her ear. “Out of curiosity, is that what you wished for?”
She leaned into him, enjoying to feel of his body against hers. “It was,” she admitted. “I finally have everything I have ever wished for.”
She could feel his smile as he pressed a cherishing kiss on the crown of her head. “I’ll be there for you and the babies, always. My life has changed for the better in so many ways since you entered it, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives making you happy.”
She tilted her head and gazed adoringly into his eyes. “Ditto,” she said, and they shared a laugh.
They were promises that both intended to keep for as long as they lived.
The End
The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby
Copyright 2020 by Holly Rayner
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.
All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.
Chapter 1
Gwen
It was two days before Christmas, and Gwen Carrington thought she was probably in the most beautiful place in all the world.
Of course, the beaches of the tiny island of Green Turtle Cay didn’t look anything like what came to mind when Gwen thought of Christmas. The resort where she was staying had decorated for the holiday, but you couldn’t decorate the beach. Lying on her rented chair and staring out at the waves as they lapped gently at the shore, she found it easy to forget that it was Christmas at all.
It was, if she was honest with herself, kind of a relief.
Growing up, she had never had any particular love for this holiday. She saw the way families rallied around one another at Christmastime. The way parents who rarely got along seemed to put their differences aside. The way siblings stopped squabbling and just enjoyed each other’s presence. The way rebellious kids, for one day, were willing to take part in their family’s activities.
In fact, Gwen thought she had probably seen more examples of that sort of thing than most people had. When you grew up in the foster care system, you got a pretty good idea of the things all families tended to have in common. And every family Gwen had ever been with at Christmastime had relaxed and loved a little more than usual until the season was over.
But whatever it was that had pulled those families together in that special, almost magical way for the holidays, it had never applied to Gwen.
She knew that, by and large, she had been lucky in her childhood. Once you reached a certain age, finding a permanent home through the foster care system was kind of a pipe dream. Gwen was a realist, so she had never been particularly disappointed when any of her placements turned out not to be permanent. She hadn’t allowed herself to get attached to any of her foster parents or siblings. She had known they were temporary fixtures in her life.
And for the most part, they had all been kind and welcoming. There had been the odd sibling who had resented her presence and had made no secret of it, and she’d had a few guardians who had started with the assumption that she must be a problem child and had treated her like a delinquent. But most of the time, she had felt welcomed into their homes.
But the homes had always been theirs. The families had always been theirs. And whenever she was with someone for the Christmas season, even when she had been invited to share in their traditions, she had felt like a guest. Like an outsider.
She had begun to realize that Christmas traditions were part of the family history and identity for most of the people she had lived with, as much a marker of their common self as a shared physical feature like red hair or green eyes. As much as they might try to let her in, she could never really be a part of something like that.
So Christmas had always been something Gwen had studied from the outside, feeling like an observer rather than a true participant. And nowadays, with no family to go to for the holiday, she had started her own tradition—taking a vacation to somewhere warm until the holiday was over.
She had sent Christmas cards to the foster parents who had meant the most to her throughout the years, the ones she still kept in touch with. But none of them were family. They felt like favorite teachers to her—influential figures in her life, people she had liked and admired. But when her time with them was done, she had no trouble moving on.
She stared out at the setting sun, digging her toes into the sand, past the overheated topmost layer to the cooler stuff below. It was her first trip to the Bahamas, and she was glad she had come.
Maybe I’ll make this the tradition every year, she thought idly. An island Christmas.
Not that it had been easy to afford. She’d saved all year long for the week she was spending at her all-inclusive resort. But it had been worth it.
What would she be doing if she was at home right now?
She knew her coworkers in the New Orleans Police Department were having a party tonight—their annual holiday party. Gwen had never attended, a fact that her partner, Finn, loved to give her a hard time about. Everyone comes to the holiday party! he would say.
Which was fine for Finn. She was sure he had a great time drinking and carousing with his fellow officers. But Gwen knew that if she were to go to the holiday party, she would have to spend time with her supervisor, Sergeant Kepler. And really, the less time spent in his company, the better.
It wasn’t that he was a terrible person, she thought as she raked her fingers through the sand. He was a good cop, but his views on women had stopped evolving some forty years ago. Gwen was one of few female officers in the NOPD, and the sergeant always treated her as if someone had done her a favor by allowing her to participate. As if she di
dn’t really belong.
Being treated like she didn’t quite belong was nothing new to Gwen, after her upbringing. But it wasn’t something she enjoyed.
Maybe I should just quit the force.
It was a thought that had been coming to her more and more lately. Gwen had always dreamed of working in law enforcement, but the longer she spent with the NOPD, the less rosy that picture became. It didn’t help that she worked primarily on domestic violence cases. Though it meant a lot to her to be able to help the victims in those situations, it was also emotionally exhausting to have to see so much cruelty exacted on vulnerable people, day in and day out.
She knew that short careers were common in her field. There were plenty of people who weren’t up for doing what she did long term. Maybe she would be one of them.
But what would I do with myself?
She would have to earn a living somehow. Maybe she would transfer into social work, a profession that had a lot more women. She would be less likely to find herself with a sexist boss there, probably. She would still be helping people, but she wouldn’t have to witness firsthand the depths of evil and depravity that criminals could sink to.
It was worth thinking about.
As a social worker, Gwen would also have more time to herself. More time to focus on her personal life. It was something she hadn’t really had time for in recent years. She kept putting off things like dating, telling herself that she would get around to them once her career was settled.
But now she was thirty-one years old, and she still hadn’t gotten around to it.
It’s definitely time for a change.
Gwen wanted to have a family someday. The older she got, the more she felt the sting of the fact that she had never really experienced belonging in that way. She wanted to get married. She wanted to have children.
If only I could just snap my fingers and have it be done. It was actually doing those things that was the challenging part. Putting herself out there. Meeting men. Going on dates that might turn out to be disappointing. Those things were hard. If she could have chosen to wake up tomorrow morning with it all sorted out for her, she would have done that.