Texas Baby
Page 17
"I'm proud of you," Giff was telling the boy when Addie walked over, having said goodbye to the last of her team parents. "I saw you working with Caleb over on the side earlier. I know he's not always the nicest kid in the world, but you reached out to him."
"He's my teammate," Tanner said self-importantly.
Giff laughed, then met Addie's gaze. "Well, sport, I think everything's done here. I should let you guys get home so you can jump in the tub. No offense, but you stink."
Tanner didn't appear to be listening. "Mr. Giff, Aunt Addie says we won't be seeing you much anymore."
"Well, I'll be busy with work," he hedged.
"You told me you weren't too busy for me," Tanner rebutted. "At the Astros game."
Addie sighed. Her nephew had a memory like an elephant.
"It's complicated," Giff said, shooting Addie questioning glances as if asking her how he should handle this.
"Is it my fault?" Tanner asked. "Because I don't like kissing?"
"What? No," Addie assured him. Antsy for something to do besides stare at Giff, she pulled Nicole out of her stroller to check the baby's diaper before they piled into the car.
"Because you two haven't kissed each other since we got here."
Giff squatted down, looking Tanner straight in the eye. "You want the truth, sport? I did something that wasn't very nice to your aunt, kind of like breaking a promise. And she doesn't want to kiss me anymore."
"Oh." Tanner's face fell. "Did you say you're sorry? People should apologize if they're mean."
"He said he was sorry," Addie affirmed, not wanting Giff to paint himself as too much the bad guy. She'd told him earlier that she wasn't sure she trusted him but when something good had happened, she'd automatically turned to him. More telling, when something bad had happened, he'd automatically been right beside her, holding her hand.
"Well, did you forgive him?" Tanner demanded. "That's what teammates should do."
Teammates. The term bemused her. Was that how Tanner saw them, not as a family, exactly—she didn't want him to think anyone was replacing his parents—but as a team: himself, her, Mr. Giff and baby Nicole? A team that pulled together to support each other and had fun together and sometimes suffered losses but ultimately prevailed.
"Do you think you could forgive me, Coach?" Giff's tone was hoarse. "I know I fumbled, and you have every right to bench me, but, before you make your final decision, I want you to know…I love you, Addie."
Tears sprang to her eyes. "I love you, too." The words welled up in her naturally, with no hesitation. Even though she was angry, her feelings hadn't changed. "And I forgive you."
At first Giff's face went blank, as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard but then he grabbed her, spinning her around with a shout of joy.
On the ground beside them, Tanner giggled. "Cover your eyes, Nicole, there's going to be more kissing."
Epilogue
"How was practice?" Addie Baker asked, as her husband walked into their spacious living room, holding Nicole in one arm and a soccer ball in the other. Through the floor-to-window ceiling behind him, the Texas sun was setting in fiery pink and orange streaks.
Giff's handsome face lit in the same smile of welcome he'd been giving her since the day she walked down the aisle to him. "Pretty good. Tanner's excited about being goalie on Saturday." He put down Nicole so that the toddler could scramble over to where Addie sat on the sectional sofa, gleefully shrieking, "Mama!"
Addie glanced past Giff in question. "So where is Tanner?"
"Kitchen. He said he was starving—even lifted up his shirt so I could see his protruding ribs."
She laughed. "Yeah, it's amazing he hasn't wasted away on what little we feed him."
"Enough about all of us, though. How are you?" Giff's green eyes filled with gentle concern. "Feeling any better? I was surprised when you called me today and asked me to take over practice. You've never missed one, Coach."
"I'm going to be fine." Happiness swelled in her, so full that tears threatened to squeeze out, as if her body simply couldn't hold in that much emotion. "Although I did call and make a doctor's appointment for tomorrow."
"You think it's that stomach bug going around the preschool?"
"Potty!" Nicole suddenly declared.
Giff scooped up their little girl, getting her to the nearest restroom in record speed. He returned soon after, shaking his head. "False alarm, but at least she's showing an interest. Mark my words, diapers will be out of our lives very soon."
Addie let out a peal of laughter. "Maybe not as soon as you think. You know how I keep trying to talk you into hiring Pepper to join us?" Last year, Addie had quit her job in favor of helping Giff expand his consulting business.
At the mention of Pepper, he made his usual face of affected horror.
"Come on," Addie scoffed, "she's not that bad. You just have to get to know her better. Besides, you might need her. You're going to be shorthanded when I go on maternity leave, Mr. Baker."
His eyes widened, then flew to her midsection as if he could somehow discern the new life blossoming there. She'd been suspicious for the past couple of days and had taken two tests while the rest of her family was at the soccer field. Getting the doctor's confirmation tomorrow was a formality. Then they could share the news with Grace, who was already a fantastic grandmother, and their closest friends.
"You're…We're…?"
She nodded, too choked up for words. Tears dripped freely down her cheeks. When she'd pulled herself together enough to speak again, she asked, "How do you feel about adding another player to the family roster?"
He cupped her face with his hands, leaning in for a soft kiss. "Go team."
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6628-9
TEXAS BABY
Copyright © 2010 by Tanya Michna.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.
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*4 Seasons in Mistletoe
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*4 Seasons in Mistletoe
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*4 Seasons in Mistletoe
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*4 Seasons in Mistletoe
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Table of Contents
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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
Epilogue
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