Pet for Christmas
Page 16
“Hmm …” Tyler scowls and scratches his chin. “I’m not sure I got the right one then.”
I glare at him, flabbergasted while Santa’s belly is jiggling, and he’s trying hard not to laugh.
“Looks like it’s never too late.” Tyler sticks his hand into his pocket.
What the heck? How’s he going to pull a sperm cell out of his pocket?
Instead, he takes out a flat green box and opens it. “Bree, how about this? A black and white one with a golden tail?”
“You sure that’s not a boy sperm?” Bree lifts a necklace out of the box. It is a slice of a geode crystal, black with white swirls hanging on a golden chain.
“Definitely not a boy sperm,” Tyler confirms. “See how pretty it is?”
The geode crystal sparkles in the sunlight streaming through the window, and my sister, Ella, sighs. “It’s so beautiful. Bree, it’s the perfect sperm for you. See the golden chain? Just like your hair. And the stone’s like the full moon on the night you were born.”
Thank you, Ella. I smile at her as Bree claps her hands and says to Tyler, “Give it to Mama now.”
Grinning like the rogue who stole my heart, Tyler loops the necklace over my head and cups my face. His sky blue eyes shine over me as he says, “Kelly Kennedy. I love you more than the sun, moon, and the stars. And I love Bree, my real daughter. I’m giving you my heart, my soul, and my body. I’ll be yours, always.”
“I’m yours, too, Tyler Manning. Merry Christmas. I love you, babe, and I’m here to fill your world with yeses.”
He joins his lips to mine and seals our promises with a deep kiss.
“Yay! I got my real papa, my real mama, my real nana, my real auntie, my real little brother, and my real puppy,” Bree says. “God bless us, every one.”
~ THE END ~
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Acknowledgments
My sincere gratitude goes to all of the readers of A Father for Christmas who bought, enjoyed, and reviewed Bree, Kelly, and Tyler’s story. Your reception of Tyler and his problems with PTSD, as well as Kelly and Bree, inspired me to write A Pet for Christmas.
Many thanks to my awesome group of beta readers who gave me their feedback and support to make this story the best that it can be.
A heartfelt thanks to: Barbara Tobey, Tina Peterson, Terri Merkel, Reggaewoman, Lyssa Layne, Rachel Williams, Rebecca Austin, Sifa Edwards, Patricia Shepard, Brenda Pratt, Dana Anderson, Jessica Cassidy, and Chantel Rhondeau.
Thanks also to Kimberly Dawn, my awesome proofreader, for making time and doing the final polish.
Christmas Cheer and Lovebirds in the Air …
Melisa Hart has a soft spot for her brother Connor’s ex-best buddy, Rob Reed. Unfortunately, Rob slept with Connor’s girlfriend and is no longer welcome with any of the Harts.
Melisa lends her pet lovebird for a Christmas Toy Drive, but a mix up brings her face to face with Rob and his lovebird. When her bird is mixed up with Rob’s, Melisa is drawn into a whirlwind romance with him and discovers he hasn’t told her the entire story.
Can two little lovebirds and Christmas cheer open Melisa’s heart to giving Rob another chance?
Christmas Lovebirds Excerpt - Chapter One
Excerpt Copyright © 2015, Rachelle Ayala
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“Come here cutie pie, step up.” Melisa Hart stuck her finger into the birdcage for her lovebird, Cassie. “That’s a good girl.”
Her entire class of kindergarteners held themselves still in barely suppressed excitement.
“Can I hold her?” her most talkative student, Bree, squealed.
“May I hold her, and not right now.” Melisa brought her bird’s beak to her lips and let Cassie take a nibble, which was her version of a kiss.
“Eweee!” Mattie, the tallest boy in the class, shouted, pointing. “She kissed the bird on the lips.”
“Beak,” Bree corrected Mattie. “Birds don’t have lips.”
“Oh yeah?” Mattie retorted. “How do you know? Bird Brain Bree.”
Melisa stuck Cassie on her shoulder and put her hands over her hips. “Class. What did I say about teasing? Is it nice or mean?”
“Mean,” the children shouted in unison, startling Cassie whose wings flapped briefly.
“Inside voices,” Melisa reminded the children. “Cassie gets scared easily.”
“Will she fly?” Mattie asked.
“Of course she can fly.” Bree turned her nose up at the taller boy. “Everyone knows birds can fly.”
“Actually, she has her wings clipped to keep her safe.” Melisa tickled Cassie under her wing and said, “Scratchy.”
The little bird lifted her wing and spread out the feathers.
“You’re stupid.” Mattie stuck his tongue at Bree.
“That’s enough,” Melisa said. “Mattie, go back to your sharing chair. Bree, you too. Talking out of turn. The rest of you will get to line up and hold Cassie.”
“But I wasn’t being mean,” Bree said.
“You were belittling Mattie and talking without raising your hand. Go.”
She stomped back to her chair, her blond curls bouncing. “My Papa’s getting me a big bird for Christmas.”
“You too, Mattie.” Melisa pointed toward the boy’s chair.
“Screech,” Mattie shrieked and flapped his arms at Cassie.
The bird squeaked and flapped her stubby wings. She lifted straight up like a helicopter, hit her head on the ceiling and landed on the top of a row of hanging overhead lights.
The rest of the class jumped up and down, pointing and yelling.
“He can fly.”
“Come here, little birdie.”
“Is she stuck up there? Is a fireman going to get her?”
“Oh look, she’s scared.”
“Everyone, take your chairs,” Melisa said as calmly as she could. “Sharing time is over.”
“Ahhh …” the children complained.
Melisa glanced at the wall clock. Ten more minutes until Christmas break. As much as she loved her students, their energy and excitement with Christmas drawing near meant they couldn’t sit still or follow directions.
She passed out the green candy Christmas trees she made by drizzling melted candy over straight pretzel sticks, along with a flyer about the Giving Tree Toy Drive at the Reed Christmas Tree Farm. Bring a wrapped toy and take a picture with a pet bird, ride in a firetruck, and other fun activities.
When the bell rang, Melisa stood at the door and wished all the children a happy vacation and New Year. She kept one eye peeled for Cassie, in case she made a break for the open doorway, but the little bird seemed content to perch high above her and preen her colorful feathers.
“Bye, Miss Hart,” Bree waved her candy Christmas tree. “I want to take a picture with Cassie. How are you getting her down?”
“The janitor has a ladder.”
“My Papa’s coming home.” Bree nodded. “I prayed real hard.”
“He will, sweetie.” Melisa caught the eye of Ella, Bree’s aunt, and reassured. “I’m also praying for him.”
Bree’s father was a war veteran who’d gone back to Afghanistan for a humanitarian trip. He’d been taken hostage by terrorists, but the news reported that he was safe and had been airlifted to Germany to be debriefed, and hopefully able to return by Christmas.
“Are you going to the Christmas Tree Farm tomorrow with Cassie?” Ella took the green pamphlet from Bree and helped her unwrap the Christmas tree candy.
“If I can get her down from the light.” Melisa pointed to her bird. “How about
you?”
“Bree, do you want to go to the toy drive?” Ella ruffled Bree’s head.
“Yes, I want to hold Ms. Hart’s birdie and take a picture. But we have to bring a toy.”
“Then let’s go to the toy store and pick one up,” Ella said, winking at Melisa. “Maybe we’ll see your teacher there tomorrow.”
“Sure thing.” Melisa said to her friend from UC Berkeley where they’d taken student teaching classes together. “Let’s have coffee some time and catch up now that school’s over.”
“Sure thing. I’ll text you,” Ella said as she took Bree’s hand.
Once all the students were gone, Melisa shut the door and called Larry, the custodian. After she got Cassie down, she’d have to get her wings trimmed again, despite what the guys on the bird forum argued.
Clipping was for Cassie’s safety. She’d heard too many stories of birds flying away, landing in frying pans, or crashing into windows to be persuaded by the free-flight people, especially that arrogant guy with the handle Lovebone who claimed his parrot regularly flew outdoors and hadn’t gotten lost yet.
These days, anyone could say anything on the internet without proof.
Melisa climbed onto a table and held her finger, waving it up and down as a landing strip. “Come on, Cassie. Don’t be afraid. Fly to me, baby. Come on.”
The bird bent low and arched her wings, shaking and considering, but unable to figure out a way down. She’d been so frightened by Mattie that instinct took over, but now that she was calm, she couldn’t bring herself to try.
Melisa turned on her cell phone to check her messages. Maybe she’d ask Lovebone how he got his bird to fly to him.
# # #
Dr. Rob Reed was running late. He hated evening shifts, and these days, they were getting slammed, especially with the increased ambulance traffic due to all the holiday parties and their drinking and carousing activities.
He whistled for his bird, Casey, a lovebird he rescued from his irresponsible actor brother who was the king of the impulse buy. The little bird flew skillfully, hovering a second before landing on his outstretched finger.
“Good boy,” Rob said, handing him a sunflower seed. He tucked the bird inside his cage. “Papa has to go to work. Sorry I have to cover you early tonight.”
Rob was an emergency room doctor working shifts that jumped around without rhyme or reason. He’d go from twelve-hour overnight shifts, to sixteen-hour six AM to ten PM shifts, to ambulance rides. But it was the evening shifts that relegated his dating life to a big fat zero.
Not that he could complain. He was making good money for a young doctor fresh out of residency, and this year, he’d purchased a cabin in the mountains near Lake Tahoe. Not bad for a twenty-nine-year-old.
San Francisco General was the only level-one trauma center for the entire City of San Francisco and northern San Mateo county. Once Rob was on the job, he was on. No time for phone calls, internet, chit-chat, or even catching a bite to eat.
After packing his food in thermal packs, he checked the free flight parrot forum where he was the moderator.
There was a message from HaveAHart, a kindergarten teacher who was a newbie bird mama.
My little bird had a fright in the classroom and she’s perched on the overhead light bar. She seems to be trying to fly to me, bending low and lifting her wings, but she’s not taking off. What do I do?
He dashed a reply.
Call a fireman. It’s easier for a bird who doesn’t know how to fly to go up, but it’s scary to come down. Your bird doesn’t have the confidence to fly, so to her, it’s like jumping off a cliff.
He shut his laptop. There really was nothing he could do. Why did these people never listen until they were in trouble? Clipping wings was like chopping a man’s legs off. Rob was sorry he was so grouchy, but he’d bet her bird had other problems too, probably feather-picking, incessant screaming, and other pathological behavior that came from not being able to do what came naturally—fly.
[End of Excerpt. To read further, pre-order Christmas Pets & Kisses: 16 Sweet Christmas Romances Boxed Set from your favorite online retailer.]
About the Author
Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling author of dramatic romantic suspense and humor-laden contemporary romance. Her heroines are feisty, her heroes hot. Needless to say, she's very happy with her job.
Check out her blog at http://www.rachelleayala.com/ and website at http://rachelleayala.me
For more books, look at her Reader’s Guide: http://rachelleayala.me/reading-guide/
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Also by Rachelle Ayala
Michal’s Window
Sports Romances
Played by Love (Soccer)
Playing the Rookie (Baseball)
Roaring Hot! (Motorcycle Racing)
Playing Without Rules (Baseball)
Intercepted by Love (Football)
The Remingtons: Leap, Laugh, Love (Surfing)
Christmas Novellas
A Father for Christmas
Christmas Flirt
Christmas Stray
A Pet for Christmas
Christmas Lovebirds
Santa’s Pet
Sánchez Sisters
Taming Romeo
Claiming Carlos
Jewells in Love
Whole Latte Love
Chance for Love
Broken Build
Hidden Under Her Heart
Knowing Vera
Non-Fiction
Romance In A Month
366 Ways to Know Your Character
Your Daily Bible Verse