A Good Man Walks In

by Ginna Gray

  All the way to church, Erin and the others razzed Joe, and he bantered back good-naturedly. Settled in the back of the van, Rebecca listened to it all with a smile on her face, and thought, not for the first time, how lucky she was to be included in this warm family.

  Returning to her father's house had been out of the question after their argument on Rincon. In his typical ruthless fashion, he had wasted no time in cutting ties with her. Rebecca returned to Crockett to find the big house with a "For Sale" sign on the front lawn.

  At first, when Erin and Elise had suggested that Rebecca move in with their parents, she had been reluctant, but they had brushed aside all her reservations.

  "Don't be silly. Mom and Dad would love to have you," Erin had declared breezily. "Since David and Elise and I left home, they've just been rattling around in that big old house."

  "That's right," Elise had concurred. "There's nothing Mom and Dad love more than having someone to see after. I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms.''

  Reluctantly, Rebecca had agreed to let them broach the subject to their parents. She hadn't much choice, since she hadn't known how she was going to manage otherwise. She could not afford a place of her own on a part-time teacher's pay.

  Erin and Elise's predictions had been right on target. The minute Dorothy and Joe learned of her predicament they had insisted that Rebecca stay with them.

  It was, Rebecca reflected, the best move she had ever made. The twins' parents treated her as though she were a third daughter, showering her with love and attention, encouraging her, worrying over her, scolding her when they thought she needed it.

  Smiling to herself, Rebecca recalled the gruff lecture Joe had given her when he'd discovered that the spare tire on the old secondhand clunker she'd bought was not only flat, but bald as a cue ball. He had driven her straight to the auto supply store and purchased a new one for her.

  Rebecca sighed. The only disadvantage to living with the couple was that it made her dread the thought of moving out into a place Of her own next fall, if she should manage to secure a fulltime teaching position.

  They arrived at church with plenty of time to spare, and Joe ushered his family into one of the two empty pews near the front, which, for almost forty years, had been unofficially reserved for the Blaines and McCalls. In the shuffle for position, Rebecca somehow ended up on the end next to Abigail, with the aisle seat on her right, which Joe usually occupied, vacant. They had barely taken their seats, when the McCall family arrived and began filing into the pew behind them.

  The peace of the sanctuary settled over Rebecca. Her senses, absorbed the soft organ music, the winter sunshine seeping through the stained glass windows, the smell of flowers and candles and evergreen boughs. Her gaze was drawn to the bright spots of color provided by the poinsettias scattered all around, to the manger scene set up on-one side of the altar, and she smiled.

  The parishioners filing in murmured hushed greetings and brought with them the scents of perfume and winter woolens and the cold freshness of outdoors. Gertrude Paterson stumped down the aisle, trailing the combined scents of mothballs and lavender, her ancient pillbox hat perched atop white corkscrew curls, its stiff veil hooked under the end of her nose.

  Talking quietly to Abigail, Rebecca was only vaguely aware of a man slipping into the seat beside her as the organist played the flourish that signaled the start of service and the first hymn. The choir and the congregation rose as one, but when Rebecca reached for a hymnal, a dark-suited arm extended in front of her, an open songbook clasped in the masculine hand extending from the snowy white cuff.

  "Here, sweetheart, we'll share."

  Rebecca gasped and jumped, shock jolting through her like a zap from a lightning bolt at the sound of that familiar deep voice in her ear. Her head whipped around, and her eyes grew huge.

  "Travis! Wha-?"

  All around them voices raised in song, drowning out her words. Travis, his gray eyes twinkling, gave her a devilish smile before turning his attention to tbe altar and adding his rich baritone to tbe throng of voices.

  Rebecca's heart boomed and her head whirled. Mouth open, she-stared up at his profile for a full half minute before gaining the presence of mind to fix her gaze on the hymnal.

  The notes and words ran together in a blur before her eyes. Her lips moved in sync with the other singers, forming the lyrics automatically, but her voice emerged in a quavering whisper.

  She stared blindly at the open songbook, trembling in side. Travis. Here. Why hadn't anyone mentioned he was coming home for Christmas?

  Somehow she got through the song. Moving like an automaton, she took her seat along with the rest of the congregation. She sat ramrod straight on the padded bench seat and stared straight ahead, her hands folded atop her purse in her lap, her chest so tight she could barely breathe.

  Of course, she had known that she was bound to see him again someday, especially living as she was with his aunt and uncle. Crockett was Travis's hometown as well as hers. Most of his family lived there, and many of his old friends.

  She had expected to see him at Thanksgiving, had braced for it, but when she had cautiously inquired of his mother when he would be arriving, Maggie had told her that he was on an important assignment and would not be home for the holiday. When no mention had been made of him coming home for Christmas, she had assumed that he was still unable to get away.

  Rebecca peeked at Travis out of the corner of her eye. Shock gave way to amazement as, one by one, the changes in his appearance began to register. He wore a beautifully tailored dark gray suit, teamed with a crisp white shirt and a paisley print silk tie in maroon, silver and gray. He was clean shaven, and the dagger earring was gone. Most amazing of all, he'd cut his long lion's mane of silvery blond hair to a stylishly short length that fell just shy of being conservative.

  She swallowed hard. He looked breathtakingly handsome... and so very dear she ached to throw her arms around him and never let go.

  Travis turned his bead and caught her staring at him. The corners of his mouth turned upward, and he lowered one eyelid in an outrageous wink. Rebecca jerked her gaze away from those twinkling eyes and stared straight ahead.

  Not one word of Reverend Dixon's Christmas sermon registered on her, not did any of the hymns or carols sung by the choir, nor was she more than distantly aware of the children's Christmas pageant that followed the service. She was Only conscious of Travis sitting straight and tall beside her, looking so stunningly handsome, of his thigh pressing against hers, the faint citrusy smell of his after-shave and that unique male scent that was all his own that drifted to her on the overheated air.

  After the service there was no chance for them to speak. Travis was quickly surrounded by family and old friends and greeted with thumps on the back and exuberant hugs, and she lost sight of him as they made their way outside through the throng.

  In a panicked daze, Rebecca rode home in the van, barely conscious of the talk around her or the sly looks she received from Erin and Elise or the ones the sisters exchanged.

  She was given no chance to recover her equilibrium. They had barely walked into the house when the McCall clan arrived.

  As had the Blaine offspring, all the McCalls had made it home for Christmas. The noise level was horrendous and for several minutes pandemonium reigned while boisterous greetings and hugs and kisses were exchanged. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, Rebecca stood to one side and watched it all, her eyes eating Travis, her stomach churning with excitement and dread.

  "Hey! Look who else is here. Och! Come here, Rebecca, you gorgeous creature, and give us a hug." Before she could evade him, Reilly McCall had clamped his hands around her waist, lifted her up above his head and swung her around in a circle. A startled cry that was half laughter and half fright escaped her, and she clutched his brawny shoulders.

  "Reilly, you idiot, put her down before you make her dizzy," Meghan, the youngest sibling, ordered.

  He obeyed, but not
before he placed a smacking kiss on Rebecca's lips.

  "Here now, none of that." Standing on tiptoe, Meghan cuffed him upside the head. Releasing his captive, Reilly laughingly dodged another blow and backed away, and his sister rolled her eyes. "Trust Casanova to zero in on the only female in the room who's not a relative."

  She flashed Rebecca her contagious grin. It lit up her whole face, showing her crooked teeth and tilting up the corners of her blue eyes. For that brief instant she looked exactly like the rambunctious tomboy she had been as a child, instead of the hard-driving young career woman Rebecca knew her to be.

  "Hi, Rebecca. It's great to see you." With a toss of her bright red hair she lunged forward and caught Rebecca in a hug.

  When they drew apart, Meghan turned and gave her brother Ryan a pointed look. "Well? Are you going to say hello to Rebecca, or are you just going to stand there looking fierce?"

  Undaunted by his baby sister's acerbic tongue, Ryan turned his remote gaze on Rebecca and nodded. "Hello, Rebecca." The corners of his mouth tilted up in the faintest of smiles that did not reach his eyes.

  She returned the greeting just as sparely. He made no attempt to touch her, nor did she expect him to. Though Ryan and Reilly were identical twins, they were as different in their own way as Erin and Elise were.

  Devilish, good-natured Reilly was an extrovert who could charm his way out of almost any situation. Which was fortunate since he had a talent for attracting trouble... and women... usually at the same time.

  Ryan had always been the reserved one, the serious one, but since his wife had walked out on him and their then eight-year-old son Mike, five years ago, he had become an embittered man with little use for women, outside of those within his family.

  Oddly, although Ryan had always attracted his share of women, now his cold disdain and brooding intensity seemed to draw them like flies to honey. Rebecca supposed it was the irresistible lure of the unattainable.

  She had only seen Mike once before, and he'd been a baby at the time. When they were introduced the gangly boy gravely shook her hand and uttered a polite response in his cracked voice.

  At thirteen, Mike was the image of his father and uncle, who—unlike Travis, who favored Colin—had inherited their grandfather Monahan's black hair and blue eyes. It was obvious, even now, that the boy was destined to be a heart-breaker someday.

  Finally, when she had greeted everyone else, Travis sauntered forward. Rebecca's heart banged against her ribs like a sledgehammer. It skipped a beat, then took off at a gallop when she met his sexy gaze.

  "Hello, sweetheart," he said in a husky voice that dripped intimacy. He glanced at the gold locket she wore around her neck and smiled. "I'm glad you're wearing my gift."

  Rebecca's eyes widened, and her hand lifted automatically and closed around the lovely heart-shaped locket. Of all the Christmas gifts she'd received, it had been her favorite. "This is from you?"

  When they had opened the presents under the tree early that morning, her name had been on the tag attached to the tiny box containing the necklace, but the name of the giver had been left blank. She had assumed it was an extra gift from Dorothy and Joe, but in the hubbub and the rush to get ready for church, she hadn't had a chance to ask.

  "Uh-huh. Erin sneaked it under the tree for me. I'm surprised you didn't know who sent it when you looked inside."

  "I.. .I didn't realize it opened. Travis you really shouldn't have—"

  He took the locket from her hand and pressed the center of the heart between his thumb and forefinger, and Rebecca caught her breath when it snapped open. On one side there was a picture of her and Travis that Pepe had taken last summer. He had captured them embracing on the beach at sunset, the look of love on their faces as they gazed into each other's eyes so vivid it leaped out at you. Engraved on the opposite half of the heart were the words, Some things are meant to be.

  Tears filled Rebecca eyes. She looked up at Travis's blurry image; so choked with emotion she could barely speak. "Oh, Travis."

  "Do you like it?"

  "Of course I like it. I love it, but—"

  "Shh. No buts." Without the least hesitation or reserve, he slipped his arms around her and pulled her to him.

  Rebecca sucked in her breath at the feel of his body against hers and unconsciously braced her forearms against his chest, her splayed fingers flexing against the wool fabric of his suit coat. Too stunned to protest, she stared up at him.

  A cocky, purely masculine smile spread over Travis's face. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart," he murmured, and lowered his mouth to hers.

  Everything inside Rebecca seemed to turn to hot liquid. Her knees wobbled and her stomach went woozy. She sagged against him, her whole body afire with pleasure and burning for more.

  Taking his time about it, Travis kissed her long and thoroughly, savoring every touch, every taste, every texture, making up for the long, lost months they'd been apart. His tongue tested the curving roof of her mouth, the slightly serrated edges of her teeth, the silken membrane in her cheek. His lips rubbed and rocked, his teeth nipped.

  Mindlessly, Rebecca returned each stroke, each caress. After five endless, empty months without him, she was starved for the feel of him, the taste of him, the smell of him. She couldn't seem to get enough. Her hands crept up over his shoulders and around his neck, her fingers sifting through the thick, newly clipped hair at his nape. Her body pressed against his, wanting, needing, to get closer.

  Neither was aware of the stunned silence around them, or of the discreet coughs and "ah-hems" that followed it. Not until the kiss ended and they were bombarded with hoots and hollers did they even remember their audience. Unperturbed, Travis simply looked around at his relatives and grinned.

  David was the first to comment. He stared, flabbergasted, at his cousin. "Good Lord, Travis. Don't tell me, after all those years of detesting her, that you've got the hots for Rebecca?"

  Erin snorted and rolled her eyes. "Oh, brother! Some FBI man you must have been. For pity's sake, David. Of course he's got the hots for her, as you so elegantly put it. He's been nuts about her for years, ever since we were in Junior High. Any fool could see that."

  All the males exchanged baffled looks, and Erin sighed. "Well, Elise and I have known it for ages, and I suspect that Mother and Aunt Maggie and Meghan have, too."

  "Well I'll be damned," David muttered.

  Reilly gaped, for once at a loss for words.

  "Don't fight it men," Joe advised sagely. "It's the female mind at work. I learned years ago to just accept it."

  Ryan scowled and fixed his younger brother with a hard look. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

  "Positive."

  "Travis, let me go." Mortified by her wanton behavior, Rebecca tried to free herself from Travis's embrace, but he hooked an arm around her waist and clamped her tight against his side. Grinning, he looked around at his family. "I can see you're all curious so, here's the story. Rebecca and I spent most of last summer together at Elise and Erin's shimmer place on Rincon Island."

  "Travis!" Rebecca gasped, but the shocked protest had no effect on him.

  "I love her, and she loves me."

  The announcement caused raised eyebrows among the men and brought ooohs and ahhhs from the women, especially Maggie McCall. She had long since given up hoping that Ryan would remarry, and in recent years she had begun to despair of any of the others ever settling down and providing her with more grandchildren.

  "Travis! Will you stop!" Rebecca pleaded. "You can't do this!"

  She might as well have saved her breath.

  "I've asked Rebecca to marry me," Travis continued, and Rebecca groaned as a rapturous look lit up his mother's face.

  "Oh, Travis, that's wonderful! Rebecca, you naughty thing, why didn't you tell us?" Maggie turned a beaming look on her youngest son. "She never said a word."

  "That's because she turned me down."

  "What!"

  "But you just said—"
/>   The happy exclamations quickly turned into a chorus of disappointed grumbles, and Travis raised his hand for silence.

  "Hey, it's okay. I realize now that I shouldn't have rushed her. Rebecca had been divorced for only a few months at the time. The marriage was a bad experience, one she's afraid of repeating. Plus, for some reason, she's convinced herself that I'm not husband material."

  "Now I wonder where she got that idea?" David drawled.

  Meghan winked at Rebecca. "I always knew you were a bright woman."

  Travis grinned, unfazed by the comments or the other hoots of agreement from his kin. Her face burning, Rebecca squirmed, at a loss to know what to say.

  "I've stayed away these past five months to give her time to get over the past, but now I've come home, and I intend to prove to her that I'm serious about wanting to settle down."

  "This ought to be interesting," Meghan quipped. "Just how do you plan to accomplish that in a two-day visit?"

  "Ah, but you see, this isn't a visit." Travis looked at his father and uncle and received a subtle nod from both. Grinning, he swept his gaze over the others. "You are looking at the new partner in the law firm of McCall and Blaine. As of January first, it will be official."

  "You're going into partnership with Dad and Uncle Joe!" Meghan's face lit up in a dazzling smile. All around, an excited babble erupted from the others.

  "Hey, that's great!"

  "Congratulations!" Speaking at once, his brothers slapped him on the back.

  "Yeah, that's terrific news, Cuz," David said. "They've been wanting one of us to go in with them for years now. I have to admit, though, I sure never expected it would be you." He grabbed Travis's hand and pumped it, then muttered an "Aw, what the hell" and caught his cousin in a bear hug.