by Janet Dailey
Sam settled into his armchair, making small talk as he sipped at a glass of whiskey Choya had set on a folding table beside him. She suspected he needed one himself, for all his outward calm. But Choya had poured the shot for his father and capped the bottle, and that was that. The Barnett men really were tough—and they didn’t seem to dwell on life’s misfortunes. Robbie had been found and that was all that counted.
Of course he’d get a talking-to. But not now. Christmas wasn’t going to be postponed. At some point the low male voices and the warmth of the little boy who dozed in her lap were too much for Jacquie. She drifted off to sleep.
Dawn was breaking when she opened her eyes and looked through her lashes at the uncurtained windows. She was covered up and stretched out on the sofa by herself. Groggy, she tried to focus on the colorful lights on the tree and noticed that someone had straightened the crooked star. It glowed brightest of all.
She rubbed her eyes, wondering where everyone was. Then she heard a clatter in the kitchen and smelled something good. Robbie appeared bearing a tray.
“Merry Christmas, Jacquie,” he said proudly. “I made coffee and pancakes.”
“It’s all good, too,” Sam added, following his grandson into the living room. “Me and Choya never did fall asleep, and neither did he. So we had a pancake breakfast in the wee hours and played poker at the kitchen table. I think we should do that every Christmas Eve from now on, don’t you, Choya?”
“Sure. Why not?”
He entered last.
Jacquie sat up halfway, feeling stiff all over. She knew he was looking at her disheveled hair and flushed face. He didn’t seem to mind either. His gaze moved over like she was the most beautiful woman on earth.
“Thanks, Robbie,” she said as he set the tray across her lap. “This looks great.” She took a knife and fork to the syrupy pancakes, and cut herself a bite, then sipped at the coffee. “Mmm. Wonderful. Did you open any presents yet?”
Robbie looked longingly at the pile, which had grown since she’d last seen it.
“Nope. Dad said we had to wait for you.” He looked hopefully at his father.
“Pick one,” Choya said.
Robbie scrambled off the sofa and dragged out the lumpy object swaddled in paper and tape. “For you,” he said with even more pride. “Me and Gramps made it, but it’s from me.”
“Oh my.” She set aside the tray and took it from him. “I was so curious about this one.”
“Go ahead and open it!” the little boy said eagerly.
Jacquie pulled at the paper and got it off with some difficulty. An object made of wood appeared, nailed together at odd angles with more enthusiasm than skill. She smiled at him and turned it around in her hand, belatedly realizing that it looked something like the ranch house. “It’s wonderful, Robbie. You made that?”
He nodded with pride.
“It’s our house.” She touched a finger to a bottle cap mounted on a wire. “And this is the satellite dish. Am I right?”
“Told you she’d know,” he said, turning to his father. “Next I’m going to make you a barn. Gramps said he’d teach me to whittle, so I can make a whole herd of horses for it.”
“That’s great. Thank you both.” She set the wooden house aside and reached out to hug him.
The rest of the presents got unwrapped with blinding speed. Robbie brought the crumpled wrapping paper over and piled it in Jacquie’s lap. She played with a tag that had been taped to a plate of Christmas cookies left for Santa, absently wrapping its ribbon tie around her finger as she watched the happy frenzy.
Santa had done right by everyone. She looked down at the tag, noticing Robbie’s handwriting on it.
To Santa With Love. And Thanks for Everything.
She smiled to herself. Santa might as well take credit for this much happiness—they couldn’t have coordinated it all on their own.
The robe for Sam and the belt for Choya were both big hits, and so were the new additions to Robbie’s collection of vehicles, including the biggest, which was a radiooperated, battery-powered patrol car with real roof lights and a noisy siren.
Choya, who’d bought it, set his foot in front of it on its fourth trip around the living room, making the little wheels spin. He picked it up and switched it off.
“Set that under the tree, son.” Robbie nodded and obeyed.
The little boy felt around under the tree to make sure he hadn’t missed anything, picking up a few scraps of discarded paper. “Dad—how come you didn’t give Jacquie anything?”
“Ah—I haven’t wrapped it yet.”
Sam rose from his chair and told Robbie to get the tray. “Let’s clean up in the kitchen. You don’t want to leave a mess like that for Jacquie, do you?”
He and his grandson headed out, talking about whether Santa had come in the back door or the front. She heard the kitchen door click shut. Puzzled, she cast a look at Choya. “What’s going on?”
He came over to the sofa and she pushed aside the blanket, folding up her legs to make room for him. “It doesn’t need wrapping. I just wanted to be alone with you and I arranged that in advance with Sam.” He clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back.
“Oh.” She looked him up and down. Whatever the present was, it was small. Then she noticed the boxy bulge in his shirt pocket. “Is that it?”
Choya looked down and unclasped his hands. “Why, I believe it is. Hang on—I need to be on one knee to do this right.”
Jacquie opened her mouth to say something, but he had taken out the little velvet box and was presenting it to her on bended knee in one swift motion.
“Be mine, Jacquie.”
It wasn’t a question. As usual, Choya was direct. She blinked at the closed box and then at him. His golden eyes hid nothing—his gaze was warm with joy and love. Slowly, she took it from him and opened it. The white satin lining cradled an engagement ring set with a diamond solitaire. It was simple—and spectacular. Jacquie gulped.
“Do you mean it?”
He nodded. “I love you and I want you, Jacquie. Every which way and forever. I know it’s much too soon and it’s crazy even to ask, but—marry me.”
She looked at him, then at the ring, not knowing what to do or say next. Choya shook his head and smiled at her, taking the ring out and then taking her hand.
He slipped it on her finger and looked steadily at her. “Your turn. To say something, I mean.”
It dawned on her that he was waiting for an answer and he wasn’t going to go away or stop looking at her until he got one. A single beautiful word came to mind. “Yes!”
Chapter 18
Several minutes later, Robbie and Sam peeked in to make sure everything had gone according to plan. They admired the ring, but it was clear the little boy had something much more important on his mind. “Now can I show her, Dad? Please?”
“All right. It won’t last much longer.” He separated from her and rose to his feet, extending a hand to help her up.
“What won’t last?” She was walking right behind him and bumped into him, laughing, when he stopped short by the front door.
“Boots on, girl. It’s freezing cold out there.”
“You mean I have to go outside?”
Choya reached down to get her boots and handed them to her by the side tabs. “You won’t regret it.”
“Jacquie, go and see!” Robbie said excitedly. His grandfather was barely able to hold on to the boy’s hand. “You won’t believe it!”
“Close your eyes,” Choya commanded. His hand rested on the doorknob.
She obeyed without argument and let him lead her through the door as he opened it. Once they were outside, he put an arm around her shoulder and drew her close to his warmth.
“Now look,” he said softly.
She did—and gasped. The drifting mist of the night before had left the desert plants sheathed in glittering ice. The landscape was a spun-glass wonderland, its dusty greens and grays magically transformed ove
rnight.
“You’re right,” she whispered. “I don’t believe it.” She took a few steps to the cactus nearest to her, a prickly pear. Each and every one of its spines was covered in thin, clear ice.
“Just for you,” he said.
“It’s incredible.” She smiled at him and came back to his side, an awed look in her eyes.
“The desert will always surprise you.”
“Not as much as you did.” She held up her left hand and the diamond ring he’d given her, the symbol of their love, caught the sun’s fire.
“You’re the one, Jacquie,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “And you always will be.”
If you liked this Janet Dailey book,
don’t miss the first book in the Bannon Brothers series,
available now!
Bannon Brothers: Trust
With relentless suspense and a deft feel for creating men of power and character, Janet Dailey introduces three unforgettable brothers: RJ, Linc, and Deke Bannon.
Cold cases aren’t RJ Bannon’s usual line of work. But Ann Montgomery’s long-ago abduction is too intriguing to pass up. Ann was just three when she was taken in the night from her family’s historic Virginia mansion more than twenty-five years ago. The socially prominent Montgomerys launched a heartbreaking search but no trace of the missing girl was ever found.
Bannon knows the chances of finding her now—alive or dead—are slim, yet he can’t stop searching for answers. Especially once he meets Erin Randall. A beautiful, talented local artist, she seems to share some tantalizing connections with the vanished Ann. As the legacy of lies and deception comes to a shocking climax, a hidden menace explodes, and Bannon vows to protect Erin at all costs . . . even if it puts his own life on the line....
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 1977, 2011 by Janet Dailey
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-4201-2855-0
ISBN-10: 1-4201-2073-5
Originally published in December 1977, in a substantially shorter version, by Mills & Boon as The Master Fiddler.