by Hebby Roman
Sofia glanced at her son, holding her breath, wondering what he would do.
Aaron lowered his head and stuffed his hands in his jean pockets.
Sofia’s heart went out to him—this was no way to treat a teenaged boy. But Eric didn’t care about his son, not really, it was more about his own ego.
After a few moments, Aaron lifted his head and raised his voice. “Dad, I don’t want to go. I don’t like Adeline and her Broadway friends. She’s the one who wanted me out of the way—who talked you into shipping me off to boarding school.” He shook his head. “I won’t go back.”
Eric rounded the front of the Mercedes and grabbed Aaron’s arm. “I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but I’m not your mother. You’ll do what I say.”
Aaron dug in, bracing himself against his father’s grip on his arm.
She moved between them. “Eric, he’s of age. Remember? Your son is fifteen and has choices now.”
Eric’s face filled with fury and he raised his hand, as if he would strike her.
Suddenly, Gar was there, standing upright, putting weight on his broken ankle with his right arm upraised, blocking Eric’s arm. The two men stood frozen, glaring at each other.
Gar turned and tossed his cell to her with his other hand. “Hit caller ID for Aikens, he’s one of the local policemen. He can be here in five minutes.”
Eric slowly lowered his arm and backed up. “You have no right, calling the police. I haven’t done anything.”
“Oh, really? I thought you were about to hit a woman.”
“You’re full of it, old man.” He laughed, an unsettling sound, like a nail skittering across a blackboard. “Old crippled man, calling in backup.”
Then he turned away and skewered Aaron with his gaze. “I’m going to ask you one more time. Get in the car.”
Aaron shook his head. “No, Dad, not this time.”
Eric’s gaze scanned the three of them, huddled together. Sofia had her finger on the caller ID, marked “Aikens.”
“Then don’t bother when you get back to New York.” He glared at his son. “You’re dead to me, Aaron. I don’t care what you do.”
Aaron gulped. “I understand.”
Eric let loose a string of curse words, jerked open the Mercedes’ door and got in. Within seconds, he was roaring around the circular driveway, going back the way he’d come.
Gar hobbled to his scooter and lifted his foot.
Sofia, trembling from head-to-toe, wondered how much damage he’d done to his ankle. Only time and a new X-ray would tell.
She glanced at Gar and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head and indicated Aaron with a hitch of his shoulder, standing forlorn, in the middle of the driveway.
She went to her son and put her arm around him. “Aaron, are you sure you know what you’re doing? There’s only one airport in San Antonio, and I doubt there are that many direct flights to New York on Christmas Day. We can still—”
“Wouldn’t that be breaking my probation?” He gazed at her.
“Yes, it would.”
“I won’t do it.”
“No, you shouldn’t. You’re right.” She hugged him and whispered into his ear, “What on earth did you tell your Dad to make him come to Texas on Christmas Eve?”
“I told him what I told you—I won’t go back to boarding school. I want to go to school in Manhattan and stay with you. I told him I’d visit him every other weekend and for certain holidays.” He shrugged. “The usual stuff. He doesn’t need me. He has Adeline and her bunch of stage-struck buddies.”
“Well…” She gulped and cleared her throat. “I guess you told him.”
“Yep.”
“And you’re okay with not seeing him because—”
“Ahh.” He lifted his hand and let it drop. “He’s just mad. He’ll get over it when he wants his son to parade around.”
“Oh. Uh, okay.” She glanced at Gar.
He smiled and said, “I think we need to show Aaron his present before it gets any later.”
“Yeah, that’s what I want to do—see my special present.” He gave them a wry smile. “Guess I know one of the presents I’m getting tomorrow.”
“Yes, you do.”
She and Aaron walked beside Gar, who was scooting along, helped by the paved pathways between the headquarters, barn, and his ranch house. Slowly, as the night closed in around them, she got her breath back and her heart returned to normal, beating slow and steady in her chest.
Aaron would see the saddle, first thing, when they got to Gar’s house. It was so big and unwieldy, she hadn’t bothered to wrap it. Gar had had Wally bring in a sawhorse from the barn and they’d perched the saddle on it, in front of Gar’s artificial tree.
Gar scooted up the new ramp. Sofia and Aaron followed him onto the porch. She grabbed the unlocked front door and threw it open, shouting, “Surprise!”
Aaron rushed in, stopped and stood still, gazing at the saddle. He gasped and then let out a whoop, yelling, “Just what I wanted!” He ran his hands over the saddle.
She was so glad her son liked it. Then she realized Gar couldn’t get over the doorjamb. She grabbed his crutches from beside the doorway and helped him get them under his arms.
Aaron joined them and said, “Sorry, I forgot. Let me help, too.” He took the scooter and lifted it over the doorway, setting it inside the living room. “I guess I got too excited. Sorry,” he mumbled again.
“No problem, son. I’m sure your mother is happy you like the saddle.”
“You bet!” He grabbed her and hugged her. “I can’t wait to try it out on Duchess. I know tomorrow is Christmas but…” He shook his head and frowned.
“After Christmas dinner, Aaron, we’ll see. I think we can work something out,” Gar said.
“Oh, gosh, that would be great. I just can’t wait.” He grinned from ear-to-ear.
“Merry Christmas, Aaron,” she said.
Aaron patted the saddle and then he stuck his hands in his pockets. “Well, I guess I better be getting back to the dorm.”
“Yes, I’m sure Kiki is waiting for us,” Gar said. “But first…” He stopped and cleared his throat. He glanced at Sofia and their gazes collided. “I know this is a lot to take in, son, but what would you say if I want to marry your mother?”
Aaron looked at them, his eyes flicking from her to Gar and back again. “I’d say I’m not surprised, after catching you kissing in the kitchen. My mother has never had a boyfriend, so…” He held out his hand to Gar. “I think you should marry my Mom. I’d be honored to have you as my step-dad.”
They shook hands and Gar said, “Thank you, Aaron. I appreciate your approval. It means a lot to me.”
Sofia’s heart leapt in her chest and a coil of warmth filled her, watching them together. She was happy Aaron liked and respected Gar. It was a good start. At the same time, she was amazed Gar had the audacity to ask her son, after she’d pleaded with him to wait.
“What if I want to marry your mother right away and have her live with me on the ranch?” Gar asked.
“You mean, like she’s doing now.”
Gar chuckled and nodded. “Good point.”
“But Aaron,” she finally managed to find her voice. “You need to finish high school in New York. I can’t stay here and—”
“I could stay with you. Then I could practice my roping, ride Duchess, and go to public high school in Bandera, just like other kids.”
Sofia gaped at him, not believing what she was hearing. “What about your father?”
“I told you, Mom. He’ll get over it, and he has plenty of money. He can fly me to New York whenever he wants me around.” He looked her directly in the eyes and then turned his gaze to Gar. “I want to stay in Texas and be a real cowboy.”
“But what about your probation? And your father still has joint custody?” Sofia asked, not wanting to leave anything to chance.
“He can finish his probation here, Sofia,” Gar interjected. He grabbed her hand. “He will have to return to New York to get his final discharge from the judge.”
“But your father has—”
“Doesn’t matter, Mom. Remember, I’m a teenager, and I get to say where I want to live.”
“Yes, I guess you’re right.”
Gar squeezed her hand and gazed into her eyes. “If Aaron doesn’t want to live in New York, there’s no reason to wait. No reason for you to go back to New York, Sofia. Is there?”
She was having trouble taking this all in—it had happened so fast. Her heart was racing and her head was spinning.
Could she do this? Make her decision so quickly—just like that?
“How about New Year’s Day for a wedding? It’s a slow time at the ranch.” He grinned. “It will give the boys something to do.”
She looked at him and frowned. Then, she realized he wasn’t joking. Knowing this man wanted her as his wife, as soon as possible, her heart soared and she was filled with a joy she’d never known before.
She smiled, feeling light-headed. “Gar, you’re taking my breath away!” She threw her arms around his neck. “I’d love it!” She went up on tip-toe and kissed him. “Eventually, I’ll have to go home and get my things, give up my lease and—”
“Stop with all that stuff, Sofia! Who cares? It will all work out. I’m stunned but happy you agreed. If I could, I’d pick you up and whirl you around. You don’t know what this means to me.” He leaned down and returned her kiss.
Sofia stepped back, breaking their kiss, and turning to her son. “What do you say, Aaron, about us getting married on New Year’s Day?”
Her son grinned, his face glowing. He rushed forward, almost tackling them, throwing his arms around the two of them and hugging them tightly. “I’d say this was the best Christmas!”
Sofia looked at Gar. Their gazes caught and snagged, “Yes, this is the best Christmas… ever.”
Thank you for reading The Best Christmas by Amazon Best-selling author Hebby Roman. If you’d like to read more of Hebby’s books, you can find them on Amazon and her website.
Counting Down To Christmas
By Patti Sherry-Crews
Contemporary Western Romance
Copyright @ 2018 by Patti Sherry-Crews
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission of the author except where permitted by law.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
About Counting Down To Christmas
Melody Evans, a professional wedding planner, views happily ever-after endings with a skeptical eye, but she’s never lost her childlike enthusiasm for her favorite holiday—Christmas. To veterinarian rancher Leland Jennings IV, Christmas is just for kids. If he could, he’d skip the whole month of December. But he does believe there’s one woman out there for him, and he’s holding out for her. Melody revives Leland’s Christmas spirit, and he rekindles her heart.
Chapter One
December 1
So rare.
That feeling of instant connection. Eyes meet, and without even exchanging words, you know something is happening on a level uncommon in most human interactions. Everything else blurs as focus on each other sharpens. You ride that wave of recognition back and forth on invisible wires.
One minute Leland Jennings IV was leaning against a frigid wall, talking on his phone, and then he lost the thread of the conversation as a compact, white car appeared. In fact, he lost sight of everything when the woman at the wheel, partly obscured behind glass and with her hair covered by a fuzzy, pink cap, turned her gaze in his direction. There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy about her, but her entrance on the scene plucked a chord deep inside.
The car stopped across the street in front of him before she backed it up into a parking space. A movement on the dashboard caught his attention and he squinted: a bobble headed, grinning cat in a grass skirt doing a hula dance for him. The woman’s lips moved in animated conversation as she glanced back over her shoulder while maneuvering the car into the space. There didn’t appear to be anyone else in the car.
In the building behind her, someone threw open the curtains in a second floor apartment and flicked on one of those electric holiday candles. It flickered directly above the woman in the car.
The cold from the brick wall inched through his jacket to his back. Leland pushed back his hat and rubbed the stubble on his upper lip with his free hand. The smell of his leather glove filled his nostrils in the crisp air as he studied her. He’d never seen the woman before. He was sure of that.
His sister’s voice rattling around in his eardrum brought him back to attention. “Leland! Hello? Are you still there?” Faith asked.
“Yeah, sorry. I got distracted.” He kept his sights fixed on the woman in the parked car. She threw her head back and laughed and then went on talking. Must be on speaker phone.
“So... are you going to answer my question?” Faith asked.
“I forgot the question. Can you repeat that?”
She clicked her tongue. “I asked if you got the list I texted to you?”
The woman in the car looked directly at him. He looked down, overwhelmed with the intense jolt he felt directly to his heart. “What list is that?”
Heavy sigh. “Leland, I swear...I sent you the kids’ Christmas list. I need to know what you’re going to buy them so we don’t duplicate.”
“Oh, yeah. I did see that but I haven’t looked it over yet... Say, why can’t I buy them what I want to?”
“Well, you could.” She spoke to him in the slow way you’d use on an imbecile. “Of course, a single, middle-aged man knows exactly what a three-year old girl and a six-year old boy want. But, I happen to have a list of what they asked Santa for. Why not go with that? Seth and I can’t get them everything on the list. That’s why we’re passing it onto you and Ma. You all can look it over first, tell me what you want to buy, and then we’ll fill in.”
Now, the woman in the car sat still, a pout on her lips.
Leland kept his eyes on her as he talked to his sister. “What ever happened to surprises? They’re little kids. Do they even know what they want, or do they just parrot what they see on TV commercials? And anyway, is it really healthy that they get everything they want? Isn’t there something to be said for having to wait for gratification?”
Their eyes met again and Leland felt such a charge he had to look away.
“Well, I do appreciate your sentiments on the subject, but let me be frank with you. It’s fine for you with your successful practice and lack of responsibilities, but Seth and I are on a budget and Christmas and birthdays are the only times we get to indulge our kids.”
Oh, boy, he sure hated when Faith got her back up. “Point made. I’ll look over the list and tell you what I’m getting for the kids.”
“You do that. And since you’re in town to pick up Ma, why don’t the two of you put your heads together today and let me know ASAP?”
He dared to look across the street again. The woman was moving strangely in her seat. Undulating, really. “Yeah...I’m on it.”
“While we’re on the subject, what do you want for Christmas?”
What was that woman doing? Squirming around behind the wheel with her face contorted.
“Not a thing. Don’t bother with me,” he said.
“Leland, don’t be that way. You are no fun at all. I’m going to get you something anyway, so you might as well give me a hint.”
“This is why I hate Christmas. I buy myself what I want all year as needs arise. It’s silly to get me something I probably don’t need or want.”
“It’s called exchanging gifts, and sometimes gifts are more fun to give than to receive as is common knowledge. Stop ruining everyone else’s fun.”
“Then I’ll have to get you something. And Seth. Christmas should be for kids only. I hate all this pressure to spend money. Consume, consume. At the last minute I get caught up in the frenzy and end up buying any old thing on Christmas Eve so everyone has something. I bet you don’t even remember what I gave you last year.”
She snorted. “I do. You got me a space heater. Seth and I still laugh about it.”
“That’s what I got you? Jeez, that’s an awful gift. I hope I picked out a pretty one. How about we adults stop giving gifts to each other?”
“No. That’s not going to fly. I like Christmas, and I like my gifts. Even if I am surprised to get a space heater. And while we’re talking about it, Seth and I want to host this year.”
He squinted. The woman had ducked down out of view. “What’s wrong with having it at the ranch like we always do?”
“How about we give Ma a break. I’d like to have it at our house, and it’s so much easier on us. We don’t have to drag sleepy, cranky children out in the cold—and besides, they don’t like being pulled away from their new toys.”
“The toys again. When did Christmas become all about presents and spending money foolishly?”
“All right, Ebenezer Scrooge, you’re starting to bring me down. Can’t you try and enjoy yourself...You can bring a guest if you want.”
He hated that undertone of sympathy creeping in at the last comment of hers. “Thanks, but I’m not seeing anyone at the moment.”
“What happened to the school teacher?”
Across the street the woman popped up again in the car seat and crammed her knitted cap back down on her head. He darted his eyes away again when she looked at him. “That fizzled out.”
“Fizzled out or the glow wore off and you got bored? You got to work at it, little brother. You have some ideal woman in your head—”