Bending, she placed a tender kiss on his lips. Once she raised her head, she was touched by the sheen of moisture glazing his eyes.
He said, “When the nurse first wheeled me back here, I saw you talking with a good-looking guy. The way he was touching your arm—he was acting like the two of you were mighty familiar.”
Her brows lifted coyly. “That was Dr. Whitehorse. He just happened to be asking me for a date—to a Christmas celebration.”
His expression turned suspicious, which only made Marcella give him a taunting grin.
“A date?” he asked cautiously. “Does he know you’re pregnant?”
Marcella chuckled softly. “Yes. But he’s a very good man. He’d never hold that against a woman.”
Frowning now, Denver grunted. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him I’d call him in the morning and give him my answer.”
He squeezed her hand. “And what’s your answer going to be?”
She brought her lips against his and whispered, “That I already have a date with another man. A date for the rest of my life.”
His hand cupped the back of her neck; he brought her mouth fully down on his and was still kissing her when a voice sounded behind them.
“Uh—sorry. Is this the patient that’s headed to X-ray?”
Marcella stepped back from the gurney to see two male orderlies waiting to wheel Denver back to Radiology.
“He’s all yours,” she said happily. “Just make sure you bring him right back here to me.”
Epilogue
Marcella awoke on Christmas morning snuggled next to her husband’s warm body. Beyond the bed, through the partially opened curtains, she could see that a dusting of snow had fallen the night before, decorating the backyard and steep hill beyond with white tinsel.
With a sigh of contentment, she climbed from the bed and pulled on a deep green robe she’d purchased especially for this day. She was tying the silky sash at her waist when the sparkle of the large diamond on her finger caught her eye, and for a brief moment she stared in wonder at the ring and all that it symbolized.
To everyone’s relief, Denver’s injury from the bull had turned out to be nothing more than bruised and broken ribs. He was still dealing with a major amount of pain and would do so for several more weeks until they healed, but he hadn’t let that deter their plans to be married before Christmas.
Two days ago, they’d exchanged vows in a hastily thrown together ceremony in the same Carson City church she’d attended since she was a small child. Lilly, Ava and Paige had decorated the sanctuary with pink, red and white poinsettias against branches of evergreen. Marcella had worn a lacy dress of pale pink with a knee-length hem. A short veil attached to a band of pearls had adorned her red hair.
Her mother, who’d been surprisingly happy about her daughter’s marriage, had told her she’d never looked more radiant. As far as Marcella was concerned, her appearance had nothing to do with her dress or upswept hair, or even the string of pearls Lilly had lent her to wear. No, Marcella knew it was the sheer happiness of marrying the father of her coming child that had put an iridescent glow on her face.
Since the wedding, the days had passed in a happy but hectic whirl. With Denver’s injury preventing him from doing anything but limited activity, a few of the ranch hands had volunteered to move everything from Marcella’s house in town to Denver’s home on the ranch. Her mother and Paige had helped her unpack most of the boxes and organize the rooms to accommodate her and the boys’ belongings. But with such little time to prepare for Christmas, she’d had to leave some things still unpacked in order to finish her holiday shopping.
Somehow she’d gotten the gifts purchased and wrapped, but there was no tree to put them under. The pitiful little tree she and the boys had decorated in town couldn’t have survived the thirty-plus-mile trip to the ranch, so she’d donated it to a downtown charity. And with Denver injured, he couldn’t go out and cut one.
Last evening they were debating whether to drive into town to purchase another tree when Rafe and Lilly unexpectedly arrived with a beautiful Douglas fir and more than enough decorations to make it a real Christmas tree. Marcella had been overwhelmed with their thoughtfulness. But Rafe had insisted it was the least he could do to make up for the damage Crowbait had inflicted on his partner.
“What are you doing up?” Denver asked groggily. “Come back to bed and keep me warm.”
Laughing, she tugged the cover off him. “It’s Christmas, sleepyhead! Wake up! You have two sons who are probably already up and champing at the bit to open their gifts!”
His eyes flew wide-open. “The boys! Christmas!”
Before Marcella could remind him to remember his ribs, he started to roll out of bed.
Grabbing his side, he doubled over in pain. “Oh! Why do I forget about these damned ribs?”
“You’re not used to being injured.” She threw an arm across the back of his shoulders. “Let me help you off the bed.”
The pain receded enough for him to give her a feeble grin. “Yes, Nurse Beautiful. I’ll gladly accept your assistance.”
“Beautiful for sure,” she protested. “A bare face and tangled hair. You’re seeing what your wife really looks like now.”
Once he was steady on his feet, he bent his head and kissed her. “I see I’m the luckiest man on earth. Merry Christmas, darling. Help me into my jeans and we’ll go find our boys.”
Expecting to find Harry and Peter in the living room, they were surprised to see it empty and all the gifts under the tree undisturbed.
“We had a late night with the tree trimming,” Denver reasoned. “Maybe they’re still asleep.”
Marcella cocked her head toward a faint sound coming from the kitchen. “I hear them. They must be feeding the cats.”
“On Christmas morning? With gifts waiting under the tree? I’ve got to see this!” Denver exclaimed.
When they reached the open doorway leading into the kitchen, they spotted Harry and Peter, still in their pajamas, hovering over a tray holding two coffee mugs.
“I think we should stir Mom’s,” Peter told his brother. “She always stirs it after she puts in the cream.”
“We don’t need to stir Denver’s, though,” Harry pointed out. “’Cause he don’t put anything in his.”
“How do you know?” Peter asked. “He might put sugar in it.”
With the seriousness of a chemist fretting over a formula, Harry shook his head. “I watched last night. He drinks the yucky stuff without anything in it.”
Peter appeared convinced. “Okay. We’ll take it to ’em just like this.”
Exchanging amused glances, Marcella and Denver stepped forward, both of them shouting Merry Christmas.
After their initial surprise, the two boys raced to their parents and hugged them tightly. If Denver felt any pain from the show of affection, he didn’t reveal it. Instead, he scrubbed both of them on the head while giving Marcella a conspiring wink.
“We think it’s time to open our gifts,” he told them. “But that can’t happen until the cats are fed.”
“We’ve already done that!” Harry exclaimed.
“Yeah! See, they’re still eating.” Peter pointed to a far corner of the room where the four cats were lined up at their saucers. Miraculously the group of felines had integrated without too much hissing and clawing.
Harry went to the table and picked up the tray. “We’ve made you coffee, too.”
“For a special Christmas
treat,” Peter added proudly.
Genuinely impressed, Marcella exclaimed, “Wow! I think our sons really deserve some gifts now, don’t you, Denver?”
“I sure do,” he agreed. “I’ll carry the coffee. Everybody head to the tree!”
In the living room, Marcella and Denver sat snuggled together on the couch, sipping their coffee, while watching Peter and Harry rip into their gifts. Sports gear, electronic games, and boots and hats from their new dad were all declared awesome stuff by both boys. But when they continued to avoid the big box pushed slightly behind the tree, Denver finally had to ask, “Why aren’t you guys opening the big gift? It’s to both of you. Don’t you want to see what it is?”
“We wanted to save it for last,” Peter said.
“Yeah,” Harry added. “We figured it must be something special.”
Marcella latched onto Denver’s hand. “It is something very special. So you guys tear into it!”
Once the pair had the wrapping paper and cardboard box piled to one side, both boys stood staring with confusion at the wooden cradle.
“Is this a bed or something?” Harry asked. “It rocks!”
Peter turned a confused look on his parents. “Is this for the cats to sleep in?”
Denver burst out laughing, while Marcella left the couch to pick up the unopened card the boys had discarded on the floor.
“Here,” she said, thrusting the card at the pair. “You were supposed to open this and read it.”
Harry quickly ripped into the envelope and read aloud, “‘This cradle is for your new baby brother or sister when he or she gets here this summer.’”
Silence stretched as Peter stared in wonder at his mother, and Harry’s mouth formed a huge O.
“A brother or sister!” Harry finally shouted. “That’s awesome!”
Peter went to his mother and placed his hand on her arm. “Mom, are you gonna have a baby?”
“That’s right,” she said gently. “Aren’t you glad, too?”
“Yeah! I’ve been wanting a brother or sister for a long time. But...” His words trailed away as his doubtful gaze landed on Denver.
Marcella noticed that Harry had also taken on a worried expression as he glanced toward Denver.
“What’s wrong with you boys?” Marcella asked. “We thought you’d be thrilled.”
By now Denver had managed to push himself off the couch and walk over to where the three of them were standing next to the baby cradle.
He said, “Listen, you two, if you’re worried your mother and I are going to give all our attention to the new baby and none to you, that just isn’t going to happen.”
Stepping forward, Peter bent his head back and gazed up at Denver. “You might not want to be our dad then. You might just want to be a dad to the new baby.”
Denver glanced at Marcella, then turned to the boys and held out his arms. “Come here, guys.”
Once he had an arm curved around each boy’s shoulders, he pulled them close to his side. “I want to make something very clear to you both right now. You two will always be my sons. From this day on, I’m not Denver anymore. I’m Dad. And I don’t want either one of you to forget it. We’re all going to be a family. Together—for always. Okay?”
Clearly relieved, both boys shouted in unison, “Yeah, Dad!”
Peter looked up at the father he’d desperately wanted and grinned. “Does this mean we can let the cats sleep in the cradle until the baby gets here?”
Marcella groaned loudly while she watched Denver try to hold back a smile.
“No! No cats in the cradle! Now, both of you hop to it and get all this mess cleaned up! We’re going up to the big ranch house for Christmas dinner and we don’t want to be late.”
A few minutes later, after the boys had cleaned up the wrappings and sat in the middle of the living room floor examining all their gifts, Marcella went in search of Denver and found him standing in the middle of the spare bedroom.
As she walked closer, she could hear him singing something soft and lyrical under his breath. “Darling, what are you doing in here by yourself?” She looped her arm through his. “It sounded like you were singing something.”
A wry grin touched his face. “That’s an old cowboy lullaby my mother used to sing to me and my sister. I’m surprised I still remember the words.”
“I’m happy that your parents and sister were excited about the news of our marriage and the baby. Hopefully we can visit them soon,” she told him.
“Mom, Dad and my sister never pressed me about getting married again or having kids. But when I told them about you and the boys and the baby, I could tell it was something they’d all been wanting for me for a long time.” He looked down at her, his brown eyes full of love. “Yes, we’ll go see them soon. I think Harry and Peter would enjoy a trip to Wyoming to see the ranch where their father grew up.”
Touched deeply by this tender side of him, she pressed her cheek against his arm and sighed. “This is going to make a lovely nursery.”
“I was just looking, thinking about all the changes we’re going to make. And the furnishings we’re going to put in here. Besides the cradle,” he added teasingly.
Since she married Denver, she’d learned, much to her surprise, that he was a fairly wealthy man. And though she would never take advantage of the fact, she didn’t try to discourage him from spending money on her or the boys, or their coming baby. She realized it was important to him to give his family the things they needed. And it was important for her to graciously accept them.
“All I ask is that you put a wooden rocker right in front of the windows,” she told him while pointing to the perfect spot. “That way I can look out at the mountains while I rock our baby.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Hmm. You’re an easy woman to please.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “You know, we were so busy buying the boys’ Christmas gifts we forgot to get each other something.”
His brown eyes filled with love as his hand came to rest on her lower belly. “We’ve already given each other a very special gift. Don’t you agree?”
“Very special indeed.” Her eyes delved deeply into his. “You’re not worried anymore, are you? About me and the baby?”
His hand gently cupped the side of her face. “No. You’ve taught me that life is too precious to waste it worrying. From now on it’s all about believing and loving.”
Like the happy sound of sleigh bells ringing across a field of crusty snow, joy filled her heart with music. This Christmas her cowboy had found the courage to sing his coming baby a lullaby, and her prayers for a family had finally been answered.
* * * * *
Want to see what happens when Paige Winters and Dr. Sherman finally let the sparks fly?
The next book in the MEN OF THE WEST miniseries coming soon from Harlequin Special Edition.
And don’t miss previous books in the miniseries:
HIS BADGE, HER BABY...THEIR FAMILY?
HER RUGGED RANCHER
CHRISTMAS ON THE SILVER HORN RANCH
DADDY WORE SPURS
Keep reading for an excerpt from CHRISTMAS ON CRIMSON MOUNTAIN by Michelle Major.
Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!
> Do you want to earn Free Books and More?
Join Harlequin My Rewards points program and earn points every time you shop.
You can redeem your points to get more of what you love:
Free books
Exclusive gifts and contests
Book recommendations tailored to your reading preferences
Earn 2000 points instantly when you join—getting you closer to redeeming your first free book.
Don’t miss out. Reward the book lover in you!
Click here to sign up
Or visit us online to sign up at
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010001
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Special Edition story.
You know that romance is for life. Harlequin Special Edition stories show that every chapter in a relationship has its challenges and delights and that love can be renewed with each turn of the page.
Enjoy six new stories from Harlequin Special Edition every month!
Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Christmas on Crimson Mountain
by Michelle Major
Chapter One
“It’s so white.”
April Sanders flicked a glance in the rearview mirror as she drove along the winding road up Crimson Mountain.
Her gaze landed on the sullen twelve-year-old girl biting down on her bottom lip as she stared out the SUV’s side window.
“It’s pretty, right?” April asked hopefully. “Peaceful?” She’d come to love the mountains in winter, especially on days without the sunny skies that made Colorado famous. The muted colors brought a stillness to the forest that seemed to calm something inside of her.
The Cowboy's Christmas Lullaby Page 19