Harlequin Heartwarming December 2020 Box Set

by Cari Lynn Webb, Linda Warren, Mary Anne Wilson

  “That’s Jericho’s boys,” Grandpa announced. “They’re good kids. The older one is standing by his dad over there.”

  Soon Angie, the DA’s wife, and Peyton, the sheriff’s wife, showed up with boxes of lights to be put on the tree. It was a town affair as everyone helped. People stood watching and Becky kept an eye on Luci playing with the kids. She was having the time of her life. She caught Bo’s eye and her heart filled with love. The day couldn’t get much better.

  The tree stood tall in the Horseshoe square, fully loaded with lights. On Christmas Day they would turn on the lights. Tradition varied from mayor to mayor, but lately the tradition was that the tree would be lit on Christmas Eve and stay lit until after the first of the year. On Christmas Eve they’d have hot chocolate or coffee and kolaches provided by the bakery.

  Soon everyone dispersed to their respective jobs or homes. Bo and his family went upstairs in the courthouse to Cole’s office. Grace had said they were going to get their tree that afternoon. Luci was sad that the boys and Zoe had to go.

  A tall, handsome young man and a woman walked up. Becky recognized him, as did Bo.

  “Hey, Chase, what are you doing home? Shouldn’t you be playing football?” Bo asked.

  “I got lucky this year and got to spend Thanksgiving with my family and Jody.”

  Chase Rebel, the son of Elias Rebel, was well known around Horseshoe. He’d helped win the first state football championship for Horseshoe and was drafted into the NFL as a wide receiver, where he’d won a Super Bowl. Jody had been his high school girlfriend and was the sheriff’s daughter. There was conflict at first. The sheriff hadn’t approved of Chase, but now the future was theirs. Happy endings. Oh, how she loved happy endings.

  They talked for a minute and then Chase asked, “Have you seen my dad? We’re catching a plane in three hours and I wanted to say goodbye.”

  “I think he went over to the diner.”

  “Thanks. Good seeing y’all.”

  The couple walked over to the diner. “Don’t they look happy?”

  “You look happy.” Bo’s eyes looked into Becky’s and warmth surged through her. Yes, she was happy for the first time in a very long time.

  They had a late lunch at the diner. Later they milled around in some of the shops, especially the hardware store. They sold toys. It was a moment out of time for Bo. If he wanted a family, this was what it would be like, sharing these moments with them. He was a workaholic and most of his thoughts were centered on work and the safety of others, but now his focus was somewhere else. He wanted a life with Becky and to get that he would walk barefoot through hell.

  In the store they found tricycles, bicycles, red wagons, trucks, cars and dolls. Luci got on the tricycle and tried to make it go. Bo helped her, but then her eyes caught a doll in a wedding dress and she ran to it.

  “Mommy, it’s a dress with a tail.”

  He didn’t know what that meant, but obviously Becky did.

  “Baby, it doesn’t have a tail. It’s just a wedding dress on a doll.”

  “Oh.”

  “What do you want for Christmas, little angel?” Bo asked. “Take your pick.”

  Luci didn’t say anything.

  “How about the tricycle or the doll?” They tried to get her to pick out something, but for some reason she was resisting.

  “What do you want for Christmas?” Bo tried again.

  “I’ll tell Santa.”

  “Okay.” And that was that. Luci had something she wanted, but they didn’t know how to get it out of her.

  In the late afternoon they walked home. Luci fell asleep on Bo’s shoulder and Becky linked her arm through his. His happiness was building to a crescendo. He and Becky needed to talk and he planned to do that as soon as they got home. Luci would take a nap and he and Becky would have some time alone. He was hoping Craig wasn’t there.

  His hopes were dashed. Luci woke up as soon as they walked into the house and Craig was not only there, but Bo’s mother was there, too. Luci crawled onto Craig’s lap and told him about the Christmas tree and all the people and the kids she’d played with. On and on she talked.

  “I’m glad y’all are here,” his mother interrupted. “Craig and I would like to talk to you.”

  Bo glanced at Becky and she shrugged.

  “Should I take Luci to her room?” Becky asked.

  “No, no,” Ava said. “I want her to hear this, too.

  “I not sleeping,” Luci announced.

  Becky sat on the sofa and Bo sat beside her, waiting for what he knew was coming.

  “Craig and I have been friends for a long time and, well, we wanted you to know that it turned into something more. We got married about six months ago.”

  “Huh…” Bo’s words trailed away. He’d suspected they were seeing each other, but the marriage surprised him.

  “Why would you keep it a secret?” Becky wanted to know. “We’re happy for you.” She turned to Bo. “Aren’t we?”

  “I couldn’t be happier, Mom. Congratulations. Why did you keep it a secret?”

  “Well, considering your relationship with Becky, we didn’t want to stir up any problems. You and Becky are hardly ever here, so it worked out, but suddenly you’re both home and we were unsure of what to do.”

  “Who got married?” Luci asked.

  She was sitting on Craig’s lap and he squeezed her tight. “Grandpa and Ava got married. She’s now your grandma.”

  Luci clapped her hands. “Oh, boy, I don’t have a grandma.” She crawled out of Craig’s lap and went to Ava. “Did you get a dress with a tail?”

  His mother was stumped and it showed on her face.

  Ava picked up Luci and looked at Becky over Luci’s head, mouthing, “What’s that?”

  “It’s a wedding dress with a train,” Becky explained.

  “Oh, sorry, no, sweetie. I just wore a dress.”

  “You need to get one with a tail. They’re pretty.”

  Ava hugged Luci. “When you get married, we’ll make sure you have a dress with a tail.”

  Luci clapped her hands again, and Bo got up and offered his hand to Craig. “Congratulations.” And then he hugged his mother. “No more secrets, Mom. We’re getting too old for this.”

  Everyone laughed and they decided to go out to celebrate. It was a happy occasion and Bo was happy for his mother. She deserved all the happiness in the world. He glanced at Becky and saw a whole lot of tomorrows in her eyes.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  THEY DIDN’T GET any alone time on Saturday, but Bo planned on Sunday being the day he and Becky would have some time to spend together.

  It didn’t work out quite as he’d hoped. His mom had called early to explain that they were going to announce their marriage in church, and then the pastor called and said the congregation wanted to give them a luncheon after the service in the Fellowship Hall. And she wanted her children present. So they spent most of the morning in church.

  It was after two when they returned home, and Becky put Luci down for a nap. Kelsey stayed for a while and then went back to Austin. When Becky came out of Luci’s room, Bo grabbed her hand and led her through the living room and out the door.

  “We’ll see y’all later,” he shouted to Craig and his mother, who had perplexed looks on their faces.

  “We need some time alone,” he said as they walked across the street.

  “I agree,” Becky replied.

  They went through the front door and Bo locked it. He gathered Becky into his arms and kissed her deeply. They were lost in all the emotions they’d experienced in the past few days. Before they could get lost in each other, his cell went off.

  “Dammit!” He rested his forehead against hers. “I have to get it.” He grabbed his phone out of his pocket with one arm around her. He wasn’t letting go that easil
y.

  It was the lieutenant. His heart sank. She would only call for one reason. He had to go. Dammit! “Goodnight,” he responded.

  “I need you back here as soon as possible. We have a situation.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Becky groaned and pulled back. “No, Bo. Please, don’t go now.” She kissed his lips and it reminded him of the time eighteen years ago when she’d begged him to stay. Was he always going to make the same mistake?

  He cupped her face. “I have to go. It’s my job. Someone’s life is in danger and I can’t ignore that. I’ll call you as soon as it’s over.”

  She stepped back with a heavy sigh. “I feel as if I’m seventeen years old and needing you to stay as much as you need to go. Is this going to be our lives?”

  He kissed her forehead. “We’ll talk later. I have to go.”

  Without another word, Bo marched out of the house, got into his truck and drove away, wondering if the past was destined to keep haunting him.

  Becky walked across the street and forced herself not to cry. This was life. Real life with Bo and his real, dangerous job. She had to face that and deal with it in a manner much better than that seventeen-year-old had. While Luci slept she packed their things to go back to Austin. It was too late for Bo to return tonight, so she thought that was best.

  Ava walked in as she was packing. “You’re leaving?”

  “Yes, Bo got a call and had to go.”

  “And you’re upset?”

  Becky sat on the bed with a turtleneck in her hands. “Honestly, yes. I’ve been avoiding thinking about what he does for a living. How he lives life on the edge, always facing danger.”

  “I always thought it was because of his father, that he needed to keep the adrenaline pumping so as not to think about his dad. That’s just my opinion.”

  “He said the meeting with Mason was good at Thanksgiving.”

  “Yes, better than I had expected. Mason is terribly sick and Bo could see that and it kind of cooled all the rage inside him. I don’t think he has it anymore, and that has something to do with you.”

  Becky laid the turtleneck in her carryall. “I don’t know. We’re so good together, but we have a lot of issues to get through. I love him and I guess I’m always going to love him. I just don’t know how to live with what he does for a living.”

  Ava sat on the bed and put an arm around Becky. “If you love him, then you have to love what he does. It took me a while to get used to it—although I don’t know if I’m really used to it. I just dread that one day I might get that call, but I try not to let it show because he helps a lot of people. He saves lives. I try to look at it that way. With the way the world is today, you and I are probably more likely to get shot than he is. And if we didn’t have people like Bo, who would catch all those bad guys?”

  Becky hugged Ava. “Thank you. I really needed to hear that. And I’m really glad you’re my stepmom. I’m so happy you and Dad have each other.”

  “I am, too. I’ve never been this happy in my whole life.”

  After that, Becky felt better. She packed up the car, waved goodbye and went back to her small condo. And waited.

  The call came three hours later. “Hey, Bec, I’m back and everything is fine.”

  Her heart beat so fast she could barely speak. “Are you okay?”

  “Sure. It was a basic takedown. Everything ended peacefully. You didn’t have to worry.”

  “But I do worry and I’m trying to deal with the fact that one day you might not come home.”

  “Bec…”

  “You have a very dangerous job and I don’t know if I can live with that. I think we need to take a break to decide what we want.”

  “Break? We haven’t even gotten started yet. Come on, Becky. I’m very good at what I do and I’ve been well trained. You have to trust me.”

  “It’s not about trust. It’s about you living life on the edge all the time.”

  “Do you want me to quit?”

  “Yes. No. I just need some time to understand why I feel this way.”

  “How long?”

  “Bo…” She paused. “I don’t know. I’ve been pushing your job to the back of my mind so I didn’t have to deal with it. I keep seeing that video of the man shooting at you. It’s all in my head, but we’ve grown very close and I want to be sure about our future, especially for Luci.”

  “Can we talk about this in person?”

  “I’m tired and going to bed, and I have a busy week ahead. I’m sure you do, too. Let’s talk at the end of this week.”

  “Bec…”

  “Every time I hear a siren I’ll think it’s you. I don’t know if I can live like that.”

  “I thought when you loved someone, you loved them warts and all. And I do love you and I know you love me. You haven’t said the words, but…”

  She held the phone close to her ear and soaked up every word, and still she couldn’t let go. “Just give me some time.”

  “Fine.”

  That final clipped word twisted her heart. She sat on the sofa and an errant tear ran down her cheek. She brushed it away quickly. She wasn’t going to cry. This time she was going to deal with life head-on and make sure her choices were the right ones. For Bo and her. And for Luci.

  * * *

  BO THREW HIMSELF into work. That was the only thing he knew to do. She had to come to the right conclusion on her own and he couldn’t push her. There were a lot of thefts and robberies going on this time of the year, so he had plenty to do. And if he wasn’t on the job, he was training and trying to keep his thoughts at bay. Giving her time wasn’t an easy thing to do. After all, it was the holiday season and he wanted to be with her. His love was patient so he could wait.

  “Hey, what’s up with you?” Hutch asked, shoving his combat boots into his locker.

  He and Hutch had become good friends, as all of his crew had, and he felt he could tell him anything. He told him about Becky and Luci. It wasn’t like Bo to share personal stuff, but he needed to talk.

  “And she wants you to quit your job?”

  “My job scares her and I can understand that. I’m just trying to weigh my options here, because this time I’m not walking away.”

  Hutch sat by him on the bench. “Did you say Luci was that baby you saved years ago?”

  “Yeah, small world, isn’t it?” He talked on and on about Luci and couldn’t believe his own ears. But Luci was special to him and always would be.

  Finally, Bo got to his feet. “I better go so I can get here early in the morning. I’m trying to get on the lieutenant’s good side.”

  “There isn’t one,” Hutch replied, picking up his carryall.

  They laughed together as they walked out of the building.

  Bo got into his truck and was tempted to call Becky. It was Saturday and it had been almost a full week. Why hadn’t she called? He’d promised to give her time, though. He slipped his phone back into his pocket just as it rang.

  He glanced at the caller ID, hoping it was Becky. It wasn’t. It was Layla.

  “Bo, this is Layla. Your dad just passed away.”

  He closed his eyes and pain ripped through him so hard he had to take a deep breath. “Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

  “He didn’t want me to. But he did ask me to call you first so you could tell your mother and your sister.”

  “Thanks, and thanks for all you’ve done for him.”

  “I loved him and I would’ve done anything for him. I know you had your problems, but he always talked about you and Kelsey.”

  “Thank you. Where are the arrangements being made?”

  “I have no idea. I asked Mason about that and he said it had been taken care of.”

  “By who?”

  “I don’t know, but he was very sure.”


  “Do you think it was my grandmother?”

  “No, I’m almost positive about that. Mason never wanted her to worry about anything.”

  “I’ll check into it and get back with you.”

  The next person he called was his mother. “Are you at a place where you can stop for a moment?”

  “Yeah, I’m in my office at the grocery store, getting ready to go home to Craig.”

  “I’ll call you when you get there.”

  “Why? Just tell me now. I’ve been through a lot, son, and I can handle anything, I promise you.”

  “Dad just passed away.” There was silence on the line. “Mom…”

  “I’m here. I’m just trying to accept this. They said he had longer and he didn’t get that time. That makes me sad, especially since he was finally talking to his kids. I wanted that for y’all. Do you know who’s taking care of the arrangements?”

  “That’s what I’m wondering. Layla said that Dad said it was all taken care of. You know anything about that?”

  “No. We never talked about arrangements. I have no idea who would be paying for his funeral. We need to get this straight soon.”

  “I’m on it, but first I have to call Kelsey. Oh, no—Grandma! I don’t want to have to tell Grandma. I’ll just call Aunt Lois.”

  “Estelle’s much stronger than you think.”

  “I’ll call you later.”

  “Bo.”

  “What?”

  “You called him Dad for the first time in a very long time.”

  He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t.

  He sat in his truck for ages, trying to accept this final blow. It was over, all the anger, the resentment and the bitterness were over. Now there was nothing left but the regrets, and he could pave the streets of Horseshoe with those. If he had learned anything, he’d learned that he couldn’t stitch together memories of his childhood and make it look picture-perfect. It wasn’t. It wasn’t even close.

  Now he had to figure out who was paying for his father’s funeral. He went back and forth through the family and thought maybe his uncle Jim had paid, but Jim was far away, and according to him, the brothers never talked that much.