As Bo made to crawl in beside Becky his phone rang. He talked for a few minutes and then placed it on the nightstand. “Good news. Dr. Eames and Kathy Purcell are out of surgery and resting comfortably. The surgeons had to do a lot of repair work, but they are expected to make a full recovery.”
“Oh, Bo. That’s wonderful.” The terror in her eased as she said a silent prayer for her friends.
“Yes, it is, and now it’s time for you to get some rest.” He crawled in beside her and said, “No fooling around tonight, beautiful lady.”
She giggled like Luci and laid her head on his chest, feeling his strength, his warmth, and that they were all she would ever need. Sleep tugged at her, but they had to talk.
“Luci still won’t tell me what she wants for Christmas and I don’t have a big gift for her. I bought some books, puzzles, coloring books, crayons and clothes. Those are from you because you have to make her wear them. But she will not say what she wants for Christmas. She told Santa and I asked him what she’d said, but with so many kids he couldn’t remember.”
“I’ll go in the morning to the hardware store and get the tricycle and maybe the bride doll. She’ll be excited to get the tricycle. I think she has Christmas mixed up with a birthday wish. But we’ll see on Christmas morning.”
She snuggled closer and fell into a deep sleep, knowing she would always be safe, loved and happy with him.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING Bo hurried to the hardware store to pick up the tricycle and doll, but they were both gone. He called Becky on the way to Temple to tell her he would find something similar. But first, he stopped and got a haircut. His hair and beard were getting scraggly again and he wanted this Christmas to be perfect.
The mall was packed with last-minute shoppers, but he waded shoulder to shoulder with them through the stores until he finally found a pink tricycle. They had sold out of the other colors. When he looked at the price tag of the pink one, he knew why. It was fancy, with a horn and lights.
He called Becky to see if that was what she wanted. As he was talking to her, he glanced at a row of dolls and saw a bride one. He pulled it out, looked at it and explained it to Becky. “It even has a tail, as Luci calls it. Oh, wow!”
“What is it?” Becky asked.
“Do dolls usually cost this much?” He told her the price.
“No. It must be a first edition or something.”
“It’s what she wants. I’m buying it.”
“Go for it,” she replied with a laugh.
While he was waiting to get checked out, he saw a red wagon. He bought it, too. It was Christmas. He took all the items to his mom’s house. Kelsey had made it home.
He carried the items in and asked, “Can you wrap these?”
“You want me to wrap all that? It’ll take over a hundred yards of paper.”
“Have fun.”
“Bo—”
He went to his room, took a shower, shaved and got dressed for Christmas Eve. When he came out of his room, Kelsey was trying to wrap the gifts. “You have a business degree and you can’t figure out how to put paper around a tricycle?”
“Shut up.”
He helped her finish and then made his way across the street to Becky. He was surprised to see her dressed in jeans, a red turtleneck and boots.
“You look gorgeous.” He kissed her.
“With the good news about Dr. Eames and Kathy, I’ve decided we’re going to the lighting of the tree.”
“Are you sure? You’re supposed to rest.”
“I want to go for Luci. I don’t want her to miss it.”
“Then we’ll go, but we’re not staying long.”
At four o’clock that afternoon they made their way to Horseshoe Square. People were everywhere, milling around, talking, laughing and enjoying the holiday season. There was a table for coffee and hot chocolate and kolaches and cookies. They stood with Cole, Grace and Zoe. The whole Rebel family was there with their children. Bo shook hands with all of them. People had heard what happened to Becky and they stopped to ask how she was. It was one big family.
The mayor gave a speech and a group of first-grade students sang Christmas carols. Then the mayor flipped the switch to light the tree to a round of applause. It stood like a beacon in the night. All the children got to put an ornament on it. Bo held Luci up to put her ornament on as high as she could. Cole did the same with Zoe. Then everyone sang “Jingle Bells” and Merry Christmas echoed around the square. It was a fun night.
The next morning they woke up at five so they could get everything under the tree before Luci woke up. Bo hurried across the street to shower and change and to grab the presents. When all the gifts were under the tree, there was barely room to walk.
Kelsey trudged in before six. “Did I tell y’all I hate mornings?” She sank into a chair, staring at the gifts. “Is this all for Luci?”
“No, there’s a present or two for you under there,” her mother said, walking into the room.
“Mommy, Mommy, Mommy.” Luci interrupted the scintillating conversation. Before they could move, she charged into the living room, her hair in disarray around her face. She came to a complete stop, her mouth forming a big O. “Santa came.”
Becky picked her up. “Yes, he did. He came while you were sleeping. Merry Christmas, baby.” Becky sat on the floor with Luci in her lap, and Bo placed gifts in front of them.
“Is this for me?”
“Yes,” Becky said. “Open your gifts.”
Luci tore into them like a whirlwind, paper flying everywhere. She jumped up and down and screamed when she saw the doll with the long veil. She put all her toys in the wagon and pulled it around, but her face wasn’t as happy as it had been earlier.
“Something’s wrong,” Bo whispered to Becky.
“Baby, is something wrong?”
Luci shook her head. “I didn’t get my wish.”
“What wish?”
“My Christmas wish.”
“Tell Mommy what it is.”
Luci shook her head and went back to playing with her toys.
Becky and Bo sat on the sofa and the grown-ups opened their gifts. Bo waited until the last to give Becky his present. Then he got down on one knee and opened a velvet ring box. “Rebecca Diane Tullous, will you marry me?”
Before Becky could utter a word, Luci gave an ear-splitting scream and jumped over the wrapping paper to get to Bo. She fell face-first into the paper, scrambled up and flew into his arms saying, “Yes, we say yes!”
Laughter filled the room.
Bo pushed her back a little bit. “Is that your Christmas wish?”
Luci nodded. “I wished for you to be my daddy.”
Bo looked at Becky and she brushed away a tear.
Luci looked at her mother. “We say yes, don’t we, Mommy?”
Craig put his hands around Luci’s waist and plucked her away from Bo. “Let’s go outside for a bit and give Bo and Becky a little time alone.”
“No, Grandpa. I want to stay and…”
“Craig, do you know its fifty-two degrees outside?” Kelsey asked.
Bo’s mom shoved a blanket into Kelsey’s hands and draped another around Luci. Then they made their way out the French doors.
Bo eased up onto the sofa. “Do you want to do this again?”
“No.” She threw her arms around his neck. “My answer is yes. Yes! And if you don’t put that ring on my finger soon, I’m going to freak out.”
He removed the ring from its box and slid it on to her ring finger.
“It’s beautiful. I love it.”
“I’m so sorry for all that I put you through, but I will love you forever from this day forward. And I will always put you first.”
Her hands shook and she took a deep breath. “And I will love you until my last bre
ath. I’m sorry I was so stubborn through all those years, but I think my interest in Luci was about you. The nurses kept saying how wonderful you were and that somehow drew me to the little baby.”
He sealed their love with a long, deep kiss. Whatever happened in the future they would handle it together as a team.
Bo rested his forehead against Becky’s and saw Luci with her face and hands pressed against the glass door. “Look at the French doors,” he whispered to Becky.
“I guess we better let them back in, because one little person is just as happy as we are. Who would’ve ever thought that’s what she wanted for Christmas?”
He kissed her lips. “I kind of like that Christmas wish.”
“Me, too.”
Bo got up to open the door and glanced back at Becky. “If you’re feeling okay, I thought we might go tell my grandmother this afternoon. She says she’s been waiting for this from the day I was born.”
“I would love to do that.” Becky tried to sidestep wrapping paper and some of it got attached to her house shoes. She tried to shake it away and started giggling. “I’m so happy I can’t even walk.”
Bo laughed with her and it felt so good compared to the terror of yesterday. Now they would forge the future they had wanted since they were teenagers, and he couldn’t be happier.
EPILOGUE
One year later…
BO PUSHED THE remote control on his truck’s visor and the garage door of their brand-new home went up. Parking next to Becky’s SUV he took a moment to reflect on the last year. It had passed quickly, but everything had fallen into place once they’d declared their love for each other.
They’d gotten married in the middle of January in a small church in Horseshoe. The bruise on Becky’s face had almost healed by then. What marks remained, she covered with her hair.
Dr. Eames was able to return to work six months later. Kathy’s injuries were more extensive, since she’d been shot twice, but she was lucky the bullets hadn’t hit any vital organs. Once she was able to go home she and her mother had moved to a small town in Colorado to be near Kathy’s brother and family.
Becky didn’t go back to work until three months later. That gave her time to heal and look for a house for them, and she’d found one near the police station and the hospital that was perfect, complete with a big backyard for Luci.
He’d adopted Luci and his name was now on her amended birth certificate. He and Becky had talked about the future and what they wanted. Bo wanted to get his twenty years in and not lose his pension, and he wanted to stay in SWAT. Becky agreed wholeheartedly. Becky chose to continue working for the clinic and Bo was okay with that. The hospital had installed extra safety measures to ensure everyone’s safety. Becky was back working with Dr. Eames, but she’d shortened her hours so she could be there for Luci. Their precious little girl had started school in August and had flourished being with other children.
The money issue had been settled easily. They talked with Kelsey about what they wanted to do with it and came up with a good solution. They had invested the money in a scholarship fund for Horseshoe kids who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to go to college. They had named it the Ava Goodnight Scholarship. She had objected strongly and wanted it to be in her kids’ names. He and Kelsey wanted in it their mother’s and she’d finally given in. And they’d given Layla ten thousand dollars so she could get by until she found a job. Everything had worked out. Bo was glad not to have that money hanging over his head. It had gone for something good to help the kids in the community.
He opened the garage door to the house and two things hit him at once—a delicious scent and the screeching of Luci.
“Daddy! Daddy’s home!” She leaped into his arms. She’d grown the past year and was now at the same level of other children her age. She’d gained eight pounds and was the size of an average four-year-old. Becky was letting Luci’s hair grow and it was now in a ponytail tied with a purple ribbon. Luci was off the color pink. She’d expanded her choices to all colors of the rainbow.
He kissed her cheek. “How was your day, little angel?”
“Good. I’m learning my letters.” She wiggled down and went to the coffee table where she had alphabet blocks scattered everywhere. She picked up the letter B.
“Know what this is, Daddy?”
“B.”
“When my teacher asks me for a word that starts with a B, I say Bo and Becky, my parents. Cool, huh?”
He kissed her nose. “You’re cool.”
Becky slipped her arms around his waist, and he turned and gathered her close. She wore shorts and a tank top, and she looked exactly as she had all those years ago from his bedroom window. From that day on she had owned his heart, but life and his dysfunctional family had intervened and had cost him dearly. But that was the past and they had put it behind them.
He stroked her hair away from her face and looked into her gorgeous blue eyes. This was the best part of his day, coming home to her, coming home to family. He had never had that before and he felt immensely blessed.
Standing on tiptoes, she kissed him and he ran his hands through her long hair. “I love your hair like this.”
“I know and that’s why I’m letting it grow. Just for you.” She smiled and the tiredness of the day washed away.
“Supper’s ready.”
They ate supper and Luci jabbered on about school. They’d waited forever for her to talk and now they couldn’t shut her up.
He did the dishes while Becky gave Luci a bath and put her to bed. They both read her a story and had cuddle time and kisses and hugs before they walked out of the room. Arm in arm they went into the living room.
Bo sat on the sofa and Becky stood, grinning from ear to ear.
“What’s up? You’ve been smiling all evening.”
“I know. I can barely stand it.” She danced from one foot to the other.
“If it makes you that excited, it must be something big.”
“It is. It is.” She hurried down the hallway and came back with a small white box. With a super-sized grin, she handed it to him.
“You bought me a gift?”
She shook her head. “No. I’ve had it for a very long time and this is the day you get to open it.”
Her excitement was contagious and he knew that whatever was in the box was going to change his life forever. Gingerly, he lifted the lid and pushed the tissue aside to reveal a tiny onesie. On the front was printed, I Love My Daddy. He remembered her saying something about buying it to let him know about their first child, the one they’d lost.
“Does this mean…huh…what I think it means?”
“I missed my period and I took a pregnancy test. It was positive. We’re pregnant!” She raised her arms in a victory sign and danced from one foot to the other.
He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. “Wow! That was fast. We agreed to start trying, but I never dreamed it would be this quick.”
“I think we’re very good in the reproduction department.” She rested her head under his chin. “But I’m so scared.”
“Why?”
“I lost the first one and I’m afraid it will happen again.” She touched the onesie still in his hand.
He kissed her forehead. “No. I’ll be here this time and that’s not going to happen. We’ll do this together.” He drew breath in deeply. “My heart is racing right now and I have a hard time finding words. This is one of the biggest moments of my life. A baby. Our baby.” His throat went dry and he thought of the miracle that had been given to him after everything that had happened.
She touched the onesie again. “This isn’t for the new baby. It belonged to our first child and always will. I just wanted you to see it. That pain in my chest is gone now, but that baby will always live deep in my heart.”
He cupped her face and kissed her. “Do you know
how much I love you?”
“As much as I love you,” she replied, tears glistening in her eyes.
He kissed her again and they cuddled together. “We’ve been through hell, Bec, and we’ve made it through.”
“Yes.”
“I remember when Lucas was born. Cole was so nervous and about six shades of white. I can understand now. I’m feeling nervousness and happiness all at the same time, and I’m so grateful for everything that has been given to me.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I love you and our life and our children and always will.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I love you, too.”
And those were the words that cemented their lives forever.
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781488068362
A Christmas Proposal
Copyright © 2020 by Linda Warren
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Harlequin Heartwarming December 2020 Box Set Page 46