“So I’ve heard. It’s all a part of the parenting package and sounds like fun.”
“Same category of fun as a root canal.”
But Kaylee’s laughter told Riley she was looking as forward to the chaos as he.
“And don’t forget about the wrapping part, after it’s all put together.”
“Duly noted.” Riley’s gifts to Kaylee would prove difficult to wrap, as well, but he’d manage anyway.
“I think the coffee and cookies will have to wait.” He set the packages on the floor and slipped his arms around her waist. “Rosie and I did a little shopping, too, before we got in the line to see Santa.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Look up.”
Kaylee’s little gasp told Riley exactly when she saw the sprig of mistletoe hanging over the mantle. She pressed her cheek to his chest, sighing as flames danced along the hearth. “And just what do you suppose we should do with that?”
“Let me show you…”
7
“I never knew a sheep could be so cute.” Riley helped Rosie scoot from the Escalade and then lifted her into his arms.
The wind whispered through leafless trees that bordered the meadow as he pressed her check to his shoulder. Rosie yawned and twined her arms around his neck, holding tight as they started for the stairs to the guest house.
“Or so sleepy. You did a great job in the nativity tonight, sweetie. I’m so proud,” he said.
“Thank you. It made Mom cry, though.”
“Good tears. Moms do that from time to time.”
“Why?”
“Because they get so full of happy that if they don’t let it out somehow, they’ll burst.”
“Oh.” Rosie patted Riley’s cheek. “Do daddies cry sometimes, too?”
“I suppose they do. I’m not sure, though. I’ve never been one.” And I’ve never had one, either, he wanted to add. “Maybe I’ll find out one day.”
“You could be my daddy, and then you’d know for sure.”
“You already have a daddy.”
“Miss Ruth says God is everybody’s daddy. Is that true?”
“If Gran said so, then it’s true.” The words hit home with Riley. Was that what she and Gramps had been trying to get through his head all these years that he’d spent feeling sorry for himself?
“So, we both have the same daddy.” Rosie tucked her cheek against his shoulder. “God must be pretty busy to keep up with everyone.”
“I suppose he is, but he still manages quite well.” Riley shifted feet to glance at Kaylee. He smiled, wondering how she managed to field so many questions.
“Is Santa on his way, Mom?” Rosie gazed into the moonlit, velvet sky, searching for the elusive gift-giver. “Is his sleigh all loaded with lots and lots of presents?”
“He sure is on his way.” Kaylee stuffed Rosie’s costume beneath her arm as she followed Riley up the stairs. “And I’m positive his sleigh is loaded down. He might even have a thing or two for you. We’d better get you into bed so you’ll be fast asleep when he gets here.”
A thing or two…
Riley groaned inside. Despite his expertly honed questioning skills and years of practice, Riley had failed to garner any further information on Rosie’s secret request to Santa. The kid was locked tighter than Fort Knox. He could only hope Kaylee had somehow stumbled upon the gift and it waited in her closet to be wrapped.
“We need to put the cookies out.” Rosie yawned again as dusky lashes fluttered against her cheeks. Her words drifted out on a sigh. “Santa told me he likes chocolate chip best, same as me.”
“I’ll take care of it while your mom tucks you in,” Riley handed Rosie off to Kaylee. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Will you be here when I open my presents?”
“Not then, but I’ll see you when you get to Gran’s house for Christmas turkey.”
“Yummy. Mom’s going to help cook, right?”
“We all are.”
“Like a family?”
“Just like a family.” Her words brought a lump to Riley’s throat. He kissed her forehead and waved while Kaylee carried her away. “Sleep tight, sweetie.”
As Kaylee padded down the hallway, Riley plugged in the Christmas lights and switched on the stereo, adding a Christmas CD so soft music filled the room. He glanced up at the mistletoe and thought, with a note of satisfaction, that he might make use of it again a time or two between the present-wrapping and cookie-nibbling.
In the kitchen, he started a pot of coffee and then drew a small plate from the cabinet and filled it with a handful of chocolate chip cookies. As an afterthought, he took a generous bite out of one before setting it atop the pile. A glass of milk, half full, was the perfect accompaniment. He returned to the living room to set the plate on the coffee table. Stepping back, he surveyed the room with a satisfied smile. Everything looked just perfect…from the twinkling tree lights to the small tube he pulled from the pocket of his jacket and tied with a length of ribbon. He was all thumbs when it came to paper and tape, but a ribbon worked just fine. Riley parted two boughs of the Christmas tree and tucked the roll back between the branches where it wouldn’t be easily spotted before morning. He hoped Kaylee would be pleased when she found it there tomorrow.
A flash of headlights through the front window caught Riley’s attention. He stepped to the front door and peered through the curtains. Who would be arriving this time of night? The lights dimmed and the door opened. One look at the driver as he slipped from the seat and Riley’s heart sank.
Cody McKenna, bundled in steel-toed boots and a hooded jacket, started up the stairs.
****
“Here’s the wrapping paper…” Kaylee’s voice lodged in her throat, killing the words as she rounded the doorway and her gaze locked on Cody. She pressed one hand against the doorjamb, propping herself as her legs went weak. “I didn’t expect…”
“Hi, sis.” He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed a cookie from the platter Riley had set on the coffee table. “Sorry to barge in so late, but I finished a job today, drove all the way from Albuquerque to see you. I figured with Christmas and all…” He took a bite of the cookie, reached for the glass of milk. “How’s the kid?”
“Rosie’s good.” Kaylee’s gaze drifted to Riley as a feeling of foreboding welled in the pit of her belly. Suddenly the wood floor turned to eggshells and she tread oh-so-carefully. Riley’s eyes fixed on her, soothing, and the beat of her pulse eased just a bit. “We got in from church a few minutes ago and she’s beat. She was in a play…”
“Kaylee just tucked her in,” Riley finished. “Rosie’s sleeping.”
“Figured as much, this late. Wouldn’t be right if the kid was still up.” Cody finished off the cookie, grabbed a second. “I’ll bet she’s growing like a weed. She been too much trouble for you, Kay?”
“She’s been just fine.” Kaylee took a tentative step into the living room. Lights twinkled from the tree and the murmur of music drifted. The scene would be just perfect if Cody wasn’t standing smack-dab in the middle of it. And, why couldn’t he call Rosie by name? He’d never, as far as she remembered, used Rosie’s name while speaking
to
her or
about
her. Kaylee dropped the wrapping paper on the floor beside the recliner. She forced a smile. “Are you hungry, Cody? Would you like a sandwich? I have some pumpkin pie, eggnog. There’s plenty.”
“No, thanks. These cookies hit the spot.” He cleaned the plate, leaving behind only the one Riley had doctored. “I guess that one’s for the bearded guy.”
“Yes…that one.” Kaylee thought her heart might leap from her chest with the way it pounded against her ribs. “Are you OK, Cody? Do you need something? You’re welcome to stay and share Christmas with us. Riley and I were just getting ready to wrap Rosie’s presents.”
He snatched an ornament from the tree, tinkled the tiny bell. “What did the kid ask for this year?”
“This.” Kaylee showed him the doll house and the board games. “And Riley adopted that kitten for her a few weeks ago.” Princess Fluffy lay nestled in her favorite spot along the tree skirt. “We call her Princess Fluffy.”
“Well, that’s a hoot.” Cody replaced the ornament and then leaned down, scooped the cat into his lap. “She’s a cute little thing. I’ll bet the kid just eats her up.”
“Rosie loves her, yes.”
Suddenly, Cody’s hand stilled along the kitten’s fur and he glanced up, his gaze dark and pointed. “Can I see the kid, Kaylee?” He motioned toward the doorway as his voice rose a notch. “I’d really like to see her.”
“She’s sleeping. It’s late. But in the morning—”
“I can’t stay.” He resumed stroking Fluffy’s back with fingers callused from manual labor. His skin was more wrinkled than Kaylee remembered and ruddy from the wind; his sandy-blond hair needed a trim and a comb. Kaylee wondered how long it had been since he’d filled his belly with a home-cooked meal. While her heart ached for her brother, her senses remained on full alert. “I’m due at a job in Raleigh come Monday. Should last a couple months this time, maybe longer, if all goes well. I’d really like to see her before I hit the road again.”
“Well…” Kaylee twined her fingers together to keep them from trembling. “If you don’t mind that she’s sleeping, I suppose it won’t hurt for you to take a look.”
“I don’t mind. Just a little look, that’s all. I promise I won’t wake her.”
“Come with me, then. Rosie’s bedroom is down the hall.”
Cody set Fluffy back on the floor and the kitten scampered to the tree, wasted no time curling up along the skirt once again. “You’ve got a nice place.”
“Ruth has been very generous. Rosie and I like it here.”
“That’s good.” Cody met her at the doorway. “You look good, sis…happy.”
“I am.”
“Life’s been treating you pretty good these days?”
“Yes, but what about you, Cody? How are you?”
“I’m managing.” He scratched the stubble along his chin. “Can’t complain. But it would still be an awful hard struggle, with the kid tagging along.”
“I don’t mind her staying here with me. Really, Cody.”
“That’s what Riley said when I talked to him on the phone last week, after I got his letter. I was hoping…Well, I’d like you to keep her, then, if you could.” He paused, a step shy of bumping into Kaylee as the words stilled her. The doorway to Rosie’s room beckoned and Kaylee stepped back to allow him access. “The jobs keep me busy, and the road is no place for a kid. Could you do that for me…keep her?”
“I…of course I will.”
“I brought you something…” Cody dug into the jacket of his pocket. “I figured you’d need them if you’re going to keep the kid.”
Kaylee unfolded the papers he stuffed into her hands. Tears pooled in her eyes as she scanned the legalese, found his notarized signature and that of Rosie’s mother, as well. She swiped her eyes as she looked up at him. “But, where did these come from? How?”
“Riley faxed them to me after we talked. And I figured since I was heading through I’d just drop them by tonight. They’d get here faster than the post office could deliver, anyway. I hope that’s OK.”
“It’s…perfect.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Kaylee.” Cody jammed his hands into his pockets as he paused at Rosie’s doorway. “Like I said, a construction site is no place for a kid, and with my long work hours…” His voice broke with a little hitch. “Will you just tell her that I love her? Make sure she knows, OK?”
“Of course I will.” Kaylee touched his shoulder. “I’ll take good care of her, Cody. I promise.”
“I know you will. And it looks like Riley will be hanging around to help. A guy can tell that kind of thing. I’m glad for you. After all this time…everything that’s happened…you deserve a little happiness.” Cody nodded and leaned in to kiss the crown of Kaylee’s head before turning away. Not before she saw the tears that glistened in his eyes, though. “I guess I’d better get back on the road. Haven’t seen weather like this in East Tennessee in years. This storm is sure to be a beast. I’d like to beat it.”
“You’re sure you can’t stay?”
“I’m sure.” He sniffed and offered a slight salute. “I love you, sis. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Cody.”
Epilogue
The burst of yellow caught Kaylee’s attention as she turned off Cardwell Lane and wove her way up the long gravel drive toward the guest house. She still thought of the house that way, even though Ruth had deeded the home to her as a Christmas gift, so it was officially her and Rosie’s home now.
It had truly been a Christmas of miracles, from finding Riley’s letter of resignation rolled up with a bow and tucked along the Christmas tree branches to the deeded house and dinner shared as a family. And good cheer continued to spill over as Christmas wound its way toward a new year.
Following a morning appointment at the courthouse, papers nestled inside an official-looking manila folder in the seat beside her were proof—Rosie’s adoption papers, signed by the family court judge from Knoxville.
“He came, Mom!” Rosie squealed in delight. She struggled with her seatbelt as they pulled to a stop in front of the cozy white-frame house. “I knew he would.”
Kaylee squinted against sunlight that streamed through the windshield. The snowman she and Rosie had crafted alongside the front porch, with Riley’s help, was already wilting. His carrot nose had toppled to the ground where blades of grass peeked through the snow cover, reminding her that East Tennessee snow rarely lasted long. “Who came, honey?”
“Santa did. Look!”
The rails along the wrap-around front porch overflowed with sunny yellow blooms—marigolds. Kaylee’s breath caught as their musky-sweet fragrance swirled in through the lowered passenger window. There was only one explanation for the joyful splash of color that marked this special day—Riley. But where had he found such beautiful blooms this time of year?
Just then, Riley rounded the corner of the house, carrying a ceramic pot. He caught sight of Kaylee and grinned as he nodded, dark eyes twinkling. No glower to be found in them…not any longer. The thought toyed with Kaylee’s senses and brought a smile to her lips.
“Oh my goodness.” Kaylee slipped from her own seatbelt while Rosie scrambled from the car and dashed across the grass.