The Texan's Christmas

Lizzie passed along the pink-clad bundle, then got an oven mitt to lift the hot lid off the slow cooker. The tantalizing scent of homemade ham and bean soup filled the room.

It smelled delicious, but Nicole felt guilty that the two busy parents had gone to any trouble. “I wish you’d let me bring something from the deli.” In the next room, Natalie was still crying, but it seemed less vehement now.

Lizzie shook her head. “The soup was easy, I swear. And I’m not used to spending so much time at home. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the time with my daughter, but I still need to feel useful in other ways.”

During a lull in the crying, they could hear the low murmur of Chris’s voice as he sang to the infant.

Cocking her head, Lizzie paused to listen. “He is so good with her.” There was a wealth of love in her voice. Despite any frustrations like a baby who wouldn’t stop crying or the drastic changes to Lizzie’s schedule, she was obviously happy with her life. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe I’d planned to be a single mother. When I first told Chris I was pregnant, I wasn’t sure how involved he’d want to be—we weren’t exactly together at the time. But now, I can’t imagine my life without him. I don’t know how women do this alone.”

Nicole swallowed hard. Raising a baby on her own was a daunting prospect. But people did it all the time, her own mother notwithstanding. Financially, Nicole was more fortunate than many, and she could afford to hire help. She hadn’t made this decision with the naive belief that it would be easy; she’d simply refused to let fear stop her from pursuing what she most wanted out of life.

“You okay?” Lizzie asked, jolting Nicole from her thoughts.

“Sure. Sorry. Distracted by work stuff,” she lied.

Something shifted in Lizzie’s gaze, as if she were holding back a comment.

“What is it?” Nicole prodded.

“I... Maybe we should wait for Chris to come back. He was going to handle this.”

“Handle what?” Nicole asked, her curiosity now at peak level.

“Part of the reason we wanted to see you was to ask you about...” She sighed. “I don’t want to put you in a difficult position. AB Windpower is your employer. More specifically, Adele Black is your employer. I understand your loyalty is to her.”

There was a shaky, emotional emphasis on the her. Lizzie didn’t sound as if she were just talking about a CEO of another energy company. Oh, God. Did Lizzie know Adele was her mother? Nicole hadn’t been prepared for that. If Lizzie confided in her, should Nicole admit she was already aware of the situation? That she’d known Adele’s relation to the Barons even before meeting Lizzie?

By nature, Nicole was a forthright person. Skirting the truth didn’t come easily to her. Right now, she felt as if she were wearing a blinking neon sign that said Deception! Ulterior Motives! Rising Nausea!

That last part overwhelmed her out of the blue. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply and willing it to pass. “Can you excuse me for a minute? I need to use the restroom.” She fought her instinct to sprint through their house, but only barely. She passed Chris at an impressive speed-walking clip.

Though the baby’s cries had tapered, she was still putting up a fight. As Nicole pressed cold water to her face, she heard another howl. She could empathize. If she had to choose between allegiance to Adele and friendship with the Millers, she might cry, too.

* * *

DR. GREENE, A TALL, slim woman in her fifties, raised her eyebrows above her wire-rim glasses. “You’re awfully tense. Worried about the results of the surgery?”

Daniel shook his head, feeling sheepish. “Medical facilities give me the heebie-jeebies. No offense, Doc.”

“None taken.” She confirmed that he was doing the “passive” exercises she’d recommended and that he could make it through most days without pain medication. “All things considered, you’re healing nicely. But...even with the surgical reattachment of the ligament and the physical therapy you’ll be starting, your shoulder’s stability is compromised. I have a son your age. And if he were in the same situation, I’d ask him to think about quitting the rodeo circuit. Going forward, you’re in jeopardy of reinjuring your shoulder.”

The idea of giving up rodeos wasn’t as upsetting as she might think. Although Daniel had worked hard to earn his ranking—sometimes even beating Jacob, who’d had a real shot at the National Finals—his career path had developed more from his environment than a conscious desire on his part. People called oil the family business, and God knew Baron Energies had made Brock plenty of money, but, until this year, it would have been equally true to say rodeo was the family business.

His thoughts drifted to Bodie’s description of life at the Double F. Daniel enjoyed physical labor. Ranch work would allow him to continue being around livestock without the risks of trying to stay on Brahman or longhorn descendants specifically bred to buck.

Thanking the doctor for her advice, Daniel promised to give it serious consideration. She told him he could pick up the referral paperwork for the therapist at the checkout window, then left him to put his shirt back on. He was glad not to be hampered by the sling anymore, anxious to start PT and rebuild his strength.

When he returned to the waiting room, he spotted Carly in one of the padded seats, idly twisting a blond curl around her finger as she studied a bridal magazine. As he got close enough to see the hot-pink headline, he realized she was looking at a checklist. Damn, there were a lot of items! Surely checklists that detailed were necessary only for royal weddings.

She glanced up with a smile. “All done?”

“Finished and sling-free.”

“Great. Do you mind if we make a stop on the way to your place? I need to swing by the florist and double-check all the arrangements. And corsages. And bouquets. I’d love to get your opinion on them!” She paused, then flashed a mischievous smile at his rising discomfort. “Kidding. Julieta asked me to drop off some assorted baby supplies Chris and Lizzie left at the ranch yesterday.”

Midday traffic wasn’t too bad, and the drive didn’t take long.

As Carly grabbed the baby stuff from the backseat, she asked, “Aren’t you coming in? I mean, I don’t expect to be here long, but I was going to take the opportunity to snuggle our niece. Assuming she’s awake.”

He’d already missed a family gathering yesterday. Staying in the vehicle now would be downright antisocial. A few feet from the front door, it became evident that baby Natalie was very much awake.

“Yikes.” Carly grimaced. “Someone’s unhappy.”

Daniel wondered if, among the metric ton of other infant-care paraphernalia, Chris and Lizzie had also purchased earplugs.

Without bothering to knock, Carly opened the door. “Hello?” They found Chris in the living room, pacing with his daughter. “I brought some of the things you guys left at the Roughneck. Any chance there’s something in this bag that will help? Favorite pacifier? Magic wand?”

“I think this’ll be over soon,” Chris said. “She can’t even keep her eyes open. It’s not the most peaceful way to fall asleep, but she’ll be out in another ten minutes.”

Ten more minutes of this? Daniel felt a wave of sympathy for the other man.

Chris nodded toward the kitchen. “Lizzie was just about to fill some bowls of soup if you guys haven’t eaten lunch yet.”

“Thanks, but I had a big breakfast,” Carly said. Daniel could have hugged her for declining the invitation. “But I definitely want to say hi before we leave.”

The first thing Daniel noticed as they approached the kitchen was the warm, savory smell. But that was immediately overshadowed by the staggering tension in the room. Lizzie was standing at the counter, holding a ladle in a white-knuckle grip, her eyes bright with emotion.

Seated at the table was another woman, a beautiful brunette who looked vaguely familiar. But if he’d met her before, why didn’t he recognize her? Short of being kicked in the head by a bull and sustaining brain damage, it seemed impossible any man would forget her. She was stunning, with something indefinably exotic about her appearance. Perhaps her coloring, or the shape of her dark eyes? Her delicate features were balanced by her lush mouth and framed by thick, straight hair that tumbled well past her shoulders.

Right now, however, her lovely features were crinkled into an anxious frown. Were the two women distraught over the baby’s misery, or had he and Carly walked in on the middle of an argument?

“Daniel, Carly.” Lizzie cleared her throat, forcing a smile as she met her sister’s gaze. “This is Nicole Bennett.”

Right! “We met in April,” Daniel recalled, “when you brought Lizzie to the hospital.”

Nicole nodded. “Nice to see you again.”

He would have remembered sooner but he’d been preoccupied when they met, worried about Lizzie. He’d always had a soft spot for the oldest Baron. If anyone could understand Brock’s favoritism of Jet and how it made Jacob and Daniel feel, it would have been her. Although she was the firstborn, Brock often underestimated her because she was female. It had taken the old man’s medical leave from Baron Energies for him to finally trust her with the responsibility she deserved.

Carly straightened, her posture alert. “Nicole Bennett who works for AB Windpower?”

No wonder the atmosphere was tense. Had Chris and Lizzie invited the woman here to ask her about the stock purchases?

Whatever conversation had been taking place, Nicole looked reluctant to continue. She rose from her chair. “I should get back to the office.”

“We haven’t even had lunch,” Lizzie protested.

“I wouldn’t have eaten much anyway,” Nicole said. “My, um, stomach hasn’t entirely settled since the turbulent flight into Dallas yesterday. I don’t blame the baby for having an off day, but I’m not sure this is the best time to talk. It sounds like you and Chris wanted to ask me some questions. Instead of trying to cram everything into my lunch hour, why don’t we get together over the weekend?”

“I’d like to be there, too,” Carly said softly. “Sorry. I realize you don’t know me, but—”

“Actually, I think you should be present for the conversation,” Nicole agreed. “Probably Savannah and Jet, too.”

Wow. Her bravery was impressive. Facing down all the Barons at once was no easy task.

“Are you free Sunday?” Lizzie asked. “You could join us at the ranch.”

Daniel’s eyebrows shot up. Nothing like trial by fire. “What is that, like ten against one?”

All three females turned to him in surprise. Well, he was surprised, too. He hadn’t meant to voice his thoughts.

“Nobody’s ‘against’ Nicole,” Lizzie said, a hint of indignation in her voice. “She’s right, though. We do have some questions for her.” The Baron sisters exchanged glances, then Lizzie added, “But there’s no reason we have to ask them in front of Dad. After everyone’s done eating, he can take the older kids to feed the goats or something.”

“Just text me what time and let me know what I can bring,” Nicole said. “Dessert? A loaf of French bread?”

“Just answers,” Lizzie said, her expression forlorn.

Instead of looking cornered or dreading the inevitable interrogation, Nicole stepped forward and squeezed her hand. “I’ll answer anything I can, I promise. Guess I’ll see all of you this weekend?” She shot Daniel a questioning glance.

Nodding, Daniel had the fleeting thought that maybe his presence would give Nicole a measure of moral support. Ridiculous. She barely knew him. Besides, if she confirmed that Adele Black was in some way attempting to damage Baron Energies, there wasn’t much Daniel could do to stop the outrage headed her way. Watching her leave, he silently wished her good luck.

When he turned back, he found both his stepsisters regarding him with speculative expressions. For the first time since he’d arrived, Lizzie didn’t look upset. In fact, her lips twitched in the beginning of a smile. She and Carly exchanged knowing glances.

And Daniel experienced a stab of foreboding.

* * *

NICOLE MADE A beeline to the small meeting room Adele was using as an office, sparing a moment from her anxiety attack to appreciate that her friend even felt well enough to come into work. There had been times during the past two years when that had been the exception rather than the rule.

Adele glanced up from the spreadsheet printouts she was going over with one of the local employees, her smile faltering when she saw Nicole’s expression. “Everything okay?”

“Absolutely. I just need to run something by you when you have a minute.”

“We were finishing up here.” She smiled at the bearded man who sat next to her. “Nice job. If there’s nothing else...?”

“Nope, we covered everything.” He straightened his Christmas tie and reached for the suit jacket hanging on the back of his chair. It was very warm in here. Adele, who got cold easily these days, had an electric heater plugged in a few feet away. The man nodded politely to Nicole, then headed down the hall.

Closing the door for privacy, Nicole took a deep breath. We have a problem. But she swallowed back the words, wanting to put a positive spin on the situation. Would it really be so terrible if Lizzie had figured out that Delia Baron and Adele Black were the same woman? Whatever mistakes she’d made in the past, Adele was a wonderful person. The Baron siblings deserved to know their mother and vice versa.

The biggest drawback she could see to Lizzie and the others knowing Adele’s identity was that Adele had been robbed of the opportunity to tell them herself. They might question whether she would have come forward of her own volition.

Nicole dropped into a chair, amazed she could be this tired so early in the day. There had been points in her career when she’d worked until ten o’clock at night without even realizing it. Now she felt as if she needed a nap by two in the afternoon. The half dozen pregnancy books loaded onto her e-reader said exhaustion was normal in the first trimester and often passed. Still, she’d feel better if she could get that confirmed from someone who’d been through it recently. She desperately wanted to confide in Lizzie, but it would be wrong to tell her before Adele, who’d known Nicole for so much longer and given her so many opportunities.

“Did you see Chris and Lizzie?” Adele sat forward in her chair, showing her eagerness for any scrap of information about her daughter.

“I did. They invited me to their house, but we cut lunch short. Your granddaughter is even more beautiful in person than in the pictures Chris emailed me.” There’d been a moment when Nicole first arrived, before the crying started, when Natalie had looked so angelic that tears had pricked Nicole’s eyes. “She also has a healthy set of lungs on her. Her resistance to falling asleep made conversation difficult, so we rescheduled for Sunday. But, Adele, I’m afraid Sunday could get a little tricky.”

“How do you mean?”

“Lizzie said she had questions for me, but she didn’t know how to ask because she knows I’m loyal to my employer. To you. She looked...shaken up. And she’s not someone who rattles easily. I think she and Carly and the others may have figured out that you’re their mother.”

So many emotions flashed across Adele’s face that it was almost dizzying to watch. Joy and terror and disbelief and hope. “I don’t know what to say.” She hugged her arms around herself. “I suppose I always knew it was a possibility, but as the years passed, it seemed less and less likely. I wasn’t sure that, after what I did, they’d care enough to look.”

Had they gone searching for their mom, or had it been more of an accidental discovery? Considering Adele’s name change, the latter seemed unlikely.

“You know you’re one of the most important people in my life,” Nicole said, “professionally and personally. But I care about Chris and Lizzie, too. I don’t want to lie to them.” Last spring, she’d respected Adele’s wishes, surreptitiously gathering information to assure Adele her kids were thriving, because she hadn’t seen the point in upsetting a pregnant Lizzie with news of a mother who was wasting away from cancer. But circumstances were different now.

“You want to tell them who I am on Sunday. Or, if you’re right about them knowing, confirm it?”

“That’s one option. The other is that perhaps you could get in touch with them yourself before then,” Nicole said gently.

“Oh, I don’t know. I...” It took her a few seconds to compose herself enough to continue speaking. “You described Lizzie as ‘shaken up.’ Not hopeful or wistful. She may not want to hear from me. And could you blame her? Walking away from those kids was a terrible, terrible thing.”

“You had extreme postpartum depression,” Nicole said. “You weren’t entirely in your right mind.”

“Which is why I met with their father later and asked for visitation rights.”

Which he’d ruthlessly denied. Brock was a powerful, unyielding man with enough money to fund a team of lawyers. Instead of drawing her children into an ugly legal battle, Adele had left them in peace to bond with their new stepmother.

“I didn’t fight hard enough for them,” Adele said, her voice low and full of shame. “I could have reached out to them once they were no longer minors, but...how could I face them after all that time? How can I face them now?”

“For what it’s worth,” Nicole said, “if my own mom tracked me down, I’d want to see her. I’d like to think I’ve forgiven her for doing what she thought was in my best interest.”

Gina Marie Bennett, a pregnant teenager, had angered her parents by not putting her baby up for adoption. As soon as she turned eighteen, they kicked her and Nicole out of the house. Two years later, burdened with a drug problem and a malnourished toddler, Gina Marie had sought refuge in a church during a devastating thunderstorm. For a decade, Nicole had bounced between foster care and an intermittently sober Gina Marie.

Her mother hadn’t shown up for a scheduled visit on Nicole’s fourteenth birthday. Nicole had held out hope that her mother would eventually return, that they could be a family. But she’d never seen her mom again. When Nicole was sixteen and living in a different home, she received a forwarded Christmas card with no return address. In it, her mother had written that her beautiful daughter deserved a better life than a druggie could provide. Gina Marie had loved her enough to get rid of her, but not enough to stay clean for her.

Now, looking at Adele, Nicole’s eyes misted. What a pair we are. One woman who had been dumped by her mom and another who’d walked away from her kids. It didn’t take a psychology degree to see how they’d helped fill certain holes in each other’s life. But maybe Adele didn’t have to settle for a stand-in daughter. Her biological children had never been more in reach.

“If nothing else, you should tell them you’re sorry,” Nicole added. “It would be good for them and for you.”

Adele bit her lip, unconvinced. “I don’t want to clear my own conscience at the expense of upsetting them. I know I’ve already asked far more of you than is appropriate, but can you do me one more favor? When you see them on Sunday, let them know I’m in Dallas, that I’d give anything to see them. But the choice is theirs. If they prefer, I can fade away like I was never here.”

Nicole had been Adele’s emissary in hundreds of professional situations. She had mixed feelings about serving that role in this capacity, but if there was any chance she could help reunite a family...

“Okay.” She prayed that she was right about Lizzie and the others wanting a second chance with their mother. If not, Adele would be crushed.

Meanwhile, since Nicole was being so vocal about her friend coming clean and sharing her secrets, maybe it was only fair she take her own advice. “Just so you know, there’s one other thing I want to discuss with Lizzie on Sunday. But I can’t imagine telling her—or anyone else—before first telling you. I’m...”

The word was momentous. She paused, struck anew by the magnitude of her choice. Happiness spread through her, a buzz of warmth and excitement. “I’m pregnant.”

Adele’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“So, I guess it’s safe to say you weren’t expecting that?” Nicole’s queasiness and unusual lack of energy would have eventually given her away, but since she’d been in Dallas for only a day, there hadn’t been enough opportunity for Adele to notice yet.

“N-no, definitely not! I have to admit, I’ve worried at times that taking such good care of me didn’t leave you any room for dating. I—”

“The only ‘date’ involved in conceiving this baby was the cozy night I spent sitting by the fireplace and reading donor files. Well, and the day I had the procedure done, of course.”

“Procedure? You were artificially inseminated?” Adele’s shock didn’t seem to be abating.

“Why not?” Was there a touch of defensiveness in her tone? She dropped a hand to her still-flat abdomen. “I don’t know what the future has in store for me, but I know I’m ready to be a mom. Guy or no guy in my life, I want this.” Unlike Nicole’s younger self, this baby would never, ever feel unwanted. He or she would be completely secure in Nicole’s love. “Be happy for me?”

“Of course I am, dear!” The confusion and surprise in Adele’s expression faded. “You’re going to make a wonderful mom. And if there’s anything I can do to help along the way, to repay you for—”

“There’s nothing that needs repaying,” Nicole insisted. Taking care of Adele hadn’t been a selfless act. It had allowed Nicole to feel as if she had some measure of control, even if it was only an illusion. Watching her friend go through that terrible illness had been wrenching, but it would have been even worse if Nicole had felt useless. Cooking Adele doctor-recommended foods and coaxing her to eat had made Nicole feel like a member of the team, as if she was doing her part—no matter how small—to help beat back the cancer.

“A baby.” Adjusting to the idea, Adele grinned delightedly. “You do know that, as honorary grandmother, I’m going to spoil the kid rotten?”

“I’m sure she, or he, will learn a lot from you. God knows I have.”

There was no question that Adele would make a wonderful honorary grandmother. But Nicole hoped that by the time her child was born in seven and a half months, Adele would already have plenty of practice with her other grandchildren.

Chapter Three

There was a certain kind of soreness Daniel found gratifying—the kind that came from a challenging workout or staying out all night dancing with pretty ladies. As he exited the therapy building Thursday afternoon, he felt sore but upbeat. His physical therapist had not been what he expected. A gorgeous redhead, Sierra Bailey had a face like a porcelain doll and the soul of a drill sergeant.

After explaining the pendulum exercises she wanted him to do at home, she’d warned, “I’ll know if you don’t do them. And there will be hell to pay.”

He believed her. He also believed she was eminently qualified to whip him back into shape. The plan was to start with a regimen that increased his range of motion and flexibility. Strength would come later. Sierra had told him that once he’d regained enough mobility, she’d add biceps exercises. He couldn’t wait to feel like his old self again. He might even spend some extra time at the Roughneck so he could use the ranch’s heated pool for some of his exercises.

As he turned onto the sidewalk that cut through the medical complex toward the parking lot, he spotted a dark-haired woman coming from the other direction. She had a hand against her midsection, and his first thought was that she might be in pain. Then the wind tossed her hair back, away from her face. Nicole Bennett? Unlike the tension he’d glimpsed in her face the other day, now she wore a dreamy expression. She radiated a serenity he wasn’t sure he personally had ever experienced.