Chapter 7
Evie and Poncho were the first to come downstairs on Christmas morning. The baby had finally started to make its presence known, waking her early. But Evie had gotten her wish, able to keep her secret and tell the family all at once this morning. She counted it the best gift ever—for herself.
Ignoring her queasy tummy, she tucked “Best Big Brother” t-shirts into the stockings for the boys, and added a special card to her dad’s stocking.
For Wyatt, she’d put a big green and red bow on the positive pregnancy test, and left it on the counter in their bathroom.
She let Poncho outside to race through yet another fresh snowfall. Starting the coffee, she marveled and counted her blessings. This time next year, she’d be standing here again, but with a new baby. Life was so good.
Upstairs, she heard the boys trying to be quiet and failing miserably as they scurried out of their beds and across the hall to jump on Wyatt. That was one Christmas tradition she preferred watching from a distance.
Christmas-day wrestling ended and her sons came pounding down the stairs, screeching holiday greetings as they slid and skated on footy pajamas straight into her. Hair mussed and cheeks rosy, they raced for the family room.
“Santa came!” they hollered in unison.
“You’re right. He left you special presents near the tree—”
“—and filled our stockings,” Caleb said.
Cole reached for the goodies, but Evie stopped him. “Let’s wait until everyone’s here to do stockings this year.” Both boys deflated, but just a little. “There’s a good reason,” she assured them. “Did Santa eat the cookies?”
They raced over to the plate and the half-empty glass of milk near the fireplace. “He did. He did!”
“Wonderful.” She pointed to the window. “Look, Grandpa’s on his way.”
“Let’s go meet him!” Cole shouted.
“Wear your boots,” she called out.
By some miracle, they obeyed. She turned to see Wyatt on the stairs, his steps far more deliberate than the boys had been. He held the bow, a poof of red and green, and stared at her. His gaze dropped to her midsection. “Seriously?”
Evie walked into his arms. “Seriously. Merry Christmas, my love.”
“Merry Christmas.” He pulled her close and hugged her, then held her at arm’s length. “You knew and still went out last night.”
She’d known he’d be like this and she hurried to reassure him. “I pushed myself a little, yes. But I was minding my limits. We’re all good.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, Captain Protective. Do you see coffee in my hand? Or food?”
His eyes filled with concern as the morning sickness issues registered. “Okay, okay.” He drew her in slowly and kissed her with a tenderness that turned her knees to jelly. It was the sweetest Christmas kiss of her life.
So far.
The boys stormed back inside with the dog, their grandpa, and snowy boots. She laughed, utterly delighted by the happy chaos. Soon they’d all know about the baby and celebrate accordingly. Surrounded by her family, she couldn’t wait to see how much better their life would get in the years ahead.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the Jamesons!
Thanks for reading this special edition of BLACK ICE!
If you’re ready to curl up with another exciting protector romance spiced with a dash of special holiday magic, dive into the 2-in-1 collection: RIGHT GUARDIAN, RIGHT TIME.