Victoria Pade - The Maverick's Christmas Baby

Attracted to someone when she was eight months pregnant?

Attracted to a Traub?

Completely crazy, that’s how crazy it would be.

And even more crazy still when she factored in his age.

That was the frosting on the cake.

Dallas was nine years older than she was, so even if she wasn’t pregnant, and even if he wasn’t a Traub, his age alone was enough for her to steer completely clear of him.

Leo had been ten years older than she was, and Nina had had enough of the disadvantages that came with a relationship with a wide gap in ages. Enough of accommodating and adapting and making all the adjustments because that age seemed to bring with it the privilege of some kind of seniority.

And Leo hadn’t had kids.

Dallas Traub did. Three of them.

Kids only increased the need for any woman who got involved with him to be accommodating.

Involved?

She didn’t know why Dallas Traub and involvement had even come in the same thought. Of course she wasn’t and would never get involved with him!

She just wanted to talk to him, for crying out loud. And then maybe find a way to show her appreciation. Like with a fruit basket or something.

To reiterate her thanks. To apologize for the way her family had treated him.

It was all just the right thing, given what he’d done for her. Nothing more to it. Dallas had done her a huge kindness and service, and she owed him her gratitude.

And, hey, maybe if the two of them could treat each other courteously it could be the beginning of some kind of bridge between the two families, so that her child and his sons might not have to hate each other for no reason anyone could actually explain.

That was probably a stretch. The bad blood between the Traubs and the Crawfords had been going on for generations, and the mere act of reiterating her thanks to him wasn’t likely to cure that.

But still, she felt compelled to make the phone call.

It required a few other calls to friends to get Dallas’s cell phone number, but she finally did. When she dialed it he answered right away.

The sound of that deep, deep voice filled her with something she couldn’t explain. Something warm and satisfying.

But she ignored the response and said, “Dallas? This is Nina Crawford.”

He laughed. “You’re the only Nina I know. Hi!” he added, sounding happy to hear from her. Which was somewhat of a relief because it had crossed her mind that, now that they weren’t in dire straits, things between them might return to the normal state of affairs. At least, normal for their families.

“I’ve been thinking and thinking about you—how are you?” he asked immediately and in a tone that held only friendliness.

“I’m really good,” she said. “I got home yesterday and can’t work until tomorrow. But I feel fine and I would be downstairs doing everything I usually do right now if not for doctor’s orders.”

“Downstairs? In your store?”

“That’s where I work,” she answered with a laugh.

“I’m there now.”

He was just downstairs?

Knowing he was that nearby sent a sense of elation through her. Strange as it seemed...

“I live in the apartment above the store,” she informed him. “Want to come and see for yourself that—thanks to you—I’m faring very well?”

Nina had no idea where that had come from. It was nothing but impulse.

But Dallas didn’t hesitate before he said, “I’d like that! How do I get there?”

“Go to the back of the store. There’s a staircase behind Women’s Sleepwear and Intimates—”

“The boys will love that,” he said facetiously. Then he added, “Oh, I didn’t think about that. My boys are with me. Maybe we shouldn’t come up—”

“I’m kid-friendly,” she assured. Then she laughed again. “I’d better be.”

“You’re sure you don’t mind? And that you’re well enough?”

“I’m sure. Come on up.”

That was all the convincing it took for him to say eagerly, “Be right there.”

Hanging up, Nina knew that it was absurd to be as excited as she was by the fact that she was about to get to see Dallas again right now.

But that’s the way it was.

She was excited enough to make a quick detour to the nearest mirror to make sure her hair didn’t need brushing and to hurriedly apply a little mascara and blush.

She was wearing jeans and a red turtleneck sweater that was long enough and just loose enough to accommodate her not-too-large belly. And while she was shoeless, her socks were red-and-green argyle for the holiday so she stayed in her stocking feet to open the door.

Dallas was there when she did, his fisted hand ready to knock.

“Whoa,” he said, stopping short so she didn’t get the knock in the face.

Nina couldn’t help grinning at that first glimpse of him. Tall, broad-shouldered, wearing boots, jeans and that same suede coat over a plaid flannel shirt with the collar button open to expose a white T-shirt underneath it.

Rugged, masculine, rock-solid and drop-dead gorgeous—so her mind hadn’t built him up to be more than he actually was, she thought. She’d been wondering if that might be the case.

“Come in! Take off your coats,” she invited, stepping aside.

Dallas crossed the threshold, trailed by three boys of varying heights, all of them younger versions of him, with the same blue eyes hazed with gray, the same heads of thick brown hair, the same bone structure.

“This is Ryder.” He began the introductions with a hand on the head of the tallest as they all removed their coats. “And Jake.” Clearly the middle child. “And Robbie—”

“I just got to be six and I go to kinnergarten,” Robbie announced.

“Then I’ll bet your teacher is Willa Christensen,” Nina said.

“No. It’s my aunt Willa but in school I need to call her Mrs. Traub. Like me, Robbie Traub. But she’s not my mom, she’s my aunt since she married my Uncle Collin.”

“Ah, that’s right. I guess I sort of forgot that Willa married your brother,” Nina said to Dallas.

“Lookit all this Christmas stuff! Lookit that tree!” Robbie said then, wasting no time moving into Nina’s apartment to survey her many Christmas decorations.

“It is pretty festive in here,” Dallas agreed.

“I love Christmas,” Nina said before focusing on the other two boys, who were staying near to their father. “So Robbie is six. You’re eight, Jake? And Ryder, you’re ten, right?”

“Yeah,” Jake confirmed while Ryder said nothing at all.

“Well, come on in. You can have a look around, too, if you want. There’s a dish of candy canes and taffy—if it’s all right with your dad you can help yourselves. And how would you all like some hot chocolate and Christmas cookies?”

“I would!” Robbie answered first.

“Me, too,” Jake seconded.

Ryder merely shrugged his concession just before Dallas said, “What do you say?”

“I would, please,” Robbie amended.

“Me, too, please.” Jake added some attitude while a simple “Please” was muttered by Ryder as the older boys joined the younger in looking around and ultimately being drawn to the train that circled the tree skirt.

“Does this work?” Jake asked.

“It does. The switch is on the side of the station house,” Nina answered, closing the door behind them all.

“Watch what you’re doing,” Dallas warned his sons.

“It’s okay,” Nina told him. “They can’t hurt anything. Like I said, kid-friendly.”

She led the way into the kitchen portion of the big open room that included a fair-sized kitchen and dining area separated from the large living room by an island counter.

“This is a nice place. I didn’t even know it was up here,” Dallas said as Nina set about heating milk and adding cocoa and broken chocolate bars.