Cathy Gillen - A Texas Soldier's Christmas

Did she?

Because as far as he was concerned, adoption or no adoption, this was their big chance. Maybe their last chance. If they could go back a step and start this reunion over. Something that again did not appear to be in her game plan.

“Well. Nice seeing you again, Lieutenant.” She whipped her hands off her hips and shoved him none too gently toward the portal.

He dug in his heels. Once again, he had blown it with her, without meaning to. He lifted both hands in abject surrender. Not a usual acknowledgment on his part. “Nora...”

His heartfelt plea fell on deaf ears.

“Don’t let the door hit you on your way out!” She gave one final shove to the center of his chest, and then he was standing on the other side of the portal. Her office door slammed in his face.

* * *

THE FIRST THING Zane noticed was the fact he wasn’t alone. In fact, quite a crowd of senior men and women had congregated in the hallway. The expressions on their faces indicated they had heard at least part of what had transpired.

The second thing he saw was a young woman dressed like a student, in jeans and a community college T-shirt. She had a diaper bag slung over her shoulder, a baby boy cradled in her arms.

Liam.

Zane had spent enough hours poring over the social media photos, while on the flight home to Texas, not to recognize this little angel. The tiny fella was again dressed all in blue. He had a cute little face and the same long-lashed sky blue eyes as his mother. The hair peeking out from beneath the cap was light, too.

No wonder Nora had called him the love of her life.

Zane was completely captivated by him, too.

As were all the smiling seniors.

“Umm...is Nora available?” the young woman asked. “She usually collects Liam when she gets off work, which should have been about ten minutes ago. And I’ve got to go to class...”

The office door swung open. Nora stood there, a light jacket thrown over her uniform, car keys in hand. “Hey, Shanda. Sorry if I kept you waiting.”

“No problem.” With a smile, Shanda handed little Liam over.

Zane stood there. Ready to apologize again. Nora sent him a look. “Don’t even...”

The circle of seniors seemed to agree it would be a bad idea to talk to her now. So, cursing the circumstances—which always seemed to be against them—Zane left.

* * *

“WELL, THAT’S A RELIEF,” Nora murmured to Liam as she ducked back into her office, gathered up their belongings and walked out to her red minivan. He cooed as she put him in his car seat. “I wasn’t sure Zane was going to exit so readily.”

Liam stared up at her, listening intently.

“It’s a long story,” Nora reassured her baby boy. Finished buckling him in, she shut the door and climbed into the driver seat. “The bottom line is, Zane would not approve if he knew exactly how and why you came into my life. He would tell me that letting someone else out of their familial obligations and adopting you was a big mistake that could only hurt me in the end. And he would be wrong.” Nora drew a deep breath as she turned off Spring Street and onto Wildflower Lane, then into her own driveway. “Because I know firsthand how a child needs at least one parent in his or her life. Every day. I know what it feels like when they’re not,” she said, putting her minivan in Park. “And I am going to be there for you, my darling baby boy.” Whether Zane likes it or not.

Liam chortled in agreement.

Nora grinned at her son’s happy acknowledgment, then got out to begin their evening. As always, it began with a leisurely postworkday play session. She read him a few stories—on the premise that it was never too soon to start loving books—then followed that by giving him a relaxing bath. When he was cozy in his pajamas, she sat down in her rocking chair to feed him a bottle.

He drank it readily, burped like a champ and then fell asleep to the sound of his favorite lullaby. She was just about to ease him out of her arms when a knock sounded at her front door.

Wondering who it could be, she set her sweetly snoozing son gently down into his Pack ’n Play. She moved soundlessly to the portal. Opened it. And sighed.

“You again,” she said.

Chapter Two

“I thought we should start over,” Zane Lockhart said, capturing her gaze in that intent way that always made her catch her breath.

Nora wasn’t surprised to see the handsome soldier on her doorstep so soon after their argument. She knew he’d been taught to rectify mistakes, ASAP. Whereas she’d grown up, picking herself up, dusting herself off and pretending whatever had hurt her didn’t matter, because time healed all wounds.

But sadly, in this case, the passage of months hadn’t fixed anything and might never.

Keeping her guard up, she stepped out onto the porch opposite him. Across the street, smoke curled from the chimney of a neighbor’s home, scenting the air with burning oak.

Wary of letting him back in her life in even the slightest way, she stared up at him coolly. “And I think we should leave things as is.” Frustration curled the corners of his lips. “Come on, Nora.” He pressed a brightly wrapped present and a bouquet of flowers into her hands. “Hear me out.”

She supposed she owed him that much, after all they had once been to each other.

She set the gifts on one of the rockers on the front porch. Trying not to notice how strappingly handsome he looked in the soft glow of her porch light, she turned back to him and folded her arms in front of her. “I’m listening.”

His expression sobered. “First, I apologize for any conclusions I might have jumped to.”

About time, she thought.

He held her eyes for a long moment. His voice dropped a compelling notch. “And second, I want to congratulate you on your new son.”

His words were so sincere she couldn’t help but respond. Figuring peace was better than conflict any day, Nora drew an enervating breath. “Thank you.”

Regret tautened the chiseled lines of his face. “I should have known if Liam were mine, you would have told me.”

“You’re damn right about that,” she said fiercely, trying not to think how much she had always longed to have his baby.

And perversely, she still did. But that wasn’t happening any more than a reconciliation, so the best thing to do was end their disagreement, and hence his reason for pursuing her.

“Thank you for coming by to say that.” Nora shivered in the cold November air. “I accept your apology.”

“Does that mean I get to come in long enough to see Liam again and watch you two open the baby gift?”

It’d be rude not to have him come in for a moment.

Aware she was practically shaking she was so cold, Nora picked up the gift and flowers. Turning toward the door, she led the way inside.

Acutely aware of him following lazily behind her, she glanced over her shoulder, frowned. “Why is it if I give you an inch you take a mile?”

He held the door for her. “Must be my easy Texas charm.”

She made a face and quipped right back before she could think. “It’s definitely something.”

He had changed into his civilian clothes since she had last seen him. The tweed sport coat and light blue shirt hugged his broad shoulders and muscled chest. Worn jeans cloaked his hard thighs, sturdy Western boots covered his feet.

Eyes twinkling, he followed her into the living room, where Liam still snoozed contentedly in his Pack ’n Play.

Zane paused to regard her son with a mixture of longing and tenderness that further stirred her emotions.

Nora set the flowers on the coffee table, then perched on the edge of a chair, the present on her lap. She gestured for him to have a seat on the sofa.