Lynne Marshall: A Magical Christmas: Daddy by Christmas / Greek Doctor: One Magical Christmas / The Christmas Baby Bump

He parked around the back of the house. They hadn’t always been a happy family: he recalled just a while back when Trace and Kira were barely surviving a crumbling marriage. Kira’s problems getting pregnant had put a strain on them that had nearly ended their five-year relationship. Then a miracle had happened, and now they had Jenna.

Climbing the back steps to the century-old ranch house, Jarrett’s attention turned to another pregnant woman, Mia Saunders. It was true what they said about expectant mothers, they did have a glow about them. And unless he had been mistaken, she’d directed that rosy glow toward him.

He knocked on the door and walked in. “Everyone decent?” He peered into the kitchen, knowing he’d be welcome. That hadn’t always been true. There was a time he’d tried everything to one-up his younger brother. In their youth, he had wanted nothing to do with the ranch, or with the half brother who’d gotten all the attention. So, after their father died, Jarrett had accepted his share in dollars.

It had taken them years to work out their differences. And with the help of Kira and a sweet little girl named Jenna they’d worked through a lot of their problems, mainly just trying to be brothers.

Kira stood at the stove. “We have a three-year-old. There isn’t any time to get indecent.” His sister-in-law smiled as she came to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, Jarrett. It’s good to see you.”

“Hi, sis,” he said, returning the hug. He’d used to have trouble with her being so demonstrative, but she said they were family, and that was how family acted.

Jarrett heard a squeal and little Jenna came charging into the room.

“Unca Jay. Unca Jay,” the girl called.

Jarrett caught her up in his arms, swung her around, kissing her cheeks and blowing raspberries. “How’s my Jenna girl today?”

The child’s tiny mouth formed a pout. “Mommy put me in time-out. I was sad.”

Kira arrived on the scene, brushing back her long blond hair. “Tell Uncle Jarrett what you did.”

“I got into Mommy’s makeup.”

Suddenly, Jarrett could see the faint remnants of lipstick on her mouth. “Uh-oh.”

“I just want to be pretty, like Mommy.” She turned those big brown eyes on him. “Are you mad at me, too?”

“Never.” He kissed her. “But you’re already pretty, you don’t need makeup.” He glanced at Kira. “But remember you don’t like anyone getting into your stuff, so you shouldn’t get into other people’s things.”

“’Kay.” She looked at her mom. “Can I play now? I promise to be good.”

Kira nodded, and they watched the child run out of the room. She turned to Jarrett. “Thanks for backing me up.”

He nodded. “I don’t know how you ever punish her. It would tear me up.”

“It part of being a parent.”

“That’s a job I don’t want.”

Kira smiled. “You just haven’t found the right woman.”

He arched an eyebrow. “I’ve found a lot of women and I like it that way. There’s safety in numbers.” He winked at her. “Among other things.”

She shook her head. “Like I said, you haven’t found the right woman.”

“But I found mine.”

They both looked toward the door to see Trace. His brother went straight to his wife and kissed her. Jarrett hated the envy that engulfed him. To his surprise, his thoughts turned to Mia Saunders again. Well, damn.

“Hi, bro,” Jarrett greeted him. “How’s the cattle business?”

“If you came out here more, you’d know for yourself.”

“If I came out here more, you’d put me to work. You know how I feel about ranching. I’m doing just fine the way things are.”

“I take it you’re still trying to get by on your looks and your wit. So what brings you out here?”

Jarrett shrugged. “Do I need a reason?”

Trace hugged his wife close. “Of course not. Stay for supper.”

Jarrett smiled. “Don’t mind if I do.” Whatever had happened during their childhood didn’t seem to mean much anymore. It had taken years, but Jarrett had finally realized that Trace wasn’t competing with him. After they’d found natural gas on McKane land a few years ago, they’d worked together and ensured a prosperous future for them all.

They also found they could be friends.

Kira went to check on Jenna while Trace poured two mugs of coffee. He handed one to Jarrett and the brothers sat down at the large farm kitchen table.

“So, I hear you bought the old apartment buildings on Maple.”

Jarrett frowned. He’d been trying to keep the project quiet. “Where did you hear that?”

“It’s a small town. There aren’t many secrets.”

Kira returned. “We heard it at church last Sunday. One of your tenants, her brother used to be our pastor. Reverend Brad Saunders.” She shook her head. “It was such a tragedy about their deaths.”

“I don’t go to church. What happened to them?”

“A few months ago Brad and his wife, Karen, went on a missionary trip and their small plane crashed in Mexico. Poor Mia.”

“What about her husband?

Kira raised an eyebrow. “Mia doesn’t have a husband.”

Interest sparked in Jarrett, catching him off guard. “Surely the guy responsible for the baby will step up.”

Kira exchanged a glance with Trace. “There is no guy to step up. It’s not Mia’s baby.”

JARRETT stared at his sister-in-law. “Okay, it’s been a few years since Biology 101, but I would remember something like this.”

“Mia is a surrogate,” she explained. “Or maybe I should say she was.”

“There’s definitely still a baby,” he added, recalling the generous curve of her stomach.

“But no parents.”

“So what’s the story?”

Kira gave her husband a quick glance. “It wasn’t exactly public knowledge, but Mia is carrying her brother and sister-in-law’s baby.”

“The hell you say!”

Suddenly Jenna came running into the kitchen. “Unca Jay, you said a bad word.”

Jarrett ignored Trace’s disapproving stare. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” he told her. “I’ll try to be better.”

“You got to give me a nickel for the jar.” The child held out her tiny hand and smiled. “Pay me.”

The little thief. With a smile he dug into his pocket. “Here’s a quarter.”

“Jenna, go wash up for supper,” her mother said.

“Okay, Mommy.” She smiled and went and hugged Trace. “Hi, Daddy.”

While father and daughter exchanged pleasantries Jarrett tried to wrap his head around this news.

Once the child left, Jarrett turned back to Kira. “Was Mia Saunders going to give the reverend and his wife her baby?”

Kira shook her head. “No, she’s been carrying Brad and Karen’s baby all along. Surely you’ve heard of a fertilized embryo being implanted in another woman and she carries the baby when the biological mother can’t. In this case, Mia was doing this for her brother and his wife.”

Kira got up from the table, went to the oven and checked the roast, then she returned to the table. “But now everything has changed with Brad and Karen’s death. Mia will not only be giving birth to her niece or nephew in about six weeks, but now she’ll be raising the baby, too.”

In the past, Jarrett had always run as far as possible from romantic entanglements. He didn’t do relationships beyond a few months, no matter how beautiful or intriguing the woman. It would mean he’d have to put his feelings on the line, to be vulnerable—something he’d avoided since he’d been a kid when his mother had died. Still grieving, he’d soon learned that his father’s new wife didn’t want to deal with someone else’s kid.