Sweet Christmas Kisses (31 page)

"So, where's this fiancé of yours?" her father said.

Sean appeared at the gate with a little girl clutching each hand and the changing bag over his shoulder. He gave a crooked grin, his golden hair gleaming in the sun, his eyes as blue as the Indian Ocean shimmering in the distance.

"Holy cow." Joanne gaped at Sean. "Where on earth did you find him and does he have a brother?"

"You're married, Jo." Kelly smacked her sister's arm.

Sean shook her father's hand and politely swapped hugs and kisses with her mother and sister.

"How absolutely adorable." Her mother leaned down to see Zoe and Annabelle. "You two darlings are the prettiest twins I've ever seen."

"Come on in. The kids are out back with Eric. We're going to eat outside on the deck by the pool." Joanne turned a bright smile on Kelly. "We've cooked a New Year's turkey since you missed Christmas with us."

Kelly met Sean's gaze. He gave her a wry grin. Neither said they had already eaten enough turkey this Christmas to last them all year.

"Sounds great," Kelly said. "Lead on."

She lifted Zoe into her arms while Sean picked up Annabelle. Both babies had slept for much of the time on the second leg of their flight, after a twenty-four hour stopover in Singapore.

They walked through the house and emerged into the grassy backyard. Luxuriant shrubs covered in bunches of golden blooms and red spiky bottlebrush flowers bordered the deck. The sun blazed down. It was a shock to the system after leaving an icy UK.

Kelly was relieved to step under the shady canopy over the table. A Christmas tablecloth and a fat gold candle surrounded by plastic holly sprigs gave a festive touch to the dinner setting.

On the corner of the deck, a traditional Christmas tree blinked with lights and sparkled with baubles. "It seems so weird having Christmas in the summer," Kelly said.

"I know. I long for snow sometimes. Not for long, though." Joanne gazed across the garden and raised her voice. "Marty, Tina, Niki. Come here, you three. Say hello to your auntie Kelly."

A dark-haired boy of six and two little girls of four and three dashed across the lawn from where they were playing in the swimming pool to give Kelly wet hugs.

Fresh tears filled her eyes to see her nieces and nephew. The last time she visited here, Marty had been two, and the girls hadn't been born. She had only seen photographs of them.

"It's wonderful to meet you all." She sat with Zoe in her arms and Sean crouched at her side, holding Annabelle. "Say hello to Zoe and Belles." The children were so cute all hugging each other.

"Hi there." Joanne's husband carried out the turkey and set it on the table before shaking Sean's hand and kissing Kelly. They took their seats, Kelly's mother claiming Zoe to sit on her lap.

"Oh, Kelly, they're adorable. You're a very lucky girl." Her mother threw an arm around her shoulders, pressing her cheek to Kelly's. "I'm so happy for you, darling, and thrilled that you found the time to come all this way to see us."

"I won't leave it so long next time, Mum."

"That's all right, sweetheart. All that matters is you're here now and you're happy."

"I am. Really happy. Sean is wonderful."

She held out her left hand to show off her ring before gripping Sean's fingers. His gaze met hers, the corners of his lips lifting in an affectionate smile, his eyes alight with pleasure.

"I love you, darling," she said, leaning close to kiss him. This man hadn't just welcomed her into his family, he'd helped her find her own family again, encouraged her to take a chance and come to Australia to reconnect with her parents and sister. Now that she was here, she couldn't understand why she had stayed away so long.

"I love you too," he said.

"Love, love, love, love," Annabelle chanted and Zoe joined in.

Everybody burst out laughing.

"Yes, we do love, love, love." Kelly kissed both her adorable babies and their wonderful daddy. She had been blessed with the very best Christmas present in the world, a family to love.

Helen Scott Taylor's first novel, The Magic Knot, won the American Title contest in 2008, was a Golden Heart® finalist, and was chosen as one of Booklist's top ten romances of 2009. Since then, she has published other novels, novellas, and short stories in both the UK and USA. If you enjoyed this story, you'll be pleased to know there are more in the Army Doctor's Series. See website for details
www.helenscotttaylor.com
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A contemporary Christmas romance

Beate Boeker

Copyright © 2012 by:

Beate Boeker

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief
quotes used in reviews.

This book built at IndieWrites.com

When the wind tore the steering wheel from her hands and made the Jeep skid across the frozen road, Joanna lifted an eyebrow and maneuvered it back with a gentle push of her gloved palms. The Jeep's headlights pierced through the absolute darkness around her, showing a mass of snowflakes. They blasted at her with such speed, she felt as though she was rolling backwards instead of forward.

The music coming from the radio created a stark contrast to the howling world outside, beguiling her into a world of beauty and fun. The announcer's voice echoed through the car. “This is Conran Dark's latest song called Dance With Me, a song which has hit the TOP TEN within twenty-four hours of being released and has stayed at the top position for an incredible . . . “

Joanna frowned and changed channels. Experienced though she was, she preferred not to be distracted by a human rattle while she tried to nose her way through a snowstorm on Long Island.

Another vicious slab of wind pushed her Jeep to the side as though an invisible giant had rammed into it. Joanna snatched her hand back onto the steering wheel. “This is not the right moment to be fiddling with the panel, Joanna,” she told herself as she righted the Jeep back onto the road.

From the corner of her eyes, she scanned the trees to her left. She was glad to see them, as they were a clear indication that she was still traveling on the road and had not started to drive across some snow-covered field without noticing it. On the other hand, the wind had whipped up to a steady beat and was by now strong enough to topple one or two of them over. If that should happen while she was anywhere near, things might turn out to become unpleasant - to say the least.

Maybe I should have stayed at old John's house.
She pushed the thought away. How many times had she returned from a difficult foaling in the middle of the night without any problem? She knew her four-wheel drive Jeep was strong enough for any weather; besides, she was well equipped with a shovel, rough doormats and anything else needed in an emergency. She had even put the snow chains on the wheels before leaving old John's farm, feeling as if she was overreacting. After all, it was only two days after Thanksgiving, not the middle of winter. Though the weather could fool you.

They had just announced on the radio that the temperatures hovered around zero, an all-time low for the season. Still, she only had half an hour to go before reaching Stony Brook, and she should make it in spite of the storm.

The wind roared louder now and formed the snowflakes into clusters hitting the windshield. It sounded as though her very presence on the road was a personal insult, as though the giant who had tried to toss the Jeep into a drift was now angry enough to shout at her with the full power of his lungs. “My, what fancy thoughts, Joanna.” Her voice sounded mocking but strangely lost inside the Jeep.

A white bulk appeared in the middle of the road. Joanna frowned. What was it? She hit the brake with care to prevent a skid and slowed down until she came to a full stop. It looked like a harmless mount, a dung-heap, maybe, with a sort of rectangular shape that reached up to her knees. It was submerged in snow.

But why was it in the middle of the road? It couldn't be a dung-heap unless it was a very energetic one that had decided to go for a walk in the middle of a snowstorm. Joanna smiled at her thoughts and unfastened the safety belt. Leaving the motor running, she opened the door, slipped out of the car, and trudged through the heavy snowfall. The icy cold slammed into her like a fist. She gasped for breath and hunched forward. Her feet slid ankle-deep into snow. She fought the raging storm until she reached the mount and could touch it with her outstretched fingers. When she tried to grasp whatever it was the snow covered, her hand sank deep into the snow. Joanna frowned. She bent forward and used both hands to brush away the thick cover of snow. A metallic frame appeared, bent, out of shape. A metal box? Who left a huge box in the middle of the road?

The wind whipped up her hair and twirled it around until she couldn't see anything but white flakes and brown strands of hair in a wild dance. Impatient, she brushed it back and tried to tuck it beneath the hood of her winter coat, but it always slid back. Where was the headband that had been holding it back?

Exasperated, Joanna shoved her hair underneath her hood once more and continued to dig the box out of the snow. She worked her way along the side until she reached a sort of door. At that instant, she recognized it for what it was, and her heart froze.

A cage to transport animals. Had someone abandoned an animal?
Nonsense.
She shook her head.
If you want to get rid of a pet, you don't throw the cage into the middle of the road.
She bent forward and peered inside, but it was too dark to make out the interior. Part of the frame was dented in a way that showed it had been battered on the side.
It must have fallen from quite a height.
Joanna frowned.
Maybe from a pickup truck?
But who would leave his dog or cat in a cold metal cage on the open bed of a truck? She reached for the door to open it, but the small shift of her weight caused her feet to slide to the side. With a yelp, she pitched forward and fell against the sharp corner of the dented frame. Something tore, and a sharp pain seared through her shoulder. “Dammit!” Joanna reared back, sudden tears forming in her eyes. She inspected the tear in her new winter coat. A corner of the fabric had caught on the edge of the box and the whole front of the left sleeve had been torn off when she fell. She could already feel the cold creeping through the gap.

She turned back to the cage. Due to her fall, the bent door stood wide open. Now she could see the broken lock. The cage was as empty as an ice cream saloon in winter. No doubt the animal had escaped right after the fall, and then the wind had blown the door shut again.

She checked the area around the cage, but the snow had long since covered all traces.
Don't worry. Animal have good instincts. It has probably gone into hiding hours ago.

She bit her lips. Her knees trembled with pain. The long day and night caught up with her, the chilly hours in the stable, fighting for the birth of the foal, her full weight on her knees until she couldn't feel her feet and her hands anymore.

“Get a grip, Joanna.” Her lips felt stiff as she said the words. She bent forward and pushed the cage from the street, using only her right arm. Every move hurt, and when she gave the cage one last shove, the world darkened at the edges, like an old picture losing color, and bright stars shot through her vision. She closed her eyes. “You can't faint now.” Her voice didn't sound as firm as she wanted, but it gave her something to cling to.

She returned to the merciful warmth of her Jeep and closed the door by reaching with her right arm across herself and pulling it shut. There. She opened the coat and and inspected her shoulder. At least her thick sweater was unharmed, and she could see no blood. Still, it hurt with every breath she took. No doubt she would have a huge bruise tomorrow. With a shudder, she buttoned up the coat again and took a deep breath. Had the storm gained in force? She peered through the windscreen.

Two trees further down, the avenue ended, and open land stretched out in front of her. No mark to cling to, nothing to get a direction.
I might not reach home tonight.
Her heart sank.
What are my options?
She could return to old John. Joanna checked her watch. Two AM. Under normal circumstances, getting back to Old John's was forty-five minutes.  However, with the storm going on, things were different. Home was closer, but could she still reach it in spite of the masses of snow coming down? Joanna frowned.
What about other houses nearby?
There was Allard's place, but the farm was at the end of a steep decline, and she didn't feel like slithering straight into their living room, Jeep and all. What else? Her memory drew a blank. Most of the houses were vacation homes and closed up for the winter.

She shook her head and accelerated with care.
I just have to stick to the road.
That didn't sound too difficult, did it?