The Christmas Treasure (16 page)

"Oh, Gabriel," Lorilla breathed. "Thank God you finally got here," she whispered.

"What?" he asked without lifting his head.

"Your baby wouldn't wait any longer."

Gabriel lifted his head and stared at her. "Wouldn't wait…?"

Josepha looked up. "The Senora was determined not to have this baby until you returned,
Patron
."
 

"Rilla, what will I do with you?" he laughed through his tears and reached to kiss her, but she had fallen unconscious. "Josepha? Is she all right?"
 

"Si, Senor. Now that your daughter is here, the bleeding it has stopped. She just needs to rest."

Gabriel stared at the tiny wrinkled child. "A daughter. Look, Rilla," he whispered, although Lorilla couldn't hear him, "she has your red hair."
 

He carefully slipped out of bed, settling Lorilla down on the pillows. He asked Josepha if he could help with anything, but she just waved him away.
 

Downstairs, Gabriel saw that the snow had stopped, so he pulled on his coat and hat and walked outside. He shivered in the cold air as he trudged through the snow up to the family graves.
 

He paid his respects to his father and mother's graves, and to his son's, then he crouched by Elena's grave, brushing away the fresh white snow. "
Mi paloma
, a true miracle has happened here tonight. Tonight…" he stopped.
 

"Tonight is
Nochebuena,
isn't it? Christmas Eve. Well then, it is a perfect night for miracles." He stood and wiped his eyes, feeling the chill air on his damp cheeks and palms. "This hill, where I once buried all my hopes, all my dreams, has been a solace for me during the years since you died. I have come to you with my problems, with my heartaches, my loneliness. But now, tonight, I come to you with my happiness. I have not treated my Rilla very well, but she has stayed with me. She has accepted me as I am and has given me a child. I will visit you, I will always be grateful to you, but I have a new family. Fly with the angels,
mi paloma
and watch over us."
 

Gabriel leaned over and placed a kiss on the cold stone of Elena's grave, then walked back to his home, his wife and his daughter.
 

L
ORILLA WOKE UP SLOWLY,
without opening her eyes. She lay, feeling the aches in her muscles and the soreness in her abdomen. As she came to full consciousness, she remembered her baby had been born.
 

"Senora Lorilla."

Lorilla's body wanted to drift back into sleep, but her mind was instantly alert. "Maria Joseph? My baby? Is it all right?"
 

"Si, Senora. I have her here, for you."

Lorilla opened her eyes as Maria Joseph placed a tiny bundle in her arms. "Oh," she breathed, as she held her baby for the first time. She pulled the blanket away and peered at the little red face.
 

"Oh, look at you." Her exhaustion forgotten, she unwrapped the baby and looked at every inch of her. "Such a tiny little girl. And look at that hair. And those fingers, and those perfect toes."
 

Lorilla's heart felt full to bursting. She had a child. A daughter. Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at the finest miracle in all of creation, the miracle of new life.
 

She touched her baby's mouth and the little lips tried to fasten around her fingertip and suckle, so Lorilla held her to her breast.
 

"What will I do with you," she whispered, her heart suddenly aching and her eyes filling with tears. "Gabriel wanted a son. He wanted a son, and a woman who would not disturb his life. I'm afraid I failed him miserably on both counts." Lorilla pressed a kiss on top of her baby's head, and as tears rolled unheeded down her cheeks, she closed her eyes and prayed that Gabriel would not hate her.
 

A cool draft and the sound of the bedroom door closing alerted her. She opened her eyes and met her husband's intense blue gaze.
 

They looked at each other across the fuzzy head of their child. Gabriel's face was somber. Lorilla swallowed.

"You have a daughter, Senor," she said.

"Yes. So I saw."

The memories came rushing back then. Gabriel holding her, supporting her, whispering encouragement to her as the awful pain engulfed her. Gabriel's lips against her cheek, his breath warm on her face as he helped her birth their baby. Lorilla's face grew warm and a smile curved the corners of her mouth.
 

"Thank you," she whispered.

For a long moment Gabriel stood frozen. Uncertainty gripped her. What would happen now?

"I'm sorry she's not a son," she said, willing herself to look steadily into those blue eyes without blinking, without revealing how much his reaction meant to her.
 

Suddenly, he was beside her, pulling her into his arms, the baby cradled between them.
 

"Never say that again,
chiquita
," he muttered, his voice muffled by her hair. "I am so happy to have a daughter. And our daughter is not just any girl. She is the loveliest baby in the entire world. Do you know why?"
 

He pulled away and touched her cheek with his fingers. Lorilla shook her head against his palm, her heart in her throat.
 

"Because she has your hair, and your pink cheeks."

"And your blue eyes."

Gabriel laughed. The sound of his laughter was as music to her ears.

"You cannot know that her eyes will stay blue. All babies are born with blue eyes."

"Hers will stay blue." Lorilla lifted her chin.

"Ah. The
Patrona
has spoken." Gabriel touched the baby's hand with his finger, and she immediately curled her minuscule fingers around his giant one. He glanced up quickly at Lorilla, awe flooding his face. "I think she likes me."
 

"She has good taste, like her mother."

Gabriel pulled her closer. "So you like me, eh?"

"I love you."

He bent his head and kissed her. "And I love you, Rilla. More, perhaps, than you'll ever know. But now, we must think of a name for our beautiful daughter." He nodded toward the window, where the first light of dawn shone
 

in a cloudless sky. "Our Christmas gift."

"What is the Spanish word for gift?"

"This little beauty would be better named a treasure,
tresoro
."
 

"And for Christmas?"

"Well, Josepha has an aunt who was born at Christmas. Her name is Natalia."
 

Lorilla nodded. "Natalia Tresoro. That's her name."

"A very large name for a very small baby."

"She will be worthy of it," Lorilla assured him as a knock sounded on the door and Josepha came in.

"
Felice Navidad, Patron et Patrona
," she said, her black eyes twinkling. "You, Senora Lorilla, you need to sleep. Let me have the baby."
 

"
Natalia Tresoro
, meet your
duenna
, Josepha." Gabriel smiled as Josepha took the small bundle from Lorilla's arms.
 

"
Natalia Tresoro
? Hmph." Josepha paused at the door and beamed at them. "That is the perfect name."
 

When she was gone, Gabriel yawned. "Sorry. It has been a long night for everyone, especially you." He slipped under the covers.
 

Lorilla eased down in the bed and turned carefully onto her side. Gabriel's warm, strong arm wrapped around her and his body pressed close to hers.
 

"This is how we lay that first night," she murmured, relaxing against him.

"I remember," he said, and Lorilla felt the evidence of his desire as his hard body pressed against her. "Do you remember what I said?"
 

She thought for a moment. "Not really."

He leaned in close and whispered, his breath warm on her ear. "I said lie still, for your sake and for mine."

Lorilla chuckled drowsily. "Senor Beltran, I shall mend as quickly as possible."

"I certainly hope so, Senora Beltran."
 

They were both quiet for a moment, then Gabriel said, "Rilla? Thank you."

"For what?" she asked sleepily.

"For coming here. For staying. For giving me the greatest treasure on earth."

"Your daughter," she said.

"My daughter, yes. She is the second greatest treasure. But my greatest treasure is your love, my
chiquita
. Now be quiet and let us go to sleep."
 

Lorilla's eyes filled with tears as she smiled and closed her eyes, secure in the arms of the man who loved her.
 

hhh

From the Author:

I hope you have enjoyed this historical novella. I love the story of Gabriel and Lorilla and their journey to healing and love,. I'd love to hear what you think of The Christmas Treasure. Find me at [email protected] or at
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMalloryKane
 

Find more Mallory Kane books  on Amazon. 

www.amazon.com/Its-His-Kiss-Mallory-Kane-ebook/dp/B00AHKGCD2/
 

www.amazon.com/No-Hero-Mallory-Kane-ebook/dp/B00MZHEBTW/
 

and wherever print or e-book romance novels are sold, Harlequin Intrigues.