A Cold Creek Noel by Raeanne Thayne

Author:Raeanne Thayne
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: United States, Contemporary Fiction, Series, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Harlequin Special Edition, Literature & Fiction
ISBN: 9780373657100
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-11-13T14:46:07.139000+00:00

Chapter Nine

After dinner had been cleared, the girls’ other friends began arriving. Caidy threw in the trays of cookies she and Destry had readied, her brothers headed out to hitch up the big draft horses to the hay wagon and everyone else began donning winter gear. After the cookies came out, Caidy walked through the house gathering all the blankets she could find.

As she headed down the stairs with an armload of blankets, she saw through the big windows that the snow had eased and was only falling now in slow, puffy flakes. Moonlight had peeked behind the storm clouds, turning everything a pearlescent midnight-blue.

It was stunning enough from here. She could only imagine how beautiful it would be to ride through the night on the wagon, with the cold air in her face and the sound of children’s laughter swirling through the night.

She was almost sorry she wasn’t going with them. Almost.

She continued down the stairs, doing her best to avoid making eye contact with Ben, who was helping Jack into his boots.

“Sleigh ride. Sleigh ride. Sleigh ride,” Maya chanted, wiggling her hips that were bundled up along with the rest of her in a very cute pink snowsuit with splashy orange flowers.

Caidy couldn’t help laughing. “You’re going to have a wonderful time, little bug,” she said, kissing Maya’s nose. She loved all of the children in her family but sweet, vulnerable Maya held a special place in her heart.

“You come,” Maya said, reaching for her hand.

“Oh, honey. I’m not going. I’ll be here when you get back.”

“What do you mean, you’re not going? You have to come,” Ridge said sternly. “Where’s your coat?”

“In the closet. Where it’s staying. I figured somebody needs to stay here. Keep the home fire burning and all that.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Becca said from underneath Trace’s arm. “I’ve got that covered.”

For the first time, Caidy realized her sister-in-law wasn’t wearing a coat either.

“Why aren’t you going?” Ridge asked, looking even more disgruntled.

“I’m planning to sit this one out. I have court tomorrow and some work to do before then. And, to be honest, I’m not sure being bounced around on a hay wagon right now would be the best thing for, well, for the baby.”

For a moment everyone stared at her. Even the girls who had come for Gabi’s little sleigh ride party stopped their giggly chatter.

“Baby? You’re having a baby?” Laura exclaimed.

Becca nodded and Trace hugged her more tightly, then kissed the top of her head, clearly a proud papa.

“When?” Caidy asked, thrilled for both of them.

“June,” Gabi declared proudly. “I’ve been dying to tell everyone! I kept my mouth shut, see, Trace? You said I couldn’t. Ha!”

Her brother laughed and grabbed his wife’s sister with his free arm, pulling her into their shared embrace. “You did good, kid. We were going to tell everyone at dinner but the right moment never quite came.”

“There’s never a wrong moment for that kind of great news,” Ridge said. “Congratulations. Another Bowman. Just what the world needs.

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