Tall, Dark, Texas Ranger / Once Upon A Christmas Eve. Patricia Thayer

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СКАЧАТЬ course,” Sean said. “Jenny says she’s had enough of staying home. She can’t wait until she gets back to the shop.”

      Lilly felt out of touch. “Jenny’s coming back to work?”

      “Part-time,” her mother told her. “She’s going to set up a nursery in the back, and also use the upstairs apartment for naps and feedings.”

      Lilly would have loved to stay home with her babies, but she didn’t have that choice. She’d had to go back to teaching to help support the family.

      Suddenly there was a noise from above as her kids made their way down the stairs. Robbie was the first to speak. “Hi, Mr. R.”

      “Hi, Robbie. I hear you’ve been practicing playing baseball.”

      Her son beamed. “Yeah, Coop’s helpin’ me. I catch pretty good now.”

      Sean turned to Kasey and grinned. “Well, who’s this pretty lassie?”

      Lilly held her breath waiting for her daughter’s reaction. She actually smiled. “Hello, Mr. Rafferty.”

      He reached for her hand. “You look like your mother and grandmother. Beautiful.”

      “Oh, Sean.” Beth blushed. “She doesn’t want to hear that.”

      “Why not?” He looked at the three generations of women. “You ladies are a picture.”

      Lilly smiled. “Thank you. I’ll go check on supper.” She took off, not wanting her mother to leave her guest.

      Lilly walked into the kitchen as Noah came in the back door. “Sorry, I’m late. What can I do to help?”

      He was dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a collared shirt. Handsome as usual.

      “Not much to do,” she told him, trying to ignore her racing heart. “I’ll just put the food in the bowls and carry it out to the dining room.” She stopped and sank against the counter. “I can’t believe it. I mean I believe it because my mother is an attractive woman, but I just never thought she’d seriously date someone.”

      Seeing Lilly’s anxiety, Coop went around the island to her. “It’s a good thing, isn’t it? I mean this man makes her happy, doesn’t he?”

      She nodded. “That’s just it. What if she wants a life of her own, and the kids and I are in the way?”

      Coop frowned. The Beth Staley he’d gotten to know in the past week would never turn away from her family. “I doubt that. She loves having you here.”

      “But it’s different now. She’s dating. She’s never dated, not that I know of.”

      “Look, your mother has just started seeing this Sean. It might not lead to anything.”

      She pointed to the other room. “You didn’t see how the two of them were looking at each other.” She paused. “I don’t want her to feel she can’t think of her future because of us.”

      Coop reached out and gripped her upper arms. She was a combination of softness and strength and he found he liked both. “Lilly, you can’t do this to yourself. Your mother seems like a person who speaks out when there’s something on her mind. If there was a problem with you and the kids being here, I’m sure she’d talk to you about it.”

      She raised those green eyes to meet his and it sent a jolt through him. “I’m being silly, right?”

      Hell, he wasn’t sure of anything, except he had to fight to resist her. “No, not at all.” He managed to release her and when he tried to step back, she reached for his hand.

      “Noah, thank you.”

      He nodded, feeling the warmth of her hand. “Anytime.”

      “Lately it seems you spend all your time talking me in from the ledge.”

      “That’s me, rescuing damsels in distress,” he said, trying to make light of the situation.

      “It’s not the usual me. There’s been a lot of changes in my once-organized life. I actually run an entire elementary school, and do it very well.”

      He smiled. “So you’re a real tough guy underneath.”

      She began to laugh. “It’s a hard job but someone’s got to do it.”

      He couldn’t help himself and did the same.

      Once she sobered, she reached up and brushed her lips across his cheek. “Thank you again, Noah.”

      He could only nod and glance away, feeling a burn throughout his body. What was she doing to him? “Hey, we better get this food on the table. I’m hungry.”

      “Then I better feed you.”

      Five minutes later, they’d managed to carry the food in and called everyone to the table. Sean was filling the wineglasses as the kids took their seats. Once seated around the linen-covered dinner table, he realized it had been a mistake to sit so close to Lilly.

      In the short time Coop had been in the Staley household, he’d been made to feel like a part of this family. Something he’d never felt growing up.

      Most of the time it was just him and his brother. His mother either worked, or had a date with some guy. Why would Cindy Cooper-Morales want to hang around a slum apartment with her kids, anyway?

      This was the homiest he’d ever gotten, and it was a farce. He had to remember that, too. Not real. Remember why he was here and not get personally involved.

      However, the family thing might be a good cover, for people to think that he was dating Lilly. But the last thing he wanted to do was lead her on. She’d been hurt and lied to enough.

      In the end, a lot of people could be hurt. This time, he could be included in the scenario.

      Saturday was a perfect day for a barbecue, sunny, but not too hot. Coop drove Lilly and the family in his truck. It was silly to take two vehicles since Beth would meet Sean there and he’d take her back home.

      Once again, he was geared up to do his job. The problem was he had to use Lilly and the kids for cover. If something didn’t happen soon, he had to wonder if his captain would pull him from the operation.

      Of course that didn’t mean that Santos and Stephanie were going to stop being a threat to Lilly. The entire family could be in danger. He needed to get more information and soon.

      Every night this past week, he’d returned to Perry’s Landscaping, hoping to learn more, or at least see something happening. Nothing. He hoped today would provide a break, because his captain wasn’t going to leave him here forever.

      “I can’t wait to ride the horses,” Robbie called from the backseat.

      Lilly smiled. She knew Alex would have horse rides for the children, along with swimming and several games so parents could enjoy themselves.

      “What СКАЧАТЬ