The Texan's Surprise Return. Jolene Navarro

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      Sawyer, the most energetic of her boys, laughed and ran with three other baby goats. His energy was still unbelievably high after the long day.

      Finn, the oldest triplet, was almost down for the count. Cuddled between two identical white-and-brown goats, he whispered something very important as he fought to keep his eyelids open.

      Selena took a picture of him with her phone.

      “That is just cute kid overload.” Her sister-in-law Belle walked in, her elegant dark red gown looking out of place in the barn.

      “The goat kids or the human kids?”

      Laughing, Belle closed the sliding barn doors. “Both. I think the pictures we took earlier will be my favorite photos ever. We took our family Christmas pictures to a whole new level.” She picked up Sawyer and tickled him. “I can’t believe this one isn’t tired. They stole the show today during the wedding. If you’d let me share that video of them walking down the aisle with their happily-ever-after signs, it would go viral.”

      “No social media. You know what Xavier would say about that and why.” She still had a hard time believing her husband had been gone for almost three years. This would be her third Christmas without him, but she had the boys and his family.

      She kissed Oliver on the head and he snuggled closer. “My dad will be here in a moment to get the boys. Since our niece is staying with us, he’s taking your girls, too. They can have a big cousin sleepover.” She placed her hand on Oliver’s back and felt his heartbeat. Growing up she had always been alone. Now, because of Xavier, she had this big family that would always be here for her and the boys.

      Belle shook her head in disbelief. “That’s six kids. Can Riff handle that many at once? I have no problem keeping Rosie while Elijah and Jazmine are on their honeymoon.”

      “The girls help out a lot with the boys. Plus, years of managing high-maintenance musicians on the road prepared my dad for handling kids. Who knew?”

      “God did.” Belle grinned as she sat on the ground next to Finn, Sawyer in her lap. “He prepares for us when we don’t even know we’re going to need it.”

      Selena smiled. “I always dreamed of a house full of kids. Before we got married I used to tease Xavier that I wanted enough for a basketball team.”

      Belle’s smile dimmed as she hugged the two boys closer. Selena hated seeing the light turn to sadness at the mention of her brother. “Don’t be sad. He was doing what he loved, and he did give me three of the cutest boys ever. It’s Christmas. Only joyous thoughts. He’d want you to be happy.”

      “He’d want you to be happy, too.” Both women watched as Finn kissed a sleepy goat on its nose. He was singing a lullaby. Belle smiled and stood. “So, no more gloom. All good cheer from here on out. This will be the best Christmas ever. Starting with the best Christmas cards ever.”

      Running from her, Sawyer tripped over his own boot and flopped headfirst into the hay. He glanced at Selena, waiting to see her reaction. With a big smile she reassured him it was fine. Giggling, he got up and went after the goats again.

      Chasing him, Belle laughed as she swept him up and tickled him. “Your daddy would be so proud of you and your brothers.”

      “Daddy!” Sawyer clapped.

      Selena’s heart melted a little at the thought they would never meet him, but they would be surrounded by the people who had loved him and whom he had loved.

      As if reading her thoughts, Belle kissed Sawyer’s cheek. “We’ll make sure your little guys know what a hero their daddy was.”

      “Dada, Dada!” Now all three boys chimed in.

      Her father joined them and together they got the boys’ paraphernalia into the Suburban. Her nieces chatted nonstop as all six kids were buckled in. Oliver was asleep before they had finished.

      “Are you sure about this? I can go with you,” she offered again. “There are several people that stayed to help clean.”

      “No, no. We’re good,” her father said. “The girls will help with the boys. Besides, you know they’ll be out before we leave the ranch road. You stay and hang out with the grown-ups. Have some fun. You act like an old lady. Buelita has more of a social life than you do, and she’s ninety-three.”

      “I have a social life. I’m very busy.”

      “No, you work a lot. It’s not the same. Jesse asked me about you again.”

      She sighed. “He’s a pastor. That’s his job.”

      “He’s the youth pastor, and he likes you. He stayed to help clean up tonight. Be nice. Say hi.”

      Knowing she wouldn’t win this argument, she kissed him. “Love you. I’ll be home soon.”

      He shook his head as if she was a lost cause. “Not too soon.”

      She rolled her eyes, then moved to the steps and watched as the taillights disappeared down the long ranch road.

      Everyone seemed to be ready for her to move on. Smiling, she crossed her arms against the cold and stood amid the blinking lights. Christmas lights always made everything better.

      The velvet night sky was full of God’s points of light. Darkness could not coexist with light, so she had to keep the light burning bright for her family. The De La Rosas had had their fair share of darkness growing up. This Christmas was for them also, the happily-ever-after they all deserved.

      As she was halfway up the steps, headlights swept across the porch, and Selena stopped and turned. Who could be coming so late? For a second, her heart kicked up a beat. What if something had happened to her father and the kids?

      No, there hadn’t been enough time for them to even get off the ranch. It had to be a wedding guest who forgot something.

      The sheriff put his SUV in Park behind a row of vehicles parked along the driveway. “I forgot about the wedding.” His deep Texas drawl was slow, as if he was speaking to a scared child. “Elijah and Jazmine remarried. It should be over by now and it looks like just a few cars are still here. Sorry, Xavier. I can take you back to town.”

      Xavier. Xavier De La Rosa. The name still sounded foreign. After more than two years of being a hostage called Pedro Sandoval he was having a tough time adjusting. They said it had been a mistaken identity, but recalibrating wasn’t coming easy. He blinked. Everything was out of focus.

      He’d be insulted by the sheriff’s tone if he didn’t feel like a lost six-year-old who didn’t know his mom’s real name. Then it hit him. Cicia. That had been his mother’s name, but she was gone. She had died before he was in high school. A wave of fresh grief hit him.

      The long porch invited him to come closer. This was his family ranch, and yet there was a scared kid inside him afraid to go into the unknown. There were secrets waiting. The only person he remembered at all was his sister, Belle.

      No, that wasn’t right. The sheriff said the woman was his cousin. He СКАЧАТЬ