The Sergeant's Christmas Mission. Joanna Sims

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      Caleb fell to his knees beside the large dog and wrapped his arms around Recon’s neck. Recon didn’t move, letting the young boy hug him tight.

      “Cool,” Carson said.

      The boy’s appreciation for his motorcycle made Shane smile fleetingly. “Do you know what a lug wrench is?”

      Carson nodded.

      “My tool kit is right over there.” Shane nodded.

      Carson dropped his shoes, jogged the short distance to the toolbox and then hurried back with the lug wrench.

      “Good man,” Shane said. “Thank you.”

      “Are they bothering you?” Rebecca appeared around the corner.

      Shane glanced up from his work, glanced down, and then his eyes, almost beyond his control, went straight back to Rebecca. She was wearing a pretty sundress with a wide belt that emphasized her small waist and curvy hips. The dress was modest, and yet, Shane found it to be very sexy on Rebecca. As she drew closer, he could see that her cheeks were flushed, her pretty eyes were shining and her copper-brown curls framed her face in the most enchanting way. Today, Rebecca was happy.

      “We’re helping,” Carson said.

      “They’re helping.” Shane winked at Rebecca’s eldest son.

      Caleb was lying on his back in the grass, giggling and being licked on the face by Recon.

      “Oh, my goodness.” Rebecca’s attention was captured by the vintage Indian. “Is this an original 841 or a replica?”

      “It’s no replica.” Shane stood.

      She circled the motorcycle, admiring his work.

      “Did you restore this yourself?”

      He nodded. “Most of the parts are original. I’ve been at it for years. I only use reproductions when I can’t find the real deal.”

      “Your grandfather would have lost his mind over this, Carson,” she said to her son. Then to him, she added, “My father was an Indian fanatic.”

      “What’s so special about it?” Carson asked.

      Shane was about to respond, but Rebecca put her arm around her son’s shoulders and said, “This is one of only a thousand that were made specifically for the army during the Second World War. This could be in a museum, that’s how special it is.”

      “Why’d they only make a thousand?” her son asked.

      Rebecca gave a little shrug. “The Jeep came along and the Army didn’t order any more.”

      Shane knew he was staring at her; he couldn’t seem to help himself. He’d never known another woman to know the history of his prized motorcycle.

      She looked at him, and he had to quickly avert his eyes before he renewed eye contact to cover up the fact that he had, in fact, been staring at her.

      “Would you take a picture of my boys and me with it?”

      Shane took her phone and took several pictures for her. She scrolled through the pictures and then smiled at him.

      “These are great. Thank you.”

      Standing so close to her, he could catch the fresh fruity scent of the shampoo she used in her hair. Rebecca Adams wasn’t the prettiest woman he’d ever seen; she was, objectively, on the plain side. But there was something about her that attracted him. It was a magnetic pull that he didn’t understand, and more important, he didn’t necessarily like it.

      Shane put some distance between them, taking the lug wrench back to his toolbox.

      “Hi, Recon.” Rebecca leaned down and scratched the dog around his ruff before she waved her hand to the boys.

      “Come on, guys. I need you to change out of your clothes, grab some lunch and then call your dad. He misses you.”

      Carson and Caleb left the way they had come: chasing each other, screaming and laughing. Rebecca hesitated for a moment.

      “Do you want to join us for lunch?”

      Shane didn’t want to look at her again, but he did out of politeness. “I appreciate the invite, but I had a pretty hardy lunch not too long ago.”

      “Well—” she walked backward a few steps “—if you change your mind...”

      He nodded; he figured that they both knew he wasn’t going to change his mind.

      In spite of himself, he watched her walk away, liking the way she carried her shoulders and the soft sway of her hips.

      Unexpectedly, Rebecca turned to face him again.

      “Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. I met your sister-in-law today.”

      “Is that right? Which one?”

      Rebecca laughed. “How many do you have?”

      “Three.”

      “I met Savannah. At church.”

      “Let me guess.” Shane walked back over to the motorcycle. “She put in a good word for me.”

      “As a matter of fact, she did.”

      “Well—” Shane knelt down by the back tire “—I don’t just say this because she was talking about me. You can take what Savannah says to the bank. She doesn’t know how to lie.”

      * * *

      Rebecca quickly changed into jeans and a T-shirt and twisted her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. The boys, now in their weekend clothes, met her in the kitchen.

      “Did you hang everything up?”

      “Yes,” Carson said.

      “No,” Caleb said simultaneously.

      Wordlessly, Rebecca pointed her finger toward the stairs leading to the second floor. Caleb took off running, which made her smile, even as she reminded him not to run in the house.

      She made a quick lunch and then sent the boys back up to their room to start unloading the boxes that had been stacked neatly in the corner by the movers. While she washed the dishes, she looked out the window over the sink and watched Shane sitting in a lawn chair between his motorcycle and his front door, brushing Recon’s coat. Much like the feeling she had about the German shepherd, Shane’s outward appearance didn’t seem to necessarily match his outward appearance. Savannah was an earnest soul—that was her impression of the woman—and her words only confirmed her own instinct about Shane Brand. There was a good man hidden beneath that beard, long hair and gruff personality. Thoughtfully, she wiped her hands on a dish towel, and by the time her hands were dry, she had made a decision. СКАЧАТЬ