AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nessa beamed again. “In about three weeks. Of course, it’ll be bittersweet because her dad won’t be there for her delivery, but I’m focusing on the sweet. I might have lost my wonderful husband, David, but I’ll always have a part of him withour baby girl.”
Mercy, Nessa had really been through the wringer. A wringer that would have squeezed the joy out of most. Apparently not her, though.
“I’m sorry about your husband,”Calen murmured.
“Yes, that was soul crushing.” Tears filled her eyes, causingCalen to groan.
“I’m sorry I brought it up,” hequickly added.
Nessa waved off his apology and blinked back tears. “I nearly called you a dozen times over the past six months since I lost him. My mother was a good shoulder to cry on, but sometimes I just thought I’d like to talk to you. To both of you,” she added. “I’d look at the pictures of you two and knew you were going through some tough times, and I thought maybe we could have all helped each other.”
Yes, tough times, but Emmy thought Calen’s and her ordeal with the cheaters felt like a tiny drop in the bucket compared to Nessa’s pain.
“I wish you had called. I mean that,” Calen assured her when Nessa’s head whipped up, and her eyes widened.
Nessa smiled again and glanced at them. “See, just looking at the two of you gives me hope. You survived a terrible ordeal, and you both lost your moms when you were so young. Yet you’re obviously happy. I swear, you were both practically glowing when you answered the door.”
Emmy thought maybe her glowing moved on to a blush. Because her pink face was a result of kissing, not because they wereobviously happy. Then again, those kisseshadimproved her mood and made her feel a lot more hopeful than she’d been in months. Of course, a lot of that hope was tied to her searing attraction for Calen, but, hey,hope was hope.
“Oh, and before I forget, I thought you might want this.” She took out an envelope and handed it to Calen. “It’s a copy of my birth certificate with Dad’s name on it and DNA test results for Dad and me.”
Calen took the envelope but kept his attention on Nessa. “Why DNA tests? Did Waylonask for that?”
“No. My mom’s the one who insisted on it. She wanted me to know who my father was. She wanted me to know you,” she tacked on. “And now that we’ve met, I hope you won’t mind me stopping by the next time I’m in town.” Her smile widened when Calen nodded. “The same for you,” she said to Emmy. “I’ll definitely want to buy some books for the baby, and maybe we can chat.”
“I’d like that,” Emmy assured her. And she made a mental note to buy a whole bunch of those board books for infants.
Nessa stood. “Well, I’ll be going, then. I want to walk through town and see the decorations. And get that muffin.” She chuckled. “I reallyam craving it.”
“Why don’t I go with you?” Emmy asked, standing as well. “The sidewalks might be a little slippery since the temps are right at freezing. The weather forecast is calling forsnow tomorrow.”
“Oh, I heard that. A white Christmas.” Nessa’s eyes lit up. “Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
Well, Emmy hadn’t thoughtamazingwas the right word because she’d been worrying about icy roads, but since white Christmases were rare, it might indeed be aspecial treat.
And her mind began to spin in a different direction.
Maybe Calen and she could spend that white Christmas snuggled up together. Cuddling and talking about how this sister revelation was affecting him. Maybe sharing some of the day, too, with his sister.
“But I don’t want to trouble you,” Nessa insisted a moment later. “I suspect you both have work to do. I can go into town alone.”
“No trouble,” Emmy and Calen said in unison as he also stood. “I can take a little more time before going in to the bookstore,” Emmy added.
“And I don’t have to go in to the office for another hour or two,” Calen explained. “I can drive, and then Emmy and I can show you around. Or we can follow you into town. Maybe show you some of the shops you might’ve missed on yourother visits.”
Nessa’s smile was tentative now. “But what if people ask who Iam?” she said.
“Then, I’ll tell them you’re my sister,” Calen assured her. “Are you ready to start tongues wagging about that?”
The woman’s bright smile returned. “Oh, yes. Let the tonguewagging begin.”
* * * *
Calen figured plenty of tongues were already getting a workout. A workout that’d started within minutes of their arrival in town, when they’d all parked in the lot next to the sheriff’s office.
Because Christmas Creek was crowded with tourists, shoppers, and locals who just liked being part of the holiday buzz, Main Street was jammed, and he saw plenty of long, questioning looks. Saw behind-the-hand whispers. Of course, some of the merchants might recognize Nessa from her previous shopping trips, but there’d be much speculation as to why she was with Emmy and him.
Calen saw that speculation in the Candy Cane Bakery when the owner, Tandy Roberts, rang up Nessa’s muffin and coffee to-go cups for Emmy and him. Tandy didn’t come out and ask why Nessa was with them, but that was probably because the store was packed, and she had customers waiting.
