Page 45 of The Cowboy's Christmas Baby
It was the one she’d taken with her phone the day she’d first toured the arena. Father and daughter gazed at each other as if neither had ever seen anything quite so amazing before. Iris had her small hand on Miles’s face. Tate loved the image, but she wasn’t the photographer in the family. That talent went to Ford. He’d fiddled around with the image using computer software until it was a real work of art, then she’d had it framed.
“I thought Iris might like to have a memory to keep of how happy you both were when you found each other.” And she wanted Miles to see that the way his daughter looked at him had nothing to do with his fame or his scarred face, and everything to do with how wonderful he was, all on his own.
“I have got to start keeping condoms in my desk,” he finally said.
“Luckily for you, I’ve learned a few things from Maybe about planning ahead.” She dug the box out of her purse and tossed it to him.
His happy grin turned the bumpy-ridged scar on his cheek into a vee, directing attention to the joyful anticipation in his eyes, and Tate’s thigh muscles clenched at the sight. “Hallelujah. Christmas came early.”
“About that.” She decided to get the main reason she was here out of the way so they could concentrate on exchanging more gifts. She could learn to like this new tradition.
“There you go again, not knowing when to stop talking,” he complained. “Either ‘I’ve learned a few things,’ or ‘planning ahead’ would have been good.” The dramatic sigh accompanying his words let her know he was kidding. “What’s the problem?”
The problem was that she’d have to regift his gift to her, and pass it on to his family, because he really should spend Christmas with them.
“Your mom wants you to take Iris to Texas for Christmas.”
“Yes, I’m aware.” He played with the box in his hands, then set it beside the photo he’d propped on his desk. “My mom has got to learn to mind her own business.”
“You should go.”
He was silent for a long moment. “I guess I should have explained Iris’s gift to you. Unless you don’t want it.” His voice held a question.
“I got it. No explanation required,” Tate said. “And I want it.” Did she ever. “And I know you’d like to start your own traditions here, in your new house, with your new daughter. But Christmas is about being with family and you should give yours this opportunity to get to know their newest member.” She cleared crushed rock from her throat. Her family situation had changed forever in less than six seconds, so she knew what she was talking about. “Ford and I have plans to spend Christmas together,” she added, proving tact was so not her thing. She made it sound as if their plans didn’t include him, when in fact, he and Iris had featured heavily in them.
Right up until this morning.
He leaned on the desk. His smile stayed in place even as the joy died in his eyes. “I suppose there’s always next year.”
He could be excused for his confusion. She was sending mixed signals again. Plus, she’d ruined his gift to her by insinuating that time spent with Ford was more important to her than time spent with him.
She was so bad at this.
She wriggled her hips between his thighs and rested her hands on his shoulders. She kissed him, putting everything into it that she couldn’t find the right words to express.
“Or,” she said, touching his cheek, “there’s always right now.” She let her eyes drift to the condoms and lifted a brow.
“Mm.” Miles returned her kiss with enough enthusiasm to unravel the kink in her stomach. His hand slid under her sweater, fingers teasing the sensitive belly piercing, and muscles twitched as she sucked in a breath. He licked her lower lip with the tip of his tongue, and with that added distraction, she forgot what they’d been talking about. “I could get used to this new tradition.”
“Me, too,” Tate said.
Could she ever.
Chapter Sixteen
Miles
The grass aroundthe terminal was green when Miles walked out of Laredo International Airport with his mom and dad at his side. Heat slapped him in the face. The blue sky and lack of snow were the only things his hometown had in common with Grand.
Airport travel hadn’t been as rough as expected. Iris’s presence had sparked some interest, especially with airport security, exactly as he’d predicted, because a baby traveling without her mother raised a few flags. Then there had been a few diehard fans at the airport in Billings eager for selfies with him, which he’d provided.
But once they’d touched down in Laredo, it was business as usual. People in his hometown had seen him in person plenty of times.
His mom pushed Iris in her stroller while he and his dad dragged their luggage to the car. Miles couldn’t believe how much stuff babies required, and topped off with the gifts he’d bought, a rental might be in order.
He couldn’t wait to see his sister’s reaction Christmas morning when Sydney and Pax unwrapped the toy mechanical bull he’d bought from Raiden. Anna was going to have a cow.
Something was missing, however.
