by punching his chest with his finger. “I’m Chance. Hank is dead, Dad. He’s gone forever, and he’s never coming back. I can’t be him for you. I can only be me. You’ve got to decide once and for all if that’s going to be good enough for you because I can’t be both of us anymore.”
Bill Brennan felt for the chair behind him and lowered himself into it as Chance continued. “And you’d better decide quickly because if you don’t think you can fit my wife and baby into your scheme of things, I’ll be leaving this firm to go out on my own.”
Chance had to make him understand, so he laid it out as clearly as he could. “If you can’t accept Kyndal, Dad, then you’ll not only have lost Hank. You’ll lose me, too, and you’ll lose your grandchildren.” He gathered up his sweater. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll give you some time to think about what I’ve just told you. I have some last-minute Christmas shopping to do, and then I’m going to try and convince the woman I love more than life itself to spend the rest of her days with me.”
Bill Brennan sat silently.
Chance walked out, having had the last word with his dad for the first time ever.
* * *
WHEN HER PHONE RANG THAT morning, Jaci didn’t bother to look at the call display. The business was closed for the long holiday weekend, and, surely, no one would have a decorating crisis that required attention on December 24th. She’d already spoken with Kyndal—twice—so that only left one probability.
“Hey, Mom,” she answered.
“Not yet.” Erlene Moore’s laugh came over the line. “Still hanging in there, though.”
Jaci joined her laughter. “Sorry, Erlene.”
“No problem. Hey, I won’t keep you long. Just a quick question.”
“Sure. Whatcha need?”
“A kitten?” Erlene’s voice lowered to almost a whisper. “Cody’s been talking about the kittens since you were here that day, and we just decided this morning to get one for his stocking. Are yours available for adoption?”
“I…um.” Jaci’s heart thudded so hard she felt it in her stomach. “I don’t know. I mean…we haven’t talked about it.”
“I know how attached you are, but we would give it a good home. We have plenty of space. And we’re all animal lovers.”
Jaci’s knees went weak, and she slid into the nearest chair. She should have known that this time would come. She just hadn’t allowed herself to think about it.
Bart came into the kitchen. His eyes met hers and widened with concern. “What’s wrong?” he mouthed.
“Can you hold a minute, Erlene? Bart just came in. Let me see what he thinks.” Jaci covered the receiver with a shaking hand. “It’s Erlene Moore. She wants a kitten for Cody’s stocking.”
Bart’s eyes went even wider. “One of ours? Have you lost your mind?”
Relief flooded through her. She quickly spoke back into the phone. “We’re too attached to give either of them up, Erlene. But my friend Kyndal works at Pet Me. I know they have several kittens there who need a good home.”
“Okay. We’ll try there. Thanks, Jaci.”
She was gone before Jaci could say goodbye.
Bart moved toward her slowly, with a smile that was both wicked and sweet. “That would be like giving away our firstborn.”
Jaci laughed at his words that echoed her own thoughts. She stood up to meet him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him close. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you.” Tears of joy warmed her cheeks, and she became aware of tiny paws with playful claws swiping at the hem of her pajama bottoms.
She reached down to scoop up Arwen just as Bart did the same with Gandalf. They bumped heads lightly and laughed at their clumsiness.
She held the little female out to him. “Merry Christmas, Mr. Thomas.”
Bart took the black fur ball and offered her Gandalf the Gray, in return. “And Merry Christmas to you, too, love.”
Then he kissed her, and his kiss left no doubt it was going to be a Merry Christmas, indeed.
* * *
DECEMBER 24 AND KYNDAL couldn’t imagine that this many people still had shopping to do. She’d finished weeks ago, but, of course, she only had three presents to buy. The line of people waiting to get their pet’s photo with Santa had been short but steady all morning, which was good because it kept her mind off the events of last night.
At the moment, she was pondering if she might’ve died and gone to purgatory somewhere