Dreaming of His Snowed In Kiss - Jessie Gussman Page 0,56
on her forehead and strode into the room, gathering the boys up and bringing them out, Trevor in one arm and holding onto Garrett’s hand with Warren walking beside.
He set his jaw as he saw his dad opening Minnie’s door and, after she stood, picking her up in his arms and carrying her up the shoveled walk.
The snow was melting, although the ground was still covered, and the children had been out earlier that day playing in it once more.
By the end of the day, it would be gone, but it wasn’t the snow that was keeping Minnie from walking.
She was probably just that weak.
Penny opened the door, and Minnie noticed right away that everyone was standing and waiting on her.
“What a welcoming committee I have. All of these handsome boys.” Her smile was tremulous, and he doubted that anyone ever looked happier as her eyes swept lovingly, like a caress, over each little towheaded child standing and staring at her.
“Go ahead, Warren,” West prompted.
“We have a surprise for you, Mom!”
“A surprise?” Minnie’s eyes went from her boys to West then Poppy then back to West again. “What surprise?” she asked Warren.
“You have to follow me. Or Mr. Race has to follow me?” Warren said a little uncertainly.
“No. I can walk.”
At her words, Race set her down, keeping his arm around her as she leaned into him. Penny came around her other side and slipped a hand around her waist.
“It’s in the living room,” Warren said, his eyes worried, his lip caught between his teeth.
“I’m coming. I can’t wait. What could my surprise possibly be?”
Poppy had slipped away, holding Hazel’s hand, getting ready to film Minnie as she walked in. West waited for them to go by before following them, the little boy in his arm hugging him close. Garrett had never let go of his hand, and he walked quietly alongside West.
Minnie got to the doorway of the living room and froze. “Oh my,” she said, her hand going to her chest. “It’s Christmas?” she asked, wonder in her voice. She turned, looking at West, then back to Warren, standing by the Christmas tree with a big grin on his face.
“It is! It’s Christmas! And we wanted you to have Christmas with Gabriella, since she was born after Christmas.”
West’s eyes pricked. He blinked quickly.
Warren didn’t know that they were doing it because they didn’t expect Minnie to make it to next Christmas. He’d repeated what they’d told him word for word.
Somehow, it made West’s breath catch and his lungs work hard to suck in more air.
Warren’s innocence and his excitement for his mom to have a good Christmas with her baby pulled at West’s heart.
It was sweet beyond words. West looked over, wanting to see how Poppy was doing.
Their gazes met. She was having the same problem. Blinking the liquid away. Hurting for the little boy who just wanted to make his mom happy.
“It’s beautiful.” Minnie stepped forward, her hand falling away from Race’s arm as she walked toward her son, holding her hand out. He took it, looking so much older than his five years, and they examined the tree together.
“It looks like you might have made some of these?”
“We did! Miss Poppy made them with us. These.”
He pointed to the ornaments that they’d used cookie cutters to cut out and baked in the oven on a low temperature before they used metallic paint that West had found in his garage. The flecks of metal in the paint shone and caught the light.
He’d been skeptical but had followed Poppy’s lead. It had worked out a lot better than what he’d thought. The kids had a great time.
“I can see you must have painted them yourself,” Minnie said, holding up Warren’s hand and turning it, showing the paint that was still on Warren’s fingers.
“Mr. West said it will come off before I got married. I think it looks cool.”
“I do too.”
The doorbell rang, and Race shifted before he said, “Warren, I think you and Garrett need to go get the door.”
“Really?” Warren said, puzzlement wrinkling his forehead.
“Really. I think you might know that dude.”
West moved to Poppy and put his arm around her, and she leaned into him, letting Hazel go with the boys. When he’d had this idea, he hadn’t realized how bittersweet it would be. He’d thought of Christmas and Santa and presents and kids and that there’d be a lot of laughter and a lot of fun.
He hadn’t expected to have his heart torn into pieces