A Little Country Christmas - Carolyn Brown Page 0,21

picture we love the most.” Claire smiled and headed back across the room to where Levi waited.

“Who or what is Lan-Lan?” Santa looked up at Landon.

“That would be me. She doesn’t know a lot of words yet,” he explained.

“I don’t know if I can get you in the sleigh, but if that’s what she wants, I’ll do my best.” Santa winked.

“Thank you.” Dixie smiled at Hud.

“What about you?” Santa asked her. “What do you want for Christmas? I don’t see a ring on your finger. Maybe you want Lan-Lan too?” he teased.

“I learned a long time ago that wishing for special things don’t make them appear,” Dixie shot back at him.

“So, I’m special?” Landon asked as he stepped to the side and let the folks behind him have a chance.

“Of course you are, and you are welcome.” Dixie batted her eyes at him flirtatiously.

“I’m welcome for what?” he asked.

“Didn’t you see those women behind us gawking at you? I let them think we were a family so you could get out of this place with your pants on,” she teased.

“Then I thank you. A cowboy needs a good woman to take care of him,” Landon said. “Let’s bypass the sack with an apple and an orange in it, and drive into Bowie for some ice cream.”

“Ice keam!” Sally said and clapped her hands.

“She knows exactly what that is, and she loves it, especially chocolate,” Dixie said.

“Then let’s get out of here. I vote McDonald’s for burgers and milk shakes.” Landon held Sally in one arm and guided Dixie out of the crowd with his other hand on her lower back.

Sally narrowed her blue eyes and said, “Ice keam!”

“Yes, ma’am, baby girl. Let’s have some ice keam—and some real food too,” Landon said.

The trip to McDonald’s was only a five-minute drive, but the line was long at the order counter. That suited Landon just fine because the evening was already going faster than he wanted.

“Ice keam.” Sally stuck her bottom lip out and pointed toward a poster that featured a triple-dip banana split.

“You bring that precious baby on up here and get in line in front of us,” a sweet little gray-haired lady said. “We’ve got our Sunday school class here for treats after our Christmas program, so we’ll be awhile.”

Dixie smiled. “Thank you.”

“That’s a beautiful little girl. She has her father’s eyes for sure,” the woman said.

“We get told that a lot.” Landon couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

“You’d better be ready to fight off the boys here in a few years,” the elderly gentleman with her said. “That little girl is going to turn a lot of heads, but then I guess her mama sure turned yours awhile back, didn’t she?”

“Yes, sir, she did,” Landon replied. It wasn’t a lie. Dixie had caused him to take a second and a third look when he met her the first time. With her dark brown hair and those clear blue eyes, plus that cute little figure she sported under those skinny jeans and her T-shirt, any man would have had trouble keeping it down to just one glance. But it was more than her looks that drew Landon to her. She was an amazing mother to Sally and had the sweet attitude that he imagined angels in heaven would have. When she looked at him, he felt like he was ten feet tall and bulletproof.

They ordered their food and Landon paid the young man behind the counter. “Thanks again,” he told the Sunday school couple as he and Dixie took Sally to a booth in the corner.

“No problem. Y’all have a Merry Christmas,” the guy said.

“Does that embarrass you?” Dixie asked in a low voice when she slid into the booth.

“Nope,” Landon answered. “Kind of makes me feel good. Like a practice run for when…” He stopped before he finished the sentence.

“When you have a real family?” she asked.

“Does that make you uncomfortable?” he countered, avoiding her question.

She shook her head slowly. “You’re going to make a wonderful father, Landon, so tonight I’m enjoying a night out on the town and pretending like you are really Sally’s daddy.”

Landon was not expecting that answer, and for a moment he thought he’d imagined her saying the words. “What about the rest of it, Dixie?” he finally asked.

“Yep, I’m pretending we are a family too,” she answered, “and it’s a good feeling. I should thank you for renewing my trust in men. Until I came to Sunset and met the cowboys out on