A Little Country Christmas - Carolyn Brown Page 0,26

began fanning the smoke out the window while Sally pointed at the now silent smoke alarm and jabbered in baby language that Dixie was sure had cusswords in it.

“You didn’t freeze up,” he said. “There was smoke, and you acted like a fireman.”

“I did, didn’t I?” she gasped.

“It won’t take long for the smoke to clear,” he said.

“Lan-Lan! No! No!” Sally frowned at him.

“Guess we heated the kitchen up too much,” he chuckled.

“Those were some hot kisses,” she agreed.

“It was worth it, wasn’t it?” he asked.

“Yes, of course it was, but you do realize that every one of those kisses is just going to make it harder on me when you go back to the other side of Texas?”

“What if I didn’t leave, but I just stayed here and worked for Levi?” he asked.

“Don’t tease me, Landon, and don’t even talk to me about that until you know for sure.” She couldn’t bear to get her hopes up and then have them crushed, so she changed the subject. “I haven’t burned a cookie in all the time I’ve been working here.”

“How many times have you made out with a cowboy while you were baking them?” He shut the window.

“I don’t kiss and tell.” She sat down across the table from him and applied green icing to a Christmas tree and handed it to him. “Now you can put the rest of the decorations on this.”

He took the cookie from her and added sprinkles and some crisscross lines to represent garland.

She covered a Santa hat with red icing and pushed it across the table toward him, then turned to check on Sally. She had crawled over to the Christmas tree, reached for the squirrel ornament from a bottom limb, and set up a howl. Landon was the first one to her, but Dixie wasn’t far behind him.

“What’s the matter, princess? Show me what hurt you.” Landon checked her fingers one by one and finally found a tiny piece of dried cedar sticking out of her palm.

“Damned old tree has got some dead stuff on it. It’s gone dry.” He gently pulled the thing from her hand. “We need to get some water in the pan so it’ll last until Christmas. I’m so sorry, baby girl.” He kissed her hand a dozen times.

He might not be so good at cleaning up an ice cream mess, but he sure knew how to take care of a boo-boo. Boyfriend who didn’t yell at her for burning food. Father who comforted Sally over a tiny little wound. Yes, sir, this was the good life.

She tried to take Sally from Landon to check her finger, but the baby shook her head. “No! No! No!”

“It’s not bleeding, Mommy. I think she’ll be fine,” Landon whispered.

“Lan-Lan down,” Sally said.

He put her on the floor, and she pointed her finger at the squirrel. “No! No! No!”

Dixie giggled.

“What’s so funny?” Landon asked.

“She thinks the squirrel bit her. She probably won’t mess with that ornament again,” Dixie said.

“Things sure aren’t turnin’ out like I’d planned them,” Landon said.

“Folks plan, and then God laughs,” she said.

“Ain’t that the truth,” he agreed.

Chapter Seven

Landon had sat beside Dixie in church a couple of times before, but the Sunday morning of the Christmas program was a whole new experience. Maybe this new feeling was a result of the kisses they’d shared the night before. His heart swelled with happiness, and, suddenly, the excitement of California beaches paled in comparison to the joy of sitting in church with Dixie so close to his side that air couldn’t have found a way between them.

“Packed church today, ain’t it?” Dixie whispered.

He leaned over close to her ear. “Folks come out for entertainment and food more than they do for preaching.”

The preacher left the front row of pews and took his place behind the pulpit. “We’re glad to see such a good turnout today. The Lord does love to see every pew filled. Welcome to all y’all this morning, and please, remember that the ladies have planned a potluck in the fellowship hall right after our morning Christmas program. I’ll turn this over to the preschool Sunday school teacher at this time.”

“Just think, in only three years, Sally will be up there singing with that age group,” Dixie said.

“She’ll be the prettiest one up there too!” Landon’s heart clenched again at the thought of not being around to see the baby grow up.

“Look at that little girl on the end with her blond curls. I hope I can get