Texas Christmas Bride: The Gallaghers of Sweetgrass Springs Book 6 (19 page)

Scarlett spoke. “I’d consider it sexist that we’re putting together the meal, except—” She waved her hand toward the pickup football game going on out there.

“Shirts and skins,” Sammie Marshall said. “How come they can’t both be skins?”

Lorie Marshall chuckled. “We could paint the chests of one team blue instead of them wearing shirts.”

It was a remarkable sight, for sure. Josh Marshall, Bridger, Ian, Jackson, Boone and Walker Roundtree were skins. Quinn, Case, Mackey, Dev Marlowe, Tank and Mitch were shirts. The teenage boys were sprinkled among them—Ben playing on his dad’s team, Grant Marshall and Davey Gallagher with their fathers on the other.

And they were surrounded by children of all sizes, managing to compete vigorously with one another while watching out for the little ones who wanted to play. Grant’s younger sister had drafted Christina Marlowe, Abby and Beth to be cheerleaders.

But Lilah Rose was clinging to Bridger’s back like a tick.

“Oh, Bwidge,” Perrie sighed and grinned.

“My Bwidge,” Scarlett and Rissa echoed.

The women broke up laughing.

“What on earth is keeping you all standing—oh.” Melba Sykes stopped in mid-sentence. “Well, now.”

Veronica grinned despite her nerves. Jackson looked so happy.

Ian called out his name and aired a long bomb. Jackson loped around behind the rest and caught it for a score.

“We want the ball, Bwidge. Can we get the ball?”

“I don’t know what to say,” Maddie grinned. “She’s all Boone’s.”

“Uh-huh,” Rissa grinned. “Can we make them switch shirts and skins now that one side has scored?”

“I still like the blue paint idea better,” Lacey said.

Scarlett sighed. “We’d better get back to work. They’ll be starving soon.”

“We can take shifts watching,” Elena Marshall suggested.

Everyone laughed. They trooped back to uncover dishes and finish putting out paper plates and set up cups beside the vats of sweet tea.

“You ready for this?” Penny asked Veronica.

“Terrified,” Veronica responded with a hand on her stomach.

“Ian and Mackey swear they’re all set to spirit Jackson away.”

“How? He’s having the time of his life.”

“No idea, but that’s not our job. Gorgeous ring, by the way. I got first peek.”

“Thank you. It’s awesome that you have your mom’s. I don’t feel quite so bad about laying claim to her dress.”

“Don’t. We’re going to be sharing lots of things from now on.”

“Thank you.” Veronica’s eyes filled.

“For what?”

“For welcoming me. For being a sister. I always wanted one.”

“And I always wanted to ditch Ris. Maybe Tank and I can trade.”

“I heard that,” her sister said darkly.

“Prince Daddy?” Beth looked up at Jackson later as the meal wound down. “Are we going to get married soon?”

He ran a hand over her hair. “I hope so, honey.” He looked out over the crowded cafe. Tables and chairs had spilled out onto the green space that ran alongside the diner all the way back to Aunt Ruby’s house. He’d thought this event would be held at the courthouse, but Scarlett has said something about repairs being needed in the kitchen, some piece of equipment that would require a warranty call as soon as the holidays were over.

“Have you had a fun day?” he asked Beth.

She leaned into him. “Yes. Even if Mommy thinks you gave us too many presents.”

He chuckled. Glanced down. “Is that possible?”

She shrugged. “Some kids don’t have any presents ever.”

“That’s true.” But no child in Sweetgrass had gone without presents this year. He’d made certain of that.

Laughter flared in the corner where one of his geeks was holding court, demonstrating a new game he’d come up with and Jackson hoped to license. From the crowd gathered around, the game was a hit.

He glanced over at Steph who was holding an animated conversation with Perrie Gallagher. No idea what that was about, but he was happy to see it.

He saw Ben stop to speak to Jackson’s dad, and enjoyed James Gallagher’s obvious pride in the grandson he doted on. When Ben and Eric shared a joke with Jackson’s dad, he couldn’t help but feel like all was right in his world.

He wanted to spirit Veronica away and have the evening with her by himself, but he couldn’t see her. She was probably back in the kitchen. Jackson straightened to go after her, but just then Mackey and Ian approached. “Wiz, we need to talk to you. Can you spare us a sec?”

“Sure. What’s up?”

Ian shook his head. “Not here. Let’s go to Ruby’s house.”

Mystified, he glanced down at Beth. “Honey, I’ll be right back. You go see your mom, okay?”

“I was going to spirit her away with me,” Lorie Marshall said, strolling up. “She and Abby said they wanted my Clarissa to show them something. Come with me, Beth?”

“Okay. Bye, Prince Daddy!” Beth hopped down.

He watched her walk away, then turned to his friends. “What’s going on?”

“In a sec,” Mackey promised and led the way out the back.

Neither would speak until they got inside the house and went into Ruby’s library.

Inside, Ben waited. With a suit in his hands. “We need to get dressed, Dad.”

Dad?
Jackson’s eyes widened. “What for?”

“Because you don’t want to marry Mom in those jeans.”

Jackson’s heart stopped. Literally. “Are you serious?”

His son’s eyes glowed. “Completely.”

“But—”

Ben handed the suit hanger over to Ian, then turned and grabbed some papers from the desk. “But first, sign these.”

Jackson took them. Felt his throat close. “These are—”

“Adoption papers. Aunt Penny drew them up.”

A warmth spread through Jackson’s chest. “You want this? You’re sure?”

“I’d like to keep Butler in my name, if that’s okay. Is it? But I want to be a Gallagher legally.”

Jackson struggled to find his voice. “It’s very okay. David was my friend. He did a hell of a job raising you.” Not getting to do so himself would always be bittersweet for Jackson, but he wanted to live for the future, not miss today by mourning the past. “Your mom knows about this?”

Ben’s smile widened. “Everyone in town knows but you, Dad. Well, all the adults. No way Abby could keep that secret. It’s about killed me.”

“It was your boy’s idea.” James Gallagher’s voice came from behind him. “He wanted you to have a Christmas surprise.”

Jackson shook his head. “I don’t know what to say. This is…perfect, son.” He cleared his throat. “You got a pen?”

“Well, actually, you have to do it in front of a notary.”

The door opened again. Judge Porter stepped in. “Couldn’t help but overhear. I’m legal enough. Go ahead.”

“Vee should be here. We should do this as a family.”

Ben nodded. “You’re right. I just…I wanted to be the one to show you.”

Jackson looked again at the document, then back at his son. “You’ll never give me a finer gift, Ben.” He extended the papers. “Will you keep them safe for me?”

“Yes, sir.” Then Ben reached for him, and Jackson embraced the son whose life had changed his world, then and now. He hugged Ben hard, grateful that his boy was holding on just as tightly. Tears stung his eyes. “No one ever had a better son, Ben. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Dad. I want to call you Dad. I don’t think he’d mind.”

The moment was powerful. Painful with the ache of the past and the bright promise of the future.
Let me be enough
, Jackson prayed.
Let me be the father these children need
.

“I’d like that a lot.” He swallowed. “So…should I deduce that this is why the dinner wasn’t at the courthouse?”

More than one laugh was a little hoarse.

“I can’t believe we pulled it off,” Ben said. “Keeping the secret was murder.”

Jackson mock-frowned. “Don’t get too good at deceiving your old man, okay?”

Ben chuckled. “I’m a teenager, Dad. I’m supposed to try to pull things over on you.”

Jackson ruffled Ben’s hair. Glanced over at his father, who smiled wryly. “A parent’s reward. Watching his child have teenagers.”

Everyone shared a laugh.

“Well. Guess we’d better get ready, so I can go marry your mom.”

“You’re gonna swallow your tongue when you see her, Dad.”

Jackson smiled. “It’s like that every time.”

Chapter Ten

T
he courthouse looked completely different from Scarlett and Ruby’s double wedding. Not only the seasonal flowers were different, but the large, glittering tree changed the scene from when Scarlett and Ian, Ruby and Arnie had married here in the fall.

“Brenda, you have outdone yourself,” Veronica murmured as she peered over the bannister to the first floor. White lilies she’d grown in a cold frame spilled from baskets lined with evergreen boughs and scarlet pyracantha berries gathered along roadsides and from bushes around Ruby’s house.

Brenda had come up with the notion of spraying yucca spears and sumac silver. She’d twined rosemary and wrapped it around the stair rails, adorned with sumac berries sprayed cerulean blue and tied with blue and silver ribbons. Pots of forced amaryllises, both red and striped ones from Veronica’s greenhouses, provided lush islands of color.

Her attendants each carried a single amaryllis tied with silver and blue ribbon. Her own bridal bouquet was a mixture of greenery and white lilies tied with silver and blue ribbon the color of Jackson’s eyes.

People had begun filtering inside, and Jeanette drew her back to the room she’d used to dress. “You don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

“I’m so ready to see him,” Veronica said. “I wonder how it’s going over there.”

“It would be great to be a fly on the wall, wouldn’t it?” Penny asked, coming up behind them.

Veronica looked up. “You look lovely. And Rissa, look at you!”

Rissa smoothed self-consciously at her cerulean dress. “I like jeans better.”

“Yes, but Mackey will choke when he sees you.”

“He’d better.”

Veronica held out her hands to the two women wearing slim, flowing columns of silk. “I appreciate you standing up with me.”

“Where else would we be?” Penny asked.

Then small feet thundered up the steps, and her own twins burst through the door. “Mommy, look! We have beautiful princess dresses—oh!” Even Abby was stunned into silence.

“Mommy, you’re so beautiful,” Beth said.

“Even prettier than Scarlett,” Abby vowed.

“Hey, watch it.” Scarlett approached, smiling. “But you’re right. Your mother looks like an angel. And anyway, I didn’t have the two prettiest flower girls in the universe for my wedding. Why was that, Maddie?”

“Whine, whine, whine. Maybe because it was all I could do to drag you to the altar?” Maddie winced and rubbed at her back.

“You need to sit down. You shouldn’t be climbing those stairs,” Lacey scolded.

“Good grief, you’re channeling Boone. I’m fine.”

The glances exchanged demonstrated that Veronica wasn’t the only skeptic. “Maddie, thank you. You did so much from Morning Star. I’m so grateful we get to be family.”

Maddie’s pinched look dissolved in her typical good humor. “Me, too, cuz.” She glanced down at the twins. “And now that we’re family, I’m counting on you two to help me ride herd on Lilah Rose.”