Read Christmas Showdown for Free Online Page B

tomorrow.”
    Melissa placed a hand over his. “So what do
you plan to do?”
    “I’ve asked Kelly to move in with me. I want
my son with me.”
    Jason frowned. “But you don’t even know this
woman.”
    His large hands rested on his belly. Paula
liked to cook and after ten years of marriage it was showing around
his brother’s waist. Not that he was fat, but he definitely could
spare a pound or two.
    “Tell us a little bit about the child’s
mother,” his mother said.
    “She’s a lead teller at the bank. A gunman
shoved a pistol in her face and she didn’t wilt like a flower, so
that should tell you she has mettle. She’s smart, beautiful, and
ready to fight me if she has to over TJ.”
    “TJ?” Melissa repeated.
    “Trey, but I don’t know what the J stands
for. And no, I don’t know his birthdate. I don’t know what his
first word was or when he took his first step, and I don’t have any
idea what he wants for Christmas.” Trey paused to push his fingers
through his hair. “I’ve missed a lot of his life and don’t want to
miss any more.”
    “But moving this woman in with you. Son,
that’s a huge step,” his father said.
    “Yeah, and letting Kelly out of my sight
could be a bigger mistake. She was as surprised to see me as I was
to see her.”
    His mother frowned. “So she intentionally
kept you in the dark?”
    “No. It isn’t like that. I didn’t even tell
her my last name. Where I lived. Nothing. I’m as much to blame as
anyone.” He looked up at his mother. “I’m not proud of myself, Mom.
But I am trying to make things right.”
    “I can see that, Trey, and we’re here to help
in any way we can,” she assured him.
    Elbows on the table, his father steepled his
fingers. “So what are your immediate plans?”
    “Tomorrow I’ll pack the two of them up and
move them in with me. I haven’t done any shopping, so after that’s
done I thought perhaps we’d go shopping. Stay up trying to put some
toys together, ’cause judging by what Jason and Lance have done in
the past, I’ll probably be doing the same. Then Christmas day we’ll
come and spend it with all of you.”
    “We’ll help with the moving.” Jason naturally
included Lance in the offer.
    “Thanks, but I don’t think she’ll bring much
over to the house. She’s still of the opinion this is a temporary
situation, a trial run. Kelly believes within a week I’ll get tired
of playing house and boot them out. So she’s only agreed to stay
for the holidays.”
    “Can’t blame the girl for being cautious.”
Suz breezed into the kitchen, stopping only to press red lips on
Trey’s cheek that he knew would leave a lipstick mark. Of course
she would think this way. At twenty, the ebony-haired beauty was as
independent as a bird in flight.
    Their father gave the oldest of his daughters
a discouraging glance after he scanned her tight leather pants and
the rather low neckline of her sweater. “Did your mother let you
out of the house dressed like that?”
    She swiped a hand through the air, brushing
him off. “Oh, Dad.”
    “The girls and I’ll do some grocery shopping,
because I’m sure your cupboards are bare, then we’ll go over to
your house and give it a good cleaning, right?” Their mother pinned
her narrowed gaze on both his sisters. They nodded obediently,
because Dad wasn’t the only one who ruled the roost in this
family.
    “Thanks, Mom.”
    “And I’ll have our attorney run a full
security profile on this Kelly. What’s her last name? You should
also get a paternity test.” His father wasn’t one to let someone
waltz into this family without checking their credentials, plus if
he knew his dad he would also be paving the way to get custody of
TJ should it be necessary. This wasn’t the first time one of his
sons had gotten into a mess.
    “It’s McMaster, but it isn’t necessary. I’d
rather you stay out of this.” No matter what his father might dig
up, Trey would stay his course. TJ was his