Free A Texas Legacy Christmas by DiAnn Mills Page A

bull’s pen.”
    By the time he finished the latest story, Chloe was ready to build a monument in his honor. “I’m not the least surprised at your adopting them. Have you forgotten the hungry little girl you used to bring a sandwich to every day?” Instantly, she wished she hadn’t brought up those humiliating days.
    “I remember. I used to worry about what you ate on Saturday and Sundays.”
    “Sometimes I saved part of the sandwich for those days. You’re a good man, Zack Kahler. Curly and Charlie are very lucky children.”
    “I think I’m a lucky man. But I have so much to learn. They gave me a jolt today, and I didn’t know whether to warm their behinds or hold them tight.”
    “You’ll figure it all out.”
    “I hope so. They’re six, but their lives up to this point haven’t been good. And there’s so much to do at the newspaper. At least the two are in school during working hours, and my sister and brother volunteered to bring them to the office in the afternoons. Excuse me, I’m complaining like an old man.”
    “I’ll help in any way I can.”
    “I believe Mr. Barton has you pretty busy.”
    “My Sundays are free.” Should she have been so bold?
    He glanced down at his hands, then up at her face. “Would you like to help me with the twins this Sunday? I need to take them to church. I might need to lasso them into a pew.”
    She started to say that people would talk if she joined them. But if God had decided to answer her dreams by blessing her with Zack and the twins for a Sunday morning, well—“I’d be glad to.”

Chapter 8
    Sunday morning, Zack held the hand of a twin on each side of him, and Chloe walked alongside Curly on the road toward Piney Woods Church. Chloe reminded him of a freshly picked rose—perfect. He could get lost in those enormous dark brown eyes. And her hair reminded him of black silk draping down her back. It would be hard to keep his attention on the service today. He recalled how Elizabeth always wore stylish clothes and had her hair fixed all over her head in curls, but she paled in comparison to Chloe. Hadn’t he convinced himself that he had no time for a woman? Mercy. His resolve must be sitting on the sidewalk in New York—right where he’d fallen.
    Chloe gathered Curly’s other hand into hers. Good. At least he couldn’t pick his nose. Heaven forbid what might come from the twins’ mouths this morning. But they did look very civilized with cheeks like polished apples and dressed like preacher’s kids—or rather, grandkids.
    “This church will be strange without sisters and a priest,” Curly said.
    “Oh, I think you’ll get used to it. Remember, Grandpa is the preacher. And Grandma will be your Sunday school teacher.”
    The twins were silent—a rarity unless they were nervous about new surroundings. A little over a week with them had taught him that much.
    “You will have fun and learn about Jesus.” Zack glanced over at Chloe in hopes she could add a word or two to ease the twins’ uneasiness.
    “We don’t like school,” Curly said. “Do we, Charlie?”
    The little girl shook her red curls. “We want to go to the newspaper office with you.”
    “Why?” This was the first Zack had heard about their discontent with school.
    “The kids say we talk funny,” Curly said. “And they laugh.”
    Zack swallowed his amusement. “You and Charlie come from a different part of the country.”
    “But I want to sound like them. Say y’all and fixin’.”
    This time he laughed aloud. “Oh, you will once you’ve lived here awhile.”
    “Hope so. I’m tired of them sayin’ we talk too fast. And I don’t like it when they call us Irish stew. I like it when Grandpa calls us that, but not the kids at school.”
    “Pretend it doesn’t bother you,” Chloe said. “When I was a little girl, the children used to tease me too.”
    Charlie peeked around Zack to see the lovely young woman beside him. “Why, Miss Chloe?”
    “Because I didn’t