Free Christmas Wishes...Special Delivery by Mary Manners Page A

padded down the hallway, Riley plugged in the Christmas lights and switched on the stereo, adding a Christmas CD so soft music filled the room. He glanced up at the mistletoe and thought, with a note of satisfaction, that he might make use of it again a time or two between the present-wrapping and cookie-nibbling.
    In the kitchen, he started a pot of coffee and then drew a small plate from the cabinet and filled it with a handful of chocolate chip cookies. As an afterthought, he took a generous bite out of one before setting it atop the pile. A glass of milk, half full, was the perfect accompaniment. He returned to the living room to set the plate on the coffee table. Stepping back, he surveyed the room with a satisfied smile. Everything looked just perfect…from the twinkling tree lights to the small tube he pulled from the pocket of his jacket and tied with a length of ribbon. He was all thumbs when it came to paper and tape, but a ribbon worked just fine. Riley parted two boughs of the Christmas tree and tucked the roll back between the branches where it wouldn’t be easily spotted before morning. He hoped Kaylee would be pleased when she found it there tomorrow.
    A flash of headlights through the front window caught Riley’s attention. He stepped to the front door and peered through the curtains. Who would be arriving this time of night? The lights dimmed and the door opened. One look at the driver as he slipped from the seat and Riley’s heart sank.
    Cody McKenna, bundled in steel-toed boots and a hooded jacket, started up the stairs.
     
    ****
     
    “Here’s the wrapping paper…” Kaylee’s voice lodged in her throat, killing the words as she rounded the doorway and her gaze locked on Cody. She pressed one hand against the doorjamb, propping herself as her legs went weak. “I didn’t expect…”
    “Hi, sis.” He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed a cookie from the platter Riley had set on the coffee table. “Sorry to barge in so late, but I finished a job today, drove all the way from Albuquerque to see you. I figured with Christmas and all…” He took a bite of the cookie, reached for the glass of milk. “How’s the kid?”
    “Rosie’s good.” Kaylee’s gaze drifted to Riley as a feeling of foreboding welled in the pit of her belly. Suddenly the wood floor turned to eggshells and she tread oh-so-carefully. Riley’s eyes fixed on her, soothing, and the beat of her pulse eased just a bit. “We got in from church a few minutes ago and she’s beat. She was in a play…”
    “Kaylee just tucked her in,” Riley finished. “Rosie’s sleeping.”
    “Figured as much, this late. Wouldn’t be right if the kid was still up.” Cody finished off the cookie, grabbed a second. “I’ll bet she’s growing like a weed. She been too much trouble for you, Kay?”
    “She’s been just fine.” Kaylee took a tentative step into the living room. Lights twinkled from the tree and the murmur of music drifted. The scene would be just perfect if Cody wasn’t standing smack-dab in the middle of it. And, why couldn’t he call Rosie by name? He’d never, as far as she remembered, used Rosie’s name while speaking to her or about her. Kaylee dropped the wrapping paper on the floor beside the recliner. She forced a smile. “Are you hungry, Cody? Would you like a sandwich? I have some pumpkin pie, eggnog. There’s plenty.”
    “No, thanks. These cookies hit the spot.” He cleaned the plate, leaving behind only the one Riley had doctored. “I guess that one’s for the bearded guy.”
    “Yes…that one.” Kaylee thought her heart might leap from her chest with the way it pounded against her ribs. “Are you OK, Cody? Do you need something? You’re welcome to stay and share Christmas with us. Riley and I were just getting ready to wrap Rosie’s presents.”
    He snatched an ornament from the tree, tinkled the tiny bell. “What did the kid ask for this year?”
    “This.” Kaylee showed him the doll house