A Christmas Family Miracle: Snowbound with Her Hero / Baby Under the Christmas Tree / Single Dad's Christmas Miracle

There was no response. “Your grandfather is coming just to see you.” Still no reaction. “Do you think it would make your uncle happy to know you quit at the last minute?” Maybe that argument would help since nothing else had worked.

She was looking at him through the rearview mirror. He put his head down. “No.”

“Uncle Bernard’s going to be taking movies. That means your uncle Raoul will be able to watch them after he gets home.”

“What if he died like Daddy?” Out of the mouth of a child. Philippe had just voiced the fear lurking in her heart ever since Raoul had phoned about the emergency. With two deaths already in the family, it wasn’t hard to make the leap to a place too awful to contemplate.

“That’s not going to happen,” she said matter-of-factly. Fate wouldn’t be so cruel. “It’s his job to help people. He’ll be back as soon as he can, so cheer up. Today’s a happy day. I can’t wait to see you in the Christmas program. Just think. Now that you and Albert will be out of school, you can play together all the time.”

She pulled into the parking lot. With all the visitors arriving, it was filling up fast. Crystal turned off the motor. “Look—there’s your grandmother’s car and Uncle Bernard’s! That means everyone is here. Come on. Let’s hurry inside so you can get into your costume.”

“I don’t see Uncle Raoul’s car.”

“Tell you what. When we get inside your room to put on your costume, I’ll phone him and see if he answers.” Finally she’d said something to strike a chord because he undid his seat belt and got out of the car.

Together they walked inside the building and headed for his class. The boys’ teacher had put the costumes out on the tables. Their angel outfits were white with gold trim and a gold halo. He and Albert looked adorable in them, but a certain six-year-old wasn’t acting that way.

“Did you call him again?”

“Yes, but he’s not answering. He will when he can.”

Vivige knew what was happening and flashed her a commiserating glance as she fastened up the backs of their costumes.

“Attention. It’s time for the parents to go to the auditorium.”

At the sound of the teacher’s voice, Philippe’s face started to crumble. “I don’t want to sing.”

Crystal couldn’t force him. Her son’s heart was breaking for fear something had happened to Raoul. Those feelings ran deep in his psyche.

She got down on her haunches and smoothed the tears from his cheeks. “All right, honey. You don’t have to be in the program. Will you at least come with me so we can watch it together?”

“Yes,” he croaked.

“That’s good because Fleur and Lise are going to be singing with their classes, too.”

She stood up and caught Madame Fillou’s eye. The teacher could see something was wrong and nodded.

Clasping his hand, Crystal started walking them behind Vivige. When her sister-in-law opened the door into the hall, Philippe’s cry rang throughout the room. “Hey—you’re back!” He let go of Crystal’s hand and literally flew into Raoul’s arms.

One of the mothers smiled at Crystal. “Your son is certainly crazy about his good-looking father. I never saw anything like it. Lucky you.” She winked.

Crystal smiled back, but her emotions were in chaos. She’d never seen anything like it, either, as she watched the two of them hug. It wasn’t the normal hug a nephew gave an uncle coming and going. This was her son who’d been suffering trauma since discovering his uncle had gone on a rescue mission—the uncle Philippe had known from birth and had turned to whenever Eric hadn’t been there.

Through the years a bond had been forged and another truth had to be faced. All the time Eric had been a part-time father, Raoul had done the heavy-duty round-the-clock parenting. Somewhere along the way he’d become the daddy.

If Suzanne had lived and they’d had children, things would have been different. But, the reality was, Philippe had drawn close to Raoul and her little boy thrived on the love he gave him.

“Philippe, honey—your teacher wants you to get in line.”

“Okay.” His uncle’s appearance had turned him back into a sweet angel.

Raoul put him down. “We’ll be out in front watching you.”

Crystal blew him a kiss, then hurried to join Vivige.

They made their way into the auditorium where the rest of the family were saving seats. Crystal sat next to Jules with Vivige on her other side. Bernard had the camera ready.

Out of the corner of her eye Crystal saw Raoul sit next to his mother. Jules wore a permanent smile. For the next hour they were treated to a wonderful Christmas program. All the cousins performed beautifully, and it was as if Philippe had been in the school all year.

When they got to the part where they sang “Silent Night,” the carol mocked the turmoil going on inside of Crystal. Even though Raoul had returned, the fear that something had happened to him had upset her so much, it had caused havoc with her stomach. A minute before the program was over, she turned to Vivige.

“I suddenly need a restroom. Will you see to Philippe? I’ll meet you all at the house.”

“You poor thing. Of course.”

She rushed past the crowd and was the first one to leave the auditorium. Because she was so fast, she beat the others exiting the parking lot and raced home. Once upstairs, she thought she’d lose her lunch; but, by that time, the nausea had subsided.

Once she’d freshened up, she planned to go back downstairs and hug her son, but there was a knock on the door. Surprised Philippe didn’t just burst in, she opened it and met a grim-faced Raoul in the entry. He came inside, nudging the door shut behind him with his foot.

“What happened to make you bolt like that after the program?”

“I had a hard time with Philippe before you came to his schoolroom. My stomach cramped up because of delayed stress, but I’m fine now.”

“The hell you are. It’s something else.”

She could never hide anything from him. “No, Raoul. I—I was just so thankful you came when you did,” she said, her voice faltering.

“So thankful it made you sick?”

Crystal struggled for breath. “Before you showed up, Philippe was afraid you’d died.”

A ring of white appeared around his compelling mouth. “Is that what you thought, too?” When she didn’t say anything because she was afraid to admit it, he held her upper arms, shaking her gently. “Tell me the truth.”

“I didn’t want to think it because—because I couldn’t bear the thought.”

“Of what?” he demanded.

“Of you being gone—” She averted her eyes. “The family couldn’t handle another tragedy.”

His sudden intake of breath sounded like a volcanic fissure erupting. “So it wasn’t personal?” He’d brought her body right up against his.

“Raoul—” she cried in torment, but that was the only word to escape her lips before he lowered his dark head and found her mouth. Her body quivered as he closed his mouth over hers in a man’s kiss so hot with desire it began melting her bones.

Crystal had already caught flame and opened up to him, giving in to her terrible hunger for him. She heard his unmistakable moan of longing before he deepened their kiss. The kind of rapture she’d never known sent out voluptuous heat, encasing them in a fire too marvelous to describe.

To be tasting and loving him like this when she’d dreamed about it for so long had her soaring. When he unexpectedly wrenched his mouth from hers, leaving her reeling, she gasped in the aftershock and took a step away from his arms.

What had she done?