Christmas in Texas: Christmas Baby Blessings / The Christmas Rescue

“That would stop the traffickers for a few days, but not the long term. Simpler to just catch them while the situation’s hot.”

Capri eyed her husband lying on the sofa he’d never been keen on—he’d far preferred the leather sofa in the den—and thought he looked sexier than the last time she’d seen him. He’d shattered her heart when he’d left, and now he was back, wanting to protect her, and see his child born.

The situation was definitely hot.

“This is not the way to spend Christmas,” she said. “Haven’t you heard that holidays are stressful?”

He pushed his Stetson low on his face. “Then don’t stress me out, dollface.”

Stress him out? She was pregnant, someone was using her grandmother’s shop for illegal activity and her sexy about-to-be-ex husband wanted to be her bodyguard.

“Merry Stressmas,” she said, and went off to bed.

Chapter Two

Seagal let himself out of Capri’s house the next morning to check the perimeter of the small, three-bedroom home. The fact that his wife and child might be in danger chilled his blood. He’d nearly had heart failure when he’d heard that the feds were nosing into a drug ring in Bridesmaids Creek—and who should be involved but his darling, everybody’s-best-girl, almost-ex-wife.

Imagine his shock when he learned from a very reliable source that his wife was about to make him a dad. Heart failure. Capri had always brought him to his knees, but now…now she staggered him.

She hadn’t planned to tell him. He knew Capri better than she realized. Oh, she would have told him after the birth of his bundle of joy, and not one second before.

Because she knew he’d be right back here in Bridesmaids Creek—and she didn’t want him back.

Tough. She was going to have him. That baby was going to know its dad—no matter what sexy mama had in mind.

“Hey!”

Seagal glanced up. His fellow officer Jack Martin idled at the curb in one of Bridesmaids Creek’s new police cruisers. He strolled over to greet Mrs. Penny’s nephew.

“What’s up, Jack?”

Jack grinned. “Considering that your car is parked in Capri’s driveway, I’m surprised you are.”

Seagal ran a hand over his unshaven chin. “Just barely. Did you bring me a latte, or is this a social call?”

His buddy grinned. “Neither. Just wanted to let you know that you were a hit last night. The kids said you were the best Santa ever. You’ve been voted Santa Most Likely to Repeat next year.”

Seagal grunted. “I couldn’t get out of that itchy suit fast enough.”

“Scrooge.” Jack handed him a coffee in a white cardboard cup. “Have a jolt on me. Figured you didn’t sleep much.”

Seagal sipped the beverage gratefully. “I didn’t. As sofas go, it’s not made for sleeping. I always despised that flowery thing, and now it’s my bed. I think that’s called karma. I wanted to get rid of it, and somehow that poufy nightmare outlasted me.”

Jack laughed. “Does my aunt always keep an eye on you like this? I’d like to think she’s proud of me, but I’m pretty sure she’s got her radar trained on you.”

Seagal glanced over his shoulder, waving at the pink-roller-wearing Mrs. Penny. She had a white phone tucked firmly up to her ear, chatting away. Mrs. Penny waved back, thrilled to have been noticed. “You know your aunt and her friends run this one-horse town. If it wasn’t for her, we’d still be—”

“The creek no one ever heard of.” Jack put the cruiser in Drive. “True, but you’re definitely in her sights for the next few weeks. Just so you know. I won’t be down the street before she calls me wanting to know all.”

“I’m good with it. She makes great chocolate chip cookies.”

Jack grinned. “I know. By the way, I was told to give you a nudge to snoop around your wife’s flower shop.”

Seagal’s cup didn’t quite make it to his mouth. “What am I looking for?”

Jack shrugged. “Anything suspicious. Especially check out the employees, and anyone who seems to hang around a lot. You get the idea.”

“Yeah, but—” Seagal considered what Jack was saying. “The drugs could have been moved after Capri put the arrangements out at Christmastown.”

“Probably. Just check around.”

Jack drove off. Seagal grabbed the newspaper lying on the sidewalk and waved to Mrs. Penny before heading inside the small painted house, ruminating on how he could snoop around Capri’s shop without getting her annoyed at him. She’d always been super-independent. And they weren’t on the world’s best terms.

Now he had to scope out her business and her home.

Nothing good could come of this.

“Good morning.” He looked at Capri as he walked into the kitchen. She seemed pale, not her usual sparkly self. “You all right?”

Capri picked up her purse. “I had a little stomach upset last night. It kept me up, so I’m going to let Dr. Blankenship check me over.”

“I’ll drive you,” Seagal said quickly.

She looked at him. “Kelly’s going to take me, thanks. Don’t you have work?”

He did—her. “Nothing I can’t handle. Cancel Kelly and let me sub in. A dad should be there if his young son is causing his mother heartburn. And anyway, isn’t Kelly part of the Christmastown cleanup team this morning?”

Capri hesitated. He loved how she’d pulled her blond hair up into a bouncy ponytail to get it out of her face. She no longer wore the skinny jeans and cute cropped sweaters she’d once favored, but she was still all kinds of beautiful as far as he was concerned. Sexier than ever, actually. He felt his own heart get a little burn in it that had nothing to do with anything he’d eaten and everything to do with his wife keeping him at arm’s length.

“Yes, she is. So am I, but Dr. Blankenship said I could cross that fun off my list immediately.” She looked at Seagal. “I guess you can take me to the doctor. Thank you.”

“Great.” He grabbed his keys and tried to help her to the front door. Capri waved him off. “Because I was about to play the guilt card on you.”

“That would be a new one,” Capri said.

He thought she sounded tense and realized she didn’t feel well at all. “Hey, you want me to carry you?”

“No,” Capri said. “I want you to walk very slowly and don’t do anything to get Mrs. Penny in a lather.”

“Too late,” Seagal said, waving again to Mrs. Penny. It seemed rude not to acknowledge her at her lace-festooned lookout.

“It’s going to be all over town that you spent the night,” Capri said, not thrilled.

“Yeah, well. Could be worse, right? Could have been her nephew, my buddy Jack.”

He helped Capri into the car. She eased in as though she was trying not to disturb fragile packaging. “Are you sure I shouldn’t take you straight to the hospital?”

“I’m fine.” Capri put a hand on her stomach and looked out the window, deliberately avoiding his gaze. He pulled out of the drive, resisting the urge to mash the pedal to the floor.