Christmas Wishes...Special Delivery Read Online Free PDF Page A

and tooled up the drive.
    “Mom, look!” Rosie rushed over to the window and pressed her face to the glass. Her breath fogged he pane. “Here comes Mr. Riley.”
    “Are you sure?” Kaylee slipped in behind her. Sure enough, Riley sat behind the wheel with Ruth nestled in the passenger seat. “My goodness, it is Riley. His car must have four-wheel drive. An engine like that coupled with wheels so big can plow through almost anything.”
    Riley honked, waved, and before Kaylee could stop her, Rosie dashed through the front door to scamper down the snow-blanketed stairs.
    “Mr. Riley!” Her gleeful shouts echoed in the cold air. “You brought all the treats we made!”
    Cartons peeked from the rear window of the vehicle. Kaylee’s pulse thrummed. He’d come for them—even if them really meant Rosie. The child had done little more during last night’s meal than gush to Riley about the Christmas party. He must have taken to heart how much the festivities meant to her—and to Ruth, as well.
    “Come on, Mom.” Rosie turned back toward the house, waved. “Mr. Riley said he’ll take us to see the puppies. He must be one of Santa’s helpers, too. Let’s go!”
     
    ****
     
    “The party was a huge success, don’t you think?” Riley asked as Kaylee poured water into the coffeemaker to brew a fresh pot. The rich aroma of ground coffee beans filled the room as he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. The kitchen of the guest house looked the same as it had when he lived there during his short stint of thinking he was too old—too mature—to reside in the same house as Gran and Gramps. They’d indulged him, turning the house over to his keep. Summer-green paint covered the walls, accented by an earth-tone valance that Gran had crafted and hung above the window over the sink. Photos of Rosie, slipped into magnetic frames, decorated the front of the same side-by-side refrigerator that he’d filled with countless TV dinners and cartons of take-out food. “We gave away all of the treats.”
    “Except for the one you ate.” Laughter bubbled from Kaylee, warming him. “And the crowd was so generous with their gifts and their homes. Ruth reported that six dogs, eight cats, and one ferret—more than half of the animals available today—were adopted out.”
    “Speaking of cats…are you mad at me?” Riley kept his eyes on Kaylee as she flitted about the kitchen like a hummingbird. She riffled through the fridge for creamer and a package of cinnamon rolls.
    “Adopting a kitten for Rosie certainly wasn’t on the agenda, but at least we didn’t return home with the ferret.” Kaylee set the rolls on the counter and retrieved a baking pan from the drawer beneath the oven. “Just because Rosie begged for a kitten, doesn’t mean you should cave and buy one for her.”
    “I didn’t buy it, I adopted it. And you’re right—I guess I’ve got a lot to learn about kids.” He opened the rolls and placed them, one by one, onto the pan, then slipped the pan into the oven Kaylee had already set to pre-heat. Rosie’s laughter drifted from the living room. Even Kryptonite, he guessed, was powerless compared to the fervent pleas of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed cutie of a little girl. “But it helped the cause and made her happy, too. Besides, a lot of things that happen in life aren’t on the agenda.”
    “Really?” The laughter fled Kaylee as frigid north winds whispered in. The change was subtle…a slight clench in her jaw, the dip of her head. “Such as you professing your love for me one moment and then shunning me the next?”
    “About that, Kaylee—”
    “What about it?”
    “If you’ll give me a minute—”
    “A minute?” The inviting scent of cinnamon did little to clip the bite from her words. “I’ve given you years.”
    “For the record,” Riley lifted a hand to quiet her, “When the dust settled I wanted to talk to you. I just didn’t know how. I thought we would have more time,