Christmas in Texas. Rebecca Winters
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he got the message. There wasn’t going to be a next year—not for the two of them. At least, not in her happy-ever-after scenario.
His little wife had no idea how much she really, really wanted him. It was going to kill him, but he was willing to wait until she figured it out.
* * *
SEAGAL WASN’T COMFORTABLE walking into his wife’s flower shop, even though he’d once spent quite a bit of time hanging out at the Bridesmaids Bouquet. During their courtship, he’d liked to stop off on his breaks and chat with her. There was nothing he loved better than visiting Capri when she was surrounded by flowers. Her shop was a soft, gentle place, and it suited her.
Later, after their wedding, he’d sometimes talked her into letting him help her in the shop. He carted around boxes, unpacked things, even pushed the broom. The goal was to be with her. He would bring frosted cupcakes just to be close to her. Some men couldn’t wait to get to their jobs, get away from their wives, their home lives.
He’d never been like that with Capri. She was a serene and peaceful counterpoint to his job. And his own childhood.
He had never been able to believe his luck in getting her to go out with him on a first date. Capri had asked him for a date after he and Daisy Donovan broke up, so shyly and sweetly it would have taken a coldhearted man to say no. Not that he would have said no to Capri Snow. Daisy and he had been a relationship that ran hot and cold, all fire, lots of ice, no substance.
He’d wanted to give Capri his whole world. Hot, cold and everything in between, she was the sun in his barren existence.
“Hi,” Jade Harper said when he walked in to the flower shop. Jade was Capri’s trusted associate. Seagal liked the green-eyed brunette, understood why Capri trusted her with her livelihood.
But he wasn’t here to trust anyone.
“How’ve you been, Jade?”
“Fine.” She pushed a huge floral arrangement toward him. “Take this to Capri, please. It’s from the Boo in the Night Society. Isn’t it gorgeous?”
He stared at the pink and blue blossoms spilling from a big crystal vase. “Yes, it is.”
“And this one, too, please.” She waved at a silvery tabletop Christmas tree laden with tiny paper presents and a golden star in front of him. “This is from the Christmastown committee. They wanted to thank her for doing such a good job with Christmastown.” Jade smiled at him. “I have a few more orders in the back, but I haven’t made them up yet.”
Seagal held up a hand. “Take your time. There’s only so much room in my truck. I guess you have no one to do your deliveries?” He hadn’t thought about it before, but it made sense. Usually Jade did them in the white van that had Bridesmaids Bouquet Floral Shop lettered on the side in big scrolling hot-pink letters.
He’d done a few deliveries for Capri. That’s why the whole smuggling thing was bugging him. Capri kept an obsessive eye on her prized presentations. “You ever notice anyone hanging around here, Jade?”
“Customers.” Jade looked at him. “Lots of customers. It happens at Christmas. Will you tell Capri she needs to hire another seasonal worker? Kelly said she’d come by to help, but I’m worried about the wedding we have booked, and all the Christmas orders, too.” Jade smiled. “I know you’re about to have twins. I hate to put another worry on the two of you. And congratulations on the babies, Seagal. I heard about it from Jack.”
“He gets around.” Seagal sighed. “I’ll tell Capri, although she’s on strict bed rest. I don’t know who she could interview in a hurry.”
“I’m working late every night, too,” Jade said. “I won’t let her down.”
He glanced around the shop, looking for anything out of place. “You don’t ever get anybody in here who’s not a customer?”
“Nope. Everybody needs something this time of year. The shop is booming.” The phone rang, and Jade went to pick it up. “Tell Capri hello for me.”
Nodding, he picked up the two arrangements, heading to his truck.
“Is love in the air?” someone asked him, and he put the arrangements in the truck bed before he turned to face Justin Morant.
“Hey,” Seagal said, surprised to see the rodeo champ in Bridesmaids Creek. He pounded Justin on the back with enthusiasm. “What are you doing back in town?”
“It’s the holidays,” Justin said, “and I’ll be leaving again as fast as I can.”
Seagal laughed. “I remember feeling that way.”
Justin raised a brow. “Something change around here?”
“No.” Seagal secured the arrangements and dusted off his hands. “It’s still small-town, gossip-at-the-speed-of-light, sweet Bridesmaids Creek. I just missed it.”
Justin eyed the flowers in the truck. “Looks like you missed something. Maybe not the town as much as your wife.”
“You’re probably right. Say hello to your folks for me, Justin. It’s good to see you.” He went to get into the truck, then a thought hit him. “If you’ve got five minutes to help me out, Capri’s on complete bed rest, and Jade Harper’s watching the shop for her. She had a ton of orders today and could use a deliveryman.”
And a strong male, in case anything strange happened.
Justin shrugged. “Be happy to help any way I can. Heard about the twins. Congratulations.”
“Who’d you hear it from?”
Justin grinned. “Everybody I’ve run into. Say hi to Capri for me. You sure were lucky when you roped that one.”
Seagal got into his truck and pulled away.
Yeah. He’d gotten very lucky.
But then his luck had run out.
* * *
“I’M SUSPICIOUS,” Capri told Kelly after Seagal left. “He’s being far too attentive.”
Kelly smiled and handed Capri a cup of hot tea. “He’s going to be a father. Anyway, you know Seagal has always been good with detail. It’s probably what moved him up so fast in the force.”
“There’s something else going on here,” Capri said. “You don’t know him like I do. Seagal never gets this focused unless there’s a case.”
“Isn’t it possible you’re his only case?” Kelly sipped at her own cup of steamy hot tea in a floral teacup. “This blackberry currant tea is fabulous.”
Capri shook her head. “It’s probably the pregnancy making me a little paranoid. Hormones going wild.” She put a hand on her stomach. “I think I’m having a bronc buster and a cheerleader.”
“Active, huh?” Kelly laughed. “Tell me again why you and Seagal decided to call it quits?”
Capri put her cup down. “I never got comfortable in the marriage, and I don’t think he did, either. I always felt like he still cared for Daisy, and Seagal said I didn’t trust him, and that bothered him.” She thought about it, remembering. It was still pretty painful. “Daisy called the house even after we were married, always on some pretext of needing something from Seagal. She claimed they were just friends, but I knew she still cared about him. Not that I was surprised. Seagal said she hadn’t wanted to break up—he did. I just happened to be the first date he had.”
“But why did you marry him if you were so worried?” Kelly asked.
“I wanted him,” Capri said softly. “I wanted to believe that all the late nights wouldn’t make me crazy. He wanted to get promoted and moved to a different division, then got into the Rangers. I was busy taking over the flower shop. We grew apart.”
“Not too apart to make babies,”