A Family for Christmas by Mary Eason

outside and play for a while?”
    She turned to Jack. She couldn’t seem to think clearly anymore, much less answer her son’s simple question.
    “ Sammy, w hy don’t you go outside for just a little bit while I talk to your mother and then you can show me how to make a snowman.”
    She wondered if Sammy thought it odd that someone he barely knew had spent the night.
    Once the boy was bundled for the outdoors, Rachel sat silently watching him through the window as he ma d e snowballs. She still couldn’t think of a single thing to say to Jack.
    “You know he’s going to have questions. What do you want to tell him about us?” Jack asked quietly.
    She closed her eyes. She didn’t know how to answer that and not reveal all of her fears.
    She looked at him. “I need to know w hat happens if you find out you’re not his father. Are you just going to disappear from his life? I can’t let that happen. If you aren’t going to be there for Sammy no matter what the outcome of that test, then please, don’t get his hopes up.”
    He knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. “Do you think I would do that? I would never do anything to hurt that little boy. And I don’t need any test results to tell me what I already know in my heart. Sammy is my son.”
    “So what are you saying? That you don’t plan on taking the paternity test?”
    “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
    “But what if you’re wrong? What if you decide one day that you need to know for sure? I can’t let you hurt him. He lost one father already. I can’t let that happen again.”
    “I’m not going anywhere.”
    She closed her eyes against what she saw in his. She wouldn’t let him break her heart again no matter what.
    “Rachel, we both want the same thing. Sammy’s happiness must come first. I think having both his parents together will be what’s best for him.”
    She didn’t doubt that Sammy’s happiness would be complete, but could she survive being close to Jack again?
    “So does your silence mean you agree with me, or that you think I’ve lost my mind?” When she could look at him again she saw that he was smiling and her heart did another little uneasy flip as it always did when faced with that smile.
    She took a deep breath and asked the question she needed to know the most. “If I agree, what exactly am I agreeing to?”
    “You mean how married will we really be?”
    When she nodded her answer because the words seemed to lodge in her throat, Jack grew serious. “I think that will depend on what you want. I’m going to be as honest with you as I can possibly be. I want you as my wife in every sense of the word. Physically, emotionally. But I understand that you may need more time.”

She closed her eyes. She couldn’t let herself get swept up into the emotional rollercoaster ride that was loving Jack Bryant, not just yet.
    “I want to go slow. I need to go slow. We rushed things the last time. I want us to take our time.”
    He touched her cheek. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”
    “ W hat are we going to tell Sammy? I don’t want my son to hate me.”
    “Our son. And he’s not going to hate you. Sammy loves you very much. That’s easy to see. Stop worrying so much. Sammy will be okay with it.”
    She swallowed hard. She needed to tell him everything. “ T here’s something you should know…” Before she could find the words to tell him about their son’s illness, Sammy burst through the door, tossing his snow-covered coat and mittens on the floor before rushing into the kitchen.
    “Ready or not,” Jack whispered and got to his feet.
    “Momma, did you see my snowman?” he exclaimed, his face alight with happiness.
    “Yes. It’s terrific, honey.” She forced herself to take a deep breath. “Sammy, sit down for a moment. There’s something I—we need to tell you.”
    Sammy slid into the seat next to her as Rachel ran through the words in her head.
    “I have something very important to