Page 27 of Rock Chick Bonus Tracks

“I love how much Mom loves holidays,” she admitted. “I love her cheesy hash browns and egg casserole. I love how crazy it is with paper and ribbon and Christmas music playing. I loved how Shamus was in seventh heaven with all the mess and people. I loved watching Tex watch Mom and how happy he looked. How he looked like he’d finally come home, even though he was nowhere near Indiana, just being around Mom being Mom was home to him.”

He saw the tears shimmering in her eyes, knowing what she said about Tex was as big as it could get, and having felt that same feeling watching Tex settle back into the family who’d missed him for far too long, and now had him back.

Hank used his hand around her waist to pull her into his chest.

Roxie kept talking.

“I love that Nancy and Lottie came over. I love that Tex had somewhere else to go because he’s part of a huge, wide family, and went with them to Blanca’s for dinner. I love that for our dinner, we sat around a big, loud, happy table at your folks’ house. I love how Mom gets along so great with your mom. And Dad gets on so great with your dad. And how Ally eggs mom on. And how Indy and Lee are so much in love, and the way they show it.”

“Yeah,” he agreed when she paused.

“I loved that Vance sounded good when we called him. And I love the present you got me, Whisky.” Her hand drifted to her neck, and she toyed with what dangled there. “This necklace is beautiful.”

He didn’t make a mint. So he had no choice but to get her some little things for her stocking, because the big thing was a diamond pendant.

It wasn’t much, three quarters of a carat. But it hung on a platinum chain and was embedded in the bottom of a short, delicate platinum wand.

She’d lit up when she saw it, and then burst out crying, both before she threw herself in his arms and carried on about how it was too much, but how much she loved it, and it wasperfect for her, so it was worth every penny of the money he’d gone over budget to spend on it.

She’d put it on immediately (after crying, hugging, carrying on then kissing him).

She still had it on.

“And I love that I never have to buy clothes again,” he gently teased, though he didn’t lie.

He had new jeans, trousers, sweaters, shirts, thermals, Henleys, not to mention underwear, socks and pajama bottoms. He was the last one opening presents, and Trish was nearly as generous as her daughter, so that was saying something.

Roxie leaned her shoulder into him. “And I loved sharing all of that with you.”

At that, he drifted a hand up her spine to her neck and into her hair before he bent his head and kissed her, deep.

When he was done, she rested her head on his shoulder, and they both looked out the window.

“You like them, don’t you?” she asked the window.

“Herb and Trish?”

“Yeah.”

“They’re impossible not to like.”

She relaxed deeper into him and agreed, “Yeah.”

“So you’re out here, sittin’ on the counter, starin’ outside, because you don’t want this day to end?”

She took her head from his shoulder and tipped it back to look at him. “This is a day I never want to erase.”

He smiled gently at her, got close and shared, “It doesn’t have to be over yet.”

Her gaze heated.

Oh yeah.

He could drown in the deep blue of her eyes. He knew that the second he laid eyes on them.

Since then, he’d been sucked under, countless times. He didn’t mind. It was warm in there. And the sun was always shimmering on the surface. A never-ending promise.

Perfect.

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