A Merry Little Christmas Read Free Page B

Bennie and Clay have, what everyone around me seems to have in abundance. I want a real home and a real family with a loving wife and kids and I want it before I’m ninety. I don’t think that’s asking too much, do you?”
    Renee regarded her brother-in-law with amazement.   “Donnie, I’ve never heard you talk like this before. You’ve been so busy dating all those beautiful ladies of yours that it never occurred to me you were thinking seriously about matrimony. Or did you just start thinking about it when Aneesah moved back to Detroit?”
    Donnie looked reflective for a moment, and then acknowledged that he really wasn’t sure. “All I know is Aneesah is the kind of woman I want to marry. She’s brilliant, educated, accomplished and beautiful,” he said, ticking off the points on his fingers. “And she’s the right size, which you know is a non-negotiable requirement,” he added with a laugh.
    Renee made a sound of reproach but Donnie was unrepentant. He had a weakness for big, beautiful women and he made no secret of the fact that a full-figured woman was the only kind who could catch his eye. He’d never been known to date anyone who wore less than a size eighteen, and Aneesah, who was five-nine and curvy, more than fulfilled his wishes in that respect. But, as Renee was glad to inform him, those attributes weren’t enough on which to build a lasting future.
    “Well, I see you’ve given this some thought,” she said ironically. “However, checking off a laundry list isn’t exactly the way to begin a relationship, much less a marriage. Just because you feel like you’re compatible with someone doesn’t mean the two of you are destined to be together. There has to be something more, you know.”
    Donnie scowled and opened the refrigerator again. He was about to defend his impulsive behavior when the back door opened and a horde of little girls po ured in. It wasn’t a true horde, it was merely his four nieces followed by their father, his oldest brother, Andrew. After shouting greetings to their mother, the little girls made a beeline for their uncle, who soon found himself in a tangle of arms, legs, cold cheeks, and wet kisses. Donnie, who was quite adept at removing coats and hats and scarves, made himself useful by getting his nieces out of their outdoor gear. They had been visiting relatives with their father and were quite animated as they told him about their day.
    “We saw Granddaddy and Grandmommy , Uncle Donnie. And we saw our cousins, too,” reported little Andie. Andie was short for Andrea, and she was a mirror image of her mother, with velvety chocolate skin and big golden eyes. The triplets, Benita, Ceylon and Stephanie, whose chatter was punctuated by the barks of Renee’s little dogs, Patti and Chaka, made additional comments. Donnie was buried under a pile of little girls, all talking and hugging for all they were worth. He adored his nieces and reveled in their attention, but tonight their presence only served to underscore the unsettled feeling he’d been battling. He could see into the kitchen from his vantage point in the breakfast room and what he saw didn’t help his mood one bit. Even after several years of marriage, Andrew and Renee were in the warm, fragrant kitchen kissing and flirting like teenagers. Their love surrounded them like a halo of light, shining so brightly that only a fool could have missed the fact that they were totally in love with each other. Their closeness only underscored his odd mood, and he was more than glad when Renee announced it was time to wash up for dinner.
    Renee’s excellent meal helped restore Donnie’s usual good spirits. Like all the Cochran men, he loved to eat and, luckily for him, all his brothers had married fine cooks who never minded an extra person at the table. His stepmother, Martha, was of the same school and it was perfectly possible for Donnie to have a home-cooked meal every night of the week if he so chose. He tried not