Page 45 of Evergreen Christmas

Jordyn cringed. Oh, boy. Nate had already made it clear he wasn’t interested in spending time with her, yet here they were, standing in her stable while his daughter begged him to invite her into his home. He must truly feel as though he were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“It’s a very sweet idea, Roxie,” Jordyn hastened to add, “but—”

“But we’ll need to help Jordyn gather her ingredients and load them in the truck before we can take her home and introduce her to our ovens.” Nate smiled at Jordyn. “How ’bout Roxie and I help you pack up your sugar and flour? We need to head over to Frosted Firs Ranch and get started soon if we’re going to whip up six dozen Christmas cookies before the contest tomorrow.”

“Yay!” Roxie released Jordyn’s hand and darted out of the stable. “Come on, Ms. Jordyn. We’re gonna make Christmas cookies together!”

“But . . .” Jordyn watched Roxie run off, then faced Nate again, the tentative smile on his face surprising her. “Y’all helping me is cross-conspiring. You understand that, right?”

He shrugged. “Only if we make the cookies for you—which we won’t. Using someone else’s oven to bake your cookies is only a technicality, seeing as how yours is broken. Even the Nanas would understand that.”

“But . . .” Jordyn rubbed her forehead, overwhelmed by a mix of excitement, hesitation, and confusion. “You told me that we should only be friendly enemies, neighbors at best. And that we . . . shouldn’t spend more time together.” She swallowed hard, her lips trembling. “And yet, you show up at my house unannounced, offering—”

“Christmas cookies and an oven,” Nate said lightly, his gaze holding hers. But his intent gaze belied his easygoing tone. “That’s all.”

So much for being forthright and not sending mixed signals.

“And this is the kitchen,” Nate said, leading Jordyn into the kitchen of the family house at Frosted Firs Ranch. “We have a single galley, with the island running parallel to the prep, sink, and cooking areas. All appliances—including our two ovens—are banked at eye level, and our pantry is well stocked in the event that you need additional ingredients for your cookies.”

Whistling low, Jordyn strode ahead of him, walking to the center of the kitchen. She glanced around, the red waves of her hair rippling over her back as she turned her head, scanning the room. “You told me y’all had a state-of-the-art kitchen, but I don’t think I quite knew what that meant.” She spun around and faced him, her smile bright. “I may not be a cook, but even I can tell that this is amazing, Nate!”

He smiled. Thirty minutes earlier, after he and Roxie had helped Jordyn gather her baking essentials, they’d loaded Jordyn’s cooking materials into his truck and had driven to Frosted Firs Ranch, where he took it upon himself to give Jordyn a formal tour of the family home. He led her from room to room of the three-story house, briefly detailing the high points of interior design in each area and enjoying the delighted expression on her face as she admired the Christmas decorations that he, Roxie, and Tucker had already put up throughout the house.

Her delighted expression had been captivating, but he’d had just as difficult a time keeping his attention from the rest of her. The soft green sweater and stylish jeans she wore highlighted the curves of her figure. As she moved from one room to the next, she had transformed the space around her, brightening every inch of the spacious house with energy that lifted his spirits.

Having her here, in his home, made him feel less alone somehow. Her physical presence brought home the realization that something very precious had been missing from his life.

The effect Jordyn had on him was nothing short of alarming. Every moment he spent with her, she pulled him in deeper with her optimistic smile, vivacious personality and flirtatious humor.

Christmas cookies and an oven, he reminded himself. That’s all. Baking was the only reason he had invited Jordyn over to his home.

But was it?

Already, he could feel himself dreading the moment her visit would end, and his gut hollowed at the thought of driving her back to Chestnut Ridge and watching her walk away from him. The feelings he had for her were so unsettling, the last thing he should do was to throw caution, logic, and common sense to the wind and give in to the urge he felt to spend time with her.

Who knew how long Jordyn planned on staying in Noel? Even though she’d bought Chestnut Ridge, she could, at any moment, decide to return to the rodeo circuit and leave her new domestic life behind. Or she could change her mind about pursuing a romantic relationship with him and decide she’d rather not deal with the potential baggage a widowed single father might bring into her life. And even if he did give in and try dating her, she might find that he wasn’t as exciting or interesting as the men she’d known on the circuit. Men like Tucker, who lived on the edge, chasing adventure and enjoying life’s challenges, might be better suited to her interests than his predictable, organized existence.

And there was one more very important concern—the most important one. Taking a chance on building a romantic relationship with Jordyn wouldn’t just risk his own heart; he’d be risking Roxie’s as well. And allowing Roxie’s heart to be broken . . . well, that was out of the question.

“I can see why you’re such a great Christmas cookie cook,” Jordyn said, slipping her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “With a kitchen like this, anyone can be a chef. This is a cook’s dream!”

Nate nodded. “Thank you. I wish I could take the credit, but Macy was the one who put it together. She taught me everything I know.”

He held Jordyn’s gaze, and after a moment, he looked away and shifted from one boot to the other, his mouth going dry. It was a strange feeling to stand in Macy’s kitchen, just feet away from a charismatic woman who tugged at his heart more than any other . . . including Macy.

“This is my mom’s trophy case!” Roxie, who’d trailed behind them during the tour of the house, slipped past Nate, grabbed Jordyn’s hand in hers and led her to the other end of the kitchen, where a large glass trophy case stood in the corner, each shelf filled with glittery Christmas Crowns of various designs. “These are the Christmas Crowns from the competition. There’s nine in all. My mom and dad won the first three crowns, and then me, my dad, and Uncle Tucker won the other six. The top three my mom and dad won are my favorite. That first has a reindeer in it, the second an angel, and the third a Christmas tree, see? Aren’t they all beautiful?” She looked up at Jordyn and grinned. “If we win this year, we’ll have ten crowns in all! Dad says it’s important that we win this year so we can carry on the family tra—ditch—dish—”

“Tradition,” Nate corrected quietly, meeting Jordyn’s eyes again. “It became a tradition when Macy and I married—winning the crown, I mean.”

“And now you win them in honor of her memory?” Jordyn asked.

He nodded, saying softly, “In a way, yes.”

She looked away, her eyes moving slowly over the nine crowns in the trophy case, her bright smile dimming.

Nate dragged a hand over his face and stifled a groan.Oh, man.Could he possibly be more insensitive? Here he was, having invited Jordyn over to bake Christmas cookies for the contest tomorrow, an event that should be fun and uplifting. A positive activity they could enjoy together as a first, tentative step toward deciding whether he should pursue a relationship with Jordyn. But instead, within less than an hour of entering his home, his focus had returned to Macy and the life—and love—he’d shared with her.

Maybe that was a sign that he should stick with his first decision and keep to the status quo. As it was, he had his hands full running Frosted Firs Ranch and taking care of Roxie. He had no idea whether Jordyn had given any thought to having a child in her life—even one as wonderful as Roxie.

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