Page 56 of Evergreen Christmas

Roxie’s brows rose. “The Nanas?”

“Yeah.” Smiling, Jordyn shrugged. “The Nanas care about people. They help them when they’re in need, look for ways to make other people’s lives better. They fuss over you, bring welcome baskets if you’re new to town and”—she winked—“knit wool caps for your head so your ears don’t get cold.”

Roxie giggled.

“So yeah,” Jordyn said. “I think the Nanas are probably a lot like a mother would be.”

Roxie hesitated, then squeezed Jordyn’s hands gently. “I think you’d be a good mom.”

Unexpectedly, tears coated Jordyn’s lower lashes, threatening to fall. She blinked rapidly and smiled brightly instead. “And you know what?” she asked Roxie softly. “I think any mother would be proud to have you as her daughter.”

Smiling brightly, Roxie hopped up higher on her barstool, threw her arms around Jordyn’s neck and squeezed.

Jordyn hugged her back as a fresh wave of tears gathered on her lashes. It was no wonder to her now, that Nate had reservations about opening his heart, his home, and his family to her. Because how in the world could anyone risk breaking this little girl’s precious heart?

“Welcome to Noel’s annual Christmas Gingerbread Architect contest!”

Nate, standing in the center of the town square the next afternoon with Roxie by his side, clapped along with the rest of the crowd that had gathered together below the stage as Carol Belle commenced the day’s contest.

It was a beautiful day for building gingerbread houses outdoors. There was an arctic chill in the air, but the sun was bright and warm if you stood beneath it. With this in mind, Nate had directed Roxie toward the south end of the tables that had been lined up. The sunlight was strong in that spot and would help keep Roxie’s cold fingers slightly warmer and, hopefully, a bit more limber as she constructed her gingerbread house.

“This year,” Carol Belle continued, speaking into the mic on the stage, “we had an overwhelming response to the Gingerbread Architect contest. Today, we have the privilege of hosting the largest number of Gingerbread Architects in the history of Noel’s Christmas competition. Give yourselves a hand for making today’s contest a success before it’s even begun!”

The crowd applauded and Carol Belle clapped with them, the bright smile on her face indicative of her pleasure at the increase in participation.

“Daddy?” Roxie tugged urgently at the belt loop on Nate’s jeans.

He looked down, smiling. “Yeah, sweetie?”

Her big blue eyes, worried and intense, clung to his. “There are so many people here.”

“I know.” He bent closer to her ear to be heard over the applause of the crowd. “Isn’t it great? That means a lot more people will get to see your beautiful gingerbread house when you finish it.”

Roxie nibbled on her lower lip, her gaze darting across the throng of people behind them. “I guess.”

Noting the worry that flickered through her expression, Nate sank to his knees in front of her, took her hands in his and squeezed gently. “What’s worrying you, sweetheart?”

She eased closer to him, saying softly, “I don’t like getting up in front of all these people.”

“I know,” Nate said. “And you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. But I think if you give it a shot, you’ll find you enjoy it.”

“Maybe, but . . .”

“But what?” He tapped the tip of her nose. “You’re well prepared. You and Ms. Jordyn baked the perfect gingerbread sheets for your houses. You showed them off to me last night, remember? You were so excited to get here today so you could build your house.”

And he’d been surprised—very surprised, in fact—at how well she and Jordyn had gotten along on their own.

After leaving Jordyn and Roxie alone in the kitchen last night and joining Tucker in the gift shop, he’d thought of little else but the two of them as he rang up customers and wrapped gifts for the next several hours. During the holidays, Frosted Firs Ranch’s gift shop was always busy but this year it seemed it was especially crowded.

Noel’s Christmas competition had, as always, infused even more excitement into the coming holiday, and most of the town’s residents were out and about, enjoying the sights and sounds of Christmas downtown and sweeping eagerly through each shop, excited to find the next Christmas gift on their list.

Nate was grateful for the patronage—every dollar the ranch earned was another dollar he could put away for Roxie’s college education or perhaps a car for her sixteenth birthday, or even a savings account that he could set aside for her when she was ready to buy a house of her own, far into the future.

He was grateful for the extra business, and normally he would even have enjoyed ringing up customers to the tune of holiday music and a cheerful atmosphere.

But yesterday evening had been different. He had wanted to apologize to Jordyn for his behavior at the Eggnog Nod—and he had—but he hadn’t planned on having to leave her directly after that. And he certainly hadn’t planned on imposing upon her as a babysitter for hours on end while he worked in the gift shop.

What must she think of him? Caring for his daughter was an imposition to say the least, especially when she’d only come over to use the oven.

---