Page 25 of Merry Christmas, Cowboy

“Now, you’re speaking my language.”

The mood lightened up after Nicole put on Christmas music during dinner. The two Browns, well, technically Cody was still a Wentworth, scarfed up the meal. Cody had a second helping of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. And when Garrett eyed the yeast rolls, Nicole didn’t hesitate to put another one on his plate.

“Don’t you know, they’re carb free?” she said.

“Are they now?”

“For tonight only.”

“Okay, well in that case, pass the honey butter.”

“Glad to.” She gave him a sweet smile that would’ve knocked him to his knees, if he’d been standing.

After dinner, Cody went back to the 123Math game and Nicole and Garrett cleaned up the dishes, with her doing most of the talking. Garrett didn’t mind, she always had something interesting to say and he liked the sound of her voice. She told him about how she’d lived in Last Stand all of her life and while some of her friends couldn’t wait to leave the small town behind, she’d never had any desire to go. Her mother had been a teacher and because Nicole also wanted to make a difference in the world, she’d taken up the same profession. She enjoyed her students, was happy to give them the tools they needed to move on and learn.

“What about you?” she asked softly. “How did you come to flip houses?”

“My father was a carpenter. He worked hard, too hard, if you ask me, but I learned from him and I found myself doing little projects around the house. My mom had an artistic eye, and when I was old enough, my father and I renovated our old house to my mother’s vision. I guess I got the bug from there, because after that, I started my own business. I had a partner for a time, but she—”

“She?”

“Yeah, she. Jodie and I didn’t work well together.”

“Why not?”

“The truth?”

“Always,” Nicole said.

Of course, she’d want the truth. Nicole didn’t know any other way to roll.

“She was too bossy and too beautiful. And not for me.”

Nicole frowned in the cutest way. Come to think of it, Jodie wasn’t nearly as appealing as Nicole, which should send up big red warning flags.

“A deadly combination, I suppose,” she said.

“In business, yes. It wasn’t a wise move on my part to get involved with her, and the relationship ended two years ago, but we’ve remained friends. Sometimes, she sends work my way and I do the same for her.”

“Ah, I see.” She nodded. “I guess we all have stories to tell. So, where did you grow up?”

“Born in Oregon but Dad got this major construction job up in the Lake Tahoe area in Northern California when we were five. It was a great place for kids, and my dad worked there until the jobs ran out. After that, we moved around a lot, and finally settled in Denver, Colorado. My sister and I were happy there, and that’s where we ended up going to college. I got a little studio apartment and she married Dell, a local firefighter. They had a few years together. Dell died fighting a big fire that caused a lot of destruction. He was deemed a hero and all, but he left behind a pregnant wife. His death really took a toll on Carrie, so, after Cody was born, I tried to keep an eye on the two of them as much as I could. Carrie really needed me, and my folks were gone by then.”

“Sorry to hear that, Garrett.”

Her soft and gentle tone made him feel things he normally held deep inside. He felt freer and unburdened, sharing a bit about his life with her. He didn’t talk about himself too much. But with Nicole, it was easy.

“I’m glad you told me.”

So was he. “Dinner was really delicious, Nicole. Thanks again.”

“You’re very welcome. I’m glad it turned out well. Sometimes, I mess up my mama’s recipe.”

“That’s hard to believe, you being a perfectionist and all.”

“Hardly.” She chuckled, putting a cute smile on her face. “If the dough doesn’t rise properly, those rolls turn into hockey pucks. And I’m not even kidding.”

Cody brought over his dish to be washed. “Thank you, Cody,” she said as he laid the plate on the counter. “Hey, Code, have you ever played the what-if game?”

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