Page 26 of Merry Christmas, Cowboy

He thought about it a second and then shook his head. “No, ma’am. Is it fun?”

“Can be lots of fun.”

“C’mon,” she said putting her dish towel down. “Thanks for the help, Garrett, but KP duty is over. I’ll finish those dishes up later. Let’s sit on the sofa and I’ll teach you two how to play.”

“All right, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

Nicole had a persuasive way about her, and while he’d rather help her clean up, he wasn’t about to argue with her. He tossed the towel aside and strode into her living room. Nicole took a seat in a wing chair while he and Cody took the sofa.

“So the game goes like this,” she said eagerly. “Each one of us gets a turn to say the silliest thing that comes into our heads, starting with what if. So, I might say, what if dogs could talk.”

Cody giggled. “Dogs can’t talk.”

“Exactly, but what if they could? Okay, do you want to try?” she asked Cody.

“Um.” The boy took several seconds to think about it, and Nicole was patient, waiting on his reply. “What if cars could fly?”

“They’d be called airplanes,” Garrett said.

“No, Uncle Garrett, they’d be actual cars, get it?” Cody thought it was pretty brilliant.

“Well, uh, I guess that’d be really cool.”

“Your turn, Garrett,” Nicole said.

“What if, the clouds were really made out of marshmallows?”

“Awesome,” Cody said. “That’s a good one, Uncle Garrett.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

“Now we vote on who had the best idea and they get a point. We have to be really honest. Which, what if, do you like the best?” Nicole asked.

“Actually, I think flying cars are neat, but the best is if your dog could talk.”

“I agree,” Garrett said. “That’d be pretty darn amazing.”

“Wish when we get a dog, he could talk,” Cody added, his voice filled with yearning.

Immediately, Nicole realized her blunder, and when Cody wasn’t looking, she mouthed, “Sorry,” to Garrett.

He squeezed his eyes shut. He hated that he couldn’t grant Cody his every wish right now. But it’d be okay once they settled in California; he’d surprise him with a puppy. It didn’t seem as if he had a choice now.

“What if,” Nicole said, rising and bringing over a dish of peanut butter and chocolate cookies, “these cookies I baked are the most delicious?”

Cody’s expression brightened. “What if,” he began, “my uncle says I can have two?”

Garrett chimed in, “What if we thank Miss Russell first and,” he said, meeting Cody’s eyes, “then we have two?”

“Yay!”

Nicole set the plate down on the coffee table, and then brought over a glass of milk for Cody. “Here you go, Cody.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll make us some coffee,” she told him.

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