Page 27 of Merry Christmas, Cowboy

Garrett rose. “I’ll help.”

She shook her head immediately as if the notion was frightening. “No thanks. Remember, I’ve had your coffee.”

“Right.” He followed her into the kitchen anyway. Cody busied himself with eating cookies and looking at picture books on the coffee table.

Garrett simply crossed his arms around his middle and leaned against the wall, watching her. She didn’t seem clumsy in her own element. No, her moves were gracious and there was a natural flow about her movements. “Where’d you get that apron?” he asked, just to break the silence. “Looks cute on you.”

She flushed a little, color rising on her face. “I forgot I still had it on. My, uh, my students gave it to me.” She glanced at him, then busied herself with setting the coffee to brewing.

“Must’ve made you feel good.”

She nodded. “It did. Those kinds of thoughtful gifts are the best kind.”

“They must love having you as their teacher.”

“Some more than others.” She sighed. “I have some kids who are a little rough around the edges. Requires a lot of patience on my part. But it’s my job to get them ready for what’s ahead. I have to teach them to be good students. It starts at the beginning.”

She got out the coffee creamer and sugar and took down two cups from the cabinet. Then there was silence, as if they’d run out of things to say.

She reached up to untie the straps of her apron from her neck. “Oh darn.”

“What’s wrong?” He moved away from the wall.

“The straps got into a knot.”

He walked over to her. “Turn around, I’ll get you free.”

“Oh, um, okay.” Slowly she turned around and Garrett brushed her hair away from the back of her neck. He wasn’t ready for the soft silk caressing his hand, or her sugary vanilla scent. Those sensations rippled through him, making his heart beat faster, stealing breath from his lungs.

He took his time, unfastening the knot, breathing in her sweet smell, fully aware of how close they were.

Once he was done, he whispered, “There you go.”

She inhaled a deep breath, as if gathering her courage, and turned around. “Thank you,” she said softly, gazing into his eyes.

A dozen warnings flashed in his head, yet one constant remained. He wanted to kiss her. So badly. She must’ve seen it in his eyes, heard it in the quiet of the room, but he didn’t act. He didn’t dare. He backed up a step, giving her a smile of regret. One she understood. Though it wasn’t the kind of smile she wanted to see from him.

“So, uh. Looks like the coffee is ready,” he said.

“Yes, the coffee. I’ll pour.”

“And I’ll drink.”

They sipped coffee quietly and bit into their cookies.

Garrett groaned at the first bite. “Heaven.”

“Thank you.”

“What if this is the best meal I remember having in a decade?”

“What if I said you’re always welcome for dinner?”

“Be careful, Nic. I might just take you up on that.”

She smiled. “Please do.”

Garrett was beginning to think Nicole Russell couldn’t be real. She couldn’t be that intelligent and kind and determined and pretty. Words just tumbled out of his mouth when he was around her. He wasn’t normally a flirty kind of guy, but around her it was easy to be. She made him say things he usually kept to himself. “I think we should get going. Tomorrow is a school day.”

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