Page 65 of Merry Christmas, Cowboy

“Sure Dad. But I can do it.”

“No, no.” He waved her off. “We’ll be in the kitchen. You two go have a seat.”

Nicole shrugged, giving Garrett a glance. He nodded and she led him into the living room and they both sat on the sofa. “My folks are—”

“Nice,” he said, “and they care about you.”

“Maybe sometimes too much? They tend to worry.”

“I get that. I’m always worrying about Cody in one way or another.”

They stared at each other for a second, the gleam in Garrett’s eyes absolutely irresistible. “Thanks again for the flowers.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I don’t know why…”

“I guess I need to confess something to you. Thought the flowers might help.”

“Confess? What?” Again, she had no idea where Garrett was coming from. He was being cryptic and it was making her crazy.

“Before I tell you, I’d like to ask you to the Christmas ball. Would you like to go with me?”

“This is about the Christmas ball?” Now, that was a surprise.

He nodded.

“You know it’s for adults only and it’s a formal affair. So, if you want to go because of the pact we made, you don’t have to—”

“I know all about it. I’m asking you to go with me, for no other reason than I would like to take you.”

She smiled. “You mean like a date?”

“Yeah, a date.” His grin sent her soaring.

She chuckled and felt so much joy, she almost couldn’t contain herself. Forget about all the reasons why she shouldn’t be dating Garrett. One good reason loomed why she should. Shewantedto go with him. She could give herself one night of glitz and glamour. She could be on Garrett’s arm and have a night to remember. With him. And this time, she wouldn’t second-guess herself.

She would go and have a fantastic time. “Yes.”

Garrett smiled wide. “Yes?”

She bobbed her head up and down. “Yes. I’d love to. But you said you had something to confess.”

“I do. I, uh. There’s no way to sugarcoat this, Nicole. When someone mentioned they were going to ask you to the Christmas ball, I told him you already had a date. Me.”

“You told some guy I was going with you to the ball, before you asked me? Who was he?”

He shook his head. “Can’t tell you that. That would go way beyond my code of honor.”

She couldn’t hold back a grin. Had he been jealous? And why did his confession warm her heart and make her feel special? “Awfully presumptive of you, isn’t it?”

“I was hoping, is all.” He took a big breath of air, and sighed. “Okay, maybe it was.”

She could melt on the spot with the way Garrett was looking at her. She was falling for him, and though it scared her silly, it also felt amazingly good and so right. She’d never been a true fighter, but perhaps Garrett was worth the fight. Perhaps he was worth more than she thought possible after the Johnny fiasco.

Her mom walked in with a tray of sweets they’d picked up from Char-Pie and her father brought in the coffee. He’d gotten pretty domestic in his retirement and they sat around the living room, conversing. Garrett and her dad had a lot to talk about, her father picking his brain about power tools and lumber and the latest gadgets. All the while, her mother was giving Nicole the eye, as if to say, she approved of the handsome carpenter.

Garrett stayed for an hour and then excused himself, saying farewell to her folks. He explained about Cody and the need to relieve Paulette of babysitting duties. Nicole walked him to the door and then some. She didn’t want her folks to eavesdrop. “Thanks for the beautiful flowers and for the invitation. But, I’m curious. What would you have done if I didn’t accept your invitation to the Christmas ball?”

---