Page 66 of Merry Christmas, Cowboy

He scratched his head again, separating those dark thick strands of hair. “I guess, I would’ve told the guy the truth.”

“You guess?”

“It would be the right thing to do, I suppose.” Then he looked her in the eye and shook his head. “Then again, maybe I wouldn’t.”

She chuckled. She liked this flirty Garrett. “At least you’re honest.”

His gaze dipped to her mouth and sensations swept over her immediately. She couldn’t hide that she wanted him to kiss her again. But then she remembered her parents could walk outside any second.

She sighed. “I can’t believe the fundraiser is only two days away.”

The moment was lost, but the warmth threading its way through her insides, was not.

“Are you all set for Saturday?”

“I think I am. Are you?”

“Me? Yeah. Cody’s really excited about it too. All of his school friends will be coming and that’ll be fun for him.”

“I hope we get a good turnout. The volunteers have put so much work into it.”

“So, have you, Nic. No one’s worked harder than you.”

“Thanks for saying that. I only want to raise enough money for the families in need and if I can make it fun for everyone, it’ll be a bonus.”

“I think you’ve got it.”

She heard a crash, like glass breaking, coming from her kitchen. “Uh-oh. I think I’d better see what mischief my folks are getting into.”

“Yeah, I think you’d better. Good-bye.”

He smiled, a killer, and it was almost as good as a kiss.

Almost.

Chapter Nine

Saturday morning suntook the frigid chill out of the air, and puffy marshmallow clouds dotted a bright blue sky. Nicole thought it a blessing the weather lightened up a bit because rain or extreme cold would’ve been hard to deal with on a day when so much was happening.

A big sign announcing the fundraiser, made by the students at Honeysuckle Elementary, hung above the gates of Cottonwood Ranch. Everything looked great and Nicole took pride in what was accomplished. It was another hour before the event would open but, as she walked around, she nodded and smiled at the volunteers putting the finishing touches on their booths. Ticket sales were good, and with the added revenue from the bake sale, silent auction, and sleigh rides, they should make their goal.

From a distance, she caught her parents shaking hands with Garrett over at the barn. He and Coop were helping unload the horses from the trailers and getting them situated. They had a team of four horses; two would pull the sleigh wagon at a time. And they would rotate them every few hours.

Cassie and Cody were working the hot cocoa station. Garrett hadn’t been too sure about allowing Cody to work, but it was clear he was taking it seriously. “Would you like some hot chocolate?” he asked her.

“Sure, thanks, Cody.”

Cody went about setting out the cup and Cassie poured the steaming liquid.

“How much do I owe you?” she asked.

“Fifty cents or one ticket.”

“Okay, here you go,” she said, pulling out a long row of tickets. “One ticket and well worth it.”

“Here you go, Miss Russell.” Cassie handed her the cup.

“Thanks, Cassie. So, how long are you working the station here?”

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