Page 72 of Merry Christmas, Cowboy

“Just a little bit.”

He pulled the throw higher up, so her chest was covered, then from underneath the blanket, he laced their hands together. She gazed at him, and he gave her a gorgeous smile. It was a beautiful moment that lingered as the sleigh continued on.

“This is nice,” he said.

“Mmm.” She had no words, but then the wagon stopped and three elves came out from behind a tree, singing a little Christmas jingle as they handed out the candy canes.

Cody shook his head, refusing to take one, and Garrett gave him a nod of approval. That was enough to put a smile on Cody’s face. Garrett had good instincts when it came to raising children. She liked that about him. Heck, what didn’t she like about him?

The ride lasted fifteen minutes, but it was too short for her. She could stay in the bumpy wagon sleigh all night long, watching the events from a distance, enjoying the twinkling lights and sitting close to Garrett, holding his hand.

“That was fun,” she told him.

“Uncle Garrett, is it time for s’mores?”

Garrett directed his focus on a row of barbecues set up, burning hot with flames that roasted marshmallows in record time. “I suppose. Nic, come join us? After a ride, a nice warm s’more is just the ticket.”

“Sounds good to me.”

The three of them headed over to the s’mores station and each one of them picked out a long stick. They waited until it was their turn, and Cody asked for a double marshmallow. “I suppose it’s all right, since you didn’t have too many candy canes.”

“Thanks!”

Garrett helped Cody maneuver the marshmallows over the simmering flames, toasting them up the way he liked it, light brown. Then he squashed them between a chocolate bar and graham cracker sandwich.

“Looks perfect, Cody,” she said.

“You go on and eat it by the tables over there. Be careful,” Garrett said. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“’Kay.”

“Are you ready for yours?” Garrett asked.

“Yes, but you’re so not helping me. I know just how I like it.” She placed her marshmallows over the flame and turned the stick around and around. Garrett stood beside her, making his own and watching her out of the corner of his eye.

“You’re burning yours,” he said.

“Uh-huh. I am.”

“I never figured you for a burnt-to-black marshmallow eater.”

She shrugged and smiled. “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

“Maybe, but I do know the important things about you.”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

Garrett made up his s’more and waited for her to finish up on hers. “I know you’re dedicated and determined and kind. You’re generous to a fault, but feisty when necessary and you have an unusual affinity for burnt marshmallows. You’re also—”

“Whoa, quit while you’re ahead, Garrett.” She tried not to let his compliments go to her head, but looking at his strong profile under the lights and the gleam in his eyes, made that a very hard mission.

She put her s’more together, making a gooey mess and together they walked over to the table. Cody was sitting with her mother and father. She’d introduced her folks to him after the snowman contest earlier and they’d taken to each other right away. “Hi, guys.”

“Hello. Nic, I see you destroyed your s’more again,” her father said.

“Just like always.” She grinned.

Her dad loved to tease.

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