Page 17 of Her Cowboy Santa
I tap at the coffee shop window, and Angel is quick to hurry over. She unlocks the door and lets us in along with a gust of wind. The bell above the door chirps cheerfully as if it’s glad to see us too.
“Hey, you,” she says with a smile. “You’re up and about early.”
“This little one had me awake at five a.m., wanting to play,” I explain with a kiss on his forehead.
“Well, come in out of the cold.” She ushers us inside and turns the sign to closed. She doesn’t open for another hour, which is why I wanted to hurry in for some girl talk.
Danny makes a squeal of delight as he takes in the twinkling Christmas lights and the tinsel around the picture frames. Everything about the holidays is still exciting to him. I hope he never loses that sense of wonder.
Ginger grabs a blanket from the shelf behind the register and spreads it over the big armchair by the radiator. “Sit, snuggle, and I’ll bring you something sweet.”
“Angel by name, angel by nature,” I sigh, settling in and shifting Danny into a cozy nest of fleece. He wiggles and chirps, batting at the air like he’s got stories to tell. “Mary told me you had a little... ladder incident?”
She holds up her ankle, wrapped in a compression bandage. “Tried to hang a star. The star fought back.”
“I also heard Grady swooped in like a Hallmark hero,” I can’t resist teasing her. The things that Mary always knows. She acts so innocent, but she has her finger on the pulse of this town. I doubt a snowflake falls without her knowledge or permission. She’s a beautiful force of nature. The idea that women become frail with age is nothing but a myth. No, with age, we become more formidable.
She rolls her eyes, but I don’t miss the blush that stains her cheeks. “He helped me get home, did some repairs.”
Danny babbles and points at the specials board like he’s got strong opinions about the eggnog latte. My heart leaps to see him engaging with the world around him. For so long, I worried that he would be lost inside of himself, unable to communicate. But his latest milestone is giving me hope.
“He’s so chatty today,” she says, joining me with two mugs of gingerbread latte and a plate of peppermint bark.
A surge of pride goes through me. I’m sure it shows on my face. I’m so proud of my strong boy. He’s not letting anything hold him back. “This morning, he figured out how to wave. He’s been greeting everything since—windows, trees, our toaster.”
She leans forward to wave at him. He flaps both arms back at her, giggling the entire time. His laugh is so innocent, so pure. I want it to always stay like that. I want to bubble wrap his heart and put a sign over it, warning the world to be gentle with the most precious gift I’ve ever been given.
“How’s he doing?” she asks softly.
She understands that Danny’s milestones come with extra appointments and celebration. There are therapies, checkups, and a little more planning, but also a lot more cheering when he masters something new.
I take a sip of my latte, letting the flavors slide over my tongue and the sweet drink warm me from the inside out.
“He’s doing great. He’s stubborn in the best way. He won’t let you put him down if he’s decided you’re his person. He’s terrible at napping but laughs like an angel.”
He giggles again, as if he knows I’ve been talking about him.
“How are you managing? Working at the ranch?” She presses. She thinks I’m Wonder Woman without the lasso. But I’m something far more powerful. I’m the mama of a complex needs child.
I shrug. “Some days are chaos. Some days I can’t imagine my life without him. Mostly, he’s just...Danny. Loud, sticky, and perfect.”
She reaches over and brushes his hand. He grabs her finger like it’s the best thing he’s ever been offered and holds on, eyes serious for a half-second before breaking into another delighted squeal.
“He likes you. You have the Danny seal of approval,” I say, thinking of how Danny’s eyes always light up every time Nate comes into the room. I’m pretty sure he does too.
“That’s good because I like him too,” she replies.
We sip our drinks in comfortable silence until I remember the whole reason I came over here. I wanted to get the inside scoop about Grady. “So… are you going to tell me what really happened after Grady ‘helped you get home’?”
She groans. “Fine. He carried me up the stairs.”
“Like bridal-style carried?” I think of the gruff cowboy I saw talking with Nate. He looked so strong and fierce. He must be soft only for her, only with her.
“He offered. I said no. He grunted ‘I want to.’ And then he just... did it,” she sounds bewildered by the whole experience, like she’s still trying to make sense of everything that’s happening between her and Grady.
“Well, damn.” I take a sip of my latte and wait for her to go on.
She keeps her gaze on her mug. “He’s steady. And a bit grumpy, but he makes me feel a certain way.”
