Page 18 of Her Cowboy Santa
“You like him.”
“Yeah, I do,” she says quietly.
I can’t help smiling. “So... funny thing.”
“What?” She asks as if she didn’t see us on our date before we headed to the Tacky Light Show. Then again, the shop was pretty busy. Maybe she wasn’t paying attention to me and Nate at all. “I may have developed feelings for someone too. Nate.”
She blinks, and yep, she must have been busy in the back when the barista was taking our orders. “Who’s he?”
“One of Mary and Christopher’s boys, from back when they were fostering,” I explain.
She sounds excited by this bit of gossip. “Does Mary know?”
“Nothing gets past Mary. I’m sure she’s placing bets with Christopher as we speak,” I admit, bouncing Danny on my knees when he points to a wreath on the wall.
She laughs then pauses. “Wait. Nate and Grady were both?—”
“Naughty List Ranch boys,” I confirm with a smirk. We stare at each other for a second, then say at the same time, “Oh, no.”
Only to follow it up with, “Oh yes.”
Her grin grows even bigger. “What are the odds?”
I lean back in my comfy chair, still amazed at how this holiday season is quickly becoming one of my favorites. “We moved to this town to bake and brew and mind our business…”
She raises her mug. “To surprises we didn’t see coming.”
Danny lets out a happy squeal that feels like agreement.
I clink mine to hers. “And to falling for the good ones.”
“I never said I was falling,” she objects, even though it’s clear from her expression that we both know the words are a lie.
I can’t help snorting at her denial. “Girl, he fixed your door and checked your windows. He might as well have proposed.”
Chapter 10
Callie
After my talk with Angel, I head to the winter market. Mary and Christopher have a stand there, and I promised to help sell the ornaments we made last night. The proceeds from the stand go to a local children’s charity.
My phone rings twice with calls from Corey. I silence them, but when he calls a third time, I finally accept it.
“What do you want?” I demand in a harsh tone. This man walked out on my son. After seeing the way Nate accepts my boy so completely, I’m more furious than ever. That should have been Corey’s job. Corey should shower my son with all the acceptance, encouragement, and love he needs.
“My rings, bitch,” he answers in that snarky tone that I remember so well from our marriage. Things didn’t start out that way. We had a whirlwind romance where he seemed to adore me. He loved everything about me—or so it seemed.
But the whirlwind romance was intentional. A narcissist can’t hide their true self forever, so they have to move quickly. They have to get you ensnared before you see them. It’s the only way to ensure you believe you’re the monster. If you only tried harder, you could have a happy marriage. It’s not until you’re out of their control that you can start to see the truth.
“What?” I mutter as I thread through the crowds, pausing to wave at Grady and Dallas. They nod at me, but I don’t stop to talk with them.
“I want my rings back,” he hisses.
“You’re not getting them back,” I tell him rather than explain that I sold them to cover Danny’s hospital bills. He won’t care anyway. “It’s not like they were your family heirlooms. Go find something else to gamble on.”
With that, I end the call and shake my head. I can’t believe the nerve of Corey. He’s always been like this. Always more interested in a dollar than anything else.
I wonder if his parents have finally cut him off but dismiss the idea. He’s their golden boy who can do nothing wrong. Well, let the three of them figure it out. It’s not as if they ever listened to me when I said that he needed therapy, not their money. I was the bad guy that didn’t understand their precious son.
