Teacher's Christmas Cowboy (Trinity Falls Sweet Romance - Icicle Christmas #5)

Cora tried to hide her smile as her son handed the big man a very worn copy of The Swiss Family Robinson. It was one of his very favorites.

“Really?” Jared asked, looking surprised.

“I’ve read it three times,” Sylvester told him. “It’s got everything.”

Cora waited for Jared to hand the book back.

Instead, he turned it over and read the short description on the back.

“My brother, Kellan, read this one,” he said after a moment. “He liked it a lot.”

“When you bring it back to me, you can tell me if you liked it,” Sylvester said, sticking his hands in his pockets as if to subtly tell the man he wouldn’t be taking the book back from him.

“Thanks,” Jared said. “If it’s okay with your mom for me to borrow it, I just might give it a try.”

“Of course,” Cora said, immediately.

The look of delight on Sylvester’s face was priceless. But it left her fearing the big man would let him down.

You’d better actually read it, she found herself wanting to tell him. He doesn’t need any more disappointments in his life.

“I’ll put my keys with it, so I don’t forget to bring it with me,” Jared told Sylvester, pulling his keys out of his pocket, and setting the book and keys on the dresser. “Now, let’s give your windows a try.”

The jangle of the keys had Sylvester reaching into his pockets again, and Cora realized he was just feeling for the football keychain that was always there. He was being braver than he usually was around a new person, and she suspected the thought of his dad was bringing him some comfort.

She watched the two of them approach the first window together, Jared explaining what he was worried about, and how they were going to fix it if they couldn’t open the window.

Something slowly warmed and loosened in her chest as she watched them. She did projects with Sylvester, of course. But there was something about the way Jared spoke to him, and the way they were tackling their work that made her think of fathers and sons.

Later that night, she sat alone at the little table in her room, gazing out the window at the tiniest snow flurries drifting down.

Jared had stayed until suppertime, and though she offered for him to have pulled pork sandwiches with them, and Sylvester had jumped up and down with excitement about sharing his favorite meal, he’d insisted he needed to get home.

Sylvester wasn’t too disappointed, and he’d told her all about how to fix windows that were painted shut as they ate their dinner.

After they cleaned up, he did his homework at the counter while she spread out her lesson plans on the kitchen table, and holiday music played softly on the radio.

It was peaceful to share the nice, cozy space together. She hoped one of these days they could get the fireplace in the living room going. One thing at a time, though.

Now Sylvester was in bed, and the house was silent.

Cora should be in bed herself, but when she was getting into her pajamas, she had found the note from Jared in her dress pocket, still unread.

She held it in her hands now, wondering if what she was about to read would undo the positive second impression he had managed to make on her tonight.

The kind of man who would swagger up and demand that a new homeowner take down a fence wasn’t normally the kind who would apologize, and definitely not in writing.

But he had apologized in person already today.

She slowly unfolded it, and looked down at the surprisingly neat handwriting.

Dear Mrs. Davies,

I’m sorry for showing up at your house and yelling at you.

And I’m even more sorry that I didn’t realize you had lost your husband.

I also spoke to you like you weren’t in charge of your own property, and I’m sorry for that too.