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

“What?” Cora asked lightly, heading over to the counter and grabbing a mug.

“Well, it’s only that you sound just like him,” Viola pointed out.

“Who?” Cora asked, though she knew exactly who they had to be talking about.

Her cheeks burned and she prayed her friends couldn’t see it as she continued to prepare her tea with her back to them. What was happening to her? She felt as transparent as one of her innocent students with a silly crush.

“Jared Webb, of course,” Sabrina said.

Cora could hear the smile in her friend’s voice. Now she definitely wasn’t going to turn around, for fear that she would wind up with a big goofy smile on her own face that would give her away.

“So, are you two official now?” Viola asked.

“No, no,” Cora said lightly, dropping a tea bag into her mug. “We’re just friends.”

And it was true, at least for now.

“Give it some time,” Sabrina advised.

“Not much time, I don’t think,” Viola said. “If they’re already saving the world together, the next step will be to save each other, naturally.”

“We didn’t save the world,” Cora laughed, pouring hot water from the kettle into her mug and finally turning back to them as she dunked the tea bag a few times.

“I’ll bet little Jimmy feels like you saved his world,” Viola said seriously.

“Well, it’s not just the two of us,” Cora said. “Half the farmers in town are pitching in, and even the man who runs the pet grooming place in the village was there.”

“Arnold Jones grew up on a dairy farm,” Sabrina said, nodding. “Nice guy.”

“Everyone really does know everyone here,” Cora said, shaking her head in wonder.

“So, you’re not an item now,” Viola said. “But would you say no if he asked you out?”

“I’ve got a child,” Cora said automatically.

“I’m pretty sure he knows that,” Sabrina giggled.

“Plenty of single parents date and find new love,” Viola said carefully.

Cora found herself sitting with the idea for a moment, trying it on for size. What would it be like to date Jared Webb, go out on the town with him?

She felt a flash of pride at the idea of being out on his arm. But if she were honest with herself, she had a ton of grading and planning to do most evenings, and she usually just preferred to be home with Sylvester anyway.

Jared did seem to like hanging around her house though. She had been feeling sad lately that he was surely going to run out of tasks before much longer, and then Sylvester would miss him so much.

I would miss him too…

But then she thought about Arthur, and the promise she had made to love him forever. The idea of ever loving another man hurt her heart. Even dating might feel like a betrayal.

Who would want to date a woman who was torn about whether or not it was even right?

“We’ll see,” she said after a moment, taking a sip of her tea to avoid having to answer any more questions.

The other two launched into a rundown of their weekend plans, which mostly involved helping out with family holiday preparations.

Cora half-listened, but she couldn’t keep her mind from wandering back to Jared Webb.

Is this wrong to think about, Arthur? she asked her husband inwardly, as she often did these days.