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

“Do you need me to tell you what’s happening so far in the story?” he asked as he handed over the book.

“No,” she said, looking down at Treasure Island fondly. “I remember this one.”

She read until it was clear he was struggling to stay awake.

“I love you,” she told him, closing the book and giving him a kiss on his cheek. “Sleep tight.”

“I love you too,” he murmured with his eyes closed. “It’s not Jared’s fault I was bad. He didn’t know I’d try to do that stuff too.”

His words were so unexpected that they hurt her heart. As she slipped back downstairs for a cup of tea, she couldn’t help feeling heartbroken for her boy all over again.

In spite of what she’d told him, there was just no way they would be spending any more time with Jared. Sylvester had enough strikes against him with his asthma and having to grow up without his father.

While she had enjoyed seeing him have fun with Jared, and she liked the big cowboy too, Sylvester’s safety and happiness were her first priority. And it was clear that Jared wasn’t a good influence on him.

Cora had chickened out of talking to Jared in the driveway earlier, but that was probably for the best. She had still been upset, and it would be better to talk to him after she’d had a little time to collect her thoughts.

Or maybe she didn’t really need to talk to him at all. He was done working on the house, so he wouldn’t have much reason to come by anymore. Maybe it was better to just let him move on to his next thing instead of making a big deal about it.

Of course, she had been thinking about spending more time with him, not less. But thinking that there might be something between them had been silly anyway. And selfish, when she had Sylvester to worry about.

She had just gotten the kettle going when there was a knock on the front door.

So much for getting time to collect my thoughts.

Cora marched out of the kitchen, trying to think of what she would say if it was Jared.

19

CORA

Cora opened the door to find her mother-in-law standing before her.

“Hey there,” Ginny said, her eyes twinkling as she smiled at Cora. “Is the little guy asleep?”

In all the excitement, Cora had forgotten that Ginny was going to stop by after her girls’ night with her friends.

“He is,” Cora admitted, waving her in. “He had kind of a big day. How are you? How are the girls?”

“Everyone’s just fine,” Ginny said, kissing Cora’s cheek on her way in. “All they want to know about is you.”

“Me?” Cora said, surprised, as they headed back to the kitchen.

“We always just eat desserts and relax on the girls’ night after a big event,” Ginny said. “We’ll start planning the Winter Wonderland next week. But for tonight we just drank coffee and ate one of Betty Ann’s sweet potato pies. And we did a little gossiping. Your name came up a lot.”

Ginny and her two best friends, Shirley and Betty Ann, were apparently a formidable trio in the little town. Viola had explained to Cora that along with an army of other volunteers, the three older women planned and executed most of the good things that happened in Trinity Falls. Whether it was beloved annual events like the Hometown Holiday celebration and the Winter Wonderland that would happen just after the holidays, or matters of necessity, like the time the firehouse desperately needed new safety equipment, the three of them came together like superheroes to help their hometown.

“Oh, goodness,” Cora said, dashing over to the kitchen counter to grab mugs for their tea, and hoping Ginny couldn’t see her blushing.

She knew why she had been the subject of gossip, but she hoped that Ginny would either drop the matter or get to the heart of it quickly.

Sylvester isn’t the only one feeling like he’s in trouble today over Jared Webb.

Guilt tore at her heart, and it was all she could do not to turn around and tell Ginny she wasn’t seeing Jared and never would be.

“I’ve always liked Jared Webb,” Ginny said firmly. “And I think you and Sylvester are just what he needs. You’ve pointed his energies in a positive direction. The ladies were very impressed at what the two of you accomplished for Mr. Allen and his boy.”

“Jared is a good friend,” Cora said carefully. “And the Allens have a lot of help over there, not just the two of us.”