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

“He did respond, Dr. Webb,” Cora said. “Right away. But I think Jared called you before I even gave him a second pump.”

“It’s Kellan,” the doctor said, sitting back on his heels. “And I’m not surprised. This little guy is probably Jared’s favorite person in the world.”

He gave Sylvester’s shoulder a pat and Sylvester’s face melted into a big smile.

“Why don’t I give you a quick check-up while I’m here with my stuff?” Kellan offered.

“Okay,” Sylvester told him.

Cora watched, lost in her own thoughts as the young doctor looked over her son. Too soon, he was packing up his bag and congratulating them both on a clean bill of health for Sylvester.

“Come see me anytime,” Kellan said on his way out the door. “Or just call and I’ll come running.”

“We can see that,” Cora said, finally feeling relaxed enough to smile. “Should we settle our bill now, or stop by the office tomorrow?”

“No need,” Kellan said, waving her away.

“Oh, we couldn’t,” Cora said. “You came running out, after hours?—”

“Consider it a special welcome to town gift, then,” he said in a tone that made it clear he wasn’t going to change his mind.

“Thank you,” she told him, amazed.

A moment later, he was heading for his car.

“Let’s get you into a hot bath and into bed,” she told Sylvester. “We can talk about everything once you’re warmed up.”

After the words from Sylvester, and then from Kellan, she felt bad about how she’d dismissed Jared. But what was done was done, and he wouldn’t be coming back around anytime soon after that.

24

JARED

Jared stood on Cora’s front porch, shaking from the cold. One of his hands was balled into a fist by his side, the other hovered an inch from the wooden front door. The cold breeze cut through his saturated clothing like a knife.

Get out, and don’t ever come back…

Her whispered words echoed in his head like a scream, but he swallowed hard and knocked on her door one last time anyway.

Some things were too important to leave undone.

When it opened a moment later, he wasn’t prepared for the wild look in her eyes, or how beautiful her tearstained face could be to him.

“Jared—” she began.

“I know,” he told her. “I know you don’t ever want to see me again. But I just needed to bring you this, and then I’ll go.”

He opened his fist to reveal the tiny, silvery football keychain. It didn’t look like much, but he knew that was important to Sylvester, so that made it important to him.

Her expression changed, eyes widening with emotion, lips parting.

Jared braced himself, knowing she was rightfully furious with him, expecting that she was really going to yell at him now, and that he deserved every syllable. And also knowing that it was worth it to get the keychain back to the boy.

“You went back in the dark, into the freezing water to find that?” she asked softly, taking in his wet clothing.

He blinked at her for a moment, thrown by her soft tone.

“It’s important to Rocky—uh, to Sylvester,” he said. “I couldn’t just leave it there.”