Page 20 of Merry Christmas, Cowboy (Home to Texas #2)

A ll ages of children were to participate in the church choir performance and they’d been separated into groups; grade school, middle school, and high school.

Nicole recognized several of her past students in the younger group, as they made their way up onto the steps in front of the altar.

The entire church smelled of fresh flowers, every other row of pews decorated with red and white carnations.

Two big poinsettia plants sat upon columned posts at the top of the steps, making a beautiful visual.

Nic sat with Julie and Miguel in the center row feeling guilty she hadn’t informed Cody and his uncle about this event.

Her friends hadn’t questioned her about it, since she’d made her intentions clear, but still, she thought how much Cody would enjoy being here, experiencing yet another holiday event in Last Stand.

The program began as the younger children, all dressed in white tees and dark slacks, sang several songs.

Their harmonizing needed a little work, but their eager adorable faces made up for that.

And once they were through, pride shone in their eyes as all in attendance gave them a loud round of applause.

“They did so well,” Julie whispered to her. “Did you see Annabelle and Josh up there? I’m so proud of them.”

“I am too.” They were kids both she and Julie had taught in their class. Now they were third graders.

“I’m glad Cody got to see them too. Josh is his third-grade buddy.” They pair kindergarteners with third graders once a week, to help the younger ones in reading and math. It’s a great program for all of the students involved.

“Cody?”

Julie swiveled around and pointed to two rows back on the opposite side of the aisle.

“See, there’s Garrett and Cody.”

She turned and locked eyes with Garrett immediately. Darn, she didn’t want him to see her ogling him. But then he smiled and gave a little wave. She waved back, her heart beating fast. Garrett was rocking his Sunday best, a dark jacket and tie looking terribly handsome. Oh boy.

She whipped her head around quickly and clamped her hands together in her lap. “I see him.”

“Them, you see them,” Julie teased. “Or are you only looking at Garrett?” she whispered. “’Cause, I wouldn’t blame you.”

“Stop it,” she whispered forcefully. “I bet Paulette invited them.”

“Because you didn’t.”

“Can’t I have one night to myself?”

“Of course,” Julie said. “If that’s what you really want.”

She couldn’t forget seeing Garrett and the woman at Char-Pie the other day.

They seemed totally at ease with each other, familiar, as if they were in on a secret that no one else knew about.

She’d felt like an outsider, and wondered if Garrett was just another Johnny, playing her until something or someone better came along.

Which was ridiculous. Because she and Garrett were only pretending to be a couple for the pact. In reality, she had no right being jealous. Garrett Brown wasn’t an option and it was silly she had to keep reminding herself of that.

The middle schoolers took the stage in their raspberry-red choir gowns and white snow caps.

Immediately, they began singing well-known Christmas classics, “Silent Night,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and “O Holy Night.” Tall column candles flickered, casting jumping shadows against the side walls, and the powerful music filling the church connected them with joy, solidarity, and a sense of community.

It was what she liked best about the holiday, the connection, the love shared, the joy of giving.

But with every song, she so much wanted to turn around to see Garrett’s reaction.

Was he actually enjoying the performance?

Was Cody? Mentally, she chided herself to keep her gaze on the performers and listen to the beautiful songs they were singing, to let the music seep in and soothe her, like it always had before.

Next, the high schoolers, dressed in all white gowns, the girls with baby’s breath headbands in their hair, took their places and Nicole found Paulette in the first row of the choir.

She smiled to her parents and then looked out at the audience, her gaze landing on someone.

Nicole followed the direction of Paulette’s focus and found her connecting with Garrett, who had lifted Cody up, to give her a smile and a wave.

Paulette gave them a little wave back, looking pleased that they’d come.

The church was quiet, and there was some shifting in the chairs, awaiting the next performance.

Paulette took several steps forward, taking a place in the center of the choir and when the music began, her beautiful solo performance of “Joy to the World,” captured everyone’s full attention.

Her voice was sweet yet powerful, warm and emotional, every note pure perfection.

She’d always had talent, but her voice now had become refined and strong.

When Paulette finished the song, she was met with a standing ovation.

Tears entered her eyes as she looked at her parents.

Paul and Louisa Sanchez, the school principal, were quite taken by their daughter’s amazing talent. Both of them were moved to tears too.

The beauty of the song filled Nicole’s heart with hope and, this time, she deliberately looked at Garrett and found him peering straight at her, watching her and smiling. That beautiful smile of his, which he rarely showed, could melt a girl’s heart.

He could melt your heart.

She couldn’t tear her gaze away and found herself locked in to him. And the little boy beside him. Only when the music began again, and the choir started singing “Deck the Halls,” did she turn around in her seat, to focus, or try to focus on the music.

“Awfully good,” Julie commented.

“Yeah, Paulette is amazing.”

Julie bit her lip and grinned. Oh, she wasn’t talking about Paulette. Julie had caught her eyeing Garrett.

“Stop that,” she said, but only half-heartedly.

“I didn’t say a word. And Paulette is super talented.”

After the show, refreshments were served in the vestibule and there was no avoiding Garrett.

Especially since Miguel and Julie made a point of heading straight over to the punch bowl and cookie table where Cody was munching on a gingerbread cookie.

Nicole hung back a little, staying out of their circle.

Garrett immediately walked over to her. “Hey there.”

“Hi.”

“Can I pour you some punch or get you a cookie?”

“No thanks.” She glanced around, looking into the crowd.

“The performance was really good. Cody enjoyed it.”

“Yes, it was,” she said stiffly. She was being aloof or trying to be, but it wasn’t really in her DNA.

She had trouble trying to keep a distance from the tall, dark-haired man who seemed to occupy too much of her mind lately.

There was a pull, an attraction that she’d been fighting and she couldn’t falter now.

“Can’t believe the pipes on Paulette,” he said. “She really blew me away.”

“I know. She is very good,” she said dryly.

Garrett stared at her, as if trying to puzzle something out.

“Too bad the Coopers couldn’t make it. I guess Cassie came down with a cold.”

“Yes, that’s what I heard too.”

“Nicole?”

“What?” She lifted her lids to him, finally peering into those melt-your-heart blue eyes.

It only made her angrier with herself, for slipping, for allowing him to get to her.

She felt herself softening. “We have to start constructing the booths. And getting the wagon decorated. Is it okay if we start tomorrow?”

He squinted, continuing to stare at her. “Sure.”

“Okay, great. Well, I guess I’ll see you then.” She brushed past him, but her hand suddenly was grasped and laced with his and she swiveled around. “Garrett, what are you doing?”

“Come outside with me.” It was more of a demand than a question.

Her mind raced, she didn’t want to talk to him. “What about Cody?”

“He’s with Julie and Miguel. He’ll be okay for a few minutes.”

She hesitated a second too long, because he simply tugged her along. “C’mon,” he said.

And like a little puppy, she followed, more curious about what he was going to say than she’d like to admit.

It was cold outside; frigid was a better description.

She couldn’t remember a time when Last Stand had a colder winter.

She shivered a bit as Garrett walked her to a tree lit with hundreds of twinkling lights.

A wrought iron bench with delicate circular trim and a wooden slat back sat under the tree.

The plaque on the bench indicated the donor, a family who’d lived in Last Stand since its inception.

“Would you like to sit down?” Garrett asked.

She shook her head. She didn’t plan on being out here too long. “No thanks.”

Garrett frowned but accepted her answer. “Nicole, listen. I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted the past few days. I don’t handle being idle very well. The injury stymied my plans and it’s hard for me to sit still. But if I’ve said something, or not said something, that hurt you, I apologize.”

Oh, God. She didn’t know how to answer him. He had it all wrong.

“It’s not easy getting the grinch out of you.”

“Am I that bad?”

“You’re coming along,” she said, honestly.

“Am I?” he asked. “Then what’s wrong?”

She sucked in a big deep cold breath of air. “I, uh, I have a lot on my plate right now. And when you got hurt, it really freaked me out. I realized that I… I cared about you.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Yes, it’s a bad thing. After what happened with Johnny, I began second-guessing myself, and my judgment.

I thought that maybe I was the one who’d made the mistake.

Maybe I pushed him when he wasn’t ready.

Maybe I’d been so blinded in becoming a bride, that I didn’t really see anything else.

I’m not the same woman I was three months ago.

And I really believed that I learned something, until I met you. ”

“Me?”

“Yes, you, Mr. Brown.”