Brenda Minton - The Cowboy's Holiday Blessing

Still, it had to hurt. Even if she knew how to pretend none of this bothered her, on the inside, where it counted, Madeline knew Jade had to be afraid.

Worse, she seemed to be counting on Madeline for strength and for guidance.

“What are you going to do for the rest of the day?” Jackson leaned against a stall door and she figured it had to be holding him up.

“Is there something you need?”

He grinned and winked. “A back rub would be good. Are you offering?”

“Do you ever stop?”

His smile faded. “Yeah, I do. I’m sorry for saying that. You might have to give me a few days to get the old Jackson under control.”

“Right, of course.”

“Do you think you’ll be going to town today?” Jackson reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.

“I had planned on picking up Christmas decorations in Grove. Why?”

“Because I thought I’d give you money for groceries since you’ve got another mouth to feed. And she might need some clothes and a warmer coat.”

“I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.” Jade moved to stand next to Madeline, her shoulders squared and stiff. “I’m good at taking care of myself.”

“I’m sure you are, Jade, but that isn’t necessary. You came looking for a family and this is what family does.” Jackson handed Madeline several bills and she folded the money and put it in her pocket.

“I can take her.” Madeline smiled at the girl standing next to her. “We can have fun shopping.”

Jade shrugged slim shoulders. “Okay, sure. So I’m leaving and I won’t see you until tomorrow?”

After a long pause, Jackson eased closer, taking stiff steps that Madeline hadn’t noticed earlier. She wondered if he was even supposed to be up, let alone doing chores.

“Jade, I want to spend time with you. We’re going to figure this whole mess out and I’m going to do my best to help you…”

“I don’t need help. I need a dad.”

His features softened. “I know, and I’m going to do my best to help you with that. But honestly, kid, I need to crash. I think my ribs are about to snap in two and my back kind of feels like a truck is sitting on it. Now that isn’t the toughest ‘dad’ kind of thing to admit. Especially in front of two women.” He smiled a tight smile. “But that’s the way it is.”

“Fine.” Jade stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

And something about him changed. Madeline watched his eyes and face shift and suddenly, Jackson Cooper became a dad. Or at least what she always imagined a dad would be if she’d had a real one.

“We should go.” Madeline reached for Jade. “What time tomorrow? And are you sure you don’t want me to bring something over for dinner tonight?”

“I think by nine in the morning.” Jackson winked at Jade before turning to smile at Madeline. “And don’t worry about me. I’m going to crash, and food is the last thing I want.”

They walked back to the house together, slowly. Jackson watched them get in the car and then he eased his way up the steps of the front porch and into the house. Madeline waited until he stepped through the door before she shifted into Reverse.

“You think he’s cute, don’t you?”

Madeline blinked a few times at the crazy question the teenager sitting next to her had asked. Jade smiled at what Madeline had hoped would be a warning look. Maybe she needed to work on that.

“Jackson doesn’t need for anyone to think he’s cute. He thinks it enough about himself.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Let it go, her wise inner voice said. Let it go. She drove on down the road, back to her house. When they reached her place she pulled up to the mailbox.

“Could you reach in and get my mail?” She pulled close and rolled the window down for Jade.

“Sure.” Jade reached into the box and pulled out a few pieces of mail. Rather than handing it over she sifted through it. “Hey, a Christmas card from Marjorie Patton. Is that your sister or your mom?”

Madeline grabbed the mail and shoved it in her purse. “It’s no one.”

Jackson woke up in a dark living room, the dog at his feet growling. He groaned and tossed the pillow across the room. Twice in one day. In one long, long day. The doorbell chimed again and he pushed himself off the couch, groaning as he straightened, stretching the muscles in his back.

Things to do tonight: sleep in own bed.

“I’m coming, already.”

He threw the door open and immediately backed down. “Sir.”

His dad stood in the doorway, the look on his face a familiar one. At almost thirty-four, Jackson should be long past that look from anyone. But there it was, the “buddy, you’re in big trouble” look.

“Come in, I’ll put on a pot of coffee.”

Tim Cooper stomped the mud off his boots and stepped inside the house. “Smells like dog in here.”

“Yeah, the stupid dog refuses to sleep outside. Either he’s worried about me, or he just doesn’t like the cold. I’m going with the cold.”

“Probably. You’re walking like you’re eighty years old.”

“Yeah, well, I feel older than that.”

“What spooked that horse? Did you ever figure it out?”

They reached the kitchen and Jackson motioned for his dad to sit down while he filled the water reservoir on the coffeemaker and pushed the power button.

“I think it was a loose door banging in the wind. We both know that isn’t why you’re here.”

“I can be here for more than one reason. Your mom is worried because she tried to call and you didn’t answer.”

“I was dog-tired.”

“I told her you were probably asleep.”

Jackson reached for the bottle of painkillers on the counter and then he put them back. It wasn’t so bad he couldn’t walk it off. “And the other reason you’re here?”

“Travis has a big mouth.”

“Right, I figured as much. Something about the words ‘Travis, keep your mouth shut’ tends to loosen his mouth like an oiled hinge.”

His dad kind of laughed. He took his hat off and sat it on the table. “She isn’t yours?”

“Probably not.” Jackson sat down next to his dad. He fiddled with the stack of mail he’d left on the table earlier that day. “But my name is on her birth certificate.”

“Where’s her mom?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Jackson got up to make the coffee. He put a cup under the nozzle. “Black?”

“Yeah. Oh, your mom sent dinner. It’s in the truck and I’ll bring it in before I leave.”

“Thanks. You know, I’ll never learn to cook if she keeps feeding me.”

“She isn’t going to stop. I’ve tried. And she’s itching to fix this situation for you, too.”

Jackson set the two cups of coffee on the table. “I’ll fix this myself. The fewer people involved the better.”

“I don’t think your mom thinks that she’s one of the people who shouldn’t be involved. She said to tell you she’ll expect to see you tomorrow.”

“Give me a few days. I’m trying to figure this out without hurting Jade.”

“Is that her name?”

He nodded and took a sip of coffee. “Yeah, Jade Baker. I knew her mom. But you know…”

“Yeah. Might need to head to the doctor just to make sure.”

“I will. I’m not turning her out in the cold. I’m not going to call the state yet. I’m not going to have her in the system at Christmas.”

“Where is she?”

This is where it got tricky. He sipped his coffee and gave himself a minute. His dad answered his own question.

“Travis said Madeline Patton was up here today.”

“She was.”

“Madeline, huh?” Tim grinned kind of big, the way a man did when he’d raised a bunch of sons. “Not your normal cup of tea.”