Carolyn Davidson - Christmas Cowboy Kisses - A Family for Christmas / A Christmas Miracle / Christmas with Her Cowboy

They held hands while Gideon said a blessing over their food, and then they all tucked in with a will, the bacon and eggs disappearing quickly. The cinnamon rolls were hot from the oven and Joy cut them up in big squares and passed the butter. They drank coffee and ate the rolls almost in silence, so tasty were the sweet offerings. Joseph drank two glasses of milk, declaring the rolls to be the best thing he’d eaten in forever, causing his father and Joy to laugh heartily.

They lit the candles on the tree, and then all sat down on the sofa but for Gideon, who announced he would distribute the gifts. Joseph was delighted with the hat and scarf Joy had made and thanked her profusely. Grandpa was surprised at his own knitted gift and muttered his thanks with a low growl. His misty eyes needed wiping with his big kerchief as he unwrapped the vest Joy had stitched so carefully from the deerhide.

“I sure didn’t expect such a wonderful surprise, girl,” he said in a gruff tone, his smile belying the sound. With Gideon’s help, he donned his gift and beamed as he smoothed his hands over the front, examining the buttonholes Joy had worked into the suede fabric. Gideon was more than happy with the scarf he received, declaring it a lifesaver, for he needed something to keep his ears warm.

Grandpa pointed at a brown-wrapped package and Gideon lifted it from beneath the tree and cast a questioning look at him. “Give it to Joy,” he said, and Gideon did so with a flourish. Joy took it on her lap with a cry of glee.

“How did you...? What did you...?” she asked, her cheeks pink with confusion and pleasure as her fingers untied the string that encircled the package. She folded back the paper, and within the wrapping lay a navy blue cloak, three frog fastenings at its throat. Joy stood up and held it before her, admiring the red binding that accented it, encircling the neck and then running down the front of each lapel and down to the hem.

“Oh, my! Oh, my!” she crooned, unfastening the loops and swirling the cloak about her, holding it closely against her throat and turning in a slow circle before her audience. Grandpa smiled, Joseph clapped his hands with glee and Gideon could only watch in admiration as the woman before him cast warm glances at all the males in her family.

“You surely do look like a Christmas angel, Joy,” Grandpa said with a hint of tears in his voice. “I knew you’d look beautiful in that thing. Had it ordered from the catalog for you and picked it up a while ago when we went to town.”

“I didn’t know,” Joy said. “You sure are good at keeping a secret, Grandpa. And I thank you so much. It’s just beautiful and will keep me warm. I’ll even put it over my quilt on the bed when I go to sleep.” She bent over her grandfather and kissed him across his forehead and down one cheek, murmuring soft words of love to him as she did so.

“You look pretty enough to put on the top of the tree, Joy,” Gideon said. “You sure enough look like an angel in that beautiful cloak. Your grandfather knew just what would look lovely on you.”

“I have something else for Joseph,” Joy said hesitantly. “I didn’t wrap them, but I thought he might like something I’ve enjoyed for many years. In fact,” she said, bringing a pile of books from beneath the tree, “if Joseph would like me to, I’d enjoy reading one of the stories to him tonight before he goes to bed.”

“Would you really, Joy?” the boy asked, his eyes pleading as he stood before her, his hands reaching for the books she held. “Oh, look, Daddy. Just look at the books Joy gave me.” Joseph sat down on the floor and looked over the assortment Joy had gathered together from her own library for him.

“Here’s a whole book about horses and another about dogs. There’s lots of stories in this one, and look at the pictures of all kinds of horses in this one. And here’s Black Beauty, too.” He hugged the book to his chest. “I’ve always wanted to have someone read this story to me. And now Joy says she will. Will we be here long enough for her to read the whole thing, Daddy? Will we?” the boy asked pleadingly.

“Of course you will,” Joy said quickly. “I’m sure you and your father aren’t going anywhere in a hurry, Joseph. You’ll be here for a good while, I’m certain.”

“As long as Joy and her grandfather will let us stay,” Gideon added with a quick smile at Joy. “There’s lots of work I can do here to make life easier for Joy and Grandpa this winter. We’ll stay for a while.”

“You betcha,” Grandpa added. “We’ve been needing someone to lend a hand around here. It’s too much for Joy, and I can’t do much to help her. At least not in the snow.”

“That’s settled, then,” Joy said with a wide grin. “You can stay as long as you like, Gideon.”

“Well, this has been the merriest Christmas we’ve had for several years,” Gideon said, bending to pick Joseph up in his arms. “I just know my son hasn’t been so happy in a long time.” And then Grandpa called out for Joseph to draw near to him.

The boy scooted over to stand by Grandpa while the old man dug in his pocket, finally drawing forth a wooden figure. It was a small horse, and the boy watched wide-eyed as the old man held it in the palm of his hand. “Maybe this could be Black Beauty, sonny,” Grandpa said with a wide smile. “Not the right color horse, but you can pretend he’s black till your pa can paint him for you one day.”

“Oh, I can pretend without black paint, Grandpa,” the lad cried, holding out his palm for the small figure.

Grandpa placed the figure in Joseph’s hand and then had to stop and wipe his eyes and nose, so caught up in the lad’s pleasure he almost shed a few tears. “I’m happy you like it, Joseph,” he said, reaching to hug the boy in a quick embrace.

Joseph ran to his father. “Lookee what Grandpa made for me, Daddy. Ain’t it the prettiest thing you ever saw?”

“Sure enough it is,” Gideon said, casting a thankful look at the old man who watched the boy so closely.

Joy rose from the sofa, bent on making it to the kitchen before tears escaped her control. “I’m going to clean up and get ready to fix our Christmas dinner,” she said, hurrying from the room.

“I reckon I’ll give her a hand.” Gideon put his son on the floor and headed after the young woman he’d barely been able to keep his gaze from all morning. Joseph ran to the sofa.

“Can you and me just sit here and watch the Christmas tree?” he asked Grandpa, who held out an arm to enclose the lad’s shoulders as he sat beside him.

Gideon went to the kitchen where Joy was wiping the last of her tears and had set about with the breakfast dishes. His arms encircled her and she rested against him for a few moments. “It’s been a wonderful morning, but now the dishes await me, Gideon,” she said with a sigh.

“Tell you what, ma’am. I’ll dry if you’ll wash,” he said, picking up the dish towel and waving it with a flourish, as if intent on drying her tears with his foolishness.

And so the day passed, all enjoying the dinner Joy fixed for them, Gideon doing the chores closer to nightfall and Grandpa whittling another figure for Joseph to match the horse he’d given him. “This way you’ll have a team of ’em,” Grandpa said, busily carving the long legs on the figure in his hands.

It was truly the best Christmas Joy could recall as she sat on the sofa after replacing the candles on the tree and lighting them anew. Gideon came in from the barn and stomped his feet as he hung his coat and then joined them in the parlor.

“I’m going to see about putting this boy to bed. He’s had a big day and he’s about ready to shut his eyes and doze off,” Gideon said quietly, picking Joseph up and holding him close.