Page 28 of Mistletoe Cowboy

“Good idea,” she replied. “Want me to run the bath for you?”

“I can do that. Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome.”

She hesitated and grinned wickedly. “He likes you,” she said, and walked away before her mother had time to react.

* * *

Parker stopped at the steps where Katy was standing. “I’ll be over Thursday about six to take you guys trick-or-treating,” he said. “That okay?”

She smiled. “That’s fine. Teddie will be looking forward to it. She loves Halloween.”

“Me, too,” he said with a grin. “I like anything to do with fantasy creatures, although I’m partial to dragons. But giant spiders and bats are okay.”

She rolled her eyes. “You and Teddie,” she mused. “I always decorate for all the holidays, but my favorite is Christmas.”

“I like that one also,” he said. “My mother was traditional. She didn’t celebrate regular holidays, but my cousin’s parents were Catholic, so they always had a Christmas tree and presents. It was great fun.”

She cocked her head. “Crow people have a proud tradition,” she said softly. “I grew up reading about them in Montana.”

“I forgot that you were raised there as well. Where?”

“Near Hardin, where the battleground is.”

He whistled. “The rez is close to there,” he reminded her. “That’s where I was raised.”

She laughed. “I’m surprised that we didn’t know each other then.”

“I’m not. I didn’t venture off the rez until I was in my late teens. When I did, I got into all sorts of trouble. I’ll bet you never put a foot wrong.”

She shrugged. “My parents were strict.”

“My mother died in my formative years. My cousin’s parents were lenient; they pretty much let us do what we pleased,” he confessed. “Probably not the best way to raise a child. But we’re not big on heavy-handed discipline.”

“I had a friend whose grandfather was Crow,” she recalled. “I learned a lot from her.”

His dark eyes searched hers. “Teddie wants to learn to speak it.” He laughed. “I told her it was a lot harder than it looked.”

She nodded. “I know it is. Most native languages have glottal stops and high and low tones and nasalization.”

“Do you speak any of them?”

She shook her head. “I just have Spanish,” she said. “I loved it from the time I was a child. I read a book that had Spanish words in it when I was in fifth grade. I took it all through high school and college.”

“Are you literate in it?”

“Yes.” She smiled. “I love to read books in the original language, books likeDon Quixote.”

“I envy you that. I can only read books in English. Well, and in Crow,” he added, “and there are a few, mostly about legends.”

“How about sign language?”

He chuckled. “I cut my teeth on that. My grandfather taught it to me.”

“I learned just a few signs. I can’t even remember them now.”

“You need to brush up,” he teased. “We can talk over Teddie’s head without her knowing what we say.”

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