Page 2 of The Cowboy's Miracle Baby

There were some people who could just comfort you with a smile. He was one of those, and it warmed her, even as she made her way to the bus.

Nick was lying about that ticket, and she didn’t deserve such a kindness. But she would take it all the same. What choice did she have?

She glanced at the ticket and turned it over in her hand. There was a name written on it and an address in Boise. But why would he—Confused, she turned back to him, but someone else was already at the counter. So, she stuffed the ticket in her pocket and walked away.

It was dark outside now. Maybe she’d get to Boise by morning. Maybe she could buy another ticket farther south after that. Maybe she’d just keep going until she reached the Pacific Ocean. And maybe, someday, she’d forgive herself.

No, she thought, heading toward the door. After tonight, she never, ever would.

Chapter One

Cami Hardesty couldfeel a headache coming on watching her assistant director, Trina Parker, steer their Christmas pageant’s littlest angel by the shoulder away from the wailing going on in the wings on the opposite side of the stage. Oh no. If she wasn’t mistaken, that was—

“Harrison Deitmore,” Trina said before Cami could finish the thought. “Our wise man.” She was holding six-year-old Eloise Claymore on her little shoulder. “Apparently, Eloise here hit him in the nose. And… there’s, um… blood.”

Eloise, wearing the little cardboard sign around her neck that identified her as one of the pageant’s angels, looked anything but at the moment. Defiant was more like it, as she lifted her asthma inhaler to her mouth and pushed the button.

Harrison, thewise manin question, was in second grade at Marietta Elementary where Cami worked as a third-grade teacher. He already had a reputation as a bit of a bully, and she had been careful to keep an eye on his interactions with the others. His overbearing mother had insisted on him getting a part in this pageant and Cami had made room for all the children who wanted to participate. But she was only one person and couldn’t be in all places at once.

She glanced at her watch. Seven fifteen. Rehearsal was officially over, and parents had already begun trickling in for pickup, gathering up their kids’ winter coats and mittens.

Cami leaned into Trina. “And we werethis closeto a clean getaway.”

Trina grinned, then forced a frown as Eloise caught her amusement. “I wasn’t smiling. That wasn’t a smile. Hitting our friends is not good.” She tossed a helpless look at Cami. “Okay. Going to find ice now.”

After Trina left, Eloise choked back a little cough. “He’s not my friend. He’s mean. And he called me Ella-wheezy—” She offered up her inhaler as evidence. “And he pushed me first.”

“Still. Eloise,” Cami said, leaning down to the little girl with wounded blue eyes and hair the color of roasted chestnuts. “Are you having trouble breathing? Who’s picking you up? Your mom?”

Eloise shook her head.

“Your dad then?” She glanced around at the parents coming through the chapel doors. She’d seen several people attached to Eloise and had no clear idea of which one was her father.

“Ifhe finishes delivering Chloe’s baby in time,” the child said.

Delivering a baby? If her father was a doctor, then at least she guessed he’d be reasonable—

“If he’s not done yet,” Eloise said, “it’ll be Rebecca. If not Rebecca, it’ll be—”

“Hey-ho!” called a handsome, youngish man with a mop of curly blond hair breezing in from the back of the chapel. There was a dusting of snow in his hair and his eyes were a pretty sky blue. “What’s up, li’l Jyn-gerbread?” he said, unwrapping a colorful scarf from his neck as he high-fived the child.

“Gingerbread?” Cami repeated with a smile as Eloise hugged him fiercely.

“He means Jyn from Star Wars,” Eloise said. “She was a rebel fighter. Right, Luke?”

“That’s right. You ready to go?” he asked against her hair.

She nodded and turned back a little teary-eyed.

“Hey, what’s this?” he asked her gently. “You crying?”

“Um…” Cami stepped forward. “Hi. You’re…”

“Oh!” He thrust his hand out to her. “I’m Luke Claymore. Her uncle. Ella’s my niece.”

“Oh. Nice to meet you,” Cami said. “Could-could we have a word?”

Eloise frowned. “She’s going to tell you that I hit Harrison in the nose.”

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