Page 6 of Her Cowboy Christmas
I shrug.“Just correcting false statements.”
She growls adorably.
I grin.“You fit in here just fine.And you have a banging body.”
“Oh, my god,” she groans, a blush staining her cheeks.
“And you’re smart.Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.”
She looks out the passenger window.
I reach over, taking her hand.“Don’t talk badly about yourself.I don’t like it.”
She swallows and nods once.
I start my truck and pull out of the parking spot, heading to her apartment.
“How do you know where I live?”she asks as I turn onto her street.
“It’s not a big town,” I say, dancing around the truth, which is that I know a lot about her and want to learn more.
We pull up outside her apartment, and I shift into park.
“Thanks for the ride,” she says, gathering her things.
“Anytime.I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nods, smiling weakly as she climbs out of the truck.
Blair waves once and enters her building.I watch her go, shift into drive, and head home.
I live on the outer edge of town, on a sixty-acre ranch.This place reminds me of my childhood, which is one of the reasons I bought the ranch when I got out of the military.I knew I didn’t want to go back to Montana.I wanted to put down roots somewhere that no one knew me and landed in Wolf Valley.
Thank God I did.
I park outside my place, surveying the barn and paddocks as I climb out of the truck.Everything seems to be in place, and I smile as I head inside.
My phone rings as I unlock the front door, and I grin as I see the name on the screen.
“Hey, Mary!”I greet my foster mom.
“Cole!When are you going to come for a visit?”
I snort.“I was in Silver Bell Hollow a few weeks ago,” I remind her.
“That wasn’t a long enough visit,” she complains.
“I know.I’ll try to come back soon,” I promise.“How’s everything there?”
Mary and Christopher Maas were my heroes when I was a kid.Hell, they still are.They opened their ranch to foster kids, gave them a home, a family, and a place where they could belong.They taught me how to be a good person, how to take care of myself, and do all of that life stuff.They made me the man I am today, and I owe them my life.
I try to go back a few times a year and visited a few weeks ago.I went to the Silver Bell Christmas Festival the first weekend of December with my foster brothers.We watched the tree lighting, sled races, mistletoe scavenger hunt, and spiced cider contest.It was good to see so many familiar faces and catch up with my family and friends.
“You should come back for Christmas,” Mary tells me.
I smile.“I’d love that, but I’m needed here.”
She sighs.“I hate thinking of you all alone for the holidays.”
