The Cowboy's Christmas Family. DONNA ALWARD

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СКАЧАТЬ policy—which Cole doubted he had—part-time hours at a small municipal library wouldn’t house and feed a family of three. Plus day care. Maddy had to be struggling, and far more than she let on.

      She wouldn’t accept help, so offering her work was really the only solution. He didn’t even really need it. He knew how to run a washing machine and a vacuum perfectly well. And he wasn’t the greatest cook, but he could bake a potato, make a chicken breast, heat some vegetables in the microwave. Hell, last night he’d gone into the market and picked up one of those rotisserie chicken meals for fifteen dollars and it had done him and Tanner for supper and there were still leftovers in the fridge.

      He wasn’t as inept as he’d led her to believe, but she didn’t need to know that.

      Movement out the front window caught his attention and he looked closer, saw her car crawling carefully up the drive. Fool woman still had her summer tires on, and it was December. With the three inches of snow that had fallen last night, the road probably had tricky spots.

      Cole ran his hand over his hair once more before reaching for the doorknob. He swung it open just as she climbed the steps, carrying a diaper bag and playpen in her arms.

      “Thanks!” she huffed out, putting them down just inside the kitchen. “Just a sec. I’ll get the boys.”

      Her head disappeared inside the car again, and when she withdrew she had a boy on each arm. At least it looked like the boys—the snowsuits in blue and red were so puffy that Cole could hardly see the babies inside.

      It occurred to him that she must have really great biceps, and he grinned at the thought.

      “Here, let me take one of them,” he offered as she climbed the steps. She leaned to one side, handing him one of the boys—he couldn’t tell which one. Once inside she sat her cargo on the floor and began the process of pulling off boots and unzipping snowsuits. Cole hadn’t done such a thing ever in his life, but he followed her lead, and before too long two identical boys stood before them dressed in little jogging suits with crooked socks and staticky hair, a pile of winter gear at their feet.

      “How do you tell them apart?” Cole asked. “I mean, as their mom, you must just know or something. But...well, how do I tell the difference?”

      She laughed. “Luke is a little bigger than Liam, and his eyes are just a little different. He’s more independent, too. Liam’s the one who likes to cuddle and be held all the time.” She looked over at him and her eyes twinkled. “Which means one is in my arms, making it hard for me to get anything done, and the other one is off getting into trouble—”

      “Making it hard for you to get anything done.” Cole chuckled. “I get it.” He looked directly at the boys and nodded. “Hi, Luke. Hi, Liam.”

      They both stared at him with owl eyes, but one raised a hand and opened and shut his fingers in a sort of wave. The other popped his thumb in his mouth.

      “So this one is Luke,” he said, pointing at the waver, “and the other is Liam.”

      “Bingo. Let me set up the playpen and get them into a confined space, and then you can show me where things are.”

      It seemed to take no time at all and she had the playpen set up. A few solid jerks and snaps and it popped into a square. Without any fuss she deposited the boys inside, added a handful of soft toys from the bag she’d brought, gathered up their outerwear and stowed it neatly on a bench by the door, and was ready to go.

      “Are you sure they’ll be okay there?” Cole was skeptical. It seemed like such a small space, after all.

      But Maddy nodded. “I’m sure. Until they’re not, and I’ll deal with that when we get there.” She smiled at him. “Okay. Give me the nickel tour.”

      He led her through the house, showing her the upstairs first, where the bedrooms and bathrooms were. “The washer and dryer are in the mudroom off the garage,” he said. “Tanner and I put our dirty laundry there this morning, but normally we keep it in a clothes hamper in our rooms.”

      On the way downstairs he added, “Mom keeps her cleaning supplies in the laundry room, too, in a carry basket. You should be able to find everything you need there.”

      “Sounds fine,” she said, following behind him.

      They went to the mudroom next and he opened a closet to reveal a vacuum cleaner and broom and dustpan. “For the floors. The big freezer is out here, too, if you start supper or anything and are looking for stuff.”

      They ventured back into the kitchen. To Cole’s surprise, the boys were stacking up soft blocks on the floor of the playpen and then knocking them over, giggling. It took no time at all to give her the rundown of the cupboards. “I’d better go and get out of your way, then,” he added, feeling suddenly awkward. He couldn’t help but notice she’d worn a soft hoodie in dark green, a color that set off her fair skin and blue eyes. And Maddy Wallace looked damned fine in a pair of dark-wash jeans, too. He had the sudden thought that she’d be very nice to cuddle up to...

      “Hey, are you okay?” Her voice interrupted him. “You just kind of drifted off there for a sec.”

      Could he feel more foolish? He remembered his mom’s words a few days before they left, when he’d mentioned Maddy’s name. She’d actually discouraged him from any romantic notions where Maddy was concerned. And after speaking to Maddy yesterday, he knew for sure that she was still hurting from the events of the last year. He had no business thinking about being near her in any way other than being a good neighbor.

      “I’m fine. Sorry.”

      “It’s no problem. Will you and Tanner be in for lunch?”

      She was all business, and he should be glad, but he was a little annoyed. Clearly she wasn’t as distracted by him as he was by her.

      “Yes, around noon or a little after. But we can get ourselves something to eat.”

      “Let’s just see how it goes.” She smiled at him. “I’ll be fine, Cole. I’m going to start some laundry before the boys start demanding attention, and I think I’ll run the vacuum over the floors and get some cooking started.”

      “Right.” It was what he’d hired her to do, but he had to admit it felt strange, having her and her babies in the middle of the normally quiet house. And not strange in a bad way, necessarily. Just very, very different.

      While she traded toys for the boys in the playpen, Cole went to the mudroom and put on his jacket and boots. He had his hand on the doorknob when she appeared, heading straight for the two laundry hampers standing in front of the dryer.

      She laughed. “Seriously, Cole. I can run a washing machine.”

      He shook his head. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today. Of course you can. I’ll see you in a few hours. I’ll be at the barn if you need anything.”

      “If you keep talking, you’ll be here until lunch. And I won’t get any work done.”

      He swallowed against the lump in his throat, annoyed with the route his thoughts had taken. That wasn’t what this was about. It was helping someone who needed a hand. Nothing more.

      He stomped outside and shut the door behind him, then hurried through СКАЧАТЬ