The Cowboy's Christmas Courtship. Brenda Minton

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      “I left it in my truck.”

      “Weren’t you in your truck?” She pulled him inside. “Where were you?”

      “Helping Layla Silver put some cattle in.”

      His mom’s smile dissolved. “She’s had a rough time of it lately. Word around town is that Brandon has been pulling some capers.”

      Capers. That was his mom’s way of saying the kid was in deep trouble.

      “What kind of capers?”

      “Stealing, setting hay on fire and vandalizing. But he hasn’t been caught, so it’s all just hearsay.”

      “Well, right now he’s sitting in her kitchen drunk.”

      “I’ve heard that, too. And it’s a shame. His daddy was a horrible alcoholic before that accident. They say he was drunk that night.”

      “I know.” He didn’t need to hear the story again. He didn’t need to relive his own guilt again. “What’s for dinner?”

      Change of subject. His mom looked up at him, her smile fading into a frown. “I thought we were discussing Layla?”

      “I know what we were doing. Now we’re avoiding discussing Layla.”

      He’d like to avoid reliving his past and all of his mistakes in the first few hours of returning home. There wasn’t a thing he could do about what he’d done. He couldn’t do anything about the injustices in the world, when guys like him walked through life without a bump or bruise while the good guys took the hits.

      Good guys, like his brother Reese, blinded after an explosion in Afghanistan. Gage was not on good terms with God right now, and Reese was the big reason why.

      The last thing he wanted to think about was Layla, and how he’d become her friend because Cheryl Gayle wouldn’t talk to him. Finally, after a few short dates with Cheryl, he’d realized his mistake. She’d been pretty—and pretty close to annoying.

      And he’d missed Layla. He always thought she’d be married by now. If things had been different, she probably would have been.

      “Gage, I’m glad you’re home,” Angie Cooper said, reading the look on his face.

      “I’m glad I’m home, too.” He walked with her through the big living room. In a few days they’d put up a tree. Not a real one. They’d changed to fake trees the year his brother Travis met Elizabeth. Her allergies had almost done her in that first Christmas.

      Now the wagon ride they used to take to cut down a tree was just a wagon ride. They would all pile in the two wagons, take a ride through the field and then come home to hot cocoa and cookies. Family traditions. The Coopers did love them.

      He wasn’t crazy about them. He’d been living in Oklahoma City off and on. Had even spent some time down in Texas. Anything to avoid coming home.

      “It was good to have Dad out there for the last night of the finals.” It had been even better to wake up in the hospital and see his dad sitting next to the bed.

      “He was thrilled that he could be there. And so proud of you. But I would have liked for you to come home and have the surgery here instead of in Texas.” His mom touched his arm. “How is Dylan?”

      Dylan was a year older than Gage, and the two brothers had always been close. Dylan had been living in Texas for about a year, avoiding the family. Mainly because he had known they wouldn’t understand what he was doing. “Mom, he’ll be home as soon as he can.”

      “Why is he doing this?”

      “Because Casey is his friend, and she needs someone to help her while she goes through chemo. She doesn’t have family.”

      “I know but it’s a big responsibility for a young man.”

      “He’s twenty-eight, and you’ve taught us all to help those in need.”

      “It’s one lesson you’ve all learned.” She hooked her arm through his. “Jackson is here.”

      “Good. I meant to tell him about a few bulls that are going up for sale.”

      “You boys and those bucking bulls.” She shook her head. He didn’t mind that she didn’t get it. She got just about everything else that mattered. Before she walked away he hugged her again.

      “I’ve missed you.”

      She smiled at that, “I’ve missed you, too. Sometimes I don’t know if you know how much. Which reminds me. You missed Thanksgiving last Thursday. But you did not miss serving dinner tonight at the Back Street Community Center.”

      He nearly groaned. He hadn’t timed this as well as he’d thought. Each year they had a community dinner a week after Thanksgiving.

      “How long do I have?”

      She patted his back. “A few hours. Don’t try to leave.”

      From the kitchen he heard Jackson laugh. Gage walked into the big open room that always smelled like something good was cooking, and usually was. He ignored Jackson and opened the oven door. Rolls. He inhaled the aroma and closed the door.

      “Better stay out of there or Mom will have your hide.” Jackson poured himself a cup of coffee and offered one to Gage.

      “No, thanks.”

      “Did I hear you say something about Layla Silver?”

      Gage shook his head.

      Jackson took a sip of coffee and stared at him over the rim of the cup. Gage zeroed in on the pies lined up on the counter. He went for one but his mom slapped his hand away.

      “Those are for the community center.”

      “I had restaurant food for Thanksgiving. Don’t I rate at least a piece of pumpkin pie?”

      “Not on your life, cowboy. You could have come home.”

      “I couldn’t leave Dylan.”

      His mom went to the fridge and opened the door. “I have a coconut cream pie I made a couple of days ago. Knock yourself out.”

      “Thanks, Mom. That’s why you’re the best. Where’s Dad?”

      “He took a load of cattle to Tulsa. He’s staying there tonight.”

      Gage grabbed a fork and headed for the table to finish off the pie. “So, you guys have fun at the community center.”

      He knew he wouldn’t get away with skating out on helping. He thought it would be fun to try. He took a bite of pie, closing his eyes just briefly to savor the taste. His mom’s pies were the best.

      “You’re going with me,” his mom said from the kitchen as she opened the oven door and removed the homemade rolls. “Jackson, Madeline and Jade are helping, too.”

      “You СКАЧАТЬ