The Cowboy's Christmas Family. Donna Alward

took a chair. “This is great, Maddy. Thanks for making lunch.”

      “I hope it’s okay. I wasn’t sure how big a meal you ate at noon.”

      “This is fine,” Cole said, reaching for a sandwich. “It’s usually something like this, or some leftovers or something.” He looked over at the counter. “Is that cake?”

      “Yes, chocolate, with peanut butter frosting. For your sweet tooth.” She smiled a little, teasing him.

      “I should never have told you that.”

      “Well, you did. So now I know how to get around you. Just keep you flush with baked goods.”

      He pointed his sandwich at her. “You think it’s that easy?”

      They were openly teasing now, and she realized Tanner was looking from his brother to her and back again. Luke patted his hand against a beautifully soft circle of banana and Liam shoved three Cheerios awkwardly into his mouth.

      Her smile faded a bit. “I’m not going to incriminate myself by answering that question. You are my boss, after all.”

      Tanner chuckled and reached for a few pickle slices. “Nice one.”

      The meal continued, but Maddy got the feeling Cole was put out about something. He didn’t say much and there was a stubborn set to his mouth she hadn’t seen before.

      “I take it you boys can handle cooking some carrots tonight? I have a ham in the slow cooker, and scalloped potatoes in the oven. All you need to do is heat up the potatoes and boil the carrots and you’re done.”

      “Ham and potatoes? Damn, that sounds good.” Tanner leaned back in his chair and stretched. “I’m going out, but I might just have to eat before I go if that’s on the menu.”

      Same old Tanner. She looked over at Cole. He’d finished his meal and was wiping his fingers on a paper napkin. “Thank you, Maddy. That sounds terrific.”

      “You’re welcome. I wasn’t sure what clothes belonged to whom, so everything is folded and in the laundry basket. You and Tanner can sort it out.”

      “Sounds good.”

      Luke started to squirm on her knee while Liam still methodically ate Cheerios. Maddy realized she’d left hand wipes in the bag, and when she reached for a paper napkin to clean Luke’s hands, all she did was smear the stickiness around.

      Without a word, Cole got up, opened a drawer, took out a cloth and wet it at the sink.

      “Here,” he said quietly, handing it over.

      She took it gratefully, surprised that she hadn’t even had to ask. In a few quick movements she’d wiped both of Luke’s hands and his face and put him down on the floor. He went into the living room, his tottering gait so typical of a child new to walking, and grabbed a stuffed cow that mooed when he shook it up and down. Which he did. Several times.

      “Ooo. Ooo.” Liam’s attention was shot now, so she wiped him off and let him go, too.

      Tanner got up from the table and took his plate to the dishwasher. “Hey, Cole, I’m going to run that errand we talked about earlier.”

      “Sounds good. I’ll see you back here later.”

      “Thanks for lunch, Maddy.” Tanner smiled and headed for the mudroom. “’Bye, boys,” he called cheerfully.

      “Tanner hasn’t changed a bit, has he?”

      Cole shook his head, a sheepish smile on his face. “Not much. Though he tends to be a little more discreet than he used to be. Thank the Lord for that.”

      Maddy had heard stories of how Tanner had gotten married in Vegas when he was younger, and that the marriage had only lasted a few days. But she wouldn’t ask about that and she wouldn’t judge. She knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of that sort of talk.

      “He’s just a bit reckless, that’s all. But he’s still young. Hell, he’s only twenty-five.”

      She smiled. “And your thirty-three is so old.”

      “Older than your thirty-one.”

      A squeal and cry erupted from the living room and Maddy got up to sort it out. By the time she’d returned, Cole had cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher—including wiping the mess her sons had made on the kitchen table.

      “That’s supposed to be my job,” she said.

      “Whatever. It’s nearly time for you to be off the clock, anyway.”

      “The boys have been really good,” she said, turning back to the remaining bowls in the dishwater she’d left. It had cooled, but there was still hot water in the kettle and she added it to the sink. “They’re going to get tired soon. One o’clock is a good quitting time.”

      He picked up a towel and started to dry the last of the dishes.

      “Cole, I know you want to get back to work. Really, I’ve got this. You’re set for today and I’ll be back day after tomorrow. There should be ham left that you can have for tomorrow’s dinner.”

      “Do you have to be so, I don’t know, businesslike?”

      There was an edge of irritation to his voice that surprised her. “Isn’t that what I’m here for?”

      He huffed out a breath. “It just feels weird.” His gaze caught hers and the intensity of it made her catch her breath.

      “If you didn’t want me to work for you, you shouldn’t have offered me the job.”

      He opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it again, as if he thought better of it. She narrowed her eyes. “What were you going to say just now?”

      “Nothing. It’s not important.”

      “Okay, then.” The kids were tuning up again, starting to fuss as nap time neared. “I really want to run the vacuum over the floors, Cole. I’ll see you Friday. Okay?”

      But his eyes didn’t let her go. They held her, tethered there, for long seconds while the boys played with toys, a whiny undertone to their chatter. For the briefest of moments he dropped his gaze to her lips and back up again. But it was long enough for heat to rise to her cheeks. The last thing she wanted to do was be bashful, to acknowledge such a small thing could affect her in any way. So she lifted her chin just a little and kept her shoulders straight.

      Unless she was imagining things, there was a new light of respect in his eyes.

      “I’ll see you Friday,” he said, stepping back and giving her a nod.

      “Yes, and at the tree lighting, too,” she added. “That’s Friday night.”

      “Right.”

      And still he didn’t leave...until the silence grew awkward.

      “Well, ’bye.” He smiled, a little uncertainly, and then went to the boys and knelt down. “’Bye, boys,” he said. He held up a hand and Luke rushed forward and gave him a sloppy high five. Liam hung back and stared.

      Cole looked over his shoulder at her. “He’s going to be a tough one to win over.”

      And then finally, blessedly, he was gone to the mudroom. Maddy let out a breath and counted to ten, then busied herself around the kitchen and living room, picking up as much as she could so that they’d be ready to go once the floors were done. Once she heard the door slam behind Cole, she ventured into the mudroom and got the vacuum from the closet. She sat the boys on the sofa, and they were just tired enough they stayed put for the ten minutes it took her to finish tidying and put the vacuum away.

      Then there were snowsuits and boots to put on and mittens and the trip to the car to fasten them inside and by the time Maddy was on the road back home she was exhausted. She really should do some baking for Sunday’s