Читать книгу Once Upon a Christmas - Pamela Tracy - Страница 13

Chapter Five

It was nine and the game lines still boasted one or two kids. Cassidy leaned back in the chair, and let Beth Armstrong’s paintbrush create an image on her cheek that would soon become red cowboy boots.

Beth had more paint on her than most of the kids, and she looked ready to drop.

“I take it the Christmas party’s a success?” Maggie stood slightly to the side, gently swaying with Caleb on her hip, and watched as Beth created her masterpiece.

“It always is. This year seemed really good. I heard one of the women say we raised almost five hundred dollars. There was never a moment the face-painting booth didn’t have a kid.”

“Me, either,” Maggie agreed. “There was never a time I didn’t have a kid.” She switched Caleb from her left arm to her right. Good thing he was a small fellow or her arms would be more on fire than they already were.

“He’s sure taken to you,” Beth observed.

“This morning we had a whole conversation in the car about his dad not having a girl. Caleb seemed to think they needed one.”

Cassidy giggled.

“Now, you’re going to have one boot bigger than the other. Don’t move,” Beth scolded Cassidy before turning to Maggie. “I heard all about you taking a ride in Jared’s truck. Caleb is a natural reporter. You’d think the ride went on for days. Then, too, there was something about pancake batter.”

“Yes,” Maggie admitted, “this morning was not my finest hour by any means. A good-looking guy stops by my place and winds up doing kitchen duty because Cassidy spilled a bowl full of pancake batter.”

“On accident,” Cassidy asserted.

“Then, Jared takes me out for coffee, so we can talk, and I find out he doesn’t drink coffee—serious flaw, by the way—and then he gets the call about some hay emergency at church so he doesn’t even get to finish the coffee that he didn’t like.”

“I’m glad he took my advice. Jared really needed to talk to you. He probably figures suffering through a cup of coffee a small price to pay.”

“We didn’t really get to talk.”

“Well, you must have connected somehow. Everyone in town’s going to be talking about how you chauffeured Matt and Caleb around.”

“My having them is more Ryan’s doing.” Maggie shifted, trying to get Caleb into a better grip. It had been a long time since she’d held a sleeping five-year-old. “We ran into them at the maze and he transferred the care and feeding of these small animals to me.”

“We’re not animals,” Cassidy protested. “I’m a cowboy—I mean cowgirl.”

“They’re animals,” Jared agreed, coming up from behind. “We’re closing down, and I get to take a break before cleanup. Anybody want a last-minute hot dog? We’re giving away the leftovers.” He didn’t look surprised when no one took him up on his offer.

Gently, he tried to take Caleb from Maggie’s arms.

But Caleb, even in sleep, was already comfortable and he wasn’t letting go. His hands curled into Maggie’s shirt and his head nestled tightly into her neck.

“I think he likes me,” Maggie said.

“He just likes girls,” Cassidy reminded her.

“Now you’re going to have part of a boot all the way to your nose,” Beth said. “Stop moving. I’m going to need to do some boot repairs here.” She nodded toward Caleb. “Why don’t you guys take him to the nursery? He’ll be more comfortable. I’ll finish with Cassidy while you’re gone.”

Jared nodded, already turning to head from the gym. Maggie followed, letting him open the doors for her. The hallway was almost empty. The crafters had packed up what was left. The stragglers were either helping with cleanup or children of the cleanup crew. Almost everyone said something personal to Jared. More than a few introduced themselves to Maggie even while raising an eyebrow.

Small towns were the same everywhere.

After a moment, they were at the nursery’s door. Jared hit a dimmer switch that allowed him to adjust the light. Just able to see, he headed past a few rocking chairs, a changing table and to a crib. “He won’t be happy waking up in one of these, especially if one of his brothers finds out.”

“Then we won’t tell them.”

Maggie gently rubbed Caleb’s back. He was heavy against her chest and smelled of sweat and hot dogs and little boy.

Maggie figured his father smelled of sweat and hot dogs and big boy.

“You know your way around this church,” Maggie remarked as she lay Caleb down. “This nursery reminds me of a church in Lubbock. I spent many a sermon sitting in it while taking care of Cassidy.”

“So you do go to church? I’ve never seen you here.”

It was too late to erase the words. Blame them on an overload of nostalgia. Maggie tucked the blanket over Caleb. “At one time I went to church. I don’t see the need now. Although, your church is lovely. I like how everyone interacts. I was never at a congregation long enough for the members to get to know me.”

“I’d hate that. Why did you move so often?”

“My husband was military.”

“Was?”

Maggie busied herself by brushing a strand of Caleb’s hair out of his eyes and tucking him in yet again. After a moment, Jared sat in one of the rocking chairs and said, “You don’t seem to have trouble fitting in. Beth thinks highly of you and so does my brother.”

“They have to think highly of me.” Maggie turned to face Jared. “I stock the kind of clothes Beth likes, and I paid your brother in cash for the work he did on my shop and plan for him to do more.”

Jared laughed. The sound was deep and showed Maggie a side of the man she doubted many saw. Most of the time, like when he was trying to meet with his son’s teacher, or clean up messy pancake batter, or drink coffee, or even push hot dogs at a church function, he came across as way too serious.

“I think I need to think highly of you, too,” he confessed.

“Why?”

“I watched you with Caleb tonight. He and Cassidy were like twins, running here, running there, running everywhere. You kept them in sight, you kept them in control and never once lost your patience.”

“I’ve had years of practice—first with my dad, who expected me to practically salute when he issued an order, and then with my late husband.”

“Your husband expected you to salute?”