Christmas Gifts: Small Town ChristmasHer Christmas Cowboy Read online

He laughed. “Yeah, I wanted to be adopted. I wanted a family. And the Coopers, they’re my family. I wasn’t an easy kid.”

  “No?”

  He didn’t answer the unasked question. How had he not been easy? He obviously adored his mother. He loved his dad. How had his life been difficult? She wanted to think about anything but her own life.

  “Are you hungry?”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “Not really. I had nachos at the bull ride.”

  “That’s always a great meal.” His smile teased. “I’m sure we can find something to eat, though.”

  “No, really, I just want to get a room and wait this out.”

  Alone.

  The truck slid. Elizabeth swallowed a screech and held tight to the door. The truck straightened, stayed on the road, and they continued on.

  “See how good I am?” Travis winked. “You should trust me.”

  “I’ll remember that.” She held back a sigh and watched out the window. City lights glistened in the night. A utility truck drove past them, dumping salt or sand on the frozen street.

  “Do you have brothers or sisters?” Travis asked the question after several minutes of silence. Elizabeth glanced away from the window. He was tapping the steering wheel and he looked her way, smiling.

  “No.”

  He laughed and reached to turn up the radio. “I can’t imagine being an only child. There are twelve of us, you know. Sometimes an extra kid shows up for a week or two, now that we’re all grown. Mom can’t handle a quiet house.”

  “Extra kid?”

  “She isn’t a full-time foster parent, but she provides respite care for foster parents who need a break or for children who need a temporary home until a permanent placement is found.”

  “Gotcha.” She couldn’t imagine a house full of kids. “It’s always just been my parents and me. There are a few relatives on either coast that we rarely see.”

  “When you leave—” he paused, focusing on the road and the ice-covered bridge they were crossing “—what will you do for Christmas?”

  In the dark she shrugged, even though he couldn’t see. But he also couldn’t see the tear that slid down her cheek. She was so done with crying. “Eat out. Maybe go to a movie.”

  “That’s a little pathetic, don’t you think?” His accent made the words sound a little funnier than they were meant to be.

  Elizabeth smiled. “Yeah, it’s pathetic.”

  “Doesn’t that mean he wins?”

  Richard, always the winner. And she was the loser who got left for a pretty girl who worked at the perfume counter where he’d bought her a birthday present last summer. She sighed and didn’t answer Travis Cooper’s question.

  He wasn’t the person she wanted to have this discussion with. He was filling silence. He was the kind of guy who would fall in love with the girl at the perfume counter, and the next week fall in love with someone new. She’d met his kind, been engaged to his kind.

  She had also learned that she couldn’t change a guy like him. A zebra didn’t change his stripes.

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  His apology came a few minutes later, followed by a cough.

  “I mean, it isn’t any of my business. But he’s a loser for what he did. I don’t know the details, so maybe…”

  Elizabeth laughed. “So maybe he had a good reason for leaving me?”

  He cleared his throat. “No, that isn’t what I mean. I mean…”

  She peered at him in the dark interior of the truck, lit only by the soft green glow of the dashboard. Ice continued to pelt the windshield and the road. Travis had both hands on the wheel and he shot her a quick look.

  “I’m joking.” She let him off the hook.

  “I know. I’m trying to be a nice guy and say the right things.”

  “It’s all been said. And it isn’t as if there’s a card for a moment like this.”

  “I guess it would say something like, ‘Congratulations, you escaped marriage to a big loser.’” He didn’t laugh, but she did.

  “I hadn’t thought about it being a congratulations card. I thought it would be a sympathy card.”

  “Why?” He grinned, his profile strong and a dimple creased his cheek. “Wouldn’t you be glad you found out before you married him?”

  She let out a pent-up breath and nodded her head. “Glad hasn’t been the exact emotion I’ve been dealing with.”

  “No, I guess not.” He slowed as the road became more treacherous. “I’m sorry, I should stop talking.”

  “I do think the card idea is a good one.”

  He laughed. “Well, sometimes I surprise myself. And here we are, the sweetest hotel in Tulsa.”

  It was a large Victorian mansion surrounded by tall fences. Lights glistened in the windows and trees were illuminated with sparkling Christmas lights. She’d expected something else, but what did she know about him or the type of hotel he’d pick?

  He stopped the truck under a long carport.

  “This is a hotel?”

  “Yeah, it’s a renovated home built at the turn of the century. It’s quiet, not a lot of noise and commotion.”

  “It looks nice.” She pushed her door open and stepped out, immediately sliding and having to grab the side of the truck to steady herself.

  Travis joined her. “They’ll have something to eat, too.”

  They slid, arm in arm, across the icy driveway. Elizabeth told herself to let go and not get attached to a man who made her smile, feel less broken. But it felt good to laugh again. It was an easy night of not thinking, of letting go. And tomorrow he’d be gone from her life. It was that simple. Maybe that made it easier to smile with him.

  “Hold on, this will be treacherous.” Travis steadied her as they reached stone steps that took them to the next elevation of the sidewalk.

  “I’m good now. You don’t have to hold on to me.” She reached for the metal handrail, slick with ice.

  Travis turned. “I forgot something in the truck.”

  Before she could react, he wavered, his foot slipped and he started to tumble. Elizabeth tried to scream, but the words froze. Her knight in shining cleats was about to be toast. She grabbed at his arm, but he’d caught himself and was standing, holding the handrail.

  “Well, that was almost embarrassing.” He smiled up at her, his hat askew.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I think I am.” He blinked a few times and shook his head.

  “Did you pass out?”

  “No, not at all. Why would you think that?” He grabbed the handrail and eased himself up, taking the steps a lot more gingerly than she would have imagined.

  “Did you hurt yourself?” She stepped next to him, trying to assess just how injured he was.

  “Nah, I’ve been hurt worse than this.” He leaned a little and she wrapped an arm around his waist.

  They made the long trek up the icy sidewalk, arm in arm as ice continued to fall. It was slow going with a big cowboy leaning against her, favoring his right ankle and acting none too steady on his feet.

  The door opened as they made their way up the steps. A lady stepped out, tall and gorgeous with thick gray hair and ivory skin.

  “Travis Cooper,” she greeted and then a spurt of Russian flew between the two. The woman smiled and nodded at Elizabeth.

  “Yelena, this is Elizabeth Harden. Her father helped fund the event tonight.”

  “Oh, this is good. Travis loves that group home.”

  He obviously came here often. She looked up at the fabulous building and then back to the cowboy and tried to match him to this house.

  Travis limped into the foyer of the house. Elizabeth followed. He leaned against the wall for a moment and then turned and smiled as if he hadn’t nearly hit the pavement.

  “Stop looking at me like that. It’s the ice. I fell.” He winked and stood tall again. “Yelena, tell me you have something wonderful cooking in that kitchen of yours.”

  Yelena looked at her wa
tch and gave Travis a long look. “I think you know that I always keep something ready. But this late, it’ll have to heat up.”

  “Just a sandwich. Please don’t cook.” Elizabeth peeked into the high-ceilinged parlor to her right. It was decorated for Christmas, glowing with lights, a tall tree in the corner and a beautiful manger scene spread across the mantel of the fireplace.

  “Oh, it’s no problem. I have soup and bread. I’ll heat it up in minutes.” Yelena led them through a maze of rooms to a large kitchen at the back of the house.

  “You have a beautiful home.” Elizabeth took the seat that was offered and smiled when Yelena sat a cup of tea in front of her.

  “It’s a good home. We have a wedding chapel in the back and two honeymoon suites. I’m afraid the only room we have for you is one of the honeymoon suites.”

  “I don’t want to put you out.” Elizabeth watched Travis slip off his cleated tennis shoe. She stood. “Do you have ice, or a bag of frozen peas?”

  Yelena glanced from her pot of soup to Travis. “Yes, of course. The freezer is out that door.”

  The room Yelena had pointed to held two freezers, two refrigerators and a laundry facility. Elizabeth poked through the freezer and found a small bag of frozen peas.

  Travis had pulled a chair out from the table and had his foot up. She placed the ice on his already-swelling ankle. He flinched and repositioned the bag.

  “Do you think we should go to the emergency room?”

  Travis raised one brow and grinned. “Really, you want to drive in this weather? Don’t worry, it’s just a little sprain.”

  “It’s swollen and turning blue.”

  Yelena left her stove and stepped over to look. “I think she’s right.”

  “I think I know more about injuries than either of you. If you have some duct tape, Yelena, I’ll take care of this when I go to my room.”

  He had to be joking.

  “Seriously, duct tape?”

  He wasn’t joking. “Yes, duct tape. I’ll slip my sock back on and tape it up.”

  “And what about your head?” She leaned, brushing her fingers against the bruise on his cheek and then touching the bump on the side of his head.

  “My head is fine.”

  “Did he take a hit tonight?” Yelena set a tray on the table. There were two bowls of steaming soup and a plate of bread, thickly sliced and slathered with butter.

  “I didn’t take a hit.” Travis reached for a bowl of soup. “And I didn’t come here to be mothered.”

  “He went down in the arena.” Elizabeth watched as he salted his soup. She had already taken a spoonful of hers. It was rich with tomatoes and other vegetables. “I’m not going to the E.R.” He lifted the spoon to his mouth. “And now, if the two of you don’t mind, I’ve been dreaming about this soup all night.”

  Elizabeth couldn’t agree more. Travis Cooper could take care of himself. She didn’t know why she felt the need to play nurse. But as they ate, she watched for signs that indicated his injuries were more severe than he let on. Unfortunately he caught her staring and winked. Of course he’d misunderstood.

  Travis managed to finish his soup without further medical examinations. He watched the two females sitting across from him. He kept a wary eye on them because he’d had a few too many women in his life badgering, clucking and mothering. That’s what happened to a guy when he had five sisters. His brother Brian was the youngest, he got the worst of it, but he’d gotten smart and headed off on a mission trip a few years earlier.

  “My regular room, Yelena?” He stood, holding the edge of the table just long enough to get his balance.

  He tried hard not to look at Elizabeth Harden, with her warm chocolate eyes and soft smile. He wasn’t much for sitting and talking, but she had him almost convinced he could sit and talk to her for hours.

  Not that he’d ever had a problem talking. But he’d always had a problem sitting still for very long.

  She picked up their bowls and carried them to the sink. Yelena shot him a look and then followed her new guest.

  “I can get the dishes. You come with me. I’ll show you to your room.” Yelena headed them both up the side stairs.

  Great, stairs. It was hard to be the tough guy when every step he took shot a knife-sharp pain through his ankle. He made it up, one careful step at a time. When they got to the door of his room, he paused. Elizabeth stood there, looking unsure and a little nervous.

  “I’ll be right here if you need anything,” he assured her, wishing he wasn’t the absolute wrong guy to hold her for a minute. She didn’t need that. She wouldn’t want it. And yet she looked as if she needed to be held.

  Since when was he Mr. Sensitive?

  “I’m fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Yeah, we’ll figure out how to get you home.” He leaned against the door.

  “You have appointments to keep in the morning,” she said.

  “Right, but we can get your flight arranged first.”

  Her smiled eased over him like cool water. “We’ll worry about it tomorrow.”

  She stepped into a room two doors down. One of Yelena’s honeymoon suites. He’d stayed in the room once before. It was a bigger room with a Jacuzzi and light-colored furniture. A chick room. She’d like it. He’d felt big and out of place with all the lace and pastels.

  He slipped on his glasses and eased into his room, limping to the nearest chair. He dropped the shoe he’d carried, along with the duct tape Yelena had handed him before he headed up the stairs. After a few minutes of just sitting and letting his mind settle, he pulled a length of tape from the roll and wrapped it around his foot and ankle.

  Yeah, that would work. He smiled, thinking about the look Elizabeth Harden had given him when he asked Yelena for duct tape. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, trying hard to ignore other thoughts, most of which centered around the woman two doors down from him.

  All day he’d looked forward to getting back to this room and settling in for a good night’s sleep. That’s what he planned on doing and nothing, not even a pretty redhead, could change that for him. But he didn’t have the energy to drag his worthless carcass to the bed. Instead he picked up one of the pretty pillows, shoved it behind his head and settled both legs on the ottoman in front of the chair. His head was spinning. His foot was throbbing.

  Yeah, this night hadn’t gone the way he’d planned. He’d thrown away the phone number of a woman who would have gladly gone out to dinner with him. Instead he’d saddled himself with a woman who wanted nothing more than a quick flight out of Tulsa.

  Worse, he’d taken her to the place he usually escaped to when he needed peace and quiet. His mom would tell him that meant something. At that moment, with his head pounding and his ankle throbbing, it was hard to make sense of his reasons for bringing her here.

  He could have taken her to a hotel close to the airport. She would have been out of his hair.

  Instead, he couldn’t get her off his mind.

  Chapter Three

  Elizabeth knocked on the door again as she glanced at her watch. It was after eight in the morning. She’d been knocking on Travis’s door for five minutes. She didn’t want to be worried, but the different scenarios flashing through her mind weren’t pretty. What if he’d passed out and hit his head? What if he had a concussion and slipped into a coma?

  Her hand trembled on the doorknob. She took a deep breath and turned. It flew open from the inside and he was standing there, freshly shaved, hair still damp and a towel around his shoulders. At least he was fully clothed.

  “Breaking and entering, Ms. Harden?”

  “No, worried that you were in here comatose, Mr. Cooper.”

  He winked. “I’m feeling much better this morning. I couldn’t get my boots on, but that’s why someone invented duct tape. Have you looked out the window?”

  “Yes, the whole world is an ice cube. I’m not sure why that makes you happy.” She’d already called the airpor
t. They were hoping flights would resume by late afternoon.

  Travis Cooper didn’t seem to remember that she needed to go home. Today. Instead he was leaning against the door frame, staring at her through dark-framed glasses and smiling.

  “Haven’t you ever wondered what heaven looks like? I picture the crystal sea looking a lot like the world covered in ice and then glistening in bright sunlight.” He tossed the towel into a chair as he talked.

  She’d never thought of crystal seas, or anything else pertaining to heaven, other than to wonder how people could be so sure that God would let them into His perfect creation.

  “It is beautiful. Very inconvenient, but beautiful.”

  “What, you had important plans for today?” He stepped out of the room, one foot in a boot, the other foot wrapped in gray tape.

  “Don’t you have plans for today? Isn’t that why you stayed in Tulsa?”

  He shrugged and eased down the stairs, left leg first. “I have a lot of plans, but if it doesn’t get done, it isn’t the end of the world.”

  She shook her head at that. “Don’t you have business with the group home that has to be dealt with?”

  “I’ll get it done.”

  “But…”

  “You have a pocket calendar in your purse, don’t you? And a gadget on your phone to let you know what appointments to keep each day?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “I think one appointment we should keep is with the emergency room.” She slowed her steps to match his.

  “I’m fine. Yelena’s husband is a doctor. He’ll be around to check on me.”

  “You know them that well?”

  He laughed. “Her husband is my uncle. They immigrated to the states a few years ago and they found me.”

  “I see. You have more family than you know what to do with.”

  “I know exactly what to do with family. I keep them close. Unless I need a break.”

  She guessed he came here for those breaks.

  By the time they made it to the dining room, his slow steps were making her cringe. The formal dining room of the bed-and-breakfast had tall windows, several tables and more greenery, plus a large tree in the far corner. Everything was Christmas. She hadn’t put up a tree for several years.