Christmas Gifts: Small Town ChristmasHer Christmas Cowboy Read online

  Discomfort followed her to her car, and after she opened the door, she turned and slammed it closed. Too busy dealing with her memories, she’d forgotten to pick up the textbooks and lesson plan book in the front office.

  Quickly darting into the building, Amy gathered the materials from the secretary. Safe outside, she slipped into her hatchback and headed down Highway 72 toward town. She loved working with children, and although she knew the twins might be a problem, she decided to formulate a plan of action. If she had solutions before the problems occurred, she might be able to teach the girls a little about cooperation and getting along. Being an only child, she’d never experienced a sister’s relationship firsthand, but that wouldn’t stop her from trying to help the girls with theirs.

  Mike’s frustration inched into her mind. He seemed at a loss on how to deal with them, which made her assume the twins’ mother did most of the disciplining. If she talked with Mrs. Russet, perhaps they could decide how best to resolve the twins’ issues.

  Reaching Main Street, she stopped at the Local IGA and picked up the groceries her grandmother had asked her to bring home. When she turned down Lake Street, she looked closely at each residence, curious to know which might be the Russets’.

  Soon she turned into her grandmother’s driveway, washed by its homey feeling. She’d spent so many summers at Grams’s, listening to her stories and learning how to bake cookies. Her grandmother taught her so many things she’d missed living in Illinois with her dad. And spending Christmas with her grandmother made her smile.

  As soon as her car came to a halt in the long driveway, Grams’s face appeared at the kitchen window. Amy waved before lifting the bags and heading inside. “Sorry I’m late. I hope you didn’t need the groceries.”

  “No, they’re for tomorrow.”

  “Good.” She set the sacks on the kitchen table. “The principal wanted me to meet two sisters who’ll be in my class. They’d gotten into trouble, and—”

  “Holly and Ivy.” Her rosy cheeks lifted in a grin. “Am I right?”

  Amy chuckled. “You are.” She pulled milk and eggs from the package and set them in the refrigerator. “And I talked with their dad.”

  “Poor Mike.” Grams shook her head. “That man has faced the principal more than he did when he was in school, I’m sure.” She lifted the bag of flour. “Those little darlings are so needy, but you’d be surprised how good they are with me.”

  “Their dad told me.” Amy tried to picture the girls’ expressions without defiance and questioning looks. “I assume their mother works. I wish she’d been the one—”

  Grams shook her head. “Their mother died a few years ago.”

  “Died? That’s awful.”

  “I think the twins were about four years old. Mike’s raising those girls alone.”

  Amy’s heart wrenched. She knew what that was like. When her own mother ran off without taking her along, her father had tried so hard to be both father and mother for her.

  Grams reached over and patted her hand. “I knew you’d understand, but you were always a good girl. Never had an ounce of worry for you.” She shrugged. “Each person’s different.”

  Her grandmother’s words didn’t console her. Yes, she’d been good, but it didn’t change how she’d felt. Most girls needed a mom. Even having her precious grandmother couldn’t make up for the loss of a mother. And she’d watched her father suffer and grow distant without realizing how it had affected her. Romance and marriage stuck in her mind like a thorn. Who wanted to get involved in the fickle emotions of love?

  Amy folded the grocery bags while Mike’s image stayed in her mind. Twin girls. No wife. A job. Household responsibilities. That wasn’t a life for anyone. As the truth struck her, one of the sacks she’d folded slipped from her hands. She bent to retrieve it, facing the fact that her own life was much too similar to Mike’s, but without children. Work. Errands. A few friends. Not much.

  Had Mike been able to overcome the pain of his wife’s death? Her stomach tightened as her gaze drifted to her grandmother. She swallowed the questions. If she asked, Grams would either make something out of her curiosity or warn her off, just as she’d done eleven years ago.

  What was the sudden attraction to a widower and two troubled girls? She’d passed up plenty of dates more than once. Just the thought of getting involved with someone made as much sense as living in a small town. She couldn’t do it for an extended time. Not for a million dollars.

  Chapter Two

  Mike pulled up to his house, priding himself on keeping his cool with the twins while they were still at school. But how much longer could he cope with it? Even though his daughters were precious to him, they were stretching him to the limit.

  He turned off the ignition and veiled his frustration. “Inside, girls.” He swung open the door and slammed it, his first action that showed his real feelings.

  The girls’ voices whiffled past him as they darted toward the house. He searched for the front door key, but instead of hurrying ahead, he gazed down the street to the large house with the wide stone porch. He couldn’t help but grin despite his stress.

  His mind flew back to the day he’d met Amy Carroll. Ellie had spoken about her so often. She’d been a lovely young girl, full of energy and fresh as dew. She’d flirted with him, and when he returned home, he’d told Laura and they’d laughed.

  He headed to his porch, but his thoughts clung to Amy. Her long brown hair, the color of ripe chestnuts, hung in a slight wave, and her cinnamon-colored eyes had widened when he’d mentioned their first meeting. Color had spotted her cheeks, letting him know she’d remembered the details of that day.

  Bounding up the porch steps, he pulled his attention back to the girls. What would he do with them now? Nothing seemed to work. He stuck the key in the lock and then focused for a moment on each twin.

  Ivy leaned against him as she tended to do, but belligerence heightened in Holly’s eyes.

  When he pushed the door back, she whipped past him while Ivy lingered, wanting to plead her case, he was sure.

  “Daddy, I didn’t do anything. Holly ripped my—”

  “I know what happened. Mrs. Fredericks gave me all the details, including a few other incidents that they didn’t call me in for.” He motioned toward her bedroom. “Change your clothes, and we’ll talk.”

  She slogged toward her room, her face covered by the wounded look he’d come to know.

  He dropped onto a kitchen chair and pressed his face into his hands. He’d made mistakes. He’d spoiled the girls. When their mother died, he’d been lost. But later he was determined to be a father and mother to them. Impossible, he realized now. Instead of guiding them, he’d pampered them and let their misbehavior go unchecked. No more.

  His head ached, and he dug his fists into his eyes willing the pain away. When he lifted his head to the sunshine streaming through the window, the throb remained.

  The previous teacher, Mrs. Larch, hadn’t been able to control the girls. They’d continued to distract the class. He was exhausted and out of ideas on how best to control his girls. If only Laura hadn’t died, maybe then— He shook his head. Why hadn’t he realized how sick she was?

  Regret was useless. If he clung to all of his what-ifs, he would live in the past forever. Moving forward with his life needed to happen now, not only for his sake but for the girls’. He massaged the cords in his neck to ease the tension.

  Amy slipped into his mind, bringing him hope. Until she’d noticed him, he’d watched her talking to the girls when he’d crossed the hall to the cafeteria. The twins were listening to her, and even though Holly’s belligerence still marred her pretty face, so like her mother’s, Ivy seemed to hang on to her every word. How had she done it? He slapped the tabletop and rose. That’s what he needed to do. See if Amy could teach him something. Discipline with love. Could he learn to do that?

  Mike slipped off his jacket, hung it on the back of a chair and strode to the refrigerator. He
poured a slosh of milk and swallowed, still feeling a hungering void.

  Noise from the hall caught his attention. He rinsed the glass and set it in the sink while his gaze drifted down the street to Ellie’s tree-filled property. An unfamiliar car sat at the back of the driveway, a sporty hatchback, practical but spirited, with its deep orange color. No doubt Amy had returned home.

  “Daddy.”

  He turned, startled by Ivy’s voice. The two girls stood beside the table, waiting. “Let’s sit in the living room, okay?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He marched into the room and settled into his recliner. The girls plopped onto the sofa.

  “I’m hungry, so don’t take long.”

  Holly’s sarcastic tone grated him, but he bit his tongue, unwilling to argue. “I don’t want to know what happened today because Mrs. Fredericks told me. I want to know what we’ll do about it.”

  “About what?” Ivy’s wide eyes sent him an innocent gaze.

  “About your behavior.” He monitored his tone.

  “If Holly wouldn’t tear up my—”

  Mike held up his hand to shush her. “This isn’t about a picture or being tripped when you jumped rope or anything else.” He aimed his gaze at Holly. “This has to do with making changes. I’m tired of being called up to school. Do you realize I have to take time off from work to come there and listen to the same old stories about your behavior?”

  “But—”

  “I want solutions, Holly, not buts.”

  Ivy started to titter, and Holly soon followed.

  He stared at them and waited for their silliness to end. He’d hoped to reason with them, to find some solutions. Mrs. Fredericks had given him one, and although he’d negated it, the idea might set a fire under the girls.

  “Sorry, Daddy, but you said—”

  “I know what I said, Ivy. I’m asking for changes. What will they be?”

  The two gazed at the floor, their hands in their laps, and said nothing.

  “Then I have a solution. Mrs. Fredericks recommends that we split the two of you into different second grade classes.”

  “No, Daddy. Please.” Ivy’s volume rose with each word.

  His mind reeled. “Why not? I would think you’d be happy.”

  She shook her head in high speed. “We need to be together.”

  “Why?” His focus shifted from one to the other. “Together isn’t working, so why?”

  “Because we’re all we got.”

  Hearing Ivy knocked him backward. We’re all we got. His heart wrenched. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs. “Then you will make some changes in your behavior, or it will be out of my hands.”

  A frown crept to their faces.

  “Will Mrs. Fredericks make us go to different classes?”

  Ivy’s plaintive look stymied him. “If you keep causing problems, then I think she will.”

  She shifted toward Holly, who’d said little. “Do you want to go to another class?”

  Holly looked away with a faint shake of the head.

  Mike remained silent, giving them time to think until both pairs of eyes returned to his. “You have the weekend to make a decision.” And he had the weekend to figure out what to do. “Remember what I said.” He rose. “By the way, Holly, if you’re hungry, eat some fruit. Dinner won’t be for a while yet.”

  They popped up and sped from the room while he sat questioning his threat. If they separated during school, would it make a difference? What about their behavior at home? His chest constricted while Ivy’s words rang in this head. We’re all we got. He needed to understand what she meant.

  The refrigerator door opened, and before it closed, he rose and headed into the kitchen. “If you want to watch TV, you can, but I know you have some homework today. Mrs. Fredericks told me.”

  “Can we do it tomorrow?”

  Holly’s favorite question rang in his ears. “You’re going to spend part of the day with Gramma Ellie. Do you want to do homework then?”

  “No.” Ivy spun on her heel. “I’ll do mine now. I’d rather have fun tomorrow.”

  Holly gave it some thought before she followed Ivy toward her room.

  Mike headed into the kitchen, pulled out an apple and took a bite. Dinner was more than an hour away, and for once, he had time on his hands.

  Leaves drifting past the window caught his eye. He planned to rake them tomorrow, but his body charged with energy. His gaze drifted and he spotted Amy in Ellie’s front yard tugging leaves toward the side lot. Big yard. Big job for a slender woman.

  He slipped on his jacket, but before he stepped outside, he ambled to the twins’ bedroom doors. “I’m going out to rake. I’ll be there if you need me.”

  A muffled okay came from Ivy’s room. Holly’s was silent. She’d probably fallen asleep.

  Mike stepped onto the side porch and grabbed his work gloves and rake, then headed down the steps. But instead of tackling his task, he strode across the street, drawn by the lithe woman whose opinion he valued.

  When she spotted him, she stopped and leaned on the rake handle. Her hair shone with streaks of dark gold in the afternoon sun, and her cheeks were rosy with the crisp breeze. “So that’s where you live. The blue-and-white house.”

  “Not too far away.”

  “It’s cute. I admired it when I passed by earlier.”

  “Thanks.” He’d never considered the house cute, as she called it, but it motivated him to turn and take another look. “My wife picked the color. She loved blue.”

  Amy’s smile faded. “I’m sorry about your loss. Grams told me.”

  He suspected Ellie had. He motioned to the lawn to change the subject. “Let me help you.”

  She shook her head. “You have your own leaves to take care of. I can—”

  “I’m sure you can, but I’d like to help.” He swung out the rake and gave a tug. The debris tangled in the tines, jerking him to a sudden stop. “Does Ellie…does your grandmother have an old sheet or maybe a tarp? We can make fast work of this if she does.”

  “A sheet?”

  “We’ll rake the leaves onto it and drag the load to the side. Much easier.”

  Her eyebrows arched. “That’s a great idea.” She dropped the rake. “Wish I’d thought of that a half hour ago.”

  She darted off as he watched her long legs make short work of the distance. A runner. He could picture her jogging down the streets of Chicago, turning heads as she went. The woman definitely turned his. Even though a tinge of guilt swept past him, he didn’t let it sway his thoughts. Laura had been gone three years, and it had been a long time since he’d really looked at another woman.

  Amy waved a white cloth at him as she returned. “Grams said to use this.” She tossed it to him as she approached, a grin growing on her face. “Here’s the deal. You help me, and I’ll come over and help you.”

  Normally he wouldn’t consider it, but for the first time in years, he felt like a man instead of just a dad. “Deal.”

  Together they spread the sheet on the grass and raked the leaves into the center. When it had filled they dragged the burden to the side lot. The trip repeated over and over, and before he realized how much time had passed, the twins were scuttling across the road.

  “We’re hungry.” Ivy’s softer voice reached him.

  Holly’s command followed. “It’s time for dinner. Are you going to feed us?”

  Mike checked his watch. Six o’clock. Time had flown. He eyed Ellie’s yard, almost empty of leaves, and drew up his shoulders. “Appears I’m being summoned.” He lifted the rake. “I can finish this tomorrow after work if you—”

  “Tomorrow’s your yard. This is all but done.” She gave them a wave. “Your dad has been kind enough to help me with the leaves.”

  The twins spun toward the pile as if they hadn’t noticed it. A grin grew on their faces, and before Mike could move, they’d darted past them toward the mound. Holly dived toward the heap first, but Ivy shot past and Holly trippe
d over her foot. She skidded onto her knees and tumbled into the crackling leaves as Ivy plowed in beside her, leaves flying into the air and skittering across the grass. Mike dropped his rake and dashed forward, but not before Holly was on top of her sister, hands around her throat. “You tripped me on purpose.”

  “No, she didn’t.” Mike grasped her jacket and yanked her up. “You tripped over her foot.”

  Tears flowed down Holly’s face, more from his taking Ivy’s side than from being hurt, he suspected.

  “Are you okay?” Amy reached their side but stood back observing the fray.

  As Mike pulled Ivy from the leaves, she gave him her sad-eyes look and rubbed her neck. “She choked me.”

  “I know.” Embarrassed and helpless, he raked his fingers through his hair. “I’d better get these girls home.”

  Amy stepped closer. “If they’re hungry, Grams is ordering pizza and—”

  “Pizza!”

  Apparently the argument had been forgotten, but their eager voices failed to influence him. “Thanks anyway, Amy.”

  “Daddy, I’m hungry.” Holly’s narrowed eyes matched her frown.

  “Please don’t bark at me.” He turned a scowl back at her. “I’m sorry. The time flew and I didn’t realize—” He sucked in air and stopped apologizing. That was it. He’d grown tired of marching to Holly’s commands. “We’ll go home and have dinner after we talk again.”

  “But the pizza.” Her frown deepened.

  Ivy leaned her head against his side. He wrapped his arm around her, pleased she’d not gotten mouthy, too.

  Amy stepped back, looking uneasy. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” His response faded as his mind filled in the blanks. To rake leaves. “In the afternoon. I have to work in the morning.”

  “Afternoon’s fine.” A grin followed.

  “Working Saturday happens on occasion.” He gave a shrug and put on a smile. “Thanks for the pizza invitation, but…” He tilted his head toward the girls.

  “I understand.”

  Even though they protested, Mike didn’t give in. He marched the twins across the street, knowing he had to get tough. Tough. That was so far from his nature, but he had to do something with the girls. What would Laura do?