The Cowboy's Holiday Blessing (2 page)

Her legacy was teaching at School District Ten, and building a home for herself in Dawson. And this time she planned on staying. She wouldn't run.

“Give us thirty minutes, Madeline.” Jackson's voice didn't plead, but he sounded pretty unsure. It was that tone that took her by surprise, unsettled her.

She wondered how it felt to be him and have control stripped away by a thirteen-year-old girl. It was for that girl that she even considered staying.

She hadn't been much older than Jade when she'd found herself in a new home and a new life. She would always remember how her sister had dragged her from bed, leading her through the dark, to safety.

“I'll come in for a moment, but I don't know how that will help.”

“Me neither, but I don't think you should leave her here alone.”

“She isn't
my—
” Madeline lowered her voice “—problem. I don't know her. She says she's your daughter.”

“Right, I get that, but let's assume she isn't and play this safe.”

Okay, maybe he wasn't as reckless as she had always imagined.

“So, are you a decent cook?” he asked as he led her into his expansive living room with polished hardwood floors and massive leather furniture. The dog and Jade were sitting on the couch, huddled together.

“I don't have time to cook.” Madeline tried hard not
to stare, but the house invited staring. It had the sparseness of a bachelor's home but surprising warmth.

“Just asking, sorry.” He smiled at Jade then at her. “So, what are we going to do?”

“Do?” Better yet, “we”? He didn't need to include her in this problem.

“Yeah, do. I mean, we should probably call someone. Family services?”

“That's a decision you'll have to make.”

“Right.” He pointed for her to sit down.

Madeline sank into the luxurious softness of one of the two brown leather sofas. The one opposite had a blanket and pillow indicating he'd been sleeping there.

No Christmas tree. No decorations.

Jackson stood in the center of the living room. The light that filtered through the curtains caught bits and pieces of his expression as he stared at the young girl sitting on his sofa. They stared at each other and then both glanced away.

Madeline didn't know how to help. She could deal with children in a classroom. This seemed to be more of a family situation. And she had no experience with those.

“Maybe you should sit down?” She didn't know what else to say. It wasn't her home. Jackson stood in the center of the room, hands in his pockets. When she made the suggestion, he nodded once. Jade, sitting next to her, gave a disgusted snort.

Madeline sighed. She glanced around the big room, because the silence was uncomfortable and she wanted to head for the door. She glanced at her watch and then looked around the room again. A big stone fireplace took up the wall at the end of the room. The fire that crackled came from gas logs, not wood. A television
hung over the fireplace. The walls were textured and painted a warm, natural color. If it hadn't been for the nervous energy of Jackson Cooper standing there staring at her, and then at the girl claiming to be his daughter, Madeline might have enjoyed being in this room.

Jackson moved a chair from the nearby rolltop desk and straddled it backward. He draped his arms over the back rest and sat there, staring at Jade. His legs were stretched out in front of him. His feet were bare.

Madeline picked up the throw pillow leaning against the arm of the couch and held it in her lap. Next to her, Jade fiddled with her ragged little backpack.

Madeline did not belong in this little drama. She had to come up with something to move the action along so she could escape.

“Why did your aunt leave you here?” Jackson asked, zeroing in on the girl with a question Madeline had asked and not gotten an answer for.

Madeline shifted to look at the girl, who suddenly looked younger than her thirteen years. Jade shrugged and studied the backpack in her arms.

“Well?” Jackson might not have kids, but he had a dozen siblings and some were quite a bit younger. His parents had adopted a half dozen or so children to go along with the six biological Coopers. And then there had been Jeremy.

Next to her, Jade looked up, glaring at the man in front of them. She chewed on her bottom lip, not answering Jackson's question. This wasn't going to get them anywhere.

“Jade, we need to know what is going on. We might need to call the proper authorities.” Madeline smiled to herself. The word
authorities
always did the trick. The girl's eyes widened and her mouth opened.

“My aunt can't take care of me. She doesn't have the money or a house for us.”

Jackson rubbed the back of his neck and when he looked at Madeline, she didn't know what to say or do. She taught English at the local school. She wasn't a counselor. She no longer had siblings. The other foster children in the home where she'd spent a few years until she turned eighteen hadn't counted.

“Maybe we should have coffee.” Madeline glanced at the man sitting across from her.

Jackson smiled that smile of his, the one he probably thought conquered every female heart. With good reason. There probably wasn't a single woman under seventy living in and around Dawson who didn't sigh when Jackson crossed her path. But she wasn't one of the women chasing after him. And she certainly wasn't the type he chased.

“You know, some coffee would be good. Do you have time?”

“I can make coffee, but then I have to go. School is out but it's a teacher work day.” She glanced at her watch again, and not at Jackson. “You should call your parents.”

Because this had nothing to do with her.

But years ago she'd been a kid like Jade, lost and alone, looking for someone to keep her safe. As much as she wanted to run from this situation, she couldn't leave Jade alone.

T
he schoolteacher looked at her watch again and then she sighed. He nearly sighed in unison because he didn't know what to do with the kid sitting across from him. Madeline Patton taught school. She had to know more than him.

Jackson pushed himself up from the chair, groaning a little at the spasm in his back. He held the back of the chair and hoped it didn't roll away, because if it did, he'd be face-first on the floor in front of God and everyone.

Madeline stood, too. She faced him, looking him over as he stood trying to get his balance. His lower back clenched and he managed a smile to cover up the grimace.

“Are you okay?” Madeline faced him, her brown eyes narrowing as she watched him, her gaze settling on his white-knuckled grip on the back of the office chair.

“I'm good…” He was great. “I think I'll make that pot of coffee and try to sort this out.”

Some kid had knocked on his door, claiming to be his. He had broken ribs and a messed-up back. He was
wonderful. Every day should start this way. He managed a smile because it wasn't Madeline Patton's fault.

“Maybe she should go with you?” he offered, a little bit hopeful that he was right about her being worried.

“No, she shouldn't.” Another little glance at her watch.

“I'm in the room.” The girl slumped on the couch and Bud had curled up next to her. The dog raised its head and growled at him. Yeah, well, his hackles were raised, too.

Jackson shook his head and turned his attention back to Ms. Patton. “What do I do with her?”

“I'd start with feeding her.”

He sat down, hard. The chair rolled a little. “Right, feed her. I think there's more to it than that.”

“I know there is.” She hefted her huge purse to her shoulder.

Concern flickered through those brown eyes. He hadn't meant to play her. He was long past games. In the words of his niece,
games were so last year.

Yeah, he was going through a mid-life crisis, but Madeline didn't need to know that. She didn't need to know that he envied Wyatt Johnson for settling down with someone he'd wake up with every morning. Man, he was even jealous of Andie and Ryder Johnson's twin girls.

Jackson had two rocking chairs on the front porch, and at night he sat alone and watched the cattle graze in the field. He was as sick of being alone as a man could get. But most of the women his age, if they were still single, were listening to their biological clocks. They were ready for rings and babies.

Which brought him back to the problem at hand: Jade Baker.

“I'll get the coffee started, then you need to make a plan,” Madeline offered.

“Thanks, that would be great.” He smiled at her and she didn't even flinch. He was losing his touch or she was immune. Either way, he was a little baffled.

“Where's the kitchen?”

He pointed to the wide doorway that led to the dining room and from there to the kitchen and family room. Madeline nodded and away she went, that long skirt of hers swishing around her legs.

“Why don't you just give me a hundred bucks or something and I'll head on down the road.” The kid, Jade, shot the comment at him.

Jackson turned the chair to face her. She was hugging his dog. She looked younger than thirteen, maybe because she looked sad and kind of lost. Wow, that took him back to Mia when she'd landed on their doorstep twenty years ago. Travis, nearly twenty-five years ago. Jesse when he'd been about twelve. Jesse had been an angry kid. Now he was a doctor.

Jade Baker, aka his kid. She'd asked for a hundred bucks to leave. Surely the little thing wasn't working him for money? Could it be she'd been dropped off by someone who knew she resembled their family? He rubbed his thumb across his chin and studied her. She just stared at him, with eyes that looked like his and Reece's. Eyes that looked like Heather's and Dylan's.

He could smell toast in the toaster. Jade glanced toward the door that led to the dining room and the kitchen. The dog perked up, too. The girl had pulled her blond hair into a ponytail. Her jeans were threadbare and her T-shirt was stained. He didn't know a thing about her life or what she'd been through.

He hadn't really known Gloria. She'd been about his
age and she'd liked hanging out at rodeos. Someone had told him she lived in the back of a van with her older sister. He hadn't believed it. He should have. The next time he'd gone through the Texas town where he'd met her, she wasn't there.

Fourteen years ago. He barely remembered her. But seeing Jade, the memories resurfaced. He hadn't loved Gloria. He let out a sigh. A kid should at least have that knowledge, that her parents loved each other.

He stood up, holding his breath to get through the pain.

“Sorry, kid, I'm not giving you money. We'll figure this out, but money isn't going to be part of the deal.”

“Why not? You obviously don't want me here. With some money I can hit the road and find a place to live.”

He admired her pluck. She had stood, and his stupid dog, Bud, stood next to her. “You're not even fourteen yet. You can't live by yourself or even take off on your own. And one hundred dollars? That wouldn't get you to Tulsa.”

“I could get emancipated.”

“Honey, at your age you can't spell that word and you can't even get a job. We'll try for plan B, okay? Let's go see what Ms. Patton is cooking up in there.” He eased forward a couple of steps. Jade glared at him and started to walk away. He reached for her arm and stopped her.

“Let go of me.” She turned, fire sparking in those hazel-green eyes of hers.

“I'll let go, but you're not going to blame me for not knowing about you.” He'd made a lot of mistakes that he'd had to own up to. He sure wouldn't have walked out on a kid.

He would have claimed his kid if he'd known about
her. If it was possible that she was his, he'd do everything he could for her. But she wasn't his. He was pretty sure of that.

“Yeah, well, you do kind of have something to do with my life and not being in it,” she shot back at him, her chin hiking up a few notches and a spark in those eyes that dared him to tell her otherwise.

“I didn't know where your mother went to, and she never tried to get in touch.” He had let go of her arm and they stood in the center of the living room, facing off.

“Yeah, well…” Jade stared at him, her eyes big in a little-girl face. Man, she was a tough kid. He didn't know what to do. He could hug her. Or he could just stand there and stare. He didn't think she'd want either.

“Well, what?”

“Well, you coulda tried.” Her bottom lip started to tremble. “Haven't you heard of the internet?”

“If I'd known, I would have searched the whole world to find a kid of mine.” He softened his tone and took a step forward.

“Yeah, right. My mom said you told her once that you never planned on having kids and so she didn't bother telling you that you had one.”

“That was real nice of her to do that.” He wasn't going to say anything against her mother. The kid had gone through enough, and he didn't know Gloria well enough to say much more.

She reached for his hand. “I didn't think you'd be so old.”

“Well, thanks, Jade. Is Jade short for something?”

“Just Jade.” She had hold of his hand. He looked at her hand in his, small and strong. Yeah, he would have been okay with having her for a kid.

 

The toast popped out of the toaster and coffee poured into a cup from the single-cup brewer on his counter. Jackson Cooper had the kitchen of her dreams. It didn't seem fair that he had her coffeemaker, the replica of a vintage stove and fridge she'd always dreamed of, granite countertops and light pine floors. But really, what was fair?

Life? Most often not. She'd learned that at an early age. She'd put away the baggage of her past years ago, when she realized carrying it around weighed a person down. If a person meant to let go of their burdens, they shouldn't pack them back up and heft them over their shoulder.

She pulled toast from the toaster and buttered it. From the dining room she could hear Jackson talking to the teenager who had knocked on her door just over an hour ago. A few minutes later they walked into the kitchen and their likeness floored Madeline. The two had the same strong cheekbones, the same strong mouth, and eyes that matched. Jade's hair was lighter.

Jackson walked to the sink and ran water into a glass. Madeline stood next to the counter, feeling out of place in this mess of his and even more out of place in his home. This wasn't where she'd expected to end up today, in Jackson Cooper's kitchen, in his life. When she woke up this morning, it had been like any other Friday. She'd been looking forward to the weekend and decorating her house for Christmas. Jackson hadn't figured into her plans. Ever.

She'd lived in Dawson for over a year, and even though it was a small town, she didn't run in the same circles as Jackson Cooper. Every now and then he
flirted with her at the Mad Cow Café. But Jackson flirted with everyone.

“You made toast.” Jackson set the glass down on the counter.

“I did, and the coffee is ready.” She dried her hands and watched as he shook two pills into his hand, popped them into his mouth and washed them down with water.

“Are you eating?” He pushed a plate in her direction.

“I had a granola bar.” She pushed it back. “You need something in your stomach.”

“Right.” He glanced at the girl that she'd delivered to his front door. “There's cinnamon and sugar in the cabinet if you want it for your toast. After we eat we'll figure this mess out.”

Jade carried her plate to the table and sat down. “I don't know what you need to figure out. Fourteen years ago, you messed up.” She shot him a look and flapped her arms like wings. “Your roosters have come home to roost.”

“Great, she's a smart-mouth to boot,” he grumbled as he picked up a slice of toast.

He took a bite and glanced out the window. He didn't sit down. Instead he stood next to Madeline, his hip against the counter. His arm brushed hers. Of course he would be comfortable in his own skin. He wouldn't feel the need for space.

She stepped away from him, picking up a pan that had been next to the sink. Not her pan. Not her mess. She grabbed a scrubber and turned on hot water. Jackson rinsed his plate and opened the dishwasher.

“You don't have to wash that.” He touched her arm.

“I don't mind washing it.” She rinsed the pan and stuck it in the dish drainer. She glanced out the window again. The land here rolled gently and was dotted with
trees. Cattle grazed and a few horses were chasing each other in a circle, bucking and kicking as wind picked up leaves.

“Can she stay with you?”

“Excuse me?” Madeline glanced in Jade's direction and turned her attention back to Jackson.

“Look, Maddie…”

She lifted a hand to stop him. “My name is Madeline.”

“Sure, okay,
Madeline.
I need to work this out and you can't leave a kid here with a single man, not when you aren't sure if that single man is her father. And I don't really want my family to know about this, not yet.”

“So you want to hide her at my house?” She tapped her foot on the light pine floor and fought the urge to slug him.

“Not hide her. She needs to stay somewhere and she can't really stay here, not until we know exactly what's going on.”

As much as she didn't want to, she got it. She also kind of admired him for thinking about the girl. They could call the police or family services, but then she'd end up in state custody. Jade definitely couldn't stay alone with him, a single man. What if she wasn't his? Even if she was, there were things to consider.

She glanced across the room at Jade and she remembered that first night, fourteen and alone in the Montana town she'd rarely visited as a kid. Frightened because she had fifty dollars and no one to turn to, she remembered flashing lights at a convenience store and being driven to a group home.

Fear knotted in her stomach, the way it had then, half a lifetime ago.

“Yes, she can stay with me for a little while.”

Jackson watched her, his eyes narrowing. “You sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure.”

“I'll pay you.” His mouth shifted into a smile, revealing a dimple in his chin.

“Pay me?”

“For letting her stay with you. I can write you a check or pay you cash.”

Madeline glanced at her watch. “I really have to go, and I don't want your money.”

“There will be the expense of feeding her. She probably needs clothes. I need to pay you something.”

Jade stood, the quick movement catching Madeline's attention, and from the jerk of his head in that direction, Jackson's also. The girl held her plate, trembling a little.

“Stop, okay? I'm a kid, not something you trade off or try to get rid of. I thought it would be different…” Jade bit down on her bottom lip and looked from Madeline to Jackson. “You were supposed to be different.”

His smile dissolved. Madeline watched as he approached the girl who might possibly be his daughter. He sat down at the table and pointed for her to sit back down. He was used to girls, used to kids. He had been raised in a house with eleven other children. Now he had nieces and nephews.

“Different than what?” he asked.

“Different, that's all.”

“From?”

“From my mom. I thought it would be—” she looked away “—better here.”

Jackson whistled. “So far we haven't made much of an impression, huh?”

Madeline wanted to correct him, to tell him
he
hadn't made a good impression. The girl claimed to be his. Madeline was just the unsuspecting stranger who had ended up with Jade on her doorstep. And she'd gotten tangled up in this.