Free The Cowboy's Holiday Blessing by Brenda Minton

whispered and glanced back over her shoulder.
    â€œRight, Jade.”
    Â 
    Jackson watched Madeline’s retreat. He walked a little slower, giving her space, giving himself time to get his head together. What in the world was he thinking?
    So she slept with the lights on. When had that become his problem? She’d been his neighbor for over a year. He said hello to her when they passed on the street or bumped into one another walking into the Mad Cow. He’d seen her lights on late at night, and he’d wondered about it. So now he knew and he thought he needed to buy her a dog to make her feel safe?
    He needed his head examined.
    Bachelor pad. That’s what his house had been designed as. He walked into the kitchen and nearly groaned. The two females who had invaded his life were standing shoulder to shoulder mixing milk with his mother’s cocoa mix. A plate of cookies had been set out on the counter. It smelled and looked like Sally Homemaker had moved in.
    It smelled kind of nice, the combination of hot chocolate, cookies, popcorn and…Madeline’s perfume. He leaned against the counter and watched the two of them have what looked like a mother-daughter moment.
    â€œDid you find decorations?” Jade turned, a spoon in her hand. Her eyes sparkled and she smiled. Happy. And she wore it like new clothes, something she’d wanted and never had.
    â€œNot much. I did find a couple of old tree stands.One for mine, one for the tree you’re taking to Madeline’s.”
    Madeline looked at her watch. “I have to go soon.”
    â€œWe have to decorate his tree.” Jade stirred the cocoa and then lifted the spoon to take a sip. Madeline took the spoon from her hand and tossed it in the sink. Jade’s mouth opened. “Why’d you do that?”
    â€œI don’t want to share germs.”
    â€œFine.” Jade grabbed another spoon and turned to Jackson again. “We can string the popcorn if you have a sewing kit around here. And maybe make some snowflakes.”
    â€œSure, why not,” he grumbled as he pulled cups from the cabinet. “Would you like to crochet doilies for my tables?”
    Jade laughed and pointed to Madeline. “She can do that.”
    Madeline looked away, her cheeks turning crimson. The hot chocolate steamed and she ladled the liquid into the cups he’d set next to the stove.
    â€œI bet she can.” He grinned at Madeline’s back because she had turned away from him and was pretending to be busy with the cocoa.
    â€œWe need to hurry,” she finally said. “I have practice tonight.”
    â€œCool. Can I go?” Jade leaned close to Madeline.
    â€œI tell you what, we’ll go do something this evening. Madeline has to practice for her part in the nativity. We’ll let her do that and you and I will go somewhere.”
    â€œTogether?” Jade’s eyes lit up and her smile radiated.
    â€œYeah, together.”
    Madeline turned with a cup in her hand. She held it out to him and said nothing. She didn’t need to. She needed a break from Jade. She needed a break fromhim. He got that. Sometimes he needed a break from himself.
    They migrated to the living room with a tray of hot chocolate and cookies. Jade carried the popcorn and the miniature sewing kit he’d found in the cabinet. As they settled down to the task of making decorations, Jackson pushed the tree into the stand and picked up the string of lights.
    He unfolded the ladder and headed to the top with lights and a pulled muscle in his back. Madeline looked up from cutting into folded paper to make a snowflake for his tree.
    â€œYou okay?” she asked, her eyes narrowing as she watched him.
    He looked at the scene below him. A woman and a child making Christmas decorations. His floor strewn with craft paper and ornaments. It looked like a picture from a Christmas card, not a picture from his life. Maybe the life he could have