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Judd’s gaze fell on Jess, who stood looking up at him. His hand went to the brim of his Stetson. “Ma’am,” he drawled, tipping his hat. Then he turned and rode off.
It was like a scene from a damned movie, and Jess was looking after him as if he was some kind of hero riding off into the sunset.
Cooper tore his gaze away from her. Heaven help him, could he bejealous?
Chapter 9
Late November
Thanksgiving had come and gone. The yellow fields were silvered with frost, the trees stark and bare. Now, when Trevor went outside to feed the horses in the morning, he could see the white clouds of his breath.
On Main Street, the Christmas lights were going up. The hardware store had opened a Christmas tree lot—a first for the town. Folks were excited about that. Now, instead of driving halfway to Cottonwood Springs, they could buy their trees right here in Branding Iron.
Trevor didn’t much care whether his dad bought a tree or not. They didn’t have any decorations, and he was still homesick for Seattle.
Miss Jessica Graver was still sharing the ranch house with Trevor and his dad. She’d found a basement apartment to rent, but it wouldn’t come vacant until after Christmas, and there was nothing else available. The repairs on her house wouldn’t be finished until spring, so for now, she had nowhere else to go.
Having her around wasn’t that bad. She was quiet and didn’t bother Trevor much or try to be his buddy. And she was a great cook. But something was going on between her and his dad—a tension that he couldn’t quite figure out. It was as if they liked each other, but neither of them wanted to show it. Being around them was like watching a bad movie where you keep waiting for something to happen and it never does—just polite dialog that doesn’t mean anything or go anywhere.
School sucked, too. Trevor was becoming sure that he’d never fit in. Once the bullies discovered he didn’t react to their taunts, they’d moved on to more entertaining targets. Still, wandering the halls alone, trying to make himself invisible, was getting old.
At least he had Abner and the sleigh. He didn’t fully understand his attraction to the wise old man and the beautiful object they were building. He only knew that when he was working on the sleigh and listening to Abner’s stories, he felt almost happy.
Today, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, he planned to spend most of the day in the old barn. He was bringing along a pan of Miss Graver’s lasagna to share with Abner for lunch. Maggie, who showed up now and then, would be coming later. Trevor didn’t mind her joining them. For a little girl, she was all right. She knew how to be helpful without getting in the way, and she brought updates on the progress of the parade committee—of which she was an honorary member.
Today she arrived after lunch, dropped off by Trevor’s Aunt Grace, who was on her way to visit her brother. She skipped into the barn, pausing to hug Butch, who was dozing in the straw.
“So what’s the latest on the parade?” Trevor asked her.
“It’s going to be great! The Branding Iron High School band is planning to march—and now the band from Cottonwood Springs is coming, too. Some of the stores are making floats, and Tex Morgan, the TV star, has promised to come—he grew up here in Branding Iron. Everybody’s excited about the sleigh, except . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“Except what?” Abner asked her.
“Except we still haven’t got a Santa Claus. I don’t know what we’re going to do about that.”
“What about your dad? Didn’t he do it last year?”
“Yes. But he’s the mayor now. He can’t be Santa, too.” She sighed. “I’ve been talking to kids at school. They want a Santa they can believe in—not like those grumpy fake ones at the mall. Somebody who’s kind and jolly and loves kids—somebody like the real Santa would be.”
“I didn’t think you believed, Maggie,” Trevor said.
“I don’t—heck, last year it was my dad, and he can be a real grump. But a lot of kids still believe. We don’t want to let them down.”
Abner cleared his throat. “Well, talking about Santa isn’t going to get this sleigh finished in time for the parade. Come on, let’s get to work.”
* * *
Cooper had just finished proofreading the article he’d written when he heard a vehicle drive up outside. Could it be Jess? She’d left on a shopping expedition with Wynette that morning and had been gone all day. With Trevor at Abner’s place, the house seemed almost too quiet.
He was about to send the article off when he heard a rap on the front door. Jess wouldn’t knock. He got up and strode to answer it. He found his sister standing on the front porch.
“This is a nice surprise,” he said. “Come on in.”
“I won’t be staying long,” Grace said, giving him a quick hug. “I just came out to drop Maggie off at Abner’s. She’s quite taken with that sleigh. Did I interrupt your work?”
“Nope. I was at a good stopping place. Come on in the kitchen. I can make you some instant hot chocolate, with or without marshmallows.”
“Thanks, but don’t bother. I’m on the run.” She glanced around. “Is Jess here?”
