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“Oh, wow! Look at these little animals!” Maggie lifted up a carved and painted figure of a zebra and hung it on the tree. “And here’s a lion—and a cheetah! Where did you get them, Jess?”
“They were my mother’s,” Jess said. “My father worked for the United Nations. He and my mother traveled all over the world. She collected these in Tanzania. I thought you’d enjoy seeing them.”
Maggie picked up the figure of a small turtle, its shell inlaid with mother-of-pearl. “That one’s from Thailand,” Jess said. “And this pink kitten is from Hong Kong. The monkey is from India.”
“Where are your mother and dad now?” Maggie asked. “Are they still traveling?”
“No. They died in a plane crash when I was about your age. I was raised by my grandmother. She passed away a few years ago.”
“So you don’t have any family at all?”
“None that I know of. Let’s see what else is in the box.”
The tree was beginning to look festive. They’d strung the lights first and added some shiny tinsel. Then Jess had opened her box of special ornaments. She hadn’t hung them on a tree in years, but somehow this seemed like the right time and place.
* * *
Once the decorating was finished, it was time to take Maggie home. Cooper had volunteered to drive her. “You’ve got school tomorrow, Trevor,” he told his son. “Do your homework. Then I want you in bed by ten.”
Maggie buttoned her coat. “Can Jess come along when you take me home? Please, Uncle Cooper. We had such a good time. I want it to last a little longer.”
“Jess has had a long day, Maggie,” Cooper said. “She can come if she wants to, of course, but she’s probably tired.”
“Please, Jess.” Maggie’s expression would have melted a block of granite. “It won’t take long.”
“Of course, I’ll come,” Jess said. “Let me get my coat.”
From the back seat, Maggie chatted all the way to her house. Cooper helped her out of the Jeep and made sure she was safely inside before climbing into the driver’s seat again.
For the short time it took to drive back to the ranch, he would be alone with Jess. She’d been distant since their conversation about the FBI had ended with her almost walking out. She’d been willing enough to talk about her work, but when he’d asked her about the reason for leaving her job, she’d shut right down.
Whatever had caused her to leave, the memory was clearly painful. Cooper would be wise not to bring it up again. If she wanted him to know, she would choose a time to tell him. If not, it shouldn’t matter. Right now, all he wanted was to spend more time with her.
As they drove down Main Street, the old-fashioned Christmas lights strung overhead glowed in the darkness. The holiday music on the radio—Johnny Mathis singing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”—was soft and mellow. Jess sighed and nestled lower in her seat.
“Tired?” he asked.
“Exhausted. But tonight was fun, wasn’t it?”
“It was.” Cooper chuckled. “Every celebration needs a Maggie.” He passed the last traffic light and headed out of town. “I enjoyed seeing your little ornaments and hearing about them. You must’ve had an interesting childhood.”
She sighed again. “Not really. My parents were gone a lot. And staying with my grandmother was no picnic. Forget the kindly white-haired grandma who greets you with hugs and cookies. Dorothy Graver was Professor of Religious History at a church-run college. She expected me to be a little lady at all times. As soon as I was old enough to go, she sent me off to boarding school.”
“That sounds pretty grim,” Cooper said.
“It was. But I struck a blow for freedom.” She looked up at him, the dash lights reflecting a mysterious twinkle in her dark eyes. “Would you believe I got kicked out at fifteen for sneaking out of my room at night to have adventures? The headmistress caught me skinny-dipping in the lake—with a boy!”
“Jess, you little rascal!” He said it with a smile.
“Oh, it wasn’t what you might think. It was dark, and we were just friends. We were only swimming. But my grandmother almost had a stroke. After that, she sent me to a place in Switzerland, fordifficultgirls. And those girls . . . oh, mercy me, that was an education.”
Cooper made the turn off the highway, onto the dirt road that led to the ranch. He didn’t want the drive to end. Jess was finally showing him her real self—and he was discovering that he didn’t just love her. Helikedher.
He found himself bursting with emotions. He wanted to empty his heart to her, to beg her to stay with him. But he knew better. The last thing he wanted now was to chase her back into her shell.
“You asked me once why I left my job with the FBI,” she said. “If I tell you the story, you have to promise not to share it—not with Trevor, not with your sister, not with anybody. When you hear it, you’ll understand why.”
Cooper’s throat tightened. That she trusted him with her secret was an unexpected gift. He would treat it with tenderness and respect.
