Kat stepped out on the front porch with a little dark-headed boy in tow as she and Gabriel got out of the car. The young woman looked just like her pictures, and Jyl marveled at the fact that she lived way out here, worked like a ranch hand, raised three boys, and still managed to look like a model. Her dark blond hair was pulled to the side in a stylishly messy braid. She was dressed in a pair of faded Wrangler jeans, tan cowboy boots, and a green t-shirt with an interlocked “U” and “R” insignia on the front. She made it all look better than a lot of the women in New York who never stepped out onto their stoops without their designer clothes and shoes.
She left the boy on the porch and came down to greet them. “Jyl! I’m so glad you made it.”
Jyl held out her hand, but she ignored it and wrapped her up in a hug.
“It’s so good to finally see you in person, I already feel like I’ve known you for years.” She looked down then. Gabriel was holding on to his mother’s leg, looking at her suspiciously. “You must be Gabriel. I’m Kat. I’m so happy to meet you.”
She didn’t try to hug Gabe. Instead, she put her hand out to him. Gabriel continued to only look at her.
“Gabe, shake Mrs. Underwood’s hand.”
He only clutched tighter to his mother’s leg.
“Gabriel!”
Kat smiled. “It’s okay. I don’t like to shake hands either. How about a high five, or some knuckles?” She put her fist down where he could reach it and he looked up at Jyl.
“Go ahead.” He let his little fist come out and after their fists bumped, Kat pulled hers back and opened her fingers and made an explosion noise.
“You blew it up, little man!” Jyl looked down at her son, who was smiling. “Come on and let’s get y’all inside where you can meet all of my crazies.”
They followed her up on the porch where the little dark-haired boy still stood staring at them. His hair was so dark that it was almost jet black and he had the most amazing pair of blue eyes Jyl had ever seen. He must have gotten them from his daddy because Kat’s were a pretty shade of hazel. “This is my middle boy, Heath. Gabriel, Heath is the same age as you are. Heath, say hello to Mrs. Landry and Gabriel.”
“Hi,” the four-year-old said. He and Gabriel were eyeing each other suspiciously.
Jyl tapped her son on the back of his head and he said, “Hey.”
Kat led them inside where they met six-year-old Scotty, two-year-old David, and Kat’s husband, Scott. “Why don’t you boys take Gabriel and show him the toy room?”
Scotty and Heath looked at Gabe. Gabe looked back at them, and then suddenly all three of the big boys took off, their feet pounding on the wood floor. The toddler tried to keep up, but he fell flat on his little face in the doorway and started to scream. Kat’s husband jumped up and got him, kissing his boo boos away as he carried the boy down the hall where the others had gone.
“Whew!” Kat said with a smile. “I’m sorry it’s so chaotic. I would love to say it’s not always like this … trust me, I would really love to say that.”
Jyl laughed. “I can’t imagine how you do it. One is more than enough for me.”
“I couldn’t do it without Scott. He’s amazing with them. It makes a big difference when you do it together.”
Jyl nodded.
“So how do you like it here so far?” Kat continued.
“I love it,” Jyl said, honestly. “It’s such a big change, but it’s such a good one that the culture shock isn’t killing the thrill of it, you know?”
“I’ve only left Shiloh Falls once for more than a few days and that was to go to school. Scott and I lived in an apartment in Denver for almost three years and we came home on the weekends. I think we were both in culture shock the whole time, and Denver is no New York.” She opened the lid of the pot on the stove and an amazing aroma wafted out.
“That smells delicious.”
“Thanks, it’s a stew that Scott’s mom makes. The recipe getting passed to the daughter-in-law on her first anniversary is kind of a tradition. His family is huge on tradition. It took me a little getting used to. My parents … not so much.”
“That’s nice. I lost my mom a few years ago to cancer. My pop is still going strong but he moved to Florida about a year after my mother died.”
“I’m sorry. You’ve had a lot of loss already in your not-so-long life.”
Jyl gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s been hard. With Mom, it has gotten easier. I’m still working on Josh.”
Kat put her arm around her and gave her a one-armed hug. “I’m glad we met, Jyl. I think we’re going to be really great friends.”
“I do too.” She already felt right at home.
Even more so when Kat let go of her, handed her a knife, and said, “You want to butter up some of that cornbread for the heathens?”
CHAPTER FOUR
Jyl and Gabriel had such a good time at dinner that when it came time to leave, Gabe didn’t want to go. The boys wanted him to stay over, and Kat thought it was a great idea. When Jyl said she was imposing enough, Kat brought up the fact that it wouldn’t be good for Gabe to have to get out in the snow at five in the morning. It was hard to argue with that logic.
With lots of love, hugs, and kisses, she left her baby at his first sleepover. It made her happy that he’d already made some new friends, and sad that he was getting so big he seemed to hardly need her anymore. She didn’t often let herself just have a good cry because she was always worried about upsetting Gabe. Since he wasn’t with her, she cried all the way home.
When she got home she built a fire and made a mental note that come Monday she would have to find out where to buy some wood. The realtors had kindly left her enough to get them started, but she was running low. She put on her pajamas, made herself a cup of tea, and started to pick up the book she’d been reading. After Gabe and Josh and writing, reading was another one of her greatest loves. She was still in a melancholy mood though, so instead, she took out the photo album that she rarely allowed herself to look at anymore. It was her life with Josh … and then their life with Gabe. It stopped the day he died and getting to that part always left her shaking and sobbing, a state she didn’t want her son to see her in. Tonight, she was alone so she allowed herself to indulge. When she woke up in the morning, the fire had died out and she was still sitting up in the chair, clutching the album to her chest.
She woke up with that swollen-face feeling you have when you fall asleep crying. Jyl knew it well from almost a year of waiting until she was in bed at night to mourn her husband. She fixed her coffee and took her cup out on the back porch. It was still dark, but the sun was trying to push its way up and there was a burst of color in the dark sky behind the mountains. She wrapped up in a thick blanket she had brought out with her and sat down to sip her coffee. The crisp morning air was just what her foggy brain needed; after about a half an hour, she was wide awake.
She took a warm shower and after twisting her waist-long red hair into a French knot that would fit inside of her wool cap, she pulled on her long johns, her blue jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and her snow overalls. She wore rubber boots that came up to her knees and a long, thick parka over the top of a hand-knit sweater her mother made for her not long before she passed away. Lastly, she slipped on her cap and her scarf and looked at her image in the mirror. Laughing out loud to herself she said, “It’s a good thing you’re not looking for a boyfriend because in this getup you wouldn’t have a chance.” She grabbed her wrist warmers and her gloves on the way out of the bedroom. She may have looked ridiculous, but at least she wouldn’t get sick.
She took a pad and pen with her. She would have preferred her Apple tablet but with so much ice, snow, and water around, she didn’t trust herself not to drop it. She grabbed her camera bag, filled a thermos with what was left of her coffee, and then set out with Shiloh Falls Lake State Park programmed into her GPS.
The drive took less than fifteen minutes; the snow had stopped and the roads had been cl
eared so it was a pleasant one. She was actually free to take in some of the natural beauty of her surroundings. When she got to the park, she parked in the main lot and stepped out of the car and looked around. The park was covered in a thick blanket of white; the only thing that seemed to disturb it were the foot and paw prints that crisscrossed back and forth over each other and around the paths. The trees all stood stripped of their leaves and blooms, and as the breeze softly moved their branches, they looked to Jyl like they were shivering. It was like being surrounded by a true winter wonderland. She felt lucky to be in the midst of it all.
Realizing she had no idea where she was going, she took out her phone and called Vera. “Hi, Vera. It’s Jyl. I’m here but not sure where everything is taking place.”
“Are you in the parking lot?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, honey, I’m in the middle of setting things up here, but I’ll send one of the boys to pick you up in the Ranger.”
“Oh that’s not necessary. If you just tell me which direction to go in—”
“Nonsense, it’s too far from the parking lot and too cold. These boys are just standing around, acting like fools, being loud, and getting in my way. Someone will be right there.”
Smiling, Jyl said, “Okay, Vera, thank you.” Vera told her once that she had been a school teacher for over twenty years before she retired. Jyl could still hear it in her voice. She had probably struck fear in her students and commanded respect at the same time. She had a kind heart, though. Jyl could tell that just from the conversations they’d had online.
She pulled her coat tighter around her and stood against the front of her car, where the engine was still warm, and waited. The sun was finally showing its face, just over the tops of the mountains, and it was so bright in the clear air that she wished she hadn’t forgotten her sunglasses. About ten minutes later she saw the big blue Ranger headed toward her with a man in a cowboy hat driving.
When he was about two feet away, he stopped and stepped out. If the car hadn’t been just behind her, the sight of him would have propelled her backward—not in a bad way, but in an “I can’t believe this man is real,” kind of way. She almost laughed when she remembered Vera calling him a “boy” a few moments ago and she wondered if he had been one of her students.
When the man got close, she had to look up to find his face, and what a face it was. He was at least a foot taller than she and he was wearing a black Under Armor shirt that clung to every muscle and hard line of his chest and arms—and there were plenty of them to cling to, she thought. He was built like an offensive lineman, and with his cowboy hat, Wrangler jeans, and boots, he looked like a football player on vacation at a dude ranch.
“Are you Jyl?”
She couldn’t seem to be able to find her voice. She wanted to touch him and make sure he was real. Then the realization hit her that he was the first man she’d even considered touching since Josh. She felt both guilty and physically incapable of taking her eyes off him at the same time.
He cleared his throat, and with an amused look he said, “If there weren’t a pair of beautiful eyes looking out at me, I might think I was talking to a pile of coats.”
The “beautiful eyes” comment brought her back down to earth. She looked down at herself. It wasn’t easy to even make that small move with her head with all the garb she had on. She had to admit that she may have overdone it a bit. She reached up and unwound the scarf around her chin and throat and said, “Yes, I’m Jyl.”
Still looking amused, he said, “I’m Grant. Vera sent me to pick you up.”
“Um … well …”—Jesus, Jyl, what is wrong with you?—”Thank you for coming, I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Are you ready?”
“Yes … yes, I’m ready.” She followed him over and once she was next to it, she realized that the Ranger was at least three or four feet off the ground because of the big snow tires. She tried to lift her leg up, but her winter gear and the heavy camera bag on her shoulder were weighing her down. Embarrassed and feeling her face flush, she looked over at Grant who looked more tickled than even before and wasn’t even trying not to show it. He might look like a god, but he was beginning to tick her off.
“Would you like some help?” His voice was so deep—everything about him exuded his masculinity. She felt like she could almost breathe it in. She also wished that she could tell him no. He was way too entertained by her situation. Unfortunately, there was no way she was going to be able to do this alone, and she very well might fall back on her hind end in the snow.
“Yes, please,” she forced out. She started to hand him her arm when she felt his big hands at her waist. He lifted her like she was a child and set her in the seat. She was still looking at him like he was crazy when he went around and got into the jeep on his side. He wasn’t fazed by it. He was grinning at her from a pair of sensuous lips that were parted just enough to give her a hint of the whitest teeth she’d ever seen. As if all that weren’t enough, he had dimples too. She had a hard time even being annoyed with him. All she wanted to do was look at him—indefinitely. God was having a very good day the day he created this one, she thought.
“So you’re a reporter?”
“No, a blogger.”
“It’s not the same thing?”
“No. Blogging is kind of like having a diary that everyone else has the key to. I get to write my feelings and opinions about things.”
“Oh, so you write down your thoughts and people read them and then …?”
“Most people blog about things dear to their hearts. They are hoping to convince someone to try something new or help someone out who is trying it, encourage them. In my case, my blog is about changing your life, and in the process, I’m hoping it will get popular enough to attract tourism to Shiloh Falls as well.”
“Hmm.” The cowboy didn’t seem to be impressed.
She was okay with that because she didn’t need his approval. She was confident in herself. If I did ask him for something it would be an 8x10 glossy of him to gaze at every now and then, she thought, laughing at herself as the thought ran through her brain. It really should be against the law thought for him to walk around looking so good.
She saw the lake come into view then. There were ten or fifteen little kiosks set up. People were carrying things from their cars, and some groups seemed to be doing stretches; others looked like they were just standing around talking and laughing. Grant stopped the Ranger and stepped out easily. She was jealous.
“Would you like some help getting down?”
Jyl looked at all of the people and knew she didn’t want to risk falling on her face in front of all of her new neighbors at once. “Yes, if you wouldn’t mind, please.” He came around to her side and she struggled to her feet. Before she could say anything, he reached up and grabbed her by her waist and swung her down. He stood her on her feet but when he let go of her, she started to slide over to the left side. He grabbed her again and this time he didn’t let go. She could feel everything inside of her opening up, speeding up, and pounding harder. His dark blue eyes were locked on to her own green ones and she couldn’t seem to tear them away.
“Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded. He smiled again. He was too close to her. She could feel his warm breath on her face and she could barely breathe. How could she be expected to form words and actually speak when every woman’s fantasy was in her personal space … and still holding on to her?
“You can let go,” she said in a shaky voice that didn’t even sound like her own.
He winked at her and dropped his hands. Turning toward the crowd of people milling about, he pointed to a blond-haired, middle-aged woman who was almost as bundled up as Jyl. “That’s Vera in the tan coat.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate your help.” He tipped his hat at her and winked again in what she thought was an arrogant way. Then he sauntered off to join another crowd of cowboys. With his back to her and those blue eyes focused elsewhere
, she could finally think halfway straight. What she was thinking was that he was a classic “bad boy” cowboy with probably a thousand broken hearts in his wake since he was old enough to break them. Jyl had no desire to be one of them. Her heart was still in a million pieces anyways. No thank you, not for me.
* * *
With a strange feeling, Grant walked away from the woman who looked like she was wearing a sleeping bag. He’d found himself oddly attracted to her although all he could see of her were her eyes. That coat and everything underneath it didn’t even hint at whether or not she had a shape. Her eyebrows were light, maybe red, which probably signified red or brown hair—unless she bleached it—so he really had as much clue about her hair color as he did her shape. The only thing he had seen were her eyes.
He’d never been attracted to just a pair of eyes before. But there were something about those eyes—they were green, a really dark shade of green, and he had wondered if she was wearing contact lenses when he first looked at her. She was staring at him, and although Grant was not a conceited guy, he was enough in tune with women to know that she was feeling it too. He glanced over his shoulder at her as she approached Vera. He would have to keep an eye on that one.
CHAPTER FIVE
After Jyl and Vera greeted each other, Vera went back to bossing everyone around and Jyl wandered around, taking a look at the kiosks that were just being set up and introducing herself to people. She snapped pictures here and there as she went as well. The teams all seemed to have some sort of theme or uniform they were wearing. One group of women was in flannel pajamas. She asked one of them if she could take her picture.
“Sure, are you a reporter?” The young woman who was wearing a pair of hot-pink polka-dot pajamas asked her.
I Saw Mommy Kissing A Cowboy (Cowboy Christmas Romance) Page 3