Grant suddenly had a funny look on his face, and Jyl didn’t understand what he meant when he said, “Damn! Another missed opportunity.”
“Excuse me?”
He grinned. “Never mind. I’ll make up for it. So, small world, huh?”
“Yeah. I like Kat a lot. I like Scott too, but I don’t know him as well.”
“Kat does most of the talking and socializing in the family. My brother is a bit of an introvert. He prefers being out on the ranch or on the back of his horse to socializing with people any day of the week. Being the center of attention never was his thing.”
“The two of you are worlds apart, then?” she said with a smile.
He laughed. “I can’t even argue that point with you.” He finished what was in his cup and said, “As much as I hate to go back out there, I better. Thank you for the coffee.”
“Thank you for not laughing at me.”
He grinned. She melted.
“I would never,” he said.
She walked him to the door and watched until he got into his patrol car. Then she closed and locked the door and leaned up against it. He made her dizzy. She hadn’t felt like that over a man since … Josh. She went back into the kitchen and poured another cup of coffee. Going back into the living room, she sat down in front of the computer and pulled up the blog and began to type:
It’s very late here in Shiloh Falls, Colorado, but I thought I should write this post while it was fresh in my mind. Tonight I had cause to call the police. At the time I called them, I firmly believed it was an emergency. As it turned out, I was just being welcomed to Shiloh Falls by the animal kingdom. But as this was my second experience with the sheriff’s office here in town since my arrival, I wanted to mention a few things. I’m a New Yorker, born and bred. Although I love my city and will always hold it dear to my heart, there is so much to be said for country living. I’ve had one officer escort me down dangerous roads and now another rescue me from the terror of raccoons. Neither of these gentlemen treated me like I was “less than” because I needed a little help. They both presented themselves as professionals and on both occasions I was encouraged to call them again if I needed anything else. I can tell you that it’s a rare day when a cop in New York encourages people to call the police for anything less than assault or murder. I would have been on my own in the snow and I would have been at the mercy of the woodland creatures had I been in the city.
So with that being said, we often forget to say thank you for the small stuff. By that, I mean all the things they do that don’t involve murder and mayhem. So from the bottom of my heart to the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department, thank you.
Jyl re-read the post and then clicked save. She giggled to herself as she thought about how she should have added, Thank you for having the hottest police anywhere, and then she shut the computer down and went to bed … to toss and turn for another night.
CHAPTER NINE
Grant was off shift by the time he left Jyl’s house. The truth be told, he was going off shift when the call came in. He heard the address and knew that was the house where he’d dropped her off that day after the Polar Plunge. He’d taken the call with only fifteen minutes to go in his shift, and he’d spent at least an hour there. He wasn’t sure what it was about her, but since the first time he’d seen her all wrapped up like an Eskimo with nothing but her pretty face poking out, he’d been hooked.
He had met a lot of women and had dated quite a few of them. None of them had affected him the way that she did. The physical chemistry was palpable, but it wasn’t the chemistry that he was confused by. It was a compelling need to protect and care for this woman who by all means did not seem like the type of woman who “needed” a man in her life to do that. He finally fell asleep just before the sun came up, with Jyl on his mind. When he woke up several hours later, she was still there.
He was something that he rarely ever was that morning—ambivalent. He wanted to know her better, and going over to check for signs of raccoon invasion and repair the damages they’d already done seemed like a way in. Then there was that part of him that pictured that little boy, Gabriel’s face and thought, “Do I really want to get involved with a woman who has a kid?”
He loved kids and had always wanted his own family, so the fact that she had one wasn’t a problem in that sense. The problem in his mind was his history. He had a history of losing interest just about the time the woman decided he was the man she’d been looking for her entire life. He eased his own conscience by telling himself that it wasn’t an issue with commitment that caused him to break up with them just about the time they wanted to get married. Instead, in his mind, it was because if he was the least bit hesitant about marrying her, it was simply that she wasn’t the one he was supposed to be with. He didn’t want to ever go through a divorce. He didn’t want kids that were shuffled back and forth between parents. He wanted forever, but in order to find that, you had to be willing to put yourself out there. He could live with being responsible for an adult female’s temporary heartache, but the heartache of a child was a different story altogether.
Grant wished that he’d gotten Jyl’s phone number before he had left last night. He wasn’t sure how she was going to feel about him just showing up on her doorstep today, even though he had made it clear he would come over and take a look at things for her today. He considered calling Kat to get her number, but then he’d have to explain himself to the entire Underwood crew. By the time he got out of the shower and dressed, he had decided to just stop by with his toolbox and if she seemed like she didn’t want him there, he would go. She had already turned him down for a date once. When they first met, she didn’t even seem to like him much, but last night he had gotten the distinct impression that she was feeling the same attraction he was.
Twenty minutes later he found himself on her front doorstep, toolbox in hand. He rang the doorbell and a few seconds later the door was opened—by his sister-in-law.
“Kat? What are you doing here?”
She raised her eyebrows, and the corners of her mouth quirked up in a grin. “I was invited to my friend’s home for a visit. What are you doing here, Grant?”
He lifted the toolbox and said, “I came by to help her out. She had some raccoon problems last night.”
Again she lifted an eyebrow. “You were here last night too?”
“I was on duty and she called the police.”
“Yeah, she told me.”
“Then why did you ask?”
“Because I found it really funny when she said that it was after midnight when she got Gabriel back to bed and you were still here—don’t you get off at eleven?”
“Eleven thirty.”
“Oh, well that’s still not midnight.”
“Is Jyl here?”
“Yep. She’s up in the loft with the boys. They needed help building an army base out of Legos.” Grant smiled and she continued, “Wow, you’ve got the moony look and everything. I told you that you should have stayed for dinner that night.”
He rolled his eyes at her and said, “Can we maybe continue the inquisition inside or—”
She laughed. “I’m sorry. I forgot you were still standing in the cold.” She stepped back to let him in and said, “I think it’s cute. Jyl’s a really nice lady.”
“Drop it, Cupid. I’m just here to help the lady out.”
“Right …”
“Hey, Kat, did I hear the door?” Jyl came around the corner. She was dressed in a pair of faded jeans with a hole in the knee and a pullover sweatshirt that said N.Y.U. on the front. But what stopped him in his tracks was that hair. There were masses of it in wild red ringlets everywhere, hanging all the way down to her waist. He felt his mouth go dry and a fire ignite in the pit of his stomach. He had a driving urge to wrap his hands up in it and …
“Oh, hi,” she said when she saw him.
“Hi. I came to take a look at that roof and the back door for you,” and at you. God, you’re beauti
ful. She glanced at Kat like she was nervous or worried about what she might be thinking. Kat had that smug, amused look on her face that made Grant want to divorce her from his brother.
“Oh, wow. That’s so nice of you.”
“Uncle Grant!” Thank God for kids. They broke the awkwardness of the situation.
“Hey punk!” He picked up David and swung him over his head. The four-year-old Heath was hanging on his leg, and Scotty and Gabriel were standing in the doorway.
“Uncle Grant, why are you here?” Scotty asked.
“He’s a policeman,” Gabriel said.
“He’s our uncle,” Heath told him.
“He’s a policeman.”
“Okay, let’s break this up before it turns into a mob,” Kat said. “Did you boys finish cleaning up like I asked you to? Now that Jyl filled our bellies, we have cattle to feed.”
“Grant, come on in,” Jyl told him. “I’m sorry. We’re all standing in the doorway here.”
“Because my heathens attacked,” Kat said. “Boys, you stay here so I can get your coats and boots back on.” Grant gave all three of the boys a hug and had to promise them at least ten times each that he would come by the house soon. He kissed Kat and then told Jyl, “I’ll be out back for a bit. Do you have a ladder?”
“I think I saw one in the garage. I’ll look—”
“No, stay here where it’s warm. I’ll find it.” He winked at her. She blushed. He wondered if it was too much and reminded himself to cool it a little bit. She’d already turned him down for a date; he didn’t want to come on too strong and scare her completely away. He went out through the door in the kitchen where the raccoons had tried to break in and as he swung it closed behind him, he realized that he wasn’t alone. “Hey! I’m sorry, Gabe, did I get you with that door?”
Gabe shook his head.
“You shouldn’t come out here, buddy. It’s freezing. You don’t even have your jacket on.”
“I thought you were a policeman.”
Grant set his toolbox down and squatted so he was eye level with the boy. “I am.”
“Heath and Scotty said you’re their uncle.”
Grant smiled. “I’m that too. Being a policeman is my job. Being Heath and Scotty and David’s uncle … well, they’re my family … like you and your mom.” He wasn’t sure what the situation was with Gabriel’s father, so he didn’t want to go there. Gabriel went there himself.
“My daddy was a soldier.”
Grant caught the “was” and the sad look on the boy’s face. He winced, not knowing exactly how to approach that. Finally he said, “Being a soldier is really cool. That’s even better than being a cop.”
“It is?”
“Yep. I protect everyone in this town we live in, but soldiers … they protect everyone in all of the towns and cities in all of the states.”
“My daddy was brave.”
Grant nodded. “I bet he was. You have to be in order to be a soldier.” He suddenly and selfishly realized, wondered, how he could ever compete with that.
“He died.” That was what Grant was afraid he was going to say. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach at the look on the little boy’s face.
“Wow, Gabe … that’s tough. I’m really sorry to hear that.”
“Mommy cries a lot.”
“Gabriel, what are you telling Mr. Underwood?”
Grant looked up and saw Jyl standing in the doorway. He stood up and patted the little boy on the head. “He was just telling me about his dad. He sounds like a really brave guy.”
He cursed himself inside his head when he saw her eyes begin to glisten with tears. “I’m sorry,” she said. He wasn’t sure what she was apologizing for. “Gabe, why don’t you go in and wash up and I’ll get you a snack. Mr. Underwood is busy.”
“Will you get us a Christmas tree?”
Her face was bright red. “Gabriel! We talked about that. Go wash your hands now, okay?”
Grant winked at him and Gabe ran off. She looked at Grant and again said, “I’m sorry.”
He smiled. “I’m not sure why you’re apologizing. He’s a great kid. And for the record, I happen to know where the best Christmas trees in this county are hiding.”
She gave him an embarrassed smile. “He seems to think that Mama can’t handle cutting down a Christmas tree.”
“Well, I for one am sure she can. But I do have one thing that you don’t.” She raised an eyebrow and he laughed. “Not that one thing, a pickup. Shame on you.” Her face got even redder, if that was possible. She was trying to sputter that that wasn’t what she was thinking. He thought it was adorable. “I’m going to get to work. You think about using my … um … pickup and let me know.” He winked at her again; he just couldn’t help himself.
He watched her go after her son and he realized when she was gone that he was holding his breath.
CHAPTER TEN
When she got down the hall to help Gabe wash up, Jyl was aware that her insides were shaking. Why does this man have such an effect on me? She found Gabe on his stool in front of the sink. “Hey, little man, I thought we settled this last night. You and I can get a tree by ourselves.”
“Don’t you like him, Mama? He’s a policeman and he’s Heath’s uncle.”
“I like him, baby. I’m just sure he has a lot to do—”
“We can go when he’s not busy.”
She smiled and shook her head. Her stubborn son wasn’t going to give in on this one. Her best course of action was going to be to change the subject. “You want to make some chocolate-chip cookies?”
The Christmas tree and Grant were forgotten, for the moment. After Gabe had washed up, they made cookies and hot chocolate. She could hear the sounds of Grant moving around overhead and outside the door the whole time. She waited until the cookies were ready before going over to the door and opening it. He was coming down the ladder. His face was bright red and his jacket was soaking wet from the melting snow. “Hey, come in and warm up for a few minutes. Gabe and I made cookies.”
He grinned. She wished it didn’t do things to her. “I just finished up, but even if I hadn’t, I have never been known to turn down cookies.” She left the door open for him and went back inside.
Gabriel ran over when he heard Grant stomping the snow off his boots. When he pulled off his jacket, the little boy grabbed it and said, “I’ll put it in the dryer.”
Jyl and Grant made eye contact and he smiled. “Well thanks, little man, but you don’t have to do that.”
“It’s how Mama warms ours up.”
Grant looked at her again and she got that warm rush through her body. “He’s right. Here, give it to me. I’ll put it in. Do you want a towel for your hair? Where’s your hat?”
He reached up and touched his wet hair as if he had just realized he didn’t have it on. “Oh wow, I must have left it in the truck. I don’t need a towel though, I’m okay.”
“Gabriel, go get Mr. Underwood a towel while I put this in the dryer.” She took the jacket and said, “I’ll be right back. Come in and close the door. There’s hot cocoa in that pan on the stove.”
“You’re kind of cute when you’re bossy,” he told her with a grin. She rolled her eyes at him and took the jacket down to the basement where the washer and dryer were. Just as she was about to put the jacket in the dryer she suddenly had a flashback: the last Christmas Josh had been with them. There had been a little incline in their backyard, and he had wanted to take Gabriel out to toboggan. Gabriel was really little and she hadn’t been happy with the idea.
“He’s too small. He’ll get hurt.”
“He won’t get hurt, baby. I’ll keep my feet on the ground. I’d never let my little man get hurt.”
“He’ll catch his death in cold.”
Josh smiled at her. God she had loved that smile. “Tell you what, let’s put his jacket and his hat and gloves in the dryer and get them nice and toasty before we put them on him. I promise to bring him back inside as soon as t
hey start to cool off.”
After that, putting the jacket in the dryer had been somewhat of a tradition for the little family.
She shook off the melancholy and rejoined Grant in the kitchen. He was sitting at the table with Gabriel and he had a towel wrapped around his neck and a cookie in his hand. He looked perfectly at home in her kitchen and Gabe looked completely infatuated with him.
She fixed herself a mug of hot cocoa and sat down at the table with them. “So,” she said, “Gabe seems to have his heart set on you going with us to get a Christmas tree. If you’re too busy, though—”
“I’d love to,” he said with a grin and another wink. She wished he would stop that; it turned her insides into jelly. “I’m off again tomorrow. I’m actually on vacation the rest of this week. How does tomorrow sound?”
“Yeah!” Gabe was jumping up and down.
She laughed. “Okay, tomorrow is fine.”
“If you two don’t have any other plans tomorrow, maybe we could take the sleds out too.”
“Sleds! I want to go sledding! Please, Mama!”
She shuddered. She’d just been thinking about Josh sledding with his son. Is this like being unfaithful to his memory? She wasn’t sure, but both Grant and Gabe were staring at her, so really what was she going to say at that point? “Um … yeah, I guess that will be okay.”
“Perfect. We’ll make a day of it. Maybe we could swing by the mall and see Santa while we’re out?”
“Santa Claus! We have to go, Mama, please!”
She looked at Grant over Gabe’s head. He was pushing the limits. He’d asked her out to dinner and she’d turned him down. Now he was in her kitchen, eating homemade cookies and making plans to spend the next day with her and her son. This guy was smooth. She could tell that he was very used to getting what he wanted. Her son was looking at her with big, pleading eyes, though.
“Okay, I guess a stop to see Santa wouldn’t hurt.”
I Saw Mommy Kissing A Cowboy (Cowboy Christmas Romance) Page 6