Christmas Gifts: Small Town ChristmasHer Christmas Cowboy

by Gail Gaymer Martin

  “You two were made for each other, Amy. But you need to see that for yourself.”

  The realization had slipped over her like a wispy cobweb. A small tickle that she brushed away. But trying to make sense of her feelings, the web had become a noose waiting to catch her unaware. Now that had vanished, and all she saw was a wonderful man with two amazing girls.

  Yet Mike hadn’t dated since his wife died. What made her assume he wanted anything serious? Maybe he only wanted a friend. Or someone to help him with the twins. She sipped her coffee, studying Grams’s face and hoping her grandmother’s wisdom would brush off on her. “I have until after Christmas to let them know my decision, so I need to give this careful thought. I can’t base my decision on Mike or what might happen between us.” And she couldn’t base her decision on two little girls who asked Santa for a mother. The thought prickled along her spine. She drew in a breath. “I need to learn my purpose, my path. You said that yourself.”

  “And also what brings you joy.”

  Joy. The answer slipped across her like a satin sheet, soft and gentle. She knew it wasn’t shopping or seeing a play. Last night, as they made ornaments, her heart sang. And when Mike kissed her, she’d been lost in his arms. If that wasn’t joy, she didn’t know what was.

  Chapter Ten

  Mike squeezed the glue bottle, watching it drip down the pinecone. He eyed Amy’s ornament, admiring her blend of gold and red glitter. Maybe he should do one with blue and silver. The girls had spent the morning, even before Amy arrived, gluing strips of construction paper into loops, one around the other. They’d created a long strand to drape around the tree.

  Amy held her ornament in the air, as if admiring it.

  He grinned, enjoying her enthusiasm. “Next year you’ll have your own booth at Maria Hall.” He gave her a wink. “How many more of these things are we going to make?”

  She motioned to the few pinecones left. “Let’s finish them. It’ll be beautiful.” She caught the girls’ attention at the other end of the dining room table. “And then we’ll go out and cut down a tree.”

  “Yippee!” They clapped their sticky hands and giggled at the mess they’d made.

  Mike looked over at the other decorations they’d already made—strings of alternating cranberries and popcorn—and smiled to himself. With Amy, there was never a dull moment. That was one thing he loved about her. He’d adored his wife, but her long illness after the girls were born slowed their time together to a crawl. Still he believed when God brought two people together, they were yoked as one, so each partner’s joys or sorrows spread over both.

  He gazed at Amy again. She’d been mum about her decision since she’d arrived earlier, and he’d decided to let the subject lie until she was ready to talk. But his prayers continued because he’d admitted the truth. She’d become more than a friend. He was in love with her. “Look, Daddy.”

  He swung his gaze to the twins who’d stretched the lengthy chain all the way through the living room doorway and halfway back. “Good job. I’m really proud how well you worked together.”

  They glowed as they gathered the loops and dropped them onto a living room chair.

  Ivy leaned against his shoulder. “Can we pick out a tree now?”

  He caught Amy’s gaze, and she nodded. He gestured to the bathroom. “Clean your hands first. Then put on your boots and coats. It’s been snowing all morning.”

  “I love snow.” Holly bounced past him toward the kitchen where they’d left their gear in the back entry.

  Amy admired another of her creations. “I guess we can save the last two for next year.” She motioned to the pinecones.

  We can. He loved the sound of “we.” Yet he cautioned himself from reading too much into her playful comment.

  He washed his hands in the kitchen sink, and when he slipped on his boots and coat, he met her by the front door ready to go. They headed outside, the girls running ahead, and Amy following behind them while he darted into the garage to find the saw. He’d cut only one tree from the woods while Laura was alive. After she saw it in the stand, she suggested the next year they purchase one from the lots that was trimmed and shaped. Now he would learn what Amy preferred.

  As he headed into the woods, laughter floated past him with the snowflakes. When he found them, all three were sprawled in the snow making snow angels. He stood over them and grinned. “I thought you were picking out a tree.”

  “Come on, we’re having fun.” Amy beckoned to him.

  Holly sat up and pointed to a sweep of fresh snow. “Make an angel, Daddy.”

  Amy’s laugh tickled him, and he plopped the saw on the ground and flung himself into the powdery crystals and spread his arms and legs as they had done. Happiness seeped through his body as certain as the icy crystals sent a chill to his bones. Before he could rise, Amy and the girls were standing over him, grins spread across their faces.

  “I wish I had a camera.” Amy held up her hands as if taking a picture. “Maybe next year.” Her smile made his heart pitch.

  He rose, noticing his giant snow angel compared to the other three, before he beckoned them deeper into the fir trees, treasuring his lighthearted feeling. They each darted in their own direction while he followed their footsteps zigzagging through the evergreens as he nixed Ivy’s ten-foot tree and Amy’s six-foot-wide one. He listened for Holly’s voice and followed her to a stand of beautiful spruces. Behind him, Amy and Ivy bounded to his side, and they all stopped, each gazing at the same tree. The lovely six-foot tree with well-shaped branches looked perfect. “What do you think?” he asked.

  Everyone agreed. His spirit high, Mike knelt in the snow and drew the blade across the base, digging deeper into the trunk until he saw it wobble. “Can you catch it, Amy?”

  She darted to the far side and grabbed it as it broke loose. “It’s perfect.”

  Holly headed off, her voice sailing back to them. “I’ll get the stand, Daddy. I know where it is.”

  “Me, too.”

  As Ivy sped away, he stood beside Amy, wrapped in the greatest joy he’d felt in years. “You’ve done wonders for those girls. I can’t thank you enough.”

  She rested her hand on his arm. “I can’t thank you enough either.”

  “For what?”

  “For being you.”

  She lowered her eyes a moment, and when she lifted them, Mike looked into their depths and wished he had something brilliant to say. He stood in silence as snowflakes drifted past, catching on her long lashes.

  Amy touched his cheek. “And for letting me learn to be me.” Her gaze moved to his lips and he answered her with a kiss as the tree sank to the ground. When Amy’s arm slipped across his back, he drew her closer, feeling her warmth seeping to his heart.

  The kiss broke, but she remained in his embrace.

  She tilted her head back, looking in his eyes. “I suppose we’d better get inside. The girls will be out here any minute.”

  “You know them too well.” He grasped the tree trunk and slipped one arm around her back as they moved through the drifting flakes.

  Amy stood back admiring the tree and the man who was holding up his daughter so she could place the angel on top. The decision that had weighed on her for so long now seemed a feather.

  As she hung the strings of cranberries and popcorn and helped the family drape the long chain of colorful paper hoops around the branches, her mind stayed on their kiss in the snow-covered woods. This blue-and-white house with the loving family inside had taught her more about herself than she’d ever learned on her own.

  “What do you think?” Mike moved beside her. “Not bad, huh?”

  She gazed at him instead of the tree. “Not bad at all.” He grinned, but she wasn’t sure if he’d caught on or not.

  Ivy dangled a pinecone ornament from her finger. “What about this one?”

  “You hid it.” Holly put her arms on her hips. “I thought the angel was the last one.”

  Mike chuckled. “Yo
u did a good job putting on the angel, Holly. See how straight and special it is? But Ivy finally pulled a fast one on you.” He beckoned her with his index finger. “Let’s put on the last pinecone.”

  She nodded and looked at the tree for a moment before she settled on a place to hang it. “Now it’s perfect.”

  Slipping his arm around Ivy, he drew Holly into an embrace. “Here are my two wonderful girls who are growing up too fast.”

  As they nestled to his side, Amy stood back, her heart ready to burst. “You all did a good job.”

  Ivy slipped from beneath Mike’s arm and came to her side. “The old-fashioned tree was your idea.” She gave Amy a hug.

  Tears pulsated behind Amy’s eyes. The girls she’d considered bad seeds had become blossoming flowers, thriving on love.

  Holly, not to be outdone, skipped toward her, too, and added another hug.

  She squeezed back. “Thank you. I had as much fun as you did.”

  Mike checked his watch. “And now it’s time for two young ladies to go to bed.” He shooed them away. “You’ll see Amy tomorrow at church, right?”

  He lifted an eyebrow her way, and she nodded.

  He grinned. “How about some coffee and a piece of my homemade pie?” He leaned closer. “And I wanted to talk about,” he whispered, “the girls’ birthday.”

  She settled on the sofa, her legs curled beneath her, and her focus on the tree. It had turned out better than she’d imagined, and she wished they had time to make eggshell ornaments. Maybe another year.

  Another year. The decision she’d been trying to make had begun to make itself. She leaned her head against the cushion and closed her eyes. Pure comfort. Since she’d arrived in Harrisville, her life had found its own rhythm, slower and steadier but with a great beat. The frenetic pace of Chicago, once under her skin, had lured her with all its excitement, but she’d found a new kind of energy here, an exhilaration she’d never felt before.

  “Here you go.”

  She opened her eyes and found Mike standing over her with the coffee and pie. “Thanks.”

  A curious look grew on his face. “Thinking?”

  She nodded. “About Harrisville, a small town that’s made a big impression on me.”

  He settled beside her. “A big impression? Really?”

  “Everything keeps falling into place and I sense the Lord is showing me my path.”

  He swept his fingers through his hair. “I don’t quite understand.”

  She set her cup on the coffee table. “I’ve spent years letting my parents’ problems hang over me like a shroud, and I think God is telling me to let it go. I couldn’t solve their problems years ago, and I can’t solve them now. My mom’s gone, and my dad’s found a new life. And that’s what I need. I’ve decided to stay in Harrisville and make it my home.”

  He drew back, his eyes widening. “Wow! Amy, I…” His sagging jaw closed to a smile.

  “You’re speechless.”

  “I guess I am.” He shook his head. “I know you’ve been struggling with your decision, but today I really hoped… You seem relaxed and—”

  “Happy.”

  “Happy, and now you’ve made me happy.”

  She brushed her hand over his cheek. “You deserve to be happy, Mike. You’ve had a difficult three years, raising two girls alone. Two lovely girls, I might add.”

  His expression grew tender. “And I give you credit for that.”

  “I did a few things that helped, I suppose, but you’re a wonderful dad.” She gave his cheek a gentle touch. “I’m anxious to know about the girls’ birthday. Did you plan something special?”

  He grasped his coffee cup and chuckled while a guilty look grew on his face. “I mentioned the girls’ birthday to keep you here. I wasn’t sure I’d tempted you with the coffee and pie. “

  “Did you?”

  “I really did, and I’m glad.”

  “You.” She gave his arm a playful punch. As his coffee sloshed onto his pants, she jumped back. “Mike, I’m so sorry.”

  He patted the hot spot. “Don’t worry about it.” He grinned and set the cup on the side table. “What would you like to do for their birthday?”

  She shifted on her side, leaning her shoulder against the cushion. “It’s up to you, but because it’s on a Saturday, let’s plan something fun for the afternoon.”

  “I already did.”

  “What?”

  “It’s a surprise.” He tapped her nose with his finger. “I’ve been working on it.”

  “Working on it?” Her mind skittered with questions, her curiosity rising. A surprise for her, too. That seemed unnecessary. Yet her pulse picked up speed in anticipation.

  “You’ll see.” He put a finger over his lips. “I’m not talking.”

  “Come on, tell me.” She leaned over to tickle him. Instead his expression halted her, as his gaze captured hers. Even though he refused to say a word, his eyes told her he planned to do something much better. She slipped into his arms, his lips touching hers. She could wait to find out about the birthday but not for his kisses.

  “Wait until you see what I bought the twins for their birthday.” Amy stepped into the kitchen carrying shopping bags.

  Her grandmother looked over her shoulder and grinned. “You sound as excited as a kid.”

  “I can’t help it.” She dropped the packages on the table. “We only had a half day at school today, so I drove to Saginaw.”

  “All that way?” Grams shook her head.

  She dived into the largest bag. “Look.” She pulled out two rectangle boxes and turned them to face her grandmother.

  “Dolls. They’re darling.”

  “These are special dolls. They come with books and clothes. I picked up a couple of their outfits for the girls’ Christmas gifts.” She pointed. “This is Rebecca from 1914, and this one is Molly from 1944. I hope they like them.”

  Grams chuckled. “Any little girl would.” She motioned toward the dining room. “I’m having a birthday lunch for them. I talked with Mike.”

  “Great.” She gazed at the purchases again and slipped them back into the bag. “Better hide these. You never know when the girls will show up to see you.”

  Grams shook her head. “Me? You’re number one in their eyes.”

  A sweet sensation washed over her as she carried the packages into her room. To safeguard, Amy shoved them into the closet before pulling off her coat. She reached into her pocket and dug out her cell phone, and when she did, a text message appeared on the screen.

  She peered at it wondering how she’d missed the beeps. She tossed the cell on the bed and hung her coat on a hook in the closet. After slipping off her shoes, she tucked her feet into her fuzzy slippers, then sank onto the bed. She hit the cell phone button and worked her way to the message.

  Her heart plummeted. The assistant superintendent of schools in Chicago. Her hands trembled as she gripped the phone.

  Job openings are available in several elementary schools in Chicago. Please contact me ASAP for more details. We want to welcome you back.

  Job openings. Chicago. She checked her watch. It was too late to call now. She reread the message, her heart beating through her chest. She sank onto the pillow, tears blurring her eyes. This is what she’d waited to hear, and now that her wish had been answered, it tore at her heart. Life in Chicago beckoned her. Her friends. Her job. The life she’d known.

  But instead of relief, she ached. In the past few days, she’d made a decision, but now the phone call added a new twist. She closed her eyes as her mind wrapped around the laughter of two little girls who’d grown to care about her, and she, them. Mike’s strong arms flooded her memory. Them tumbling into the fall leaves. The tree-lighting and his singing. The hayride. The snow angels. The walk in the woods. Their kisses among the pines.

  Tears fell, rolling down her cheeks, her mind tugging one way and then the other. She realized that Chicago would always hold a place in her heart.

 
She squeezed her eyes together and drew in a deep breath. She’d made her decision.

  Chapter Eleven

  Amy rolled into Mike’s garage on the snowmobile with Ivy clinging to her back. She turned off the motor and released her tight grip from the handlebars. As they came to a stop, the girls’ giggles delighted her. They’d been so excited when they opened their first gifts, the snowmobile suits and helmets. They didn’t ask questions but hurried off to get ready, although Ivy tripped over the suit as she ran. Amy grinned. The birthday surprise had been a success—and a surprise for her, too. But she nearly panicked facing an afternoon on a snowmobile. She’d never driven one before.

  Ivy hopped off the sled, and the two girls darted for the house anxious for their other gifts. She couldn’t wait to give them the dolls, but the impending issue sent her emotions haywire. She would tell Mike today about the new job offer, but when? She didn’t want to distract from the girls’ birthday with her news.

  She slipped off Laura’s helmet and climbed off, wearing Mike’s too-big bib and parka. She looked like the abominable snowman in his gear. When he faced her, he laughed again.

  Amy shook her finger. “This wasn’t my idea.”

  He slipped his arm around her back. “Thanks for going along with it. These two sleds have been sitting here since before the girls were born. I started tuning them up a while ago, hoping one day I could use them again with someone.”

  His admission wended its way to her heart. “I had no idea what I was doing, and I had one of your daughters on the back.”

  “I knew you’d do great.”

  They stepped through the garage door, and she walked ahead as he closed it. As she stepped inside, the girls’ voices sailed from their bedroom, and she moved into the half bath to slip back into her clothes. Her cheeks burned from the crisp wind, and so did her heart. The confusion she’d faced had ended, and only telling Mike and the girls was left.

  When she walked into the kitchen, Mike stood beside the counter. “I’m making coffee, and the girls voted for pizza.” He beckoned her to the living room where the girls were seated close to the lighted Christmas tree, the homemade ornaments warming her heart. Their birthday packages lay next to them.