Cowboy Christmas Jubilee

by Dylann Crush

  The short conversation with his mom the other day had gotten him thinking. Even when he thought he’d been putting Kenzie first, he hadn’t. He’d done the best he could without Lori Lynne. But now his little girl was growing up. She needed more female influences in her life. With his mom and dad making plans to travel more and Charlie and Beck about to have a baby of their own, it was time he stopped relying on his family for everything.

  Kenzie needed help with her reading, and there was no telling how long it would take for her to get a tutor through school. She and Jinx had obviously formed some sort of bond. If Kenzie was willing to work with Jinx, he wouldn’t have to be the bad guy anymore. They could spend their free time doing the things they loved together, instead of him forcing her to work on flash cards and being held accountable to the damn reading timer so much.

  Jinx fiddled with a coaster. “All I have to do is help Kenzie with her reading?”

  So suspicious. For a split second, his ice-cold heart thawed toward Jinx. Who had hurt her so much that she couldn’t take his words at face value?

  “Yep. Don’t get too excited. The bunkhouse is a mess. No one’s stayed there for years. It’s probably full of snakes and spiders. And helping Kenzie won’t be much of a picnic either. She’s stubborn as a mule and has the attention span of a gnat.”

  A soft laugh escaped her lips. “Sounds good to me. When do I start?” She tilted her chin up and met his gaze. He could see the doubt in her clear gray eyes.

  “You have plans tomorrow morning?”

  “Nothing except for getting kicked out of my apartment.”

  “Okay then.” He slapped a palm against the bar. “Kenzie and I will pick you up at Dixie’s at, say, ten?”

  She nodded.

  “Good. Then we can go check it out.”

  * * *

  The truck bounced over the washed-out dirt road leading to the abandoned bunkhouse. It sat in a clearing about half a mile from Cash’s place, but he hadn’t been inside for a couple of years.

  The screen on the long front porch had a few holes, possibly places where something had chewed through to get inside. Nothing that couldn’t be fixed up quick. He held the door open for Jinx and Kenzie as they stomped up the steps and stood on the porch.

  “What’s that smell, Daddy?” Kenzie pinched her nose.

  “We’ll see.” He held his breath as the old wooden door swung inward. The building was fairly basic. A room full of bunk beds sat to the left, a small kitchen area and living room to the right. They’d added running water and a bathroom to an addition off the back a few decades ago. It wasn’t anything special and not somewhere he’d want to spend a lot of time, but it sure as hell had to be better than a tent, especially at this time of year.

  Jinx didn’t say a word, just took it all in, slowly spinning in a circle in the middle of the space.

  “Think this will work?” he asked, searching for the source of the foul smell. It was like something died a while ago and had been decaying ever since.

  She smiled, a genuine, no-holds-barred kind of smile. “This is great, but I can’t accept it.”

  “What do you mean you can’t accept it? I’m not giving it to you, just offering you a place to stay until your bike gets fixed.”

  The smile on her face contradicted her refusal. “It’s too much. Maybe we could work something out where I pay you a little rent and you let me keep my tent set up—”

  “The spot where you had your tent is under eighteen inches of water right now.” He clenched a fist, then released it. Why was she so reluctant to take any help? “Besides, it’s November. Your sleeping bag looks like it’s only rated to about forty degrees. Give it another week or two, and you’ll be freezing your ass off out there.”

  “Curse jar, Daddy!” Kenzie skipped around them in a circle.

  “Kenzie, honey, can you stop running around?”

  Her boots stopped clomping over the wooden floor. “Can I go play outside?” Her fingers still pinched her nose shut, so the nasal tone of her voice made him smile.

  Jinx let out a chuckle and shuffled her feet while she appeared to mull over his valid argument.

  Cash ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Yeah. Just stay close, okay?”

  Kenzie scampered off, Hendrix at her heels, leaving him and Jinx alone.

  “All I need to do is help Kenzie with her reading?” Jinx glanced up at him, her eyes reflecting a mixture of wariness and hope.

  Who was this woman, and what had happened to her to make her so skittish? “Yeah. That’s what I said. What, did you think a repeat of last week would be part of the deal too?”

  She looked away.

  “Hey.” Cash lowered his voice. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. What happened before… I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  “Good.” She moved to the dustcover draped over the long, wooden kitchen table. “I’ll help Kenzie with her reading, but I still want to pay you rent. Otherwise, the deal’s off.”

  “Fine.” He held out a hand. “Should we shake on it?”

  Her bracelets jangled together as she slid her hand in his. “Thanks for this.” Her gaze met his, her eyes shiny like they were holding back tears.

  The momentary glimpse behind her walls lasted only a second, maybe even less, before she pulled her hand away. But he’d seen it. There was something underneath her armor. Something soft behind the ink, the metal, the attitude.

  “Yeah. You’re welcome. I’ve got some stuff up at the house we can use to start cleaning this place up. Why don’t Kenzie and I run back and get it?”

  “That would be great.” She shook her head, like she wanted to shake any kind of emotion away.

  “Back in a bit.” Before he said something stupid and scared her off, he called for Kenzie and made for the truck.

  * * *

  Half an hour later, he pulled up in front of the bunkhouse again. Jinx had opened all the windows to air the place out. Music drifted out the open front door. He stood on the porch for a moment, enjoying the sound of a strumming guitar. But where in the hell had she found that? As he entered the front room, the music stopped. Jinx sat on the edge of the couch, holding a crappy old guitar in her lap.

  Kenzie spun into the room behind him, clapping her hands together in time to the beat.

  “Don’t stop on account of me.” Cash gestured to the guitar. “You know how to play?”

  Jinx stood and set the guitar on the couch. “Just a little. My dad taught me when I was a kid. But I haven’t played in years. I found this in the bunk room. Do you mind if I mess around on it?”

  Cash moved closer to get a better look. The guitar must have been left by one of the ranch hands. The last time anyone stayed in the bunkhouse had been over a decade ago. “Have at it.”

  “Thanks.” The smile she gave him was worth at least twenty old guitars. Finally, something breached that wall of bitter sarcasm she’d built. She should smile more often. It softened her hard edges, put a shine in her eyes. He thought about telling her that, but figured if he did, she’d make sure she never gave him another genuine smile as long as he lived.

  So instead, he took a look around the bunkhouse. In the short time he’d been gone, it already looked better. The dustcovers had been removed from all the furniture and sat folded in a pile by the door. She’d found some cleaning supplies somewhere and had already wiped down the counters and table. The smell of lemon and thick dust hung in the air. A little elbow grease and effort were all it would take.

  “Here’s the stuff I picked up when I packed your tent.” Cash set her small bundle of belongings on the table.

  “Thanks.”

  “You sure travel light.” He wasn’t big on material things, but even he’d have to have more than a few days’ worth of clothes to make the kind of trip Jinx had undertaken.

  �
��I shipped the rest of my stuff to my girlfriend’s place. Thought I wouldn’t need much just to make the drive.” She shrugged. “I don’t suppose there’s a washing machine or dryer hiding in one of these closets?”

  “You can use the laundry room at my place if you have anything to wash.”

  “Thanks. By the way, I found the source of the smell. Might have been a possum at one point. It’s in a bag out front.”

  “It does smell much better in here, doesn’t it, Kenz?”

  “Much.” Kenzie nodded her head. “Show her what you got her, Daddy.”

  He set a laundry basket down on the table. “So I brought you some stuff. A set of sheets, some towels. Even found a couple of things in the back of the closet that might fit until you have a chance to do laundry or pick up some clothes.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine with my sleeping bag and planned on going into town later today to get some clothes.”

  “Just take it, okay? I don’t need any of it and was planning on getting rid of it anyway.” Why couldn’t the woman just say thanks and accept a little help?

  “I don’t need your charity, you know.”

  “It’s not charity. You’re saving me a trip into town to drop off the donation, all right?”

  She rolled her eyes but wandered over to pick through the basket. “Fine.”

  Good. At least that was settled. He’d feel better knowing she at least had a set of sheets out here. “I’ve got to fill out some paperwork. How about I pick you up about five thirty?”

  Her brow furrowed. “For what?”

  “Dinner at the big house. Mom called and invited you. Kenzie will go nuts if you tell her you’re not coming.”

  Kenzie tugged at his leg. “Daddy, can I stay with Jinx?”

  Cash glanced toward Jinx, gauging her response.

  Jinx shrugged. “She can keep an eye on Hendrix while I sweep the place out. If that’s okay with you?”

  He bit back the instinctive no on the tip of his tongue. If Jinx was going to be spending a lot of time with his daughter, he’d have to extend some degree of trust. He’d be home, just a few hundred yards away. And Jinx didn’t have a vehicle, so it wasn’t like she could take off with her or anything. “Sure. Kenzie, you be a good listener, okay?”

  She nodded.

  With a weird feeling settling in his chest, he turned toward the door. Right before he walked through to the porch, he spun around. Kenzie held both of Jinx’s hands in hers, swinging them back and forth, beaming up at her. Kenzie deserved a friend, but hopefully she wouldn’t get too attached.

  She was only two when her mother had taken off. She didn’t remember what it felt like to be left behind. But he did. Since then, he’d sworn not to be stupid enough to let himself be dragged through that kind of emotional hell again. He could protect himself, knew how to stifle any threat of feelings or attachment. But he feared for his daughter. Feared that if she got too close to Jinx, her little heart might shatter when the time came for Jinx to move on. Jinx wouldn’t be around long enough for Kenzie to get too close. And if all she was doing was helping her with her reading, he’d have to make sure that didn’t happen. For Kenzie’s sake…and his.

  Chapter Ten

  By the time Cash was due to return, Jinx had scrubbed the top layer of dust off every surface inside the rustic log building, including the walls. She’d made up the lower bunk closest to the window so she could wake up every morning and look out on the woods. The creek she’d camped by ran close to the back of the bunkhouse, and the sound of gurgling water played as background music. The accommodations might have been sparse, but she’d be more than comfortable here—more comfortable than she could remember being anywhere else over the past several years.

  “What do you think?” She turned to Kenzie, who had done a fine job of smearing window cleaner all over the lower panes of glass.

  “I think it’s better.” The little girl’s face conveyed the doubt she must have felt inside.

  Jinx smiled. “Yep, much better than it was. We’d better get cleaned up. Your dad’s going to be here soon.”

  Kenzie picked through the basket Cash had brought over. “Are you gonna wear one of these?”

  “Oh. I’m not usually a big fan of dresses. How about you?”

  “Sometimes. Aunt Charlie wears dresses now. So she has room for the baby.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t need room for a baby, so maybe I’ll stick to my leggings.”

  Kenzie made a sour face like she’d sucked on a pickle. “You’re all dirty.”

  Jinx evaluated the once-black leggings that had turned gray from cleaning. “Yeah, you’re right. Okay, let’s see how bad these dresses are.”

  Fifteen minutes later, she’d taken a quick, ice-cold shower in the unheated bathroom and towel-dried her hair. Standing over the two least offensive options, she asked Kenzie, “What do you think?”

  “I like the pink one.” Kenzie fingered the flowy, pink skirt of the dress on the left.

  “Of course you do.” Jinx remembered how enamored Kenzie had been with Dixie’s apartment. “I think the blue one suits me better.” Jinx held the hanger up in front of her. With a belt and a long-sleeve T-shirt underneath, it might be doable.

  Heavy footsteps sounded on the porch, followed by a knock on the front door. “Kenzie? Jinx? Y’all ready?”

  “Daddy’s back!” Kenzie hopped off the bunk and ran to the front door, leaving the door to the bedroom open behind her.

  Jinx crossed the room and pressed the door shut. “Be out in a sec.”

  “Take your time. Mom won’t mind if we’re late. She’ll just put us in charge of dishes.” Cash’s boots clomped around the room, probably checking out the progress she’d made while he was gone.

  She slipped the dress over her head and fiddled with it. Too bad she didn’t have a full-length mirror. Swiping some lip gloss over her lips, she tried to check out her reflection in her tiny compact. How bad could it be? At least the blue in the dress matched a few shades in her hair.

  “Okay, ready.” She yanked the door open and stepped into the main room.

  Cash turned. His gaze traveled over her, the warmth in his eyes chasing any lingering chill away. He let out a low wolf whistle. “Well, Ms. Jinx, I do say, you clean up real nice.”

  With an exaggerated eye roll, she slid her feet into her boots and donned her leather jacket. There, that felt better.

  He looked pretty good himself. He’d swapped out his sweats for a pair of snug jeans. He had on a collared, long-sleeve shirt that looked like it had even been ironed and a cowboy hat with his untamed hair curling out under the edge.

  His hand reached for hers. Her jumpy reflexes instinctively made her want to pull away, but he held fast.

  “Your key.” He pressed a shiny gold key into her palm and closed her fingers around it.

  He was close enough for her to catch a whiff of aftershave or cologne or whatever he’d used in the shower. It made her want to plant her nose in his chest and inhale the fresh scent of strength and security. Why was he being so nice to her? In her experience, people didn’t just do things for others out of kindness. They always had an ulterior motive. Helping Kenzie didn’t seem big enough. How long would it take for him to reveal what he really wanted?

  For now, she needed to let herself enjoy her newfound luck. “Thanks.”

  He squeezed her hand and gave her a quick wink. “Don’t mention it. Now, you ready to meet the family?”

  Kenzie clipped Hendrix’s leash on, then grabbed Jinx’s hand with one of hers and her dad’s with the other. “Swing me!”

  “Let’s get off the porch first.” Cash pulled the door closed behind them and waited for Jinx to turn the key in the lock.

  They swung Kenzie between them all the way down the steps to the truck.

  “Now hop o
n in, and let’s try not to be the last ones to Nana’s.” Cash held the passenger door open for the two of them.

  Kenzie scrambled into the back. Jinx climbed into the front. He waited for her to adjust the skirt around her legs and closed the door.

  By the time they arrived at Tom and Ann’s, Jinx had worked herself into a jangled bundle of nerves. Why had she agreed to a family dinner? She didn’t do well in crowds. Based on what Cash and Kenzie joked about on the drive over, she was in for a hell of a big get-together.

  Walking up the flagstone path to the front door, she made a fist and pressed it against her gut, trying to break up the horde of nerves that was misfiring in her stomach. Cash caught up to her and bumped her shoulder with his.

  “Relax. They don’t bite.”

  She took a step to the side, separating herself from the rugged deputy. Wouldn’t do any good for his family to get the false impression there was something going on between them. Kenzie ran ahead, cradling Hendrix in her arms, and flung open the door.

  A mixture of laughter and loud voices surrounded Jinx as she crossed the threshold into the house. The noise came from the left, most likely the direction of the kitchen. She stood in a warm foyer that led into a huge, open living room. The mix of country, comfort, and chic seemed to match Cash’s parents. She could easily picture him growing up here, hanging his stocking from the massive mantel and learning how to read next to the floor-to-ceiling fireplace.

  “Jinx, you made it.” Ann gave her a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. “It’s so good to see you. Can I take your jacket?”

  “Hey, Mom.” Cash wrapped his mom in a big bear hug. “I’ll hang up the coats.” He helped Jinx shrug out of her jacket, then draped it over a coatrack that appeared to be made out of cow horns.

  “One of Strait’s creations. Don’t ask.” Cash set his hand at the small of her back, propelling her toward the kitchen.

  “Is that one of your brothers?” Charlie had mentioned something about having a slew of brothers, although Jinx hadn’t paid much attention to their names.