The Cowboy's Holiday Blessing by Brenda Minton Read Free Book Online Page A

his hat off and sat it on the table. “She isn’t yours?”
    â€œProbably not.” Jackson sat down next to his dad. He fiddled with the stack of mail he’d left on the table earlier that day. “But my name is on her birth certificate.”
    â€œWhere’s her mom?”
    â€œYour guess is as good as mine.” Jackson got up to make the coffee. He put a cup under the nozzle. “Black?”
    â€œYeah. Oh, your mom sent dinner. It’s in the truck and I’ll bring it in before I leave.”
    â€œThanks. You know, I’ll never learn to cook if she keeps feeding me.”
    â€œShe isn’t going to stop. I’ve tried. And she’s itching to fix this situation for you, too.”
    Jackson set the two cups of coffee on the table. “I’ll fix this myself. The fewer people involved the better.”
    â€œI don’t think your mom thinks that she’s one of thepeople who shouldn’t be involved. She said to tell you she’ll expect to see you tomorrow.”
    â€œGive me a few days. I’m trying to figure this out without hurting Jade.”
    â€œIs that her name?”
    He nodded and took a sip of coffee. “Yeah, Jade Baker. I knew her mom. But you know…”
    â€œYeah. Might need to head to the doctor just to make sure.”
    â€œI will. I’m not turning her out in the cold. I’m not going to call the state yet. I’m not going to have her in the system at Christmas.”
    â€œWhere is she?”
    This is where it got tricky. He sipped his coffee and gave himself a minute. His dad answered his own question.
    â€œTravis said Madeline Patton was up here today.”
    â€œShe was.”
    â€œMadeline, huh?” Tim grinned kind of big, the way a man did when he’d raised a bunch of sons. “Not your normal cup of tea.”
    â€œI’ve never been a tea person.”
    â€œNo, you haven’t.” Tim lifted his cup and finished off his coffee. “Don’t hurt her. If you don’t want big trouble with your mother, remember that people think of lot of Madeline.”
    â€œI’m not chasing the schoolteacher, if that’s what you think.” He shook his head. “And I’m not eighteen years old. So thanks for the advice.”
    Tim stood. He put a hand on Jackson’s shoulder. “She’s the kind of woman a guy marries.”
    Yeah, that said it all. Put him in his place. Jackson, who had done his running around and then settled down on this farm with a dog and some livestock, hadyet to outrun his reputation. It sure felt like he couldn’t do enough good deeds to undo what the people around here thought of him.
    He stood to follow his dad out of the kitchen, and he couldn’t stop one last attempt at denial. “I’m not planning to marry Madeline Patton.”
    His dad laughed. “When do things ever go the way we plan?”
    â€œThis is different. She’s helping with Jade.”
    â€œRight, of course.” He slapped Jackson on the back. “Careful, son, the word never usually leads right where you never thought you’d go.”
    Jackson stood on the front porch, thinking of all the times he’d said never. It wasn’t until his dad’s tail-lights disappeared that he remembered his dinner in that truck.
    Fortunately he’d lost his appetite.

Chapter Five
    A light snow had fallen overnight, just enough to dust the grass and the trees. Madeline drove her car up the long driveway to Jackson Cooper’s ranch. The old farmhouse with the wraparound porch looked pretty with the powdery white snow sprinkling down. In the field the cows stood tail to the wind, snow sticking to their thick winter coats.
    â€œThis sure ain’t Oklahoma City,” Jade whispered.
    â€œWhat? And don’t say ‘ain’t.’” Madeline pulled her car in at the side of the house.
    â€œNothing. And I’m sorry.” Jade