The Cowboy's Christmas Blessings
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Jill Kemerer
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Chapter One
Evicted by her own mother right before the holidays. The thought of being homeless with three babies had jumped to the top of Nicole Taylor’s worst-case scenario list, and the list had been growing exponentially since her husband, Aaron, passed away last Christmas. Hadn’t the year been bad enough?
She needed to find a place to live ASAP.
Nicole steered her minivan north of Rendezvous toward Judd Wilson’s ranch. With Thanksgiving only a few days away, she gave a silent prayer of thanks for clear roads. Wyoming could be treacherous this time of year. The miles melted away as Nicole mindlessly took in the snowcapped mountains and horses huddled together in the distance. She hoped the babies were okay. She hadn’t been away from her four-month-old triplets, Amelia, Henry and Eli, for more than an hour at a time since they were born. But this was a crisis, and her friends had offered to babysit.
Gabby, Eden and Brittany made it sound so easy: Talk to Judd. He has a two-bedroom cabin sitting empty on his property. He’s rented it out in the past. It’s one story—no stairs—perfect for you and the babies.
Her friends clearly had no idea how intimidating the prospect of asking Judd for a favor was to her.
She was nervous about this meeting for a number of reasons. One, she had no income, only Aaron’s life insurance policy, and it needed to stretch until she figured out a way to support herself. A normal job was out of the question. She’d never be able to afford childcare for three infants. But if she could do something from home, she might be able to get by until the triplets were in school full-time.
Reason number two? She’d never lived on her own before. The past several months staying with her mother and sister, Stella, had been rough, but while Mom wasn’t exactly hands-on with the children, her presence had been reassuring. Every time Nicole thought of being solely responsible for the babies, her breathing came in quick gasps and she had to fight the sensation of falling.
And then there was reason number three.
She wouldn’t think about three. It was disloyal and wrong and absolutely inappropriate, given that Aaron hadn’t been dead a year.
The sign for Judd’s ranch appeared, and Nicole navigated her minivan down the rambling driveway. She’d never been here before and wasn’t sure what to expect. Empty pastures gave way to a grouping of pines. When the trees cleared, her jaw dropped. The biggest log home she’d ever seen loomed to one side. She parked in front of it. Views of pastures, hills and mountains quieted her troubled heart.
Lord, give me courage.
She grabbed her purse and groped around for the diaper bag but came up empty-handed. Duh! If she wasn’t so jittery, she’d laugh. She didn’t need a diaper bag to talk to Judd. Those three tiny babies had completely changed her life, and she thanked God for them every day. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to check on them.
Nicole sent a group text to her friends, and within seconds, her phone dinged. Gabby assured her everything was fine. A picture came through. The six of them had squished together for a selfie. Eden held Amelia, Brittany held Henry, and Gabby held Eli. So adorable.
She stepped out of the vehicle and pulled her shoulders back. As she made her way to the covered porch, she gathered her thoughts. Was the cabin available to rent? If yes, she’d assure Judd she’d be a model tenant. Then she’d offer him an insultingly low amount for it and hope he wouldn’t be offended or laugh her off the property.
As if he would. Judd was the nicest guy she’d ever met.
“Hey there,” a low voice called from the porch.
And there stood reason number three. Judd Wilson himself. The only guy besides Aaron who’d ever made her insides all fluttery. She wasn’t even near Judd, and her nerves were positively crackling.
The rancher was a good ten years older than her, yet something drew her to him. It wasn’t his cut muscles, although she’d have to be in a coma not to appreciate them. It certainly wasn’t his sparkling personality, given he was the quiet, serious type. It wasn’t even the fact he owned a massive, successful ranch and had never been married.
Whatever it was, she needed to ignore it and focus on today’s mission: finding an affordable place to live.
“Thanks for agreeing to meet with me.” She climbed the steps and tried to sound cheery.
His deep blue eyes held a gleam as he opened the front door and ushered her inside. His jeans, long-sleeved T-shirt and cowboy boots fit him perfectly. Not that she’d noticed.
She shouldn’t notice.
Heat climbed the back of her neck. Why couldn’t she look away?
Judd led her to a living room with soaring ceilings, a stacked-stone fireplace, dark leather furniture and views of pastures and distant mountains from the large windows. The house was unbelievable—grand and welcoming at the same time. She caught a glimpse of the kitchen and let out the tiniest sigh. Even from here, she could see the pretty cabinets and granite countertops. A girl could bake up a storm in there.
“Do you want me to take your coat?” he asked.
“Oh, no, I won’t be staying long.” Her palms grew clammy. She wasn’t ready to do this.
She loathed asking for favors. Disliked owing anyone anything. Her entire life she’d been dependent on the generosity of other people. Just once she wanted to be independent, to not have to rely on anyone else.
“Is something wrong with the babies?” He took a seat on a leather chair and gestured for her to sit on the couch.
“No, they’re fine.” She sat, keeping her purse on her lap, and forced herself to swallow her pride. “Actually, I heard you have a cabin on your property you rent out sometimes.”
“I do.”
“I also heard no one is living in it at the moment.” She tightened her grip on the purse straps.
“Correct.”
“Well, Mom and her boyfriend, Steve, are moving to Florida.” It wasn’t the first time her mother had fallen head over heels and decided to move in with a guy. It probably wouldn’t be the last. “It’s all really sudden. Basically, they’re hitting the road after Thanksgiving and, with her lease expiring at the end of the month, she gave her landlord notice.”
“She’s kicking you out?” He sounded dumbfounded, the same as she’d been two days ago when her mom had told her.
“Yeah.” Was her face on fire?
“The cabin’s empty.” Judd stood. “I’ll get the key and take you over. I don’t know if it’s what you’re looking for, but you’re welcome to it.”
The fluttery feeling came back full force. His generosity made him very, very attractive.
He disappeared into the kitchen, then came back holding up a key. “Come on. I’ll take you over.”
As she followed him through a mudroom, then outdoors and down a side porch, the next problem loomed: How was she going to approach the topic of rent? Her checkbook might as well have a neon sign flashing I’ve Got Nothing. She’d done the math dozens of times since Aaron died, and the life insurance had to last until she produced a reliable income. Thankfully, Mom hadn’t expected help with utilities or rent, but basic items like formula and diapers for three babies still cost a fortune.
As soon as Nicole got her housing situation locked down, she had to figure out how to make some money. What could she do, though? She didn’t have a college degree—just years of experience working at a bakery.
Judd opened the door to a multivehicle garage and waited for her to enter before closing the door behind them. With a push of a button, one of the garage doors opened.
“We can take the UTV.” He pointed to one. “The cabin’s not far.”
She climbed into the passenger side of the off-road vehicle and tried not to notice how close Judd’s arm was to hers as he started it up. He’d grabbed a jacket on the way out of the house, and it only served to make him look more rugged, more capable than usual.
Her feminine core—the one she’d assumed no longer existed—gave a sigh of pleasure at all the masculine strength next to her.
She should be ashamed of herself. Was this what loneliness did to a person? Made them hyperaware of any eligible guy who showed them a sliver of kindness?
The UTV burst forward, and she lunged for the handle. Crisp air chased away her thoughts as they drove down a gravel path surrounded by evergreen trees. Soon they stopped in front of a cute log cabin. It had a small lawn in the front, and the back was guarded by tall dark green pines. A stone chimney climbed the side, and the covered front porch had three railing sections made of logs forming Xs. Stone pavers marked a path from the driveway to the porch.
“Was this dropped down from a fairy tale?” She climbed out and headed toward the pavers. “It’s adorable.”
“It’s been remodeled. A storm damaged it a couple of years ago. Aunt Gretchen helped me pick out everything.” He unlocked the front door and waited for her to enter. “Want me to stay out here?”
“No, of course not.”
As soon as they entered, she relaxed. The open living space was small but bright, cozy and updated. Her gaze was instantly drawn to the kitchen to her left. The white cabinets and laminate countertops looked new. Everything was laid out with care. A large refrigerator, gas oven, double sink, dishwasher and hardwood floors made her want to pinch herself. It was perfect.
“The bedrooms and bathroom are back here.” He strode down the hall, his cowboy boots clicking on the floor.
Both bedrooms were large, and the bathroom met her needs.
“What’s in here?” She pointed to the door at the end of the hall.
“Utility room.” He opened the door.
She peeked inside, where a washer and dryer, washtub, hot-water tank and furnace were housed. Plenty big enough for her to do laundry. A window revealed a view of the backyard, and a door led out to it.
As they returned to the living room, her heart began to pound. How on earth was she going to suggest Judd rent this beautiful cabin to her for next to nothing?
She’d spent enough time around him over the past eleven months to want to protect their friendship. They usually sat together at social functions, although he never stayed long. Unlike most people, he didn’t pepper her with awkward questions or look at her with pity. He simply accepted her. His easy silence was a welcome change from years of being married to a talkative extrovert. It was also a nice reprieve from being treated like a trauma patient around town.
“So, Judd, this cabin—” she spun in a slow circle before meeting his eyes “—is perfect. I would love to rent it from you.”
“Good. Here.” He handed her the key.
“Wait—not so fast.” She frowned. Didn’t he want to discuss the particulars? “About the rent...”
He rubbed his chin with a confused look in his eyes. “Rent? I’m not taking any rent from you.”
His words should have filled her with relief, but they didn’t. When would she ever stand on her own two feet? Would she always be a charity case?
The fact Judd made the offer didn’t surprise her as much as it should have. The cowboy was... Well, he was too good to be true.
“That’s very kind of you—” she lowered her chin “—but I have to pay you something.”
“Keep your money. Use it for the babies.” Judd knew it wasn’t smart, offering free use of the cabin to the one woman he actually felt comfortable around, but she needed it. And he wanted to help. He wasn’t a fool—she had no job and getting one would be pointless if she had to pay a babysitter to watch three babies. As it was, he had no idea how she managed to look so calm and capable raising triplets.
Every Sunday morning, he watched Nicole navigate her way through the church parking lot with the babies strapped into a triple stroller. Her friends always helped her into the church as soon as they spotted her. There was no way she could live in a place with stairs, that was for sure. His cabin would make life easier for her.
“I can pay you, but I can’t afford much.” Her long blond hair, sage-green eyes, full lips and pale skin gave her a natural beauty, and he’d scolded himself more than once since she’d moved back to town to stop ogling her like some kind of creep. For crying out loud, he was at least ten years older than her!
“I told you, I’m not taking your money.” He sounded gruffer than he intended. Nicole might be a mom of three and a widow, but she had pride. Then again, so did he, and he wasn’t budging.
“Judd,” she said, sighing. He liked the sound of his name on her lips. “It’s too much.”
Had she misconstrued his intentions? His face grew warm. “Doesn’t the Bible say something about taking care of widows and orphans?”
“Yes.” Her sweet, shy smile reminded him why he always ended up near her at social functions. There was no pressure to converse, but when they did talk, it felt natural.
Making small talk had never been easy for him.
“Is the furniture okay?” he asked. The couches Aunt Gretchen had picked out were a little feminine for his liking, but the dining table was good and solid.
“It’s perfect, but we haven’t worked out the rent yet.” Her eyes shimmered with uncertainty. “I can pay you a little bit each month. When I start earning an income—”
“You got a job?” He crossed his arms over his chest. How would she manage that?
“No, but I’ll find a way to support myself. Maybe something part-time. From home.” Her back was straight, her chin high, but he couldn’t help thinking she looked as fragile as one of the china dolls in Aunt Gretchen’s living room cabinet.
She sneezed. “Excuse me for a second.” With her finger under her nose, she hurried down the hall to the bathroom.
Money had never been an issue for him. He’d grown up in Boston with parents who had plush government jobs. His mom and dad loved to socialize. Judd hated it. His parents hadn’t known what to do with an introverted kid who was bored at school and refused to participate in sports. The final straw had been when he’d told them he was skipping college and moving to Wyoming to ranch with Uncle Gus. They still hadn’t gotten over it.
It had been the best decision he’d ever made. And he owed it to his late uncle to secure the ranch’s future. Judd needed to make sure it would be in good hands if anything happened to him. But who would appreciate the property and cattle the way he did?
No one came to mind. He wasn’t close enough to anyone to name them as beneficiary in his will. He needed to figure it out, soon. He wanted it done before the new year came around. All he had to do was look at Nicole, still in her midtwenties, who’d already lost a husband. People could die at any time. Including him.
When Judd asked Aunt Gretchen for advice, she’d suggested, as she always did, he get married and have children. As much as he’d like a partner to grow old with and a few kids to raise, he didn’t see it happening. He was too quiet, and his two previous relationships had ended badly. Both women had claimed he was too reserved and they couldn’t read his mind.
Had he ever asked them to? Judd almost shook his head. He didn’t get women and they didn’t get him. Never had. Never would.
“Sorry.” Nicole came back, patting her nose with a tissue. “Now, where were we?”
“The furniture.” He swept his arm across the room. “Do you need me to move any of it out?”
She hesitated. “After Aaron died, I gave away our living room furniture. We’d gotten it secondhand from his parents, and it had seen better days. The dining table was damaged in the move, so I got rid of it, too. My bedroom set and all my other stuff is in storage.”
“I’ll clear out the furniture from both bedrooms.” He’d ask Dallas and Clay, his two full-time ranch hands, to help him haul it out to his pole barn tomorrow.
“You don’t have to do that. I don’t want to be any trouble.”
He almost laughed at the thought of her being trouble. If anything, she’d saved him from trouble. For almost twenty years he’d dreaded every social event this town expected him to attend...until January, when she’d arrived. She made the events bearable.
It wasn’t a romantic thing, though.
She was a widow. With three babies.
And way too young for him.
Romance was out of the question.
“Let me know when you want to move in,” he said. “I’ll help load and unload your stuff.”
“Judd...” There it was, his name again. The hairs on his arms rose. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. She’d be living here in the cabin. Close by. And she was real pretty.
No big deal. He’d spend his days the way he had since he’d turned eighteen. Riding around the ranch. Not hanging out with Nicole Taylor and her cute little triplets.
“Don’t say you’d be imposing,” he said. “The cabin’s empty. And I’m always out taking care of cattle and the ranch. You won’t even know I’m here.”
Her eyes flickered with hope.
Why was he holding his breath waiting for her answer? He had no stake in this. It would be better for him if she didn’t live here. He didn’t like complications, didn’t do relationships anymore.
“I don’t feel right not paying you.” Her frail voice did him in.
There was no way he was taking a cent from her. No. Way.
“Here. It’s yours. I won’t take your money.” He shoved the key into her hand. He wasn’t letting her or those babies go homeless. His uncle Gus had taught him better than that.
Nicole stared at the key in her palm. The metal was warm from Judd’s hand. The warmth was nothing compared to the heat blasting her heart, though. Of all the generous things people had done for her since Aaron’s death, this was the kindest.
She scrambled to figure out a way forward. Part of her was terribly thankful he didn’t want her money, but the other part balked at paying nothing. He’d made it clear he wouldn’t accept rent. There had to be some way she could repay him. And shouldn’t they at least discuss this arrangement before she moved in?
“What if you need the cabin? Didn’t you say it was for guests?” She curled her fingers around the key, not wanting him to change his mind but knowing these questions had to be asked.
“I never have guests.”
“What if you do?”
“My house is plenty big enough for anyone who’d want to stay.”
She couldn’t argue with that. Still...
“Okay, but let’s say someone else comes along, someone who could actually pay you rent. Would you give me a couple weeks’ notice so I could find something else?” She hated the thought of moving in and later being forced out. It was better to know the expectations right off the bat.
“It’s yours.” His eyes were dark blue, like the sky right before dusk. “I wouldn’t kick you out. My income is from the ranch, not from renting out this cabin.”
“I’d need to move in soon—really soon.” She bit her bottom lip. Her mom had put her in a bind. If Nicole had been given more time, this process wouldn’t be so stressful.
“You can move in today if you want.”
Today. A thrill of excitement sped down her spine. She was going to have her own place! Her own bedroom. Her own kitchen. No more tiptoeing around Mom’s or Stella’s needs.
But today was too soon. If he cleared out the bedroom furniture tomorrow, she could technically move in on Tuesday. Maybe her friends wouldn’t mind skipping their weekly support group session to help her move in. She didn’t have a ton of stuff. The babies had been sharing a bedroom with her at Mom’s place, so it wouldn’t take long to pack up. Everything else was in storage. It would be a relief to not have to pay those fees anymore.
Judd was helping her more than he knew. How could she make it up to him?
The one thing she prided herself on was her cooking, especially baking. She’d barely cooked or baked since last December, when Aaron’s respiratory infection turned out to be a lung complication from Becker muscular dystrophy. They’d both thought he’d live until middle age, but he’d developed pneumonia and died on Christmas Day.
She missed cooking and baking. She missed the simple things in her old life.
Her old life was over.
It was time to create a new one, and living in this cabin would be a good start.
“I’ll cook supper for you,” she blurted out.
“What?” Was that fear in his eyes?
“Yes, I’ll make you supper.” The idea grew as she spoke. She might not have a lot to offer, but she knew what cowboys in these parts liked to eat. “Stop by in the evening and I’ll have a meal ready for you.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“I’m a fine cook.” Nicole raised her chin. “And I’m an even better baker. You won’t take rent, and I won’t live here without giving you something. So, please, take my food. Cooking is the one thing I’m good at.”
“You’re good at a lot of things.” His voice was husky and his cheeks grew red.
His words softened the brittle edges of her doubts about herself. Maybe she wasn’t as helpless as she felt. A fresh beginning might make the raw panic she’d been pushing away for so long go away for good.
“What time do you usually eat?” she asked.
“It’s too much.” He shook his head. “You’ve got the babies. You don’t have time for all that.”
“I’ll make time for it.” Saying the words out loud filled her with the sense of purpose missing since Aaron died. She could do this. The triplets had recently begun sleeping through the night, giving her more energy during the day.
“It doesn’t feel right.” He stood with his legs wide.
“Feels right to me.”
He studied her. His jaw tightened. Finally, he nodded. “Not every day, though. You need a break.”
“I really don’t.”
“No weekends and that includes Fridays. You should relax.”
Relax? The thought was laughable. She had no idea how to relax anymore, and with three babies, she didn’t have time to, anyhow.
“Monday through Thursday. You can stop by at six. Deal?” She held out her hand.
He stared at it for a few seconds. Then he shook it. “Deal.”
Finally, something was going right in her life. She had a free place to live. A great little cabin to call her own. Now she just had to get through Christmas and the anniversary of Aaron’s death without falling apart. Then life would go on as usual.
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