The Best Cowboy Christmas Ever Read online

  Tyler had leaned back in the chair, stretching his long legs out in front of him, crossing one boot over the other. He heaved a slightly irritated sigh. “Angelique said her mother only told her the name of her birth father recently, on her deathbed. I don’t think most people would lie about that.”

  Colt made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat. “You are so gullible, Ty. You bought any prime swampland lately?” He shook his head.

  Beau’s head swiveled from brother to brother.

  Tyler crossed his arms over his broad chest. “You don’t need to be an ass, Colt. Your opinion is just that. Your opinion. But you’re operating from pure ignorance.”

  Beau held up one hand to calm Colt. “Simmer down, both of you.” He adjusted Ava so he could turn to face both brothers. “First of all, what is it you’re afraid of, Colt?”

  Colt tried not to roll his eyes. He knew Beau was trying to keep the peace, but his patience was stretched to its limit. He couldn’t understand why these two weren’t up in arms, ready to protect Big Jim. He blew out a deep breath. “I’m concerned that this…this woman is a fake. I think she is some kind of scam artist out to take advantage of a sweet old man.”

  “Okay, I get that,” Beau said. “Now, let me hear from Ty. Why do you think this woman’s claim is valid?”

  Tyler shook his head. “You had to be there. If you could have seen Dad’s face, you would get it. He knew this woman’s mother and didn’t deny it for a second.”

  Beau took his daughter’s headphones off and struggled to his feet with Ava in one arm. “Say goodbye to your favorite uncles, Ava. We’re gonna go home.” Ava held out her arms to Tyler and then to Colt, each of whom gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek.

  “Wait!” Colt said. “Why are you leaving? Nothing’s been settled.”

  “Colt, this is nothing we can settle in a day.” Beau snugged Ava’s quilted coat around her and arranged the hood over her curls. “And I’m not sure this situation is anything we have a right to be involved in.” He carried Ava to the barn door and slid it open. “After all, this is about the relationship between our dad and the woman who wants to be accepted as his daughter. Let ’em work it out.”

  Colt and Tyler stared after their little brother, who seemed to have had the last word.

  * * *

  Angelique had gotten up a couple of times during the night. She had checked on Gabrielle, and then later she had jerked awake, fleeing from a dream she couldn’t remember but that haunted her anyway.

  She had lain awake in the dark, curled into a defensive position with every muscle in her body tensed. She could tell herself to relax…that she was in her father’s house and it was secure.

  But she had not been forthcoming with him. He had no idea what had caused her to undertake this desperate mission to find a safe haven for herself and for her most precious daughter. Gabrielle must be safe.

  In time, the sky grew lighter, going from total darkness—a black sky strewn with a million stars—to varying shades of gray.

  Angelique had crept to the window from time to time to check the rural domain belonging to the man she hoped would allow her to stay. The Garrett ranch appeared to be really large. There were quite a few outbuildings and several fenced-off areas. Being a city girl, she had no idea what these spaces were used for, but the ranch was the complete opposite of the small apartment she had occupied in New Orleans.

  Now she was up and dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands clasped in her lap. She appeared to be calm, but her muscles were tensed and her hearing was magnified a thousand times.

  She jumped when a soft knock at the door broke the silence. She rose without waking her daughter and crossed to open the door.

  Big Jim Garrett stood in the hallway, fully dressed in his cowboy regalia. “I made breakfast. Don’t know what you’re used to, but I set out food for you and the little one. I got a booster chair out of the attic, and it’s pulled up to the table, so Gabrielle should be fine.”

  “Oh, that was so nice of you.” She heard the pitiful quaver in her voice and cleared her throat.

  “Uh, I need to go out and tend to the stock. I didn’t want you to get up and wonder why I had abandoned you.” He frowned. “Bad choice of words.”

  “Oh, no. My mom said you had no idea I even existed.” Angelique swallowed against the boulder at the back of her throat. “Please don’t think I blame you for anything. I just wanted to know…”

  Big Jim looked embarrassed. “I’m going out now. Be back in a while.”

  She nodded. “Thanks for everything.”

  Big Jim gave a nod of his own and walked down the hall.

  Angelique gathered Gabrielle and changed her diaper. They were working on potty training, but there was no way Gabi could make it through the night.

  Angelique found her way back to the kitchen, walking hand in hand with Gabrielle through this huge maze of a house.

  The kitchen was bright, and though the sky outside was overcast, plenty of light poured in through the far wall of windows.

  The table was set for one, but there was a banquet of food on the countertop.

  “I hope you’re hungry, Gabi. Do you want some eggs?”

  Gabrielle rubbed her eyes. “Un-huh…eggys.” She pointed to the array of food above her head.

  Angelique helped Gabrielle climb onto the booster seat, then picked up her plate and turned to face the feast. She selected bacon, eggs, and toast for herself and put some scrambled eggs on a saucer and oatmeal in a cup for Gabrielle. She placed these on the table and followed her nose to the coffeepot. There were man-sized mugs looped on a tree of sorts by their ears. Selecting one, she poured the dark, fragrant liquid and sniffed appreciatively.

  Angelique found herself smiling when she saw a yellow sippy cup with milk in it. Big Jim knew what it took to care for a young child.

  She returned to the table to take her place beside her daughter. “Good morning, sunshine. Here’s your eggs.” Angelique handed Gabrielle a spoon and scooped a bite of scrambled egg into her own mouth. “Oh, these are good.”

  Gabrielle reached for the spoon and filled it with her own food. “I eat my eggys.”

  Angelique scooped more eggs and followed with a strip of bacon. She had forgotten how good it felt to sit at a table and eat a real breakfast. Being on the run had changed her eating habits, but she did manage to make sure her daughter ate well. She continued to feed herself while Gabrielle cleaned her plate. She must have liked the fluffy scrambled eggs because she picked up the little plate and licked the last morsel off.

  When Angelique looked up, she saw Big Jim leaning against the doorframe leading to the back entry and laundry room. He had a big grin on his face.

  “This little Gabi sure has mastered the art of feeding herself.” He picked up Gabrielle’s little plate and added a couple more spoonfuls of eggs before placing it before her.

  Gabrielle clenched her teeth together in a fierce grin and waved her spoon. “I got more eggys!”

  “Good girl. I would be wearing half that food by now.” He shook his head and gave Angelique a wink.

  She smiled back at him. “Somehow, I doubt that. You seem to have a handle on just about everything around here.”

  He went to the coffeepot and poured himself a big mug of the coffee before approaching the table. “May I join you young ladies?”

  Angelique gestured to the chair across from her. “Sure. It’s your table.”

  He pushed the chair back and sat down. “Did I make the coffee to your liking?”

  She nodded. “It’s good, but different from the coffee I’m used to. In New Orleans we drink our coffee with chicory. I guess it’s an acquired taste.”

  Big Jim smiled. “I remember Sofie telling me something about how during the Civil War, when the Union naval blockade cut off the Port of New Orleans,
people used chicory to stretch their coffee supply.”

  Angelique stirred some cream into her coffee. “It was actually popular in France during Napoleon’s time. There was a blockade of his own making, and the French began roasting and grinding chicory to stretch their coffee supply. So when French people migrated to the New World, they brought the chicory with them.”

  Big Jim was grinning at her, holding the mug with both hands.

  Angelique felt the color rising in her cheeks. If he only knew how hungry she had been for exactly this kind of interaction. A normal father-daughter conversation taking place at the breakfast table. Almost normal.

  “How old is your little daughter?” He gestured to Gabrielle, who was banging her empty sippy cup on the high-chair tray.

  “I want milk,” Gabrielle said, looking at Big Jim.

  “My daughter, your granddaughter, will be two in February. She’s an Aquarius.” Angelique took the sippy cup and refilled it. “Here you go, Gabi.” She offered it to her daughter.

  “That sounds great.” Big Jim lifted his mug in a salute. “So, are you planning on staying for a while, or are you gonna run back to New Orleans?”

  That question caused tightness in Angelique’s throat. Does he want me to leave? A muscle twitched near her eye. “Um…l haven’t made plans yet.”

  “Good. I was hoping you could stick around for a while. You know, get to know your half brothers and their wives.”

  Relief flooded her chest. She needed to be here. If she never returned to New Orleans again, it would be too soon. She sucked in a breath and let it out all at once. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me. I-I felt so lost after my mom passed on… And when she told me your name, I had to find you.”

  The smile he gave her radiated kindness. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you found me. I’m sorry I didn’t know about you.” He shook his head. “I missed out on your entire childhood.”

  She cast her eyes down at her empty plate. “It wasn’t all that good. I want to make sure my little Gabi has a better life.”

  A furrow appeared between Big Jim’s brows. “I thought Sofie came from a pretty good family.”

  Angelique stirred the coffee in her almost-empty cup. “She did. But my mom defied them and there was…an estrangement.” She looked up to meet his gaze.

  “Sofie had a strong personality. I can’t imagine anyone making her do anything she didn’t want to do.” He looked thoughtful.

  “Well, her parents sent her to a Catholic home for pregnant girls, thinking she would give me up for adoption…but she wouldn’t.” Angelique flashed a grin. “She said it was love at first sight, and she refused to hand me over.”

  “Then what happened?” Big Jim asked.

  “My grandparents weren’t exactly thrilled to have an illegitimate granddaughter so they hid me away. But my mom was a born rebel and really wanted to find a way to support me by herself. She went down to the Quarter and got a job in a shop there. She didn’t make much money, but she got a little efficiency apartment upstairs and we lived there for a while. She made some friends, and we got by.”

  Big Jim stared hard.

  Angelique couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he sure was thinking hard. She pushed back from the table and started gathering the dishes and eating utensils. “Let me wash these. It will only take a minute.”

  She rinsed the dishes and slipped them into the dishwasher. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw Big Jim deep in thought. Perhaps she should not have told him so much. Perhaps she should not have told him anything at all.

  Chapter 3

  Big Jim clutched the almost-empty mug. It seemed to be the only thing he could hold on to. His entire reality had taken a hard turn. The first woman he had cared for had given birth to his child and raised her without his knowledge.

  He felt guilty for wishing things had been different…because he really didn’t. He knew that graduating and marrying Elizabeth had been the most perfect path he could have taken. He had loved his wife deeply, and the birth of their three sons had only enriched their lives.

  Big Jim had been devoted to his family and had worked hard to build a good life for them. The boys had grown to be good men. Good family men.

  But as he gazed at the lovely dark-haired woman across the kitchen, he had regrets.

  Just then, Angelique’s daughter put her hand on Big Jim’s sleeve. She gazed up at him with her wide Garrett blue eyes, looking so pretty and so innocent.

  Angelique had said her name was Gabrielle Guillory. Did that mean Angelique had never married?

  “That’s your grandfather, Gabi.”

  Big Jim put his hand on Gabrielle’s arm. “It’s good to have you here, Gabi. Can you call me Grandpa?”

  Gabrielle continued to stare at him, her big blue eyes examining every aspect of his face. She turned to look at Angelique and grinned. “He gots blue eyes too.”

  Angelique smiled back. “Yes, he does. He wants you to call him Grandpa. Can you do that?”

  “Gwampa,” Gabrielle pronounced.

  “That’s perfect,” Big Jim said. “Just perfect.”

  Big Jim was reluctant to ask Angelique about her child’s birth. He supposed that she would eventually tell him her story. He wouldn’t push her.

  Angelique turned from the sink, dried her hands on a linen towel, and hung it back on its hook. “You have a great place here, Mr. Garrett. It sure is different from where I’ve lived.” She shrugged and slid into the chair next to Gabrielle in her booster seat. “I mean, winter is cold and wet in New Orleans, but it hardly ever snows there.”

  Big Jim reached to take her hand. “First of all, I don’t expect you to call me Dad, but at least you can call me Big Jim.”

  She grinned at him. “I can see how you got that name...Dad.”

  Her hand felt small and boneless wrapped in Big Jim’s big paw. “Good thing you took after Sofie when it came to your bone structure.”

  “Well, I’m taller than my mom was, so I got my height from you.”

  “Tell me about yourself.” Big Jim beamed at her. “What do you like to do?”

  She smiled and dimpled. “I’m a pretty quiet person. I like to take care of Gabrielle. Cook—I like to cook. And I like to draw. I have a bunch of sketches of Gabrielle, mostly when she’s sleeping because that’s when she’s still.”

  Big Jim mulled this over. “Do you ride?”

  Angelique laughed out loud. “I ride the trolley sometimes. If you’re talking about anything with four legs, the answer is no. I have never been on a horse in my life.”

  Big Jim chuckled. “We’ll have to fix that. I’ve got a sweet little mare that would love to have you in the saddle…as opposed to one of us big galoots on her back.”

  Her eyes opened wide. “Oh no! I would be terrified. And what about Gabrielle?”

  Big Jim’s eyes twinkled. “We’ll get Gabrielle her own horse.”

  She realized he was teasing and dissolved in a fit of giggles. When she recovered, she sat grinning at him. “I never dreamed you would be so nice.”

  It struck him that maybe Angelique had not been treated well by the people in her former life. “I sure do hope you’re planning on stickin’ around, Miss Angelique Guillory. This is about the best Christmas present I’ve gotten in a long time.”

  * * *

  Misty could tell by the set of Colton’s jaw that something was really bothering him. At first, she had thought he would share it, but as the evening wore on, she’d had her fill of single-syllable responses in return for her attempts at conversation.

  After dinner, she left her younger brother, Mark, at the table with a slab of store-bought cake and drew Colt into their bedroom.

  “What’s up?” he asked.

  “Exactly! I want to know what the heck is bothering you.” Misty put on her tough do
n’t-mess-with-me face. The one she had used on Mark when he was younger.

  A muscle near Colt’s mouth twitched. “Nothing.”

  “Well, you better spell out that nothing and stop moping around here like a storm cloud. I want my husband back and not this snarly thing.” She stood glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

  Colt heaved a huge sigh and ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “Sorry, baby. Someone is trying to take advantage of Dad, and I’m not getting any cooperation from my brothers.”

  Misty sat down on the bed and patted the space beside her. “You better let me know what’s going on. I can’t imagine anyone getting the best of Big Jim Garrett.”

  Colt sat down, bouncing Misty with his weight. “How about a really pretty woman showing up at the ranch claiming to be his long-lost daughter?”

  “What? That sounds fishy to me.”

  “Thank you. Ty met her and thinks she is telling the truth. And Beau thinks we should all butt out.”

  Misty sat staring at him in disbelief. Of all the things she could have imagined, this was not on the list. “Well, what are you going to do about it?”

  “I haven’t decided yet. But I’m going to do something.”

  “Why don’t we go to visit Big Jim? It is the season, you know.”

  He frowned down at her. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Well, I could bake something and we could take it over.”

  Colt’s frown turned into a smile. “Babe, you’re not known for your baking.”

  Conversely, Misty’s smile turned into a frown. “Shut up.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll get a recipe from Leah’s grandmother. She’s always willing to teach me something. She says she’s sharing the family recipes.”

  Colt was silent for a moment, then nodded. “That should work.”

  “I’ll call her now, before she goes to bed.”

  Colt agreed that they would take whatever Leah’s grandmother came up with to the Garrett ranch house after Misty got off work the next day, and they would take Mark with them since he would be eager to talk to Big Jim.