Page 9 of A Heart Falls Cowboy Christmas

Nope, she couldn’t do it. Couldn’t speak the worry that she had, even though it seemed that despite she had issues, most of them went away at the mere thought of Logan.

Shockingly, he laughed. A soft, warm sound, and it made her lift her head and blink at him in surprise.

Logan stared at her face. Her eyes. Her lips. He pulled his glove off, gliding his knuckles over her cheek to brush away the remaining tears. His warm breath ghosted over her skin, his touch sent an ache through her, and her heart seemed to have gone into Jamaican drumbeat mode.

He straightened, tilting his head toward the main house. “Let’s get Dixie inside and get ready for dinner.”

And that was it.

They marched in companionable silence to the house. No mention of the ghosts they both had in their pasts, no explanations for the expression she’d seen on his face.

No discussion about the soft touch of his hand⁠—

It wasn’t until Jinx was getting ready for bed when she realized that she’d experienced a reaction to his unexpected touch, and her response had been the farthest thing from panic…

Stupid brain.

3

Fern stepped out of the bedroom and took a deep, appreciative sniff. “I need to sleep in more often.”

At their small kitchen table, Cody raised his mug at her. “It’s coffee break time for me, so you get rewarded for picking a husband who works odd hours.”

“I’ve been rewarded in so many ways by you. Coffee is like a bonus goodie.” Fern tucked her fingers under his chin, lifting his face so she could give him a sweet, lingering kiss. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Well, I had this wonderful wakeup call at four a.m. That got all the right endorphins firing.”

“That four a.m. adventure—which I also enjoyed very much—is why I’m getting up for the second time today at…” Fern peered at the clock. “Eight? Wow, that’s a lousy sleep-in. I need to try harder.”

“You can have a nap later. It’s your day off.”

Cody slid her chair out, and Fern settled next to him, filled coffee cup at the ready. “Which means I’m going to run around town and do all the things.”

He smiled at her, the soft, barely-there one that made a tug happen deep in her core. “You mean you’re going to go poke into your friends’ and sisters’ business and cause as much chaos as possible.”

“Would I do such a thing?” Fern pressed her fingers to her chest in mock dismay, considered, then grinned back. “Of course I would. Anyone you want me to torment for you?”

“You keep my brother on his toes at the art gallery on a regular basis, so he’s well taken care of.” Cody considered. “You could give your dad hell for a bit.”

Fern laughed. “What did he do?”

“This time?”

A sound that was nearly a cackle escaped before she could stop it. “Yes, this time.”

“Bought me a book.”

“Horrors. The cold-blooded inhumanity of it.” Fern eased closer and peered at Cody’s face. “What book?”

Cody raised a brow but kept his expression blank. “The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances.”

Ahh. Since mid-October, Cody’s new meds for Parkinson’s had made a marked improvement. He’d also started all the other suggested helps for his condition, including running on a treadmill three times a week and taking up Tai Chi. All their friends and family were on board to help encourage him as needed. Which explained the book.

“Is it boring?”

“It’s hysterical,” Cody admitted. “It’s a comic book.”

Fern mock gasped. “It includes funny pictures? My father is a cruel, cruel man.”