Stand-Up Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Author:Vicki Lewis Thompson [Thompson, Vicki Lewis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ocean Dance Press LLC

Chapter Fifteen

Garrett had accepted the fact that Georgie’s issues meant they had to kiss in secret and hide their budding relationship from that little guy. A full-blown love affair might not happen for a very long time. He hung onto her statement that it would happen eventually.

When dinner was ready, Anna went in to alert the kids while he tended to the fire. In a little while it would be just right for s’mores. Claire would be all for it and Georgie might follow her lead.

Georgie wasn’t having dinner with them, though. Anna walked out with Claire but no Georgie.

“I don’t get it, Aunt Anna. Uncle Garrett is wonderful.”

“Yes, he is.” Anna sent him a tight smile as she shepherded Claire into the kitchen nook to wash up.

He removed one place setting and took a chair away before heading back to the kitchen nook where Anna was making up a tray for Georgie and Claire was drying her hands. “Thanks for trying,”

“I told him so many good things about you, Uncle Garrett. I said you make the yummiest pancakes and decorate them with chocolate chip smiley faces. I told him you let me help you feed the horses, and that you and Daddy sing to me and we play poker, and—”

“Poker?” Anna’s eyebrows lifted.

“I know! Isn’t it great? I got to play poker with Daddy, Uncle Garrett, Uncle Rafe, Uncle Jake, Aunt Millie and Aunt Kate. “I won seventy-five cents!”

Garrett waited for his turn at the sink. “It’s a quarter buy-in. She’s a good player.”

“You have to be in this crowd.” Claire hung up the towel. “Uncle Rafe calls Aunt Kate a card shark. She’s going to teach me some of her techniques so I can be a card shark, too.”

“Ever play poker, Anna?” Garrett stepped up to the sink and turned on the water.

“No, and clearly I’m missing out.” Anna sounded like she was trying not to laugh.

“You could play with us at the bunkhouse sometime,” Claire said. “I could give you a few lessons first, so you’d…” She frowned. “I guess you couldn’t bring Georgie, though. He’d freak out.”

“Maybe someday.” She took a bowl from the stack on the counter and handed it to Claire. “Do you want to serve yourself?”

“I do, but I’m not quite tall enough.”

“Here you go.” Garrett lifted her up and balanced her on his knee. “How’s that?”

“Perfect.” She carefully ladled chili into a bowl. “That’s enough.” She put the ladle back in the pot. “Daddy says my eyes are bigger than my stomach, but I think this is just the right amount so I’ll have room for s’mores.” She carried her bowl to the table. “Which seat?”

“The middle one,” he called out. “So we each get to sit by you.”

“And she can be our chaperone,” Anna murmured as she picked up Georgie’s tray.

“Yes, ma’am. I desperately need one.”

“Me, too. I’m totally smitten. I’ve never had pancakes decorated with chocolate-chip smiley faces.”

“The first time I stay for breakfast I’ll fix you some.”

She held his gaze.

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