Sweet Joymaker (Indigo Bay Christmas Romances #3) - Jean Oram Page 0,48

to assure Cole that his arrival was welcomed.

“It was. It is! I’m so glad you’ve come and I’m sorry I haven’t called you sooner and asked.”

“I needed some time. And I think April did, too.”

“But this is your home.”

“It’s also hers.”

It was. She’d been raised here like a Wylder. And that was half the issue with Cole’s return. Could they all figure things out now that there was so much water under the bridge?

“You’re a good man,” Maria told him.

“I try.” They were still standing in the cold room, pies in hand. “So you and Clint? Are you a thing? Dad’s remarried, right?”

“He and Sophia are doing well. They’re living in town and your brothers and Carmichael are going over there tomorrow for supper. I’m sure they’d be happy to see you.”

“And you? Have you moved on?” Cole asked, ignoring her attempt at a subject change.

“I have not.” She gave him a look that said she didn’t want to discuss the subject.

“Clint really likes you.”

She made a noncommittal sound.

“Mom!” Cole’s voice had a commanding note that had her focusing on him again. “How many times did Brant try to convince me to come home? He even tracked me down in Blueberry Springs, and I still never came. Not even for Dad’s wedding.”

Maria sighed. Of course he hadn’t come back for Roy. Not after the way he’d left.

“Clint made a very compelling argument about you wanting me home. He made points that could only be made by someone really close to you, Mom. Someone you’d shared things with.”

“It’s not like that,” she said gruffly. But she was starting to see that it was. She’d shared her deepest worries and fears about Cole and her role in his absence. And Clint had listened, then lent a hand to patch up things in a way that even Brant had failed.

“I’ve forgiven Dad, you know,” Cole said.

She gave him a sharp, assessing look. “You have?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I don’t think I have. Not for scaring you off for almost five years.”

“Well, that’s a long story,” Cole said, hinting that she might not know all of it.

“Hey, did you guys get lost, or are you keeping all the pie for yourselves?” Clint appeared around the corner with a grin on his craggy face.

Cole tipped his head toward the man, giving Maria a secret smile while scooting from the room. “Mom could use your help.”

“Let me take one of those,” Clint said, stepping forward.

She shivered as his hand touched hers as he slid the apple pie from her grip, leaving her the blueberry.

“Still mad at me?” he asked.

“I don’t know what to be,” she admitted.

“How about being in love with me?” He winked, and she laughed despite herself. What was it about this man, anyway?

“Why did you leave Indigo Bay? What was so important?” she finally asked him.

“You haven’t figured it out yet?”

“I want to hear it straight from you.”

“Levi needed help with the tractor.”

“Nope.” She knew it was more than some silly old decoy tractor that had brought him home.

“Well, I did say I’d take a look at it. We were secretly restoring the Mustang for you. I needed to get back to finish the project so the boys could give it to you on Christmas Day.”

“And?”

“I had to pick up Cole from the airport this afternoon.”

“So let me get this straight…” She studied him for a moment, his heavenly brown eyes never leaving hers. “You cut short your time with me in order to help my boys, and you brought Cole home?”

“He paid for his own ticket.”

Maria was silent for a long moment. The man was very forgivable, and he’d done an amazing job of showing her that what was important to her was important to him.

Except for that silly car. She’d have taken even one more hour with him on the beach in exchange for her Mustang. Even though it was a pretty sweet ride. And she supposed it wasn’t about the car, it was about the fact that he’d left her to help her sons do something special for her.

“Merry Christmas?” he murmured, his voice lifting with hope.

As she set their pies back down on the shelf so she could wrap him in her arms, she had a feeling that their mutual hope was the basis of all future joy.

Epilogue

Maria was glad she was the one driving. She was nervous and excited, and driving gave her something to do with her hands. She and Clint were officially going on their first Sweetheart Creek date.