Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy - Diana Palmer Page 0,64
taking in Cody’s mud-caked work boots and jeans. It was a far cry from the uptight, loafer-wearing developer Cody had been only six months prior. Noah guessed becoming an instant father could do that to a guy.
“You hate shoveling hay.”
“I also hate turning away a fine piece of pie.” Cody rubbed his stomach. “One of JT’s friends said I had a dad bod. I walked around like a stud at an auction until Ms. Luella explained it was one step above being called the Pillsbury Doughboy.”
Noah picked up the rest of the lights and followed Cody to the barn. “That’s what happens when you become domesticated.”
“Remind me, when was the last time you woke up with a beautiful woman in your arms? This morning? Oh no, wait that was me. You woke up spooning Mr. Teddy in the same bed you used to wet.” Cody plugged in the strand, then started weaving it between a line of hooks, which made a grid across the barn. “In fact, the most action you’ve had lately would be ogling an elf up a Christmas tree.”
“Did you hear that at your quilting club meeting? Or during gossip group at the Ladies of Sweet social?”
Man, he’d forgotten how fast news traveled in Sweet. His run-in with Faith had made it back to the ranch almost before he had. Wasn’t that exactly what Faith had been worried about? And here he’d thought she was making a mountain out of a molehill.
“Sticks and stones.” Cody handed Noah the other end and together they strung the lights around the barn doors. “So, Faith Loren, huh?”
Noah rolled his eyes. “We had a run-in.”
“Town’s saying two. First when you offered to show her your pistol, then today when you tried to impress her with your sirens.”
“What’s so wrong with a guy trying to be neighborly?” Noah argued. “I thought people in small towns got off on stuff like helping frail old ladies cross the street or rescuing kittens from trees.”
“Let’s be clear. There is nothing frail or old about Faith Loren. And even if you find her up a tree, don’t fall for it. She’s a full-grown cat with claws and isn’t afraid to use them.”
“I didn’t even get the chance to be charming.”
Cody smiled. “Don’t take it personally, bro. She’s had enough bad luck with men to make her wary of anyone walking around waving a pistol.”
“You think you could have warned me about her issue with law enforcement before I dropped her kid off in my fancy cop car.”
“Pax is her kid brother not her kid,” Cody said, then took a second look at him. “Please tell me you didn’t refer to her as his mom?”
“It was a logical assumption.” One she hadn’t bothered to correct. Probably because she’d rather have another reason to add to her TABLE FOR ONE list.
Noah had to smile because he knew, without a doubt, Faith kept a long, detailed list of all the reasons she didn’t date. She probably toted it around in that enormous backpack of hers, wanting to have it on hand to add new reasons as she encountered them—like a guy letting her kid brother run around town with a toy gun that, if Noah was being honest, might cause a less experienced officer to look twice.
“For Pax to be hers, she would have had to have been, I’m guessing, like fourteen or fifteen when she had him.” Cody held up a hand. “And before you remind me of how we were at that age, you knew Faith when she was in high school.”
“Yeah, kind of blew that, too,” Noah admitted.
“And you wonder that you’re single.”
Noah didn’t have to wonder. He knew exactly why he was single. His last three girlfriends had made that perfectly clear. He worked long hours. Worked at home. Pretty much worked himself out of every good relationship he’d ever had. Even with his family.
But why was she single?
Faith was intelligent, down-to-earth, and didn’t have a problem standing her ground. Not to mention insanely beautiful. Like a blow-your-mind, lingerie-model-meets-girl-next-door kind of beautiful—although Noah didn’t remember ever having a neighbor who looked like her.
Honestly though, it was the way she presented herself, with an inner confidence that showed how comfortable she was in her own skin, that drew him in. Talk about a turn-on.
She was also the most suspicious and closed-off person he’d ever met outside of his profession. Most days were a revolving door of liars, cheaters, and the unforgivable. People stuck in a bad