The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas - Jodi Thomas Page 0,108
together. He grew quiet, thinking about her in his home with the girls and the dogs. In his mind, that would be the next best thing to heaven. “What do you think about . . .”
Ingrid walked into the room and, judging by the look on her son’s face, she thought she had just interrupted something important. Her eyes bounced from Clint to Amelia. “Amelia, Casey is here to see you.”
Clint could hardly believe the man they were just discussing was in his home. He glanced at Amelia to gauge her reaction. Looking down at the nightgown she was wearing, Clint wasn’t particularly thrilled at having a man seeing her in her nightclothes.
Amelia glanced at Clint. Seeing his eyes were on her nightgown, she pulled the blanket up to her neck. “I guess . . . I need to talk to him.”
Ingrid left the room, and Clint stood to leave. “I’ll give you some privacy.” He knew it was going to take all the willpower he could muster to walk out of that room and leave her alone with Casey. Glancing down at Honey, he said, “Come.”
“You don’t have to leave. I want to introduce you.”
Still holding one puppy, Clint sat back down in the chair closest to the bed, leaving the one at the foot of the bed the only place for Casey to sit. Honey sat next to Clint.
Ingrid led Casey into the room and introduced him to Clint. Casey nodded in Clint’s direction, and though Ingrid invited him to have a seat, he headed to Amelia’s bedside.
“I came as soon as I heard you were back.”
Amelia’s eyes darted to Clint. “Clint brought me back when I got sick.”
“Where are the girls?” Casey asked.
“With Tom Nelson.”
“You mean you traveled back alone with him?” Casey jabbed his hat in Clint’s direction with a disapproving frown on his face.
“Yes. I was ill, and we couldn’t risk the girls coming with us.”
“Not very proper if you ask me,” Casey grumbled.
“We didn’t ask you,” Clint stated testily, glaring at Casey. In his estimation, the man should have been more concerned with Amelia’s welfare. He hadn’t even asked her how she was feeling.
Casey briefly glanced Clint’s way, then looked at Amelia. “Did the doc tell you that folks are coming back home? It’s safe now, so I guess I can go get the girls.”
“Clint is leaving in the morning to bring the girls home,” Amelia responded. “He will tell all the families who want to return that they can travel with him.”
“The girls know me,” Casey commented.
Clint stared hard at Casey. “The girls know me and I’m going to get them.”
Amelia thought the men were having a staring contest. “Casey, the girls know Clint, and they trust him. He knows exactly where they are camping.”
Casey wasn’t pleased, but he acquiesced. “If that’s what you want. I’ll pick you up tomorrow in the buckboard.”
Clint couldn’t help himself; he refused to allow this man to dictate what Amelia was going to do. He stood, placed the puppy on top of Amelia’s lap beside the other one and prepared to show Casey to the door—under his own steam or with help, he didn’t care. “She’s going to recuperate right here until I get back.”
Turning his attention on Clint again, Casey said, “That’s kind of your mother to look after her, but it’s not necessary.”
Hoping to change the direction of the conversation, Amelia held up one puppy for Casey to see. “Look at what Clint is giving the girls for Christmas. They’ll each have their own puppy.”
Clint noticed Casey barely spared a glance at the puppies. “You can’t afford to feed those dogs.”
Amelia clutched both puppies to her chest. “It doesn’t take much to feed two puppies, and the girls will love them.”
“They grow up,” Casey said. “Then what?”
Clint told himself not to interfere, but he couldn’t help himself. “It’s my gift to the girls, so I will pay for their food.”
Casey looked over at Clint. “I’d like to speak to Amelia alone, if you don’t mind.”
Clint did mind, but before he voiced that thought, Ingrid walked into the room, accompanied by the doctor. “Gentlemen, I hate to interrupt, but Amelia needs her rest and the doctor needs to examine her. If you’ll come to the kitchen, I just made some fresh coffee.”
Clint leaned over to take the pups from Amelia. “I’ll be leaving at dawn. When I get back, I expect to see you completely recovered.”
Amelia reached out and grabbed his hand. “When will you be