put on her coat and scarf. “It’s colder’n a mother-in-law’s kiss out there. I see Mack and Braden comin’ this way. They look half-frozen.” She hustled on out to her business van and honked the horn as she left.
Mack threw up a hand in a wave, but Braden kept his hands tucked into his coat pockets. Their shoulders were hunched against a fierce north wind that rattled the tree limbs. The weatherman had said there was a cold front on the way, but she hadn’t realized that it had arrived. She checked the thermometer hanging on a porch post and saw that it was below freezing—that meant the temperature had dropped more than twenty degrees since she had looked at it that morning.
“Mama always said that if you don’t like the Texas weather, just stick around twenty minutes and watch it change,” she muttered to herself as she got down everything she needed to make hot chocolate.
As soon as he and Braden were inside, Mack removed his stocking hat and gloves, shoved them into his mustard-colored work coat, and hung it on one of the hooks by the back door. He kicked off his rubber boots and set them beside Lily’s father’s old boots. Lily’s mother had said that she just couldn’t part with the last boots he’d worn or his old stained work coat that hung on a nail above them.
Braden kept his jacket on and slumped down in a kitchen chair. “I think my blood is frozen.”
“Think hot chocolate will thaw it out?” Lily asked.
“Is it that stuff out of a package or the real thing?” Braden shivered so hard his teeth rattled.
“It’s homemade, like you like it,” she answered.
“We’ve got to get him a warmer coat. A hooded sweatshirt isn’t enough on cold days,” Mack said. “My blood isn’t frozen, but hot chocolate sure sounds good. What can I do to help?”
“You can get down a couple of mugs,” Lily answered.
“You aren’t going to have any?” Mack asked.
“I just finished a glass of sweet tea, so I’m good,” she answered as she used a whisk to mix cocoa, sugar, coffee creamer, and a little vanilla together. The milk in the pot came to a boil, and she stirred in the other ingredients and poured the hot chocolate into the mugs. Before she took them to the table, she topped both mugs with whipped cream. When she handed off the first cup to Mack, her fingertips brushed against his. There was that tingle again.
Braden took a sip and picked up a cookie. “I feel my blood thawin’ out.”
“Amazing what a little heat, cookies, and really good hot chocolate will do for you, isn’t it?” Mack agreed.
“Mama makes the best.” Braden used his cookie to skim off the whipped cream and then popped the whole thing in his mouth.
Lily couldn’t remember the last time Braden had said anything to her other than smart-ass remarks and a few grunts. She would’ve hugged him but didn’t want to jinx anything. They’d only been in Comfort a few days, and each of the kids had said something kind to or about her. Miracles did happen.
“It’s the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had for sure,” Mack said. “Thanks for making it for us, Lily.”
“You’re very welcome.”
“Are those girls still up there with Holly?” Braden asked.
“For about thirty more minutes”—Lily nodded—“then their mother is coming to get them.”
Braden sighed. “I guess I can stand it for that long. It would sure be better if I had my tablet or my Nintendo.”
“But you don’t.” Lily was not giving in, no matter how pitiful he sounded. “But I noticed a package of earplugs in the secretary in my bedroom. Daddy used them when he was out in the garage running the table saw. They’re bright orange. Why not go see if they’ll work?”
Braden frowned. “What’s a secretary?”
“It’s that big piece of furniture with a glass front,” Lily explained.
“I guess that’s better than nothing.” He finished his hot chocolate and picked up another cookie to take with him. “See y’all at suppertime.”
“If you want to help Mack feed the goats this evening, you can wear your grandpa’s coat,” Lily said. “It’s hanging over there on the hook beside Mack’s.”
“That would be dorky.” Braden wrinkled his nose.
Mack chuckled. “I don’t reckon the goats would mind.”
Braden shrugged and left the room.
“He’s a good kid. He just got mixed up in the wrong crowd,” Mack said.
“You know the kids here. Will you tell me if he does the same thing