Jake shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to do around here.”
Bob stared at him for a long moment. “Don’t close yourself off anymore, Jake. You’ve grieved long enough. Stacy wouldn’t want you to live the rest of your life all alone.”
Jake nodded to acknowledge Bob’s words. Intellectually he knew that, but emotionally he wasn’t sure he was there yet. “Thanks for stopping by, Bob,” he finally replied as Bob got back into his truck. “You’ve been a good neighbor, a good friend.”
“That’s been easy. You’re a good man, Jake. You’ve just been lost for the past couple of years. I see a new spark in you, and if Melody and her daughter have put it there, then you should grab on to it.” Bob started his truck and pulled away.
Jake stared after him until the vehicle disappeared from view. He returned to stacking the firewood next to the front door and tried not to think about Bob’s yearly ice-skating party, tried desperately not to think about Melody and Libby.
He’d spent the first couple of years after Stacy’s death thinking only of her, and then he’d reached a place where he’d tried desperately not to think of her or any other woman. Now he was fighting Melody and Libby filling his every thought.
Were they baking cookies this morning? Filling their kitchen with the sweet homey scent of sugar and cinnamon? Or had they gone into town to continue to explore the charm of a Christmas-bedecked, mistletoe-laden little town?
At noon he moved to the window that gave him a view of Melody’s house, half hoping her car wouldn’t be parked in front of the garage, indicating that she was home.
It was there, and before he realized what he was doing his cell phone was in his hand. She answered on the second ring, her voice warm and with that musical lilt of life.
“Melody, it’s me.”
“Hi, Jake. I was just thinking about you.”
“Oh?” Warmth suffused him. When was the last time any woman had entertained any thoughts of him at all? “Good thoughts, I hope.”
“Great thoughts,” she replied. “I was thinking about our dinner last night and how much I enjoyed it.”
“I enjoyed it, too. Do you and Libby ice-skate?”
“Libby used to skate a little, but it’s been a long time. She’s probably quite rusty. Why? What’s up?”
He told her about the yearly skating event at Bob’s pond. “I thought maybe the two of you would enjoy the circus and might be interested in going with me.”
“Do you skate?” she asked.
“I used to cut a great figure eight on the ice, but like Libby, I’m probably rusty.”
“I don’t skate, but we’d love to go, and I’ll cheerlead from the sidelines.”
Arrangements were made for him to pick them up around three, and when he hung up he headed out to the barn to find his old ice skates.
He didn’t think about Stacy as he pulled down box after box of Christmas decorations in the hunt for the skates. He didn’t even think about Melody and Libby. He didn’t want to dwell in the past any longer, but he was also reluctant to look toward any future.
* * *
JAKE PULLED UP in front of the house at precisely three. It had been a busy couple of hours for Melody as she realized Libby’s skates were too small, requiring a fast trip into town to get a new pair.
Libby had been slightly disappointed that the sporting-goods store didn’t sell purple skates, but her spirit had only been dampened for a few minutes.
She raced ahead of Melody to the car before Jake could even get out of the driver’s-side door or Melody could close the door to the house.
“Cowboy Jake, I colored you a picture,” Libby said as she slid into the backseat and Melody got into the passenger seat. Libby handed her work of art over the seat to Jake. “And here, I even brought a baggie with two purple butterfly magnets in it so you can hang the picture on your refrigerator. That’s where Mom always puts my art stuff.”
Jake looked at the coloring of a Christmas tree, a fireplace with a blazing flame and three people. The man figure wore jeans, a shirt and a cowboy hat, the woman had on a red coat and the little girl was clad in purple. Melody had watched her daughter labor over the drawing and had been pleased that she wanted to give it to Jake.
“I’d be proud to hang this on my refrigerator door, Libby. You did such a good job.”
Libby beamed with pleasure, and Jake placed the picture and the baggie of magnets in his glove box and then smiled a greeting to Melody.
“I found out that my best friend, Megan, is coming later to the pond party with her parents,” Libby said.
“I imagine half the town will be there,” he replied. “You both look ready for a little outdoor activity.”
Melody had dressed for a cold afternoon with black leggings and a long pink sweater beneath her black coat. Pink gloves adored her hands and pink earmuffs covered her ears. Libby had prepared for a cold day as well, clad in blue jeans, a purple sweater, her coat, a hat and gloves. “I’ve got on long underwear,” she told Jake. “Mom is hoping it will protect my bottom when I fall, but I’m not going to fall, right, Cowboy Jake?”
Jake laughed. “I’m not sure that I’m not going to fall. It’s been a long time since I skated. I might do a cowboy slide clear across the pond on my bottom.”
* * *
LIBBY GIGGLED AND Melody smiled warmly at Jake. It was going to be another wonderful day, and she loved that Libby seemed to be opening herself up to Jake.
As am I, she thought. Despite the shortness of the time they’d known each other, Melody was precariously close to being heart and soul in love with Jake. It both scared her a little bit and excited her a lot.
By the time they reached Bob’s ranch, cars were parked not only in front of his house but also in the grassy area next to the house.
“Looks like there’s already a crowd here,” Melody said.
“Bob’s party usually brings out a crowd. The Mistletoe Bakery donates cookies, and the café donates Mistletoe Toddies and hot cocoa,” Jake explained.
They got out of his Jeep, and Jake grabbed his skates and a blanket and then pointed toward a pasture gate. “We’ve got a little walk from here. The pond is just over the hill.”
Libby skipped ahead of them, barely containing her excitement, and as she crested the hill ahead of them she stopped and gasped with obvious awe.
“Mom, hurry. You have to see everything,” she said as she clapped her hands together and jumped up and down.
Melody reached the top of the hill and her breath caught as she took in the view. The large frozen pond glittered in the afternoon sunshine. Benches were interspersed with barrels that radiated a fire source
