Read Online Heart and Snow (Texas Highlanders Ice Hockey) by Suzan Butler - Free Book Online Page B

and even the northern states he’d lived in didn’t prepare him for it. He’d been in Texas since before he started driving. The falling flakes made him feel just a little trapped.
    He didn’t have to be back in Fort Glasgow for another two weeks, thought they’d planned on going back just after Christmas. If he did get snowed in, and Vince Jenkins got desperate, he’d probably find a way to airlift Cody out. But he doubted the owner would do that. It would be cheaper to pull a minor league goalie up to play in his place.
    Actually, being stuck in West Texas might just be a perfect vacation. Too bad there was a long way to go before they were truly snowed in. And knowing Texas weather, it was snowing now, but in five minutes, it could be ninety degrees and sunny.
    “Hey,” Doug said as he came outside and sat in the other chair on the porch. He shivered. “Fuck, it’s cold out here. I’ll never understand why Mom and Dad like this place. There are warmer places they could live in Texas.”
    “Yeah,” Cody stared out at the white landscape. The brilliant white covered every inch of the once-lush greenery that surrounded them. “So, Cindy? When did that happen?”
    “Um, few months ago. Met her at one of the watch parties for the Highlanders, actually.”
    “I didn’t think you watched hockey.”
    Doug laughed. “I don’t. I was there for a Mavericks game. It ended right as the hockey game started. She came up and started talking to me and we hit it off.”
    “That’s cool, man.”
    Silence fell between them as they both watched the snow falling. Cody couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen snow. It hadn’t last year when they’d come up to Morning.
    “I hope Mom didn’t scare you with all her talk of grandchildren.”
    “Nah, she’s just being honest.” Cody could respect that, even if the woman was a bulldozer at times. But the idea of being a father just wasn’t coalescing in his mind yet, and to hear someone voice that desire to see children from him… it terrified him.
    “Mom doesn’t pussy foot around. It’s part of her personality. All those years being on a stage and all.” Doug laughed and added, “I’m just glad that she’s focusing on you two and not on me and Cindy.”
    “You guys aren’t thinking kids?”
    “Oh, sure. Just probably not for a couple years. Cindy has an implant right now. And we both agreed to hold off for a year or two.” Doug shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat. “We know we want to do the children thing eventually though.” He glanced at Cody. “So, what Joey was saying. Is that true? You guys don’t want kids?”
    Cody shrugged. “We talked about it. Neither of us are in the position where we think we’ll make good parents. Why bring kids into that?”
    “It’s weird. Jo was always the homemaker growing up.”
    Cody stopped. One would think after ten years, he’d know all there was to know about Jo’s past, but homemaker? That was surprising. His Barbie doll was not a homemaker. She didn’t even really like cooking all that much. “Really?”
    ‘Yeah, she was always following Mom around, asking her to teach her things. Asking if she could vacuum for her, or make the salad for dinner.” Doug shook his head. “I sometimes thought she was just sucking up to her.”
    “Huh. She’s never mentioned that.”
    Doug shrugged, staring out at the falling snow. “Not sure she even remembers doing it, honestly.”
    Cody clenched his jaw, then relaxed it. “Can I ask you a question, Doug?”
    “What’s up?”
    “How are you so certain about kids? I mean—and I mean this in the best possible way—you’re a serial divorcee. Aren’t you worried about bringing a kid into a marriage that might not work out?”
    Doug eyed him, his face growing serious. For a minute, Cody was afraid he had offended his brother-in-law. “Is that why you don’t want kids? Is it not working out with my sister?”
    Cody realized his misstep and shook his