"Christmas Cookies"
Have you heard this wonderful Christmas song by George Strait:
"Christmas Cookies" Lyrics & MP3 File
The following is purely fictional, as this song in particular loans itself to the imagination:
The Texas sunshine filtered through the curtain, painting golden dabbles of light on the sleeping cowboy's handsome face. Slowly the left side of his lips curved up in a crooked half awake grin as his nostrils widened and his senses began to decipher the delicious scent drifting upstairs into the bedroom.
He turned onto his belly burying his face into the pillow, a part of him not wanting to get up yet. Stretching his legs out, kicking off the sheet, he moaned a little. He had roped too long and too hard last night keeping up with his son, and his legs were complaining.
It was impossible to sleep with that aroma floating over his head. Rolling onto his back he took a deep breath from his diaphragm and filled his lungs with the smell that was assaulting his senses, and bringing an end to his sleep. Stretching, sinking deep into the center of the large bed, he sighed, and one eye opened, peering up at the ceiling. He could hear birds, the whinny of a horse, and his son's laughter as he kidded with one of the hands.
The familiar rattle of pans and dishes came from the kitchen. He opened his other eye; and gazed at the ceiling as he listened to his son. The curve of his lips spread into a white smile, and he giggled at his son. His intense laughing green eyes were heavy with sleep, but filled with the sparkle of who he was. He got another whiff of fresh baking and ran his tongue across his lips in anticipation, and then his flat belly rumbled with hunger. "Cookies!" It was Christmas Eve day.
Drawing the sheet aside he sat up, swung his long legs to the side, and wriggled his toes into the rug. He ran his long fingers through his dark wavy hair, yawned, stood, and stretched. Glancing out the window he saw his son riding out with a friend to practice some roping. It was a beautiful day, and in his mind he started thinking of chores, running them down in his mind. There were things he wanted to get accomplished before the day was done.
After a shower he gazed in the mirror. Mirrors don't lie he thought. The man looking back at him was likable he decided, and not bad looking for his age, but he needed a shave. When his chin and cheeks were smooth, and his hair combed back he slipped on a pair of worn comfortable jeans. Opening the closet he chose a long sleeved shirt, a red one for the day, and left it unbuttoned. He reached for his socks and Ostrich Quill boots and held them in the crook of his left arm. Humming "Troubadour" softly to himself he barefooted it, following that delectable scent that had awakened him.
"She thinks she's gonna get it all done before I get up" he said to himself, and grinned. Well, he was going to spoil her plans. His compact body moved quietly down the stairs, as he stepped lightly to keep her from hearing him. The door to the dining room was closed, and as he slowly opened it the grin on his face grew as anticipation made his belly growl again. He took a moment to look around to make sure she hadn't laid out some fresh cookies. He set his boots and socks down and then tip toed, changing his normally easy stride into a caricature of a cowboy hunting for food.
She stood at the sink, her blonde hair tied back from her face, and flour on her neck. The wonderful smell of fresh cookies mingling with that of hot fresh coffee hit him full in his senses. He spied a fresh pan of cookies lying on the table. There were several bowls of different colored frostings, some cookie cutters that looked like Santa Claus, Christmas trees and bells and stars. Next to them were different colored bottles of those little sprinkly thangs she liked to put on top.
Quietly he inhaled, and his mouth watered. Slowly he crept towards her, trying to keep quiet on the spanish tiled floor. Waiting until she had her hands out of the water, he slipped his arms around her, spread his hands on her belly and pulled her to him. She giggled and smiled, completely unsurprised by his attack. He laughed and put his mouth over her neck, tasting the flour there, getting some on his nose, then kissed her on the neck. "You did that on purpose didn't you."
Leaning against him, feeling his familiar lithe body warm against her she reached around and took a hand full of his still-damp hair. She pulled him to her and kissed him, tasting the flour left on his lips. Grinning at the flour on his nose she dusted it with her finger then smiled at him. "It was time you got up. You'll have us up early enough tomorrow."
He kissed her again, firmly pulling her tighter against him, then reluctantly let go of her and poured himself a cup of coffee. "You want some coffee honey?"
"No, I've had enough coffee, but there is something else" She glanced at him. His lean frame was leaning against the cabinet, one hip stuck out in one of his familiar stances as he sipped his coffee, and she approved. No matter how much she watched him or how well she knew him she never had enough. He hadn't buttoned and tucked his shirt in yet, hadn't even put on his belt and buckle, and he was barefooted. He wore an old comfortable pair of his Wranglers. His hair was still damp from his shower, clinging to his forehead, and he was freshly shaven. She watched his eyes study the cookies on the table as he sipped the coffee, and inwardly laughed when he licked his lips.
Leaning against the cabinet, studying the cookies on the table, he swallowed another sip of coffee and watched as she put oven mitts on and took another batch of cookies from the oven. He deftly stole a warm cookie from a dish with his long fingers and popped it into his mouth, then finished his coffee as she put another prepared batch of cookies into the oven.
She set the timer and turned to him, smiling. He looked into her eyes and smiled back at her. Something started working it's way through his thoughts, and he got warm in all the right places as she looked him up and down and giggled at his bare feet and the cookie crumb on his bottom lip.
Smiling back at her, he said softly in his best baritonal drawl.. "Now there's 15 minutes for some kissin' and a huggin'..." He set his cup down, took her by the hand, and led her through the kitchen door. For a moment they stood and kissed, their love thoroughly wrapped around each other.
Watching him, learning him through the years, and loving all that he was, she was grateful for their trip through life together. He had matured into a man she depended on without hesitation, without fail. She knew him so well, and she smiled as he led her upstairs where she wanted to be. Her baking had produced results exactly as expected. She anticipated a wonderful morning, and Christmas.
He hadn't noticed that she had turned the oven off, as well as the timer on that last batch of Christmas Cookies, for his mind was on other things.
