Christmas Is for Lovers: 6 Hot Holiday Romances

by Box Set

  Chapter 18

  Joyous Voices Sweet and Clear

  After rubbing Sampson down and putting him in his stall with hay, oats, and water, he fed the other horsed before he made his way to the side porch, bracing himself for his mother to be very angry with him. When he opened the door, the sweet laughter of Ma, Clare, and Holly assaulted his ears. He stood for a moment, listening to their chatter and laughs before he walked into the kitchen. “Morning, ladies.” He smiled as he walked to the counter to pour a cup coffee. “Coffee smells great this morning. I trust you ladies slept well.”

  “Preston, where were you yesterday?” Ma pushed her chair back and went to the fridge to grab the tub of butter, some eggs, and cheese. “I’m sure you’re hungry.”

  “I went out to check on the cattle in the far range. I stayed at the cabin last night. Sorry if I worried you.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek as his eyes met Holly’s. “I had some thinking to do.”

  “Well, it would have been nice if you would have answered one of our calls or replied to a text message.” She swatted his arm. “I don’t like not knowing where you are or that you’re safe. Clare turned the horses out and Holly helped me bring them in last night. What were you thinking?”

  He pulled her close to him. “Ma, I’m sorry for everything you’re going through. I like what you did with the cabin, by the way,” he whispered.

  “I had to,” she whispered back.

  “I think it’s the best thing you’ve done.” He walked to the table and pulled out his chair. “How are you this morning?” he asked Holly as he sat down next to her.

  “I’m fine. How are you?” He watched as she searched his eyes and face, as if looking for answers to why he ran.

  “Much better now. Sometimes I need some space to think when things get clogged up. I did a lot of that yesterday.” He winked at her. Holly lowered her eyes, and he wondered what she was thinking. “I can’t believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I hope we’re going to sing some Christmas carols.” He needed to break the tension and move to another topic to take the focus off him. He could feel Ma staring.

  “Of course! We always sing carols on Christmas Eve. I hope you’ll join us, Holly.” She was beaming.

  “I’d love that. I love Christmas Eve, especially when you can spend it with friends.” Holly’s eyes went to his.

  Preston just smiled and continued sipping his coffee.

  Holly didn’t hear the door open, but suddenly, he was there bidding them good morning as if he hadn’t just disappeared yesterday without a word as to where he was going. He had misunderstood what she said without giving her a chance to explain. She didn’t want to go back to her old life, she wanted him, she wanted a life with him here, but it wasn’t fair to him. He was young and would want a family. She already had a family. The thoughts of having a child with him excited her, but she didn’t know if she could do it at her age.

  He’d run away before allowing her to explain, and it had hurt her more than she expected it to. She caught his eyes for a moment and saw the desire flash through them, but she also saw the deep-seated pain in them as well before he changed the subject from him to Christmas Eve. She hoped that ache wouldn’t cause him to close himself off the way he was when she’d first met him. She was going to walk away from this wonderful man and go back to her old life. She had to for his sake, but she prayed they would at least have one more time together before she did. One more time for him to hold her, love her, and let her explain her reasons for what she said.

  “Would you like help with the horses this morning, Preston?” She raised her eyes to make contact with his.

  “Sure. I can always use an extra set of hands, and you know your way around the barn now. I’ve already fed Sampson so we’ll just have to get the others.” He pushed his chair back and carried his plate to set it in the sink. “Be back shortly, Ma.”

  Holly pushed her chair back and followed him onto the porch, slipping on the barn boots and coat she’d been using since she got there. They walked silently through the snow toward the barn. The only sound was the crunching of their boots in the snow. Their increased breathing noticeable by the puffs coming from them as their breath made contact with the frigid air.

  Holly waited while Preston pushed the heavy barn door open and followed him inside. The sound of Sampson’s soft nickering as he moved in his stall met her ears and calmed her. She closed her eyes when his arms circled her waist. She leaned against him, welcoming his strength and warmth.

  “I missed you, cowboy.”

  “I missed you, too. I’m sorry I ran yesterday. It was a cowardly thing to do.” He nuzzled her neck just below her ear.

  “You didn’t let me explain—”

  He spun her around, crushing her mouth with his as he cut off her words. “It doesn’t matter to me. I want you as long as I can have you. If you walk away and I never see you again, so be it. I’ve lost precious time with you that I can never get back.”

  She moaned when he grabbed her ass, pulling her against him. “Please, stay with me tonight. I don’t give a damn about anything but having you with me.” He moved to her neck spreading little kisses as he went.

  “I will Preston. I want to be with you too. But—”

  His finger on her lips cut her off. “There is no but, there is only now.” He kissed her gently. “Come on, let’s get the horses turned out. Thanks for helping ma put them in last night.”

  She smiled the entire time they were putting the hay and oats into each stall. She waited as he let each horse in and closed the stall door. Once all the horses were inside, he sauntered toward her, grabbing her as he slid his hands to the waist of her jeans and unfastened them tugging them from her hips. “Are you ready for me?” He smiled and took her mouth again as she tugged his jeans down after kicking hers off her feet.

  “Always,” she whispered against his lips as he lifted her against the wall, and she wrapped her legs around him as he slid into her, making her gasp. Her head fell back as he pushed into her over and over. He lowered them to the ground as their breathing quickened. She felt her passion climb as she tightened around him. She moaned his name through her climax. He slammed into her and she felt him reach his own; the tension in his body released as he collapsed on top of her.

  When their hearts slowed along with their breathing, he gently pulled back and cupped her face with his hands. “I’ll love you as long as you’ll let me, and then I’ll let you go.” Kissing her softly, he pulled her to her feet and held her steady while she slid her jeans back on. Zipping his, he smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear as she stood looking into his eyes.

  “I love you too, cowboy.”

  They made their way back to the house. Preston dropped her hand just before they made their way into the kitchen. Tamra turned and her eyes moved to them before she looked at his face. “How were the horses?” She raised a brow and tilted her head.

  “Fine as always. I have to run into town. Do you need anything?”

  “Nope. I think we have everything we need for the next week. What do you need town from town?”

  “Just something I forgot. I’ll be back shortly.” He turned and winked at Holly as he walked past her.

  Holly felt the heat of the blush spread over her entire body. She didn’t know what the hell she was going to see when she met Tamra’s eyes, but she wasn’t going to spend the rest of her vacation walking on eggshells around her. She braced herself for whatever Tamra threw at her. When she was finally able to lift her eyes, Tamra was smiling as tears ran down her face.

  “So, you enjoy helping my son in the barn?” She sniffed and ran her hands over her face trying to wipe them away.

  “Yes, I do. I love being around the horses.” She glanced at Tamra, who was standing watching her. “I’ve loved horses since I was a kid.”

  “You know, my family has been through a lot this past year. Preston has taken on so much since his father died. Did you know he didn’t like the idea of having a
stranger in our home, especially over the holidays? But little by little, I saw him warming up to you. When he left like that yesterday, it scared the hell out of me. Any idea what happened?” Tamra folded her hands in front of as she sat down at the table.

  Holly swallowed, walked to the sink, turned on the faucet, and filled her glass with water. Her heart raced as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Closing her eyes, she took a breath, bracing herself to turn and face Tamra.

  “Mom! You aren’t going to believe this.” Clare burst into the kitchen, holding her phone toward her mom. “That movie we were talking about is finally going to be at the theater in town the day after Christmas. Can you believe it? Can we go please?”

  Holly glanced over her shoulder. Clare and Tamra were watching a trailer of whatever movie had her so excited. She took the opportunity to slip out of the kitchen and make her way upstairs to her room. Closing the door behind her, she took a deep breath and dialed April’s number.

  April answered on the second ring. “Holly, I was just thinking about you. How is everything going?”

  “I think I’ve really screwed up. Oh April, what am I going to do?” She felt the tears streaming down her face as she slid down the door. “I think his mother has figured out that Preston and I like each other.”

  “His mother? So? He’s a grown man, right?”

  Holly sighed. “He’s twenty-six. I’ve been sleeping with someone just a few years older than my kids.” Her hand flew to her chest. “Do you hear what I’ve become?”

  “Oh, stop it!” April raised her voice. “Do you hear yourself? He’s twenty-six freaking years old! That’s not a kid. He’s a grown man. So what if he’s only a few years older than your kids, it’s not like you’re Mrs. Robinson for god’s sake. Get a grip Holly. In a couple of days, you’ll be walking away with a wonderful memory.”

  “But that’s just it, April. I don’t know how I’m going to walk away.” She leaned back against the door as pain ripped through her. “I have a family, a life. Jesus, I have a grandchild. It’s not fair to him. Look how much older I am.”

  “You’re ten years older than him. If you were falling for a man ten years older than you, would anyone think anything of it? No. So tell me what the hell the difference is?”

  “He’s going to want kids.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I already have kids.”

  “Yeah, and you’re young enough to have another child if you choose to. You’re not over the hill yet. You started young. If you two have chemistry, don’t just throw that away. You don’t have to make a choice now. Give the man a chance. You both deserve that much.”

  Chapter 19

  Somebody Waits for You

  Holly watched the clock, waiting for Preston to return. He’d been gone for a few hours and she was getting worried. She finished up wrapping all the gifts she’d purchased, not wanting to face Tamra on her own. She fidgeted with the bow on her last gift, placed it in the pile before she walked, yet again, to the window to see if his truck was in the drive. This time it was. Breathing a sigh of relief, she pulled his number up on her phone and sent him a text. In my room.

  A few seconds later her phone chimed, I’m on my way up.

  A few minutes later, she heard a soft knock. “Come in.” She stood to meet him as he rushed through the door, taking her into his arms.

  “What’s wrong?” He moved back searching her face.

  “Your mother was questioning me if I knew anything about why you left yesterday. I’m a bit embarrassed.”

  “What do you mean questioning you about us? What did she say?” He cocked his head, brows drawn down.

  Holly moved out of his arms, took his hand, and tugged him to the bed. She plopped down and patted the bed beside her. She carefully told him everything that happened after he left. As soon as she finished, she glanced at him.

  Preston ran a hand down his face and sighed. “Well, shit. I’m pretty sure she already knows, but I think she doesn’t have an idea on exactly what’s going on.”

  Holly took his hand. “She wasn’t being rude to me, she’s just worried about you because your brother left all this on you. But it does make me wonder how she’s feeling toward me.” She felt the tears sting her eyes, threatening to spill over onto her face.

  “I honestly think she’s fine. We have less than a week left, and I want us to enjoy our time together.” He ran his knuckles softly down her cheek before putting his finger under her chin and leaning down to gently capture her mouth with his. He looked over at her pile of gifts sitting near the door, his brow lifted. “What is all of that?”

  “My gifts for you guys.”

  “Those are your gifts for us? That’s a lot of boxes.” Shaking his head, he chuckled. “Clare is going to drive us nuts if you put those under the tree.”

  “It’s not a lot.” She followed his gaze and realized the pile was a lot larger than she thought. “I didn’t realize I bought so much.” She folded her hands in her lap and sighed.

  “Let’s just enjoy each other and the holiday.” He kissed her softly. “I’ll see you downstairs, dinner is ready.”

  “All right. Thanks for listening, cowboy.”

  Preston left Holly’s room upset with Ma. Thankfully, he was able to keep it from Holly. When the hell was she going to learn to stop getting into his business? He was so mad, he wanted to go downstairs and tell her off. She’d know he was pissed as soon as she saw him anyway, but he didn’t want her angry with Holly for saying anything. He wondered how small she would feel Christmas morning when she saw all the gifts Holly had so lovingly chosen for each of them. He went to his room and washed his face to calm down before going downstairs to talk to her.

  He found her in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner. “Need some help?” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

  “Sure, could you get the hand mixer so I can mash these potatoes? Everything is almost ready.”

  “I can mash them if you want. So, where’s Holly?” He watched her out of the corner of his eyes for her reaction.

  “I guess she’s upstairs. I haven’t seen her for a while.”

  “Oh. I figured you two would be putting the gifts under the tree and discussing dinner for tomorrow night.” He turned the mixer on before she could respond, mashing the potatoes just how he liked them. Clare walked in as he finished up. “Hey, sis. Would you do me a favor and let Holly know dinner is ready?”

  “Yep, I’ll be right back.”

  He watched her skip out of the kitchen and turned to Ma. “So, anything happen today?” Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back against the counter.

  “What are you talking about?” She moved past him to set the platter on the table.

  “I thought you guys would all be down here getting things ready for tonight, but I find you down here by yourself ,and you won’t look me in the eyes. So, I’m asking you what happened.”

  “Nothing happened. I was talking to Holly when Clare came in and she left the kitchen. I haven’t seen her since.”

  “What did you say to her?”

  Tamra backed up, eyes wide. “I’m just worried about you. When you disappeared yesterday, I got scared. I only wanted to know if Holly knew anything. You two have been spending a lot of time together.”

  “Ma.” He wiped his hand down his face. “Holly and I are attracted to each other. You’ve noticed, I’m sure. You seem to make sure we are spending time together.” He glanced at her and grinned. “You’ve always been a matchmaker, Ma. I think you embarrassed her earlier.”

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to pry into your business. I was just worried.” She started crying. “You’ve so been happy lately.

  “Ma, don’t cry.”

  “Preston. Why is mom crying?” Clare stood in the doorway looking from one to the other. “What’s going on?”

  “We’re just talking, Clare. Nothing to worry about, okay?”

  Clare nodded but kept an eye on Ma.


  He pulled his mother into his arms. “Ma, don’t cry, just be yourself and don’t mention what happened earlier. It will be fine.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I think I may be in love with her, and she’s going to leave soon. I don’t know if I can lose her.” He couldn’t keep the pain out of his eyes, so he quickly went to the cabinet to get the glasses down and placed them on the table.

  Tamra’s mouth was hanging open when he turned and looked at her. “Preston, did I hear you right?”

  “Yeah Ma, you did. But I would appreciate it if you could let me just enjoy the rest of her visit.” He smiled at her. “After all, she’ll be gone in a few days and has been very nice to all of us.”

  “Okay.” She dried her eyes before she opened the oven door, pulling out a cookie sheet of homemade biscuits. When she turned, she had a big smile on her face. “I’ll do whatever I need to do.”

  “Thanks Ma. I love you.” Shaking his head, he turned to Clare. “Did you tell her dinner was ready?”

  “Yeah, she said she’d be right down, something about fixing her face.” Clare was looking from one to the other. “What is going on?”

  “Nothing, truly. Would you mind getting the tea out of the fridge? I’ve already put the ice in the glasses.”

  “Sure. Mom do you want something other than tea?” Clare asked as she pulled the large pitcher out, a frown on her face.