Holiday Heat: The Men of Starlight Bend

by Ashley Jennifer

  She leaned in, threw her arms around his neck and when her lips pressed against his he thought for sure they’d both melt right there from the intense heat. When the kiss ended, she snuggled against his shoulder and said, “How’s the foal?”

  “You mean Holly’s Wish?”

  She pushed back and gazed into his eyes. “Is that what you named her?”

  “Appropriate, don’t you think?”

  “Couldn’t be better.”

  “Let’s drive back to Starlight Bend. Riley’s family invited us all over for dinner, and I think there’s one of my mom’s cherry pies with your name on it.”

  “But I don’t have any presents for anyone.”

  “Big Sky Living is open until nine. We can stop and pick up a few things. They even provide gift wrapping.”

  “But I don’t have any money, remember?”

  He liked what this meant. “I can lend you whatever you need. You can work it off on the ranch.”

  “You mean by slopping the pigs?”

  “No pigs, remember?”

  “Ah, yes. We’ll just have to think of another way.”

  He winked. “I can think of quite a few ways, and they all take place in the bedroom.”

  “Why Red Wiseman, are you propositioning me?”

  “I believe I am, yes.”

  He pulled her in tight and kissed her, hard, with all the longing he’d kept bottled up for all these long lonely months.

  When he stopped, a warm smile stretched across her now ruby lips.

  “Let’s go home for a spell,” she said, and in that moment, Red knew that once again, after all these years, Santa had indeed granted his Christmas wish.

  Come to think of it, he wondered what Jolie’s Christmas wish had been. He decided to ask her as soon as got his boots back on and covered those crazy glowing socks.

  Epilogue

  Holly Lowe remembered a time when Christmas was the very best day of the year. A day she’d anticipate for months on end. A day that once it arrived, she’d never wanted to end.

  For the past two years, however, ever since her daddy left, her mom couldn’t even afford to buy a real tree, at least not a big tree. One that touched the ceiling like her daddy’s trees always did.

  Christmas just wasn’t Christmas without a really big tree.

  The ones her mom brought home weren’t even as tall as she was and Holly was almost five feet tall now. Well, at least once she grew two more inches she would be.

  It was all her mom’s fault.

  She’d made her daddy go away and then wouldn’t allow her to live with him. Holly knew her daddy would settle down somewhere if she was living with him, and teach her how to ride a horse. He was going to teach her how to ride right before he left. He’d even promised her a horse for Christmas.

  That was the Christmas he left and never came back. He’d said he was going out to pick up her horse, and that he’d be right back. She’d waited all day wearing her new cowgirl boots, the ones with the shiny black heels that sometimes made her feet hurt, but he never came back.

  After that, Holly didn’t much care for Christmas, nor did she care much for her mom.

  They’d had another of their big fights that morning. Her mom had told him if he was going to spend all their money on booze he couldn’t live with them anymore.

  Holly knew her daddy didn’t spend all their money on booze or how would he have had enough to buy her a horse? Her Mom was lying and her daddy had known it, so he left and never came back.

  And it was all her mom’s fault.

  Holly hadn’t ever forgiven her mom since that Christmas Day, and probably never would . . . ever . . . even though she sometimes missed her mom’s hugs. It didn’t matter, though, she had her grandma to give her hugs. Problem was, Grandma lived over in Cody, Wyoming, which was really far away and took all day to drive there. She didn’t come over very often, but she’d promised to drive down this Christmas and she was bringing along grandpa, too. He didn’t usually come because somebody had to stay home with their dog, Biddy, who was almost as old as Holly. And in dog years, that was really old.

  This year, Biddy was staying with a neighbor so both Holly’s grandparents would be coming, but that wasn’t until later today . . . much later.

  Grandma didn’t want Holly to learn how to ride a horse. She said it was too dangerous, especially since Holly suffered from cerebral palsy and could barely walk. Up until this last year, Holly had been stuck in a stupid wheelchair, but thanks to Mrs. Marshal, Holly had learned how to stand, and then how to walk. She may look funny to some of the kids at school because she rocked sideways and her feet pointed inward instead of straight out, but the other kids didn’t have the balance problems that she had. For the most part, most of her classmates were kind to her, but not her mom.

  Her mom kept pushing her to stand up straight. To keep her back straight when she sat or stood up. She hated that her mom gave her so many orders.

  Now there was no hope for a horse, and no hope that she’d ever learn how to ride. All their extra money went to Mrs. Marshal, which was okay with Holly, but she still dreamed of riding. She couldn’t help it. She loved horses. Her room was filled with pictures of horses, plastic horse statues, soft horses, and there was even a horse mobile hanging in the corner.

  Her mother didn’t care about riding, even though she already knew how. Whenever Holly asked for lessons, her mom would laugh and tell her how they could barely buy groceries, let alone horseback riding lessons.

  But Holly knew the truth. No one would teach her because no one believed she could stay up on a horse. No one wanted to take the risk on a kid with CP.

  Holly truly believed her mom didn’t understand, and didn’t like her. Not really. Or why else would she have pushed Holly’s dad away when all he wanted to do was buy his daughter a horse of her own.

  “It’s Christmas morning, sweetheart,” her mom said as she stood just inside the bedroom door. She wore a bright red robe over her white pajamas. Her dark hair was pulled up in a long ponytail, and her black-rimmed glasses sat somewhat crooked on her nose. “Are you ready to look under the tree? I think you might be really surprised this year.”

  Her mother had said the same thing last year, and all that was under the tree was a stupid new refurbished phone that Holly hadn’t wanted in the first place.

  “I’m still tired. I don’t want to get up yet.”

  “I made your favorite breakfast?”

  That got Holly’s attention. “Nutella crepes with bananas and strawberries?”

  “I’ve got everything waiting for you in the kitchen.”

  Holly didn’t want to seem too eager, but she positively loved Nutella anything, especially crepes. “Okay, then. I’ll get up.”

  Holly needed her mom to help her out of bed in the morning. Her balance wasn’t quite good enough yet to lift herself up after a whole night of lying down.

  Once her mom got her standing, and helped her with her robe and socks, she could brush her own teeth and wash her own face, even though her mom liked to be there when she did it.

  A total unnecessary act.

  When Holly was all cleaned up, her mom walked ahead of her and headed for the living room where the Christmas tree stood, the little Christmas tree with the stupid ornaments.

  Holly headed for the kitchen.

  “Holly, I’m not making breakfast until you open at least one gift,” her mom called after her.

  “That’s blackmail and it’s Christmas. You shouldn’t be blackmailing your daughter on Christmas.”

  Holly stood at the crossroads between the kitchen and the living room. Normally, she wouldn’t even consider her mom’s demand, but she wasn’t in the mood for a fight this morning.

  She slowly turned herself around and headed for the living room, deciding to make her mom happy so maybe she could have two crepes this morning instead of one.

  As she walked into the living room she spotted a man sitting on the edge of the re
cliner. At first she thought he was just another one of her mom’s friends from work until she heard his voice. “Hello sweet-pea.”

  Holly hadn’t recognized him at first. He looked different. His hair was different, and his clothes were clean and new and he’d shaved. “Daddy?”

  He came over to her and swooped her up in his big strong arms and twirled her around like he used to.

  “Daddy, oh, Daddy! You’re here. You’re really here!”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. Holly didn’t like to cry anymore now that she was eleven, but she couldn’t help it.

  “I am, darlin’.”

  When he put her down, she had a hard time balancing herself, but she remembered what her mom always told her about standing up straight. She took her time and stood as straight as she could, and found that she could balance herself just fine.

  “I can walk now, Daddy. I can do lots of things since you saw me last time. You look different, Daddy. Are you staying?”

  Her dad’s eyes were watery, like he wanted to cry. But Holly knew her Daddy didn’t cry. He must have gotten a cinder in one of them. Everybody knew that daddies didn’t cry.

  “Your mom and I are working it out, baby. I’m living in town now. Got a job at Big Sky Living, so I can see you as often as you’d like.”

  “Every day?”

  “If you want to, sure. But baby, there’s a present under the tree that your mom managed to get especially for you. Don’t you want to open it?”

  “I don’t want anything else. You’re home, Daddy. You’re really home!”

  “It would make me very happy if you opened it, sweet-pea.”

  Holly didn’t want to do anything that would make her daddy sad. “Okay.”

  Holly walked over and sat down on the sofa. Her mom sat next to her, but Holly didn’t want her mom to sit next to her. She wanted her daddy.

  “Can you sit next to me, Daddy?”

  “Not right now, sweet-pea. Your mom wants to sit there.”

  “But I don’t want her here. I want you.”

  “That’s okay,” her mom said. “I’ll go and start breakfast.”

  When Holly’s mom left the room, her dad sat down on the recliner even though Holly had asked him to sit on the sofa next to her. She didn’t understand why he was acting so strange.

  “There’s something you should know, baby. It was your mom who helped me get the job at Big Sky Living.”

  Holly shrugged. It didn’t impress her.

  “And your mom’s the reason why I cleaned myself up. I did it for you and for your mom. Let me tell you a little secret. I wasn’t a very good dad to you, baby. I know that now. But your mom is the best mom in the entire world, and you and I are lucky to have her in our lives.”

  “But she sent you away.”

  “No, baby. I made my own decisions. Your mom had nothing to do with it.”

  “You mean, you left on Christmas after you promised me a horse?”

  “Yes. Can you ever forgive me? I’m so very sorry.”

  Holly thought about this for a moment. She didn’t like what he did, but her mom had taught her to forgive anyone who said they were sorry and meant it. Her daddy looked like he meant it. His eyes were watery again.

  “It’s okay. You’re here now,” Holly told him.

  “And will you open your present? I think it’s very special. Your mom asked Santa for it especially for you.”

  “I’m eleven years old, Daddy. I know there’s no Santa Claus.”

  “I believe there is a Santa Claus, and he’s a magical Santa who granted you a wish you’ve been wanting for a very long time.”

  Holly’s heart fluttered in her chest. She knew she shouldn’t get her hopes up, but if her daddy could come home on Christmas, anything could happen.

  Her dad handed her a tiny red box with a great big white bow wrapped around it. Holly took it and ripped off the bow as quickly as she could and opened the box.

  Inside was a pure white paper snowflake that read:

  Santa has granted your wish. You will receive riding lessons for as long as you need them from Red Wiseman.

  Holly couldn’t speak, and wouldn’t speak. Instead, she pulled herself up from the sofa, straightened her posture as best she could, walked across the living room, and into the kitchen.

  Her mom turned to her. “Your crepe is almost ready.”

  Holly walked right up to her mom and gave her the tightest hug ever. Her mom smelled of Nutella and sugar and Christmas. When her mom hugged her back, Holly sunk into her mom’s arms and cried. Her mom cried, too and Holly knew that Santa had granted more than her wish for riding lessons. That magical Santa had brought Holly’s family back together again, and because of that, Holly would never doubt Santa again . . . or her mom who just happened to be the best mom in the entire world!

  The End

  Keep reading for more stories in the series Holiday Heat: The Men of Starlight Bend!

  About The Author

  Mary Leo began writing before she could walk, mostly with her mom’s favorite lipstick on the walls and wooden floors in their house. By the time she was old enough to use a pen, she’d write her stories in her journal, refusing to allow anyone to read them. When she was a teen, she and her best friends exchanged verbal stories of great love affairs with their favorite rock stars . . . fortunately those rated X stories were never written down or Mary’s mom would have surely had a heart attack.

  Sometime after Mary’s children were grown, she began writing her stories again, only this time she used a computer and sent them off to be published. She wanted the world to read them, and even made the USA Today bestseller’s list.

  Now she rarely uses a tube of lipstick to write, refuses to write anything that won’t be shared, and almost never fantasizes about a great love affair with a rock star . . . unless he’s a character for a book.

  She lives in Las Vegas with her rock star hubby, author Richter Watkins, and visits San Diego often to play with their grandchildren. Her granddaughter has already written her first book . . . with a crayon. Oh yeah!

  Mary loves hearing from readers. Please visit her website at: www.maryleo.com

  Join Mary’s street team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/941824119233676/

  FB: https://www.facebook.com/maryleoauthor/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/maryleoauthor

  Also by Mary Leo

  Please visit her website for buying links: www.maryleo.com

  Cowboy Series from Harlequin:

  Falling For The Cowboy

  Aiming For The Cowboy

  Her Favorite Cowboy

  Christmas For The Rancher

  A Christmas Wedding For The Cowboy

  A Cowboy In Her Arms (coming soon)

  A Cowboy To Kiss (coming soon)

  Connected Books:

  Please visit her website for buying links: www.maryleo.com

  Holiday Heat: The Men Of Starlight Bend

  Stirring It Up (Love With A Twist, Valentine Romance Collection, Book 3)

  And Everything Nice (Snowed In and Snuggled Up Holiday Collection, Book 3)

  Romancing Rudy Raindear (Secret Santa’s Holiday Collection, Book 3)

  Romantic Suspense:

  Please visit her website for buying links: www.maryleo.com

  Trusting Evil

  Mystery:

  The Spia Family Presses On

  The Trouble With Bodies

  Other works:

  Please visit her website for buying links: www.maryleo.com

  It’s In His Kiss (Boxed Set)

  Everything He Never Wanted

  Tails, Time, and St. Nick

  Stick Shift

  For Better Or Cursed

  A Pinch Of Cool

  Cabin Fever

  The Grinch of Starlight Bend

  By Jennifer Probst

  Prologue

  Once upon a time, Santa Claus lived in the small Montana town of Starlight Bend.

  He appeared on a co
ld winter’s night with a plan for glory. The multi-millionaire mogul had achieved fame with his ability to restore impoverished inner city neighborhoods into thriving communities. This night, he set a new goal. To bring the same success into a rural town and save numerous struggling businesses.

  Within a year, the man financed the Sunflower Cafe, Gordon’s Grocery Shop, Bailey’s Floral Boutique, two banks, an insurance office, and the Elliott Regional Community Center. He hired only locals and offered funding to small business owners who were on the verge of bankruptcy. Employment boomed and the community flourished. His presence had become a gift to the town, but soon the town had become a gift to the man. He fell in love with Starlight Bend and made it his home.

  The man built his mansion on the top of a mountain on twenty acres of property, overlooking the town. The towering stone house held a set of forbidding metal gates. The man left them flung wide open, welcoming the citizens below to visit anytime they wished. He hosted parties, donated to charities, and was beloved by all. One Christmas Eve, he showed up at the Winter Festival in a Santa Claus suit to hand-out lavish presents to everyone, including a year paid tuition for Ernest Paladine, who had been accepted into Harvard Law School but couldn’t afford the tuition. He also founded a charity to give Christmas wishes to needy children, making sure no child went without the joys of Christmas.

  Early one evening, the man drove down Main Street, as he often did, checking on his businesses and enjoying talking with townspeople. This particular evening, he noticed thick smoke pouring out from the Sunflower Cafe. Quickly dialing 911, he raced inside and found the kitchen in flames. He looked around, saw no one, and felt relief believing the café was empty. As he retreated toward the door, back to safety, he heard moans. Without hesitation, he headed toward the sounds and found two teen boys huddled in the corner, paralyzed in fear. As the thick smoke filled the air, making it difficult to breath, and the crackle of flames threatened to engulf them all, the man pushed the boys, one by one out the window and into the safety of the streets, now lined with townspeople.

  Before he had a chance to escape through the same window, he heard something snap. He looked to the ceiling as a few beams came crashing down.