Harlequin American Romance October 2013 Bundle: Twins Under the Christmas TreeBig Sky ChristmasHer Wyoming HeroA Rancher's Christmas

by Marin Thomas

  As she watched, he emerged with several bags of groceries, which he loaded into the truck.

  Surely he’d come and see her now?

  But when it became clear that he was planning to drive by, she ran out to the street, gasping at the cold air and almost skidding as the clogs she wore to work made contact with the icy sidewalk.

  “Jackson!” She waved an arm, but he was already pulling over to the curb and lowering his passenger window.

  “What’s wrong?” He had a hand on his door in case he needed to spring to her aid.

  She wrapped her arms around her ribcage. “Nothing. I just thought you’d stop in.”

  “No time. I picked up some supplies for dinner tonight, though. See you then?”

  She tried not to feel disappointed. It was silly when she was going to see him again in just a few hours.

  * * *

  THAT EVENING, after Maddie had retired to her room and Bobby had fallen asleep again on a quilt in the sitting room, Jackson took hold of Winnie’s hands.

  They were sitting on the sofa and had just finished a game of cribbage, which they’d started earlier when Maddie was in the room with them.

  Now, finally, they had a little privacy.

  She gazed into Jackson’s eyes and marveled at the intense desire she saw in them. These were eyes she could never tire of looking into. She wanted to touch the side of his handsome face and feel his sensuous lips press against hers.

  He brushed a strand of hair back from her eye, letting this thumb linger on her cheek. “It’s real nice of you to bring Bobby out here to spend the evening with Maddie and me.”

  “I’m happy to do it.”

  He stroked the side of her face, then took hold of her hand again. “But it’s not exactly a date, is it?”

  “Not exactly.”

  She sighed. Between her responsibilities as a mother to a young toddler and his duties to care for Maddie in the late stage of cancer, they were each left with precious little time to be alone.

  Being alone together seemed even more rare.

  Not that she would ever begrudge the evenings he spent with Maddie. Some—like Olive—might accuse him of buttering up the older woman so he could inherit the ranch, but Winnie knew better.

  Jackson treated Maddie with genuine respect and caring.

  Even before she’d offered him her ranch, he’d put new roofs on her house and the cattle barn.

  No, she didn’t question his motives.

  But she did wonder how she and Bobby might fit in the picture.

  If, indeed, Jackson intended them to fit at all.

  “I’ve done a little arranging,” Jackson said. “I hope you don’t mind. Corb and Laurel have agreed to take Bobby for the evening tomorrow. And B.J. and Savannah are going to come here to have dinner with Maddie. Which means you and I are going to have some time on our hands.”

  She smiled. Yes. This was exactly what they needed. “Time is good.”

  “The question is, what to do with it? Would you like to go to a movie in Lewistown? Or maybe out for dinner at the Green Veranda?”

  What she really wanted was to be alone, all alone, with Jackson.

  But she didn’t dare say that. “Dinner sounds nice.”

  Besides, her apartment was conveniently just a block away from the restaurant....

  * * *

  JACKSON COULDN’T DENY the nervous feeling in his gut as he prepared for his date with Winnie the next evening.

  Did he want to spend the evening alone with her?

  Hell, yes.

  But he was honest enough to admit that he hadn’t yet mastered the guilt he felt whenever he thought about the fact that Winnie was supposed to be Brock’s bride.

  He and Brock had grown extremely close during the years he’d spent at Coffee Creek Ranch. While B.J. had been initially suspicious and perhaps even jealous of the new kid his father had taken in, both Corb and Brock had been open and friendly from the start.

  Corb had been a few years older, though, and so it had been Brock to whom he’d gravitated during the few hours of leisure they had each day.

  As the younger son, Brock had enjoyed having someone to teach for a change, and he’d quickly passed along a myriad of ranching skills to the green city kid.

  They’d made a good team and, recognizing this, Bob Lambert had often assigned them tasks to work on together.

  As adults, they’d both ended up focusing on the quarter-horse operation, leaving Bob and Corb to deal with the cattle and hay farming.

  Then Bob had died, and Corb had become the lead man on the cattle end.

  After Brock’s death, Jackson had similarly stepped in to manage the quarter-horse operation, until last summer when B.J. had quit the rodeo and come home to settle down with Savannah.

  By then, Jackson had been more than happy to step away from his position and take the opportunity offered to him by Maddie Turner. Even if Maddie hadn’t made her offer, he’d been ready to leave and would have taken the first foreman job that came his way.

  While Coffee Creek Ranch had been a great place to work, it hadn’t felt right once Brock was gone.

  Jackson knew he’d always miss him.

  But did that also mean he’d always feel guilty for falling in love with Brock’s woman?

  He appreciated the fact that the Lambert kids had all made a point of telling him they had no objection to the relationship. But none of that really mattered if he couldn’t feel right about it in his bones.

  Jackson glanced at his reflection in the mirror on the back of his door.

  He’d dressed in his best dark jeans and a black shirt with silver trim, fresh from the cleaners. Which meant it had actually been pressed, something he never bothered to do with his working clothes.

  He’d gone to all this effort because Winnie was worth it. He wanted her to be proud to be seen with him. And he wanted this evening—the first they had ever spent alone as a couple—to be a success.

  The lingering guilt he felt about Brock... That was going to lessen with time.

  Jackson drove to town, where he picked up a bouquet of red roses from Molly’s Market before presenting himself at her door, exactly at the time he’d said he’d pick her up.

  It took her a while to come to the door.

  He started to wonder if something had gone wrong.

  But Corb had sent him a text—Just picked up Bobby. Have a great time!—and had attached a smiling face to the end of the message.

  That had been an hour ago. So what could be the problem?

  And then, finally, the door opened and Winnie was on the other side. She looked gorgeous, with her dark hair falling in lovely curls over her shoulders, wearing a dress the same color as the flowers he’d bought because she looked so damn good in red.

  He knew he should say something. But words failed him. He thrust the bouquet at her, feeling as awkward as a teenager on his first date.

  “Sorry. I’m not good at this.” He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had a real date, one where he picked the woman up at her home instead of late at night in the bar.

  “The flowers are lovely. Let me put them in water.”

  He waited as she pulled a vase from a cupboard over the stove. Her dress made the most of her curves, even though it covered a fair amount of her skin. She was wearing dark tights with the dress and boots made of expensive leather that clung to her long, slender legs.

  He had a primal urge to rip it all off her. The dress. The leggings. The boots.

  He glanced down at the tips of his own boots—which he’d cleaned and polished just a half hour ago. Took a deep breath. He was here to woo her. Not ravish her.

  He had to remember that.

  But it turned out he wasn’t an
y good at wooing.

  Conversation over dinner was awkward. Winnie did her best. Apparently her parents were enjoying their first winter in Arizona.

  Jackson couldn’t have cared less.

  All he could think about was how Winnie’s eyes sparkled when she talked, how easily she smiled and how the curved neckline of her dress revealed a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage....

  She was just as sunny and beautiful on the inside, too. She could have her pick of single men. Not just in the county, but probably all of Montana.

  So why would she choose him?

  He wasn’t charming like Brock. And he was no way near as wealthy as Brock had been, either.

  Sure, he stood to inherit some land, but it would take years before Silver Creek could turn a profit. And it might not. He might fail and lose everything—not just the inheritance, but his own savings, which he’d pumped into the place.

  When the waiter offered dessert, he wasn’t surprised Winnie refused.

  She obviously couldn’t wait for this “date” to end.

  On the walk back to her apartment, she linked her hand through his arm. “Is something bothering you?”

  He didn’t answer at first. He waited until he’d delivered her back to the safety of her building. And that was when he told her.

  “I guess our experiment failed.”

  “It did?”

  “Don’t tell me you enjoyed that?”

  “Not even a minute of it,” she admitted.

  At least she was honest.

  He stared down at the tips of his boots again. Somehow he’d managed to scuff them during the short walk to and from the restaurant. They no longer looked shiny and new.

  He sighed. “Well. Olive will be happy.”

  “What about you? How do you feel?”

  Her question surprised him. He glanced up at her face and was shocked to see tears gathering in her eyes.

  “I feel like I botched the most important night of my life. I tried to do it by the book. But I’m not a dinner and roses guy.”

  “Did I ever say that was what I wanted?”

  “No. But that’s what all women want, isn’t it? Flowers and romantic dinners in nice restaurants...”

  “Oh, Jackson.” She shrugged off her coat, letting it fall to the floor. “Why have we wasted the past two hours?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Jackson had seemed like a stranger up until that moment. As soon as Winnie flung off her coat, though, the tension snapped. He picked it up and hung it on the hook next to the door.

  “Take care of this coat. I’m partial to the way you look in red.” He put an arm around her waist and looked at her with more appetite than she’d seen in him all evening.

  “So you like my dress?”

  “Love the dress,” he murmured. And then he kissed her.

  Long and thoroughly.

  When he was done, he pulled away a few inches. “Hello, Win.”

  She smiled, understanding that he was asking for a fresh start. “Hey there, cowboy.”

  “One good thing about tonight. At least now you know I’m the kind of guy who would rather cook my woman a meal than take her out to a fancy restaurant.”

  Winnie tried not to smile. The local Green Veranda wouldn’t meet many people’s definition of “fancy.” But she understood what he was saying. “I wouldn’t be living in Coffee Creek if I wanted big-city life, Jackson. I’m as country as they come. One day I’ll take you to meet my folks, and when you see the farm where I grew up, you’ll understand.”

  “Let’s do that. As soon as your folks come back from Arizona.”

  So he had been listening to her during their dinner. He’d looked so uncomfortable she hadn’t been sure.

  “Want to watch a movie?” she offered.

  “I’d rather just sit next to you and talk.” He ran his hand down her arm and her skin sparkled to life with just that simple touch.

  “Sounds good. Can I get you something to drink? Wine or a beer?”

  “How about I make us a cowboy coffee? I still owe you dessert.”

  “If by cowboy coffee you mean coffee boiled over a campfire, no thanks.”

  He looked amused. “I’ve had plenty of those. And no, I wouldn’t dream of making you that. My personal recipe is in another class all together. That is, if you have fresh cream, cinnamon and brandy?”

  “All of the above.” She pulled out the ingredients and watched while he made a pot of decaf in her coffee press, then heated the cream and swirled in the brandy and cinnamon.

  “Okay. This is pretty darn good.” They were sitting on the sofa by then. Jackson had his arm around her and she was leaning against his chest.

  “Tell me more about growing up on your farm. Did you have pets?”

  “Oh, yes, I did.” Jackson was stroking her hair, which felt lovely. “We had our dog, Gruff, and a cat Mom named Cash, because she loved Johnny Cash. Oh, and a chicken, too.”

  “A chicken?”

  “You have a problem with chickens?”

  “Hard to house train?” he suggested.

  “Mom didn’t let her step inside the door. June used to follow me around the yard and I’d feed her special treats.”

  “June? As in Johnny Cash’s wife?”

  “Mom’s idea, again. I used to hide June’s eggs so Mom couldn’t find them. I couldn’t stand the idea of eating June’s potential babies.”

  “Sounds like you had a lot of fun growing up on your farm.”

  “I did.” He sounded wistful, and she thought of what he’d told her about his childhood. A lot of it had sounded hard. Moving from city to city. Never knowing his dad. There must be some happy memories, too. At least, she hoped. “What about you? Did you have any pets?”

  “Not when I was living with my mom. It was all she could do to take care of me. Once I moved out to Coffee Creek, all I wanted was a horse. Never told anyone, of course. It seemed like way too much to ask for. But after I’d been living on the ranch for a year, Bob took me to a horse sale and when I spotted Red Rover, well, I knew she was the horse for me.”

  “Sorta like love at first sight?”

  “No. That only happened to me once.” He set down his coffee, and hers, as well. Then he kissed her again.

  And kept kissing, until something got them talking once more. They spent hours cuddled on the couch that way. Intimate conversation punctuated with kisses that were carefully controlled so no lines were crossed.

  Every now and then, though, Winnie would catch a heated look in Jackson’s eyes. He was holding back tonight. And that was probably wise.

  But part of her wished he would just let go.

  * * *

  JACKSON LEFT WINNIE’S apartment after midnight. He’d wanted to stay the night and was pretty sure Winnie would have let him. But he didn’t want to botch this by moving too fast.

  He couldn’t remember ever enjoying a couple of hours more than the ones he’d just spent with her. As soon as he’d driven out of town, he rolled down the window of his truck. He didn’t care about the cold winter wind. His heart was on fire and he needed to feel the fresh air against his face.

  He cranked up the radio and sang along with the country tune that was playing, happy that it had a fast beat and a catchy melody. You could always count on Keith Urban for both.

  The feeling of euphoria didn’t last long, though. All it took was coming upon the curve in the road, and the plain white cross that marked the spot where they’d hit the moose and Brock had died, to make him sober up.

  Forgive me, Brock. For being the driver when you died. For loving your girl. For living even though you can’t.

  * * *

  A WEEK LATER, Jackson prepared the farmhouse for the visit from Oli
ve. First he swept the floors and washed the countertops. Then he put the kettle on to boil. Earlier Winnie and Bobby had driven out to pitch in. Winnie understood how important this visit was to Maddie and she wanted to help make it go as smoothly as possible.

  He appreciated her thoughtfulness, especially since he’d been a little withdrawn since their date.

  In his head he knew that Brock wouldn’t want Winnie to grieve forever. Nor would he want his son to grow up without a father. It was just taking his heart a little longer to make the adjustment.

  But it would happen eventually. It had to.

  Because he couldn’t imagine living without Winnie in his life.

  “They’re here,” Winnie called out. She was standing by the kitchen window and he went to join her.

  Laurel had told Winnie that Olive would be showing up with B.J. and Corb, as well as Cassidy, for moral support. Now Jackson watched as the four of them emerged from the white SUV that Olive normally drove.

  B.J. had been the driver today, though, and he ran to the passenger door to take his mother’s arm and lead her along the shoveled path to the kitchen door.

  Maddie had insisted that he not shovel the other path, the one that led to the front door, because Family comes in the back.

  Maddie had been on edge all day. She’d taken a shower and dressed carefully in the same nice sweater she’d worn for Thanksgiving.

  She’d also made cookies, which had been an effort for her. More than once he’d seen her stop to take a rest. But when he offered to help, she shooed him away.

  “This is from a secret family recipe. You can’t watch.”

  “You’ll give me your home and all your land, but not your secret recipe for cookies?” he teased.

  Maddie laughed, but she still wouldn’t tell him the recipe.

  Then Winnie and Bobby had arrived, early, the way he’d asked them to. He felt that Maddie would appreciate the support.

  And frankly any excuse to spend time with Winnie was good by him.