Capturing Christmas

by Shanna Hatfield

  “Rest a while.” Kash lifted her feet and swung her legs around so she could fully recline on the couch. He flipped a blanket off the back of it over her and dimmed the overhead light so only the fire and the tree lights illuminated the room. “You did good, Red.” He kissed her forehead then left the room.

  Celia stared at the lights on the tree until they blurred and she fell asleep. The jingling of her phone, since she’d changed the ring tone to jingle bells, woke her up an hour later. She dug her phone out of her pocket and answered it.

  “How are you, honey? Do you need your dad and me to come get you?” Jana asked, concerned.

  “No, Mom. I’m much, much better today. I even helped the Kressley men decorate their tree.”

  “You did? What else did you do?”

  Celia sat up and yawned. “Kash took me to the auto shop to clean out the pickup. I sold it to them for parts. I decided I’m going to buy something new after Christmas.”

  Jana’s voice held relief. “I’m so glad you decided to get rid of that old truck, sweetheart. Your dad and I worry it will leave you stranded every time you head out of town. You’re lucky Kash happened upon you when you broke down instead of some serial killer or pervert.”

  Celia laughed. “Thanks, Mom. That’s the way to put me at ease.”

  “Oh, you know what I mean.” Jana released an exasperated sigh. “When are you planning to come home?”

  “Probably this weekend. Kash said he’d run me home whenever I was ready. The ranch is gorgeous. I want to take some photos before I leave, especially with all the snow. I’m hoping to feel well enough to spend some time outside tomorrow.”

  “Enjoy yourself, Celia. Just make sure you’re home in time to go to your brother’s house for Christmas Eve.”

  “I promise I’ll be there.”

  “Good. You can invite Kash to come along if you want. Cort and Kaley would be happy to have him there.”

  “Let’s not get too carried away,” Celia cautioned. “We’ve barely had a handful of dates.”

  “Oh, pooh. You’ve been in love with that man since the day he swept you off your feet and you know it. What are you waiting for? I’m ready to plan a wedding.”

  “Good luck with that. Maybe you and Dad should renew your vows.”

  “Celia Janae McGraw, you are a pill!”

  “But you love me anyway. I’ll give you a call tomorrow, Mom. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, sweetheart. Bye.”

  Celia disconnected the call and shoved the phone back into her pocket. She folded the blanket covering her lap and draped it over the back of the couch then wandered down the hall to the kitchen.

  Kash and Ransom set the table while Frank stirred a big pot of something on the stove.

  “Anything I can do to help?” she asked as she strolled into the room.

  “No, honey. Sit yourself right down at the table. Dinner will be ready in a jiffy.” Frank smiled at her over his shoulder.

  Kash poured her a glass of orange juice then held the bottle out toward Ransom. When he shook his head, Kash returned it to the fridge and poured three glasses of milk, setting them on the table.

  Frank spooned chicken and noodles into a serving bowl and set it on the table while Kash took a packet of green beans out of the microwave and dumped them into a bowl.

  Ransom opened a can of fruit cocktail and added it to a bowl before he took a seat at the table. The fruit and vegetables weren’t fresh, but at least the guys made an effort.

  As they ate, Celia listened to Kash and Frank talk about the stock, the ranch, and moving some of the cows into a different pasture that was easier to access in the snow with the feed truck.

  Ransom tuned them out until Kash asked him a question about a football game scheduled to air that evening.

  Celia could see Ransom’s whole countenance change as he discussed the sport and hoped, for his sake, he got the job he’d applied for with the arena football team.

  When their conversation died down, she looked around the table. “Have you guys done much exploring since you moved to the area?”

  “No. We haven’t done more than learn the best places to eat in town, where to find the doctor’s office, dentist, and feed store.” Frank smiled at her. “What do we need to know about Twin Falls?”

  Celia grinned. “Well, the Snake River Canyon, just outside of town, is up to five hundred feet deep in some places, a quarter-mile wide, and stretches for more than fifty miles.”

  “I noticed it was deep and wide, but hadn’t ever stopped to read the road signs,” Kash said as he buttered a biscuit made from one of the many tubes of dough in the refrigerator.

  “Back in the late 1800s, a man named Perrine worked with some others to develop a canal irrigation system from the Snake River through this dry area. In the early 1900s, Twin Falls was founded,” Celia explained.

  “Isn’t there a bridge by that name?” Frank asked as he motioned for Ransom to pass him the chicken and noodles.

  “Yes, it’s the bridge Highway 93 runs on to cross the canyon. The first bridge was constructed in the 1920s and was reputed to be the highest bridge in the world at the time. They built the new bridge in the ‘70s and named it after Mr. Perrine.” Celia nodded toward Ransom. “Daredevils who live on the edge like to BASE jump off it.”

  “I’ve seen a few people doing that. I’d rather take my chances with a cranky bull than jump off a bridge,” Kash said.

  “Did you know Evel Knievel tried to jump across the canyon?” Celia asked.

  “I vaguely remember something about that, but didn’t realize that was here until you mentioned it,” Frank said. “Wasn’t that back in the mid-‘70s?”

  “I think so. He planned to jump the canyon on something he called a skyrocket, but the parachute opened early and the wind pulled it back. He was lucky he didn’t get seriously injured.”

  “Wow! I had no idea.” Kash smiled at Celia. “What else should we know about the area?”

  “If you do an online search of Marilyn Monroe plus Twin Falls, you’ll find a photograph of her wearing a potato sack that came from here. I think that’s where the phrase ‘she even looks good wearing a potato sack’ originated.”

  “You’re kidding,” Ransom said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and did a quick search then laughed at the photo of the Hollywood starlet in a burlap sack. He passed the phone to Frank and Kash. “What other fun facts are in that pretty head of yours?”

  Celia grinned. “Have you been out to see Shoshone Falls?”

  “No, but we’ve heard about it.” Kash spooned canned fruit onto his plate and took a bite.

  “You should go. It’s amazing any time of year, but during spring runoff, it’s spectacular.” Celia had taken several photos at the falls through the years and it was one of her favorite places to visit. “The falls have been around since the end of the last ice age when a flood carved the Snake River Canyon and a lot of the surrounding valleys. It’s only about five miles on the other side of town. Oh, if you haven’t discovered it yet, Native Americans have lived around here for centuries. Don’t be surprised if you unearth an arrowhead or two on the ranch. A few that have been found in the region are among the oldest dated artifacts in North America.”

  “You’re like an encyclopedia and tour guide all rolled into one,” Ransom teased. “How do you know so much about Twin Falls?”

  “I had a teacher in the seventh grade that was into Idaho state history. She assigned each of us to do a huge report on a city and I ended up with Twin Falls. Besides, I drive through here often, and love photographing the falls and canyon.”

  Celia finished her dinner as they discussed other points of interest in the area. Exhausted, she managed to stay awake long enough to help clear the table. Frank told her to go sit by the fire, but she bid them good night and headed up to bed.

  Kash started to walk her upstairs, but she placed a hand on his cheek and whispered good night.

  In her room, she was
hed her face, put on her pajamas, took a dose of cough medicine and climbed into bed.

  A vision of Kash filled her thoughts as she closed her eyes, picturing him wrapped in a big red bow beneath her Christmas tree.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Will you run upstairs and tell Kash breakfast is ready, honey? Getting cold won’t make it taste any better.” Frank smiled at Celia as she walked into the kitchen. Pancakes stacked up on a platter and crispy bacon filled the air with a delicious aroma that made her stomach grumble.

  Outside, sunlight glistened on the snow that fell the previous evening, making the world seem sparkling and clean.

  “I sure can, Frank.” Celia turned and hurried up the back stairs then counted doors, hoping she had the right one when she knocked. No one answered, so she knocked again and turned the knob.

  Quietly opening it, she stepped inside, surprised to find the room neat. A huge bed covered in a dark blue comforter filled a portion of one wall with big pieces of dark log furniture rounding out the furnishings. The room appeared masculine and strong, yet welcoming and intriguing, rather like the man who slept there.

  Thoughts of Kash in the bed made her blush. The pink in her cheeks turned bright red when he walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

  The sight of his broad shoulders, muscled chest, and flat abs made her mouth so dry she might as well have stuffed it full of cotton balls. A fever that had nothing to do with her being sick and everything to do with the virile, gorgeous man looking at her with his smoldering blue eyes left her overheated.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, forcing her gaze down. It lingered on a scar on his thigh, peeping out from the hem of the towel, before it popped back up to Kash’s bare chest. “I wasn’t sure I had the correct room. Your dad asked me to tell you breakfast is ready.”

  “No problem.” He moved forward and she took a step back, bumping into the wall.

  “I thought I saw you dressed and outside a while ago.” From her bedroom window, she’d watched him play with the dogs before he disappeared inside the barn when she first woke up that morning.

  “You did, but I have a sick bull that switched his nasty tail all over me.” Normally, Kash would have wiped off his face and gone on with his day, but he sure didn’t want to stink like manure around her, at least not this early in the day. As soon as he returned to the house, he’d hightailed it up to his room to grab a quick shower and change clothes.

  Amused by her flustered state and the way her eyes remained glued to his chest, Kash took another step, stopping directly in front of her. “Tell Dad I’ll be down in a minute, unless you want to stay and help me get dressed. If that’s the case, it could take a while.”

  Although he teased, the heat in his eyes and the invitation in his voice caused her knees to wobble. Her fingers itched to reach out and touch the exposed skin of his chest. She lifted her hand, but managed to regain a small portion of sense and sidestepped toward the door.

  “I, um… I’ll tell your… tell Frank… you, um…” she stammered.

  Held close to Kash’s chest when clothes covered it was one of the most divine things she’d ever experienced. Curious, she wondered what sort of ecstatic state of rapture might descend upon her if he took her in his arms at that very moment.

  As though he sensed her turmoil, Kash reached out and cupped her chin with his hand, tilting her face up until he could see in her eyes. “Are you better today, Celia?”

  “I’m much improved. My throat doesn’t even hurt today and I’ve only coughed once.”

  “In that case,” Kash bracketed her cheeks with his palms, “I can do this.”

  Intent on kissing her, he dropped his head. She turned her face at the last moment and his lips brushed her cheek.

  A growl rumbled in his throat. “Dang it, Red. You are killing me. I just want to kiss you.”

  “I know,” she whispered, dropping her head against his chest. His warm, bare skin felt even better than she imagined. Tempted to wrap her arms around him and hold on for the rest of her life, she forced her feet to move backward until she stood in the hall. “But I still don’t want you to get sick.”

  Kash ran a hand through his damp hair and gave her a look that made her want to push him back into the room, lock the door, and never leave.

  Before he reached out to her again, she scurried down the stairs to the kitchen and helped Frank set syrup and butter on the table. Ransom didn’t join them, but Kash appeared a few minutes later, dressed in jeans and a soft flannel shirt that matched the blue of his eyes.

  Frank carried most of the conversation during breakfast. Celia asked if they minded if she took photos both indoors and outside. They told her to go ahead. When they finished eating, Kash retrieved her camera equipment from where he’d stored it in the hall closet.

  Celia went up to her room and put on an extra pair of socks then slipped a warm sweater over her blouse before heading back downstairs. She tugged on her snow boots, slipped on her coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck. Quickly checking to make sure her gloves were in her pockets, she fetched her camera from the kitchen.

  Frank sat at the table, reading a newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee.

  She smiled at him as he set aside the paper. “If I wanted to take photos of your horses, where would be a good place to go?”

  “I’ll get the truck and drive you, honey. I don’t want you to get chilled.” Frank started to rise, but she put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back into his seat.

  “I’m bundled up enough I could take a half-day hike through the arctic during a sub-zero blizzard and stay toasty. Just point me in the right direction. I’ve been cooped up too long and need some exercise and fresh air.”

  Frank gave her a long look before he spoke. “I’ll tell you where to go, but if you get sick again, you have to convince Kash this was your idea. I don’t need him threatening to lop off my head.”

  Celia grinned. “It’s all on me.”

  After Frank told her the best path to take, she grabbed a few peppermints from the jar on the counter and stuffed them into her pocket. She tugged on her gloves and stepped outside.

  The sun warmed her face although the temperature was below freezing. She set a brisk pace toward the barn and followed the path Frank told her would be to the right behind the building.

  Her journey took her past a fenced-in area with a dozen bulls. She stopped and took a few shots of them. Their dark hides contrasted to the blanket of snow on the ground and blue sky overhead. It would make a great Christmas card if she added a holly border around the edges of the photo.

  One bull ambled over to the fence and Celia recognized Wild Willie. She scratched behind his ears and along his massive neck before continuing on her way.

  She crested a hill and sucked in her breath as she took in the sight of dozens of horses. Some had colts at their sides, others grazed on the hay that had been tossed out for them that morning. A few stared at her with curious interest.

  Slowly, she lifted her camera and took a photo, and another.

  Celia walked around, shooting from different angles. She’d just focused on a small group of horses when Kash’s scent enveloped her.

  “What are you doing out here? Dad’s convinced you’re going to freeze to death and I’ll have to drag your frozen carcass home before the coyotes find you.”

  Celia laughed and the sound winged straight to his heart.

  “Capturing Christmas.” She didn’t look up from the camera in her hands as she spoke, snapping several more photographs.

  Kash stepped behind her, looking over her shoulder at the horses running through the snow. “Christmas? I don’t have a horse named Christmas.”

  She snapped another photo. “No, you don’t. I’m not talking about the horses, I meant the season. I’m capturing it in the crisp, fresh scent of the trees. Christmas is in the snowflakes covering the ground, the warm boots on my feet, the peppermints in my pocket, the hint of enchantm
ent lingering in the air.” Slowly glancing back over her shoulder, she offered him a smile so full of heat, Kash considered the need to remove his coat as his blood started to zing through his veins. “Can’t you feel it, Kash? It’s right here, all around us.”

  Kash felt something, all right. A longing for the beautiful, alluring woman who looked so at home on his ranch, fit so well into his life. He wished she’d never leave.

  “Celia.” Her name spilled out of his throat in a husky whisper of multiple syllables.

  The heat sizzling between the two of them made her wonder if it might obliterate all the snow for a fifty-yard radius. He took the camera out of her hand and tucked it into the camera bag she’d set near her feet. Surprised, she didn’t say a word as he gazed into her face, his eyes filled with a smoldering fire she didn’t want to extinguish.

  “Let me kiss you, Red. Please? If you don’t agree, I’m fairly certain I’m the one who’ll die out here and you can just leave me for buzzard bait.”

  Celia wanted to say yes. Her heart practically screamed out the word while her lips ached with longing. But her darn head turned out to be a party-pooper. “Kash, you do not want to catch this bug I’ve had all week. I don’t want you to get sick.”

  He peeled off his gloves and stuffed them into his pockets then slid his hands beneath her hair to the base of her neck. Their warmth made her lightheaded.

  “I don’t care if you’ve got the plague, typhoid fever, or a deadly disease found only in some hidden region of the Amazon, I need to kiss you.”

  A saucy grin lifted the corners of her mouth upward. “What are you waiting for, handsome?”

  His mouth captured hers in a kiss unlike anything Celia had ever experienced or imagined. Passionate, powerful, and demanding, his lips coaxed and teased hers until she clung to him, desperate for him to own not just her mouth but also her heart and soul. Seconds or hours could have passed and she wouldn’t have known the difference. Time ceased to exist during their ardent, urgent exchange.

  Kash finally drew back and inhaled a shuddering breath followed by another. Convinced beyond a doubt this was the woman he was meant to love for a lifetime, he gave her a smile that held the emotions of his heart.