The Christmas Cowboy Hero

by Donna Grant

  “Don’t make me go to the boys,” Clayton said. “If I mention it to them, they won’t let up until you give in.”

  Her gaze narrowed on him as she tried to hide her smile. “Oh, that was sneaky.”

  “I do what must be done to get what I want.” And he wanted her there.

  She gave a single nod. “All right.”

  It was all Clayton could do not to give a shout just like Caleb had earlier.

  Chapter 11

  Home. He’d been back less than a week, but it finally felt as if he’d truly come home. Why now? Was it because he realized he missed his parents? Was it because he recalled his love for the ranch?

  Or was it because of Abby?

  He waited until she was in the kitchen with the others before Clayton took the stairs two at a time. He knocked softly on the master bedroom door that was cracked open and looked inside.

  “Dad?”

  “I’m here, son.”

  Clayton pushed the door open to find his father standing before the window. Ben East stood tall and straight. His light brown hair now had a streak of gray on each side at his temples, but he was still fit. He was fastening the last button on his shirt.

  “Mom is going to kill you.”

  His father chuckled and slowly turned around. “Why do you think I waited until she was involved with the cooking to get dressed? Besides, I feel great.”

  He looked into his father’s green eyes that were still bright. “You could’ve remained in your robe.”

  “I know, but I wanted to dress. I’m tired of sitting in here feeling like an invalid. Oh, don’t worry,” he hurried to say when Clayton opened his mouth. “I’m not going to get back on a horse anytime soon. I know all about making sure I don’t have an actual stroke. I’m not ready to leave you or your mother, so I’m not going to be stupid.”

  Clayton nodded. “Good. Because I’m not ready to lose you.”

  His father’s face, which now carried more worry lines, softened in understanding. “It’s good to have you home.”

  “By the way,” Clayton said as he waited for his father to meet him at the door. “Abby just told me that the Gilroys were bonded.”

  “CPAs can do that?”

  “Apparently.”

  Ben grunted, his brows raised. “I take it to mean that’s good for us.”

  “It means that they were insured against theft. Abby already started the paperwork to get us back the money.”

  His father paused and cocked his head to the side. “I think I’m in love with this girl.”

  “Don’t let Mom hear you say that.”

  Ben laughed as he reached the door. “Perhaps it was fortunate that Brice was caught, and you gave him a second chance. It brought us Abby.”

  Clayton had been thinking the same thing. “I hope tonight isn’t going to be too much for you. The boys are young and loud.”

  “Just what this big ol’ house needs,” his father said as he walked out the door and down the hall.

  Clayton kept pace with his father down the hall and as they descended the stairs. Ben was recovering nicely, but rest was playing a big part in it. Clayton was relieved that his father was taking the mini-stroke seriously. Ben had been given a chance to change things to prevent an actual stroke—not many people were that lucky.

  “I invited the three of them for the weekend,” Clayton said before they reached the bottom stair.

  His father glanced at him, a grin in place. “Good. Now take me to meet Abby.”

  Clayton found her setting the silverware on the table as her brothers brought in bowls of food, his mother directing them where to place each. The scene reminded him so much of his younger years with Landon that he had to stop and catch his breath at the sense of loss that assaulted him.

  His father placed a hand upon his shoulder and squeezed. When Clayton looked over, Ben was rapidly blinking back tears as he watched Brice and Caleb. The silence from the kitchen warned that Justine had seen her husband. A moment later, she was standing before him, wiping away her own tears.

  Clayton drew in a shuddering breath. He hadn’t thought about how his parents would feel about Caleb and Brice—or how he’d react to seeing them inside his house. He certainly hadn’t expected to feel the loss of Landon so acutely after all these years.

  “Did we do something wrong?” Caleb asked.

  Clayton turned his head to Abby, who was watching him with silent concern. “No,” he answered.

  His mother and father shared a kiss and private words before she turned to the others, a smile in place. “Not at all, dear. It just reminded us of the past when our other son, Landon, was alive.”

  Without meaning to, Clayton studied Abby’s face as his mother broke the news. Abby’s eyes widened with sorrow and regret.

  “Who’s hungry?” his mother asked.

  Just as expected, Brice and Caleb were the first to reply. While they got seated, Clayton motioned Abby over to him and his father.

  “Hello, Mr. East,” Abby said with one of her sweet smiles as she held out her hand.

  His father took it and covered it with his other hand, squeezing it before releasing her. “Ben, please. It’s so nice to meet you, Abby. You’re a blessing this house needed.”

  Her gaze darted to Clayton. “Uh … thank you.”

  “Clayton told me that you discovered the Gilroys were bonded.”

  “Oh.” Abby put a hand to her chest as she laughed. “Yes. It was my pleasure.”

  Ben grinned. “I’m glad Clayton convinced you to look at the books. Otherwise, we’d never have known. Why don’t you come sit beside me.”

  Clayton watched Abby take the seat on his father’s right while Brice took the one on the left. Caleb sat beside Abby, much to Clayton’s disappointment. He then helped his mother into her chair at the other end of the table and sat to her right next to Brice.

  He took his mother’s hand, and soon, everyone joined hands. They bowed their heads as his father began to pray over the veritable feast. After a subdued chorus of “Amens,” the food was passed around while they each filled their plates.

  Clayton saw the many looks and smiles exchanged between his parents. He hadn’t realized how lonely they must have been over the last several years. Even though there were always people coming and going from the ranch, once he’d left, the huge house must have been awfully quiet with just the two of them. It struck Clayton how selfish he’d been to stay away.

  It was another reason for him to remain. And the longer he was at the ranch, the more he wanted to do just that.

  The boys kept the conversation going as they told each other all that had happened to them while at the ranch. As for Abby, she ate slowly as she looked between her two brothers with so much love shining in her eyes that Clayton was left speechless.

  No one but his parents had ever looked at him that way. He hadn’t cared about such things in the middle of war—or when he’d run from his responsibilities. But now, suddenly, he ached for something that solid and beautiful.

  It wasn’t long before Ben shared the news about the Gilroys being bonded with Justine. Clayton couldn’t take his eyes from Abby when she beamed with pride as she handled the praise from both his parents and her brothers.

  It had Clayton wondering just how long it had been since anyone had told Abby that she’d done something good. She had been taken for granted for too long, and it was time that changed.

  Her blue eyes met his, and they exchanged a smile before Brice asked her a question. Clayton was glad that the Harpers fit in so well with his family. It was just what his parents needed.

  And perhaps it was what he needed, as well.

  “Did Clayton share the news with you, dear?” Ben asked his wife.

  Justine raised a blond brow as she pierced Clayton with her gaze. “You have more news?”

  “Well, it came so suddenly that I’ve not had a chance to share it,” Clayton said. He glanced at Abby to find she was holding her breath until his
dad patted her hand. Clayton then said, “We’re going to have three guests staying with us for the weekend, starting Friday night.”

  Without missing a beat, his mother looked at the boys and said, “I know exactly what I’m cooking for you two.”

  Caleb and Brice exchanged looks before they turned to Abby. A slow smile spread over her face before she shrugged at them.

  “No way!” Caleb yelled. “Christmas has come early.”

  Brice turned to Ben and began asking question after question about the ranch.

  Clayton set down his fork and put a hand on the back of Brice’s chair, taking it all in. He’d wanted Abby to stay over for purely selfish reasons, but he’d known the boys would be ecstatic about it.

  Now, he had to wait three more days to have Abby under the same roof.

  Once dinner was finished and the dishes were done, Clayton carried a cup of coffee into the living room to Abby. She stood before the roaring fire, looking at the array of family pictures on the mantel.

  “The boys are having hot chocolate around the fire pit outside with my folks,” he said.

  She turned and accepted the mug. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

  He nodded. “He died a long time ago when we were just kids.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He never knew how to respond when someone said that, so he drank his coffee instead.

  Abby turned back to the pictures, looking at one where he and Landon had been swimming in the river. Their hair was flattened against their heads, still wet. They stuck out their tongues, showing the camera they had turned the colors of the popsicles each of them had had. Landon’s was purple, while Clayton’s was blue.

  “That was taken a year before Landon died,” he said.

  Abby grinned. “He has your mother’s eyes and your dad’s hair.”

  “While I have my dad’s eyes and my mother’s hair.”

  She looked at him, a soft smile still in place. “You miss him.”

  “Every damn day.”

  “Tell me about him. If you want.”

  Clayton looked back at the array of pictures. There were ones of him and his brother together, one of just him roping a calf, one of Landon branding a steer, but his favorite was from when he and his brother had raced their horses, as they did every year. His mother had been standing at the finish line, camera in hand. She’d snapped it as the noses of their horses crossed in unison.

  He took down the picture and stared at it. “Landon was an amazing brother. He was my best friend and someone I looked up to. All he wanted was to run the ranch and make my parents proud.”

  “I would’ve liked to meet him.”

  Clayton moved his gaze to her. “He would’ve liked your spunk. And he would’ve asked you out.”

  Abby threw back her head and laughed. “You don’t know that.”

  “Yes, I do,” he replied with a smile. “I knew my brother as well as I know myself. We thought alike.”

  Her smile slowly melted away as their gazes locked. The only sounds were the crackle of the fire and the distant voices of her brothers.

  Heat simmered through Clayton. It would be so easy to put his hand on her waist and draw her near, to inhale her clean, alluring scent, and perhaps slide his fingers through her thick locks. The fierce, unrelenting need to taste her lips surged through him, making him burn. Making him ache.

  Her pulse beat rapidly at her throat. Dear God, he wanted to feel her against him. His hands shook with the force of it. But it wasn’t the right time.

  He replaced the picture. “How much longer do you have before you earn your accounting degree?”

  “Too long. The fact that I can do it online makes it easier, but I can’t take as many classes as I should.”

  Because of money. She didn’t say it, but it hung between them. Clayton wondered what her life would be like if she’d been able to go to college like he had. Most likely, she’d be running her own CPA firm and kicking ass while doing it.

  “It’s getting late,” she said. “I should take the boys home.”

  The happiness Clayton felt disappeared as quickly as if someone had let the air out of a balloon. It was only then that he fully comprehended the change Abby brought out in him. She made the ghosts that haunted him vanish. She made him feel whole again. He wanted to call her back, to beg her to stay. Instead, he got her coat as she called her brothers in.

  His feet felt sunken in lead as he watched her drive away. Now, he had to count down the hours until she returned tomorrow evening.

  “It’s going to be a long damn night,” he murmured.

  Chapter 12

  I feel like a woman.

  Abby stared at herself in the mirror as she played with her hair. She reached for a pink lipstick and applied it before rubbing her lips together. Then she added a light layer of lip gloss.

  “Whoa,” Caleb said as he came up behind her. “You look good.”

  She looked at him in the mirror. “Thanks.”

  “Does it mean something that you’ve changed out of your work clothes and put on makeup?”

  “I…” She sighed. “The Easts are doing our family a huge favor. They’re nice people, and I want to make a good impression.”

  Caleb crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance. “You’ve already done that.”

  In the last few days, both of her brothers had seemed to age overnight. Brice acted more like a man than a rowdy teenager. Caleb had begun to notice things other than himself. And she saw that his jeans were getting too short again and his shirts weren’t fitting properly over his widening shoulders.

  “You need to start wearing some of Brice’s clothes until I can get you new ones.”

  He raised a brow. “You’re not changing the subject, and my clothes are fine. I saw you last night, sis. You like the Easts. Or more importantly, you like Clayton.”

  “He’s nice,” she admitted.

  Caleb snorted. “And good-looking.”

  Abby hesitated. She didn’t want her brother to get his hopes up about anything, but she didn’t want to lie either. “Yes, Clayton is handsome.”

  “He was staring at you.”

  Her stomach clutched at the revelation. “Was he?” she asked, trying to sound uninterested while checking her makeup in the mirror once more.

  “It’s okay, you know. Have some fun. It’s not like you don’t deserve it.”

  Abby turned to face her brother. “You and Brice mean the world to me. I don’t regret anything.”

  “I know, but I want to see you happy.”

  “I am,” she said, shaking her head as a frown formed. “What makes you think I’m not?”

  Caleb dropped his arms and gave her a flat look. “Abby, you never go out. Not with guys, not with friends. Not even when Jill was still here. All you do is look after us. You fill your days with work and stuff around the house so you don’t notice you’re lonely.”

  She put her hands on the sink behind her to help steady herself. All this time, she thought she’d been hiding things so well from her brothers. Apparently she’d been wrong.

  “I like Clayton,” Caleb continued. “I like Mr. and Mrs. East, and I love the ranch. Flirt with Clayton. Let him flirt with you. Hell, kiss him, Abby. It doesn’t have to go anywhere. But remember, you’re pretty and should have guys falling all over you.”

  Abby glanced at the ceiling as the tears gathered. Then she pushed away from the sink and pulled Caleb to her for a hug. She squeezed her eyes closed. “I have the best brothers.”

  “You’re damn straight, you do.”

  They shared a laugh as they pulled apart. “Get your coat.”

  “You look great. Just smile at him. That’s all it’ll take.”

  She thought about Caleb’s words as they drove to the ranch. Her heart was pounding so hard when they pulled up to the house that she thought it might burst from her chest.

  Her brother was out of the car before the vehicle had come to a full stop. S
he watched him go with a smile. At least here, she knew her brothers weren’t getting into trouble. But that thought led to why Brice was working at the ranch to begin with.

  She needed to mention the people who’d gotten him involved with the rustling again. Maybe this time, he’d tell her something, anything. Even though the Easts would get the money back that their CPA had embezzled, they should have their cattle and the bull returned, as well.

  Abby frowned as she sat in her still-running car. Was it a coincidence that the money had been stolen at almost the same time as the cattle? Something told her it was connected. But how? When she’d mentioned Nathan Gilroy to her brothers, neither had shown any kind of recognition.

  She jumped, grabbing her throat when someone knocked on her window. Abby found herself looking at a familiar silhouette in the darkness. She turned off her car as Clayton opened her door.

  “Everything all right?” he asked worriedly.

  She reached for her purse as she stood. “Just thinking about things.”

  He closed the car door behind her and walked her to the front of the house. “Like what?”

  “The embezzlement and the theft of the cattle. It all happened very close together, right?”

  “Within a day, yes. You think it could be tied together?”

  She nodded as they entered the house.

  He put a hand on her back and maneuvered her toward the back of the house. As he did, he leaned close and said, “I came to the same conclusion.”

  Once inside the office, she turned to face him when he closed the door. “Do you have anything that will link the two crimes?”

  “Nothing. It’s why I need some clue from Brice.”

  “I know.” She flattened her lips. “I’ll talk to him again.”

  Clayton removed his hat and raked his hands through his blond locks. “Just to warn you, Mom already plans for you three to stay for dinner again.”

  “Oh, we couldn’t.”

  “You’ll break her heart if you decline,” he stated with a solemn face.

  She knew she was being played, but she liked being with the Easts—especially Clayton. “We wouldn’t want that, now would we?”