Wine and Her New Year Cowboy (Citizen Soldier Series Book 4)

by Donna Michaels

  Evie’s brother picked up another glass and dried it with his towel. “You taking your sister to the armory Christmas party this Sunday?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t know. Maybe. I haven’t asked her yet.”

  “How about, Evie?”

  His pulse faltered. He’d never taken anyone to an armory function before. “Would she go?”

  “Hell yeah.” Nico smirked. “My sister is very into you. Isn’t that right, Evie?”

  Ah, hell. He spun around on his seat and watched the beauty approach.

  Did she hear that?

  Chapter Six

  A cautious grin curved her lips. “Is what right?” she asked.

  Before he had a chance to answer, her brother beat him to it. “You’d go with Lucas to the armory Christmas party this Sunday, right?”

  Dammit. He was used to doing his own asking.

  But, now that it was out there, he was forced to play along. When she stopped in front of him, set her hands on his shoulders, and still hadn’t answered, he stopped breathing.

  “I’d very much like to go with you,” she said, holding his gaze. “But not if these yahoos are putting you up to it.”

  As soon as he regained motor function, he reached out to grasp her sweet hips and smiled. “No. They’re not. I want to take you.”

  God, how he wanted to take her. Over and over.

  And over.

  But if he was going to consider seeing this woman, and take time away from spending with his sister, then he was going to do things right. Take things slow.

  A wicked gleam entered her gaze and tripped his heart.

  “I’m glad. What do you say we go get some more hot chocolate?”

  Ah, hell. She was good. The vixen had him revved up with the reference. He’d never look at the hot beverage the same again. The taste, the decadence he’d forever associate with kissing her.

  Before he could blink, she leaned in and kissed him, then stood back and smiled at the guys. “Catch you later.”

  A warm fog fuzzed his mind.

  Working on auto pilot, he slapped money on the bar to pay his tab, grabbed his coat and hat from the stool next to him, then slipped them on. Things were moving fast all of a sudden. “Yeah, later,” he repeated, before grasping the smiling beauty’s hand and heading out the door.

  He wasn’t sure he was doing the right thing, but…damn, he had a bad hankering for hot chocolate.

  “Where did you want to go?” she asked when they got outside. “We can walk to Confection Connection, it’s only two blocks away, or Gabe’s, it’s a block past that.”

  Either were good with him. They were both public. If they went somewhere private, he’d be tempted to break his intent to take things slow. And so far, he’d been breaking his intent on a lot of things.

  “Lady’s choice.” Because he needed to get his mouth on her, he brought her fingers to his lips.

  She smiled and slid her hands around his neck. “Then I choose you.”

  And hot damn, before he could reply, she tugged his mouth to hers and drank her fill.

  Soft and sweet, her lips zapped his brain cells, building a need in him he barely recognized. When they broke for air, he tightened his hold, reluctant to let go.

  “Great choice.” Enthralled, he smiled down at her, pulled in by the warmth in her eyes.

  Damn. He could get lost in those caramel depths. She made him feel good, and respected, and needed. Son-of-a-bitch, it was heady stuff.

  Especially for a poor boy who practically grew up in rags. Other than his mother and grandmother, no woman had ever gazed at him like he mattered.

  “I agree, you are a great choice,” she said, slipping her arm around him, as they continued to walk down the sidewalk. “Let’s head to Jill’s shop for our drink.”

  He squeezed her hip. “Whatever you want, darlin’.”

  The privilege of being at her side made him feel ten feet tall, and he basked in the envy on every man’s face they passed.

  It was funny how life changed so quickly. One minute, he was in Texas with a bunch of great friends, but no family. Next minute, he was in Pennsylvania with a kid sister, wondering if he should take her back to Texas come the New Year. And now, a few weeks later, he had a bunch of new friends, one very special woman…and no intention of heading south.

  If he were honest with himself, his plan to ignore his attraction to Evie and just concentrate on being a brother to Missy bit the dust the second he’d held the beautiful Italian in his arms at the Wynes’ football game.

  “I’m sure we can find a great dessert here, too,” she said when they reached the shop.

  He opened the door and nodded, keeping his mouth shut as she walked in. The bombshell is not on the menu, he silently chanted.

  Theresa greeted them with a wave, and three minutes later, he carried their hot chocolates to a corner table while Evie carried a tray with a huge hunk of brownie smothered in hot fudge they were going to split.

  Although he tried to keep his thoughts pure, he faltered halfway through when a drizzle of fudge dripped down her chin. It killed him to watch her lick the decadence away. His groin tightened with each swipe of her tongue.

  She gripped the side of the tiny, round table and leaned closer. “What are you thinking?”

  He shook his head. “It’s better I didn’t say.”

  “Does it have to do with chocolate and getting naked?”

  He sucked in a breath. “Jesus, Evie, you’re killing me.”

  Heat rushed to her face. “Santo cielo! Sorry. I swear I’m never that forward. I can’t seem to help myself around you,” she confessed, making to draw back.

  “It’s all right.” He covered her hand and moved closer. “You go to my head, too. And I was thinking I’d like to drizzle you in chocolate and lick you from head to toe. And back.”

  Her hand trembled under his as her gaze filled with the same need coursing through his veins. “I…good.” She cleared her throat and glanced around the semi-crowded shop. “Maybe we should stick to a safer topic.”

  He nodded, releasing her as he sat back. “So, did you always plan to run the family restaurant?”

  Surprise washed over her face at the change of subject. She stabbed at the brownie with her fork and smiled. “Yes and no. When I was little, I wanted to be a ballerina, then I hit puberty and…uh…let’s just say I no longer had the ideal shape for that career.”

  A grin tugged his lips. Not hardly. But she certainly had an ideal shape. Period. He continued to eat and kept his thoughts to himself.

  “I grew up helping out at the shop, and always enjoyed interacting with people. I feel at home there.”

  And it showed. The woman ran the place with ease. Never showed stress, even when there were people in line waiting to pay as the phone rang off the hook with takeout orders. She was amazing.

  He enjoyed hearing about her childhood, and even shared some of his while they ate. Again, she didn’t judge, and the sweet woman even touched his hand when he’d mentioned his grandmother’s death when he was eight. Evie was beautiful, compassionate and smart.

  He sipped his hot chocolate, then set the cup down. “Did you go to college?”

  “Business school for two years to get a better grasp on accounting and stuff,” she replied between bites. “What about you?”

  “Nope. No college. Just the school of life.” He grinned, but inwardly he cringed, waiting for the look of distaste or worse, that he was beneath her.

  But instead, she laughed, her gaze warm and open, not judgmental in any way. “The best kind.”

  “And the most affordable.” He watched her closely as he decided to reveal some more of his past. “My mom died when I was seventeen. I spent a year in foster care, so there wasn’t any money for college. But, I always liked the outdoors.”

  Her hand covered his again. “What did you do?” Genuine interest sparked in her gaze.

  He shrugged. “Truthfully, I’d thought about joining the Ar
my. But my high school buddies, Jesse and Tanner, talked me into joining the National Guard with them. And after graduation, a lot of the ranchers I’d worked for over the years offered me steady jobs.”

  She nodded, removing her touch. “The Daltons. You’d mentioned Kade had asked you to stay behind to help the abused horses.”

  Once again, the woman shocked him. She’d paid attention, took an interest in him. A strange warmth settled in his chest. “Yeah.” He nodded back. “I helped the Daltons with horses and the McCalls with cattle.”

  He wasn’t rich, but he had lived comfortably, leasing a small house, saving up to buy a small spread of his own. But, given the circumstances, he was thankful he’d been spared the headache of selling. The only possession he’d ever splurged on was his truck.

  Even though he loved his baby, he’d sell her in a heartbeat if Missy needed more money than her dad had put away for college.

  “Working two ranches, plus the guard must’ve kept you busy.”

  He sat back and chuckled. “Kept me out of trouble. Mostly.”

  She grinned. “I think I’d like to hear about that.”

  Damn, the woman had a great grin.

  “Maybe, some day.” He set his fork down, needing some air. And to kiss her. Yeah, he really wanted to kiss her. “What do you say we get out of here?”

  She nodded, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Wow. We’ve been here over an hour?” She rose to her feet and grinned. “Time flies when I’m with you, cowboy.”

  He tossed their garbage in the trash and reached for her hand as they walked out the door. “I know what you mean.”

  “Yeah, well…” She hesitated, glancing up at him halfway down the sidewalk. “Did you know I live a few streets from here?”

  His heart rocked in his chest. “No.” He shook his head. “I thought…don’t you live with your parents?”

  “No.” She smiled. “My brother and I have our own places. We were just visiting them for the holiday. So…want to stop by mine, since you have some time to kill before you get Missy?”

  Hell yeah…and no…

  His mind pulled him in one direction, while his libido yanked in another.

  The smile on her face started to fade, and she tried to jerk free. “Never mind. We should probably get back to the restaurant.”

  “Evie, wait.” He tugged her close. “I want very much to go to your place, but…” He blew out a breath and forced himself to take a chance and speak from his heart. “I like you, a lot, and I want to do this right.” He lifted a hand to touch her cheek. “To take this slow, no matter how much I want to strip you naked and kiss you all over, because, even if that wasn’t your intentions with the invite, that’s exactly where we’d end up.”

  She sucked in a breath and literally shook in his arms. “Damn, you’re…wow.”

  He kissed her forehead and chuckled. “Exactly. This, whatever it is between us, it’s—”

  “Special,” she said, slipping her hands around his neck, her face radiant and gaze bright with hope. “I agree.”

  He slid his hands to her hips and squeezed. “So, are we good? You won’t be mad if I take a raincheck on the best offer I’ve ever had?”

  A brilliant smile lit her face. “No. We’ll be worth the wait. And you’re right. I wasn’t inviting you there for sex, but we would’ve ended up in bed.”

  He nodded. “Trust me, darlin’ When I take you to bed—and I will—we’ll need a hell of a lot more than thirty minutes.”

  A whole night wouldn’t even be enough.

  She sucked in a ragged breath. “I’m going to hold you to that, cowboy.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He nodded, then slowly lowered his mouth to hers to seal the deal.

  ***

  Later that night, Lucas got a text from Tanner asking him to Skype. Since Missy was already holed up in her room for the night, he headed to his own room and opened his laptop. He hadn’t talked to his friend in nearly three weeks. It would be great to catch up.

  He smiled when his buddy’s ugly mug filled the screen. “Well, I was going to ask you how you were doing, but judging by that satisfied grin on your face, I’d say you were doing fine.”

  Tanner laughed. “Better than fine, but yeah, things are good. How about with you? Things any better with your sister?”

  He blew out a breath and shrugged. “I guess. Still get one word answers sometimes, but for the most part, she’s speaking to me.”

  “It’s tough on you both.”

  He nodded. “Won’t argue there. But, she seems a little happier since I let her get a job and join an acting workshop thing that Ethan’s girlfriend runs.”

  “Phoebe? That’s cool.”

  “Yeah. She’s been real encouraging to Missy. I think it’s helped.”

  Tanner narrowed his gaze and cocked his head. “So, then tell me, who’s been encouraging you?”

  He reeled back. “What are you talking about?”

  His buddy laughed. “Come on, man. Fess up. Who is she?”

  “She?”

  “Yep. The woman who’s put that befuddled look in your eyes. Believe me. I recognize that look. Used to see it my mirror when Gwen first arrived down here. So, don’t bullshit me.”

  He snorted. Everyone knew better than to try to pull one over on the bullshit meter of Harland County. Tanner could spot a bullshitter ten miles away. “Her name’s Evie.”

  “Great name.”

  “Yep. She’s Missy’s boss.”

  “Wait, bombshell with caramel eyes and hair?” Tanner asked.

  Lucas snapped his head back. “Yeah…how’d you know?”

  “Relax, buddy.” His friend chuckled. “I met her at Brandi’s wedding, then Ben’s. She runs the pizza shop, right?”

  He nodded, drawing in a breath, more thankful than he cared to admit that his friend hadn’t confessed to having slept with Evie on that first trip. Although, now that oxygen was actually flowing to his brain, he remembered it was Gwen that Tanner had slept with the night of Brandi and Kade’s wedding.

  “She must be special to put that look on your face.”

  For a brief moment, he thought about denying it, to keep it to himself, but since everyone in town knew they had something going on, it was only a matter of time before the gossip trickled to Harland County.

  “She is. Every time Evie’s near, she makes me feel, I don’t know, like…”

  “Old Charlie kicked you in the gut.”

  He laughed. “Yeah.” Exactly like the ornery horse fed him a hoof.

  “Just don’t do what I did at first with Gwen.”

  “What? If you mean have sex, then don’t worry. We haven’t.”

  “Wait…what?” Tanner blinked at him and moved closer to the webcam. “That wasn’t what I meant, but now that you brought it up, Harper the suave hasn’t had sex with the women he likes?”

  “Quit being an ass.”

  His buddy laughed. “Wow, you do like her.”

  “Yes. That’s why I want to do this differently. Take it slow. Do it right.”

  Although, Jesus, when she’d invited him to her place that afternoon, he’d been so close, so damn close to tossing her over his shoulder and rushing there. He’d dug deep for restraint. Very deep. So deep his insides had fisted tight from the pull.

  “Smart,” Tanner said. “I wish you lots of luck, buddy. I know what you’re going through. Believe me. Just make sure you allow yourself to be happy. You deserve it.”

  Unsure how to respond to that, he nodded. “Will do.”

  “Good.” Tanner cocked his head. “Now, if we could just get Jesse to take that advice.”

  He snorted. “The ass is too stubborn, not sure if he and Lacey will ever quit circling one another.”

  “I know. I get exhausted just being near them. But you know Jesse, he won’t put the moves on Jace’s sister, no matter how much he wants to. And it’s pissing Lacey off.”

  “Yeah, I got the impression with her brother away with D
octors Without Borders, she thought she could wear Jesse down.”

  “I know, but if anything, he’s even more determined to keep her at arm’s length,” his friend exclaimed. “Just last night, she showed up at the McCalls’ annual Christmas party all decked out in this sexy red dress, and I tell you, Kevin and I were taking bets Jesse was going to cave, but damn, that man is made of stern shit. He even managed to keep his anger in check when one of Connor’s new ranch hand’s kissed her under the mistletoe. Twice. With tongue.”

  “Damn. No shit? Jesse didn’t do anything?”

  “His left eye started to twitch, and he down his Jack, then mine before he left the party.”

  “Wow.” No way would he be able to sit back and watch some guy put his hands on Evie, let alone enjoy one of her delicious kisses. No damn way.

  “I know. Like I said. Stern stuff.”

  “Why are you grinning?”

  “Because I made a hundred bucks off Kevin.”

  Lucas laughed. “You bet him that he wouldn’t buckle.”

  “Yep.”

  “You’re just lucky Jesse was born with a steel spine.”

  “Nothing lucky about it. I know my friends. I know it would take more than a sexy dress and flashy kisses to break him. But the minute she shows him a vulnerable side? He’ll be toast.”

  “I agree. He’s the consummate rescuer. Could never resist a damsel in distress.”

  “True, just like you can’t resist someone with a kind heart, who puts family first.”

  His head snapped back again.

  Son-of-a-bitch.

  But the bastard was right. How the hell did Tanner know that? Not once had he ever uttered that out loud. No one knew.

  “It’s all right, Harper.” Tanner softly chuckled. “Your secret’s safe with me. Just remember what I said. Don’t deny yourself happiness. You do deserve it, too.”

  “Yes, Master Hathaway.” He bowed with a grin. “I will heed your words.”

  “See that you do, and this time, you’ll get the girl,” Tanner declared before signing off.

  Only one other time in his life had Lucas wanted the girl. Brittney. He’d had the hots for her their senior year, and finally got the courage to ask her to prom. She’d said yes, and for three weeks, he’d been riding a euphoric high, until she told him she’d gotten accepted to a fancy west coast college, and wanted him to go, too.