Christmas in Texas

by Tina Leonard

In the midst of all the fun, Jack suddenly gave a big yawn. They both laughed uproariously.

  “Is he trying to tell me I’m boring him?” Flynn teased.

  “Not at all. But after so many visitors popping in and out, he’s had a surfeit of attention and is worn out. I’ll change him and put him down with his bottle.”

  Flynn leaned over to kiss him. “After you’re through, come back in here. We need to talk. For one thing, Riley has invited us over to his house for a big New Year’s Eve bash. I told him I’m all for it, but needed to check with you first.”

  Her heart turned over. “That sounds fun, provided the doctor says it’s all right. You have an appointment that morning.”

  “Anything you say, Nurse Ratched,” he baited her with a deadpan expression.

  Laughter bubbled out of her before she carried Jack to her bedroom. Her dear little baby fell asleep drinking his bottle. He’d never done that before. She kissed him and put him in the playpen bed. Then she hurried back to Flynn.

  His long, hard body lay there in a new pair of navy sweats. The pant leg hung loose around his bandage, making it comfortable for him while they had guests. She got a thrill out of simply looking at him.

  The second he saw her, he patted the bed. With an eagerness that was embarrassing, she stretched out next to him. But when they kissed, he seemed to forget he had a wound that needed to heal. She forced his shoulders back down.

  Leaning over him she said, “No, darling. Keep that up and you’re going to injure yourself. If you feel this good already, then don’t do anything that could prevent your leg from getting better. Right now I want to hear what happened to you when you left the house three days ago. Don’t leave anything out.”

  Flynn let out a sigh and grasped her hand. “I went out to Chuck’s ranch to talk to Juan, the hand who’d worked with Jose. Because of your idea, I asked if Jose had a girlfriend. Wonder of wonders, it turns out he’d been seeing Juan’s sister.”

  “You’re kidding—”

  “No. Never underestimate a woman’s intuition. You’re brilliant! Juan told me his sister Maria Luz had been raped for being friends with Jose. She went to live with a cousin who works at the Rivera farm in Alpine where they do winter farming. I called for backup and drove out there.

  “No one on the premises would tell me where to find her, so I began a search. Juan had shown me a picture of her so I’d know her. I eventually came upon her in the cantaloupe field, but the sun had already gone down and it was getting dark.

  “When I got there, she refused to talk to me and told me to go away because there were spies everywhere watching her. I broke her down by telling her I’d talked to Juan and learned about the rape. At that point she admitted to it, but she’d been warned to say nothing about Jose’s or Luis’s murders to anyone or she’d be killed.”

  “So the two murders were related. That poor girl. Did she know who did it?”

  “Yes. Jose told her who was after him before he was killed. I told her if she’d come with me, I’d take her to a safe place where no one could get at her, but she was too afraid. While I was trying to convince her to go with me, someone with a rifle took a shot at us and it hit my lower leg.”

  “It could have been so much worse,” she lamented.

  He kissed her fingertips. “But it wasn’t. I covered her with my body while my backup exchanged fire. The killer was caught and arrested. He’s another Hispanic who works for a white guy who deals in drugs and hate crimes against Hispanics. Maria has been taken to a safe place where she can get help.”

  “I’m so glad for her.”

  “So am I. And now, thanks to you, I’m several steps closer to getting this ringleader.”

  “Oh—I forgot! Just a minute. I want to show you something.” She rolled off the bed and hurried to the den where she kept her notes. In a minute she was back and handed him the list of murder statistics she’d been working on.

  After studying them, he looked at her. “Where did you get all this?”

  “Promise you won’t be mad at me?”

  “As long as you don’t leave me, there’s no worry about that.”

  She hoped he meant it. “I called all the Ranger regions and identified myself as one of your research assistants so they’d give me information. It worked like a charm. I want you to take a look at the Hispanic murder statistics from Reeves County that haven’t been solved yet.”

  “I’m staring at them. The last one was only three weeks ago.”

  “Do you think the same ringleader ordered those executions, too?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out in case he could still be hanging around. Because of this information, I’ve got to get hold of my boss. This can’t wait.”

  Flynn was on the phone for twenty minutes talking Ranger business and strategies. When he finally hung up, she could tell he was dying to leap off the bed and get back on the job. Being on home rest was purgatory for him.

  “What?” he asked as she looked at him.

  “I’m sorry you can’t go after that lunatic yet.”

  Suddenly the tension left him. “You know me too well already.”

  “I’m beginning to.”

  He shot her a worried glance. “Is it a huge turnoff for you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  She heard his sharp intake of breath. “Not every woman could handle what I do for a living.”

  “My son might not be alive if you didn’t do what you do by sheer instinct. I’ve decided that loving you is worth every second we can be together, however long that will be. Is that enough of an answer for you?” she asked softly while her heart pounded out of control.

  “I only require the answer to one more question. After that I plan to kiss you into oblivion.”

  “The answer is yes,” she said, anticipating what was on his mind because it had been on hers since the beginning. “I’ll marry you the second my divorce is final. Do you know of any way to speed up the process?”

  His eyes blazed like silver fire. “I’m working on it. Have I told you you rescued me the night you came into my life? I was on my way home to finish off the Jack Daniel’s and sleep through another black Christmas, but only got as far as the car accident.”

  That was a night she wanted to forget. She grinned at him. “I saw that bottle on the shelf.”

  “Yeah? If you checked today, you’d notice it’s still there without a drop being drunk.”

  “That’s good.”

  “That’s because I’ve found something much better. You have my permission to pour it down the drain, because I’ll never need it. You and Jack are all I want. We have a whole new life to plan out. While we’re waiting to say ‘I do,’ come here and let me show you the many ways I love you, Andrea.”

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from The Cowboy Soldier’s Sons by Tina Leonard!

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  Chapter One

  We are such stuff as dreams are made on.

  —Shakespeare’s The Tempest

  Shaman Phillips wasn’t expecting a blonde bombshell to show up at the front door of the Dark Diablo farmhouse, but one glance at her shapely legs, long silky hair and beautiful face made him believe tonight might be a lucky night for a lone wolf. “Hello,” he said. “Can I help you?”

  “Hi.”

  Shaman decided the voice of an angel went with her amazing looks. She was way out of his league—and yet even a man with scars liked to gaze at beautiful things.

  “I’m looking for Chelsea Myers.”

  “Ah. The Chelsea Myers who married my brother Gage in July. She’s Chelsea Phillips now.” Shaman leaned forward, out of the doorway, planting his well-worn boots on the porch. “They live at the Callahan place, Rancho Diablo, in Diablo.”

  The goddess stepped closer, her high fire-engine-red heels clicking on the wood porch. “My name is Tempest Thornbury. I met Chelsea and Cat in July, before I returned to Italy.” She held up a small Louis Vuitton bag, complete with tufts of tissue paper coming out the top. Shaman knew what Louis Vuitton was; his sister, Kendall, was a huge fan. “I brought this for Cat. Is there a possibility you could give it to her?”

  “Come on in,” Shaman said, tamping down the wolflike tendencies fighting inside him. “I’ll get their address and you can send it to her. It’d probably be quicker. I never know when I’ll see them, now that the school year has started.”

  Tempest smiled. “Thank you.”

  Shaman went to get the address, and she followed him into the house. He handed her a piece of paper. “Cat started school in the middle of August in Diablo. She’s real happy there.”

  “I’m so glad.”

  He decided his visitor was even more beautiful close up. The hot-red suit fit her curves to perfection. She didn’t wear a wedding ring or jewelry, just some gold hoop earrings that kissed her cheeks.

  “She’s a sweet girl,” Tempest added.

  Shaman nodded, suddenly uncomfortable and not sure why. His first thought was to seduce this angel—what man could resist?—but she was too perfect for him. How dumb was that?

  Ten years in the military, most of them spent in Iraq and Afghanistan, might have left him hungry for female companionship, but it had also left him with scars on his back, a chunk missing from his shoulder and a red slash across his sun-browned cheek. He was lucky those were his only visible scars. Many of his buddies hadn’t fared so well.

  A little less perfection in a woman would suit him better. “Sorry I couldn’t be more help.”

  Tempest smiled and turned on her heel. “I was hoping to see Cat and Chelsea, but I suppose they won’t be back until the semester is over?”

  “Can’t say.” He wasn’t familiar with Cat’s routine. “Chelsea and Gage just announced that they’re expecting a baby, so I don’t know how often Chelsea will be out here.”

  Tempest glanced back at him, looking pleased. “That’s wonderful! I’m glad to hear it.” She opened the front door before he could do so. “I didn’t get your name?”

  “Shaman Phillips.” He held the door for her, and as she walked out, caught a tease of a light flowery perfume. “You staying in Tempest, Tempest?” He grinned. “I didn’t realize you were named after the town.”

  She leaned into him, catching him off guard. “It’s a stage name. My real name is Zola Cupertino.”

  His brain tried to process that information, along with the distracting fact that she was dangerously close to him. And he didn’t think it was an accident. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she—

  “Soldier...” Tempest murmured.

  “Yes, ma’am?” he said, out of habit. She must have seen his military bag, and his combat boots in the living room.

  “I just got off a plane from Italy,” she announced. “I wonder if you might be interested in taking me out to dinner?”

  He blinked. “Certainly,” he said, trying to be chivalrous and not sound as surprised as he was by her unexpected invitation.

  She smiled at him, a sweet, slow, sexy smile, her angelic eyes free of artifice, but holding a silent plea. Maybe he didn’t want to see it. But she was still standing oh-so-close to him, and the next thing he knew, he’d taken the statuesque blonde in his arms and was kissing her like a dying man.

  She kissed him back hungrily.

  “Wait a second,” Shaman said. He was a lucky guy, but not this lucky. Angels didn’t just drop from the sky into his hard-edged world. “How did you say you know Gage and Chelsea?”

  “Met them this summer. Don’t stop what you’re doing, soldier.”

  He kissed her again, his mind trying to find the hook in the sweet deal she seemed to be offering him. She could have any guy in the world. Why would she choose him, instead of running from the sight of his scar-streaked face?

  What the hell. A man didn’t get too many gifts in life, and if this angel wanted to fly into his arms, he needed to quit acting like a skittish horse. “Hey, you want that dinner or not?” he asked, giving her one last chance to back away.

  “After,” she murmured, melting into him.

  He carried her to his bedroom, taking his sweet time, being careful with the soft suit and delicate white camisole. Her bra and panties were angel-wing white and breathlessly lacy, the kind that didn’t do much for support but everything for a man’s libido. Keeping the lights low, he whispered to her in soothing tones, expecting at any moment for her to tell him she wanted out of his bed. But she let him do whatever he wanted to her, and she was sweet like he’d never tasted sweet before.

  And when he finally entered her, Shaman thought he’d died and gone to some magical place he’d never known existed. In all the dirty, lonely nights he’d been scared out of his wits—and he’d been plenty scared, tough guy or not—he’d fantasized about a woman. Any woman. A soft, sweet woman to take away the pain.

  This woman was a velvet-soft gift from the gods, and whatever he’d done to deserve this time with her, Shaman wanted the moment to last forever.

  Tempest cried his name, and he lost himself in her. She grabbed at his shoulders, and he didn’t even think about his wounds or his scars. He held her and kissed her, savoring her like a treasure.

  Then they slept—maybe for an hour; he wasn’t certain. A glance out the window showed a moon that was huge and high in the sky. Getting out of bed, he said, “Let me shower. I’ll take you for that dinner.”

  She smiled at him in the moonlight. “Thanks, soldier.”

  Afraid to keep the lady waiting, he took the world’s fastest shower, dressing like a madman. Yet he wasn’t all that surprised when he came out and all that was left on the bed was the little Louis Vuitton bag, and a note that read, “Just remembered I have a meeting in town. Rain check for the dinner? Tempest.”

  He grunted. She’d signed the note as if it was an autograph for a book or a photo. “A meeting,” he muttered. Shaman glanced at the note again, massively disappointed. Rain check.

  I’ll just bet.

  * * *

  “WHO IS HE?” Tempest asked her dearest friends, Shinny and Blanche Tuck, after they’d hugged each other. It was so good to be here, in the Ice Cream Shoppe where she’d spent so many happy hours. The couple had been parents of sorts, shepherding her th
rough difficult times as a child. Shinny could always be counted on to give her one of his delicious “specials,” a frothy chocolate milkshake she’d adored as a kid. Now she knew he’d simply been trying to put meat on her scrawny bones, but back then she’d thought she was the luckiest girl in the world when he gave her the scrumptious treats.

  Shinny and Blanche sat across from her in the lipstick-red booth. The store was closed, and soon they’d go home. But for now they were enjoying catching up.

  “He’s one of the Phillips boys from Hell’s Colony,” Blanche said. “Seems to be a good family, if his brother Gage is any indication.”

  Shinny was happy to let his wife tell the story, but filling in the details was his forte. His balding head with its white tufts of hair shone under the fluorescent bulb overhead as he leaned back in the booth. “Gage comes out every once in a while. Shaman and he are trying to fix up Dark Diablo. They’re the ones Jonas Callahan hired to bring the place to a working condition.”

  “Why’d you go there?” Blanche asked worriedly. “You don’t want to be around Dark Diablo. Nothing good can come of it, even with him there.”

  Tempest conceded she wasn’t quite sure what had happened tonight. Seduction wasn’t her style, and she hadn’t had a lover in years. But the man at the ranch had seemed so defenseless, so...sexy. Sexier than any guy she’d ever seen, in some way she couldn’t identify. His coffee-colored

  eyes had had a faraway, lonely, almost vulnerable look in them, and for some reason she’d sensed in him a safe harbor. “I wanted to take Cat a present. I thought she and Chelsea would be there. Funny that everything changed in the two months I was gone.”

  “Yes,” Blanche said, her tall dark updo quivering under the light. She had enough hair to make up for Shinny’s lack of it. “Gage and Chelsea decided living at Rancho Diablo would be best, to help Cat make the transition to the area. She adores being around all the Callahan children. We went to their wedding, by the way. It was so lovely.” Her friends looked at her. “It’s the kind of thing I hope you’ll have one day.”