by Cat Johnson
Tearing her gaze away from his handsome face, she returned to her knitting. She smiled as she pictured her seven-year-old niece’s face when she opened the box at Christmas to see the scarf and hat knitted in her favorite lime green color. Keely had no idea why Abigail loved that color so much. Half her wardrobe consisted of clothes in lime green.
“What’re you making?” Nick asked, his words slurred. Keely shifted her attention back to Nick. He reclined in his chair, his eyes half closed, a hint of a smile on his lips. He looked tousled and comfortable and entirely too sexy. “A scarf for my niece. I finished the hat a couple of days ago.”
“I didn’t know women still knitted.”
“I enjoy it. It’s relaxing.”
Nick lowered his chair to a sitting position, his gaze focused on her hands. “That’s an . . . interesting color.”
“My niece Abigail’s favorite. She loved the red scarf and hat I knitted for myself, so I decided to make a set for her for Christmas.” She flashed him a grin. “Maybe I’ll knit some little covers for your toes when you get your cast.”
“In that color? No, thanks.”
Keely laughed. Nick liked the way it sounded—soft, lyrical, completely feminine. “How old is your niece?”
“Seven.”
“Your sister . . . Vivian, right?”
Keely nodded, pleased he remembered her sister’s name when Nick had only met her a few times.
“She’s . . . three years older than you?”
“Four.”
“Married?”
“Divorced. Twice. She claims she’s never getting married again, but she’ll change her mind if the right man comes along. She doesn’t like being alone.”
“I doubt if many people do.”
He’d left himself wide open for questions about his relationships, or lack of them. Keely couldn’t help wondering why a man so handsome and charming and quick-witted didn’t have a woman in his life.
Instead of saying what she wanted to, she reverted to a neutral topic. “Would you like a snack or something to drink?”
He glanced at her mug on the coffee table. “What are you drinking?”
“Hot chocolate. It seemed perfect on a snowy night.”
Surprise registered on his face. “It’s snowing?”
Keely nodded. “For at least an hour.”
Nick lowered the footrest and reached for the crutches lying on the floor next to his chair. Keely fought the urge to help him as he rose to his feet. He moved slowly to the front door and opened it, then flipped on the porch light.
She walked up behind him and peered over his shoulder. The wind had died down when the snow started. It fell silently in small flakes, drifting to the ground to turn the landscape white as far as she could see. “It’s so pretty,” she whispered.
“My cattle won’t think so.”
She couldn’t resist touching his arm to offer him comfort. “They’re fine, Nick. Olive told me all those hay barns you built have large overhangs. I’ve seen cattle huddle together when it’s cold. Yours will probably do that, too.”
“Yeah, they will, but I can’t help worrying about them.” He blew out a quick breath, which fogged in the cold air. “This ranch means the world to me, Keely.”
“I know that,” she said softly.
“Beef prices are up. I should get good money in the spring when I send some of the bulls to market. That’ll help pay . . .”
His voice trailed off and he looked at her over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed and his lips tight as if he hadn’t meant to say what he had. Keely couldn’t help wondering if the ranch had financial trouble. She wanted to ask but didn’t want to pry into Nick’s personal affairs. Money could be such a touchy subject to people.
He shut the front door, then turned to face her. “Hot chocolate sounds good.”
Well, there’s an abrupt change of subject. Apparently, talk of cattle and money had officially stopped. “I’ll fix you some.”
Keely sensed him following her to the kitchen. She went about preparing hot chocolate for them, deciding to let Nick speak again if he wanted to.
It didn’t take long for her to hear him clear his throat. “About what I said at the door . . .”
When he didn’t continue, she gently prompted him. “What about it?”
“I didn’t mean to say that.”
Keely continued to stir the milk on the stove so it wouldn’t scorch. “You mean about paying something?”
“Yeah, I guess I . . .” He stopped again. Keely glanced at him to see Nick run his hand over the thickening stubble on his face. “It’s easy to talk to you, Keely,” he said, his gaze focused on the floor.
Her heart tumbled in her chest at his confession. Talking could be the first step in a deeper relationship with Nick. “I’m glad you feel that way. You can talk to me about anything, Nick. I swear it won’t go any further than between us.”
She kept stirring the milk, but with her attention on Nick. He finally lifted his head and looked into her eyes. The longing she saw there made her heart tumble again.
“I wish I had more than words to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. You’ve taken care of me all day, you called Luis so he could get some guys to take care of my cattle, then you cooked for those guys and Dusty.”
Embarrassed at his praise, Keely shrugged off his comment. “I didn’t really cook. There’s so much food here, I just had to pop it in the microwave and warm it up.”
“I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
I can think of several very pleasurable ways you could thank me. “We’re friends, Nick. Friends help each other.”
Suspecting she might be moving into territory Nick didn’t want to travel, she turned off the burner on the stove and poured the milk over the cocoa mixture in two mugs.
“So, what do you want to do for the rest of the evening?” Nick asked when she topped off the mugs with mini marshmallows.
Such a loaded question. Keely swallowed the answer she wanted to say about getting naked with him. “I didn’t want to disturb you while you were sleeping, so I recorded something on the DVR. I’d like to watch it now.”
“You wouldn’t have disturbed me, Keely. I slept like a rock.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
Nick grimaced. “Don’t tell me I snored.”
She couldn’t resist teasing him. “No, but you snorted a couple of times.”
“Great,” he said without the least bit of enthusiasm.
Keely giggled. “I thought it was cute.”
“Cute. Right.”
He shifted his weight, which made Keely think his ankle must be hurting from him standing so long. “Want to watch the show with me?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.”
Nick burst into laughter. “You’re kidding.”
“I am not kidding. I love all the holiday specials, especially the Peanuts ones. I watch them every year.”
He stopped laughing, although amusement still shone in his eyes. “It’s been a long time since I watched a cartoon.”
“Then it’s time you did it again.” She picked up the mugs and headed for the living room. “Let’s watch Charlie Brown.”
6
It amazed and humbled Nick that so many people in Lanville cared enough about him to take part of their Thanksgiving holiday to come by and see how he fared, and to bring more food. Emma Keaton had brought a baked turkey, plus cornbread dressing and candied yams. She said she’d love to stay and visit longer, but had to get over to the Colemans’ house and help Beverly prepare the family dinner. She’d hugged Nick and promised to keep him supplied with the cheesecake brownies he liked so much.
Dusty’s two sons and three grandsons had arrived shortly before nine o’clock. After quick introductions to Keely, they left to find Dusty so they could feed and water the cattle.
Nick had been right to suspect the tanks would freeze. Dusty had come by at eight
to report in. He’d only checked one tank so far, but it had frozen along the edges. Since the temperatures wouldn’t climb above thirty until at least Monday, Nick knew the tanks would freeze even farther toward the middle, which meant breaking up the ice or hauling water to his cattle. Neither option would be easy.
After paying his bills online, he closed his laptop and rose from his recliner. He could hear Keely clanging dishes in the kitchen. She’d been in there all morning, despite there being so much food in the house she couldn’t possibly need to prepare anything. Nick had been shocked when she showed him the list of what everyone had brought.
He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Keely peeling potatoes. “What are you doing?”
“Peeling potatoes.”
“I can see that.”
“Then why did you ask me?”
He blew out an aggravated breath while she grinned. “Why are you peeling potatoes?”
“So I can cook them. Mashed potatoes are easier to make when the potatoes are soft.”
“You’re cooking something with all the food we have?”
She shrugged. “We don’t have mashed potatoes. You can’t have Thanksgiving dinner without mashed potatoes. I think it’s a law.”
“Emma brought candied yams.”
“Not the same. Besides, two of Dusty’s grandsons don’t like candied yams.”
“And you know this how?”
“I asked.” She lifted her gaze from the vegetable in her hand and looked at Nick. “Everyone will be here for dinner at one. I figured that would give everyone enough time to eat and recuperate from the turkey coma before the Cowboys game starts.”
“You’re preparing Thanksgiving dinner for Dusty and his family?”
“Of course, I am. They’re here to help you and they have to eat. Plus, you and I can’t eat that entire turkey Emma brought by ourselves.” She placed the peeled potato in a colander. “Mrs. Hampton brought a green bean casserole and her homemade rolls. Patti Decker brought a pumpkin crunch cake, so dessert is taken care of. All I have to do is open a couple cans of corn and make the potatoes. Easy.”
She made it sound easy, but he knew better. He hated that he couldn’t move around and help her. “Is there anything I can do?”
“How are you at cutting up potatoes?”
“Pretty damn good.”
“Then you have the job. Sit down at the table and I’ll bring everything to you.”
She brought him the pillow for his foot first so he could prop it on a chair. The swelling seemed to have gone down since yesterday. The stiffness in his back had diminished, too. He couldn’t run any races until the break healed, but he definitely felt better.
Having Keely close also made him feel better.
He’d wanted to guide her to his bedroom last night instead of her going off to Olive’s room. He’d imagined having her curled up beside him all night, her back to his chest so he could hold her. Loneliness nipped at him when he’d awakened this morning with no one by his side.
If cattle sales were as good in the spring as he anticipated, he’d be able to pay off another chunk of the bank loan. He wouldn’t be out of debt, but he’d feel more secure about his future. Then, perhaps he could think about a relationship with a woman.
Not any woman. Keely.
She brought over a colander full of rinsed potatoes, a cutting board, large pan, and a sharp knife. “I cut my potatoes into cubes, but however you want to do it is okay. Just make the pieces small so they’ll cook faster.” She smiled at him. “Thanks for doing this. I’m going to set the table.”
He watched her walk toward the dining room. She’d donned a sweater the color of pumpkins and dark brown slacks today. The slacks fit perfectly across her ass. He imagined gripping her cheeks as she rode him. He’d always liked a woman on top.
Blood rushed to his cock. Nick picked up the knife to start on the potatoes and get his mind off Keely’s ass. His sweatpants wouldn’t hide a hard dick from anyone.
She came back into the kitchen a few minutes later, her eyes sparkling with pleasure. “I love the buffet in the dining room, and the table and chairs are gorgeous. Are they antiques?”
“Yeah, they belonged to my great-grandparents.”
“You’re so lucky to know that. I don’t have anything from my grandparents, much less my great-grandparents.” She sat in the chair opposite him. “Is there any other furniture in the house that belonged to your ancestors?”
“The bedroom set in the master bedroom. Well, I should say the bed, dresser, and chest of drawers. My mom searched for months to find nightstands that looked as if they belonged in the set.”
She folded her arms on the table and leaned forward. He could see the indecision in her eyes, as if she wanted to ask something but didn’t know if she should. “What’s on your mind?”
She dragged her lower lip between her teeth before she spoke. “Why do you sleep in a small bedroom and not the master bedroom?”
Nick selected another potato from the colander while forming his answer. “I’ve kept up the house since my mom died, but I know it needs some remodeling and updating. The bedroom where I sleep has been mine since I was born. I decided not to move into the master bedroom when my dad died because I want to bring it up-to-date first with new floors and windows and curtains, and fix up the master bath. But I don’t want to remodel it just for me.” He laid the potato on the cutting board, then looked at Keely. “I want my wife to help me.”
“But you aren’t married.”
Nick let a small grin turn up his lips. “That’s why it hasn’t been remodeled.”
She returned his grin. “That’s logical.” Her grin faded and she turned serious again. “Are you—”
Keely stopped when the back door opened to let in Dusty and his two youngest grandsons. Lousy timing. Nick would like to know what Keely had been about to ask.
Dusty gripped each of his eight-year-old twin grandsons by the back of their necks. “I told them we’ll have dinner in an hour, but they swear they can’t wait that long.” He winked at Keely. “I think they’d be happy with a couple of cookies.”
“Snickerdoodles!” Rob announced.
Rex shook his head. “Peanut butter!”
Laughing, Keely rose to her feet. “A friend of mine brought over a bunch of cookies this morning, so I’ll bet I can find both. How about a glass of milk to go with the cookies?”
Both boys nodded vigorously.
“Okay. Take off your coats, sit at the table with Nick, and I’ll get your cookies.”
The two boys hurriedly draped their coats over the backs of their chairs and plopped in the seats. Rex sat opposite Nick, looked at his foot propped on the pillow. Rex’s eyebrows scrunched together in a frown. “How come you don’t have your broke foot in a cast, Nick?”
“I get the cast tomorrow. My ankle swelled up when I hurt it and the swelling had to go down before I could get the cast.”
“How long you gotta wear it?”
Nick shrugged. “Until the doctor tells me I don’t need it anymore.”
“Bummer,” Rob said. “You coulda built a snowman with us.”
“I wish I could, Rob.” He reached over and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Next time, okay?”
Rob smiled, exposing a gap where one of his bottom teeth should have been. “Granpa helped us and Jason and Dad and Uncle Jerry build one in his backyard. You should see it!”
Keely set a small plate before the boys, each holding two cookies in the flavor they requested. “Maybe your granpa and Uncle Jerry can help y’all and Jason build one in Nick’s front yard so he can look out the window and enjoy it.”
Both boys made sounds of agreement. Dusty narrowed his eyes at Keely. She grinned in return.
Nick chuckled. He liked the way Keely didn’t let Dusty’s fierce look scare her. He knew that look didn’t mean anything. Apparently, so did Keely.
“Let’s go get Jason and start the snowman,” Rob said, excitement in his v
oice.
“Yeah!” Rex jumped up from his chair, grabbed his coat and his cookies, and hurried after his brother. “C’mon, Granpa!”
“Don’t you want your milk?” Keely called after them, holding the two glasses in her hands.
They didn’t respond, but ran out the back door. Dusty shook his head. “Sure wish I could harness the energy generated when those three boys are together. We could light up the whole town.” He adjusted his hat on his head. “I’ll make sure everyone is here by one, Keely.”
“Thanks, Dusty.”
Once he left, Keely placed the two glasses in the refrigerator. “They can drink the milk with their dinner.”
Warmth spread through Nick’s chest at the way Keely had interacted with Dusty’s grandsons. She’d be a wonderful mother.
She walked to the table and peered into the colander. “Through?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He scooped up the last pieces of potato from the cutting board and dropped them in the pan. “Ready for cooking.”
She lifted the large pan and carried it to the sink to fill with water. Nick inhaled and blew out the breath slowly. She shouldn’t have to lift such a heavy pan. He should help her. He scowled at his bandaged foot, hating that he couldn’t do anything but sit here and let her wait on him.
The sound of the back door opening again drew Nick from his bout of self-pity. Dusty’s third grandson, ten-year-old Jason, entered, followed by his father, Jerry.
“Sorry to intrude,” Jerry said. “Jason wondered if you might have an extra Snickerdoodle he could have.”
“You bet.” Keely set the pan on the stove and turned on the burner beneath it. “I can probably find two Snickerdoodles,” she said to Jason. “How about that?”
Jason grinned and nodded.
Jerry tugged down the bill of his son’s cap. “What do you say, Jace?”
“Yes, please,” he said, looking up at Keely from underneath the bill.
Leaning back in his chair, Nick watched the exchange between Keely and Jason. He noticed Jerry also studied Keely while she got his son the cookies. His gaze swept over her body, lingering on her breasts. Nick knew Jerry and his wife had divorced about a year ago and Jerry had shared custody of their son. Perhaps he was in the market for a stepmother for Jason.