Her Christmas Protector

by Terri Reed

  She slipped into the jacket, mindful of Luke’s warm breath on her nape. “Thank you.”

  “Zip up. It’s cold out there,” he stated as he opened the door.

  Faith shivered as much from the cold as from nerves about being seen in town as she slid into the back of the Bronco. Immediately, the fresh snow that had fallen on her head melted and dripped down her neck. Luke helped Dottie in before going around the front and hopping into the driver’s seat.

  “Now, let’s hope the main road has been plowed,” he said.

  The Bronco eased forward down the drive, the tires crunching over gravel and ice. When they came to the main road, Luke stopped and let the vehicle idle. “Okay, ladies. The road is not plowed. I think we can make it, but we could get stuck.”

  That didn’t sound appealing to Faith. Even with the heat on high, she was still cold.

  Dottie sighed. “I’m not up to a walk in the snow if we do get stuck.”

  Faith met Luke’s gaze in the rearview mirror. She wrinkled her nose. “Me, neither.”

  “All right then,” Luke said and threw the Bronco into Reverse.

  Once he parked the car back in front of the door, they all hurried back inside.

  Luke immediately built a fire in the fireplace and Faith went to set some water to boil for tea. Dottie sat in her recliner and covered up with a blanket.

  Faith admitted to herself she was thankful she wasn’t leaving the ranch. Once the water was ready, she brought out three steaming mugs and the basket with teas.

  Dottie snagged a chamomile and Luke took a black tea. Faith dipped a spicy-smelling bag in her water.

  “If you’re up for it, mother, I thought I’d invite the boys in for dinner tonight and give them their Christmas bonuses.”

  “That would be fine. Faith and I can create some gourmet meal. What do you think, Faith?”

  “That would be wonderful,” she replied, enjoying being included.

  Luke set his mug down. “I’ll go make sure the guys are all available. Though I don’t imagine any of them will be leaving the ranch tonight.”

  Or anyone coming to the ranch, Faith silently added.

  She could only hope the snow continued to keep the outside world from intruding.

  “Wow, that was some meal,” Jerry Ridgeway exclaimed, sitting back in the ranch’s dining-room chair with a satisfied grin.

  “You could say that again.” Another ranch hand, Mac Stone, agreed while wiping at his mouth with a green cloth napkin.

  “I’ll say it,” Charles Fry stated and rubbed at his gut in a satisfied gesture. “Fine meal.”

  Leo nodded his approval. “We have a keeper here, Dottie.”

  Dottie laughed. “Careful, Leo. You’ll scare her off.”

  Luke glanced at Faith, who blushed under all the praise. She sat near his mother at the opposite end of the table. The festive Christmas decorations and delicious food foreshadowed the upcoming holiday. With Faith here, Christmas might not be as sad an occasion as Luke feared it would.

  Faith seemed to have no idea of her effect on everyone in his house. The hands all seemed as smitten with her as his mother, who adored her. He didn’t care to examine his own feelings for her.

  Tonight they’d invited the hands to a pre-Christmas dinner so he could give them their Christmas bonuses. Even though Mac and Jerry were new, Luke had given them each a bit of extra cash.

  Now, he pushed his chair away from the table. “That was a wonderful dinner, Faith.”

  “I’m glad you liked it. Your mother told me chicken and dumplings were your favorite.” Her smile was tentative.

  His mother beamed at him from her place at the head of the table.

  Pleasure and unease seeped into his veins, heating the blood pounding through his suddenly racing heart. His mother definitely was trying her hand at matchmaking. “Thank you.”

  His gaze locked with Faith’s. For a split second he forgot to breathe. In her eyes, he saw a myriad of emotions—yearning, wonder, and a hint of apprehension.

  He wanted to explore the yearning and wonder, and rid her of any apprehension. But now was not the time.

  For the past few days life had calmed down. No more Peeping Toms. Leo and the hands all promised to keep a vigilant eye out for any intruders. Reva hadn’t shown up since his talk with her and the sheriff had called to say he’d questioned Reva about Friday night. Apparently, she had been in town at a bar the whole time.

  Luke stood, breaking the eye contact with Faith and busied himself by gathering the empty plates.

  Noticing her look of surprise, he gave her a self-conscious grin. “I’ll help clean up, okay?”

  “Uh, sure. That’ll—be great.” She pushed her chair back and stood.

  Luke reached for an empty platter in the middle of the table just as Faith reached for it, too. Their hands brushed against each other and each let go as if burned by the same electrical current. The platter dropped noisily to the table and Luke jerked his gaze to Faith.

  She slowly raised her gaze. “Slippery plate.”

  Laughter filled the room, relieving the tension. Luke chuckled and nodded. “Very.”

  Luke left the slippery plate to Faith and turned to carry his stack of dishes to the kitchen. He met his mother’s mirthful gaze and knowing smile, and the significance of helping with the dishes suddenly struck Luke.

  His father had helped his mother every night, claiming it was their time together. Luke had, on occasion, watched silently from the doorway as his parents worked side by side. Doing dishes had become an intimate act that he’d never wanted to intrude on. Anticipation catapulted his heart into triple time.

  The rational part of his brain screamed a warning. He didn’t want to get too comfortable in this domestic scene, but he was unable to resist.

  His mother gracefully rose from the table, the twinkle in her eyes shining bright. Leo scrambled to pull out her chair.

  “Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Campbell, Faith,” Jerry said as he rose. “This sure beats microwave or restaurant food.”

  Mac and Charles rose as well, each adding their thanks.

  “Any time, boys. We’re glad to have you on the ranch,” Dottie replied.

  After the three men left, Dottie patted Leo’s hand. “Would you like to join me for some tea?”

  “Sure would,” Leo answered.

  Luke hesitated, not sure how he felt about his mother and Leo becoming chummy.

  “I’ll start some water,” Faith offered.

  Dottie gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you, dear.”

  She and Leo went into the living room.

  Luke helped Faith clear the table while he wrestled with the thought of his mother socializing. It wasn’t like she and Leo were going on a date or anything. Just two old friends having tea in the living room.

  Get a grip. He wasn’t his mother’s keeper.

  “You really don’t have to help.” Faith set the kettle on the stove to boil.

  “Oh, but I want to.” He picked up a dish towel. “You wash and I’ll dry.”

  Faith arched a blond eyebrow. “And just why do I have to be the one to get dishpan hands?”

  “You’re the woman,” he teased with a grin.

  “Ah, that’s rational thinking coming from a mere man.” She rolled her eyes with an answering grin and turned on the faucet.

  Within moments, steam rose from the hot spray of water.

  “Here, I’ll wash,” Luke offered, realizing that as a society woman, she probably wasn’t used to washing dishes.

  She waved him off. “I was just kidding. I’ll do it. It’s not that big a deal. Besides, the chore is kind of soothing.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.” She slipped her hands into the water and scrubbed a plate before handing it to Luke to dry.

  A lock of hair fell forward into Faith’s eyes and she blew at the stray wisp. Unable to resist, Luke reached out to brush back the strands and caressed her cheek. She turned to
look at him, her gaze bright and trusting. He wanted to sink into her gaze, to taste her lips, to hold her close. His head dipped and gently he pressed his lips to hers, the contact sending jolts of sensation ricocheting through his system, making his toes curl inside his cowboy boots.

  “Oh, don’t mind me. I’ll just grab a couple of cups and be out of your way in no time.”

  His mother’s voice yanked Luke back to his senses. He straightened. Color rose high in Faith’s cheeks. She quickly turned back toward the sink and plunged her hands into the water.

  Luke leaned against the counter and took several steadying breaths.

  “Would anyone else like some tea?” Dottie cheerfully asked.

  “No, no thank you, Mother,” Luke managed to answer, sounding somewhat normal.

  “Well, you know, tea has a very calming effect.”

  Faith made a strangled sound and Luke stared at his mother through narrowed eyes. Dottie blinked at him. He glanced at Faith. Her cheeks turned bright red and her lips were pressed together in a tight line. She thrust a plate into his hands.

  They continued in silence until Dottie left the room.

  The second his mother was gone, Faith turned on him. “What was that all about?”

  “What?” he asked innocently.

  “You know perfectly well what.” She stood with her soapy hands on her hips, sparks flying from her eyes.

  “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  Her mouth dropped open and then snapped shut. Abruptly, she turned back to the sink and Luke thought that was the end, but she whirled back around. “You’re right it won’t happen again, Luke Campbell. Next time you kiss me, you’d better mean it.”

  She threw a wet sponge at him, hitting him square in the chest, before marching out of the kitchen.

  Luke stared at her retreating back in astonishment. Then a slow grin spread across his face as the implications of her words sunk in.

  “Of all the insufferable, pigheaded, arrogant…” Faith punched her pillow, creating a nice round dent in the soft, downy feathers. The lingering effects of Luke’s kiss coursed through her veins.

  She groaned aloud and punched the pillow again. He’d had the gall to apologize. And say he wouldn’t kiss her again. Faith buried her head beneath her pillow and willed herself to calm down. She really didn’t want his kisses, so why was she so upset?

  A soft knock startled her into a sitting position. Slowly, she got off the bed and walked to the door leading to the hall and paused with her hand on the knob. “Yes?” she whispered.

  “Faith, we need to talk,” Luke said.

  “We can talk tomorrow.”

  The door wasn’t locked but he wouldn’t enter unless invited. Vinnie wouldn’t have bothered to knock, he’d have just barged in. But she could trust Luke. He wouldn’t hurt her. Especially, physically.

  Any emotional hurt would be her own fault.

  EIGHT

  The next day, after his chores, Luke found his mother and Faith sitting in the living room each with knitting needles and yarn in hand.

  “Hello, ladies.”

  “Can I make you a sandwich?” Faith asked, her gaze somewhat shy as she rose.

  “I can get it,” he said and moved into the kitchen to wash up.

  “I don’t mind,” she countered, her expression sincere as she followed him.

  He relented. “That would be great, then.”

  Remembering how they’d parted last night made Luke’s pulse quicken. He wanted to talk to her about the kiss and what it meant. Or didn’t mean. Or what they wanted the kiss to mean. But with his mother watching he chose not to approach the subject now.

  “Reva hasn’t shown up again this morning,” Dottie commented as she too entered the kitchen.

  Luke turned his attention away from watching Faith make his sandwich and addressed his mother. “I don’t know that she’ll be back.”

  “Oh? Did something happen that I should know about?”

  With a shrug, Luke replied, “I laid my feelings for her out on the table. She was pretty mad.”

  Dottie whistled. “Well. It had to be done.”

  “Here.” Faith handed him a plate with a thick ham sandwich.

  “Bring that in to the living room and talk with us,” Dottie said.

  Luke helped his mother to her favorite chair, and then sat next to Faith on the sofa, leaving mere inches between them.

  Faith arched her eyebrows high and nodded to the rest of the sofa. “Is there something wrong with that end?”

  He shrugged. “Not at all. Just more cozy here.”

  He liked the way she blushed. Her complexion turned a pretty shade of pink and her eyes sparkled. It wasn’t nice to tease, but it was such fun.

  Luke noticed his mother’s interested stare and gave her an innocent look before taking a bite of his lunch.

  “You behave yourself,” Dottie admonished with a pleased smile.

  “Always,” he answered with a lopsided grin.

  Faith snorted beneath her breath. He nudged her with his elbow. “What?”

  She turned her face toward him and it took a great deal of effort not to lean in close and taste her lips. Instead, he gave her a slow smile and savored her blush.

  His mother’s voice drew his attention away from Faith. “I think I saw a raccoon this morning.”

  “They’re seeking warmth. I’ll make sure I let Leo know so he can plug any holes in the llamas’ barn.”

  Dottie motioned toward the bookshelf against the wall. “Luke, hand me those photo albums, please.”

  “Ahh, Mom. You’re not going to start showing my baby pictures are you?”

  “But, of course.” Dottie bestowed an innocent look on him. Faith burst out laughing.

  Luke glowered in mock outrage. “You think that’s funny, do you?”

  Still laughing, she nodded.

  “Well, I’ll give you something to laugh about.” He set his plate on the coffee table and then his hands found the tender spot on her rib cage and began tickling. She squirmed beneath the onslaught.

  His mother’s rich laughter stilled his hands.

  Stunned, Luke couldn’t ever remember being compelled to tickle anyone, let alone doing so in front of his mother. Embarrassed to his toes, he picked up his plate and stared at the big Douglas fir tree by the window. “The tree looks great by the way.”

  Mirth still danced brightly in Dottie’s eyes. “Yes, it does. Thanks to Faith, the whole house is ready for Christmas. I can’t believe just five more days. I need to go to town and do some shopping.”

  “I’ll take you tomorrow, if you’d like,” Luke offered.

  “Perfect. Maybe we can talk Faith into coming as well,” his mother said, her expectant gaze on Faith.

  She swallowed and her expression showed the panic going on inside her head. Luke had already assured her the P.I. had left town, so why was she still so worried? “Or we can pick up anything you need,” he offered.

  Her relieved smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll make a list. The pharmacy has a refill that needs to be picked up.”

  “I can do that.” He rose. “I need to check on Lucy.”

  “She’s due soon, isn’t she?” his mother asked.

  “After Christmas.”

  “Lucy?” Faith asked.

  “One of the llamas is about to be a mama,” Luke explained as he retrieved the photo albums his mother had requested and handed them to Faith. “Have yourself a good laugh.”

  Faith took the offered books and looked up at him. Traces of panic still lingered in her gaze and Luke hesitated. Part of him wanted to gather her close and reassure her that everything would be all right. He wouldn’t force her to go or do anything she didn’t want to.

  A bigger part of himself ordered him to stand down. He was getting too entangled. She was his employee! And that was a road he didn’t want to travel. He forced himself to look away and breathe deeply.

  After kissing his mother’s cheek, h
e headed toward the door. On the threshold, he paused and looked back. Faith still watched him, her expression tinged by a sadness he didn’t understand. He ached for her and felt a compelling pull to do whatever it took to make her relax.

  Employee or not.

  “And this picture was taken at Luke’s sixth birthday party.”

  Faith stared at the snapshot of Luke wearing a miniature cowboy hat, leather chaps and showing a gap-tooth smile for the camera. Her fingertips brushed over the image.

  Today she’d seen a glimpse of the little boy he must have been and she liked the playful side he’d displayed. She didn’t know what to make of him. He’d protected her, kissed her and now teased her outrageously. He made her head spin so fast she became dizzy any time she tried to hold on to an emotion or thought.

  She tried to analyze what she was feeling. She was attracted to Luke, there was no denying that. In her eyes he was everything a man should be, handsome, but not too pretty, gentle, yet with a quiet strength that made her feel protected. He’d been sensitive to her feelings so many times. He’d earned her trust.

  But she couldn’t allow herself to fall for him. He was a port in the storm of her life. And one day Dottie wouldn’t need her any longer and Luke would return to his military career. And she’d…

  She pushed aside her confusion and concentrated on the photo album.

  “This is my Blake.” Dottie pointed to a picture of a handsome man holding a small infant.

  The resemblance between Luke and his father was uncanny. Faith touched the image. “You must miss him a great deal.”

  “Yes, I do. He was a good husband and father. Luke is a lot like him.”

  Faith smiled to hear the subtle suggestion in Dottie’s voice. She didn’t have to work too hard to know Dottie wanted her son to settle down and start a family. It’s what every mother wanted for her children. Faith had no doubt he’d make a fine husband and father.

  “Luke was an adorable child.”

  “That he was. He was also headstrong and willful.” Dottie chuckled. “I can’t wait for the day when he has his own kids and I can sit back to watch the fun.”