A Christmas Homecoming (Bar V5 Ranch)

by Melissa McClone

  “She never misses a meal.” Ellie kneeled, peering between two broken boards. She didn’t seem to care about dirt getting on her striped leggings or boots. Her compassion for the cat made him feel warmer on this cold winter’s night. “Snowball has to be stuck somewhere.”

  Josiah wanted to kiss away the worry in Ellie’s voice, but offering a practical solution might be more helpful. “Let’s search the loft. Snowball might be up there.”

  “Good idea.” Ellie stood and walked out of the stall, her bell jingling.

  Her bell was his new favorite sound. Over the last couple of days, Josiah noticed all types of bells, whether hanging on trees, decorations, or around cats’ necks like the two he’d seen earlier. Hearing a bell made him check to see if Ellie was near.

  He followed her into an open area between the rows of stalls. The barn was no longer used for animals, other than the cats, but the smells of hay and horses lingered. Ropes, halters, and leads hung on the wall along with an assortment of tools. This wasn’t a high-tech barn like the new one a short distance away, but this was what most people expected—an old, weathered building full of history and stories.

  The overhead lights were on, and multicolored Christmas lights were strung from the rafters and across stalls. Silver and gold stars floated in the air thanks to fishing wire.

  “Are these decorations for the barn cats?” he asked.

  “The cats don’t seem to mind them, and Meg loves to go crazy decorating for Christmas.”

  “Not only Meg.”

  Ellie grinned. “I have no idea who you mean.”

  A tree with lights sat near the entrance. He’d seen guests taking photographs out here. But one thing was missing. “Where’s the mistletoe?”

  Ellie’s cheeks reddened.

  From the cold or thinking about kissing him? He hoped the kisses.

  “Mistletoe is poisonous to cats,” she said. “Same with poinsettias. You won’t see either around here.”

  Too bad. Kisses would make their search more...romantic. And warmer.

  But they had time when they finished here. The lodge was practically empty. Most everyone had gone into Marietta to watch It’s a Wonderful Life on the big screen. Josiah preferred being here with Ellie.

  A ladder rested against the second floor loft.

  He grabbed hold of it.

  “No way.” She placed her hand on his shoulder, her touch firm like her tone. “You’re recovering. I’ll climb up there.”

  He stiffened, his heartbeat roaring in his ears. He knew she was looking out for him, but heat poured through him, making his skin burn. He gritted his teeth. “I can handle it.”

  “I know.” She pulled his hand from the ladder and gave a squeeze before letting go. “But I’ve got this. Next time, it’s your turn.”

  Knowing she was right, but hating it just the same, he blew out a frustrated breath. As he stepped to the side, she grabbed an upper rung and climbed.

  Josiah held onto the ladder. He wouldn’t let her fall.

  Ellie stepped onto the loft. “No sign of Snowball, but I’ll look around.”

  “Be careful.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Looking down, she flashed him a reassuring smile that didn’t take away the sting of being on the ground. “Don’t forget, I grew up with an old barn like this one.”

  “I remember.” He’d gone there with Buck.

  High school seemed like another lifetime. He hadn’t thought about living in Marietta in so long and didn’t miss those days, but the times he’d spent at the Smith’s small ranch had been his favorites.

  He heard movement overhead. Scraping noises. A hinge creak. “See Snowball?”

  “No.” Ellie climbed down the ladder, giving him a nice view of her backside.

  His mouth watered.

  Her hip brushed his arm.

  Another wave of heat flooded him, only this one burned in a different way. He fought the urge to reach out to Ellie because he didn’t want her to fall.

  The last time she fell, they’d kissed.

  But she hadn’t been up so high with a hard ground below. She’d hurt herself.

  Her gaze clouded. The lines around her mouth deepened. “Where could Snowball be?”

  The cat. Right. Not the time to be thinking about kisses.

  He heard something. A faint scratching noise. “Listen.”

  Ellie straightened. “Snowball.”

  They followed the sound to a stall at the end of the row. Empty plastic bins labeled Christmas decorations were stacked in front of the door.

  Ellie’s features relaxed, except for her scrunched nose. “How did Snowball get into the stall?”

  “I saw a meme about cats being liquid.” Josiah picked up a bin. Light. Finally something he could do. He stood taller, feeling like a man, not a wimp. “Snowball must have figured a way inside.”

  The scratching stopped. Snowball howled.

  “We’re coming,” Ellie called out. “Hold on, kitty.”

  Josiah moved another bin. His muscles didn’t tense or strain nor did he feel winded, but sweat dampened his hairline. Being able to help felt good.

  “I’ll have the rest out of the way in a minute.” He picked up a bin from the floor.

  A white streak bolted from the space between the stall door and the ground. The cat disappeared into the foreman’s office.

  Ellie laughed. “That didn’t take long.”

  He followed her into the office. Christmas tree lights hung on the walls, but no tree unless he counted the multileveled cat tree. The various breeds, colors, and shapes of felines on it could count as ornaments.

  “Glad we found Snowball,” he said.

  “Me, too.” She pointed to the chair behind the foreman’s desk. “Sit before you get tired.”

  Ellie was always thinking of him. He appreciated her concern, but it was unnecessary at the moment. “I’m fine.”

  “For now.”

  To appease her and not wanting to push himself, Josiah sat. “Better?”

  “Yes.” Ellie grabbed a bell collar from a basket and put it around Snowball’s neck. “This will help us find her, if she gets locked in again.”

  “Good idea,” he said. “I can’t lose you when you’re wearing a bell.”

  A tiger striped cat jumped up onto the desk and then climbed onto his shoulder. A jade-green gaze met his. “Hello there. You’re a tiny one.”

  “That’s Smalls.” Ellie’s smile widened. Mischief glimmered in her eyes. “This is not how I imagined you. Searching an old barn for a missing cat. Letting them climb all over you.”

  “I’m a normal kind of guy.” Smalls rubbed against his neck. “This little one agrees.”

  “A billionaire is not normal.”

  He waved her off. “I had an idea that took off, but I wasn’t born wealthy. The duplex where I grew up was on the wrong side of the tracks. If not for your brother’s hand-me-downs, I never would have had a pair of cowboy boots.”

  A sympathetic look on her face, she walked toward the desk. “That was a long time ago.”

  “Would you rather I wear a tuxedo or suit all the time?”

  “That sounds uncomfortable.”

  “Very. That’s why Whit Tech has a casual dress code. Wish I could get away with wearing sweats or flannel sleep pants when I go back to work.”

  She sat on the desk, her feet inches from him. “It’s your company.”

  “I founded Whit Tech, but I gave up control when the company went public. I should have kept fifty-one percent.” His chair had wheels, making scooting closer a no-brainer. The cat didn’t seem to mind the ride. “But I made a newbie mistake that cost me. Now I can be fired at will or whim.”

  “Regrets?” she asked.

  “The answer is complicated.”

  “I have all night if you do.”

  “I don’t regret my longtime, hardworking employees getting wealthy from the IPO.” He remembered the all-nighters, the highs and the lows. “They deserved t
he money.”

  Her gaze locked on his. “And you?”

  “I never went into this thinking I’d get rich. The money was a bonus. Though now that I’m away...”

  “What?”

  “The stock’s been down. Or was. I haven’t seen a paper this week.”

  “Maybe the stock soared.”

  “I hope not.”

  Ellie drew back, her eyes wide.

  Oh, hell. Had he said that aloud?

  Her nose scrunched again. “Don’t you want Whit Tech to do well?”

  The cords of his neck knotted. His stomach felt like a stone. The cat jumped off his shoulder.

  Josiah needed to explain. He didn’t want her to think badly of him. “Some people call me Mr. Whit Tech. I’ve put everything into that company. It’s my life. If Whit Tech does well while I’m away, where does that leave me?”

  A soft smile formed on her face. No judgment in her eyes, only support. “As the brilliant CEO who hired the right people.”

  Her words sunk in, rattled around his brain, and worked their way down to his heart. Josiah had hired the best. He worked side by side with the executive team. Of course, they could handle his absence.

  “You’re right.” The cat played with his shoe. Josiah felt selfish for what he’d said about the stock. “I must sound like a self-entitled brat.”

  Leaning forward, she placed her hand on his shoulder. “You sound human.”

  Her voice washed over him like a caress. She wasn’t a Christmas elf, but an angel. His angel.

  “Wanting to be needed, to feel indispensable, is normal,” she continued.

  Did Ellie want to feel that way, too? He had no idea, but she made him feel better.

  His nerve endings buzzed with need. He moved closer until he was practically under her and the desk.

  “No matter how Whit Tech stock does or doesn’t do while you’re away, the company wouldn’t exist without you.” Her leg touched his, sending a tremor through him. “No one can take that away from you. Not ever.”

  His gaze met hers. “I really needed to hear that.”

  Ellie’s eyes twinkled like the Christmas lights surrounding them. She looked beautiful, a gray cat on her right and an orange one on her left. She was everything Josiah hadn’t known he wanted. From the way she put others first to teaching herself about nonprofits to her hot kisses, she’d earned his respect and stole his heart.

  Josiah reached out, watching her lips part and her eyes fill with the same desire driving him, and he pulled her onto his lap. “And I really need to do this.”

  He kissed her.

  Ellie’s heart slammed against her chest. She was on Josiah’s lap, and he was kissing her. He was really kissing her with his hands in her hair like in a romantic movie.

  His lips captured hers with a hunger she understood. A hunger she felt deep inside. A hunger she’d experienced when they kissed under the mistletoe during their walk.

  And now she wanted to take what she could.

  Her temperature spiraled upward. Desire made her lightheaded. But that only made her want more.

  More of him.

  All he wanted to give.

  She parted her lips and soaked in the taste of him.

  Salty, warm, and...chocolaty.

  They’d eaten candy earlier. Good call. The blend of flavors—Josiah and chocolate—was addicting.

  He deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth. Their tongues met and danced a Texas two-step. Quick, quick, slow, slow. He’d taken the lead. She was content to follow for now. Quick, quick, slow, slow. She could keep up the dance all night.

  His arms circled around her tighter. She went closer without hesitation, eager to be right against him, driven by a longing only he could fill. She’d been waiting, waiting to kiss him again.

  Only this time he’d kissed her.

  No mistletoe required.

  Send-her-world-into-another-galaxy sensations rocketed down her spine and shot to her fingertips.

  His lips lifted off hers, and she ached with need.

  “I’ve been wanting to do this since our walk,” he murmured.

  She wrapped her hands around his neck, not wanting him to get away. “Don’t forget who kissed whom the first time.”

  That would be her, but she was happy he’d taken the initiative this time. Her fingers sifted through his soft hair. She twirled a curl with a fingertip.

  Josiah’s hands brushed up and down her back. His touch left a warm trail in its wake.

  She sank deeper into him. Her breathing was uneven. A flush of heat pulsed through her. A spark of yearning ignited deep within her.

  Kisses. Kisses. More kisses.

  She moaned. He whispered her name.

  Emotions tangled within her. Affection, delight, need—so many she couldn’t hang onto just one—spun and slid through her as if she were ice skating on Miracle Lake. Going too fast. About to lose control.

  That didn’t matter.

  Forget logic and common sense. She wasn’t afraid. She wanted this.

  This one kiss.

  A noise startled her.

  She tried to pull back, but Josiah kept kissing her. She pushed away from him. His eyes were wide. He looked as stunned as she felt.

  Someone cleared his throat. Not Josiah.

  She jerked her gaze to the doorway.

  Nate stood there, nostrils flaring like an angry bull.

  She catapulted off Josiah’s lap. Nate was her boss, the one who’d trusted her and taken care of Tanner.

  Disappointment filled Nate’s dark gaze.

  A rock settled at the bottom of her stomach. “Nate, let me explain...”

  She wasn’t breaking ranch rules, only her own, by kissing Josiah, but Nate’s dark eyes frightened her. The last thing she wanted was to let down her boss.

  Her ribs squeezed her insides.

  Ellie glanced at Josiah. He looked ready to do battle. But Nate was her boss. She was the one who had to live with the repercussions. She stepped toward the door.

  Josiah placed a hand on her shoulder, moved in front of her. “I’ll handle this.”

  Affection swelled for him. She didn’t want to feel embarrassed by giving into her desires. Kissing Josiah made her feel amazing. A kiss so wonderful couldn’t be wrong.

  Nate’s gaze bounced from her to Josiah. “My office Whittaker. Now.”

  With that Nate stormed away, each heavy footstep sent more cats scattering.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart.” Josiah kissed the top of her hand. His tender touch echoed his words. “Everything will be okay.”

  Ellie wanted to believe him, but tears stung her eyes. “I’ve never seen Nate so angry. Not even with Tanner. What if I get fired?”

  “I won’t let Nate do that, but this might color his report to the board. Or he could punch me for kissing you.”

  Guilt rushed in, followed by another wave of worry. “He wouldn’t.”

  “Time for me to find out.” Josiah kissed her hard and fast, his hand at the back of her head and his lips taking hers like there was no tomorrow. He pulled away. “No matter what happens, I have no regrets about kissing you. None at all.”

  She didn’t know if she had regrets or not.

  Kissing Josiah fueled fantasies of a future with him. But Ellie had no idea what would happen next, if she’d have a job come tomorrow, or if he would leave Marietta in January and not return for another eleven years.

  Did those things matter?

  That was what she needed to figure out.

  Ellie knew she wasn’t making the same mistake she’d made in August. Josiah wasn’t like Tanner. Not at all. She wasn’t the same person she’d been either.

  Her mouth tingled. She touched her swollen lips.

  No man had ever kissed her the way Josiah did, made her feel so special, gave her such a sense of belonging.

  In her heart of hearts, she knew a few hot kisses might be all there was between them.

  Was that enough?


  Feeling strong and ready to fight, Josiah squared his shoulders. He stepped into Nate’s office and closed the door, hands balling tight. “What do you want?”

  Nate sat behind his desk. The lines on his face resembled the deep cracks in the rocks on Copper Mountain. He was thirty-five, but looked older and pissed off.

  “What the hell are you doing with Ellie?” Nate asked.

  “That’s none of your business.”

  His lips drew into a thin, tight line. “She’s my employee. And you’re going to break her heart.”

  “Like hell I will.”

  “Then stop. Now.” A muscle ticked at Nate’s jawline. “Before you hurt her.”

  Anger didn’t fill Nate’s voice, but genuine concern, brotherly concern, for Ellie did.

  That Josiah understood. This wasn’t personal or about Whit Tech. His temper calmed. He flexed his fingers. “We kissed. That’s all. We’ve never been on a date. Only hung out.”

  Nate gave a slow shake of his head. “You’re still going to hurt her.”

  Josiah’s heart contracted. Protectiveness filled him. “I’m not going to do that.”

  “Not on purpose.”

  “You’re wrong. I...” His throat clogged. He swallowed. “I like her.”

  Nate leaned forward. “Life would be less complicated if you put an end to whatever’s going on with Ellie.”

  “Is that an order?”

  “A strong recommendation. I’m looking out for both of you.”

  Josiah remembered the anxious look on Ellie’s face before he’d left her in the foreman’s office. He’d wanted to tell her that she’d never have to worry about working and that she could come home with him. Crazy thoughts for a woman he barely knew. “She’s worried about her job.”

  “Ellie made the choice not to get involved with guests. She’s not doing anything wrong if she changes her mind.”

  He exhaled. “What about me?”

  “What’s going on here has nothing to do with Whit Tech.”

  That was what Josiah had thought and one less thing he had to worry about. But he couldn’t stop thinking about Ellie.

  Nate stood, placed his palms on the desktop. The muscle at his jaw continued to twitch. “You need to think about what’s best for Ellie. You’re only here until the end of the month. What happens come January?”