A Cowboy for Christmas
Page 34
“I will.”
Scott stood solemnly beside her and shook Colin’s hand. “Thanks again for sharing your family’s story with us. Even though I wasn’t sure it could happen, you were right about our parents. They’ve already fallen in love with Jesse.”
“That’s just a hint of the love you’re all going to feel as the years go by, son. Take care. And make wise choices.”
“Yes, sir.”
When the vehicle disappeared, Colin and Anita fell silent as they trailed the Malloy family back to the staff room, where they began packing up their supplies in preparation for the long drive home.
The family members made endless trips back and forth from the clinic to the trucks parked outside as they loaded up an assortment of roasting pans, containers, and fancy platters.
As they finished up, Grace took Anita’s hands. “I’m glad Colin was able to get through the storm to be here with you. I know your uncle was fretting all through supper that you might be here alone.”
“Poor Uncle Leonard. With the service out, there was no way to reach him.” Anita pressed Grace’s hands. “I know Colin was wishing he could let you know he was safe, too. Now that I’ve learned of your loss on a night like this, I can understand how much you must have worried.”
Grace gave her a gentle smile. “Colin gave me his word he’d be safe. That was enough for me. All my men pride themselves on the fact that their word is their bond.” She paused before adding, “I hope you’ll come to dinner at the ranch another time.”
“I’d love to.”
“Good.” Grace leaned close to brush a kiss on the young doctor’s cheek. “Merry Christmas, Anita.”
“Merry Christmas, Grace.”
Frank shook old Dr. Cross’s hand and kissed Dr. Anita before offering his arm to his wife.
He and Grace led the procession of family members who paused to offer their wishes to Anita and her uncle before trailing out to their waiting trucks.
Reed picked up a final serving dish and tucked it under his arm before pausing to say good night to the two doctors.
He turned to Colin. “After all the walking you did tonight, I’m sure you’ll be happy to ride home. Come on. You can go with me.”
“Thanks. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Colin stood beside Anita and her uncle at the entrance to the clinic as they called their thanks and good-byes to his family.
One by one, the Malloy family climbed into their trucks for the long ride home.
Colin was doing his best not to stare at Anita, but he couldn’t help it. These were their last moments together, and despite the presence of her uncle, he wanted to just fill himself with her before he left.
A horn honked in the stillness of the night, and Reed lowered his window to wave Colin over.
At that moment, the phone began ringing at the reception desk. Before Anita could turn toward it, her uncle walked away to answer the call.
Colin stood, hat in hand, twirling it around and around and trying to think of something, anything to keep her beside him for just a minute more.
“I guess all this must seem pretty different from the celebrations you were used to in Boston.”
For a moment she went silent, and he regretted his question.
Then she seemed to positively glow with happiness.
“In truth I’d rather be here than anywhere I can think of.”
That brought the smile back to his eyes.
Eyes, she thought, that mirrored his soul. Here was goodness. Here was a solid, dependable, honorable man who would always be as good as his word. This quiet, good man touched her soul in a way that no other man ever could.
“Anita, I’m sorry my big, noisy family came charging in here uninvited. They—”
“Colin.” She put a hand on his. “I’m absolutely delighted they came. This will go down as one of the most memorable Christmas Eves I’ve ever celebrated.”
“You mean it?”
“I do.”
His smile grew. “That’s nice. But I wish we could have had more time alone.”
“That would have made it perfect.”
He cleared his throat. “I have a cabin up in the hills. It’s not fancy. In fact, it’s pretty ordinary, but it’s set in some of the prettiest countryside you’ll ever see. The view of the surrounding hills and valleys, and the most amazing sunsets, takes my breath away. I go there sometimes when the world gets to be too much. Or when I just want to take some alone time. I’d love to take you there sometime.”
Anita glanced across the reception area to where her uncle was talking on the phone. “How about next week? For New Year’s Eve? Uncle Leonard owes me a weekend off. And,” she added softly, “I’d love to spend New Year’s Eve with you at your cabin, Colin.”
For the space of several seconds, he simply stared. Then it seemed the most natural thing in the world for him to wrap a big arm around her waist and draw her firmly against him, lifting her off her feet. “It’s a date, then.”
He captured her mouth and kissed her long and slow and deep.
Stunned and deeply moved, Anita felt the room start to spin, or was that her head spinning? She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, diving into the kiss with a passion that caught them both by surprise.
The horn outside honked again.
Colin lowered her ever so slowly, feeling her in every pore of his body. At last he released her, backing up a step, then seemed to think better of it and caught her to him and kissed her one more time. Just a hard, quick, solid kiss that went straight to his heart and started a smoldering fire deep in his soul.
“Merry Christmas, Anita.”
“Merry Christmas, Colin.”
Without another word, he sauntered out to Reed’s waiting truck.
At that moment, the lights inside the clinic flickered before becoming brighter.
A check of the entrance showed the lights blazing and the sign announcing the Glacier Ridge Clinic open for business.
All through the town the lights came on, blinking red and green in D and B’s Diner and glowing gold against the layer of snow at the spa.
As Reed put the truck in gear and started away, he turned to his uncle. “Sorry you got stuck in town in the middle of a blizzard on Christmas Eve. I guess this will be one for the books, huh?”
Colin watched Anita’s reflection in the side-view mirror, seeing her standing in a spill of bright light at the entrance of the clinic, looking like an angel in her white lab coat, her dark hair spilling around that gorgeous face in a silken cloud.
Wonder of wonders, she wanted to be with him.
He could hardly wait until next week. New Year’s Eve. Alone together. Nobody around for miles. In his cabin in the hills.
Merry Christmas, indeed.
He already knew, without a doubt, Anita Cross was the one.
The only one who would ever own his heart and soul.
His very own Christmas angel.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes before placing his wide-brimmed hat over his face to hide the grin that split his lips.
“Yeah. One for the books.”
Yancy’s Snickerdoodles
Mix thoroughly:
½ cup softened butter
½ cup soft shortening
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
Sift together and stir in:
2¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Roll into balls the size of small walnuts.
Roll in mixture of 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake until lightly browned but still soft. These cookies puff up at first, then flatten out.
Baking Temperature: 400 degrees
Time: Bake 8 to 9 minutes
Amount: Approx. 5 dozen 2-inch cookies
Note: A favorite of the Malloy fami
ly and cowboys everywhere.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author R. C. Ryan has written more than a hundred novels, both contemporary and historical. Quite an accomplishment for someone who, after her fifth child started school, gave herself the gift of an hour a day to follow her dream to become a writer.
In a career spanning more than thirty years, Ms. Ryan has given hundreds of radio, television, and print interviews across the country and Canada and has been quoted in such diverse publications as the Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan. She has also appeared on CNN and Good Morning America.
R. C. Ryan is a pseudonym of New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ryan Langan.
You can learn more about R. C. Ryan and her alter ego Ruth Ryan Langan at:
RyanLangan.com
Twitter @RuthRyanLangan
Facebook.com/RuthRyanLangan
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