A Cowboy For Christmas

by Kristen James

  He swallowed and she shook herself. So that was what it felt like when the world stopped. She took his hand for the short walk outside into the chilly night to the truck. It was still running, so the inside was warm.

  “How did today go?” It’d been the first thought and she needed something to stop her escalating emotions. How could he get her so worked up?

  “We got the roof done.” He looked over to answer, and she was pretty sure he looked down to her breasts and then to her legs.

  She smoothed her hands down her skirt, glad she’d worn the short skirt, even if it was winter. “That’s good.”

  “Nervous?”

  “We’re being honest about it?” She didn’t want to answer, but that answered for her. Could he be nervous, too? With his calm exterior, she had no way to tell. Even when he took on jumpy horses or tall ladders, he didn’t look nervous.

  He turned on the radio to a country station. There were a lot of things she could discuss with him, but the lack of conversation felt nice for now. Maybe he already understood she was thankful when he backed off the night before. She’d been so ready until she had time to think about it.

  It wasn’t that she needed time. She just liked to think things over. And she had. Quite a lot.

  He pulled into the restaurant parking lot and turned off the engine.

  “I get to open your door for you.” He jumped out and came around. She’d never seen the point in that type of thing, but she had to admit she liked it when he offered his hand. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look?”

  “Thanks.” She linked her arm though his. “I thought you might appreciate something besides Wranglers.”

  “Now, you can’t knock Wranglers. Especially if you could see your cute little butt in them.” He gave it a pat before grabbing the restaurant door. The unexpected touch left her skin tingling. Inside, they were seated right away despite the dinner crowd.

  She studied her menu, but noted he studied her curves. She’d worn a burgundy top with lace at the neckline. It swooped down lower than her work shirts. Combined with the skirt, it seemed to get his attention.

  “Our waiter is coming.” She set her menu aside. “Did you decide?”

  “Oh, yeah, I know what I want.” The pure appreciation in his eyes let her know it, too.

  She tried not to blush as the waiter approached their table. Brent turned and ordered, knowing what he wanted though he hadn’t looked at the menu. It sounded so good, she ordered it as well. Alone again, they both smiled, staring.

  “I take it you don’t offer trail rides in the winter.” She decided to talk about the ranch, a safe subject.

  “Not yet. There’s several stables along the coast that do, and they’re much bigger. We take their overflow in peak season.”

  “Do you plan to expand?” She’d controlled the urge to ask this kind of question before, in case it brought back the tension.

  “I’m sure we will someday. And I guess you have a say in that now.” His tone wasn’t cold. But they were on thin ice, she knew.

  “I still want to know what you planned.” She wanted to be a part of the stables and the plans, not take over.

  “I saw a vision of the place, and that’s pretty much what it is right now. I have the land, the horses, and the beach nearby.” His gaze dropped down to the table. She didn’t think he was mad, but he was closing up in himself. Something was off.

  Ben.

  They hadn’t spoken much about her late brother. She couldn’t hold it against him, since they hadn’t known each other for a long period of time. Things were going well enough for her to want to stay on longer, and he seemed to want that as well.

  Something, however, still dogged him. Why else would he avoid Dancer? Why else would he clam up when she asked about the future?

  She remembered the one and only time she had asked him about Ben’s death. He’d refused to answer.

  Switching gears, she asked, “Do you think I’ll be able to help with the tours this spring?”

  When his face came back up, his eyes were clear. “I plan on it. Two of us always go with every group, maybe more if it’s a large one. One leads the way, the other brings up the rear.”

  He’d worked with Ben before. She could tell he didn’t want to talk about it. His hand rested on the table, and she reached over and covered his with her own. He didn’t pull his hand back, but stroked hers with his thumb.

  “You seem to have a lot of confidence in me,” she said. It gave her a warm feeling, but she didn’t want his feelings toward her to cloud his judgment on this.

  “You still have time,” he reminded, still stroking her hand. “For your first few times, three of us can go. It’ll work out fine. I can tell by watching you ride now.”

  Their meals arrived and they ate in silence. They’d planned on a movie afterwards, but she couldn’t sit next to him in the dark and watch a movie. “Would you like to go to my place for wine?” she asked as they walked to the truck.

  He must have seen right through that. Teasing her, he said, “Didn’t you just have wine with dinner?”

  After he opened her door, she slid in and waited until he sat behind the wheel to ask, “Then would you like to come back to my place and kiss me?”

  “Just one kiss?” He started the truck and put it in reverse. The music played and she scooted in the middle for the trip back. He smelled like pure pleasure, she thought as she leaned her head against his shoulder. She was a sucker for his wide shoulders.

  “Missy?”

  She shot up at his questioning tone. “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for . . . for the way you are.”

  What could he mean by that? “My sultry good looks or my amazing charm?”

  He chuckled. “I like a woman with a good self image.” He rubbed her with the arm he had wrapped around her. “But I meant for your understanding. I thought you’d change everything. Now I’m not sure why I was so against you coming here.”

  She could remind him that he’d just lost a good friend, and she came looking for money. But she didn’t just remember those things. How could she forget how hurt and angry she felt?

  “Wasn’t the best way to meet, was it?” she said, her voice quiet and sad.

  He turned down the ranch road, passing under the Ocean View Stables sign, passing his own house and drove to hers.

  “You’re not leaving once you drop me off, are you?” Oh, boy, that sounded like panic in her voice. After all her daydreaming, she needed him in the most intimate way.

  “I’ll stay, go, do whatever you want.”

  That innuendo didn’t escape her notice. And after looking at him, she knew he meant it. Time to put it to the test.

  “Come on, cowboy.” She started to slide over to the passenger door.

  His hand on her arm stopped her. “It’s closer this way.”

  Surprised, she turned to him just as he pulled her up into his arms. “Let’s hurry, it’s cold.”

  He took her right in and set her on her feet inside the front door.

  Shutting the door behind her, she leaned against it, looking into his blue eyes and then that mouth waiting to take hers. Powerful urges burned inside her, keeping her from moving.

  “Missy?” His voice washed over her, making her shiver. “Are you cold?”

  She shook her head and watched him step next to her. He touched her cheek, her neck, and leaned in to kiss her. Moaning, she fell against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. His face was just a bit rough under her lips. Enjoying the texture, she ran her lips over his whiskers.

  In contrast, his neck felt like silk, right down to his collarbone. She undid the top several buttons of his shirt and ran her hand over the thin chest hair underneath. She shivered with pleasure. While she wanted to touch every inch of him, right now, she needed to savor. The last buttons went and she pushed his shirt open.

  She’d thought a lot about trusting him with this. If she thought he’d understand, she’d tell him what a big st
ep she was taking. To understand that, however, he’d have to know why she was afraid to trust. Shame kept her from doing that.

  His hands sculpted her waist, running down to the dip before her hips. She could trust him this way. Her heart would be another matter.

  “All this comes off,” she told him with one brow crooked suggestively.

  “Does it?” He threw her up into his arms again and carted her back to her bedroom.

  Chapter Eight

  Brent hadn’t slept that good in ages. Walking to the stables in the soft morning light, he felt renewed. He might have slept better if he’d stayed with her, but he’d gotten the sense she wanted him to leave. They had lain together for a while, until he was about asleep, when she pulled away.

  Since he wanted to respect her, and continue to build her trust in him, he’d dressed and headed for home like that was the natural thing to do.

  It wasn’t his natural reaction. He’d wanted to hold her all night, listen to her breathe, and kiss her neck in the morning. He’d never felt love like this before. Wait. Love?

  Love. That was the only word for the overwhelming emotions raging inside him. It’d been in there somewhere, hiding, waiting for the right second to spring itself on him. Then, suddenly, while holding Missy and making love to her, he knew.

  He might have even said it out loud. If he did, she hadn’t heard. That was a miracle. How would he explain that to her?

  “Morning, Dale,” he said and wished he hadn’t sounded so happy. If Dale noticed anything, he was gentleman enough not to ask. With the sun coming out, Brent felt like spring was coming early.

  They transferred the horses to the back section of the pasture. The recent rain had started a puddle that turned into a small lake.

  He waved to Dale and went back for his truck. He needed to make a run for sawdust before the pasture got any worse. When he returned, he spent an hour spreading sawdust. H stood back for a break when Dale pulled up with another truckload of it.

  “We could just keep them off this section.” Dale looked over the mushy mess, his mustache twitching.

  “We’d still have a mess come spring.” There’d be even more rain then.

  “Here comes Missy,” Dale jerked his head her way. “To help, I think.”

  Brent turned around to see Missy walking down to them. She wore rubber work boots with a pair of Wranglers and a heavy coat.

  “Cute, isn’t she?” Dale grinned at him. “So you two getting to be pretty good friends?”

  “It’s way past being friends.” He allowed himself one knowing look directed at his friend. “But I don’t kiss and tell.”

  Dale tried to wiggle the smile off his face before Missy got there. “You just did, buddy.”

  With Missy several steps away, all Brent could do was send Dale a warning look to keep quiet.

  “Want some help?” she asked by the truck.

  “Couldn’t hurt.” He watched her come the rest of the way over, but she didn’t look his way. He’d expected at least a shy smile. Nothing?

  They worked together and talked to Dale like things weren’t different between them. Coldness settled inside him. Dread of loosing what little they had scared him silly.

  They emptied the truck in half an hour with two extra bodies. Dale acted overly excited about leaving for lunch. Maybe he felt something off with Missy, just as Brent had.

  “Let’s take the horses out.” He took her shovel and laid it in the truck bed.

  “A ride, now?” she asked, like the idea was from left field.

  That tone seemed too normal after the night they’d shared. He opened the passenger door and guided her in. Like it or not, they were going for a ride. And they were going to talk.

  With her brows creased and her lips parted, she looked startled when he got in, but maybe he needed to shake her up a bit.

  He steered the truck down to the stables and parked it. Missy jumped out and headed for the tact room. She could saddle her horse like nothing now. Just like anything else around the stables that needed done.

  She’d promised to learn fast. And she had. But maybe he was a slow learner because he was missing something here.

  “Ready?” she asked from atop her horse. He mounted and nodded.

  He rode close to her side as they took the path into the forest. The breeze rattled the pine branches, sending droplets down like rain. Didn’t matter. They were dressed for wet weather.

  “All right, no one’s listening. What’s going on with you today?” He hadn’t meant to sound so demanding. Did he care, though?

  “Is there something you should tell me?” she said, concern in her voice.

  “You’re acting different.” He nudged Jeffery closer.

  “I’ve been thinking about last night.”

  This wasn’t good at all. Maybe she had heard his confession of love, and it had scared her off. That or he wasn’t any good in bed. After the way she moaned, he doubted that was the case. “Second thoughts?”

  “No.” She laughed, looking him over from his boots to his hat. “Reliving it. I didn’t want us going all goo-goo in front of Dale.”

  He let out his breath in a half laugh.

  “Don’t worry so much, Mr. Serious Cowboy.” She lifted an eyebrow at him and turned the serious discussion into play. Trotting ahead, she glanced back. “Coming?”

  He’d never heard a laugh like hers. Quiet, yet suggestive. Relieved, he kicked up the pace and caught her.

  They came back muddy and soaked, but he hardly felt it. Even the horses didn’t seem to mind. He brushed them and checked them both over.

  “You sure take good care of these horses.” Watching him, she patted Speckle.

  “Some might think I overdo it.” He turned his back to pull up Jeffery’s hoof. “But it’s best if you catch things before they fester.”

  He straightened and found her face had gone serious.

  “You thinking things over again?” He didn’t need to think after watching her ride. He needed to kiss her all over.

  “Oh, I’m thinking about Dancer.”

  Dancer. Guilt spiked through him at the horse’s name. “Yeah, I’ll ask Dale to take him for a ride soon.”

  He couldn’t go near the horse, couldn’t think about Ben. Or that day when he should have been driving the truck and trailer. He felt how she watched him. This wasn’t the time to tell her.

  “You sure got dirty.” He grinned at her muddy clothes. Sure, he had to force the grin, but she relaxed.

  She fluttered her lashes. “Maybe we need a bath.”

  He grabbed her hand so quick, she gasped. He whipped them outside and straight to his house.

  “Brent?”

  “You said you need a bath.” He lifted one side of his mouth, then looked her over. Talk about hot.

  He threw open his door and pulled her inside. She tried to kick off her boots, but he yanked her into his arms.

  He pulled off his Stetson and dropped it on the floor. Their lips met, hers feeling hot against his mouth. The clothes were in his way, so he pushed her coat off her shoulders.

  She moaned into his mouth as he kissed her. Pulling his hands back, he jerked his coat off, tossing it over his shoulder to land on the floor behind him.

  “Bathroom,” he growled.

  “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?” She murmured and took a step back. She crossed her arms, grabbed the bottom of her shirt, and pulled it up and over her head in one motion.

  Have mercy! She let him stare at her white satin bra for about ten seconds. Then with a spin, she left for the bathroom. “Did you want to join me?”

  “You little tease!” He reached the bathroom in five fast steps.

  She giggled. “And you love it.”

  She had him there.

  “Maybe I should do some teasing.” He grabbed her and turned her to face him. “With my tongue.”

  He didn’t look away from her pleasantly surprised face when he kicked the bathroom door shut with
his foot.

  * * * *

  Lying in Brent’s bed with him, she couldn’t believe how satisfied she felt. He’d shown such care while rubbing the towel over her and taking her to his bed. Before she met him, she wouldn’t have thought the same man could match her need in the bedroom, then be patient and caring to her once their passion was spent.

  “Seems you’ve decided to stay on,” he said, low and quiet. That’s what he’d been thinking about? She lay on her back with the sheet pulled up to keep her warm. Under the sheet next to her, he leaned up on his elbow so he could trace his finger down her neck.

  “I knew I would from the beginning,” she corrected. “I said I would prove myself, and I knew I could make it.”

  He shook his head, a half smile coming and going. “I did, too. I knew you could make it, but I didn’t know if you’d want to stay.”

  Why else would she go through all this trouble? Just to leave? Something happened in his past, but what? “Brent?”

  “I didn’t know what would happen here. If you stayed or went on your way . . . we were short a worker.” He kept his gaze off her face while he spoke, and only glanced up now as he paused. “I didn’t want to replace Ben, and I couldn’t hire anyone. So you had more power than you knew.”

  “I didn’t think of it as power. I wanted to make it here, to show I could.” And she had, hadn’t she? Pride filled her. It hadn’t been easy to come here, stay and learn how to share in the work.

  He’d been teasing a finger over her skin, but now he pulled his hand back. “Are you staying now that you’ve proved you can do it?”

  For the first time, she heard uncertainty in his voice, and he lacked the hard confidence he’d displayed since she met him. This wasn’t about the ranch. She asked, “Haven’t I proved that?”

  She couldn’t hear him breathing. What was going on with him?

  “Is that your answer?” he asked.

  She felt him tense next to her. “I’m not going anywhere. But I can’t make promises about you and me. We don’t know what we want from each other, if this will turn into anything else.”