by Beth Alvarez
“Afternoon,” Kade said.
She offered a polite smile. “You’re up early, Mr. Colton.”
He sighed, lifting his hat and running his fingers through his jet black hair. “Listen, Filly, I just . . . I wanted to apologize about earlier. Couldn’t sleep much, it was botherin’ me so. I wasn’t trying to start any problems between you and your daddy.”
Her smile cooled and she turned her eyes back to the tree. “I’m a grown woman. He forgets that, sometimes. But thank you for the apology.”
“Grown or otherwise, you’re his girl, and this is his inn. But I wasn’t so respectful of you, either. I was bein’ cheeky, asking what I did.”
She raised a brow. “Do you regret it?”
Kade blinked at her, his mouth opening and closing a few times without making sound.
It was charming to see him caught off guard. Amused, she let herself grin, silent reassurance she wasn’t angry.
His shoulders sagged with relief, and his lips twisted into that crooked smirk she already loved, a mischievous spark in his eyes.
Felicity held out the box of ornaments in wordless invitation.
Surprised, he tip-toed across the rug to join her, taking one of the red glass orbs from the box.
“You paid for it, seems right you ought to get to help decorate it.” She watched him survey the tree, keeping quiet while he found just the right place to hang his ornament. Then she took an ornament from the box, tearing her eyes away. “Why did you pay for it?”
He shrugged. “Thought it would make you happy.”
“But you barely know me.”
A roguish grin put that dimple back in his cheek. “Yet.” His cool fingers brushed hers, igniting the memory of his hands against her sides. The thought sent a tingle of excitement through her body. He took the ornament from her hand.
“So long as you ain’t mad at me,” he said, turning back to the tree to look for an empty spot, “I figured it might be nice to chat a bit. Don’t get much time to enjoy company when I’m workin’.”
“Why would I be mad at you?” Felicity bent to take another package of ornaments from the box beside the tree.
“Don’t know. You didn’t seem too pleased to see me comin’ down the stairs.”
She passed him the box of red ornaments, opening the box of gold ones she’d just picked up. “Well, like I said. You barely know me. And you seem nice, Mr. Colton, but I barely know you.”
“I already told you to call me Kade.”
And he’d already kissed her, but that didn’t necessarily make it acceptable.
Whether she liked it or not.
She cleared her throat. “When was the last time you decorated a Christmas tree?”
“Not since I was a kid, to be honest.” He chuckled. “Once I was a teenager I thought I was too old for it. Now I don’t think I had any real idea of what old was. What about you? Last year?”
“No. We haven’t had a tree since my mom passed away.” Her smile faltered and she bowed her head, brushing back a lock of her brown hair.
Kade frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s been a few years.” She tried to sound dismissive, like it didn’t sting anymore. It had been more than five years, but while she’d grown used to her mother’s absence, she didn’t think she’d ever grow accustomed to the loss.
“Still, it ain’t easy, I’m sure.” He put an ornament near the top, past where she could easily reach. “My own mama passed after I left home.”
A pang of sadness made her chest ache. “That must’ve been hard for you. Not being there to say goodbye.”
Shrugging, he gave her a tight-lipped smile. “It is what it is. Made me regret leavin’, but there’s no going back. I didn’t find out until quite a bit later, so it’s probably for the best. Don’t think my daddy would’ve been too happy to see me at her funeral.”
So he was estranged from his family. Not uncommon in the age of broken homes they’d grown up in, but not having a home to go back to explained why he didn’t seem to have any ties. Men with families didn’t travel for work like that, bouncing from ranch to ranch, staying only a few weeks.
“I’m sorry,” she said at last.
“Ah, don’t be. It’s over and done. Coulda fixed things when Mama was sick, maybe, but none of us were ready to let go of our pride.” Kade smiled ruefully, putting his last ornament on the tree. “But enough about that. I had a question for you.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “For me?” She couldn’t imagine what he’d want to talk to her about, other than the tree or the events that morning. “What is it?”
“Laundry.” He gave her an apologetic look. “I didn’t see a laundromat in town, and I’m ’bout out of shirts. You got facilities here, or . . .?”
That hadn’t been what she expected. “Oh.” She cleared her throat. “Yes. I can give you a basket. If there’s anything you need washed, leave it in there and I’ll see it gets done. I can get it when I’m in there to clean in the evenings.”
“I don’t want you to trouble yourself on my part.”
Felicity laughed. “I’d be doing laundry anyway. My father and I live here too, in case you forgot.”
He snorted. “And your daddy ain’t gonna be mad if he finds you washin’ my skivvies?”
“I think he’d be angrier if he found out you weren’t wearing any because all of them were dirty.” She gave his white undershirt a glance, smirking.
“And what would you think of that?” he teased, crossing his arms.
Her eyes slid over the swell of his biceps and the veins in his toned arms, traveling down his stomach, where his shirt was just snug enough to outline chiseled abs. Heat grew in her cheeks and she tore her gaze away.
She cleared her throat once more, turning the ornaments in their package so she could put hooks in their tops. “Anyway, it wouldn’t be the first time I washed a man’s underwear.”
“That wasn’t what I asked,” Kade murmured, stepping closer.
The cool, sweet scent of his cologne tingled in her nostrils. She breathed deep, closing her eyes. “I don’t think that’s appropriate, Mr. Colton.”
He chuckled, shifting behind her, leaning in to whisper by her ear. “I’m not sure I care.”
Her pulse quickened. “I thought you were only here for work.”
“I am,” he said, his hands resting on her hips. His breath stirred against the side of her neck, giving her goose bumps. “But I swear you do somethin’ to me, Filly. I can’t get you out of my head.”
Her heart accelerated, threatening to pound its way out of her ribcage as he pulled her back against him. He inhaled, his lips so close beneath her ear she could feel their proximity.
“Stop.” The single word came out so strong she surprised herself.
Kade drew back, putting a space between them, righting his hat.
She swallowed, her throat feeling like sandpaper when she turned to face him. His expression was guarded neutrality, though his hazel eyes smoldered like coals that burned right through her.
Felicity straightened, plucking a gold ornament from the box she still held. “My father wouldn’t approve.”
“You’re a big girl, Filly. You’re allowed to move on.”
His words pricked at her, stinging like a nettle. Her jaw tightened and she stared at the tree, placing ornaments without seeing them.
“Right.” Kade sighed, his mouth taking a grim set. He strode back to where his boots waited, sliding them on. “I’ll leave my things by the door until you get that basket. Enjoy your decoratin’.”
“Will you be joining us for dinner tonight, Mr. Colton?” Her words took a cool edge.
“Thank you, but no. I got an errand to run, then gotta get over to work.”
She looked toward the window, where the sun hung low in the sky. “So early?”
“Gotta work off that tree. Make it pretty.” He touched two fingers to the brim of his hat, giving a curt nod. “Ma’am.”
&
nbsp; Her stomach turned at the sound of his boots on the stairs, but she willed herself not to look.
Worst of all was the way the heat of desire still lingered in her middle.
* * *
He should have kissed her.
Before she had a chance to stop him, before she’d let thoughts of her father’s disapproval snare her mind. Kade knew she’d wanted it just as bad as he did, her body tense and her breath heavy, betraying that he made her heart race. And he’d had her in his arms, so close, but it hadn’t been enough.
Frustrated, he took his anger out on the fence post, swinging his sledgehammer more forcefully than needed to settle it in its new hole.
The fence had been broken not far from where the thieves had come through the first time, though the broken post looked like it had been the result of a hasty getaway. He didn’t know why; he’d been on foot with his horse running wild when they’d left with their catch.
They’d kept the herd away from the downed fence with relative ease, but it was there to discourage people from getting in as much as it was for containing cattle. Repairing it wasn’t hard, but it took a while to dig out the old post and get the new one set, filling in around it before he could run the new wire. And all the while, his thoughts kept returning to the spicy-sweet smell of Felicity’s hair.
Those thoughts weren’t going to give him peace until he had her.
Kade couldn’t recall the last time he’d wanted a woman. Before he’d started this line of work, at least. They were more trouble than they were worth, in his experience, always demanding time and attention. Better to avoid them altogether, even if it meant some needs went unmet. He hadn’t missed it, either, work always keeping him too busy.
Except now those needs were driving him crazy, a feather-light meeting of their fingers enough to get him riled up. And blast it all if he couldn’t even fantasize about her the right way, having only her pretty face and slender wrists to think of. The rest of her was always wrapped in those ruffled skirts and lumpy sweaters, and no matter how he tried, he couldn’t undress her in his head. He felt like a teenage boy all over again, flustered and frisky, his mind taking every opportunity to turn back to the idea of taking her for a tumble.
He gave the sledgehammer one last swing, then dropped it and reached for the shovel, growling at himself. Work.
He was there for work. There to follow the herd, watch for anyone else who might come back with monsters in the bed of a truck. There to fix fences and clean dirt out of horseshoes. Not for brown doe-eyes or pretty pink lips that tasted like cinnamon and sugar, begging him to steal a taste.
Groaning, he rubbed his temples and shoveled dirt into the hole around the new fence post.
There was more to this outfit than the cattle, he reminded himself sternly.
No matter how well he and Felicity hit it off, no matter how good it felt to beg kisses from her mouth, getting involved with her was a distraction from his job. And even if it weren’t a distraction, it meant running the risk of being found out.
Pulling his scarf a bit higher around his mouth and ears, Kade tried to focus. He needed to have this done before his ride, and the sun was already setting.
Why did he want a taste of those kisses, anyway? He didn’t even like cinnamon.
Nudging the brim of his hat up with his thumb, Kade leaned against his shovel and sighed. Nothing about this job was working out like it was supposed to. It was supposed to be quick and easy money. He should have been scoping out the tire tracks leading away from the pasture.
Instead he was building a fence to work off the cost of a Christmas tree and fantasizing about a woman in ways he hadn’t done since high school.
Grumbling, he made himself finish the job, willing Felicity out of his mind.
It was after dark when he finished and loaded his tools back onto the ATV he’d borrowed. It’d be a long night, riding with the cattle until sunrise, but it was easier to find the gumption to do the work before he’d spent all night in the cold.
The farmhouse put a friendly glow on the horizon and he rode toward it, running through a list of things to grab out of his truck before climbing into the saddle.
Most of the other cowboys sat on the front porch of the house, laughing and nursing beers. It must’ve been a pretty picture in the summer, moths fluttering around the porch light, crickets singing in the grass. The winter cold left the outdoors eerily quiet, only the laughter of his peers to break the silence.
He parked the ATV beside the barn and unloaded the tools before striding toward the house.
“Getting ready to ride?” Charlie called.
“Just about.” Kade didn’t know the men well; he’d interacted most with Charlie and Grant, who was out with the cattle waiting for Kade to replace him. Rico seemed a nice enough fellow. He’d barely met Brady and James, though they both nodded greetings that he returned in kind.
“Well, I’m sure Grant will appreciate getting back here and having a beer.” Charlie laughed, standing up and opening the cooler he’d been sitting on. He pulled out a bottle of water, shaking it off. “Bet you’re dry after running that fence.”
“A little bit.” Kade stepped up onto the porch, his boot heels echoing in the night. He took the water, cracking the seal.
James elbowed Rico, grinning. “You ain’t afraid of riding at night?”
Kade gave him an odd look over the top of his water bottle, taking a few gulps before speaking. “Why would I be?”
Brady rolled his eyes. “Talk of the town this morning, but I guess you would’ve been sleepin’ after last night’s ride.”
“Or this morning’s ride,” Charlie intoned.
Rico scowled. “That ain’t funny, Charlie.”
Kade looked between them, his eyes narrowing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You and Felicity,” James said, tossing back a swig of beer. “Grant’s mad as hops about that tree stunt you pulled.”
“Only ’cause he didn’t think of it first.” Charlie shrugged, lifting his bottle to his lips and pausing. “It was a good idea, though.”
“Well, it ain’t like that,” Kade growled. “I’m stayin’ at their inn, it don’t mean nothin’ else.”
Rico nodded, frowning. “Felicity’s a good girl.”
“And y’all are changing the subject, besides.” Kade took another swallow of water before screwing the cap back on, jamming the bottle into the pocket of his coat. “What’s the talk of the town?”
The cowboys sobered.
“Fellow found dead a couple towns over. Young guy, like us. Save Rico.” Brady gave him a sidewise look, earning a rude gesture from the older man. He snorted a laugh, but didn’t smile. “Police said there wasn’t a lick of blood left in him.”
Kade blinked. “Impossible.”
“Well, I don’t know about the cops wherever you’re from, but our boys? They’re pretty honest.” Charlie scratched the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. “I mean, you already met Sam. He don’t get riled up too easy.”
Rico nodded slowly. “This sort of thing crops up every few years. Farmers nearby lose a few animals, usually sheep or goats, something small enough for somebody to move easy. They kill ’em and do funny things to the carcass. Try to stir up some urban legends, or think they’re pulling some kind of creepy occult thing. Teenagers, usually. Cops catch ’em and they get a slap on the wrist, maybe pay for the livestock.”
“It’s been a cow a couple of times,” James agreed.
“But never a person.” Rico hunched over his beer bottle, suppressing a shudder.
Kade snorted a laugh. “You know the chances of those things bein’ connected are almost nonexistent, right?”
“It don’t bother you because this ain’t your home,” Brady protested. “These are small towns. That could’ve been one of us. Someone we knew.”
“It don’t bother me because people don’t just go around killin’ for sake of it.” Kade knew that wasn’t true, but they were
in the middle of nowhere. Doing what he did—when he wasn’t wrangling cattle, that was—he’d seen and heard about a lot of death. It wasn’t uncommon in society’s underbelly. And the more powerful someone was, the more likely they were to take someone down just because they could.
In a town with a population of just a few thousand, the chances of encountering that sort of crime were slim to none—even in his profession.
“So you ain’t even a little nervous, sittin’ the saddle out there by yourself all night, knowin’ there’s a murderer out here they haven’t caught yet?” Charlie sounded incredulous.
“Nope.” Kade stepped down off the porch. “I’m the one’s gonna be ridin’ with a rifle balanced on the saddle. Who’s really gotta be afraid, here?”
“Good point,” James mumbled. “Take it easy out there, tonight.”
Kade cast a glance toward the empty beer bottles on the porch and smirked. “And don’t you take it too easy. Remember you’re out there tomorrow, whether you’re hung over or not.”
The other cowboys laughed.
Kade’s boots crunched on the rocky drive as he made his way to his truck, pulling out his saddlebags and resting his rifle against his shoulder before going to fetch his horse.
Dex was ready to go, but Kade found himself frowning as he readied the gelding for their shift in the saddle. The horse frisked, eager to run, and Kade let him lope out to join the herd.
Grant was mounted up and had his things ready when Kade arrived, but he sat staring toward the east.
Kade said nothing, riding close, squinting at the dark in hopes he’d see something out there. Deer, or maybe a stray coyote. But there was nothing, despite the way the other man stared as if expecting to see something emerge from the horizon.
Eventually, Grant shook his head. “Weird things out there in the dark. I don’t envy you, bein’ out here.”
“Couple men in a truck at night. Ain’t that weird.” Still, Kade studied the vast, empty field around them, noting the lay of the land and how the cattle were arranged.
“Not talkin’ about the rustlers.”
Kade heaved a sigh. “You, too?”