Christmas Texas Bride (The Brides 0f Bliss Tx. Book 4)

by Katie Lane

  She looked less bug-eyed. Which he took as a good sign so he continued. “That’s what I intend to do with Danny Ray. I intend to take him under my wing and teach him everything I wish someone would’ve taught me. Now I realize I made an error in judgment by bringing him into town without prior warning. I guess I thought it might be like one of those romantic comedies where the hero and heroine see each other again and realize they never should’ve broken up. I didn’t think about Carrie Anne being out of school. Or that Danny Ray still doesn’t have control of his unruly tongue.” He shook his head. “He needs a little more help than I first thought. But he’ll get there. As God is my witness, I’m going to make him the perfect husband and father for you and Carrie Anne.”

  After his speech, he figured Christie would want to apologize. But she didn’t look sorry. She still looked intense and mad. “So that’s your plan? To turn Danny Ray into the perfect husband and father? And he agreed to this?”

  “Not exactly. He thinks he’s here to saddle break Raise-a-Ruckus.”

  Her eyebrows lifted “But instead you’re going to saddle break him.”

  Cord hadn’t really thought about it like that, but now that he did, he couldn’t argue the point. He grinned. “I guess you could say that.”

  She slapped him again. This time even harder. “The first one was for me. That one is for Danny Ray. Because no matter how arrogant and irresponsible that man is, he does not deserve to be a pawn in your little game.” She pointed a finger in his face. “And neither do I. And neither does my sweet daughter who is now talking incessantly about her daddy coming back to be a good daddy like Cord Evans. And do you know just what will happen to that sweet thing if your plan doesn’t work? She will be heartbroken, that’s what. And it will be all your fault.”

  She poked herself in the chest. “And I’m just as much to blame because I was stupid enough to let another lowdown rodeo cowboy into our lives. I was stupid enough to trust you with my daughter.”

  That hurt worse than her slaps. “Now hold up there. I think you’ve got things all wrong. You can trust me. I care about Carrie Anne. That’s why I went to Wyoming and brought back Danny Ray.”

  She crossed her arms. “Bullshit.”

  He blinked. “Excuse me?”

  “Bullshit. You ran off to Wyoming because you got scared after our kiss, and you wanted to make sure that your desire for a woman wouldn’t get in the way of you getting back your precious son.”

  Cord’s mouth dropped open, and he squinted at her. “That’s just plain crazy. Me going to Wyoming had nothing to do with that kiss. It was just a kiss.” That was a lie. It hadn’t been just a kiss. But damned if he was going to let Christie know that. Of course, as it turned out, she already did.

  “Really?” She stepped closer, her hazel eyes snapping with green fire. “If I kissed you right now, you’d lose it just like you almost lost it the other night. And Cord Evans can’t lose hold of the tight reins he keeps on himself. If he doesn’t have control, he might do something crazy.” She circled her finger next to her head in the age-old sign for crazy.

  His temper snapped. “Talk about bullshit. That’s a truckload of it. It’s you who’s worried about losing control. You who wanted to quit working for me because you were scared of what might happen if I ever decided to kiss you again.”

  Her eyes snapped and her fists clenched. “You are just as arrogant as Danny Ray. But the proof of who is most scared is in the puddin’.” Before he could utter a word, she grabbed the front of his shirt, jerked him closer, and laid a kiss on his mouth.

  Which proved she wasn’t scared of kissing . . . but he sure as hell was.

  Because as soon as her lips touched his, he knew she was right. He hadn’t just brought Danny Ray back for Christie and Carrie Anne. He’d brought him back to keep this from happening again. To keep him from losing control like he was doing right now. Her soft lips broke down all the walls he’d constructed and released the carnal animal he’d hoped to keep caged.

  His hands spanned her waist and he jerked her up to her toes as he devoured her mouth. She accepted his onslaught in a tangle of tongue and hot wet heat that almost brought him to his knees. He pulled her closer, and when that wasn’t close enough, he turned and backed her up against the stall, using his hips to pin her. His hand slid under her shirt, and he filled his palm with the satin-covered softness of her breast. She moaned with need, and the sound of her desire speared straight through him. He wanted to fill that need more then he had ever wanted to do anything in his life. He wanted to fall down on his knees and worship her body with his mouth and tongue until she sighed his name over and over again.

  He reached for the button of her fly, but froze when he heard the sound of a clearing throat. And still, his body refused to release the woman in his arms. Unfortunately, Christie had no problem pulling away. Or trying to. He still had her pinned against the stall.

  “Let me go, Cord,” she said in a husky voice. “Please.”

  It was the “please” that finally penetrated his lust-fogged brain. He released her and stepped back. There was nothing to say. She’d proved her point pretty damned well. The only compensation for his ego was that she looked as shaken as he felt.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but I’m here about a horse.”

  The words had him turning to see Jasper Wheeler standing just inside the opened doorway of the barn. The scruffy old cowboy was a welcome sight. Not only because he’d stopped Cord from making a huge mistake, but also because Cord needed a friend in a bad way.

  He sent one apologetic look to Christie before he walked over and gave Jasper a quick hug and slap on the back. “Hey, Jasp. What are you doing here, you ornery cuss?”

  “You sounded a little lonely on the phone so I thought I’d come and spend the holidays with you.” He glanced at Christie who was blushing profusely. “But it looks like I was wrong.”

  Cord cleared his throat. “This is Christie Buchanan. She’s my . . . office assistant. Christie, this here is Jasper Wheeler, one helluva bull rider and my good friend.”

  Christie walked over and held out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Wheeler. My mother was a big fan of yours. She met you once at the local diner in town and said you were one of the nicest celebrities she’d ever met. You signed a menu for her.”

  Jasper smiled, showing the wad of chewing tobacco tucked in his lower lip. “I think I remember your mama. I never forget a beautiful woman.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “But that wasn’t here in Texas, was it?”

  “Wyoming. I just moved here recently.”

  He winked. “Did your mama happen to move with you?”

  A sadness entered Christie’s eyes, one Cord had seen before when she’d spoken of her mother. “She passed away last winter. Complications with knee-replacement surgery.”

  Cord knew Christie’s mother had passed, but he hadn’t known it was from something as unexpected as knee surgery. No wonder it had blindsided Christie. No wonder she had gone in search of her father. She had been grieving the sudden loss of her mother. She was probably still grieving the loss. And the last thing she needed to worry about was her ex showing up. Which explained why she’d been so pissed.

  She had every right to be mad. He shouldn’t have run off to Wyoming like some hotshot matchmaker. Hell, he hadn’t even been able to keep his own wife. What made him think that he could get Danny Ray and Christie back together? He’d just been so desperate to find a shield to put between him and Christie. And damned if he didn’t still need one. The kiss had proven that she was his kryptonite. If he wanted to keep control of his life, he needed protection from her and the emotions she evoked. He would make Danny Ray see the errors of his ways. He had to. He couldn’t survive another kiss from Christie.

  “Good mornin’.” As if on cue, Danny Ray waltzed into the barn in his wrinkled star-spangled boxers. Cord was instantly annoyed. Not only because he had a younger body with no limp, but also because he was parading it aro
und in front of Christie. He had to remind himself that Christie getting interested in Danny’s body was exactly what he wanted. But it sure as hell didn’t feel like what he wanted. He felt jealous as hell when Christie gaze landed on her ex.

  “Good Lord, Danny Ray,” she said. “Would you get some clothes on?”

  Danny Ray smiled smugly and ran a hand over his chest. “Don’t act like you don’t like it, honey. You always loved watching me walk around half-nekked. And if I had known you were gonna come and see me, I would’ve stayed in bed and let you join me.”

  “I’m not joining you in bed, Danny Ray.” She shot an annoyed look at Cord. “No matter how much it ruins someone’s plans. Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I need to do some social media before I head in to the bakery. In fact, would you mind posing with Cord for a picture, Jasper?”

  Before Jasper could answer, Danny Ray started fan-girling. “Jesus H. Christ! You’re Jasper Wheeler? I didn’t recognize you. You look a lot older than I thought you were. But hey, Cord’s old too so you ain’t alone.” He slung an arm around Jasper and then pulled Cord closer. “Okay, Christie, go ahead and snap some pictures, but make sure you get my good side.”

  Christie rolled her eyes before she held up her phone and took some pictures. When she was finished, she looked at Jasper. “It was nice meeting you.”

  Jasper nodded. “Same here, ma’am. Seeing as your Cord’s . . . assistant, I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m giving my notice today.” She glanced at Cord, and the look she gave him was so mean he braced for another slap. Instead, she slapped him with her words. “Cord will have to find another assistant to put up with his meddling.” She held out a hand. “I’m assuming that you haven’t paid Danny Ray yet for saddle breaking your horse. I’ll take some of that money now.”

  “Now wait just a doggone minute, Christie Buchanan,” Danny Ray said. “You can’t take my money.”

  Christie turned on him. “Shut up, Danny Ray. You haven’t paid one dime in child support.” She turned back to Cord, and he quickly got his wallet out. He would’ve given every last dollar he had, but she stopped him after a hundred. “That’s enough for now.” She folded the money and stuffed it in the front pocket of her jeans before she walked out of the barn with her braid swinging.

  When she was gone, Danny Ray whistled through his teeth. “That is one mean-assed woman. And when she was pregnant, she was like a rabid wolverine. Which is why I ran off in the dead of night.” He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers and grinned at Jasper and Cord. “So what do you two old cowboys want to do today?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You’re not coming to Austin with me?” Christie glanced down at her cellphone, which was sitting in the cup holder of her car.

  “I’m sorry, Christie,” Summer’s voice came through the speaker. “But Autumn and Maverick got in late last night and Granny Bon gets in today. I just don’t want to miss our family reunion.”

  Christie understood Summer wanting to be with her family, but she still couldn’t help feeling disappointed. She had been looking forward to going to Austin with Summer. After they dropped off the gingerbread house at the hotel, they had planned to go Christmas shopping and have lunch. It would’ve been like a real sister day. And she had never had a real sister day.

  She tried to keep the disappointment from her voice. “That’s okay. I understand that you want to see your family. I can get the gingerbread house to Austin by myself.”

  “Don’t be silly. You can’t get that huge boot there without help. You can’t lift it alone and it certainly won’t fit in your car. But I have everything under control. You just worry about getting Carrie Anne to school, and I’ll worry about getting the gingerbread boot loaded up and ready to go.”

  “I don’t want to go to school!” Carrie Anne whined from the back seat as soon as Christie hung up. “I want to go to Cord’s ranch and see Cord, Mr. Jasper, and my deadbeat daddy.”

  Christie glanced in the rearview mirror and sent her daughter an exasperated look. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling Danny Ray your deadbeat daddy?”

  “That’s what you called him when you and Mimi talked about him.” Since it was what she and her mother had called Danny Ray, she couldn’t exactly argue the point. Thankfully, Carrie Anne continued before Christie had to come up with a reply. “But Cord says we need to be real careful not to call him that to his face ’cause it hurts daddies’ feelings. He also says that I need to give Danny Ray a chance to grow up and be a good daddy. But Danny Ray looks pretty growed up to me.”

  Just the mention of Cord’s name made Christie’s palm itch. And if he were there, she had little doubt that she’d slap him again. The gall of the man thinking that he could fix her life. Her life might not be perfect, but it was her life and she didn’t need a stupid rodeo cowboy sticking his nose into it.

  Or his lips.

  His hot, unbelievably talented lips.

  Of course, he hadn’t kissed her. She had kissed him in an attempt to prove that he no longer had any effect on her. But all it had proven was that her mind and body were completely disconnected. One hated the man and the other craved him.

  “Cord Evans has no business talking to you about your daddy,” she said. “And he had no business picking you up yesterday after school. Ms. Marble should’ve called me if she didn’t feel well and couldn’t tutor you, instead of calling Cord.”

  Christie had been furious when she’d found out Carrie Anne was at Cord’s ranch. She did not want her daughter around an arrogant jackass or a deadbeat daddy. It was too bad that the arrogant jackass had already won over her daughter’s heart.

  “But I like to be with Cord. He’s nice. He put me up on his shoulders to show me the bird nest in a tree. It didn’t have no eggs in it ’cause it’s winter, but Cord said this spring it will and he’ll teach me how to climb up in the tree so I can look at them. And you know who else is nice? Mr. Jasper. He loves horses and can talk to them just like Cord. Maple told him how much she’s looking forward to me learning how to ride her. Mr. Jasper also knows how to whit-tel sticks with his pocketknife. And he said he would teach me how to whit-tel too.”

  “You are not using a pocketknife, Baby Girl. And you’re not going to Cord Evan’s ranch again. Yesterday was my last day to work for him.”

  “No!” Carrie Anne yelled so loudly Christie jumped. “I am to going to Cord’s house again! He invited me to help decorate his gi-normous Christmas tree and he’s even gonna let me put the star on the top.”

  “We’re getting a tree this weekend and you can put the star on top of ours.”

  Carrie Anne kicked the back of her seat so hard that Christie bounced forward. “I don’t want to decorate a stupid little tree. I want to decorate Cord’s gi-normous one.”

  “Carrie Anne Buchanan, you stop kicking my seat and throwing a tantrum this instant or you won’t be getting a tree or that bike you want for Christmas. Santa does not give gifts to naughty little girls.”

  “I don’t care if Santa brings me a bike ’cause Cord Evans is getting me boots and a safety helmet!”

  Now Christie didn’t just want to slap Cord. She wanted to punch his lights out.

  When they got to the elementary school, Carrie Anne was so angry that she didn’t even wave when she got out of the car. She just sent Christie a mean glare and stomped into the school with her ponytail swinging. And as far as Christie was concerned it was all Cord Evans fault. She was still fuming when she pulled up in front of the bakery, but her anger dissolved when she unlocked the front door and stepped inside.

  Autumn Hadley, or Autumn Murdoch now, was stocking the front display case with baked goods. She was the shyest of the triplets. And yet, Christie felt the closest to her. Autumn had a calm, loving nature that reminded Christie of her mother. As soon as she saw Christie, she closed the display case and hurried over to hug her. She drew back with a soft smile.
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  “It’s so good to be home. I missed you.”

  “I missed you too. You look great. That Miami sunshine must’ve agreed with you.” Christie winked. “Or is that just newlywed glow?”

  Autumn laughed. “I do feel like I’m glowing.” She glanced back at the kitchen before she spoke in a low voice. “But it could be more baby glow than newlywed.”

  “Oh my gosh. You’re pregnant?”

  Autumn held a finger to her lips. “Shh. Maverick and I are waiting to tell the family until everyone is together.”

  It meant so much to Christie that Autumn had confided in her first she gave her another hug. “Congratulations. Your sisters are going to be thrilled. Especially Summer. She needs someone to commiserate with about being pregnant. Spring hasn’t had one pregnancy complaint.”

  “That’s Spring for you. She doesn’t complain about anything . . . except maybe Summer.” Autumn studied her. “How are you doing? I heard about your ex showing up. Does he want to get back together?”

  “Danny Ray doesn’t want to get back with me and I certainly don’t want to get back with him.”

  Autumn looked relieved. “That’s good. He seems a little immature to me.”

  “You met Danny Ray?”

  “I met him this morning. He’s in the back alleyway helping Cord and Summer load the gingerbread house into Cord’s truck.”

  All the air in Christie’s lungs whooshed out. “Cord’s truck? Why is my gingerbread house being loaded into Cord’s truck?” Before Autumn could answer, Summer walked in from the kitchen.

  “There you are, Christie. You need to hurry if you want to get to the hotel before the noon deadline. Austin traffic is brutal.”

  Christie shook her head. “I’m not going to Austin with Cord Evans.”

  Summer looked baffled. “Why not?”

  It wasn’t easy to find an answer without explaining what happened between her and Cord. “I just would rather go alone.”

  “Don’t be silly. It’s already loaded and ready to go.”