Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy

by Diana Palmer

  Not that it worried him. He’d lived in Morgan Valley his whole life, and knew the roads like the back of his hand. It took him less than fifteen minutes to locate the broken-down vehicle. He carefully backed up on the side of the road behind it and set his hazard lights flashing.

  As he approached, the driver’s door flew open, and a woman scrambled out and rushed toward him.

  “Oh, thank goodness! Nate said someone would be along, but I was beginning to wonder whether he’d forgotten about me, and worrying about ax murderers, and—” She paused for breath, and a huge smile broke out on her face. “Oh, it’s you! Ted Baker! How cool is that!”

  She pointed at her chest. “Veronica Hernandez. We went to school together, remember?”

  Still reeling from the force and brilliance of her smile, Ted nodded like a dumbass. “Yeah, I mean, hey, what’s up?”

  She pointed at her car. “It’s embarrassing, but I ran out of gas. I thought I had enough to get me to Uncle Victor’s, but I obviously miscalculated, and now I’m stuck.” She gazed hopefully up at him. “Can you give me a ride into town so I can call him to come get me?”

  Ted cleared his throat. “Yeah, of course, but—”

  She interrupted him. “Shall I get my stuff and put it in your truck?”

  “Sure, but I’ll need to hitch up the car and take it with us, okay?” He surveyed the narrow, unlit road. “It’s not safe to leave it out here in this weather, and on this bend. It won’t take long. Do you have the keys?”

  She handed them over and followed him back to the car. “Are you sure it will be quick?”

  “I can’t see why not.” Ted opened the trunk, took out her bags, and walked them over to his tow truck. “There’s no damage so it should load up easily.”

  Ted returned to the car and paused by the open door, peering into the murky interior, which smelled odd. A weird snuffling noise made him back up a step.

  Veronica eased past him. “Oh, my little darling, are you okay? I’m coming right now.”

  Ted retreated farther as she emerged with a bundle of blankets and held them tenderly to her chest. It was stupid the way his heart immediately plummeted to his boots. Of course she was married and had a family. She’d always been way out of his league, and he was an idiot to think otherwise.

  But if that was her kid, it had one hell of a breathing problem....

  She tenderly drew the blanket away and stepped close to him.

  “This is Bacon, my pet pig. Isn’t he the sweetest thing ever?”

  * * *

  Veronica waited as Ted stared down at Bacon; his mouth was working, but no sounds came out. From what she could see in the flickering lights, he hadn’t changed much since school. His brown hair and eyes were as cute as ever, he definitely needed a shave, and he’d filled out his gangly frame quite nicely.

  “I thought”—he paused and looked directly at her—“that was your kid.”

  “Gosh, no!” She gave a snort of laughter, which sounded remarkably like one of Bacon’s. “He is pretty special to me, though.”

  “So I can see.” He stepped back. “Why don’t you and . . . Bacon take a seat in my truck while I get this car loaded up? There’s a flask of coffee in there if you need it.”

  True to his word, it didn’t take long for them to be heading toward Morgantown. As they drove down the deserted main street, Veronica gazed eagerly at the town she’d called home for the first eighteen years of her life.

  “It looks good.” She half turned to Ted who hadn’t said much since they’d gotten under way. “I was worried it might have gone downhill like a lot of small towns.”

  “Is this the first time you’ve been back?” Ted asked as he drove the tow truck into a vast garage, which easily swallowed her car as well. He closed the doors, leaving them in relative silence.

  Her smile dimmed. “Yeah, not that I haven’t wanted to come back, but things got . . . complicated.”

  “I know how that goes.” He grimaced. “I didn’t think I’d still be here when I was pushing thirty. I thought I’d be living in a big city doing something with the motor sport industry.”

  Impulsively, she reached over and patted his denim-clad knee. “You could still do it. You’re not that old.”

  “Thanks.” His smile was wry as he turned off the engine and opened his door. “I feel about ninety some days.”

  He came around to her door and offered her his hand. “Don’t want to wake the pig.”

  She let him help her down, her hand firmly grasping the front of his open jacket, her face momentarily buried against his chest. He smelled like motor oil, leather, and coffee, which was surprisingly comforting.

  “Thanks for this.” She followed him to the far corner where there was a door. “How much do I owe you?”

  He unlocked the door and went up a flight of stairs into a large open-plan apartment that faced right down onto Main Street. The town was festooned with Christmas lights and looked like something out of a history book, with its raised walkways and false-fronted buildings. Ted took off his baseball cap and heavy jacket, and stepped out of his boots before turning back to her.

  “No charge.” His swift smile was disarmingly sweet. “Consider it a welcome-home gift.”

  “That’s really nice of you.” Veronica answered his smile with one of her own. But Ted was nice, he always had been, and it seemed nothing had changed. “Now where can I put the pig?”

  He gestured at one of the doors. “How about my dad’s bathroom? It’s got a tiled floor.”

  Veronica bit her lip. “Won’t he mind?”

  “He’s not here. He’s gone on a Christmas cruise to the Hawaiian Islands.” Ted went down the hallway and opened the door. “If he sends me one more picture of him drinking mai tais and basking in the sun I’ll send him one of the pig.”

  Veronica studied the pristine tiled space. “I think this would do nicely.” She gently placed Bacon on the floor still wrapped in his blankie, but he didn’t stir. “I’ve got his food and the rest of his stuff in my luggage.”

  “I’ll go and get that for you.”

  Ted was already halfway out the door before she could offer to get it herself. Considering how badly she’d disrupted his evening, he was being very kind.

  After using the facilities and making sure the bathroom door was firmly closed, she wandered back down the hallway to the kitchen and family room. Although the space looked relatively new, there was very little furniture in it. If Ted and his father were the only people living there, maybe they didn’t care about décor.

  There was a small kitchen table with two chairs, a black leather couch, a huge TV, and an ancient recliner that desperately needed recovering. There were blinds, but no drapes, cushions, or photographs.

  Ted came back with her bags and stacked them behind the couch.

  “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.” Veronica turned a slow circle. “Did you guys just move in?”

  “We’ve been here about two years. Why?” He went into the kitchen and started making coffee.

  “No reason,” she said, trying not to make eye contact.

  He grinned at her. “It’s okay. My sister, Beth, thinks we look like squatters, too.” He held up the coffeepot. “Would you like some?”

  “Yes, please.” She leaned against the countertop that separated the two spaces and watched him move efficiently around the kitchen. “It’s been a very long day.”

  “Where did you drive from?” Ted asked as he scooped coffee into the filter paper.

  “L.A.”

  “Today?”

  “It’s taken me a lot longer than that.” She tried to relax her shoulders. “You wouldn’t believe how many hotels wouldn’t let me bring Bacon in with me.”

  “I think I would.”

  “And I was trying to avoid the freeways because who knew that pigs get carsick?”

  “Not me.” Ted opened the fridge. “Do you take cream in your coffee?”

  “Yes, please.�
� She turned back to her bags. “I’ll just get Bacon settled in, and I’ll be right back.”

  * * *

  Ted fussed around with the coffee and wondered whether he should offer Veronica something to eat. Not that he had much to tempt her with, but Beth had left some meals in the freezer, and he was perfectly capable of reading a set of cooking instructions. Luckily, Beth was an excellent cook and even her frozen food turned out great.

  Having Veronica in his apartment made Ted painfully aware of how he and his dad were still living out of boxes like two people who weren’t sure they were really home. When he’d rebuilt the mechanics shop and gas station, he hadn’t intended to live in one of the apartments. One was for renting out, and the other was for his dad. But after everything that had happened with his father’s health, he couldn’t leave the old guy to fend for himself, so he’d moved in with him—just for a while.

  Two years later, he was still here, and his dad had gone off on a cruise to Hawaii....

  “He’s still sleeping.” Veronica came back into the kitchen. “I left out some food and water just in case he wakes up.”

  She wore a thick, knitted blue sweater over jeans and her long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her earrings were large gold hoops that swung as she talked and her lipstick was bright red. There was more color in her than in his entire apartment or life—and far more warmth.

  She glanced over at the phone on the kitchen wall. “Is it okay if I call Victor? My cell phone battery died somewhere around Bridgeport.”

  Ted paused as he set out two mugs. “Is he expecting you?”

  “No, but I don’t think he’ll mind. Do you?”

  He caught the hint of uncertainty in her voice and looked up. “Seeing as he’s always talking about you, I doubt it, but . . . he’s not there right now.”

  “He’s out for the whole day?”

  “Nope, he’s gone for the next two weeks.”

  She went still. “But he’s always there.”

  “Not this Christmas. He’s gone on a cruise to the Hawaiian Islands with my dad.”

  She gulped. “What?”

  “That’s exactly what I said.” Ted poured out the coffee and slid a mug across to her. “Apparently, they both had the same crazy idea and decided to go for it together.”

  He’d tried to be pleased that his dad felt well enough to travel, but he was worried about him. Victor had reassured him that he’d keep an eye on his old friend, and yet it still hadn’t felt right.

  “Is there anyone out there at the ranch?” Veronica asked, breaking into his thoughts.

  “No one’s living there while Vic’s away, if that’s what you mean.” Ted hesitated. “If you’re contemplating heading out that way, I don’t think your rental would make it through the snowdrifts. I wouldn’t recommend you trying to go out there without four-wheel drive.” Ted took a sip of his coffee. “I know your uncle asked the Garcia family to deal with any produce or stock issues. It’s the end of his growing season, so he doesn’t have a lot left in the ground.”

  Vic ran a small organic farm that provided produce and free-range eggs to many of the local towns, businesses, and farmers’ markets. He also kept a few horses, which meant that Ted and his father got to keep up their riding skills so they could cowboy up and help out on the ranches during branding and herding operations.

  Veronica stared down at her coffee as if it held the key to the universe.

  “Is the Hayes Hotel still open?”

  “Yeah, but it’s full to bursting right now seeing as Ry Morgan is getting married to Avery Hayes this weekend, and the wedding is being held there.”

  “Oh.” She frowned. “Is there another hotel nearby?”

  “You’d have to go back to Bridgeport, and I’m not sure they’d take a pig,” Ted said tactfully.

  She swallowed hard and worried at her lip.

  “You okay?” Ted asked. He sure was out of practice dealing with other people’s feelings.

  “Not really.” Veronica slowly raised her head, and to his horror there were tears in her eyes. “I was kind of hoping . . . I mean I was depending on Victor being there so I could stay with him.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Ted stared at her in fascination as another perfect tear followed the first, and then another.

  “You could stay here with me,” he blurted out.

  She gazed at him for a long moment. “What?”

  “Until Victor gets back,” Ted hastened to explain. “It will only be a couple of weeks, and then you can talk to him and sort things out.”

  “But I’d be taking advantage of you.”

  “How?” Ted shrugged. “I’m here all by myself. We could keep each other company over the holidays while our relatives float around the Pacific without a care in the world.”

  “What about Bacon?”

  “What about him?” Ted raised an eyebrow. “As long as he doesn’t get out and crap all over my apartment I’m good with him being here, too.”

  Veronica grabbed his hand and held it fast. “You are so kind, I can’t—”

  He returned the pressure of her grip. “Yeah, you can. In fact, you’d be doing me a favor.”

  “Won’t your girlfriend mind me being here with you?”

  “I don’t have a girlfriend.” Ted held her gaze. “And even if I did, how could she object to me helping out an old friend? You can sleep in Dad’s room and use his bathroom so you won’t even have to see much of me if you don’t want to.”

  “Thank you.” She brought his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. Stay here, and let’s make this a Christmas to remember.”

  Chapter Two

  After she’d unpacked, checked on Bacon, and taken a quick shower, Veronica went back into the family room and found Ted with his head in the refrigerator. He was muttering something, so she waited politely until he straightened up and slammed the door.

  Even though she felt a little guilty, it was no hardship looking at his rather fine Wrangler-covered ass as he bent forward, or the dip of his spine where his T-shirt had ridden up. He was a big, strong, solid guy, and she was so grateful she’d found him again. His offer to give her a roof over her head until her uncle returned was a lifesaver. No one would think to look for her here, or ever make a connection between her and Ted.

  After her panicked exit from L.A., she needed time to think, and make a new plan. What better place to do that than here in her sleepy hometown, which would soon be cut off from civilization by snowstorms, mile-high drifts, and closed mountain passes? As a kid, she’d hated that isolation, but now it might be crucial to her and Bacon’s survival.

  “I don’t have a lot of food in.” Ted grimaced. “I wasn’t expecting company.” He rubbed at an orange spot on his T-shirt that looked suspiciously like powdered cheese. “We could order pizza in, or I can check out the meals Beth left in the freezer?”

  “There’s pizza in Morgantown?” Veronica advanced toward him. “Since when?”

  “About a year ago.” He touched her shoulder, pivoting her toward the windows where she could just see a neon sign opposite. “It’s real close.”

  “Perfect.” She checked her pocket for her credit card. “And it’s on me, okay?”

  “Sure. Do you want to order off the menu? I’ll call it in, and then I can walk over and pick it up.” He handed her a well-folded piece of paper splattered with tomato. “I usually get the deep crust, the works one, but I have a feeling you might not eat pork.”

  Veronica shuddered. “I just can’t do it anymore,” she confessed. “When I look at his sweet little face . . .” She perused the menu and handed it back to Ted. “I’d like a small pineapple and cheese thin-crust pizza and a side salad.”

  “Pineapple on pizza?” His revolted expression made her want to smile. “Gross.”

  “All the more for me, then.”

  He phoned in the order and looked over at
her. “Fifteen minutes.”

  “Great. Plenty of time to set the table.”

  Even as she spoke, he was dumping paper plates and napkins onto the countertop. He obviously wasn’t a great one for formal dining.

  “Beer?” he asked.

  She finished her coffee, considered how her day had gone, and nodded. “Thanks.”

  He clinked his bottle against hers and took a long swallow. “Can I ask you something?”

  Veronica immediately tensed. “Sure.”

  “Why did you name your pig Bacon?”

  “I didn’t.”

  He studied her carefully. “Okay.”

  “My ex called him Bacon, as a joke, and it kind of stuck.” Her mouth twisted.

  “You don’t look like you found that joke particularly funny.” Ted was watching her face.

  “I didn’t, but that’s one of the many reasons why that man is now my ex-husband.”

  “You’re divorced?”

  “Two years ago.” She managed a smile. “Best two years of my life since I left home at eighteen—hardest two years of my life, as well, but I don’t regret anything.”

  “My sister, Beth, says the same thing. She came home a few years ago. I don’t think she regrets it.” He fiddled around with the napkins.

  “Beth and I were always the smart ones.” Veronica said.

  His slow smile made everything inside her go still for a moment before she continued talking.

  “I got married too young, and left college to be with Jason. Within a couple of years, I knew I’d made a mistake, but I was too proud to admit it, and too stubborn to come home and ask for help from my family.”

  “That’s why you didn’t come back?” Ted asked.

  “Yes, because if I had, they would’ve known something was wrong, and tried to help me. At the time, I didn’t think I had any choice but to hang in there, put my head down, and make things work.”

  “You really should talk to Beth,” Ted said as he went to wash his hands. “Her ex beat the shit out of her. She didn’t tell us because she was afraid one of us would go after the bastard, kill him, and end up in jail.”