Ten Rules for Marrying a Cowboy

by Linda Goodnight

  “But I should tell you—“

  “Not today. Today’s for celebrating. This Christmas Sunday is the best day of your life. I’m proud of you.”

  She made a small noise, a hiccup that caught and released as she settled against him with a sigh. Holt’s shirt rustled to the movement.

  He stroked a hand over her hair and down her back the way he did when comforting Jacey. Except, holding his daughter felt nothing like this. AnnaLeigh felt…wife-ish.

  He set her a little away from him and gulped down way more than a guilty conscience for almost yelling at her.

  Being this close to his convenient wife was giving him funny ideas. Real funny ideas.

  11

  The days rushed by in work and Christmas preparations, which carried wonderful new meaning for AnnaLeigh. She played K-LOVE radio’s Christmas channel, dancing with joy in the kitchen until the day Holt caught her and whirled her around in a two-step. Moving heart-to-heart with the cowboy had made her feel like a real wife, as if he cared for her. It also set her conscience afire.

  He’d forgiven the one lie and expressed delight at her newfound faith. If he knew the other giant deception, would he react as well? She’d tried to tell him on Christmas Sunday, but he’d brushed her off, and now she’d lost her courage again.

  She wanted to tell him. He deserved the truth. But the right moment never seemed to come.

  Every day her affection for her new daughter and husband grew. Most days she pretended she and Holt were a normal couple, in love, raising their child, and that the baby inside her belonged to Holt. For the first time in her life, she had a family that belonged to her, that needed her, and yes, that cared for her.

  If she was falling a little in love with her husband, she couldn’t help it. Nor could she let him know her feelings. They were against the rules. Holt didn’t want love, and she had the contract to prove it.

  Her love she could keep secret.

  But a baby was a secret she couldn’t keep forever.

  After Christmas she’d find the courage. Somehow. Someway.

  Christmas morning arrived far too early in the morning for AnnaLeigh when Jacey tiptoed into her bedroom and whispered, “Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas,” AnnaLeigh murmured groggily.

  She lifted the blanket and snuggled the pajama-clad child in her bed, hoping Jacey would go back to sleep. She didn’t.

  “Let’s wake Daddy,” Jacey whispered, rubbing AnnaLeigh’s cheek with a small, warm hand.

  “Isn’t it awfully early?” Her voice sounded like gravel.

  “Daddy gets up early every day.”

  True. The man rose long before dawn and often worked late into the night. Yet, he always had time for her and Jacey. No one could call Holt McNeil a shiftless cowboy.

  “What time is it?” She levered up on one elbow and tried to squint at the bedside clock. Groaning, she flopped down again. Five in the morning?

  “Time to get up!” Jacey said with a giggle. “I can’t wait any longer.” A warm kiss grazed AnnaLeigh’s cheek. “Thank you for being my best present ever. I love you, Mommy.”

  Melt my heart. AnnaLeigh put her arms around the little cowgirl and hugged. “I love you too.”

  “Okay, then. Let’s go open presents. Daddy got you a good one. You’ll love it. I promise.”

  How could she argue with that? AnnaLeigh tossed the cover back and shoved her feet into fuzzy house slippers. “Let me get dressed, okay?”

  “Okay. I’ll go make sure Daddy’s up.”

  By the time, AnnaLeigh was presentable and, aware that her stomach was barely queasy this morning, she said a prayer of thanks and trudged into the living room.

  “Merry Christmas.” Holt came out of the kitchen bearing a cup of coffee and another of peppermint tea, her choice of morning drinks since the pregnancy. “Here you go.”

  In a gray flannel button-down opened over a white T-shirt, Holt was in his sock feet and hadn’t yet shaved. Cozy. Intimate. Like a real husband and wife.

  AnnaLeigh’s pulse jitter-bugged. Her pretend husband was killer handsome, and the thoughtful cup of tea really messed with her heart.

  The fantasy fairies kept giving her fits.

  Silently reminding herself of their deal, she flashed the cowboy a grateful smile and took the cup. Someone had already turned on the tree lights, and Jacey sat beneath the fragrant, if endearingly crooked, evergreen branches sorting gifts into neat piles. Her hair stuck out in a hundred directions.

  “I love the fire.” Flames snapped and crackled on the wooden logs, the first time she’d seen the fireplace lit.

  “Nice, huh? First I’ve built this winter.” His forehead wrinkled. “Didn’t build one last winter that I remember. Too busy.”

  Which made the fire all the more special to AnnaLeigh.

  She glanced at the decorated mantel. Late last night, after the house grew silent, she’d tiptoed into the living room and filled the stockings until they bulged. She’d never done that before—never had anyone to do it for her—and she’d had such fun choosing small gifts and treats for her family. So what if they weren’t her real family? Stand-ins were the only kind she’d ever had. At least this one was permanent. Or so she hoped.

  As much as she longed for more, today was Christmas, and she’d be thankful for the family and faith she had. She settled onto the couch, feet tucked beneath her, mug warming her hands. Holt perched on the saddle-turned-ottoman to watch his daughter tear through at least a dozen presents.

  To AnnaLeigh’s delight, Holt had asked for her help in shopping for Jacey, both online and in town. She’d loved choosing the gifts with him, loved their time together, loved the little touches and smiles and hugs he gave more freely every day.

  Fantasy fairies indeed. Holt didn’t know the riot he caused each time he tossed a casual arm over her shoulders or hugged her to his side.

  Taking a sip of her tea, AnnaLeigh turned her focus to her new daughter.

  An easy child to please, Jacey squealed with delight at the smallest presents. Cheap play beads and a plastic tiara from the dollar store might as well have contained the Hope diamond. While the child pranced and modeled, giggling with joy, AnnaLeigh snapped photos with her phone.

  Then it was the adults turn to open gifts. Jacey munched on stocking goodies and sprawled beneath the tree to watch, new pink boots on her feet and the tiara perched atop her uncombed hair.

  AnnaLeigh gave Holt a vest he’d admired at Cowboy Christmas. He put it on, looking cute with his shirt open and in bare feet, but his pleased reaction made her happy.

  There were other little gifts, cologne for each of them, a warm cardigan for her, a wallet for him.

  “One more.” Holt offered her a large, elegantly wrapped box.

  “Where did this come from? It wasn’t under the tree.”

  His shrug was boyishly appealing.

  “Daddy hid it for a surprise. He likes to do that.” Jacey came to her side. “Open it. Hurry. I can’t wait. You’re gonna love it”

  Both adults laughed. Jacey was as enthusiastic over their gifts as her own.

  “The wrapping’s too pretty to ruin,” she teased. “I think I’ll save this one for later.”

  “Mommy. Please!” The child clutched her chest, a drama queen in the making.

  Laughing, happy in a way she had never been at Christmas, AnnaLeigh popped off the giant white bow and set it aside. Tape snapping, shiny red paper crinkling while Jacey jiggled and bounced, she opened the gift and removed the lid.

  “Oh.” A tiny squeak sneaked out. “Holt.” She breathed, touched and thrilled. “Are these the ones I tried on in Vegas?”

  “You like them?” He set his cup aside to squat beside her chair, expression anxious.

  “I love them.” He’d bought her boots. Expensive brown-and-turquoise Ariats. He’d remembered this particular pair and gone back for them. “I’ve never had a pair of cowgirl boots before.”

  Emotion pushed at
the back of her throat. His unexpected sweetness was killing her, absolutely killing her.

  Holt tried to downplay the extravagance. “As soon as the weather warms up, we’ll be riding a lot, and you’ll need sturdy footwear. Go ahead. Try them on. Make sure they fit.”

  Eagerly, she kicked off the fuzzy slippers and slid her feet into the sumptuous leather. “They’re incredibly soft. I never imagined leather boots feeling this good.”

  “We can exchange them if you’d rather have a different style.”

  “They’re perfect. I really wanted to buy them in Vegas but the expense was”—she gave the pricey boots a worried glance—“you shouldn’t have.”

  “It’s Christmas,” he said simply, and that was that.

  So she wore them to dinner at the Young’s home.

  Sporting a Christmas-red cardigan over a swishing black skirt, Caroline Young welcomed them into her warm, Christmas-scented home with a friendly hug and a bright smile. “The others are in the den. Go on in and relax. Dinner will be ready soon.”

  Holt and Jacey started across the room toward a hall, which AnnaLeigh supposed led to the den.

  “Anything I can do to help you?” AnnaLeigh asked.

  Caroline touched her shoulder, smiling. “I’d love having another woman in the kitchen. Let the men and the little ones have the football games and follow me.”

  Carrying the sweet potato casserole she’d brought along, AnnaLeigh followed her hostess into a bright, airy kitchen that smelled of turkey and sage. Her stomach responded with a growl instead of a revolt. Progress.

  “Your house is beautiful.” A white quartz island divided the kitchen from a large dining room. Swags of greenery draped floor-to-ceiling windows. A gleaming brass candelabra centered the dining table. Every available inch of the space was decorated for Christmas.

  “Thank you. We built this house when our kids, Evan and Emily, were small. After they grew up and moved away, the place felt too big and empty. We even considered selling out and moving away. But when our overworked Calypso County sheriff, Lawson Hawk, advertised for an experienced undersheriff to police this side of the county, Evan decided to move back and take the job. Ava stays with us while he works, so we’ve put aside the idea of moving. Plus, with those two around, I feel more motivated to decorate and keep things pretty.”

  “I understand that. I’ve enjoyed Christmas much more this year with Jacey and Holt.”

  Caroline patted her arm. “We’re happy for those two. Jacey needed a mama, and Holt was bitter about his ex-wife for a long time. I have to admit, though, your marriage came as a bit of a surprise. We didn’t even know Holt was dating anyone.”

  He hadn’t been, but she couldn’t admit that. Nervous, afraid she’d say something she shouldn’t, AnnaLeigh slid the still-warm side dish onto the countertop and kept quiet.

  Caroline lifted a pan lid and peeked beneath. A delicious smell rolled out with the steam. “I put out a stack of good China but haven’t had a chance to finish setting the table. Would you mind? The silverware is in here.” She tapped a drawer.

  Mind? AnnaLeigh was relieved to have something to do other than discuss her unconventional courtship, or whatever it had been. “Glad to help.”

  They worked companionably, the older woman carrying the conversation. By the time AnnaLeigh had chopped vegetables for a salad and filled glasses with ice, Caroline, with hands on her hips, said, “I wish Evan could find a wonderful girl like you and marry again.”

  A wonderful girl like her? Guilt, that nasty pest, pecked at her like a crow.

  If only Mrs. Young knew the truth.

  “I heard that Ava’s mother passed away. Am I rude for asking what happened?”

  “Shannon’s story is common knowledge.” Sadness shrouded the woman’s face. “She was such a sweet girl and so in love with my son. Rich and I were crazy about her. None of us suspected she had a weak heart until she suffered a massive coronary during labor.”

  During labor? AnnaLeigh’s hand went to her belly. “Oh, my goodness.”

  “We were all in the birthing room with her, a joyous, exciting time. Then, in an instant, the nightmare started. Doctors and nurses began flying around like mad people, injecting drugs, hooking Shannon to machines. Then they whisked her away from us.”

  “You must have been scared out of your minds.”

  “I think we knew in that moment that hope was slim, but we prayed and pleaded for her life and for the life of the baby.

  “Evan was distraught. Then, when Ava was delivered by C-Section, doctors suspected something was wrong with her heart, too. Worst of all, Evan and his in-laws had to make the terrible decision to let Shannon go.”

  “That must have been the worst time.”

  “Hideous. Our consolation was Shannon’s faith in Christ.” The woman dabbed at her eyes. “And Ava, of course. Having Ava has been our joy, even with all her health issues.”

  “I shouldn’t have brought up such a painful subject. Especially on Christmas. I’m sorry.”

  “You couldn’t have known.” Caroline huffed out a small sigh before straightening her shoulders. “Now, let’s go round up those men and girls and stuff ourselves silly with this turkey.”

  So they did. Afterward, everyone pitched in to clean the kitchen before adjourning to the den for conversation and silly games designed to please the two little girls. Holt settled beside AnnaLeigh and dropped a casual arm along the back of the couch, his fingers fiddling with her hair while they played Christmas charades. The touch was distracting to say the least, but lovely too.

  Later, they played a frustratingly hilarious game in which each person had one minute to remove as much duct tape as possible from a big ball stuffed with small prizes. In the background, a football game played, and occasionally the men watched long enough to groan or cheer.

  Ava and Jacey eventually tired of games and wandered off to Ava’s room to play with their new toys. Rich and Evan headed to the kitchen with Caroline for more dessert, leaving Holt and AnnaLeigh alone.

  Holt leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. “Enjoying yourself?”

  “Immensely.”

  “Great people, huh?”

  She nodded, wishing he’d move a little farther away but hoping at the same time he wouldn’t. His nearness, even though it was for show, confused her. Holt made her feel like a real newlywed, and she loved it.

  Ever since the Sunday she’d accepted Christ into her heart, Holt had gone out of his way to be tender and attentive. Today, his actions seemed almost loving.

  The longing in AnnaLeigh’s heart grew stronger with every touch, every glance, and every kind word from the cowboy. Holt didn’t want her to love him, had made her promise not to. She was trying…but failing.

  How did she explain their complicated agreement to her lonely heart?

  Late that night, Holt carried a sleeping Jacey into the house and to her bedroom. AnnaLeigh went ahead of him, flipping on lights, opening doors.

  He brushed past her in the doorway of Jacey’s room, caught the scent of the perfume he’d given her for Christmas, saw the sweet, gentle smile on her lips.

  He liked watching her. The graceful way she moved, the slender hands she used to express a point, the way she crinkled her nose in thought. All these things fascinated him.

  Considering they lived in the same house, he supposed noticing such things was natural, though he was surprised by how much he enjoyed this new preoccupation.

  Evan’s family had liked her, and Holt had felt proud to have her at his side today. He’d made a good decision marrying her. God had sent the exact woman he and Jacey needed, and he was grateful.

  Yeah. That must be the feeling he couldn’t shake. Gratitude. God had been good to him.

  AnnaLeigh turned down Jacey’s comforter and blanket and stood aside to allow Holt room to place his exhausted child on the bed. He unlaced his baby girl’s sneakers and tugged them gently from her feet. AnnaLeigh—his wife—took the purple
light-up shoes to the closet, a space amazingly neat since she’d come into their lives.

  Working in tandem but without conversation, they got Jacey into her pajamas and then stood side by side looking down at the innocent face. His heart swelled with a love he couldn’t begin to explain.

  “I love her so much,” he murmured softly.

  “She’s wonderful.” AnnaLeigh’s whisper tickled his spine. “I think she had a great Christmas, don’t you?”

  “Perfect.” Holt turned her way, feeling…something. He placed his hands on her upper arms. “Thanks to your extra touches.”

  Her lips curved. “And your extravagance.”

  “Plus, she got to spend the afternoon with her Ava.” His hands slid down to AnnaLeigh’s. He thought she shivered. Cold maybe. Holding to one hand, he led them out of the room, clicking off the purple unicorn light switch on the way.

  “I was uncomfortable with the Youngs at first, but I’m glad we went.” She didn’t seem to object to his hand on hers, so he kept it there.

  “Jacey and I have spent Christmas day with Evan’s family ever since moving back to Refuge. Even before Evan and Ava moved here, we’d go to the Young’s house for Christmas dinner. Rich and Caroline were friends of my parents, so Evan and I go way back to childhood, before he moved off to the big city to be a detective.” Feeling mellow and content, Holt tugged her toward the kitchen. “Want some hot chocolate?”

  The hallway was dark, but she paused there to shake her head, disappointing him. “Today’s been a long one. A really good day, but long. I think I should call it a night.”

  Should? Did that mean she was as reluctant as he to end the best Christmas he could remember in years?

  He didn’t want to let her go. He wanted to stay up late and watch a movie with her, any movie, even a corny Christmas chick flick. Whatever she wanted. He wanted to snuggle her close and smell his gift of perfume on her skin.

  Holt took a step closer. What he really wanted was to kiss her and feel her heart beat against his.

  “AnnaLeigh,” he said, suddenly hoarse, and as confused as he’d ever been.