Holt Men of Clifton, Montana Book 12

by Susan Fisher-Davis

  Holt hesitated but then strolled across the yard, up the steps, stomped the snow from his boots, and entered the house then hung up the rifle. As he removed his coat, hat, and boots, he could still hear the dog barking. Shit. Was he going to bark all damn night? He sure as hell hoped not. He hung his coat and hat up then headed for his bedroom to change into dry sweatpants, then he headed back to the living room where he took a seat in the recliner and lifted the footrest. He picked up the remote, aimed it at the TV then turned up the volume to drown out the barking.

  Holt sighed when the barking stopped, but then the dog started howling. Son of a bitch! He hated making the dog stay out there, but what the hell was he supposed to do with him? Shoving the footrest down, he got to his feet, strode to the kitchen, took his hat and coat down, and put them on. After tugging on his boots, he opened the back door, stepped onto the porch, headed down the steps, and trudged through the snow to the barn. He could hear the dog howling. The snow was falling harder and getting deeper by the minute.

  Holt pulled the door to the barn open and when he moved to step inside, the dog shot out the door and ran around in the snow. Holt blew out a breath and it formed in a puff of air in front of him. It was damn frigid out. Closing the door, he turned to see where the dog was and saw him sitting on the porch in front of the door.

  “I think I’ve been tricked,” he murmured as he made his way across the yard and up the steps. He took ahold of the dog’s collar, stomped the snow from his boots, opened the door, and entered the kitchen then scooped the dog up, kicked the door closed, and headed for the bathroom to wipe him down with a towel. Holt moved into the bathroom, kicked the door closed behind him, and set the dog on the floor then reached into the linen closet, took an old towel out, and squatted down to rub the dog dry.

  “Why did you choose my ranch? I don’t need a dog,” he muttered then chuckled when the dog licked his nose. “You think kisses will get you in my good graces?”

  The dog fell to the floor and rolled to his back to have his belly rubbed. Holt moved the towel over him until he was dry enough then stood and opened the door. The dog ran out of the room with Holt following. When he got to the living room, he saw the dog on the sofa with his head on his paws, staring at the fire.

  “Make yourself at home,” he said as he shook his head.

  He supposed the dog was hungry as well as in need of a comfortable spot. He wasn’t sure what he had to feed him, so he entered the kitchen to see what he had that the dog could eat. He yanked open the fridge door and looked inside. The only thing he had that he was sure the dog could eat would be hamburger meat. He’d have to cook it first, but it was better than nothing. Removing the burger from the fridge, he placed it on the counter, found the frypan, and began cooking the meat. He was reasonably sure he shouldn’t add any spices, so he just cooked it until it was brown, then drained off the grease and let it cool before giving it to the dog. He turned to get the dog and almost tripped over him. He must’ve smelled the burger and decided to head for the food.

  “Give it a few minutes. Once it cools, I’ll give it to you.” Holt leaned back against the counter and folded his arms. The dog sat there, staring up at him. “Who dropped you off, boy? In this weather too.”

  It happened too often outside of the city limits. Just recently, Trent Donovan had found an Australian shepherd that someone had abandoned. Trent was engaged to Lanie Gates, and that brought his thoughts back to Sloane.

  Damn, he’d love to get to know her better. He hated being alone now. Before Carolyn came along, he’d been dead set against marriage. He had been a confirmed bachelor, but Carolyn wrapped him around that finger, and he was a goner. Smiling, he thought back to first meeting her in Dewey’s bar…

  “Hi,” a soft voice said from the stool beside his.

  He looked over, and his breath whooshed out of his body. She was a beauty with her long, platinum blonde hair, porcelain skin, and soulful brown eyes. She was slim, and if going by how she fit on the stool, she was tall. He spun on his stool to face her and placed his arm on the bar.

  “Hi, yourself. What’s your name, darlin’?”

  “Carolyn Steele, and who might you be?”

  “I might be Holt James,” he said with a grin.

  She laughed, and he loved the sound of it. Never had any woman aroused him in such a short time. He wanted her in his bed.

  “Can I buy you a drink?” she asked him.

  “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

  She shrugged. “You could, but who says I can’t buy you one?”

  “Well—”

  “Don’t get chauvinistic on me, Holt.”

  “I like the way you say my name, Carolyn.”

  She tilted her head. “Oh yeah? What way do I say it?”

  “You know like you’re trying to catch your breath like you would after an orgasm.”

  She gasped but then grinned. “I have a feeling you’re bad, Holt.”

  He leaned close to her. “You have no idea, sweetheart. Wanna find out how bad?”

  When she ran her fingers through the hair on his arm, he felt it on his dick. Then he frowned.

  “Why are you here alone?”

  “I’m not. I’m with some friends.” She jerked her chin in the direction of a table filled with women, and they were all staring at him.

  “Oh, I get it. They dared you to come over here and talk to me, is that it?”

  “Actually, that’s exactly it, but it’s my decision about going home with you.”

  “And what have you decided, Carolyn?”

  “Let me get my coat,” she said as she got down from the stool, headed for the table, picked up her coat and purse then walked back to him.

  Her friends at the table whooped and hollered. He stood when she reached him and took her coat to hold it for her while she put her arms in it. Then she turned to face him, stood on her toes, and quickly kissed his lips. He hissed in a breath because it sent a shock right through him. He took her hand and led her out of the bar.

  He swore he fell completely in love with her that very night. He believed that no other woman would ever claim his heart again, but he couldn’t get Sloane Gates out of his head. He hated being alone even though he’d gotten used to it, but some nights he was just so damn lonely. The first few weeks after Carolyn’s death, he had barely slept. Most of the time, he slept on the couch because he couldn’t seem to rest at all in their bed. Anytime he closed his eyes, he could see her. She had been everything to him from the time he met her until the night she died in his arms.

  The dog barked, bringing his attention back to the present, and Holt looked down to see the dog staring first at the counter then back to him, making him grin. Holt swiped at a tear on his cheek. It had been five years, and it still hurt any time he thought of Carolyn. He would love her for the rest of his life, but he also knew he needed to move on. Was it possible it could be with Sloane?

  “All right, it’s probably cool enough. I’ll give you a little at a time because I have a feeling you’re going to wolf it down if I give it all to you, and I don’t want you getting sick. Especially in my house.” He opened a cupboard door, got an old bowl down, put some hamburger in it, and set it on the floor. The dog ate it so fast then he kept licking the bowl to where he was moving it around the floor. Holt reached down to take the bowl, and the dog snapped at him. “Hey!”

  The dog crouched down and looked up at him with terrified eyes. Holt felt like an ass. The last thing he wanted was for the dog to fear him. However, he did want the dog to know he wouldn’t get away with snapping at him. He squatted down and put his hand out.

  “Come here, boy. I didn’t mean to yell. Come on,” he spoke in a low tone of voice.

  The dog took hesitant steps toward him but almost on his belly. Holt reached out, rubbed his ear, and the dog moved closer and wagged his tail.

  “Let me get you some more, but no trying to bite me, got it?”

  He chuckled when the dog sat
, gazed up at him, and looked like he was smiling. Holt put more beef in the bowl, set it on the floor, and stepped back. The dog looked at him, slowly walked to the bowl then stuck his face in it and licked the bowl clean again. This went on until the burger was gone. Holt squatted down and slowly reached for the bowl. The dog stood stock still, but Holt rubbed his ear while he pulled the bowl away. When the dog didn’t snap, he straightened up, placed the bowl in the sink then crouched again and petted the dog. The dog put his paw on his knee and looked up at him with adoring eyes.

  “I guess I have a dog unless you belong to someone.” Standing again, he pulled his cellphone from his pocket and called the Garrett household.

  “Garrett,” Sam answered.

  “Hey, Sam, it’s Holt. Is Tess around?”

  “You want to tell me why you’re calling my wife, James?”

  Holt could hear the smile in Sam’s voice and so grinned.

  “I want to ask her out,” he said then laughed.

  “Oh, okay, let me get her.”

  Hell, he hadn’t asked anyone out in years, and everyone in Clifton, Hartland, and Spring City knew how much Sam loved his wife, and that the feeling was mutual. Sam knew he had no worries.

  “Hi, Holt. What can I do for you?”

  “Hello, Tess. I have a dog here, and I’m wondering if anyone has lost one. He’s a young Husky with blue eyes. Skinny as hell though.”

  “No one has reported one, but you know not everyone takes their animals to the vet. I can check tomorrow once I get to the office but as of right now, no one has reported missing a dog.”

  “He has a collar on, but it’s so loose, I’m surprised it hasn’t slipped off.”

  “Do you want to bring him in so I can check him over? If the weather allows it, that is.”

  “Sounds good, Tess. I’ll stop in as soon as I can, will that work for you?”

  “Of course. Thank you for taking him in. Do you know if he’s neutered?”

  “He’s not.”

  “Okay, well, I was hoping if he was, then there might be a record of him somewhere. Just bring him in, Holt.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll see you soon. Oh, and tell Sam you turned down my offer of a date.”

  Tess laughed. “I will. Bye.”

  He hit End then looked down at the dog.

  “What the hell am I supposed to do with you tonight?” He glanced at the pantry door and figured he could put the dog in there for the night.

  Huffing out a sigh, he headed for the linen closet in the bathroom to get an old blanket. He opened the door, pulled out a blanket then stopped when he saw Carolyn’s favorite pink one still in the plastic he’d put it in. He refused to get rid of it. She’d had it on her when she died. He had held it for days and cried into it. It smelled like her, and he hadn’t washed it since. Grabbing another blanket, he closed the door headed back for the kitchen then placed the blanket inside the pantry, and looked at the dog.

  “This is where you’ll be sleeping tonight. For now, we can watch some TV.” He frowned. “Maybe you should go out first—” He stopped when the dog barked and ran to the door. “Well, I’ll be damned, you know what that means. You had to belong to someone who has house-trained you.”

  Holt strode to the door, opened it then stepped onto the porch. He watched as the dog ran down the steps and disappeared along the side of the barn.

  “Well, shit. Maybe I should have gone with him. He might not come back.” He peered into the darkness but didn’t see the dog. “Damn it. Way to go, James.”

  He was about to go back inside, get his coat, hat, and boots on but stopped when he heard the dog barking and saw him running back to the house. The dog ran up the steps then sat and looked up at him.

  “Good boy,” he said as he reached down to rub the dog’s ears. “Let’s get in out of the cold and relax in front of the fire.”

  Holt opened the door, and the dog ran into the house. He followed, shaking his head. He found he was kind of hoping no one claimed the dog.

  ****

  The next day, Sloane groaned, straightened up, and arched her back. Who knew all this cleaning would be this hard? Deidra, Lanie, and Rissa had helped earlier but they had men to get home to and who could blame them. Preston, Trent, and Reece were all drop-dead gorgeous and treated her cousins like queens. So many good-looking men in Clifton, especially one. She smiled thinking about when they’d kissed. She loved men with dark hair.

  “So why did you marry a blond?” She snorted. “I thought I was in love.”

  Picking up the mop, Sloane continued to clean the floor in the kitchen until she heard someone knock on the door. She didn’t know a lot of people, so she had it locked. She peeked around the corner and could see Holt standing at the door. Smiling, she headed for it, turned the lock then pulled it open.

  “Hi, come on in,” she said with a smile.

  “I can’t stay long. I just wanted to see how you were doing,” Holt said as he glanced around.

  “Meaning me or the bakery?”

  He grinned, and she swore butterflies took flight in her belly. He had a beautiful smile and deep dimples creased his cheeks. His black cowboy hat sat low on his forehead, his sheepskin coat hung open, and leather gloves covered his hands. True cowboy.

  “Both.”

  “I’m fine, and the bakery is getting there. I’m hoping to open by mid-April. I’ll need to hire some people.” She tilted her head. “Need a job?”

  “I have one, thanks.” He reached out and rubbed her cheek. “You have dirt on you,” he said in a low tone of voice.

  “Thank you,” she whispered then the next thing she knew, his lips were on hers, and she was wrapping her arms around his waist, while his hands dropped to her hips and pulled her tight against him.

  He slowly lifted his lips from hers and placed his forehead against hers.

  “Damn, Sloane. All I’ve thought about is that kiss.”

  “Me too.” She gazed up at him. “So, what do you want to do about it?”

  “Oh, have more of them. A lot more.” He lowered his lips to hers again, forced them apart, and moved his tongue into her mouth. She moaned and tangled hers with his. He raised his head. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. My dog is in the truck. I just happened to be going by on the way to the Feed Store to pick up dog food and decided to take a chance and see if you were here. Can I take you out to dinner sometime?”

  “Of course. When?”

  “Tomorrow night? There’s a nice restaurant in Hartland, but I’ll need to make a reservation. They’re packed on Saturday nights.”

  “Can you get a reservation at the last minute?”

  “I think I can manage. It helps to know the owner,” Holt said with a smile.

  “I’d love to go. What time and what do I wear?”

  “I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at six, and you can wear whatever you want. Some people dress up, and others just wear jeans. Totally up to you.”

  “Sounds good. I live in the apartment above the diner. Just come up the stairs at the back.” She smiled.

  He leaned down, gave her a quick kiss, touched the brim of his hat, turned around then strode out the door. After she locked the door behind him, she leaned against it and placed her fingertips against her lips. She sighed then headed back to the kitchen to finish mopping the floor, but she couldn’t stop smiling. She liked him. A lot. Of course, she sure as hell didn’t need another broken heart at her age but didn’t everyone have to take a chance. She wanted to take that chance with Holt. She wasn’t sure if he wanted to, but then he’d been alone since his wife’s death. Well, she presumed he’d probably been with other women but apparently, it hadn’t amounted to anything.

  Sloane decided she would like to know about his wife. Maybe they could talk about their past relationships if he was willing. The thought of telling him about Doug cheating on her was embarrassing, but she wanted Holt to know all about it if they were going to see each other.

  Once she finished ge
tting the floor clean, she put the mop away, then pulled on her coat, tugged her beanie down over her head, and walked to the door. She turned the lock, pulled the door open, and gasped as sleet hit her in the face.

  “Holy hell, it’s cold. It’s warming up in Albuquerque by now, at least during the day,” she muttered. “What was I thinking?”

  Locking the door behind her, she quickly made her way across the street, up the sidewalk, and entered the diner. She was starving, and a burger sounded so good. The smells were wonderful in this little restaurant. She smiled as people waved or called out to her. She hadn’t been here long, but she loved it already. The people were so friendly. She entered the kitchen to see Connie and Owen sharing a kiss, so she cleared her throat. They sprang apart, making her chuckle.

  “Caught ya,” Sloane said as she took off her coat and beanie.

  “Yes, you did,” Connie said with pink cheeks.

  “Could I get a burger when you have a chance, Owen?”

  “I’ll make it right now. Have a seat, Sloane.” He winked at her.

  “It’s sleeting.” She took a seat on the stool.

  “Oh, my. I should let everyone know,” Connie said as she left the kitchen.

  Sloane heard her telling the patrons about the weather, so they needed to finish up and get home before it got worse, then she reentered the kitchen. After smiling at Sloane, she picked up a tote then walked out of the kitchen again. Sloane hopped down from the stool, picked up another tote, and entered the dining area to help Connie clean up.

  She carried the tote, filled with plates, utensils, and glasses into the kitchen and set it beside the double sink then put the dishes in the deep sink, grabbed the sprayer, and rinsed them. The dishwasher, Barney, entered the kitchen and started to remove his coat.

  “Barney, I’m glad you came in today but since it’s sleeting, we’ll be closing. You might as well go back home, son,” Owen said.

  “I can help clean up. Even if I only work an hour, I could use the money,” Barney said, looking embarrassed.