by Box Set
“Sure, if that’s what you want to do. You know Ma and Clare don’t expect that. None of us do.”
“That’s exactly why I want to. I bet there are already gifts for me, and I never thought about bringing anything when I booked the room. I want to give something to them from my heart. This is honestly the best Christmas I’ve had in many years, thanks to you and your family.”
“I’d be honored to help you, darlin’. Ma is very easy to buy for; Clare on the other hand, she’s a teenager.” Shrugging his shoulders, he was rewarded with one of her beautiful smiles.
“Where to first, cowboy?” She took his arm, and that fire she brought out in him flared to life again. He felt pride swell in him as they strolled through his town. People smiled and waved. Some stopped to chat and be introduced to the woman on his arm. Of course, there were some that kept a wide berth from the son of the town’s cheater. He could tell from the looks and the way they shook their heads that they were thinking about what his father had done.
He slipped her into Ma’s favorite store as she raised a brow. “What are we getting in here?”
“You wanted to get Ma something that she wanted or would really like, correct?”
Holly nodded her head.
“So, you can’t go wrong getting her something from her favorite kitchen store. There are so many things in here she wants and is saving up to buy. But…” Shit, he was about to let something slip about their financial situation since his dad’s death but caught himself just in time. “She always seems to find something else to spend the money on, mostly Clare. That kid is so needy.”
“Most teenagers are. Well, show me what she likes and we’ll go from there. I would like to also get her something a little more personal, if you know of something.”
He showed her the things his ma had written on her someday list and marveled at her generosity. She chose a few things and added a little something more before making her way to the counter to pay. “Do you gift wrap?”
The cashier gave her the receipt and the claim check for the gift-wrapping and directed her to the counter where she would pick them up.
His heart skipped a beat when she turned and smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. “Where to now?”
Holly couldn’t believe this lovely town and how sweet most of the people were as they strolled around, stopping at little shops along the historic part of town. She couldn’t help but notice some of the stares coming their way and how Preston would tense up when they did. At first, she was concerned it was because of seeing her with him, but after a few times, she stopped thinking that. There had to be something else going on. During one such time, she glanced up and noticed a muscle twitching in his jaw because he was clenching it so tight.
Holly wondered why anyone would have something against this wonderful man. She didn’t want to pry, but it got her mind busy replaying events since she’d been with the family. Something wasn’t adding up. They didn’t really speak of their father. Tamra didn’t speak much of him either. They would steer the conversation elsewhere if he was brought up. It hadn’t been really obvious, probably because she was new to the situation. She hadn’t spoken a lot about Dan after his death unless someone inquired. Holly had a sinking feeling something very bad had happened last Christmas.
She’d asked Preston if he’d go pick up what was wrapped and drop off the other gifts so she could find something for him. She knew he loved country music and Stetson hats. She’d checked out the inside of his hat so she knew his hat size, but how the heck would she get a hat box by him.
“Excuse me ma’am, do you need some help with the hats?”
Holly turned to see a young man with the cutest handlebar mustache standing there. “I’m thinking about getting a hat for a close friend, but he happens to be with me today. I’m sure if he sees the box, he’ll know what it is, and I really wanted to surprise him.”
His eyes twinkled. “We can have it wrapped and delivered to the house for you in a larger box if you like. That way he would never know. My name is Dakota.” He stuck his hand out to shake hers.
“That just might work. I’d like to get him a Stetson, black I think.”
Dakota helped her choose the perfect hat for him and she picked out the wrapping paper, wrote out the card, and paid for her purchase. She gave him the address where it was to be delivered. The smile slipped from his face for just a moment before he composed himself. “I’ll have it delivered on Tuesday, if that works for you.”
“That would be perfect. Thank you so much for your help.”
“You’re welcome.” He turned away abruptly.
Weird. She went outside and surveyed the street. Preston was making his way through the crowd, so she moved to the music store next door and pretended to look in the window. Shoot, he made it back too quickly. How am I going to look at the CD’s? Just then, she caught sight of a board just inside the door of the record store with for sale items. She stepped inside and saw an ad for Thompson’s dog breeding and training. She pulled off one of the number slips and slid it into her purse and stepped outside just as he walked up to her.
“There you are.” She took his arm. “They sure have a huge assortment of music in there.”
“Yeah, they do. It’s my favorite place to grab CD’s when they come out. Did you miss me?” He leaned in and brushed a kiss on her cheek.
Holly felt herself turn hot as the blush spread over her face. “I thought we were keeping this on the down low?” she whispered.
“We are. I couldn’t help myself.” His face was lit up with the biggest grin she’d seen yet.
“Well you better be careful, cowboy. From the looks of it, you’re well known in these parts.” She giggled at her attempt at a southern accent.
He in turn, cracked up laughing. “I think you need a little more practice with the accent darlin’, that was a bit rough.” He placed her hand on his arm. “Any more shopping to do or are we ready for something to eat?”
“I still want to get a little more for your mom and Clare but I am famished.”
“I know the perfect spot. Come on.” Walking around the corner, she heard music playing when a door opened on the left side of the street.
She read the sign over the door and looked up at him. “A honky-tonk? They really have honky-tonks?”
He laughed. “Yes they do. The owners let people come in and sing their songs. Believe it or not, sometimes those songs are heard by big time artists. They also happen to serve one of the best Buffalo burgers around.”
Holly crinkled her nose. “Buffalo burgers, ew.”
“You have to try it. Come on. Their fries are good too. Plus, we can hear something other than Christmas carols for a change.”
“What’s wrong with Christmas carols, Preston River?”
“Why nothing, Holly Candi Kane, but sometimes I like to two step to some real music.” He opened the door, and she stopped dead in her tracks.
“Wow.” She knew her mouth was hanging open, but this was something she thought she’d only see if she went to Nashville. The place was crowded but not uncomfortably so, and the guy on stage sounded damn good. She’d never heard the song he was singing before, but it sure was catchy. “Is he someone famous?”
“Nah, that’s Trip’s son, Jesse. He works out on their ranch. He’s damn good and he writes some great songs. He sold one last year to Tim McGraw.”
Now she knew her jaw dropped. “What? He sold one of his songs to him? I’m impressed.”
“Yeah, it’s neat. You can be in here, and one of the country legends will come in just to listen for songs they may want to record. It happens so often, no one pays much attention to it.”
“I’m such a loser. I’d be one of those people drooling and asking for their autograph.”
He snickered. “They’re people like the rest of us, darlin’. They just do a different job and more people know them.”
She loved his simple but accurate outlook on things. She thought how delightful he
was, so laid back and nonchalant. She guessed when famous people dropped in often for lunch, a beer, and some good music, it became routine. She glanced around, wondering if she’d see anyone famous while they were there.
“Preston! How the hell are you?” A big, burly cowboy grabbed him into a man hug. “Getting your last minute shopping in?”
“Sure am, Lawson. This is my friend, Holly. Holly meet Lawson. He’s the owner of this fine establishment.”
“Nice to meet you, Lawson.” She noticed him raise his eyebrow and smile at Preston before he answered her.
“Nice to meet you, little lady. Come on in and let me get you the best seat in the house. Ain’t everyday my boy here brings a pretty lady into town. Hell, come to think about it, I ain’t seen him with a woman in a long while.”
Holly smiled as she let Lawson help her into her chair. When she glanced at Preston, the look on his face startled her. His mouth was set in a thin line as his jaw clenched, and he was giving Lawson a dirty look. Lawson didn’t seem notice though. “I’ll be right back with the menus, but if you don’t mind my opinion, try the Buffalo burger. Best in Colorado, if I do say so myself.”
She reached over and took Preston’s hand. “What’s wrong?”
He snatched his hand back and scowled at her. “Nothing. Man doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut sometimes.”
Holly sat back and put her hands in her lap. This man sure went through some emotions when they were in public. One minute, he’s all smiles and kissing her cheek. The next, he’s acting like he’s embarrassed to be seen with her in front of his friends. Get a grip girl; this is nothing but a vacation fling. Why would he want anyone to know he was getting it on with an older woman? She found herself wondering yet again why someone as handsome as Preston didn’t have women falling all over him. Well, as April would say, it was none of her business, and this wasn’t anything serious so just let it be. He didn’t need to know her business any more than she needed to know his. Let the fantasy play out for the next two weeks, then she would be back to the dregs of her real life. She sighed.
“Here you go folks. Charlene will be over shortly. Nice to see you guys. Preston, tell your ma I said hello.”
Holly picked up the menu and started reading it. She couldn’t help but smile at the names of some of the burgers.
“What’s amusing you about the menu?” Preston’s voice was deeper than normal with more gravel in it.
Glancing up, she saw some of the color drained from his face and decided against commenting about whatever was bothering him. “Some of the names your friend has given his burgers.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sometimes his sense of humor leans toward the raunchy side. It’s just him. We can go somewhere else if you want.”
“No! I have to try the Buffalo burger you both are raving about. Tell me how I want it.”
He raised a brow.
“I mean, tell me how you recommend I order it. He gives you a lot of different options, and since I’ve never had it before, I’d like to try what you think is the best combination.”
“Oh.” He sat back and smiled. “I get the cowboy’s dream. That one has the best flavor, I think. Unless you like hot and spicy.”
“Nope, nothing hot and spicy goes in this mouth.” As soon as the words left her lips, she knew he was going to give her a look. When she looked up, there it was—that sexy ass grin. His eyes gleamed as he held back the laughter. Oh yeah, as soon as they were alone that comment was going to come back to her. She felt the corners of her mouth turn up, and he raised a brow at her and nodded his head. Oh how she wished they could be alone when they got back to the cabin.
Shopping was fun with Holly but he was getting hungry as hell, and he was glad more people were smiling and nodding than the ones giving him dirty looks. He hated how small-minded some people were. When she asked him to take her other purchases and have them wrapped, as well as pick up the ones from earlier, he felt himself panic. He was terrified some asshole might say something to her and screw everything up for him. He went as fast as he could, even asking the clerk to hurry up. He all but ran to the truck to put her purchases in the bed before rushing back to where he had left her. When he spotted her standing alone, he slowed down and breathed a sigh of relief.
When Preston walked up to her, he couldn’t help but place a quick kiss on her cheek, and he loved how she blushed like a teenager when he did it. When she declared she was hungry too, he decided to take her to the best place in town. He couldn’t help but laugh when her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open when she saw it was a honkey-tonk. No matter what she did, it was adorable.
Once inside, he watched her eyes light up as she surveyed her surroundings. Watching her was like watching a kid on Christmas morning when they see the gifts under the tree for the first time. He couldn’t help but chuckle when she thought Trip’s kid was someone famous. When he dropped that a big name, country music star had bought one of his songs, her jaw dropped.
He watched as she started looking around, standing up on her tiptoes, apparently searching the crowd to see if anyone famous was there. Lawson grabbed him into a hug and asked him what he was doing. He introduced them and Lawson started going on about how long it had been since he’d been seen with a woman.
When he snatched his hand back and about bit off her head, her expression closed up. Shit, he’d hurt her feelings because Lawson had run his mouth. He didn’t want her asking questions that he’d be uncomfortable answering. He wanted this fantasy to play out for the next two weeks without his fucking father’s screw-up getting in the way. This sweet woman had no idea about the shit, and he wanted to keep it that way. Hell, they all did. Ma had even warned Clare not to talk about it.
With only a few days until Christmas, he wasn’t sure if they would get too many more chances. They ordered their beer, burger, and fries, and he found himself asking her if she wanted to dance while they waited.
“Sure! I’m not a great dancer but I’d love to try.”
They made their way onto the dance floor, and as luck would have it, the new singer started singing a slow love song. He held out his hand and she stepped in. Pulling her close, he breathed her in as they made their slow turn on the dance floor. Could she hear the rhythm of his heartbeat as her head lay against his chest? Carrie Underwood’s song, “Heartbeat,” came to mind. Yeah, he’d love to be alone with her right now, some place where they didn’t have to worry about anything but each other. He pulled her closer, not wanting to let go as the song ended.
She pulled back quickly and walked back to their table as he followed her. He held her chair while she sat down then made his way to his side. He looked at her face. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just a bit sad that we only have two weeks left, and I don’t know how much time we’ll have to be alone.” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Please, don’t take that as me being needy.”
“I don’t. I was wondering the same thing myself.” He opened his napkin and removed the utensils, setting them down on the table. He knew he was fidgeting, but this was new territory for him.
Charlene walked up with their plates of food. “Here you are folks. Preston, Lawson said this is on him and to enjoy. Merry Christmas.”
“That was nice of him.” Holly glanced down at her plate. “Uh, how am I supposed to eat this thing? It’s huge.” Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized her burger.
“Cut it into four pieces, darlin’. It will be easier that way.” He picked up a knife and cut his in half before taking a big bite. He watched her cut hers and take a bite; her eyes lit up.
Once her mouth was empty, she looked at him with a sweet smile lighting her face. “This is wonderful. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“You’re welcome.” He heard a low chuckle and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. He turned in time to see Terry, the brother of his father’s mistress, striding to the table. Preston stood and put h
is hand up. “Turn around and leave, Terry. I mean it.”
A slow smirk spread over his face. “If I don’t feel like leaving what are you going to do about it, Preston?”
“I don’t need your shit and neither does Lawson. If you want harassment charges again, take another step closer.”
“You’re a fucking coward, Preston. One day, you and I are going to meet outside, and I’m going to beat the shit out of you for what you did.”
In two strides, Preston was in his face, his voice deep and menacing. “I didn’t do a fucking thing, you stupid prick. Your sister is the one who got herself involved in the mess. I’m sorry as hell for how it ended up, but it wasn’t my fault. You need to step back and use your brain for once in your sorry life. Now, turn around and walk away while you still can. Leave me the fuck alone.” He drew himself up to his full six foot three inches, waiting for the piece of shit to make the first move.
Terry went to swing his arm forward when Lawson grabbed him and bent it behind his back. “What the fuck?” His face contorted in pain.
“Sorry for the inconvenience folks. I’ll just take the trash out now,” he growled as he pushed Terry in front of him toward the entrance.
Preston was shaking when he turned back around and found Holly staring at him with her eyes wide and entire body shaking. Damn it. He slid back into his seat. “Sorry about that. He’s got some issues.”
“Why is he so mad at you? What does he think you did?”
“I don’t want to talk about it right now. Not here.” His voice was barely about a whisper.
She nodded in response after a quick glance around.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Preston?”
“Yeah?” His heart sank when he saw how she was still trembling.
“Can we leave? I’m sorry, but I’ve lost my appetite.”
He tossed his napkin on the table along with a tip. “Let’s go.” He pushed his chair back and helped her up. Placing his hand on her lower back, they made their way to the front door. As they made their way outside, Preston breathed a sigh of relief that Terry was nowhere to be seen.
