by Box Set
“She sure does.”
“Oh, before I forget, the mailman brought a bunch of boxes for you, Holly. I put them up in your room.”
Preston raised a brow as he turned to look at Clare. “Boxes?”
“Yeah boxes, Preston, as in more than one.” Clare giggled. “I’m going upstairs to call Shelley. She has to tell me what happened in town yesterday.”
“No gossiping, Clare! You know how I feel about it and dinner will be ready in ten minutes,” Tamra called after her, shaking her head. “That girl, I swear she is harder than either of my boys.”
“Nice of you to finally admit it.” He chuckled as he set the table, his heart full of Christmas joy once again.
Chapter 16
The Fireplace Keeps Burning
Holly shook her head. “It’s not that many boxes. I just ordered from different places.” She shrugged. “I’ll look at them later.” She knew they were coming but had wished she would be there so they didn’t see how many she was receiving. She hoped Clare hadn’t looked at the “shipped from” address but knew better since she was a teenager.
“I can’t believe Christmas is almost here.” Clare scooped some potatoes on her plate and added some of the gravy. “I’m so excited.” She glanced at Holly. “And I’m really glad you’re here with us. I have a feeling it’s going to be extra special this year.”
Preston couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, I think so too.”
Holly caught the look Tamra gave her son and put her eyes down, her heart racing. Oh crap. Holly had a bad feeling he’d just let the cat out of the bag.
“Holly, would you like to go to church with us Christmas Eve, if the weather holds?” Tamra smiled when Holly glanced at her.
“I usually don’t go to church Christmas Eve. Dan didn’t like dragging the kids out.” She scrutinized Tamra’s face, not seeing anything but a grin. Maybe they had dodged a bullet.
“Well, to tell the truth, we don’t go much either. But I wanted to make sure if you wanted too, you knew we would be willing to go with you. I actually prefer to be home sitting in front of a fire.”
“I think that sounds like the perfect way to spend the evening.” She took a bite of the pork chop and closed her eyes. “This is even better tonight. You’re a fabulous cook.”
Tamra beamed. “Thank you. You hear that, kids?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Clare winked as she took another bite of her chop. “Holly, are you excited about Christmas morning?”
“I am. I love spending Christmas with family.” She felt her eyes widen when she realized what she’d said. “I, uh…” She didn’t know what to say as she glanced at their faces.
Tamra giggled. “I’m starting to feel the same way about you.”
Clare pushed her chair back, jumped up, and ran to Holly, giving her a big hug. “I feel the same way. Can we claim you as family?”
She glanced at Preston and saw a smile spread over his face just before he winked at her, but he held his tongue and she wondered what he was thinking. Clearing her throat, she changed the subject. “So, what happens if the storm hits and it’s as bad as the weatherman says?”
“We hunker down for the duration. That’s why I keep so many staples. Preston makes sure we have plenty of firewood.”
“Aren’t you scared when it gets that bad?” Holly tugged at the sleeve of her shirt as she felt her anxiety level go up a notch.
Clare laughed. “We usually get snowed in at least once a year. It’s fine. Mom and Preston always have everything in order this time of the year. The only thing that sucks is being stuck in the house with them.”
“Clare Rachelle. You mind your manners.” Holly turned to see Tamra’s eyes sparkle as her laughter flowed. “Just for that, you get to do the dishes, young lady.”
As Clare’s mouth rounded, everyone broke out in laughter.
After the dishes were cleaned up, Clare asked if they could go into the great room to sing carols. “Not tonight. I started a fire in the sitting room. Holly got a chill earlier, and I thought it would be a nice way to finish up the evening,” Preston said as he hung the dishtowel on its hook.
“A cozy fire sounds perfect, Preston.” Tamra wiped the last of the countertop as Holly and Clare finished closing up the leftovers in their containers. “Would you mind bringing us a bottle of wine from the cellar? I’ll bring three glasses.”
“Sure, Ma. I’ll be right back.”
Holly found herself a bit disappointed since she was looking forward to an evening with her cowboy. Patience would prevail because she knew Tamra wouldn’t last much past nine, and Clare was already rolling her eyes.
“I can get the glasses if you like,” Holly offered.
“I’d appreciate it. I’ll go check on the fire.”
“I’m not staying for long. I have to call some of my friends,” Clare huffed as she made her way out of the kitchen, following her mother.
Holly couldn’t help but giggle at the antics, remembering how dramatic her daughter was at that age. She found the wine glasses and pulled three off the shelf just as Preston made his appearance carrying two bottles of wine. He winked and smiled, placing one on the counter.
“This one is for later.” His deep voice rumbled through her with the promise of so much more to come.
“I can’t wait,” she whispered as she sauntered by, winking right back at him, eliciting a low moan that sent a shiver down her spine.
“Me either, darlin’, me either.”
Holly walked into the sitting room to find Tamra in the chair closest to the fireplace, checking a list. Clare was sitting cross-legged on the floor playing on her phone. “Mom, Shelly said it’s starting to snow pretty bad in town. According to her dad, this is going to be a bad storm.”
“Well, that’s what the weatherman said. Oh thanks, Holly.” She winked as Holly set the wine glass on the coaster beside her.
“Preston is opening the wine now.” She sat on the love seat and tucked her legs up under her. “I can’t believe how cold it got tonight. It felt like snow when we finished feeding the horses.”
“Maybe we should turn on the news?” Clare bounced up, heading to a cabinet along the outside wall.
“No, don’t bother, honey. It is what it is. Why get all worked up over something we can’t control?”
Holly loved how cozy it was here with this family, who had not only accepted her but made her feel like a friend. She wondered, once again, how Tamra would feel if she knew what was happening with her and Preston. He had assured her that his mother would not have anything to say since he was a grown man. She sighed as her heart broke a little when she thought about leaving him.
“Are you okay, honey?” Tamra exclaimed as Preston lifted her glass to pour her some wine.
“Yes ma’am. I’m just sad thinking how soon my vacation is going to come to an end. I love it here.”
Preston glanced at her and she saw the pain in his eyes before he smiled and moved to fill her glass.
Clare bounced up off the floor. “I’m going upstairs to watch my show, Mom. I’ll see you in the morning.” She kissed her mother’s cheek, gave Holly a hug, and punched Preston in the arm as she walked by.
“Yeah, love you too, Clare.” He chuckled as she skipped out of the room. “That girl is a mess.” He sat down next to Holly and relaxed his arm on the back of the love seat. “I’m glad you’re enjoying your time with us. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we’re enjoying having you here.” He cleared his throat. “Maybe you could plan on coming back for another visit soon?”
“I’d love to.” Their eyes met, and Holly forgot, just for a moment, that his mother was sitting in the room until she heard her cough. She broke eye contact and felt the heat spread over her face as she glanced in Tamra’s direction to find her sitting with her head cocked and brows raised.
“Sorry for interrupting, I’m going to head upstairs now. I have some wrapping to do, and I want to go over my list again to make sure there’s
nothing I have to go into town for before that storm hits.” She stood quickly, grabbing her wine glass. “I’ll see you in the morning. Preston, you may want to stoke the fire a little to heat it up.”
Holly saw her wink at him as his face blazed red. “Thanks, Ma.”
“Good night, Holly. Sleep well.” Tamra scurried from the room, her giggles following her down the hallway.
“We are so fucking busted,” Preston whispered as he walked to the fireplace and stoked the logs before adding another to the grate. Putting the poker back on its hook, he turned around with a huge grin on his face. “Best part of it is, she approves.”
“Oh my god. I’m so embarrassed.” Holly threw her hands over her face.
Preston was on her in a couple of strides, gently tugging her hands down. “Don’t be. I’m an adult, so are you. It just happened. Truth be told, she’s happy because she was worried I would never take a chance on a woman again with what happened. She’s been on me about dating someone.”
Holly put her arms around his neck, tugging him closer. She stood on tiptoe to give him a gentle kiss. “I’m glad I could help,” she whispered just before he crushed her mouth with his. When he released her, she could barely catch her breath. “How long can we keep the fire burning?”
“As long as we want.” His eyes danced as he released her to walk to the window seat to grab the blankets and pillows. “Let’s sip some wine and enjoy the fire for a while, then later, I want to take you to my room for the night.” He spread the blankets in front of the fire, poured another glass of wine for them both, and set them on the floor before grabbing her into his arms for another mind-blowing kiss as they tumbled to the floor.
She pushed against his chest. “What do you mean you want me to spend the night in your room?”
“I told you before, Ma and Clare don’t come down to my side of the hallway. They won’t go to your room in the morning. I want to make love to you, and then sleep with you in my arms.” His eyes searched hers while he waited for her response.
“I would like nothing more, cowboy.”
Chapter 17
All I Want for Christmas
Preston couldn’t believe he had fallen so hard for Holly. Spending the last of the three weeks making love to her and falling asleep with her in his arms made him realize how much it was going to destroy him when she walked out of his life. He wanted to tell her not to go, but she had a life; she had kids. What the fuck was he supposed to do with that? This last couple of weeks had been a fantasy, and they were almost over.
Holly stirred and he pulled her closer, breathing her in. “Morning, darlin’. Did you sleep well?”
She stretched and rolled onto her back as she reached to cup his face in her hand. “Yes, I did. I don’t think I’ve slept that good in years.” She sighed as a tear slid down her face.
Preston pushed up on his elbow. “What’s wrong?” He wiped the tear with his thumb before he placed his palm on her cheek.
Holly shook her head as she tried to pull away from him.
“Please, open your eyes and look at me. What’s wrong?”
“I can’t believe I have to go soon. I don’t think I’m ready.”
Pulling her close, he closed his eyes and kissed her temple. “I’m not ready for you to go either.” His heart ached and his stomach lurched at the thought. “Christ Holly, how the fuck did you get me to fall in love with you in such a short time?” He let go of her, rolled off the bed, and strode into his bathroom, closing the door behind him.
He turned on his shower and tried to compose himself. Shit, she saw him as a strong man, a cowboy. He sure didn’t need her to see the fucking tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes. No way was she going to see him being weak again. He climbed into the shower and felt the tears overflow as he tried to pull it together. He heard the door open and knew she’d be expecting answers.
“Preston?”
He tensed, pushing his face underneath the spray of hot water. “Yeah?”
“Is everything all right?”
Clearing his throat, he waited until he could speak. “Yeah, I just noticed the time. Those critters won’t feed themselves.” Yeah Preston, that sounded lame as fuck.
“All right. I’ll go get ready.”
He heard her close the door, and he knew without a doubt, she was hurt and confused over this. What a fucking coward he was. Why did he always feel like he couldn’t show any emotions? What was wrong with him?
When he was finished and dressed, he hurried to her room, knocked softly, and waited. Finally, her door clicked open.
“Did you need something?”
He took one step forward, pushing his way in, and pulled her into his arms. “I need you,” he breathed before crushing her mouth with his. “God help me, I need you.”
He felt her lips turn up into a grin as she giggled.
“What?”
“Cowboy, I need you too. I’m happy for the first time in years.” She sighed. “I wish it could always be this way.”
“Why do you have to leave? Why can’t you be here with me?”
Moving out of his arms, she sighed again. “I have a life back east.”
“Do you? You’ve told me your kids hardly ever come home anymore. Why can’t they come here to see you?”
She spun around, eyes wide. “I can’t think about this right now. This was just supposed to be a getaway for me. A way to do something I would never normally do. I needed to get lost in a fantasy, to have something for myself for a change. This...” She motioned between the two of them. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. You’re so young, Preston. You need someone you can build a life with. What you have given me, I will never forget, but you have to remember when I leave, I walk back into my real life.”
He felt like he couldn’t breathe, his heart threatened to gallop out of his chest. “I see. I was just someone to fool around with, a vacation fling. Nice, Holly. I thought you were special. I wanted to spend this special time with you, and it turns out it was just a fling for you. Way to fucking go, lady. Thanks for the heads up.” He turned and stormed out of her room, moving quickly down the stairs, and through the kitchen, grabbing his coat and hat. The morning sun was already melting the snow as he made his way to the barn. He’d feed the horses and turn them out later.
He turned everyone out except Sampson whom he saddled and bridled. He needed to get out of here before Ma or Clare saw in his eyes how he was feeling. He grabbed a stocked bag from the back room, mounted Sampson, and took off toward the cabin. His mind raced in time with the horses galloping hooves. How could this be? He thought they had something special that would carry on from here. What a fucking idiot he was. All he’d wanted to do was spend Christmas with her, and now she’d fucking ruined another one for him. He urged Sampson on, wanting to get as far away from her as he could.
A few hours later, when he arrived at the cabin, he sat on Sampson, wondering why he had felt the need to come here of all places. The cabin was where his life had changed forever, so maybe it was fitting. He dismounted and led Sampson to the small barn, put him in a stall and wiped him down before giving him hay. “Sorry, big guy. I’ll make it up to you later.”
He walked to the cabin and opened the door. His eyes moved over the inside. “What the fuck?” He walked in and lit the lantern. Everything was different: the furniture, the pictures, everything had changed. He turned to see a small tree decorated off to the left of the fireplace. He lit the wood stacked in the fireplace and walked slowly to the tree. It was covered in small frames with pictures that held the story of their lives. Happy, smiling faces looked back at him. “Shit.” He sat down hard on the strange furniture, and for the second time today, his heart lurched and broke a little more as the tears for what Ma had lost poured from his eyes.
He’d stay here for the night, but he knew he was going to have to go home tomorrow. Ma would be a mess seeing how he’d lit out of there so quickly. He’d have to suck it up, put on his game
face, close his damn heart, and get through the holiday somehow for her and Clare. He owed Ma that much. Holly would leave in a few days, and he’d have to chalk her up to another fucked up experience. Yeah, Christmas officially now ranked as the worst season in his life.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and noticed he had a couple of messages and some texts. He sent a text to Clare asking her to turn out the horses before he tossed the phone on the end table, knowing he was so not going to look at them or listen to the messages. His heart had been shredded enough for one day. He made his way to the kitchen and found coffee in the freezer. He pulled out the pack and started a pot before he unpacked the bag he’d grabbed from the barn and dumped it onto the counter. He had enough provisions to fix a couple of meals for the day. He needed to do some soul-searching and make some decisions about his life.
He couldn’t get Holly out of his mind. Shit, even the smell of the coffee brought back images of coffee-flavored kisses stolen in the kitchen. He poured a cup and made his way back to the small living room. The fire crackled and warmed the room as he pictured her coming to him naked to lay on the pallet he made in front of the fire. Preston groaned as he sat down. He was screwed in every way possible. She was part of him, and this was going to break him in a way he wasn’t ever going to get over.
The shadows in the room danced and changed as the sun moved over the winter sky. Preston was lost in memories as the minutes and hours ticked past. When the room started darkening, he stood and made his way into the kitchen to fix something to eat. If his heart hurt this much over someone he had fallen for in only a few weeks, how could his mother stand the pain of losing someone she’d loved for over forty years?
He tried to eat but ended up pushing his food around, not able to stomach the taste of anything. He groaned and shoved the food away from him. He scraped the remains into the trash, placed the dish in the sink, and went back to the living room to add more wood to the fire. He dropped onto the sofa, and before long, he drifted off into a restless sleep only to wake with a start to the sun filtering through the windows. After making sure the fire was out and tying up the trash to take home with him, he closed everything up tight, saddled Sampson, and headed home. He knew he wanted to spend the last few days with Holly, making memories to last a lifetime before she walked out of his life forever.
