Jess frowned. “I hope she didn’t have an emergency to deal with.”
Her irrepressible fiancé waved the worry away. “They’ll be here shortly. What can I get you to drink, Jess? Caroline? Come have something to eat, if the kids will let us reach the table.”
Rather than trying to squeeze through the crowd, Wyatt went down the hallway to reach the kitchen, where Susannah and Amber were setting peanut-blossom cookies on a serving platter.
“Is everybody here?” Susannah asked. She looked especially beautiful tonight in a sparkling white sweater and white slacks, wearing her shining hair pinned up in a fancy twist. The diamonds he’d given her as an early Christmas present glittered like stars in her ears. “We’re just finishing up.” Her intimate smile shared her expectation of what tonight would mean for the two of them.
He hated being the bearer of bad news. “We’re still waiting for Garrett and Rachel.”
The smile vanished and her brows drew together. “Do you think something’s happened?”
“Maybe a late patient at the office.” He shrugged, trying for reassurance. “I doubt there’s anything to worry about. The road between the ranch and town isn’t hard to drive, even in two feet of snow.”
“But it’s not like Garrett or Rachel not to keep in touch.”
“No.”
“Look how pretty our cookies are,” Amber commanded. “And they taste good, too.”
“They do?” With a wink at her, he took the cookie she’d just put in place and popped it into his mouth. “Yum,” he said as he chewed.
“These are for company,” she protested. “They get first pick. And you’re not supposed to talk while you chew.”
“Forgive me?” He stole another treat. “They’re too good to resist.”
Amber put her hands on her hips. “Stop that!”
Though she was smiling, Susannah shook her head at him. “I agree. Amber, let’s carry these cookies into the dining room. There’s a place on the table next to the cake.”
Wyatt followed and soon blended into the party. He sampled Susannah’s meatballs—definitely worth waiting for—and took a plate of food with him as he migrated from group to group, listening to the various conversations. Jess, Lizzie and Thomas were talking about writing, an interest they shared, while Marcos and Dylan traded their impressions of the National Finals Rodeo which had just finished up in Las Vegas. Marcos, it seemed, was still interested in doing some bull riding of his own. In the living room, Caroline, Justino and Lena discussed the most recent movies from Hollywood. Nate and Becky sat close together on the sofa, as intent on each other as if they hadn’t been together in weeks, though school had only ended the day before. Wyatt chose not to intrude.
Every so often, in each group, someone would glance at the door. They were all beginning to worry about Garrett and Rachel. His mind had been preoccupied with the celebration he’d been anticipating for weeks—months!—but now, Wyatt worried, too.
In the kitchen again, he found Ford and Susannah with Amber, who sat at the breakfast counter working on her own plate of food. “I only took two cookies,” she said as he came in. “I wanted to be sure there was enough for everybody.”
“Good thinking, sweetheart.” He bent to kiss the top of her head. “I bet your mom will make more if all these get eaten.”
“And I’ll help, like I did today.” She speared a meatball with her fork and put it in her mouth. Her pink cheeks bulged with the effort to chew and swallow.
Wyatt grinned and turned to share the sight with her mother. But Susannah and Ford weren’t watching. Their faces showed concern as they talked quietly together.
“Garrett and Rachel?” he asked as he joined them.
“It’s almost nine thirty,” Susannah said. “He left before seven.”
Ford glanced at the window, which showed snow still falling. “Maybe I should go after them.”
Wyatt shook his head. “Then we’d have both of you wandering around in the dark. We’ll get a call from somebody, eventually. Or else—”
A commotion erupted in the living room with cries of “It’s about time!”
“Looks like they’re here.” The three of them shared a grin of relief and Wyatt said, “Let’s go rib them for being late.”
Judging by their appearance, Garrett and Rachel had already endured a hard time, thanks to Mother Nature, at least. They had shed their coats out on the porch, but Garrett’s shirt and jeans were wet and streaked with dirt, his boots soaked. Rachel’s usually neat hair was hanging loose and damp, her jeans wet to the hip. Her knee-high suede boots might never recover.
“I’m sorry,” Garrett said directly to Wyatt. “It’s been a...challenging couple of hours. We would have called, but there was no phone service. Zero bars. And we’ve been less than five miles away the whole time.”
“As long as you’re both okay, that’s all we care about. What happened?”
“I didn’t get out of the clinic until after seven,” Rachel said. “We left my place about seven thirty, drove through town and turned onto the county highway. The road had been plowed, but the snow had built up again. All at once, a truck pulling a horse trailer came up behind us, going way too fast. Then it passed us.”
Ford shook his head. “Crazy.”
“With a predictable result.” Garrett took over the story. “Not a minute after passing our car, the driver lost control, went into a slide and coasted sideways into the mounds of snow left by the plow on the side of the road.”
Susannah brought in coffee for Rachel and for Garrett, who took a sip and grinned. “Thanks. My insides are almost as cold as it is outside. Anyway, we stopped to check if the driver was okay. She was an older woman, pretty shaken up but not hurt. There were two horses in the trailer, which were fine, as far as I could tell. But she couldn’t pull her truck out of the snow—she had no chains, bad tires and too much weight in the trailer for the truck engine. We didn’t have phone service to call anyone for help, and who knows if there was a tow truck in Buffalo or Casper available to come, anyway? So we spent the last two hours digging snow away from the truck and trailer to get them unstuck and on their way.”
“With your hands?” Wyatt asked.
“The driver had a manure fork in the trailer,” Rachel said. “It works if you don’t try to pick up too much snow.”
Garrett gave him a two-fingered salute off an imaginary hat brim. “And my older brother warned me always to keep a shovel in my truck during the winter, just in case. I’m glad I was smart enough to listen to him.”
“We all are,” Caroline said. “Now you should have something to eat. There’s plenty of food left.”
Garrett got to his feet. “I’m going to change first.” He put a hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “You could at least get out of those wet boots. And I can lend you a comb.” Smiling, he fingered through her messy red hair.
As was often the case, Susannah had a better solution. “Why don’t we walk up to the cabin, Rachel? I can lend you dry clothes, boots, whatever you need.”
“That would be wonderful.”
Lizzie and Becky volunteered to keep an eye on Amber. Once they settled on the sofa with the little girl and a book, the two women went outside with Ford as an escort. The teenagers and Dylan regrouped around the refreshments.
Garrett caught Wyatt’s eye. “Ready?”
Wyatt blew out a breath. “Only since August.”
“Let me get changed, then, and we’ll set about making this happen.”
“Right.” In his own room, Wyatt changed his plaid shirt for a light blue one, put on a navy-striped tie and a dark jacket. He combed his hair and then held his own gaze in the mirror for a few moments. “I do,” he said quietly.
He dawdled in the kitchen until Susannah returned to the house with Rachel and Ford. After a
few minutes, Susannah joined him by the breakfast bar. With the door closed to the dining room, they were more or less alone.
“You look wonderful.” She put her hands on his lapels. “Does that mean it’s going to happen?”
Linking his hands behind her waist, he bent to kiss her forehead. “If that’s what you want.”
“So much,” she whispered, raising her face to his. “I can’t wait another day.”
He kissed her lightly...but her lips yielded under his and the desire he’d kept banked for so long flared inside him, seeking more. Susannah’s arms came around his neck and he tightened his hold, pressing her against him.
But then a loud laugh from the dining room drew Wyatt back to the present. He gentled his kisses and finally managed to pull away. “Whoa,” he said, his voice rough. “Got a little bit lost there.”
Susannah was blushing. “So much for my lipstick. I’m glad I brought it with me. I’ll just take a couple of minutes.”
“Sure.” He’d waited all his life for Susannah. Another two minutes didn’t matter.
As she came into the kitchen again, Garrett followed, wearing his clerical shirt and coat. He smiled when he saw them together. “You are a very handsome couple.”
Wyatt glanced at Susannah, who said, “And you’re going to make us official. Immediately.”
“My pleasure.”
In the living room, Garrett went to stand in front of the fireplace, with Wyatt and Susannah to the side. He raised a hand and his voice. “Can I get everybody’s attention?”
The noise died away as the kids and grown-ups turned in their direction.
Amber scrambled off of the sofa, where she’d been sitting with Becky and Lizzie, and went to take Susannah’s hand. “Is it time?” she whispered in a voice everyone could hear. “Did I keep the secret okay?”
Susannah bent to pick her up. “You did beautifully, sweetheart. Yes, you can tell them.”
The little girl faced the crowd and held up her arms. “They’re getting married! Right now!”
Dylan, standing by the front door with Nate, narrowed his eyes, staring at them. “Are you serious? Tonight?” he demanded. Then he grinned. “That’s terrific!”
Garrett nodded. “Wyatt and Susannah have chosen to say their wedding vows with you all as witnesses.”
There were gasps and exclamations. “Cool,” Thomas said.
“I’ve never been to a wedding before,” Marcos commented. “Does it count if it’s not in church?”
Garrett nodded. “I’m here, so it counts.”
“Does that mean I’m a bridesmaid?” Lena asked. “I always wanted to be a bridesmaid.”
“Of course,” Susannah said, setting Amber on her feet. “You all are my attendants.” She looked down as she squeezed her daughter’s hand. “And this is my maid of honor.”
“Awesome,” Becky and Lizzie in unison.
Garrett cleared his throat. “Now, if you’ll all gather around, we’ll transform this party into a wedding!”
The next few minutes passed all too quickly. Wyatt focused on Susannah, her soft, slender hand holding his, her sweet voice promising that she would be his wife, his woman, for the rest of her life. He made his own responses carefully, deliberately, empowering every word with all his heart and soul.
Then there was the kiss—he kept it short and sweet—and a cheer which shook the rafters. They turned to face the crowd and the first person in front of them was Nate, his smile wide as he hugged his mother and shook Wyatt’s hand.
“Good job keeping the secret,” Wyatt told him. “Even Becky was surprised.”
“It’s been fun,” Nate replied. “Knowing something Dylan didn’t.”
Wyatt chuckled. “That’s true.”
In the next moment, Ford took hold of his shoulders. “Congratulations, Boss. You jumped in front of the rest of us.”
“I’m not getting any younger,” Wyatt said. “We wanted to make a start on the rest of our lives.” He did like that word our.
Ford glanced at Caroline, who was giving Susannah a hug. “I empathize. Believe me. In the meantime—” he gave Wyatt a clap on the back “—I believe I should welcome my new sister to the family. Susannah, let me kiss the bride!”
The party lasted for another couple of hours as they all shared cake and sparkling cider and happiness. There was even some impromptu dancing in the living room, because the kids needed to work off the sugar they’d been eating. Garrett and Rachel demonstrated the salsa they’d been practicing, applauded by Lena and Justino, and then Ford and Caroline shared the floor with Dylan and Jess for a two-step.
“I never learned to dance,” Wyatt confessed to Susannah as they stood watching. “You still have a chance for an annulment.”
“You’re not getting away so easy,” she told him. “I never tried Western dancing, either. We’ll learn together.”
“It’s a date.”
Finally, when Wyatt was beginning to think he’d be sharing his wedding night with the whole crowd, the teenagers figured out it was time to go home. Ford and Caroline made no effort to persuade them differently but got them into their coats and out into the snow with reasonable efficiency.
“Congratulations,” Thomas said, shaking Wyatt’s hand. “Can we come back again?”
“You’re always welcome,” Wyatt assured him. “We’ll have a reunion trail ride when it warms up.”
“Excellent,” the boy said with a thumbs-up sign. Then he took Lizzie’s hand and led her to the van.
“It was a beautiful wedding,” Lena told Susannah as she and Justino left. “I hope ours is as nice one day.”
As the couple left, Susannah laughed with Wyatt. “That’s called planning ahead, I guess.”
Nate came onto the porch from seeing Becky to the van. “Man, I wish I could drive,” he said as he went into the house.
“Two years till he gets his learner’s permit,” Wyatt whispered to Susannah. “Then you’re in for some fun.”
“You’re the one with experience,” she replied. “I thought I’d let you handle the driving chores.” She winked at him. “There’s still time for an annulment.”
He opened the screen door for her. “Not a chance. Even if it means teaching teenagers to drive.”
Garrett, Rachel, Dylan and Jess had somehow managed to put away the leftover food and straighten the kitchen while they’d been outside saying good-bye.
“I’m planning to cook Sunday lunch for everybody,” Susannah told them as they left. “Pot roast.”
Rachel and Garrett looked at each other and burst out laughing. “Private joke,” she explained. “I’ll see you then.”
Dylan and Jess waved as they walked off in the snow, heading toward Dylan’s barn. “See you tomorrow, Boss. Don’t worry about chores. I’ve got things under control.”
“Thanks.” With relief, Wyatt shut the front door and found Susannah standing inside with a sleepy Amber on her hip. “Just us,” she said. “At last.”
“At last.” He noticed where she was standing—in the doorway to the dining room, directly underneath the mistletoe—and went to join her. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all day long.
“First, you.” He bent close and kissed Amber on the cheek. She gave a drowsy smile.
Then he put a hand under Susannah’s chin. “And now, Mrs. Marshall—”
Nate barged through the door from the kitchen, a cookie in each hand. “Oh, geez. Are you guys going to be making out all over the place?”
“Of course not,” Susannah said, her cheeks turning bright pink.
“Get over here,” Wyatt instructed. “It’s an important moment.” When the boy came to stand beside him, Wyatt put a hand on his shoulder. “Welcome to the Marshall family, all three of you. Thanks for joining us.”
“‘And God bless us, every one,’” Nate quoted, in a Tiny Tim voice.
“Damn right,” Wyatt said and, ignoring the teenager’s pained expression, leaned over to give his wife a mistletoe kiss. “God bless us, every one!”
* * * * *
Read on for an extract from A TEXAS COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS by Cathy Gillen Thacker.
A Texas Cowboy’s Christmas
by Cathy Gillen Thacker
Chapter One
“I blame you for this, Chance Lockhart!” Molly Griffith fumed the moment she came toe-to-toe with him just inside the open-air bucking-bull training facility of Bullhaven Ranch.
Chance set down the saddle and blanket he’d been carrying. With a wicked grin, he pushed the brim of his hat back and paused to take her in. No doubt about it—the twenty-seven-year-old general contractor/interior designer was never lovelier than when she was in a temper. With her amber eyes blazing, her pretty face flushed with indignant color and her auburn curls wildly out of place, she looked as if she were ripe for taming.
Luckily for both of them, he was too smart to succumb to the challenge.
His gaze drifted over her, taking in her designer jeans and peacock-blue boots, before moving upward to the white silk shirt and soft suede blazer that cloaked her curvy frame.
Damn, she was sexy, though. From the half-moon pendant that nestled in the hollow of her breasts to the voluptuous bounty of her bow-shaped lips.
Exhaling slowly, he tamped down his desire and prompted in a lazy drawl, “Blame me for what?”
Molly propped her hands on her hips. “For telling my son, Braden, he can have a live bull for Christmas!”
Somehow Chance managed not to wince at the huffy accusation. He set down the saddle and narrowed his eyes instead. “That’s not exactly what I said.”
Molly moved close enough he could inhale her flowery perfume, her breasts rising and falling with every deep, agitated breath. “Did you or did you not tell him that Santa could bring him a bull?”
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