by Jean Oram
Except for that silly car. She’d have taken even one more hour with him on the beach in exchange for her Mustang. Even though it was a pretty sweet ride. And she supposed it wasn’t about the car, it was about the fact that he’d left her to help her sons do something special for her.
“Merry Christmas?” he murmured, his voice lifting with hope.
As she set their pies back down on the shelf so she could wrap him in her arms, she had a feeling that their mutual hope was the basis of all future joy.
Epilogue
Maria was glad she was the one driving. She was nervous and excited, and driving gave her something to do with her hands. She and Clint were officially going on their first Sweetheart Creek date. And it wasn’t just meeting up for coffee and dessert, or having supper one town over, or even hiding out together in a darkened movie theater.
They were going to a community barn dance. And not just any barn dance, but the New Year’s Eve one, which was the biggest night of the year. Guaranteeing a kiss at midnight, which was like claiming Clint Walker as her man for the entire New Year.
New year. New life.
Not really a new life, but one with more pauses to enjoy what came her way, even something as simple as sitting on the porch swing with Clint and listening to the birds sing. A life with more kisses.
She smiled and glanced over at him, the car’s dash lights emphasizing his features. She was driving her restored Mustang, the feel of the machine so familiar it was like coming home.
Kind of like Clint. He already felt like an integral part of her life, her home, her world. He’d been hanging around the ranch a bit since Christmas Day, popping in here and there. Sometimes he’d stop for a morning coffee if the post-Christmas rush at Clint’s Parts and Mechanic wasn’t too bad, other times for a game of cards after supper, or simply a quick lunch.
The boys approved of Clint. Pulling him in to help with their Christmas surprise, and him bringing Cole home had solidified him as a member of the Wylder clan.
The future hadn’t been something to worry about, after all.
As she parked behind the old barn converted into a community center a few miles from town, and shut off the engine, country-and-western music immediately reached their ears. She turned to Clint and, as though he’d read her mind, he leaned across the console, his minty breath brushing her cheek. He cupped her chin, bringing her in for a lingering kiss that made her toes curl in anticipation and joy.
“Will you kiss me at midnight?” she whispered.
“And tomorrow. And the next day.”
She shifted in her seat. “So what are we doing here?” She knew she wanted something serious with Clint. Not marriage, at least not yet. But something long-term and solid. Something they could both rely on.
“Is your memory going? We were kissing.” He pulled her in for another one, his body warm and welcoming. She’d missed him in the few days they hadn’t seen each other, and it all seemed so foolish and fear-driven now.
“I like the way we’re taking it slow,” she murmured, “but I know you want more.”
“I do. But I also learned that I’d prefer the agony of taking it slow over not having you at all.”
“Oh, Clint.” She tugged at his jacket, pulling him close enough for another kiss.
“You’re worth waiting for,” he said, brushing her smeared lipstick with a rough thumb. “By the way, I think your boys like me.”
“You’ve won them over.”
“And Carmichael doesn’t seem to mind me on the ranch as long as I’m willing to talk about diesel engines.”
“When you tire of that, he also likes to discuss bulls.”
Her father-in-law didn’t seem to mind having a new man around the ranch in his son’s place. Maria shouldn’t have sold him short. Carmichael was a widower and likely understood the loneliness, and the need to move on. He hadn’t said a word about Clint, but she’d noted he’d started calling her a young filly here and there. And whenever he saw Maria and Clint laughing or cuddling, she could have sworn she’d see a glimmer of a smile tease the old cowboy’s lips.
They exited the car, and as they walked toward the barn Maria slipped her hand into Clint’s. “I’m looking forward to a lot of things because of you.”
“What kind of things?”
“Taking it easy. Being myself. Pursuing my interests—while still helping on the ranch.”
“Of course. That’s a big part of who you are.”
“It is. And you know, I thought it would be weird having you around on the ranch, but it isn’t.”
“It’s been okay?” She heard the hesitation in his voice.
She squeezed his hand. “It’s been more than okay. Life adapts. I’d forgotten that.”
“It does, doesn’t it?”
“Thank you, Clint.”
“I’m not sure what you’re thanking me for.”
“For not giving up, and for pushing me. Your persistence was needed.”
“It’s what I do best. But Maria?” He stopped, pulling her hand to bring her back to him.
“Yeah?”
“I should confess that it was for purely selfish reasons.”
She smiled and nestled into his side. “Yeah?”
“I didn’t want anyone else getting to you before I had a chance.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.”
“I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.” She realized it was the truth. “And I’m glad you came to Indigo Bay.”
“Are you two coming in?” Myles called from the open doorway. It was a cool night, and they’d set up the donation table for the barn’s upkeep inside instead of out in front like usual. Myles had one hand on the door, ready to close it if they said no.
They began hurrying across the grassy area. “We’re coming!”
Myles saw their linked hands and his smile grew. He nudged Levi and Ryan, who were standing with him. They turned, and smiled in tandem. Right then Maria knew without a doubt that absolutely everything would turn out exactly the way it was meant to be.
Thank you for reading SWEET JOYMAKER. I hope you enjoyed Maria and Clint’s Christmas story about finding love again. Do Maria’s five boys find love? Find out what happens in Maria and Clint’s hometown of Sweetheart Creek, Texas! Start reading The Cowboys of Sweetheart Creek, Texas series with book one, Levi’s story THE COWBOY’S STOLEN HEART.
* * *
Sometimes love is found where we least expect it…
Levi and Laura are definite opposites, but when life throws them together they find that first impressions aren’t always correct.
Click to start reading Levi and Laura’s story, THE COWBOY’S STOLEN HEART, now!
* * *
SIGN UP FOR JEAN ORAM’S NEWSLETTER and stay in the know about future books, deals and more: www.jeanoram.com/signup
Want more Indigo Bay Christmas Romances? The next book in the series is SWEET YULETIDE by Melissa McClone! Find what Indigo Bay has in store for Sheridan and Mikey this holiday season! Click to start reading SWEET YULETIDE now.
And if you missed Clint’s friend Jeff & Sonja’s story of getting the B&B going, you can find it in the Indigo Bay novel SWEET HORIZONS by Jean C. Gordon! Find it in your favorite online bookstore!
Indigo Bay Book List
Have you missed other books in the Indigo Bay world? Here’s the full list… You can read out of order! Jump in anywhere.
Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series
Sweet Dreams (Book 1) by Stacy Claflin
Sweet Matchmaker (Book 2) by Jean Oram
Sweet Sunrise (Book 3) by Kay Correll
Sweet Illusions (Book 4) by Jeanette Lewis
Sweet Regrets (Book 5) by Jennifer Peel
Sweet Rendezvous (Book 6) by Danielle Stewart
Sweet Saturdays (Book 7) by Pamela Kelley
Sweet Beginnings (Book 8) by Melissa McClone
Sweet Starlight (Book 9) by Kay Correll
Sweet Forgiveness (Boo
k 10) by Jean Oram (Zoe’s story!)
Sweet Reunion (Book 11) by Stacy Claflin
Sweet Entanglement (Book 12) by Jean C. Gordon
* * *
Indigo Bay Second Chance Romances
Sweet Troublemaker (Book 1) by Jean Oram (Nick’s story!)
Sweet Do-Over (Book 2) by Melissa McClone
Sweet Horizons (Book 3) by Jean C. Gordon
Sweet Complications (Book 4) by Stacy Claflin
Sweet Whispers (Book 5) by Jeanette Lewis
Sweet Adventure (Book 6) by Tamie Dearen
* * *
Bonus holiday short stories:
Sweet Holiday Memories by Kay Correll
Sweet Holiday Surprise by Jean Oram (Alexa’s story!)
Sweet Holiday Wishes by Melissa McClone
Sweet Holiday Traditions by Danielle Stewart
* * *
Indigo Bay Christmas Romances
Sweet Tidings (Book 1) by Jean C. Gordon
Sweet Noel (Book 2) by Jeanette Lewis
Sweet Joymaker (Book 3) by Jean Oram (Maria’s story!)
Sweet Yuletide (Book 4) by Melissa McClone
Sweet Mistletoe (Book 5) by Elizabeth Bromke
Sweet Carol (Book 6) by Shanae Johnson
* * *
Read more about these heartwarming Indigo Bay books as well as find links to your favorite online stores on Jean’s website: https://www.jeanoram.com/indigo-bay-sweet-romance-series/
Turn the page for a sneak peek from Jean’s new series THE COWBOYS OF SWEETHEART CREEK, TEXAS… Yes! These are Maria’s sons! Turn the page to dive in and whet your appetite!
Sneak Peek from The Cowboy’s Stolen Heart
Book 1 (Levi), The Cowboys of Sweetheart Creek, Texas
She would not cry. Not here. Not now.
She had done good things with her fame and generous income. She had helped support animal shelters, built water wells in impoverished areas of the world, and taught inner city adults to read. She was more than the delicate flower Levi Wylder had assumed she was.
Head high. Chin up.
By the time Laura Oakes made it to her car at her blistering pace, she was sweating. The scary armadillo from earlier was nowhere to be seen, and she closed her eyes, still squeezing the key to Luanne’s house in her hand.
Should she rescue her suitcase first, or see if her car would start? She turned to look back into town, past the used car lot she hadn’t even noticed earlier on her run from Bill, the armadillo. A man was standing in front of the small building, the triangular flags above the short row of cars flapping in a gust of wind. He was watching her, hands on his hips. Feeling as though she needed to act as though she knew what she was doing, Laura ducked into her car first to see if it would start.
It wouldn’t. She checked the time. She’d let it rest for far longer than than its usual needed twenty minutes. What was its deal?
Laura stepped out of the Beetle and scanned the dry grass along the road. Where was her suitcase? Hadn’t it slid in just about there?
A truck slowed beside her, and she glanced up, surprised to see Levi driving the faded old pickup she’d seen in front of the Longhorn.
He stopped, windows down, the dark brown hair around his ears fluttering in the breeze as though he’d put off getting a haircut for too long. He adjusted his cowboy hat over his forehead as if he might be thinking before speaking. Not a bad trait. It was unfortunate he hadn’t utilized it earlier.
“I’d like to apologize for back there,” he said with great care. “If you find you want a tour of town, I can do that. I’ll warn you, though, I spend most of my time on the family ranch or at the field watching football.” He looked like he had more to say, but instead closed his mouth. Another good trait. He knew when to stop talking.
He studied her car with interest for another moment. “Won’t start?”
She shook her head. “Usually it only needs twenty minutes.”
“Can I give you a ride somewhere?”
“As a matter of fact, you can.” She marched to the passenger side of his truck, intent on making him do a good deed in order to make amends. Or maybe just to somehow prove she was more than whatever he thought he’d seen in her at the diner. She yanked open the creaky door.
“Sorry, it doesn’t get used much. The dog usually hops in from this side.”
She hoisted herself up onto the springy seat, displacing a layer of dust that made her nose tickle. She sneezed.
“Bless you.”
“Thank you.”
He put the truck in gear. “To Luanne’s, I presume?”
“Yes. Do you know the address?” She mentally crossed her fingers, realizing that unless they took her old meandering bike route to her aunt’s she might not be able to find it on the first try.
“I don’t. But I do know how to get there.” His lips quirked as if he was holding back a smile. He was cute when he did that. Too cute. Like when he’d been a teenager.
“Good.” She sat stiffly as he began driving, lifting his fingers off the steering wheel in a casual wave to an oncoming truck pulling a horse trailer. The other driver’s interest was focused on her, Laura noted.
The window was still down and the wind tangled her hair as they picked up speed. She looked for a button, but it was a crank style.
When she reached for it, Levi said in a gentle, yet warning tone, “I leave the windows down as they don’t always go back up. And if they do, they don’t always come down again. No AC.”
“Why don’t you fix them?”
He shrugged. “It’s old. This isn’t the ranch’s going-to-town truck.”
“But you went to town in it.”
“Yup.”
The town that was growing smaller behind them.
“Luanne lives in town,” she said sharply, panic setting in. Just because Sweetheart Creek was small, it didn’t mean she should assume it was safe.
“Just going to turn the truck around up here,” he explained, pointing to a pullout that allowed access to a pasture just beyond the sign that said Thank You for Visiting Sweetheart Creek. Below, someone had tacked on another sign that said Go Torpedoes!
When he’d turned the truck around as promised, they headed back in the direction of her car. Near where they’d passed the horse trailer, in the ditch opposite her VW, several boys had parked their bicycles and were standing in a circle. One waved something small and dainty in the air.
Laura sat up, her stomach dropping. “My suitcase.”
There was a flash of red fabric, then a scrap of something lacy as another boy found a trophy. She covered her mouth in horror. They were waving her lingerie around like a prize. Her very sexy, very expensive, very personal lingerie.
Levi pulled over just as Laura sank down in her seat, whispering, “Keep going! Keep going!”
He ignored her, hopping out, his shoulders broad, his stance saying he meant business as he addressed the boys. Laura tentatively opened her door, sliding out onto the soft dirt at the edge of the road. Her heels sank in and she lost her balance, wavering for one brief second before gravity ruthlessly sent her tumbling into the ditch, skinning her knees and palms in the loose gravel and dry grass as she let out an embarrassing squeak of surprise.
“Whoa.” Levi was there in a flash, holding her elbow as he helped her up.
Laura dusted herself off, wishing she had superpowers. Namely ones that would make her invisible. She caught sight of what Levi was holding in his free hand. It was a week’s worth of delicate lace, and she debated whether fainting would save her from experiencing the full brunt of this mortifying moment. Her favorite suitcase, one that had traveled the world with her, was split at the seams, spilling her personal items for all to see.
Levi gave her elbow a small squeeze. “You doing all right there?”
She forced her head to move up and down, when all she wanted to do was shake it and sit down and cry at how everything felt as though it was piling up on her today.
The
boys had cycled a short way down the road, stopping at a safe distance to call out something she couldn’t hear. Levi, jaw set, collected her clothing with efficient moves, cradling the split case, then placing it in the back of his pickup. If he drove fast enough into town she was pretty sure all her newly retrieved undergarments would be blown out, strewn about like freebies in a small town parade sponsored by La Perla.
Laura hadn’t moved from her spot at the bottom of the ditch, and from behind her, Levi asked, “Got yourself stuck down there?”
She looked down at her feet, at her fitted dress, then turned to survey the unforgiving incline. She was everything he’d judged her to be earlier, and it was beyond humbling.
Levi began moving toward her again, and she pointed a finger at him. “Don’t you dare pick me up and carry me like a useless female.”
There must’ve been something in her tone because he halted abruptly, hands raised in surrender.
She eyed the slope to the truck. There was only one way to make it up with any dignity and grace. She was going to have to go barefoot. She bent to undo the straps of her shoes, ignoring how torn up her knees were. The grass in the ditch was prickly, dry and similar to fierce little swords. Walking over it would surely hurt worse than having the more tender areas of her body waxed for a bikini shoot. But she was not going to flail about in these heels, and she was not going to accept being helpless.
She glanced at the sky while trying to slip off one dusty red Jimmy Choo. Cloudless. No chance of a freak lightning strike. She wobbled dangerously.
“I’m sorry,” she said in a smooth voice, reaching out and indicating she’d like to use Levi to support her. “Would you be able to assist me?”
He came down the embankment once more, angling his feet so the heels of his boots dug into the ground, then tilted his shoulder her way. The man was tall, even taller than she was. “You sure I can’t just hoist you into the truck like a sack of potatoes?”
