A Season of the Heart: Rocky Mountain ChristmasThe Christmas GiftsThe Christmas Charm

by Jillian Hart

  As the steps grew closer to the door, her bravado waned. If not for Deidre, she’d have run back to her horse and ridden away as fast as she could.

  The front door jerked open.

  Keith appeared in the doorway. Dressed in black, he stood with his legs braced apart in a brawler’s stance. His thick black hair hung past his collar and a faint white scar marred his right eyebrow. The sun had turned his rawboned face a deep rich brown.

  He wasn’t as gaunt as he’d been four years ago when he had visited her store. But the lines around his eyes remained, as well at the hardness in his eyes. He looked more intimidating than he had four years ago when he’d stood in her store.

  For a moment, he stared at her, saying nothing, as if he didn’t quite trust himself to speak.

  Finally, he recovered. His jaw tightened. “Colleen? What are you doing here?” The rough graveled voice held no hint of a welcome.

  Lifting her chin, she stood her ground. If he’d thought she’d come for him, then he could think again. “I came for Deidre.”

  One dark brow rose. “Why would your sister be here?”

  With him so close, she could barely string two words together. From her pocket she pulled out the wadded-up letter that Joshua had written her sister.

  “My sister has run away with your foreman. They intend to marry today.”

  Keith took the letter from her. Though she was careful not to touch him, his fingertips brushed her hand. Shards of energy shot through her body. His eyes darkened. He’d felt the jolt too.

  Without reading the letter, he said, “Come inside.”

  She was already too close to him as it was. “Thank you, but no. Just tell me where they are and I will be on my way.”

  He gave Colleen a considered, unhurried inspection, taking in her red cheeks and nose, her hands tucked under her sleeves and the strands of hair that had escaped her chignon. “You are freezing. Come inside where it’s warm, Colleen.”

  She hesitated. She’d not heard him speak her name in so long. The rough edge to his voice made her very ordinary name sound sensuous.

  This was not good. Not good at all. The less time they spent together the better.

  He notched his brow higher. “What’s the matter? Afraid, Colleen?”

  Lord, but he was tall. She’d forgotten that her head barely reached over his broad shoulder. “Of course I’m not afraid.”

  She was petrified.

  As Keith stepped aside and held out his hand, she moved over the threshold, her spine as stiff as a rod. His scent teased her as she moved past him and her heart tripped. In the old days, he’d not had the money for expensive soaps. His scent then had been all male, raw. Yet, she found this new combination equally as devastating.

  “Warm yourself while I read the letter.” He stared at her through hooded eyes.

  “We really must hurry.”

  “Five minutes won’t make a difference.” He sounded so calm and reasonable and her nerves had her ready to jump out of her skin.

  A clock ticked through the silence. Glancing around the room she took in the rich Indian carpet dyed burgundy and black. She noted the overstuffed chairs by the fireplace built for comfort not fashion; the open book and half glass of whiskey on the ottoman; the mahogany desk by the tall front window and, to her surprise, an upright piano in the corner. There’d been a time when he’d come to her parents’ house and she’d played the piano for him.

  She moved to the fire as much for the heat as to put distance between them. She stretched out her hands. Her icy skin prickled as it warmed.

  He paced as he read. And she found herself very aware of each purposeful step. He sighed and refolded the letter. “They’re not here,” he said.

  Colleen whirled around. Panic burned. “What do you mean they’re not here? They didn’t meet up here first?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. His tone was so blasted rational and unconcerned. “Josh rode out a couple of hours ago. He said he’d be back in a couple of days.”

  “Where did he go?”

  His gaze bore into her as if he was trying to read her mind. “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t keep up with your employees?” she said louder than she’d intended.

  Keith fingered the edge of the letter. “It’s Christmas, Colleen. Not everyone works through the holiday like you.”

  She was amazed that he knew that much about her.

  “Besides, it’s not my habit to question my men about their holiday plans.”

  “You know I work at Christmas but you don’t know where Josh is. Great.”

  A faint smile lifted the edge of his mouth as firelight flickered on the hard planes of his face. “Has Deidre really run away or is this some excuse you’ve cooked up to see me?” The condescension in his voice raked her nerves.

  Her spine straightened to the point of snapping. Color flooded her cheeks. There had been times when she’d racked her brains trying to come up with a reason to see him. “I wouldn’t make something like this up. This is very real. Deidre and I argued this morning about school. She told me she didn’t want to return. She said she missed her friends, but obviously, she missed Joshua.”

  He handed her the letter. His fingers brushed hers and her skin snapped again with energy. “Joshua is a good man. He’s hardworking and honest. He’ll make Deidre a good husband.”

  She swiped a loose strand of hair off her face. “I don’t want Deidre marrying now. She’s too young.”

  His gaze drifted down her body and then back up to her face. “As I remember, you were much younger when you and I first stole off to the creek with a blanket.”

  The memory of that warm summer day was sudden and swift. They’d lain on that blanket kissing, touching each other and making love until the sun was low in the sky.

  Her cheeks burned. “I don’t want my sister to make the same mistakes I did.”

  Her words, spoken out loud, sounded harsh, and they carried the full weight of the emotions she’d carried for Keith.

  His curt nod was proof enough that her words had hit the mark. She’d hurt him. But the knowledge gave no satisfaction.

  There’d been a time when she’d depended on him for everything. In those days, she’d have turned to him in a crisis like this. But the truth was, she didn’t have the right to ask anything of him now.

  He wasn’t just a neighbor or friend, he had been her lover, and there’d been a time when she’d loved him with her whole heart. However, the love they’d shared no longer united them. Instead, the memory of it had created a wedge between them.

  All that they shared now was a past.

  Colleen moved away from the fireplace. Immediately, she missed the heat of it. “I made a mistake coming here. I thought they might still be here. Sorry to have troubled you.”

  He stared at her with narrowed eyes.

  She moved past Keith toward the door. She wanted nothing more than to forget that she’d come or that they’d spoken.

  “Where are you going?” he said. His voice was rough, full of emotion.

  “To Dixon’s Corner. It’s the closest town with a minister. It seems logical that they would go there.”

  He nodded, considering her logic. “Joshua travels there a good bit. He knows many people in Dixon’s Corner, including the minister.”

  Her head bobbed in a curt nod. He was trying to help and for that she was grateful. Perhaps one day there could be friendship between them. “Thank you for the information.”

  He frowned. “You’re going after them?”

  “They’ve got a three-hour head start on me, but if I hurry I might catch up to them.”

  He glanced down at her bare hands still red from the cold. “You don’t have a hat or gloves.”

  She pulled up her coat collar and managed a smile. “I will be fine.”

  He muttered a savage oath under his breath. “Do yourself a favor and stop by town before you head out. Get a fresh mount and decent clothes.”

 
; She bristled at his order. “There’s no time.”

  Keith shook his head. He reached his hand out to grab her arm and then caught himself as if remembering he had no claim on her. “Suit yourself. You were always so damn bullheaded.”

  Colleen had never felt more alone. She opened the front door and stepped out into the cold.

  Chapter Three

  Keith didn’t hesitate to reach for his coat. He watched Colleen walk down his front steps, her head held high, her chin jutting proudly.

  And as he shoved his arms into the sleeves, he cursed Colleen a thousand times. The woman had the sense of a tree stump, riding out here without decent clothes. The skies were plump and the scent of snow hung in the air. She’d hit snow before she reached Dixon’s Corner.

  He buttoned his coat.

  Colleen Temple, or rather Mrs. Richard Garland, wasn’t his problem. She’d made her choice years ago when she’d chosen to marry her rich shopkeeper. He flexed his fingers and stared at the sway of her skirts. She loosened her horse’s reins from the post and mounted the saddle as well as any cavalry officer. She reined the horse around and kicked her heels into its haunches.

  She knew the way to Dixon’s Corner and she’d always been one of the best riders in the county. But right now she wasn’t thinking because she was hell-bent on finding Deidre. At the rate she was going, she would run her horse to exhaustion or get herself thrown into a ditch.

  Damn.

  Keith shoved on his gloves. He’d known something was up with Josh. His foreman had bathed regularly and had taken to wearing bay rum. There’d been quite a few extra trips to town for things they needed.

  Keith wasn’t blind. He knew the boy was in love, but he’d never figured it was Deidre Temple.

  Double damn.

  Colleen’s horse whinnied, drawing his attention to the road. He watched as she dug her foot into the stirrup and lowered her head to cut the harsh wind.

  Today, when he’d opened the door and seen her standing on his porch, his heart had stopped. She wasn’t the prickly Mrs. Garland he’d stolen peeks at over the last four years. No, this woman, with her hair wild and her cheeks flushed from the cold, was his Colleen. For a moment, all the anger and hurt had vanished. He’d wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her.

  He thought she had finally come to him.

  But she’d not come for him.

  He closed his eyes, refusing to let the pain steal another minute of his life. He’d spent too much time dreaming of Colleen…wanting Colleen. Hell, if he were smart, he’d find himself a wife and settle down—fill this fancy house with children and get on with his life.

  Hooves thundered against the ground. He opened his eyes, watching her ride toward the front gate. Her blond hair streamed behind her as her skirts billowed in the wind.

  A savage oath exploded from Keith’s lips. He didn’t owe Colleen a blessed thing.

  Yet, damn his hide, she still had power over him. In the last five minutes she’d stirred more emotion than he’d felt in the last eight years.

  He grabbed his Stetson and put it on. He flexed his fingers then snatched up an extra scarf and gloves.

  He headed toward the barn, cursing the warm whiskey he’d left behind and the cold wind that now burned his nostrils.

  A sane man would be inside enjoying this rare day of solitude.

  But not him. No, like it or not, he was going to Dixon’s Corner with Colleen.

  Colleen heard the thunder of hooves behind her a half a mile down the road. Her skin prickled and her nerves danced. Without looking behind her she knew it was Keith. She sensed him.

  His black stallion easily caught her mare and soon he was riding beside her. Fear, longing and relief all surged in her veins as she glanced at his profile.

  Keith sat tall in his saddle, staring grimly ahead. “Slow your horse down, Colleen. She’ll not make the trip if you don’t ease up.”

  He was right, of course. Yet she bristled at the idea of following orders from him. Who was he to tell her what to do? Still, she slowed her horse.

  Keith frowned and reached in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a scarf and gloves. “Put these on.”

  “I’m fine.” Her fingers were cold but she’d been colder before. She could make it to Dixon’s Corner if she kept her hands tucked under her cuffs.

  “Put the damn gloves and scarf on or I’ll drag you off that horse and put them on you myself.”

  She shot Keith an irritated glance. “Don’t treat me like a child. I’m not the naive young girl you deserted.”

  The faintest hint of pain darkened his eyes before it vanished. “Then stop acting like one.”

  His brows snapped together. Challenge sparked in his eyes. She had no doubt he’d do it.

  She accepted the gloves and scarf and put them on. She slid her fingers into the gloves lined with fur. A thousand needles stung her fingertips as her fingers warmed. She’d never admit it to him, but she felt a world better.

  He glared at the horizon. “Colleen, do you realize we have weather coming in?”

  She glanced at the thick, gray clouds. In truth, she’d not thought about the weather. “Of course I do. But if I hurry, I should be able to beat it to Dixon’s Corner.”

  She hoped.

  He shook his head. “And if you can’t?”

  She whirled in her saddle and faced him. “I didn’t ask you to come with me. I can make it to Dixon’s Corner alone. God knows, I’ve done it enough times over the last few years delivering supplies.”

  When piqued, her words became clipped like a schoolteacher’s. He’d teased her about that once.

  “Why would you ever travel there alone?” Accusation rang in his voice.

  She’d done a lot of things in the last few years she’d never dreamed of doing. “When Richard became ill, I was forced to take over the business. That meant ordering supplies, balancing the books, waiting on customers and delivering goods.” For the first six months she’d been so afraid of making a mistake with the orders or the accounting, she could barely sleep at night. And the first delivery trip she’d made alone had aged her a decade.

  But as the days grew into months, she’d learned how to run the business.

  His eyes narrowing, Keith stared at her. “With all the fighting that went on in this valley, I can’t believe Garland allowed you to drive so far alone.”

  “There was no other choice. He was too ill to travel and during the war we didn’t have the extra money to hire help.”

  His gray eyes narrowed. “Your husband was a fool to take such a risk.”

  “I never told Richard I drove alone.” Richard’s mind was sharp even after the stroke, but he couldn’t walk or see well. It would have been torture for her husband to know she’d taken such risks, so she’d lied and told him she’d hired a driver.

  Keith’s eyes intensified with flashes of pity and then outrage. “That was stupid, Colleen. What if you’d run into trouble?”

  Her head was starting to throb. Many times she’d seen soldiers, but she’d always been careful to pull off the road and hide her horses and rig in the woods until they passed. “The last thing I need right now is a lecture from you.”

  “You’re right,” he said tightly. “Once I get you to Dixon’s Corner, we’ll be done with each other.”

  His words knifed into her heart. She’d thought after seven years that she shouldn’t feel anything for Keith Garrett.

  But she did.

  Through hooded eyes, Keith watched Colleen as she rode. She sat straight, her chin held high. She still possessed that searing pride of hers. When provoked, she had a way of looking through someone that cut to the quick.

  She’d been sixteen and he’d been twenty-one when they’d met. He’d won his farm in a card game. No one had expected him to put down roots. They’d all figured he’d sell and move on. But the farm was a dream for him. Luck had given it to him but it would take hard work to keep it.

  He’d been working his fa
rm for almost a year when he’d first seen Colleen. By most standards he was just scraping by but he’d seen the great potential in the tiny spread. Its location to water was prime and the wide-open grazing lands left a good bit of room for a large herd. A few years of good weather and he knew he’d have something to be real proud of.

  He’d been fencing in the back field and it had been as hot as blazes that first day he’d seen her. Colleen had been out riding. Her hat had blown off her head and hung suspended from its tie, flopping against her back. Blond hair, like a golden carpet, had streamed behind her.

  Like a magical creature, she had captured his attention. He’d stopped his digging and leaned forward on his shovel. He’d pushed his hat back so that he didn’t miss a bit of her. He’d called out to her. She glanced in his direction, flushed, and then ridden off.

  He’d fallen in love with her that day.

  And it was that love that had seen him through some of the worst battles in the war. He’d weathered the death and destruction because he’d loved her and wanted to return to her. She’d been the reason he’d fought his way through hell.

  And she’d repaid him by marrying another man.

  Keith exhaled, refusing to let the old anger overtake him.

  When he’d arrived home from the war he’d driven straight to her folks’ place. Seeing it boarded up, he’d gone to town. He found out she’d gotten married to the shopkeeper. Furious, he’d not asked for details and had gone straight to see her.

  Colleen had been so lovely that day and he’d nearly wept at the sight of her as she’d stood behind the counter. When he’d seen the gold band, he’d been devastated.

  Keith shoved aside the pain. Instead, he allowed his gaze to linger on her profile. The last few years had been good to her. The youthful fullness of her face had vanished and in its place were prominent cheekbones and a delicate jawline. Her skin, the color of milk, was as smooth as it had ever been; her lips full and ripe and her breasts rounded and high. Even after eight years, the memory of kissing those breasts lingered. He grew hard.

  The first flecks of snow caught his attention, dragging it back to the road ahead. He glanced up at the full, gray sky. Dixon’s Corner was still two hours away and they’d have to hustle and pray for luck if they wanted to beat the snow.