Josie glanced at Hunter, torn. Amy was laying it on thick, but she wasn’t entirely wrong. And they all knew it. Hunter must have guessed what she was thinking, because he frowned and shook his head. “Jo—”
“I’m going to be late,” Josie said, stepping blindly around Amy and hurrying to the barn. It was one of the longest walks she’d ever made. Her heart echoed in her ears with each step, and her eyes burned from the tears choking her.
She heard Hunter call after her, but ignored it. She couldn’t stop. Not with Amy primed for battle, screaming at Hunter. “What the hell is the matter with you? You bring that woman here, into Eli’s home? After everything—”
Hunter’s voice was too low to make out, not that she wanted to hear their conversation. Instead, she walked faster. What was she doing? What had she been thinking? What if Eli had come home last night? He would have been devastated to find her there. And his relationship with his father would have suffered for it.
She fumbled with her keys, trying to unlock her door, but dropped them instead. She knelt quickly, reaching for them, slipped on the dew-slicked grass and ended up on her knees. She sat, leaning against the car and staring up at the pale blue sky. The wind whipped her curls around her face and stung her eyes, making it okay for her to cry—a little. She sniffed, hugging her knees to her chest.
How many years had she spent avoiding complications? How many opportunities had she passed up because she didn’t want pain? When she’d left Stonewall Crossing, she’d been testing Hunter. She knew that now. Was it fair? No. Had she set him up for failure? Maybe. She knew what a catch he was. Amy wasn’t the only one waiting to swoop in when she wasn’t around. But she’d gone, anyway. And life, in all its complete misery, had eventually moved on. She had moved on. Sort of. Her attention followed a stray cloud across the blue sky.
She’d never stopped loving him. And that one, stupid emotion was the reason everything was falling apart. All those years of proving she wasn’t her mother, only to act exactly like her. Following her heart, regardless of the consequences to everyone else.
“Jo?” Hunter’s voice was soft. He stood, jeans unbuttoned and shoved into his boots, shirt flapping wide enough to reveal every gorgeous ridge and dip of his muscular chest and stomach.
She almost groaned in frustration, angrily wiping the stray tears from her cheeks. “I dropped my keys.” She pushed up, turning to unlock the door.
“You locked your car? Out here?” His hand came around, taking the keys.
She wouldn’t face him. Instead, she held her hand out. “Keys.”
“Nope.”
She clenched her fist, then opened it again. “Keys!” She waited, and waited, but he didn’t say a word or give her the keys. She spun around, all restraint gone. “Give me the keys,” she hissed.
He tucked the keys in his pocket. “In a minute.” He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her against him. “Don’t leave like this.”
“Like what?” Why did he have to smell so good?
He held her so tightly she couldn’t push him away. “Thinking this is wrong. Amy’s wrong.”
“Eli hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you.” He sighed. “Look at me, please.”
She stared at his chest. It was hard, covered in the lightest dusting of hair, coarse beneath her fingers. She swallowed, staring at his neck instead. The strong, sun-kissed neck she’d enjoying kissing not too many hours ago.
“Amy is part of my life—she always will be. I can’t say I’m happy about that, but it’s the truth.” He paused. “But I want you in my life, Jo. To stay, here, with me and Eli.”
She stared up at him. “But Eli—”
“Is my son. It might take some time, but he’ll come ’round. He wants me to be happy.” He kissed her forehead. “And, damn, Jo, you make me happy. Always have.”
She felt the tears building then, hating the weakness they showed. This was bad. He was saying everything she wanted to hear, everything she’d dreamed he’d say. But it wasn’t enough.
She’d never completely gotten over the hurt her mother had caused, never forgotten how it felt to be passed over for her mom’s happiness. She’d resented all the men in her mother’s life and held them at arm’s length because she knew they weren’t there to stay. In time, she’d come to terms with the choices her mom had made, but she’d never forgotten how betrayed she’d felt. She, who was always there to love and support her mother, didn’t make her mother happy. The thought of Eli feeling that way about the father he adored was too much. “I can’t.”
The range of emotions that crossed his face was quick, but she soaked in every spellbinding expression. “Yes, you can.” His determination was clear. “And this time, I’m not gonna let you go without a fight. You hear me?”
She shook her head, forcing the pure joy his words stirred deep down inside her. She drew in a deep breath and spoke carefully. “There’s no fight. Last night was amazing, no denying that.” She cleared her throat, her heart rebelling against the next words she forced out. “But this isn’t where I want to be, Hunter. This isn’t my life.”
His hold lessened on her the slightest bit. “You keep telling yourself that, Jo. I’m happy to prove you wrong.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead before he released her, leaving her unsteady on her own two feet. He unlocked the car door, held it open for her and handed her the keys when she was sitting inside. She hadn’t realized how cold she was until she was out of the morning wind.
And there he stood, basically shirtless, smiling at her like that. She could see his breath on the air. He had to be freezing. “Get inside before you catch a cold,” she snapped.
He laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”
She shook her head, scowling at him until she was pulling down the driveway. Glancing back provided her with instantaneous relief. Amy and her big red truck weren’t parked in front of the house. Not that she had any right to feel one way or the other about Amy being there. Hunter had told her the truth, as far as he was concerned. And what he’d said... All sorts of ridiculous and conflicting emotions warred inside her. Tears were streaming down her face, some happy, some not so happy.
Chapter Twelve
Josie made sure each loaf of sweet bread was wrapped in waxed paper, then tin foil, before packing them into the plastic travel container. “Are you ready?” she called out to her father.
“In a minute,” he answered. “Still can’t believe your car broke down last night. You need to let the rental car people know. Maybe you can get your money back.”
“Sure, Dad. I’ll do that,” she said quickly, hating lying to her dad. Sprinkles, who’d been watching her from the doorway, yapped at her. “What?” she asked. Sprinkles cocked her head to one side, making a strange little growl. Of disapproval? Did the dog know she was lying? She put her hands on her hips and frowned at the dog. “Give me a break, Sprinkles,” she whispered. The dog yapped again. “I am not going to tell him I had a...sleepover at Hunter’s place. And I’m not going to let something that eats my face cream make me feel guilt.” She turned her back on the dog and straightened up the kitchen.
Why did staying with her father make her feel as if she needed to sneak around? He’d made no secret that he wanted her to give it another chance with Hunter. Heck, her dad would probably throw them a party. Maybe that was why she didn’t say anything. In the twelve hours since her night with Hunter, she’d felt more at odds than ever.
“Everything packed up?” Her father peeked into the kitchen. “Can you feed Sprinkles for me?”
“If you’ll hurry up.” She shot a pointed look at the shaving cream on his face. “Lola will be here any second.”
“We’re picking her up,” her father said, returning to the bathroom. “Awfully eager to get there, aren’t we?”
She didn’t answer. She was eager. She wanted to see Hunter and Eli. Tonight was an opportunity to pretend she was part of that family. She hung up her apron and flipped off the kitchen lights. The dog wa
s still sitting in the doorway. “Is that what this stare-down is about? Are you hungry, Sprinkles? Sorry, I’m still not fluent in dog speak yet.”
Sprinkles did her little growl-yip thing. Josie chuckled.
It took an hour to get ready. Her father had changed shirts six times and nicked himself while shaving. She’d picked out a new shirt, located a Band-Aid and fielded several phone calls concerning the Gingerbread Festival while trying to lure the stubborn little terrier into the kitchen for dinner.
“She likes to eat in the dining room, like me,” her father explained after Josie had circled the kitchen table for the fifth time.
“Really, Dad? But you’re not eating in the dining room, so why can’t she just be a dog and eat in the kitchen?” Josie put her hands on her hips. Sprinkles circled her, yipping loudly. “Am I supposed to set you a place at the table? Or will you have your meal on the floor?”
Her father frowned at her. “Don’t get all sassy. A man gets lonely without a companion.” A strange look crossed his face and he patted his shirt pocket. “Be right back.” He moved, more quickly than she’d seen him move in a while, back down the hall to his room.
Josie poured Sprinkles a heaping bowl of dog food, then refilled her water bowl. “What, no thank-you?” Sprinkles eyed the food, then the water, then flopped down in her dog bed. Josie shook her head and loaded the food they were bringing into her father’s small extended cab pickup truck. Her father came out, looking rather dashing.
“You look all spiffed up, Dad.” She noticed the slight color on his cheeks. “So, how was bingo last night?”
“Oh, fine. Lola won, as always. I’m convinced she’s got the game rigged.” He locked the front door behind them.
“By using magnetized bingo balls or something?” Josie couldn’t help but tease as she climbed into the truck.
Her father joined her, staring at her. “I never thought of that one. Hmm, sounds like a lot of work—”
“Dad, I was kidding.” She laughed.
“You sure we made enough?” Her father eyed the six loaves of sweet bread and tray of assorted delectable holiday treats. “There are a lot of Boones out there.”
“I think we’ll be fine, Dad.”
“You should see Fisher eat. And Eli. Boys must have hollow legs.”
They picked up Lola, and Josie moved to the backseat, listening to them chatter about the upcoming festivities on the square and any little snippets of gossip Lola had to share, as well.
“I know she’s a friend of yours, but there’s a rumor that Principal Upton has herself a fella.” Lola turned in her seat.
Josie shook her head. “Not that I know of. Annabeth’s been pretty up-front about being lonely.” She didn’t mention the sexting to Lola. She might adore the older woman, but she knew Lola Worley loved to talk. “Out of curiosity, why?”
Lola nodded. “Well, her neighbor saw flowers being delivered to her house. And she’s had a babysitter three more times than she usually does.”
Josie didn’t say a word. One of those nights, Annabeth had been with her. And she’d had Career Night, too. But that was all she knew of. She sighed. Was she really going to dissect Annabeth’s babysitting schedule to determine whether she was dating? No. No, she wasn’t. And she wasn’t going to ask her, either. If Annabeth wanted to tell her, she would.
The closer they got to Boone Ranch, the more nervous Josie felt. Once they parked, she took more time than necessary collecting the travel containers of food. Her dad and Lola were inside when she heard, “Can I help?”
Hunter pulled her against him, his hands sliding down the length of her back to her hips and back up to rest on her shoulders.
* * *
SHE FELT SO good against him. As though she was made for him.
“Hi.” Her whisper was unsteady. He liked it.
He nodded, bending to kiss her.
“Hunter—”
“Hold that thought,” he murmured, pressing his lips against hers. It was one of those deep, openmouthed, soft kisses that had her clinging to his shirt and swaying into him. With a soft groan, he loosened his hold on her. As tempting as it was to load her into his truck and take her to his place, he knew better. Instead, he dropped a swift kiss on the tip of her nose, asking, “What were you saying?”
Her breathless laugh warmed him through. “I think I was going to say something about being seen or this wasn’t a good idea...” She trailed off.
“That’s what I thought.”
“You knew I was going to say that? And you kissed me?” He watched her eyes narrow.
“Worked for me,” he argued, collecting the containers from the truck. “Good thing it’s cold out here or everyone in the house would know I was hungry for something other than food right now.”
She stared up at him. Something about ruffling her feathers made him a little too happy. He winked. “Come on. We stay out here too long, Lola will talk.”
She hurried up the steps to the porch, holding open the door for him.
“Happy holidays!” His father was all smiles, giving Jo a big hug and kiss. “You look as pretty as one of your pictures.”
Hunter disagreed. Pretty didn’t begin to describe how Jo looked. Her black sweater fitted her snugly, hugging her breasts and reminding him of how well they fit in his hands.
“Aren’t your pictures normally animals?” Fisher picked her up in a bear hug. “Or landscapes? Don’t be offended, Josie.”
“Hi, Fisher.” She laughed. “You really don’t have to pick me up every time we see each other.”
“No?” his brother asked.
“No,” Hunter answered before he thought.
His brother grinned, ear to ear, as he set her down. “Looks like he can’t stand a little competition, Josie,” Fisher whispered, winking at her.
Hunter ignored his brother’s teasing, but not the rosy hue of Josie’s cheeks. If he didn’t get a grip on his emotions, tonight was going to be one hell of a long night.
“Joselyn.” Archer nodded at her. “Nice to see you.”
“You, too, Archer.” She smiled in response, her nerves showing.
Ryder winked in greeting, and she waved back.
“Hey, Josie.” His sister, Renata, was all smiles.
Josie stared at Renata before pulling her into a hug. “God, you’re gorgeous.”
He grinned. His little sister was a little too gorgeous for his liking. Too blonde, too blue-eyed, with a figure that turned too many heads. Thank God she had a good head on her shoulders or he and his brothers would be headed for trouble.
“She’s all grown up,” his father agreed.
Renata laughed, hugging her back. “It has been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
“Time goes faster the older you are.” His father hooked arms with Josie. “That’s why it’s so important to make every minute count.”
“You sound like my dad,” Josie said.
“Imparting words of wisdom is a father’s job.” Teddy patted Josie’s arm. “Come say hello, Eli. We’ve got guests, so pretend like you’ve got some manners.” He winked at his grandson.
Hunter had never had to punish his son before, not really, but Eli had never treated anyone with such disrespect. He barely nodded at Jo, before shaking hands with Carl and letting Lola kiss his cheek.
“Santa’s big on manners.” Renata poked Eli in the side, making Eli smile reluctantly.
Dinner was a mash-up of good and bad. Hunter sat beside Josie, enjoying every accidental brush of her hand against his. When he passed the rolls or the butter, he let his fingers linger just so he could watch her cheeks turn rosy. He couldn’t resist touching her. The way her breath caught in her throat when he let his hand fall from his lap to her thigh almost had him dragging her from the room. She shifted to the opposite side of her chair, her grip on her wineglass tightening. He couldn’t stop grinning. He couldn’t ignore the pull between them. Electric, hot, charging the air between them. Damn, but he was hard wit
h want before they’d started eating.
Conversation ebbed and flowed, but every second he was aware of her. The way she looked at her father and Lola was so hopeful and happy. The longing on her face as she laughed at his siblings’ teasing... She hadn’t had a lot of family get-togethers and love in her home growing up. He knew her mom had done a number on her, muddying the waters when it came to real love and commitment. And his betrayal, with Amy, hadn’t helped. But, if she’d give him another chance, he’d show her that family could be loyal, sticking together to the end, even when things were tough.
Josie stiffened, her entire body rigid.
“Jo?” he whispered, the others engrossed in one of Fisher’s stories.
She looked at him, her silver-gray eyes searching his.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Fine.” But he heard the tremor in her voice.
“You can write a book about that,” Fisher finished. “Not sure it’s fit for kids, though.”
Hunter had no idea what his brother had been saying, but he smiled. “Don’t think so.”
Fisher shrugged.
“When are you leaving?” Eli asked.
Hunter stared at his son. So did everyone else at the table.
“I...I mean,” the boy stuttered, seeing his mistake, “you’re going back to Washington, right, Miss Stephens?”
Hunter was stunned. And more than a little hurt. What had he done to make his son worry so? To think Eli would be replaced by anyone in his heart? It pissed Hunter off that his son was talking to Jo like that. But there was something else going on with Eli, and he needed to find out what it was—soon.
“I’m trying to convince her to stay,” her father said. “Seems to me, she can write anywhere.”
“And all her stories are about Stonewall Crossing, anyway,” Lola chimed in. “I’ve got that little stone cottage needing a tenant.”
“Any news about the university job?” his father asked.
“I told them I’d get back to them in January,” she admitted. “There’s a chance for me to do a lovely in memoriam mural at the vet school I’d really love to do before I go.”
A Cowboy's Christmas Reunion (Mills & Boon Cherish) (The Boones of Texas, Book 1) Page 13
