Silver Belles and Stetsons

by Caroline Clemmons

  “Do you think it’s as big as it feels?”

  She stiffened and slowly turned around. “Oh I could feel it, but I didn’t look. Why would you ask me a question like that? It’s no wonder you’re not married.” She quickly went back to cooking.

  “Ginger?”

  “I don’t want to talk to you.”

  “What did you think I meant?”

  “You are a pest this morning. I know what you meant. I didn’t look at yours, and I didn’t look at Albert’s either. However, if you really have to know yours is much bigger. There, are you happy now? Maybe we shouldn’t talk until spring.” She huffed and promptly ignored him.

  His lips twitched. She thought he was asking about his privates. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop the roar of laughter begging to escape. He didn’t know why, but he puffed up with pride knowing his was bigger. No not bigger, much bigger. Finally, he couldn’t contain his laughter. It rumbled from deep within, and once he started he couldn’t seem to stop. She frowned at him, gaped at him, threatened to kill him, but he still laughed. When she asked what was so funny, he only laughed harder.

  Molly started to cry, and Ginger quickly picked her up. She gave him a murderous look before she tried to calm the baby.

  He finally stopped laughing and stared at them longingly. He wasn’t making any headway with her at all. In fact, things seemed worse. “I’m sorry. Why don’t you bring her here?”

  She hesitated then walked to the side of the bed. “I don’t like being laughed at.” The hurt in her eyes saddened him. She handed him Molly and walked away.

  “I hurt you. I care for you too much to want to hurt you.” Silence ensued and he could have kicked himself for revealing his feelings.

  She stared at him. “I lied when I said I didn’t like your kisses. I’m embarrassed I’m the type of woman who takes her clothes off and jumps in bed with you. I bet most ladies would have balked at the very notion. I can’t help but think you must have a low opinion of me. I had Molly out of wedlock and I shamed myself by sleeping with you.” A lone tear trailed down her face. “Growing up everyone whispered I would end up to be no good like my father, and they were right. It doesn’t matter where I go, I always do something wrong. I plan to change that when Molly and I leave, God willing.”

  “God willing you will leave or God willing you plan to change?” He held his breath.

  “Both perhaps. I don’t know. I know the best way to repay your kindness is to get out of your life. You don’t want to be saddled with me. You may think you care for me but you just feel sorry for me.”

  “Is that what you really think? I feel sorry for you? I wish I could leap out of this bed and show you how sorry I don’t feel. I care for you more than I’ve ever cared before. You can’t change the way I feel and you did nothing shameful, nothing. You saved my life by giving me your heat. If you hadn’t climbed in with me, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. You gave me a wonderful Christmas present. I’m greedy though. I want the greatest gift.”

  “The greatest gift?” Her brow furrowed.

  “You’ll figure it out, and it has nothing to do with your body.” He wanted to smile at her but he didn’t want her to cry again. “Tell you what. I’ll trade you Molly for some pancakes.”

  She gave him a half smile. “My pancakes are that good, are they?”

  “You are an exceptional cook.” He watched in pleasure as she blushed and smiled deeply. She went back to the stove, piled some pancakes on a plate, and traded them for Molly.

  “I got the better end of the deal,” she said.

  “I don’t know, sweetheart. I think she needs changing.”

  ***

  He certainly was a mystery. He was right about one thing; she shouldn’t feel shame for saving him last night. He called it a gift and perhaps it was. She did it without thinking about anything else but saving him. What was the greatest gift he talked about? The only great gift she could think of she’d already given to Albert. She’d been told from an early age her virginity was the greatest gift but Foster thought something else was. Her eyes widened.

  “I won’t give you such a gift.”

  His mouth dropped open. “What?”

  “Molly is my daughter and she stays with me.”

  “Of course she does, honey. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He handed her his empty plate. “I’m going to get out of bed.”

  “I think you should rest. That bump on your head looks big…” She swallowed hard. “Is that what you meant? The bump on your head? You knew I misunderstood and laughed about it?”

  His lips twitched and he started laughing again.

  “Stop laughing.”

  He laughed louder. “I can’t.”

  “The reason yours is much bigger is because Albert doesn’t have a bump on his head.” She gave him a curt nod expecting the laughter to stop, but it only started it up again. Staring him down didn’t help either. She approached him, ready to swat him when he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down onto the bed. She sputtered and tried to get up, but he held her tight.

  “Listen, I want our life to be one of love and laughter. I want to share the sun and the stars with you. I want us to build the finest ranch around. I want to be your husband and Molly’s father. I want the greatest gift; your love.”

  Lying on her back, she stared at him in surprise. “You love me? My love is the greatest gift?” She gave him a smile of love. “I thought you didn’t want a wife.”

  “I didn’t, but somehow you changed all that. I’ve never known anyone so selfless and kind. You are loving and strong. I didn’t mean for it to happen but it did. I love you, Ginger.”

  Her heart skipped a beat as happiness soared through her. She’d never felt so loved. “I love you too, Foster. You are kind and giving. Hard and strong, yet gentle. I want you to be my husband. I’m tired of trying to deny my feelings for you. You’ve already been a good father to Molly.”

  He leaned down and touched her lips with his. The first kiss was light and fluttery, almost teasing. The second one he slanted his lips over hers, deepening the kiss. When he lifted up to look at her, he stroked her face. The third kiss would have knocked her down if she’d been standing. He put his tongue into her mouth, swirling it around until hers began to touch his. It was intoxicating; unlike anything she’d ever known.

  How she wanted him. His tongue began to go in and out of her mouth, imitating how their union would be. Her breasts tightened and her nipples hardened in need, but they couldn’t. She needed to heal inside. But once healed, she planned on making up for lost time.

  “How long?” He asked his lips still on hers.

  “How would I know?”

  He pulled back and smiled at her. “I suppose we wait until you are no longer sore. Probably a few months.”

  “That sounds way too long. We’ll figure it out together.”

  “I like that. Figuring it out together. Ginger Galway, will you marry me?”

  “Of course I will.” Her eyes misted. “I never thought I’d get married.”

  “Isn’t it wonderful how life works?”

  Epilogue

  Three Months Later

  “I feel completeness with you I never thought possible.” Ginger looked down at her gold wedding band.

  “I’m glad we didn’t wait until spring. I wanted you every minute of every day and I wouldn’t have been able to stand it much longer.” Foster took her hand and kissed her palm. “I wanted to do it the right way and I’m so glad it didn’t take as long as I thought for you to heal.”

  “And what a lucky break we had that thaw last month.” She smiled and blushed when he winked at her. Foster took Molly from her arms while Patches looked on, purring.

  “This little one has so much red hair she looks so much like you.” Molly started to scream and her face, neck, and little fists turned red. “Oh my, she’s got the temper to go with her hair.”

  She laughed. “That’s a myth. Look at me. I�
�m never mad.” She laughed when Foster didn’t respond. “I’m that bad?”

  He handed Molly back to her and took them both into his warm embrace. He smelled of the outdoors and horses. “There is nothing about you that is bad. It was my luckiest day when you decided to give birth in my barn. You make everything in life better. We’ll make our own good memories to get rid of the bad.”

  She held onto him. He was her port in a very bad storm and he continued to be her rock. Theirs was a forever type of love. He gave as much love as he took, and he was never too tired to love her at night. “Finding your barn was a type of miracle. Now Christmas will always be a time for us to celebrate. It’s the time we gave and received the greatest gift— love.”

  ~ The End ~

  About the Author

  Sexy Cowboys and the women who love them...

  Finalist in the 2012 and 2015 RONE Awards.

  Top Pick, Five Star Series from the Romance Review.

  Kathleen Ball writes Historical and Contemporary Western Romance with great emotion and memorable characters. Her books are award winners and have appeared on best sellers lists including Amazon's Best Sellers List, All Romance Ebooks, Bookstrand, Desert Breeze Publishing and Secret Cravings Publishing Best Sellers list. She is the recipient of eight Editor's Choice Awards, and The Readers' Choice Award for Ryelee's Cowboy.

  There's something about a cowboy.

  Find Kathleen Ball’s Book on Amazon

  Stone Mountain Christmas

  A Stone Mountain Novella

  By

  Caroline Clemmons

  Stone Mountain Christmas

  A Stone Mountain Novella

  By

  Caroline Clemmons

  Copyright © 2014 by Caroline Clemmons

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental.

  About Stone Mountain Christmas

  Join Amazon bestselling and award winning author Caroline Clemmons for a sweet Christmas novella in her Stone Mountain series of western historical romance.

  Christmas has been Celia Dubois’s favorite time of year as long as she can remember. When she moves back with her parents a year after the death of her husband, the young widow is appalled at the town’s lack of Christmas spirit. Two months earlier, banditos had burned the church and crushed the townspeople. Celia vows to return holiday joy to the town. Perhaps doing so might help mend her aching heart. Will Celia’s plan work magic on the town?

  Rancher Eduardo Montoya knows Celia is the woman for him. She enchants him with her winning smile and vivacious nature. When her father warns Eduardo away from Celia, Eduardo is both angry and frustrated. After he stops a robbery in the mercantile, will Celia’s parents change their minds about him? Can handsome Eduardo heal Celia’s sorrow?

  Chapter One

  Radford Crossing, Texas, November 1874

  Eduardo Montoya focused on the beautiful redhead who swept the walk in front of Sturdivant’s Mercantile across the street. He turned to speak to his friend. “She is a vision, is she not?”

  Micah Stone, his cousin’s husband, asked, “Have you met her or spoken to her?”

  Eduardo’s gaze returned to Celia Dubois. He refused to let anyone shatter his dreams. “See how graceful she is even when performing a menial chore? When we are wed, she will not have to be concerned with such things.”

  Sounding incredulous, Micah said, “I repeat, have you even met or spoken to her?”

  Eduardo had no doubt his friend believed he had taken leave of his senses. He wasn’t so sure he hadn’t, but he placed a hand over his heart. “In good time, my friend. All in good time.”

  Micah clapped him on the shoulder. “Come on, Romeo. We’ve finished our business with Joel. Hope’s expecting us for lunch. You can daydream about the pretty widow on our way home.”

  “I suppose we must go.” He exhaled, reluctantly willing to leave town but unwilling to let anyone derail his plans.

  Micah untied his horse from the hitching rail in front of his brother’s law office and mounted. “Have to say this is the first time I’ve known you to be shy about flirting with a woman.”

  Determination steeled Eduardo’s resolve as he swung onto his gelding. “Never before has a woman been so important to me. You will see. One day, she will become my wife.”

  The two rode toward Micah’s ranch.

  From where she stood on the walk, Celia had known the men watched her. One was the youngest Stone brother. Identifying him was easy because the three Stone men looked so much alike.

  But she hadn’t yet met the handsome man dressed as a Spanish Don. He fit the description she’d been privy to of Eduardo Montoya, one of the wealthiest men in this part of Texas. At least, that’s what she’d overheard while helping in her parents’ store.

  He certainly cut a dashing figure in his black clothes trimmed with silver buttons. She wondered if he was entitled to dress like Spanish nobility or if he merely played a part. The silver on his saddle flashed in the sunlight and she questioned the safety of such a display.

  One thing she’d noticed in her few days in town and working in her father’s mercantile, she heard tidbits of local gossip whether intentionally or not. She wondered what the gossips had to say about her. Probably best she didn’t know. Most people she’d met were friendly but there were a few prunes eager to criticize everyone.

  Wasn’t that true everywhere? Yet she thought an unusual pall lay over Radford Crossing. The town definitely needed a large dose of cheer. As a matter of fact, she wouldn’t mind a measure for herself. With a sigh, she went back inside the store.

  Later that afternoon, ringing of the bell over the door alerted her to a customer and she turned from straightening shelves.

  With a gasp of pleasure, she walked toward the newcomer. “Hello, Rosalyn. How can I help you?”

  Rosalyn Stone glided to greet her wearing a gorgeous blue dress and matching bonnet. They exchanged a hug.

  Her friend smiled. “I came to see how you’re settling in.”

  She fought to keep sorrow from her voice. “Pretty well. I’m sure you remember adjusting to a new environment from when you and Lucy moved here.”

  Rosalyn raised her eyebrows. “Although I left New Orleans when I married, this is very different from there, isn’t it?”

  She forced a smile. “Like another world.”

  “And going from a New Orleans debutante and a member of high society to working in a mercantile—even a nice one like your father’s—requires a giant change in lifestyle.”

  “So far, the transition isn’t as hard as you might think.” Before she could add more, the bell over the door jingled again and two middle-aged women entered.

  Rosalyn leaned near. “Oh, dear, no privacy with those two here. Why don’t you slip over to our house tomorrow and we’ll have tea and a nice chat?”

  “I’d love to. Would three be convenient?”

  “Perfect. I’ll see you then.” With a smile and a wave, Rosalyn departed.

  Taking a deep breath, Celia addressed the customers, “May I help you find something?”

  ***

  Armed with directions from her father, Celia set out for Rosalyn’s residence the following afternoon. Surprised at reaching the largest home she’d seen in town, she twisted the door bell.

  A smiling young woman wearing a white apron over a gray muslin dress answered and ushered her into the parlor.

  Rosalyn stood. “Thank you, Sally.” She gestured to the sofa.
“Come join me, Celia. We have years of catching up ahead.”

  Celia noticed the baby playing in a cradle near Rosalyn. “Mother said you’d had a son.”

  “Meet Joel Nicholas Stone. To avoid confusion, we’re calling him Nick.”

  The familiar ache punched Celia in the abdomen. Her baby had been a boy. She fought the despair that had plagued her since the accident and forced what she hoped appeared a cheerful expression.

  “What a precious child. I’m happy for you.”

  A caramel-colored woman entered the room. She stopped and put her hands on her hips. “Is that Miss Celia all growed up?”

  Celia opened her arms. “Birdie? How wonderful to see you here.” She hugged the wiry woman who had been Rosalyn’s nanny when they’d been young.

  Today, Birdie wore a stylish dress in yellow print that fit her perfectly. This was the first time Celia had seen the woman dressed attractively. From her relaxed features, obviously she was happier than Celia had ever seen her.

  Birdie rested her hand lovingly on Rosalyn’s shoulder. “I couldn’t resist when my baby and her fine husband wanted to move Luther and me here. We lives in a real nice place at the back of this house. More room than we knows what to do with. Being here with my babies is pure-dee pleasure.”

  Rosalyn smiled tenderly at the woman. “You know very well that having you here is our pleasure, Birdie. We can’t imagine life without you and Luther.”

  “Speaking of that man, I got to check on him and see he’s doing what I told him. Sure nice to see you, Miss Celia.” Birdie bustled out of the room.

  When Birdie had gone, Celia said, “She looks just the same but she must be in her forties now.”