A Cold Creek Holiday

by RaeAnne Thayne

  "I'm sorry."

  He laughed roughly. "I'm only sorry the memory of it doesn't do justice to the real thing." He kissed her, his mouth fierce, almost possessive, and she clutched at his back, wondering just how she had come to care so much for this man in such a short time.

  She could feel his arousal against her and she arched against him, seeking more. She wanted him, wanted this. The hunger was like a steady wind inside her, sweeping away all her uncertainties.

  They kissed and tasted and explored while the soft carols played in the background and she wanted to remember every moment of this forever. He helped her out of her sweater, leaving only the white cotton blouse underneath. When his hands moved to the buttons of her shirt, she reached to help him. With each button that slipped through its opening, he pressed a kiss to the skin exposed.

  And then, just as he reached for the last one, when her nerves had reached a fever pitch of anticipation for his touch, the sudden jangle of a cell phone rang through the small cabin.

  Chapter Eleven

  Both of them froze, their breath ragged. When the phone rang again he swore, low and vicious, wishing he could pound his head against the coffee table a couple dozen times.

  "I can't ignore it," he said, fighting a groan. "I want to, more than I want to take my next breath, but I can't."

  "I know."

  She scrambled up, working the buttons on her shirt with fingers that trembled.

  "It's got to be the girls. Claire knows to call me if she can't find me in the house. I always leave the phone by the side of her bed."

  "Answer it."

  With another quick, muffled curse, he reached for the phone. "What's wrong?"

  "Uncle Nate, where are you?" Claire's plaintive cry tore at his conscience. "Tallie had a nightmare again. A really bad one. She won't stop crying and I don't know what to do."

  Walking barefoot out into the snow wouldn't have cooled the intense heat between them any faster. Though it was just about the toughest thing he'd ever had to do, he moved farther away from Emery and reached for his coat.

  "I'm outside," he answered, which wasn't technically a lie since he was outside the ranch house.

  "Well, can you come back in soon?" she begged. "She's really upset and she just wants Mom and Dad."

  "Yeah. Yeah. Of course. I'll be there in a minute."

  "Hurry, okay?"

  "Hang on, honey. I'm on my way."

  She hung up after his assurance that he would be there in a moment. Claire sounded far more composed than he felt. Sometimes he forgot she wasn't twelve yet, that she was still very much a child.

  "Don't worry about anything," Emery said as he tucked his shirt back in. "I'll finish up out here and hide the gifts in the bedroom again."

  He didn't know what to say that wouldn't make him feel like even more of a heel. "I'm sorry. More sorry than you'll ever know."

  Her laugh sounded a little rough, strained. "The girls have excellent timing. First the school bus and now this. It's probably better this way. Neither one of us is in a good place for…anything."

  "Em…"

  She shook her head. "Go. The girls need you."

  He gave her one more regretful look then hurried out into the cold December night.

  * * *

  An hour later, Nate stood in the darkened great room beside the Christmas tree, watching soft, puffy flakes of snow drift down. Tallie and Claire were finally settled again after a cup of instant hot cocoa and a half dozen stories.

  For a good twenty minutes after he rushed to the house, Tallie had sobbed in his arms, distraught from her nightmare. He hadn't done much of anything except hold her and murmur soft little nothing words and promise her repeatedly that he wasn't going anywhere and neither was Claire.

  Finally she had drifted back to sleep in his arms and at Claire's suggestion, he had put her in her sister's room in case she woke again.

  Was there ever a moment in a parent's life that wasn't touched by guilt? He never should have left the house, even if Claire could reach him quickly on the cell. It wasn't fair that she had to deal with her sister alone in those first few tense moments after Tallie awoke.

  Nate sipped at his own lousy powdery mug of hot cocoa then set it on the corner of the mantel. He was exhausted, emotionally and physically, and wanted nothing more than to unburden himself to a willing ear. The lights of Emery's cabin were on and her own little Christmas tree glimmered merrily in the window, but he knew he couldn't leave the house again tonight.

  Even if he didn't have to consider the girls, it wouldn't be a good idea to seek her out again.

  Too much was at stake. Not just his own increasingly powerful feelings for her, but more important, the girls. Tallie's nightmare was a stark reminder of the psychological trauma his nieces had suffered and how very far they had to go toward healing. Tallie was terrified that everyone she loved would leave her as her parents had done. The grief counselors he'd taken them to said only time and routine would provide the stability she needed.

  He knew Emery's place in their world was fleeting. She would be returning to Virginia in a few days and all his instincts urged him to keep her at a distance, for the girls' sake.

  But what about his sake? He craved her company like a canteen full of pure spring water after a long recon mission in the dessert. She was soft and sweet and when he was with her, he could forget about his worries and the uncertainty of the future and everything he had given up to do what was right for his nieces.

  With Emery, he wasn't an ex-Ranger or a greenhorn parent or an out-of-his-league rancher. He was only a man wrapped around a beautiful woman who touched something deep inside him.

  He sighed. Probably best that they'd been interrupted before things spiraled out of control, for everybody's sake. Somehow knowing that perfectly well still didn't seem to ease the yearning ache in his gut.

  * * *

  So much for those damn best intentions.

  Nate gazed across at the passenger seat of his SUV where Emery sat with her hands folded and her mouth compressed into a thin line.

  She looked even more lovely and sophisticated than normal, with her hair swept back into a shiny twist and her makeup so expertly applied, he could hardly tell she was wearing any.

  "Why didn't you bring your swimsuit?" Tallie asked her. "You won't even get cold because the pool's inside the McRavens' house!"

  "I believe I've heard that," Emery said drily.

  "You should go swimming with us, then!"

  "I'll be too busy eating all the good food to go swimming," she said with a smile for the girls that seemed to reach right out and tug at his insides.

  He really had intended to keep his distance. But he never counted on the girls finding Emery after school at the horse corrals on their daily visits to check on Annabelle, and inviting their guest to ride with them to the party.

  A little warning might have been nice. Instead, a few minutes before they were heading out the door, Claire had casually mentioned they needed to pick up Emery because she and Tallie had offered her a ride.

  "She said no at first, but we told her it wasn't good for the planet to take two cars," Tallie had confided.

  "She couldn't say no after that. I hope it's okay," Claire had said.

  It wasn't okay. Bad enough he had to go to the damn party in the first place. Tougher still, he now had to work to keep his hands off Emery, who looked sleekly delicious in a shiny white shirt, black slacks and another of her scarves, this one in jeweled holiday tones.

  The woman was slowly shoving him straight over the edge.

  They drove across the bridge that spanned the creek on the way to Raven's Nest, Carson McRaven's sprawling lodge. McRaven was a newcomer to Cold Creek Canyon and had purchased the ranch Nate had always known as the Wagon Wheel after the previous owner died in a ranch accident. Last summer, he had ended up marrying the widow who had sold him the land.

  Nate had known Jenna Wheeler McRaven in high school. She had sav
ed his bacon right after Suzi and John died by filling the freezer at the house with container after container of delicious food for them to eat in those first raw, terrible early days.

  The McRavens' house was lit up, with a Christmas tree that had to be twice the size of the Hope Springs one blazing in the front window and lights framing just about every window.

  He blinked a little at this exuberance. The few times Nate had met him, Carson McRaven didn't seem the sort to dive into the whole holiday spirit thing. But he supposed a man with four stepchildren probably had to make a few concessions.

  The moment he parked the SUV and turned the vehicle ignition off, the girls climbed out and raced for the front door, leaving him to walk the short distance to the house alone with Emery.

  He was intensely aware of her, her scent of cinnamon and vanilla and the roses the cold air put into her high cheekbones.

  "How's Tallie today?" she asked just before they reached the steps into the house. "Did it take long for her to fall asleep again after the nightmare last night?"

  He jerked his mind away from how badly he wanted to drag her against one of those porch supports and kiss her until they were both mindless.

  "Okay," he answered. "A little quieter than normal, maybe. I really thought she was done with the nightmares. Right after the accident, she would wake up every night crying, but it's been several weeks since the last one."

  "Poor thing. It makes your heart just break, doesn't it?"

  "We all usually have a tough time going back to sleep afterward, but this one wasn't too bad. For the girls, anyway. I noticed your light was still on late."

  She flashed him a quick look then turned her attention back to the step. "I was working on the quilts."

  He had nearly forgotten them amid all that heated embrace and then all his angst over Tallie's nightmare. And, he was rather abashed to admit, over this stupid party he didn't want to attend.

  "How are they coming?"

  "Good," she answered, losing a little of the tension he'd noticed from the moment she slid into the SUV at the house. "I can't believe how fast they're coming together. Tallie's is nearly done and I should finish Claire's in plenty of time for you to put them under your tree tomorrow night."

  Christmas Eve, he realized with a little spurt of shock. How could it possibly be here so soon?

  Before he could answer, the door swung open and their host and hostess greeted them with friendly smiles.

  "Nate!" Jenna wrapped him in a hug and kissed his cheek, reminding him anew why she had always been one of his favorite people at Pine Gulch High. "The girls rushed in a few moments ago so I figured you wouldn't be far behind. I'm so happy you made it."

  He pulled away and introduced Emery, who was still hovering near the door. "Jenna, this is Emery Kendall. She's visiting the ranch from Virginia. Em, this is Jenna McRaven and her husband, Carson."

  "Welcome!" Jenna exclaimed with another of her exuberant hugs while Carson shook Nate's hand.

  "We're pretty casual tonight," Carson said. "The food is all set up buffet style in the dining room and most of the children are already in the pool. We've got adults stationed there to keep watch, don't worry."

  "Thank you for inviting me," Emery said with a polite smile. "It's lovely to be included, even though I'm only visiting the area."

  "We're happy to have you," Carson replied with a sincerity Nate hoped Emery didn't miss.

  Before she could answer, though, Wade Dalton approached and held out his hand to Nate. Jenna, the proper hostess, began introducing Emery to him but Wade shook his head.

  "We've met," Wade said with a smile. "Glad you decided to come after all."

  Nate frowned. He'd always been struck by the resemblance between Wade and his father, but when he poured on the charm, the man was a dead ringer for Hank. He had a sudden insane urge to wrap his arm around Emery's shoulders and claim her as his for all the world to see.

  Ridiculous. She wasn't his and she never would be.

  That didn't stop him from having to swallow a growl when Wade gave her a broad smile.

  "Carrie's going to be thrilled you're here. She's in the kitchen. I'll go let her know you and Nate are here."

  She didn't answer, only nodded. But to Nate's shock, she didn't take her gaze off him as he walked away, following his progress away from them with a strange, intent expression.

  Nate's stomach suddenly felt slick, greasy. He didn't want to see her sudden fascination with Wade Dalton. He wanted to pretend he had been completely mistaken about it.

  Like father, like son, apparently.

  Old Hank Dalton had never let a silly thing like his wedding ring interfere with his love life.

  "Can I get you a drink?" Carson asked.

  He shook his head, but Emery asked in a rather strangled voice for some ginger ale.

  "Coming right up," he said, and headed for a table laden with drinks, just as Maggie Dalton walked past them with a tray of little shrimp skewers wrapped in bacon.

  Though they looked delicious and he hadn't eaten any dinner, he didn't think he could choke down even one. He had completely lost his appetite.

  "Hey, Sergeant," Maggie said with a smile. He gave her a smart salute, as he always did when he saw her, more out of respect than obligation since they were both retired, indoors and out of uniform.

  If she hadn't left the military a few years earlier, Maggie would have outranked him, since she had been an army nurse lieutenant stationed in Afghanistan who had been badly injured when her clinic had been firebombed by terrorists. He had been in country at the time and had managed to visit her for a few moments before she had been shipped out to Germany for better medical care.

  Given the extent of her injuries, he had been pretty sure she wouldn't make it, but Maggie was a fighter. Though she had lost her leg below the knee in the attack, she didn't let her injury stop her. Besides raising two toddlers, she worked as a nurse practitioner in her husband's medical clinic and volunteered in many community activities.

  "How are things with the girls?" she asked him.

  "Fine. We're managing."

  She shook her head with a rueful laugh. "You Rangers are always so verbose."

  Despite his distraction, he managed to smile. "It's all part of our charm."

  Before she could answer, her husband, Jake, walked into the room carrying one of their children, a little dark-haired boy with huge eyes and a wide, toothless smile.

  "Hey, darlin'. Where's the diaper bag? This one stinks."

  "Oh, I left it in the first bedroom off the kitchen when I changed Sofia. There's a changing table in there. Want me to take care of it?"

  "No. I've got it," Jake said. "You can take the next one."

  He kissed his wife on the cheek then turned to them. "Cavazos. Good to see you." He smiled at Emery. "Hi. I'm Jake Dalton. I don't think we've met."

  Emery cleared her throat, a slightly dazed look in her eyes as she looked at the other man. "I'm Emery Kendall. I'm…staying at Hope Springs."

  "Welcome to Pine Gulch. I'm sorry to run, but trust me, you don't want me hanging around with Mr. Stinkmeister here."

  When he walked away, Maggie turned to Emery. "You're the fabric designer from Virginia Caroline was talking about! I'm sorry I didn't make the connection. She was hoping you would come. Nate, I'm stealing your guest so she can come back to the kitchen and dish with us girls."

  Before he could protest, Maggie slipped an arm through Emery's and tugged her away, leaving him temporarily on his own.

  Since he didn't feel like standing around making more small talk, he headed toward the vast three-story atrium that housed the pool, as he suddenly realized he should have done the moment they arrived to make sure the girls were well-supervised.

  The noise level was considerably larger in the pool atrium, with screams and shouts of glee amplified by the echoing space.

  He found a few adults in the pool and several more standing in groups, talking while they kept watch ov
er the fifteen or so energetic kids splashing around in the pool. Seth Dalton was one of them. Though he was fully dressed and stood on the side of the pool, he was tossing a wet beach ball back and forth to several of the kids. He didn't seem to mind being splashed every time the ball came his way.

  Nate supposed he should be grateful Emery wasn't around to fall for the youngest Dalton brother, too, since he was the one with the reputation of a heartbreaker, before he'd settled down and married the elementary school principal, anyway.

  "Uncle Nate! Uncle Nate!" Tallie's yell from the diving board added to the din in the room. "Watch me. I'm gonna jump."

  "Okay. I'm watching," he called back and had to smile as she did a perfect cannonball into the water before resurfacing and paddling to the side.

  "Did you see me?" she called out when she reached the side.

  "I did. You were awesome."

  "I'm gonna do it again. Keep watching."

  He smiled again. "You got it, kid."

  He watched her jump two more times before she grew bored and started tossing the beach ball with the other kids.

  "This has to be a big adjustment for you."

  He looked away from the pool to find Seth had joined him. Though he wasn't very inclined to think favorably of any of the Daltons right now, he knew his jealousy was unjustified and unfair. The man was trying to make conversation and wasn't that the whole point of a gathering like this?

  "It's not exactly where I expected to find myself, four months ago," he admitted. "But we're settling in."

  "I can't say I know what you're going through. It must be tough to step in after all the pain those girls have been through. But I do know a little about suddenly becoming part of a ready-made family."

  Jenny Boyer Dalton had two children from a previous marriage, Nate remembered. "How long did it take before you stopped feeling like you were completely out of your depth?"

  "I'm waiting for that feeling to hit me any day now." Seth grinned. "But then, it's only been three years. I take comfort from Wade, who's been a father since Natalie was born eleven years ago. He has four kids now and still doesn't know what he's doing."