A Christmas Cowboy to Keep

by Hebby Roman

  “Compliments will get you everywhere, Mallory. But I get it. We can mattress-dance at my house, if you like.”

  “Such a way with words, Carrigan.” Then, she added, “You never asked what I’ve decided about the litigation.”

  “Because it doesn’t matter. I’ll give up on all of it, if it means causing strife between us.”

  “What?” she said, aghast. “No! If I were your lawyer, I’d advise against it. Look, I studied everything, and Mrs. Pendleton was clearly in breach of the leasing contracts, so I’ll honor them. And I’ll grant you access to the La Plata Springs. But I do have one condition.”

  “Anything,” he replied.

  “Will you give me an easement to The Peppermint Tree?”

  “I’ll do one better,” he said, lacing his fingers with hers. “I’ll reset the boundary line and give ownership back to you. It should stay with this property anyway. I think that’s why Mrs. Pendleton gave it to you. She knew you would make the peace and do right by the land.”

  “She managed to see what I couldn’t for the longest time.”

  “What’s that?”

  “This is where I belong.”

  He tugged her close and murmured against her lips, “It’s where we both belong.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Christmas Eve

  One Year Later

  Joe waited in his Bronco, the vehicle pulled off the highway idling. Luckily, the massive storm that had been forecast earlier in the week had yet to make an appearance, and it was the only reason he had let Skye drive back from her business in Albuquerque today. Otherwise, he would’ve had her stay put.

  Not that he didn’t want to see her but chancing a replay of her road-slide from a year ago didn’t sit well with him.

  Thankfully, she only traveled occasionally now for the legal work she continued to do. She negotiated land contracts for an associate who’d offered her a job when she had decided to leave Denver and her firm. But mostly, she managed the Pendleton Ranch. Her parents had gifted her fifty Black and Red Angus, and she had acquired six horses. And while Joe generally didn’t help her with the day-to-day—Skye was determined to do it herself—he did send two of his ranch hands over twice a week to keep her workload manageable.

  Joe was just happy to have her close—and in his bed. It hadn’t been easy for her, juggling a ranch, part-time lawyering, and renovating Mrs. Pendleton’s house.

  But now he was ready to officially help with the workload by merging their properties. He was ready to put a ring on it.

  The radio cranked out “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” as he picked up his cellphone and punched in her number. On the second ring, she answered.

  “I’m almost there, Carrigan.”

  “Good. Is that you I see coming down the road?”

  “Is it? Where are you?”

  He smiled. “Notice anything?”

  She gasped. “The Peppermint Tree!”

  He’d had to get a cherry picker to decorate the damned thing because it was so tall, and he’d spent two days splicing into an electric panel at a nearby well pump so he could run an extension cord, but he was rather impressed with the result. In the waning daylight, the colorful lights glowed, giving off a festive air. He half-expected Santa to appear from behind the giant trunk at any moment.

  Skye had suggested the tree was magic. Surely anything was possible. Finding Skye again was proof of that.

  She guided her Subaru hatchback, far superior in the snow than her Prius—which her firm had reclaimed—and stopped her vehicle in front of his. She hopped out grinning.

  He ended the call and stepped out of his Bronco, patting his chest to reassure himself that he still had the jewelry box tucked into an interior pocket of his work coat. The snow crunched beneath his boots as he went to her.

  “I can’t believe you used lights,” she beamed, planting a quick, passionate kiss on him. Craning her neck, she took in the spectacle of the tree. “It’s amazing. I think Mrs. Pendleton would be very happy, despite that a Carrigan was doing it.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Are we still going to your mom’s tonight?” she asked.

  “Yes.” The moment of truth had arrived. He retrieved the velvet case. “But first, I have something I want to ask you.”

  As he went down on one knee, her face froze in shock.

  Looking up at her, he opened the box, revealing what he’d spent the last six weeks searching for—a round center stone with a twisted vine of smaller gems, all set in a yellow gold band. The design was elegant and sophisticated, just like Skye, while also giving a nod to the natural world that she now inhabited daily with him. “Skylar, will you marry me?”

  Her gaze darted from the diamond, to his face, and then back to the diamond. Tears sprang into her eyes. “Yes,” she said, her voice thick. “Oh, Joe. Yes.”

  He removed the ring and slid it onto her left hand, then stood and kissed her carefully, softly, as if they weren’t standing outside with cars passing by every few minutes, slowing down to look at the couple embracing on Christmas Eve before a giant and colorfully-lit pine tree.

  He cupped her face with his hands. “I love you, Skye.”

  “I love you too, Carrigan.” Then between his kisses, she added, “But tell me one thing—who will own The Peppermint Tree?”

  “I thought that was obvious.”

  He grinned and added, “Our children.”

  Thank you for reading The Peppermint Tree by Amazon Best-selling author Kristy McCaffrey. If you’d like to read more of Kristy’s books, you can find them on Amazon and her website.

  The Devil’s Christmas Kiss

  By Devon McKay

  Contemporary Western Romance

  Copyright @ 2018 by Devon McKay

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission of the author except where permitted by law.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  About The Devil’s Christmas Kiss

  Some things never change. Kristen Kelly’s hometown is still Christmas crazy. Her sister, Laney, will always need to be rescued. And Cole Lawson will never stop pestering her. The handsome cowboy has picked right up where they left off, teasing her without mercy. And though her head tells her to run from Cole as fast as she can, her heart has a mind of its own.

  Chapter One

  “Well, I’ll be damned. Kit Kat?”

  Kristen Kelly cringed at the dreaded nickname. Not to mention the husky tone from the haunted past that delivered it. Her heart skipped a beat, then started again, pounding in her chest as if wanting quick release.

  Was it possible to suffer a stroke simply from hearing the sound of another person’s voice? She raised her head and locked eyes with the amber gaze of the handsome cowboy who’d ruined her life.

  Not only had Cole Lawson tortured Kristen by branding her with the annoying title in grade school, the name had stuck, following her through to high school and evidently now…five years later.

  To this day, she couldn’t eat a chocolate bar without thinking about the man. However, Cole’s constant pestering hadn’t stopped with the embarrassing endearment. No, his goal had been to rattle her every chance he got. And he’d succeeded.

  A turmoil of memories hit her at once. Between the daily kicking of paper footballs in her direction when the teacher hadn’t been looking, or the surprise attacks in the school’s hallway where he’d scoop her up and parade around like a Neanderthal up and down the hall, despite Kristen’s desperate pleas to put her down, the man had been ruthless. For a shy, bookish girl this had been her worst nightmare.

  However, nothing had proven more mortifying than the p
ublic dare to kiss him at the Dreams Come True Senior Prom. Though her reaction had done the most damage. Instead of calling his bluff, and accepting the challenge, she’d run off the crowded dance floor as the entire senior class laughed.

  To add to the humiliation, she now happened to be perched underneath a colorful ribbon of Mistletoe and a painted cutout of oversized lips offering kisses for a dollar. She cursed under her breath, blaming Miranda. Why, oh, why, had she let the woman goad her into this?

  And why did he, of all people, have to show up at the kissing booth? More embarrassing memories unleashed themselves and she was reminded of the awkward teen she’d once been. One he’d enjoyed teasing unmercifully. Apparently, some things hadn’t changed.

  Though it’d been years since she’d seen him, he still looked the same. Long and lean with a patch of wayward blonde hair peeking from beneath a weathered hat, and that crooked grin which never failed to bring her to her knees. Nope, nothing had changed.

  “You’re a sight for sore eyes, K.K. I never thought I’d see you again. Especially here,” Cole drawled. A hint of that smile pulled at the corners of his lips.

  He stepped forward, stirring the Mistletoe with the brim of his hat. He tore off the faded, brown Stetson and placed it on the shelf separating them, then glanced up, craning his neck to read the sign out loud. “A dollar a kiss, huh?”

  He traced a finger along the edge of the cutout, then returned his gaze to her. “These damn things should be outlawed.”

  For a second, she wished to be the recipient of his touch, before managing to whisk the idea aside and pull herself together. Outlawed indeed. The only thing that should be against the law happened to be longing for her tormentor’s caress.

  How was it possible the man could still affect her so? Between the overwhelming memories of never feeling on solid ground, moving from house to house, and this little reunion, she questioned her return to the small town in Montana.

  “If I recall correctly, the thought of a kiss had you running for the hills, yet, here you are—selling sweet kisses at Thompson Fall’s annual holiday festival.”

  Silently she berated herself, as a part of her longed to have the man dare her to kiss him now. Her reaction to the childhood crush was ridiculous. She was an accomplished, professional woman.

  Far from the timid, goofy girl who used to pass the hours with daydreams of the handsome cowboy. Or the nights when she couldn’t sleep. How many times had she replayed the night of the prom in her head? None of which ended with her running off the dance floor.

  “This is for the toy drive. You, of all people, know I have a soft spot for kids and animals. ‘Sides anything goes in Sander’s County,” she quipped, praying the remark came across as witty and not as stupid as it sounded when she repeated it over again in her head. “However, I wouldn’t exactly call it selling—”

  Good grief. A dollar a kiss? That’s exactly what I’m doing.

  “I’m…ah…I’m one of the new vets at Healthy Critters. Volunteering for this was my partner’s idea. It’s for a good cause. All of the proceeds go to help children in need.” She shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant, despite the accelerated speed of her heart.

  Kristen fidgeted under his stare. So much for playing it cool. No wonder she became a veterinarian. She was far more comfortable with animals than humans. Especially this cocky cowboy whose presence invaded her private, inner thoughts.

  “Yeah, I know. The same spiel got me here, too,” he mumbled under his breath, then pointed back up to the sign. “So, what if I were to kiss you now? Promise you won’t run away?”

  The taunting triggered a rebellious need to prove something, not only to him, but to herself. She wasn’t the same shy girl she used to be. Kissing the man, or not kissing him, had been one of her biggest regrets.

  “Put your money in the jar and find out,” she challenged, planting both hands on her hips.

  He cocked an eyebrow and held her captive in his amber stare for a long moment before releasing a low rumble of laughter. Reaching for his wallet, he opened the leather folds and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

  Grasping her hand, he placed the note in her palm, holding on for a moment longer than necessary before letting go and leaving behind pin like tingles.

  “Brave front, K.K. You sure you aren’t going to run and hide?” Before she could answer, he cupped the back of her neck with a firm, confident hold. The pad of his thumb drew circles on her cheek, taunting her with the gentle stroke.

  Prickles of awareness spiked underneath her skin, and for a second the timid girl of her past returned before she could cast the memory aside.

  Not running this time.

  Cole leaned in, surrounding her with a woodsy, masculine scent as his warm breath tickled her lips. He brushed his mouth across hers in a chaste peck and then started to take a step back, but she boldly wound her arms about his neck, trapping him in place.

  She closed her eyes, breathing him in, as her lips parted in silent invitation and the kiss deepened into something more. His tongue flirted with hers, dancing a forbidden dance she’d only fantasized about as the noisy background of the holiday festival faded into oblivion.

  Reality set in, as a tingling sensation spread throughout her limbs. She was actually kissing Cole. After a few moments, he trailed his lips to the corner of her mouth and mumbled something, breaking the spell.

  “What?” she asked in a daze.

  “I said, you owe me a buck.”

  Chapter Two

  “Owe you? I most certainly do not,” Kristen sputtered in obvious outrage, her face flushing an endearing shade of pink.

  “Dollar, please.” Cole picked up the money jar and rattled it. Even as the words escaped him, he knew he’d never be able to uphold the demand, but teasing the green-eyed beauty came naturally. He simply couldn’t help himself.

  Confused, she shook her head.

  He returned the glass bottle to the counter, then tapped the watch circling his wrist. “Your shift ended ten minutes ago. You are on my time now. You’re not the only one Miranda roped into this.”

  “I don’t understand. You know Miranda?”

  “Did you forget she’s my older sister?”

  A flitter of recognition changed her bemused expression, altering her features. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then clamped her jaw shut.

  “Pay up, then scoot. No one will come to the booth with you standing here opening and closing your mouth like a fish out of water. ”

  “I swear, Cole Lawson, you’ll never change,” she snapped, clenching both fists to her side.

  A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. The last thing he ever wanted to do was kiss another girl, however being around Kristen was unnerving. Especially after the moment they’d just shared. His head was still spinning, dizzy from her scent—vanilla with a hint of spice. With her this near, he couldn’t think straight. In fact, all thoughts ceased except for coming up with more ways to torment her.

  Though, now taunting Kristen with a kiss and tugging on her ponytail held a different allure. Little K.K. was all grown up. The introverted, awkward girl he remembered long gone. In her place stood a woman.

  A. Beautiful. Desirable. Woman.

  He fought the urge to kiss her again, and lost. Grasping her hand, he pulled her close again. “You sticking around for another one?”

  “What? No.” Kristen snatched her hand free. She glared at him for a moment, then walked out from behind the booth and stomped off, heels striking the floor in a two–beat gait.

  A grin pulled at the corners of his lips as he watched her go, enjoying the sassy shake of her hips. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled a ragged breath. Even her exit was memorable. He was in deep trouble.

  “Is she your new girlfriend, Uncle Cole?”

  He spun to see his niece, accompanied by three of her friends, standing off to the side. Before he could respond, the girls fell
into a fit of giggles.

  Great. Just what he needed.

  “No. She’s…” The one who got away? How else could he explain Kristen Kelly? Especially to a group of teenagers? “I’ll give you a buck if you don’t tell your mom. The last thing I want is her on my case.”

  Chrissy stirred the hot cocoa she held, then poked at a small marshmallow with the short red straw before responding. “Too late. I already did.” She pulled a phone out of her pocket. “I also sent her a pic. She said to tell you to keep your hands to yourself.” The girl tucked the phone back into her pocket. “Mom didn’t say anything about your lips though.”

  Laughter erupted again and heat crept up his neck. “Don’t you have a gussied-up chicken to check on?”

  “I’m going. I’m going. Just stopped to see if your lips were tired. You know from kissing.” She made a kissy face and more giggles ensued.

  Frustrated, he inhaled a deep breath, then pointed at his niece. “I’ll be having a long chat with your mother later.”

  The teen shrugged, now chewing on the straw. “Not if I talk to her first,” Chrissy retorted smartly. Showering him with a sweet smile, she pulled the group away.

  Cole shook his head. Now, he had to explain his actions to his sister. Torturing her new partner? Miranda was going to kill him. Especially if Chrissy got to her before he did.

  Or he could blow this all off and take care of the fencing that needed repair on the back side of his property. Then he could finish culling the herd, and wean the rest of the calves from their mothers. Not volunteering at a kissing booth simply to share a moment with a girl from his past. “Yeah. I’m done here,” he murmured to himself. Withdrawing his wallet, he stuffed the rest of the bills he had into the jar and closed up shop. Wading through the crowd, he dropped the money off at the community center’s office and headed toward his truck.

  After several minutes of driving, he found himself circling the parking lot of the veterinary clinic. So caught up with thoughts of the sexy brunette, he’d missed his turn.