A Christmas Cowboy to Keep

by Hebby Roman

“He’s here,” she whispered, her throat hoarse from inhaling too much smoke. “We’re safe now.” She elbowed her sibling, but Laney still did not respond.

  Confused, she pulled free of the fog holding her captive, trying to make sense of her sister’s silence. She grasped the girl’s shoulder with a firm grip, but Laney still didn’t react, her head lolling to the side.

  A scream lodged in her throat. Cole had come for them, but for Laney there would be no escape. The dark shape loomed, blocking out the night. Fingers dug into her skin with a vise-like grip. Cole’s voice emerged, a soothing sound, questioning if she were alright.

  Suddenly, she was lifted up into the air, embraced by a pair of strong arms. Panic returned, fueled by the fear for her sister’s welfare. She fought the rescue, lashing out in order to save Laney.

  Hard, sinewy muscles enclosed her firmly, flushing her head against the solid pane of a rock, solid chest. His voice returned, vibrating the side of her face. “Nick’s here too. He’s got Laney. She’s safe now. You’re safe.”

  Somehow the words penetrated her muddled brain and settled in. Though painful, she squinted trying to see in the smog, but could no longer see Laney’s shape. Blinking, she fought for clarity, but darkness prevailed.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “She took in a lot of smoke, but her vitals look good. That being said, I think you should get checked out too.”

  Cole shook his head, refusing treatment despite a shortness of breath. He glanced at Kristen. Regardless of the man’s reassurance, seeing the woman he loved laying on a gurney with an oxygen mask covering half of her face didn’t ease his mind. Consumed with worry, he couldn’t leave her side. He raised his head, locking onto the firefighter’s gaze. “I’ll be fine. What about Laney? The other one?”

  “Nick’s little spitfire? She’s on her way to the hospital. Looked to me like her leg may be broken. Nick insisted he stay by her side. May as well. He’ll be put on ice for a while anyway. The chief’s pissed. The damn fool ignored protocol. Forgot his training.” The fireman clucked his tongue loudly. “That’s what love does to you. At least you had an excuse. You didn’t know any better. But Nick does. He was trained to know better. He not only risked his own life, but put others in danger. Including you.”

  Cole considered his words, but held firmly to his beliefs. At the moment, there’d been little choice. If they hadn’t been so reckless, neither Kristen nor Laney would still be alive. And if he were to lose her—

  No. He refused to go down that dark path. She’d pull through. She had to.

  Kristen stirred, drawing his attention again. Slowly she opened her eyes. A gleam of life lit the forest green pools, giving him hope. A tingling warmth spread throughout his limbs and he exhaled loudly as the tension was released.

  “Cole,” she whispered, her voice a low gravel.

  “You’re okay, Kit Kat.” He gripped her hand, squeezing gently. “Laney’s safe. On her way to the hospital, but she’s in good hands.”

  “I know. I heard.” She nodded her head, sparing a darting glance in the fireman’s direction. “Thank you.”

  The man smiled, before dismissing himself. “I’m glad you are okay, miss.”

  She rose to a sitting position. For a long moment, she stared at the burning embers of what was left of her house, then pulled off the oxygen mask. “So much for setting up roots and staying put.”

  “No. Not really. You can stay put here…with me.” Cole positioned himself in front of her. Grabbing her hand, he repeated his statement.

  “That was probably your plan all along. Wait a minute.” Her gaze narrowed in suspicion. “You didn’t set my house on fire, did you?”

  Shocked, Cole defended himself. How could she even consider something so vile? “You’re kidding right? I’d never do anything to hurt you—”

  She held her hand up, interrupting his spiel. “Relax. I’m not serious.” A giggle escaped her. “Maybe this was all part of my plan. Not the fire.” She shook her head. “I never planned that. But, I wasn’t going anywhere. I couldn’t leave you. Still, facing death put things in a different perspective. It makes you realize what is worth living for. Oddly enough, all I could think about was kissing my devil at Christmas. At least for the next seventy years or so.”

  He pulled her close, embracing the feel of the woman he loved in his arms. She had no idea, not a clue, how devastating the thought of losing her had been. He squeezed her tight, vowing to never let her go.

  Tilting her chin with the tip of his finger, he grazed her lips with a gentle kiss. “Hell, why wait until Christmas?”

  Thank you for reading The Devil’s Christmas Kiss by Amazon Best-selling author Devon McKay. If you’d like to read more of Devon’s books, you can find them on Amazon and her website

  Slay Bells

  By Hildie McQueen

  Contemporary Western Romance

  Copyright ©2018 by Hildie McQueen

  Slay Bells

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Hildie McQueen

  Pink Door Publishing

  Editor: Gayla Leath

  Copyright Hildie McQueen 2018

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without written permission.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

  This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.

  If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your retailer and purchase your own copy.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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

  Dedication

  Slay Bells is dedicated to my amazing readers.

  About SLAY BELLS

  Carmen and Jared can’t avoid the sparks that fly between them at first sight. But when a dead body surfaces at the Christmas festival, she becomes a witness and he becomes a suspect. Not exactly the recipe for a perfect match. Can they find love amidst the mayhem and sleigh bells?

  Chapter One

  Carmen Dias’ editor at Today’s Lifestyle magazine caught her at a weak moment and she’d accepted the assignment no one else wanted. Who in their right mind would leave Atlanta during the holidays for an assignment at a location that could easily pass for Siberia? Her best friend, Mila had kicked her under the conference table, but it was too late, she’d already raised her hand.

  “Wonderful, we have a volunteer,” her boss said with a surprised expression.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? You’re going to miss all the parties and gift exchanges, unless you fly back every weekend,” Mila hissed when leaving the meeting.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Could be I haven’t slept well in weeks, my damn ex is harassing everyone I know for my address and oh let’s not forget, my dog died.” At the last remark, Carmen sniffed. “Poor Pookie.”

  “I can ask to go with you,” Mila offered weakly. A true measure of a good friend was one who would go with you to a shithole assignment.

  Just then their boss click-clacked her way toward them. The newest Manolos or Jimmy Choos making quick work across the shiny office flooring. “Cawman, I appreciate your willingness to take the travel assignment,” Ginny said, making Carmen cringe at the way she always mispronounced her name. “You will love Montana, it’s beautiful.”

  “Have you been Ginny?” Carmen knew the woman had not, but asked anyway.

  Ginny’s lips curved just enough to make her look like the Grinch. “I have seen many, many pictures. Each time the caption states that they cannot do it justice.”<
br />
  Both Mila and Carmen stared at the woman waiting to hear what other idiotic thing she’d say.

  Ginny turned as if someone called. “Oh I have a phone call.” She hurried off to answer the imaginary call.

  “She’s a number,” Mila said, shaking her head. “Knows damn well the only place she goes in the west is wherever shirtless men serve her drinks. Las Vegas probably has a welcome sign with her name on it.”

  Carmen giggled. “She’s a perve, but I have to say, that last party she posted on social media did look fun.”

  “The one with the guys wearing tiny aprons and nothing else? Scandalous,” Mila said. “Let’s go have lunch.”

  After salads and gossip, Carmen wasn’t sure where to go and what to do. She didn't have the energy to go home and do any research on the place where she’d be spending the holidays.

  It was a nice sunny, warm day in Atlanta and the last thing she wanted to do on a Friday afternoon was look at pictures of snow and forests or whatever else they had in Montana.

  This project would get her away from her current predicament with her ex and the sadness of her dog dying. However, her assignment didn’t seem like a place to cheer anyone up. An entire month in Montana, where she’d spend the whole time knee deep in snow. Yay.

  Her cell dinged. It was a text from Mila.

  At least you can buy cute winter clothes!

  Leave it to her friend to find something positive in everything. It was true. She could buy scarves, sweaters, boots and cute jackets. And it wouldn’t be a total waste of money since on occasion it did get cold enough in Georgia for them.

  Hours later, she finally arrived home. After two trips to the car to retrieve her purchases, Carmen went to the kitchen and poured a glass of wine. She clicked on her sound system and music filled the empty space.

  Without prompting, her gaze went to where her dog’s food bowls had always been. She shook her head to keep from dwelling on the loss. Too many changes close together did not make a happy girl.

  Although her breakup had been a long time coming, it was still a big change. The move to the city center was something she had wanted for a long time. It was nice to have so many things near her home. Her friends could come over and go out for drinks without having to drive. Now any type of socializing would have to wait until after she returned from Montana, but still there was the excitement of downtown living in her future.

  Her parents had asked that she move into their house after the break-up, and she had for a few weeks, but Carmen soon realized she was too old and too independent to move back permanently. So she’d quickly found an apartment in a newly renovated building in Midtown. It was the perfect location, albeit parking in the multi-level structure was a challenge and an annoyance at times.

  Ceiling to floor windows showcased the view of the city and a glimpse of the pool area. Everything in her place was sleek and modern, from the marbled countertops to the pristine white tiled floors. Her mother had taken one look at the place and called it hotel living. Her father had refused to step out to the sixth floor balcony. And yet, it was precisely what she needed, a place so unlike her last that it would not bring any reminders of the past. When Carmen bought the unit, she’d asked to keep all of the staged furniture. It had been worth the price because all she’d had to bring were her clothes, computer, some books, and a few art pieces. Everything else she’d sold, given away, or left behind.

  The buzzer sounded, announcing a visitor. Carmen rolled her eyes. If her mother had come again to try to talk her into a blind date, she was going to scream. “Yes?” she said into the screen that showed the profile of a man. “What can I do for you?”

  “Delivery for Miss Jones.” The man lifted a huge flower arrangement.

  Carmen narrowed her eyes. “I’ll come down.”

  Her blood ran ice cold. If her ex, Randolph, had found out her address, she wasn’t sure what to do. The man was acting crazy lately. He’d lost all kinds of composure when she’d broken their relationship off. She’d already filed a restraining order on him just to deter him from trying to reach her.

  The bouquet was beautiful, made mostly of white flowers with hints of lavender. It would be a shame to throw it away if they were from her ex. She accepted the delivery with a tight smile, and the young guy left whistling without a care in the world.

  Once inside her apartment, Carmen placed the vase on the kitchen counter and nipped the small card. Her shoulders sagged and she smiled at the note

  Her grandmother’s greeting made her lips curve.

  Pull up those tiny panties you wear and smile

  Nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

  Love Nana

  Carmen smiled at how opportune the message was. Her phone lit up when she touched the surface and she called her grandmother for a chat.

  Tomorrow she’d pack, and then her adventure would begin.

  After all, Montana awaited.

  Chapter Two

  Jared Bowden let out a breath and stared at the man slumped over. He sat on the ground his back against the wall of a convenience store.

  “Get up Henry.”

  “I won’t,” Henry said, his teeth chattering. “You cops can’t just go around bossin’ people. I have rights.”

  The gas station clerk had called him after Henry had walked in every five minutes to warm up and go into the bathroom. They normally didn’t mind Henry, but this day on his last trip inside, he’d emerged out of the bathroom naked and announced his plans to sleep outside. He’d called it a naked bear challenge.

  “You’re going to die of hyperthermia,” Jared said and held out a blanket. “Here wrap this around yourself and come on. I’ll buy you pie and coffee.”

  “Pie?” Henry narrowed his eyes. He didn’t reach for the blanket. “What kind of pie?”

  “I hear they’ve got cherry over at Deanne’s.” It was a lie. Jared had no idea what they were serving, but he’d try anything before having to wrestle with a naked man. “Come on. After that, you can crash on my couch.”

  “Nope. Your dog doesn’t like me.”

  “You hid ham in your pocket last time. He was just trying to get to it. Besides, he lives at the ranch now.”

  Henry considered the offer for a long moment, making a show of stroking his chin with a shaky hand. “I suppose I could use some pie. But then I’ll still do this challenge. The guys over at the VFW are doing it too.”

  “I just drove by, they are playing cards, fully clothed.” The VFW had been a functioning branch of the establishment at one time. Now, Tom, a retired Army man, owned the old VFW building. It remained a gathering place for older men to play cards, darts, or pool. The owner offered a place for a few homeless vets to stay out of the elements and in return he had company.

  “Oh.”

  After apple pie, much to Henry’s chagrin, and coffee, Jared pulled up with a now dressed and sleepy man at the VFW. They walked in and the owner Tom looked up. “What’s up?”

  Jared gave him a direct look. “Who challenged Henry to spend the night outside naked?”

  Tom shook his head. “What the hell? We were kidding Henry.” His booming laughter rang out. “Did anyone get pictures?”

  Henry shuffled in without looking at anyone. “I’m gonna stay here Sarg.” He often called Jared that, referring to when he served in the Army. “I feel lucky today.” Settling onto a chair, he waited to be dealt in to the game.

  “Wanna join in?” Tom asked.

  Although it was tempting to join the card game, Jared left. He was off duty and although he didn’t exactly have exciting plans, he preferred to spend Friday nights home watching television.

  Some weekend nights he would meet a few guys for a couple beers at the local watering hole popular with mostly ex-military cops. Afterwards, he’d head home for another couple beers while zoning out in front of the television.

  Yeah, so he didn’t exactly lead an exciting life, but the way
he saw it, his job as detective at the Missoula PD kept him busy enough most days.

  His cell chimed. It was a woman named Cassandra, who he’d hooked up with on and off over the last year. Rarely as of late, since she’d become demanding and clingy.

  He answered it.

  “What you up to?” Cassandra purred into the phone, her code sentence for “wanna hook up tonight?”

  “About to crash. I had a long day.”

  There was a beat of silence. “Seems you’ve been having a lot of those lately. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you call me when your days are not so long?” she snapped and hung up.

  Jared groaned.

  His cell chimed again. “What now?”

  “Honey don’t forget to pick up your aunt Rita tomorrow at the airport,” his mother exclaimed way too loudly, which signaled she had him on speakerphone. “Her flight arrives at four.”

  “Hey son,” his father screamed out. “Watching the game?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Jared? Did you hear me?” his mother called out again.

  “Yes Ma’am. Pick up Aunt Rita at four.”

  “I haven’t told her about the broken china. Don’t tell her what the dogs did when I went over to check on her house. I’ll tell her.”

  “What if she notices as soon as we walk in?”

  “Yes, I know that could happen. I thought it would be best to tell her in person. You know how she gets.” His mother’s tone became excited. “Oh, let’s go to that wonderful Indian place for dinner tomorrow. Bring your Aunt Rita directly there. Your father and I will meet you. I’ll break the news to her after she’s had her fill of curry.”

  “What Indian place?” It was too late. His mother was saying love you and hung up.

  Jared stared at the phone, not sure if he should call back or figure it out himself. His parents had raved about an Indian restaurant a few miles from their ranch, which was just outside Missoula. That narrowed it down.