Christmas in White Oak

by Aileen Fish

  She giggled. “Snickers bars? Wow, we had a few wrestling matches over Snickers bars back in the day. You must really love me.”

  She was torturing him, but he deserved it.

  “Yes, Nick. I love you so much. I want to be your wife. And Holly’s mom.”

  He took the diamond ring from the Cross pen box and slipped it on her finger, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The relief that hit him poured out of him, drawing out the moment to show her all he felt for her.

  Reluctant to let go of her, Nick was slow to end the kiss, but finally stepped back. Tears glittered on Sofia’s lashes, and he felt awfully close to crying himself.

  Then he remembered the second part of his gift. He reached in his other pocket and took out the 10k gold-plated pencil and pen set that had come in the box. He started to hand them both to her, then took the pencil away. “You can be in charge of our schedules from now on. I’ll just keep the pencil so you can’t erase me from your plans if I mess up. ‘Cause I know I’ll mess up at some point.”

  Sofia laughed, a rich belly laugh. “It’s okay if you do. You’ll just have to find ways to make it up to me.” She stretched up to kiss him again.

  Nick couldn’t believe how his life had changed, how much richer it now was, all because Holly wanted to share Christmas with him. He had a lot to make up for in Holly’s life, too, but he’d make sure the three of them spent as much time together as they could, for the rest of their lives.

  ~*~

  I hope you enjoyed Sofia and Nick’s story. Keep reading for a bonus excerpt from Cowboy Cupid, the first book of the Small Town Sweethearts series.

  Bonus Excerpt

  COWBOY CUPID

  Chapter One

  Watching Rachel Addison swipe her ice-cold glass melodramatically across her forehead made Josh Wooten chuckle—in self-defense, if nothing else. It was better than groaning. No one should look that sexy covered in dirt.

  The condensation left a clean path on her brow, but it didn’t make her any less hot. And he wasn’t talking too much sun, in spite of the unusually warm day. Her chestnut hair was pulled back in a low ponytail to fit below her cowboy hat, which left a sweat-matted ring. After working the fence line alongside him the past few days, her shoulders were pink. Her skin had a layer of dust as thick as that on his forearms.

  If advertisers wanted to sell beer, or men’s cologne, or swamp land in Arizona, they needed a woman who looked like this. One-hundred-percent all natural American woman.

  He tore his thoughts away before she caught him staring. He shouldn’t be thinking that way about Rachel. He didn’t want her to dread coming to work. “No one should enjoy sweet tea that much,” he said.

  After downing another few swallows of tea, Rachel sighed and lowered her booted feet from the porch railing. “A girl’s gotta have some pleasure in her day. And we’ve still got four-hundred feet of fencing to stretch, so we’d better get back at it.” She rolled to her feet like a cat, picking up her empty plate from the small table between them and crossing the few feet to the screen door.

  Josh grabbed his plate and glass, following her into the kitchen. Mom was loading dishes in the dishwasher and his sister Katie rolled yeasty dough on the breadboard. Lemon cleaner hung heavy on the air. The fragrances blended to make the small room smell like heaven. Tossing his crumpled napkin into the trash, Josh dropped his plate and glass into the dishwasher racks. “Thanks for lunch, Mom.”

  “Your chicken salad is the best, Mrs. Wooten.” Rachel dumped the ice from her glass into the sink before putting the glass next to Josh’s in the upper rack. “And I don’t understand how come your sweet tea tastes so much better than mine.”

  “It’s the tea bags. I only use black tea,” Mrs. Wooten explained. “Are you two headed up the mountain?”

  Josh ran a wet paper towel over the back of his neck, soothing some of the itch the dried sweat created. “Nah, we’ll head that way tomorrow. It’s too far to ride back for lunch so we’ll need a pack in the morning, if you don’t mind.”

  Rachel leaned one hip against the tile countertop. “We’re on the northeast fence line today.”

  Slipping up behind her, Josh dropped a sopping-wet paper towel down the back of her tank top. He jumped away before her reflexive punch could connect with his midsection.

  Rachel squealed. “That’s cold!”

  Mrs. Wooten chuckled, shaking her head. “Take it outside, kids.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Josh and Rachel replied in unison, turning toward the door to the porch.

  “See you at dinner, Mom,” Josh called before letting the screen door close. A gust of hot, dry air the weekenders called Santa Ana winds ruffled his shirt, cooling him some.

  “It shouldn’t be this hot in February,” Rachel muttered. She untied her horse’s reins and swung herself into the saddle.

  “You afraid someone’s going to leave chocolates on your doorstep and they’ll melt before you get home?”

  “Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.” She tugged the brim of her straw hat lower, the corners of her lips turned down. Then she pinned him with a sharp glare before sliding her sunglasses into place. “You coming?”

  “Right behind you, kid.” He didn’t need to see her face to know she scowled at the nickname. They’d worked together so long he knew he’d scored a hit. Rachel was like a sister, his shadow since she’d come to work on his father’s ranch.

  She kicked Buttercup to a gallop, so he roused his mount to catch up, calling, “Hey, we aren’t gonna get that much more done if we get there five minutes sooner.”

  By the time Josh reached the pile of fence posts, she’d already picked up a posthole digger and was pounding the dirt. He grabbed the other tool and paced off the distance to the next hole.

  They worked in silence, which let his mind wander, a dangerous thing. The phone call with Marissa the night before came to the foreground, along with the conversation he’d had with himself after he hung up. “I have an idea.” He waited to see if Rachel was paying attention.

  She kept pounding the hard dirt.

  “Marissa is coming to town this weekend. She’s got that interview with the school board next week. We should have a little get-together, you know. You, me, Marissa and Juan Diego.”

  Rachel slammed the tool into the dirt, then paused. “You’ve been watching too many of those reality shows. And I’m not interested in hooking up with Juan Diego.”

  Josh put down his digger and walked to the pile of wooden posts. “That’s good, because I was thinking he and Marissa might hit it off.”

  Coming to stand by Josh, Rachel asked, “Has she actually asked you to find her a man?”

  “Well, no. But she’s been pretty down since she and Brad broke up. I thought maybe I’d help. Maybe she and Juan Diego will hit it off.”

  Rachel studied him for a moment, her right hand on her hip. She shook her head as if giving up on whatever she’d been thinking, or giving up on him. “Juan Diego is a serial dater, so you wouldn’t be doing her any favors. Why do you need me there?”

  “To make it a little less awkward, maybe? Why? You got plans Saturday night?” He didn’t understand her reluctance. She usually agreed to join him when he had friends over.

  “No.”

  “No, what? You don’t want to come, or you don’t have plans?”

  She chewed her plump lower lip. “I don’t have plans.”

  “Great. You can help me cook dinner.”

  “Wait, you’re planning to cook? On second thought…”

  He grinned at her back as she walked away with her post on her shoulder. “Funny girl. I can throw some steaks on the grill, since it’s been so warm. You can put together a salad and garlic bread?”

  “Garlic bread?” She paused and looked at him, wrinkling her nose. “I thought you wanted them to hook up.”

  So no one would think about kissing with a mouthful of garlic, no big deal. But he didn’t want to think about Marissa kissing anyone. Th
ey’d broken up when he left for Texas A&M seven years ago. He didn’t have any lingering feelings for Marissa, but didn’t like thinking of her with someone else. It was like picturing his sister kissing some guy. “Okay, scratch the garlic. But you’ll come? Help me out?”

  Again, she studied him. He felt her eyes probing his from behind her reflective sunglasses, like she was putting him under a microscope, but he didn’t know what she wanted him to say.

  Just when he was ready to turn away, she grunted her response. “Yeah.”

  He hadn’t realized he was holding his breath, but it came out in a rush when he bent down for a post. With the plan set, his thoughts were content to let him work in silence.

  ~*~

  Rachel carried another rough wooden post back to the hole she’d dug and dropped it in. They would come back down the line later and shovel cement mix around the posts. Bending down, she picked up the posthole digger and walked past Josh’s spot.

  What was up with him? Fixing up his ex-girlfriend with the new guy in town was a crazy idea. She liked Juan Diego and all, but he wasn’t her type so she couldn’t recommend him as a boyfriend. He was too techie. She liked working outdoors, and playing outdoors. She and Buttercup often went riding on her days off. She’d never seen Juan Diego on a horse, or hiking the trails outside town. He was a gamer, spent his week down south in L.A. in an office and came to White Oak to get away from the city, he’d told her once. Yet he was always either at home or at the pub from all she could tell. Probably playing games online. Some escape.

  On second thought, he might be perfect for Marissa.

  Nestled into a valley in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, White Oak was the most beautiful place Rachel had seen. Even her two years at college on the beach in Santa Barbara hadn’t compared. Rolling, golden hills, sage-covered slopes beyond, and bright blue sky above. The wind always blew there, keeping the air fresh. And they enjoyed four seasons, each beautiful in its own way.

  Her thoughts tossed about like the dirt she was pulling out of the hole. The more dirt she pulled out, the deeper her introspection became. She wouldn’t admit to Josh how much it hurt being asked to round out a party. He was like his mom in that—needing nice round numbers at a gathering so no one felt out of place. But being with him and Marissa again would put Rachel firmly in her place. Outside the crowd. Allowed to tag along, but not an integral part of what was happening.

  The sweet tea in her stomach soured. She should tell Josh she couldn’t make it. Actually, she should get real and admit to herself Josh would never see her as anything more than a friend. If she had half a brain, she’d quit her job at the Wooten Ranch and go get a life somewhere else. Maybe move to Montana like she’d dreamed about in college.

  But White Oak and the Sierra Mountains were home. And the Wooten Ranch had been home for the last three years. She wasn’t ready to leave just yet.

  Once Marissa moved back to town that might change. Rachel had a feeling the woman wanted more than the teaching job here. Marissa hadn’t been happy when Josh had broken up with her and gone off to college. She was probably coming back to claim what she felt was hers.

  Marissa was coming back to claim Josh.

  ~*~

  Saturday night arrived too quickly for Rachel. She chewed the end of a lock of hair while walking up the path to Josh’s cabin. His home was slightly larger than hers and the other three cabins occupied by the men who worked for the Wooten’s, all of which were clustered at the end of a dirt road about a mile from the main house.

  Josh’s pickup truck was the only vehicle in his driveway, so Marissa and Juan Diego hadn’t arrived yet. When Rachel rapped on the front door, Josh hollered from inside, “Come in.”

  Rachel found him in the kitchen loading a tray for the barbecue. “I brought the salad and bread, like you asked.”

  “Thanks. The salad bowl is on the counter.”

  She set down the grocery bags and pulled out the veggies for salad. Taking a knife from the rack on the edge of the butcher-block table, she chopped the root ends off the green onions.

  Josh came back inside. “Is one potato each enough, do you think?”

  Rachel raised an eyebrow at him. “Unless you invited Leo and the guys, yeah, one is plenty.” She motioned toward the long loaf of French bread. “You have enough food here for the whole crew.”

  He shrugged and fidgeted with the collar on his button-down shirt.

  “You look fine. You act like this is a blind date.” Rachel’s stomach knotted knowing he was so nervous about seeing Marissa again. How could the woman not fall head over stilettos for him? He’d only gotten ten times better looking since they’d graduated. His sandy brown hair now shimmered with blond highlights year-round, thanks to his working outdoors all the time. His skin was bronzed in the summer, and merely golden during warm spells in winter like they were experiencing now. When he laughed, his eyes glistened with joy. He was too handsome by half.

  Josh took a corkscrew out of a drawer and went to work on a bottle of red wine. “You don’t think I’m overdressed? Maybe I should go put on a t-shirt instead.”

  She glanced down at her own shirt. The lacy V of the neckline made it one of the girliest things she wore, aside from the sundresses she preferred in the summer after work. Did he think she was underdressed in comparison? She frowned at him. “Now you’re making me self-conscious. Quit fussing. You’re worse than your sister.”

  A knock at the door saved Rachel from any more of Josh’s nerves. She continued to chop veggies while Josh went to greet his guest.

  A squeal from the front of the cabin told her Marissa had arrived.

  “Oh, my gosh, Josh, look at you.”

  Whatever he responded was spoken too low for Rachel to hear. Their voices continued for a few minutes, then footsteps approached the kitchen.

  Josh stopped near the dining table. “Rachel, Marissa’s here.”

  “Hi, Rach. Wow, you look great! You finally got some curves. Josh tells me you work on the ranch now.”

  Rachel looked up from the veggies and smiled through the seething emotions the girl stirred up. “Yes. I hear you’re going to be teaching here soon?”

  Marissa held up crossed fingers on both hands, her manicured nails a bright pink. “I hope so. Mrs. Donahue is retiring at the end of the semester. I doubt I’m the only person they’re considering.”

  Josh paused on his way out the sliding glass door to the deck. “But you graduated at the top of your class, and you’re from White Oak. They know you. I’m sure you’ll get it.” He stepped outside.

  Marissa set down her purse. “So, do you and Josh have a thing going now?”

  Other Books by

  Aileen Fish

  Regency Romance

  A Bride for Christmas

  The Mistletoe Mishap

  The Viscount’s Sweet Temptation

  Her Secondhand Duke

  A Pretense of Love

  Helena’s Christmas Beau

  The Bridgethorpe Brides Series (Regency)

  His Impassioned Proposal

  The Incorrigible Mr. Lumley (print and ebook)

  Charming the Vicar’s Daughter

  Her Impetuous Rakehell

  Chasing Lord Mystery

  Anthologies

  A Christmas Courtship

  Regency Christmas novellas: The Viscount’s Sweet Temptation, A Bride for Christmas, and The Mistletoe Mishap.

  The Heart of a Duke

  Includes Her Secondhand Duke and four connected stories centering around five girlfriends in search of love.

  Contemporary Romance

  The Small Town Sweethearts Series

  Cowboy Cupid

  The Cowgirl and the Geek

  Christmas in White Oak

  Young Adult

  Cat’s Rule (In the anthology Wild at Heart Volume II)

  Outcast (Apocalyptia Book One)

  Paranormal

  The Lives of Jon McCracken (print and ebook)

>   About the Author

  Aileen Fish, author of The Bridgethorpe Brides Regency romance series and the Small Town Sweethearts series, is an avid quilter and auto racing fan who finds there aren't enough hours in a day/week/lifetime to stay up with her "to do" list. There is always another quilt or story begging to steal away attention from the others. When she has a spare moment she enjoys spending time with her two daughters and their families, and her fairy princess granddaughter.

  Stay up to date with book releases at her website http://aileenfish.com or on Facebook.

  She also writes steamier romance as Ari Thatcher http://arithatcher.com.