Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas

by Carolyn Brown

  Kasey’s common sense told her to pull away with an excuse, but she was mesmerized by those dark brown lashes lying on his high cheekbones. She didn’t even realize that she’d rolled up on her toes and moistened her lips until he drew her close to his chest and his lips closed on hers.

  The first kiss was sweet, but they grew hotter and hotter, turning her knees so weak that she had to lean into him to keep from falling. Her arms slid up around his neck, fingers playing in his thick black hair as he teased her mouth open with his tongue.

  Finally, he took half a step back. “Much more of that and I’ll tell the doctor to take his orders, pour barbecue sauce on them, and eat them for supper. God, why’d I have to fall off the damn ladder? I want you so bad, Kasey.”

  “The weeks until your follow-up will go by fast.” She turned and walked toward the kitchen, amazed that she didn’t fall into a pile of hot hormones right there at the toes of his cowboy boots. “Right now we’d better make some supper. We were in the emergency room all day and I’m starving.”

  Her voice sounded normal, but her palms were sweaty and her heart fluttered like it had a thousand butterflies inside it. “What sounds good to you? It’ll have to be something quick. I hadn’t even thought of dinner when I realized you’d fallen.” She’d almost said when she sent Emma and Silas into the house with Hope and went looking for Hero on her own. Not because she wanted to but because Emma was crying about coyotes eating him. Evidently Rustin had told her some tall tale about the coyotes killing baby calves and she figured that if they could bring down an animal that size, poor old Hero didn’t have a chance against them. She had no doubt that he’d run off toward the Texas Star again, so Kasey had jogged in that direction and arrived just in time to see Nash tumble off the ladder.

  “Breakfast food sounds good to me,” he said.

  She opened the refrigerator door. “Omelets, bacon, and pancakes?”

  “No onions but you know that.” He set about making a pot of coffee. “And crispy bacon, but you know that, too.”

  “Yes, I do. Omelet with cheese and…let me see what’s in here. Peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms…” She called out each item and checked his expression with each one. “Tomatoes. No peppers but lots of mushrooms.”

  “Have I told you today that I love you?” He smiled.

  “Probably, but I was so worried about you that I don’t remember.” She brought out all the ingredients for the omelets and opened a cabinet door, hoping that she was in the right area for pots and pans.

  “Not there. Everything else is in the pantry. I’ll get the skillet and the potatoes. Let’s have hash browns,” he said.

  “You remembered,” she said.

  “Crazy, but that’s all I remember. That and being in the army. There was a little boy outside the base perimeter and…” His brow furrowed.

  “Did you try to save him?”

  “I think I did, but it’s all a blur.”

  She patted him on the arm. “It’ll all come back. Maybe as soon as tomorrow.”

  “If I remember, can we go to bed?” He ran a hand down her back and gently squeezed her butt cheek.

  “Not until you go back to the doctor.” Her voice was barely audible over the whining hormones.

  “Well, dammit!” He groaned and opened the door into a huge walk-in pantry.

  Yes, sir, Kasey McKay was going to deserve a solid gold Oscar by the time this ordeal was over.

  She shut her eyes tightly and sent up a silent prayer, not to Jesus, God, or the angels but to her deceased husband: Adam, please understand, this is just a role and he’s going to be embarrassed about it all when he wakes up in the real world.

  Chapter Five

  When Jace knocked on the kitchen door, poked his head inside, and yelled, Kasey wanted to rush into his arms and beg him to take her home. Dinner had been an emotional roller coaster with her guilt about the kissing and Nash flirting across the table all during the meal.

  “Anybody home?” Jace’s voice floated through across the room. “Hey, I smell bacon. Did you save me some food?”

  “Come on in. There’s plenty.” Kasey jumped up and met him halfway across the room.

  He hugged her and whispered, “Are you all right?”

  She gave a brief nod. “Look, honey, Jace has come by to see you.”

  Nash looked up from the table with a blank look on his face.

  Her brother towered above her, had dark brown hair and light gray eyes. That he was a Dawson was a surefire thing, but Kasey was a throwback to the Dalley side of the family with her red hair, green eyes, and a faint sprinkling of freckles across her nose.

  “Hey, Nash. How are you feelin’?” Jace fell right into the role. “And, Kasey, I can’t stay for supper. I was just teasin’. Granny would throw a hissy if I wasn’t home for supper tonight. Lila and Brody just came back, and we’re all eating together.”

  “You are…” Nash frowned.

  In a few long strides, Jace covered the distance and patted Nash on the shoulder. “Remember, I’m Kasey’s brother. Brody is the oldest and then there’s me and don’t you remember the wedding over the weekend?”

  The wrinkles in Nash’s brow deepened as he shook hands with Jace. “But Kasey and I’ve been married for years. We have children. We didn’t just get married Saturday night, did we? I’m sorry but I can’t remember much right now. The doctor says it will come back, but for right now about all I absolutely know is that I’m married to Kasey and we have a son, Rustin. She tells me that we have a daughter and another son and I’m sure when they come home tomorrow, it’ll come back but right now…”

  “It was our brother, Brody’s wedding,” Jace said. “And a concussion works in strange ways. Maybe by this time tomorrow you’ll get it all straightened out.”

  “I hope so,” Nash said.

  “Chores are done. Sheep have been fed and are all fine. Want me to come back tomorrow morning?”

  “Thank you, but Kasey and I’ll be able to take care of things by then. This feels so crazy, not knowing my own family,” Nash said.

  “I can’t even imagine.” Jace bent down and kissed Kasey on the top of her head. “Call if you need anything. The kids are fine and Lila says she’ll drop by in the morning.”

  “We’ve got to build a dog pen,” Nash blurted out.

  “Yes, we do, but not for a few days. Jace is keeping the dogs over on Hope Springs for a little while—just until we get the pen built. Your main job is getting well.” She smiled.

  “Whatever you say, darlin’.”

  Jace raised an eyebrow and Kasey shot a dirty look his way, but there was a little spark of heat that flashed through her heart at the sound of his deep southern drawl calling her darlin’.

  “See y’all.” Jace grabbed a piece of bacon from Kasey’s plate and chuckled on his way outside.

  Nash yawned. “Supper was great. I’ll help with cleanup and then maybe you can tell me about our life together. Maybe it’ll set a fire under this memory thing. I’d like to remember your brothers and our children.”

  Saved by the bell! Kasey thought as her cell phone began to ring. She grabbed it from the countertop behind her and answered Lila’s call. “Did you have a happy honeymoon?”

  “Short but amazing,” Lila said. “We’ve made an agreement to go back to the resort every year on our anniversary. Now tell me about this situation with Nash. Should I come on over tonight so we can talk it out or wait until morning?”

  “Morning is fine or maybe—” She stopped herself before she said that she would be home by then. Nash had started moving dirty plates to the sink, but he could hear every word.

  “Maybe you’ll be back home?” Lila giggled.

  “Hopefully.”

  “Getting a bit hot in the house, is it? I saw that cowboy from a distance at the wedding. He’s really, really sexy. Does he need to lock his bedroom door tonight?” Lila teased.

  “You’re just home from a honeymoon, so what you have on your mind is
totally different from what’s on mine,” Kasey said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Nash had stripped out of his plaid flannel shirt and hung it on the back of a chair. Now a white T-shirt hugged rippled muscles that body builders would sell their soul to have. Kasey’s hands itched to wrap her arms around him from behind and lay her head against his back, to hear the beating of his heart against her ear.

  “He’s right there, isn’t he?” Lila asked.

  “Oh, yes, we’ve finished supper and Nash is helping with cleanup,” Kasey answered in a high-pitched tone.

  “Nothing sexier than a man washing dishes,” Lila whispered. “I can’t wait to hear all about this tomorrow. Lord, girl, you might knock me off the Happy, Texas, bad girl throne. Call me later if you need to talk.”

  “Brody would shoot me dead if I interrupted your first night home as a married couple. Just because you left that fancy resort with rose petals on the bed and chilled champagne doesn’t mean the honeymoon is over. I’ll see you in the mornin’. I’ll have the coffee ready by ten and you can bring some leftover dessert. Good-bye, Lila.”

  The phone went dark and Kasey laid it back on the counter. “That was Lila, my brother’s new bride. She’s coming over tomorrow morning after we get done with chores.”

  Nash nodded and finished washing the dishes. “All done. I’m going to walk out to the sheep pen.”

  “It’s out behind the barn,” she said.

  “No, darlin’, that’s where I’m going to build Rustin’s dog pens. The sheep pen is…” He stopped. “Dammit! Do I even have sheep? Jace mentioned them, didn’t he? I hate this, Kasey.”

  She quickly went to hug him. “It’s okay. You’re going to wake up in the morning and be amazed at how normal everything is. The doctor said you’d probably be fine in twenty-four hours.”

  “Maybe.” He propped his chin on her hair. “You smell wonderful.”

  She moved back and inhaled deeply. “You really should rest. How about a movie?”

  He pulled her back into his embrace. “How about a make-out session?”

  “Probably not a good idea,” she whispered.

  “Okay, then, let’s take a walk. I’m feelin’ boxed in. Do I get antsy like this often?” he asked.

  “Yes, you do. You like to be outside working, not inside the house. Let me get my coat.” She took a couple of steps back and hurried off to the hall. She’d keep him out until it was close to bedtime, and then she’d call the kids and tell them good night.

  Kids! Holy smokin’ hell. What was she going to do if he didn’t wake up in the real world tomorrow? She’d have to bring the kids to the house and try to explain things to them. How did she do that to three kids?

  She stomped her feet down into boots and shoved her arms into the jacket and suddenly remembered that she had nothing in the house in the way of clothing—nightshirt, toothbrush, or even shampoo.

  “Ready?” Nash stuck his head around the kitchen door.

  He wore a denim jacket, and the legs of his jeans were tucked down into the tops of well-worn boots. He raked his fingers through his hair and picked up his dark cowboy hat.

  “Yep,” she said. “Just need to pick up my phone in case Mama or Gracie either one call about the kids.”

  He held it out to her with a smile. “I figured you’d need it.”

  She glanced at a calendar hanging above the wall-hung phone in the utility room and noticed that the next day, Tuesday, Nash had an appointment in Amarillo with a Dr. Paulson. Eleven o’clock in the morning.

  “Doctor’s appointment.” She pointed.

  He opened the door for her. “I thought we didn’t go back for three weeks.”

  “This is Dr. Paulson,” she said.

  “My therapist,” he said, and then his eyes widened. “I remembered something. I’ll cancel it.”

  “I’ll go with you,” she said.

  He tucked her small hand into his big one. “What about the kids?”

  “We’ll pick them up when we get back from Amarillo. You need to keep this appointment, Nash. Dr. Paulson needs to be aware that you have this concussion.” With that sudden intake of breath at the feeling his touch created, she was amazed that her voice sounded even seminormal.

  “You’ll like her, Kasey. I’ve only been twice, but she’s better than the last one.”

  “And who was the last one?”

  “You know. That older man in the other hospital where we went right after I got out of the service,” he said.

  “What does Dr. Paulson look like? I haven’t ever actually met her,” Kasey asked.

  “You don’t have to be jealous of her, darlin’. She’s about my grandmother’s age.” He chuckled and gently squeezed her hand. “You never have to be jealous of anyone. You’re the only woman for me.”

  “So you think I’m jealous?” she asked.

  “Oh, honey, I remember that fight we had about me dancing with that girl at the fall party. You always said the makeup sex over that was how we got our third child.” His laugh even had a Louisiana twang to it.

  A deep, crimson blush flushed Kasey’s cheeks. She had made that comment, but it had been after the fight with Adam and as far as she knew, she’d never told anyone about that night. How in the hell did Nash Lamont know about that?

  * * *

  Nash couldn’t remember much, but he did have a feeling that his world had changed. Happiness filled his whole body, though he knew—somewhere in the depths of his soul—that he’d lived in a black hole of sadness not very long ago. But that was yesterday or somewhere in the past. Tonight he had a family and beautiful wife, and life was good.

  “Have we always had sheep?” he asked Kasey when they reached the corral behind the barn.

  A big white cat slunk along the side of the fence until she reached them and then rubbed around his legs.

  “Where’re your babies?” he asked.

  “Two of them are over at the bunkhouse on Hope Springs. Lila got them last summer and brought them with her when she and Brody got married. One is black and one is white and they’re about half grown now,” Kasey answered. “But she’s got a whole new litter now. It was one of those that Hero chased up the tree. Do you remember climbin’ up the ladder to get it?”

  He shook his head. “My first memory is your wedding ring flashing in the sunlight. The sheep must know me. They’re all coming this way.” He reached inside over the fence and petted each of them as they arrived.

  “They should. You spend a lot of time with them. You brought them here from over in eastern Texas where your grandmother, Addy, lives, remember?”

  “No, but it’s okay as long as you’re right here with me.” He slipped an arm around her shoulders. The sun had set and the evening was quickly going from the twilight stage to full darkness. However, there was enough light left to see Kasey’s beautiful profile. Half of her face was in total shadows, but he could make out the sprinkling of freckles across her nose. He longed to plant a kiss on every one of those freckles, little angel kisses as his grandmother used to call them.

  Hey, I do remember something, he thought. Addy said that about freckles and she moved from the little ranch to town. I remember feeling sad that last day on the place because I felt close to Grandpa there.

  He pulled her closer to his side and reached across with his left hand to toy with her wedding band. A frown covered his face when he realized that he wasn’t wearing his ring and there wasn’t even an indention where it had been.

  “When did I stop wearing my ring? It does match yours, right?”

  “Must’ve been when you left on that last mission,” she answered. “And yes, it matches mine.”

  “I’ve got to find it. I should be wearing it,” he said.

  “Hey!” Hope yelled as she got out of a truck she’d parked not far away. “I came over to check on y’all. How’re things going?”

  “My grandmother, Hope,” she whispered.

  “Fine, except that I can’t rem
ember much,” Nash answered.

  “I brought a dozen cookies and left them on the table. Thought y’all might like a late-night snack.” She leaned both elbows on the top rail of the fence and propped her chin in her hands. “Nice lookin’ little flock you got. How tame are they?”

  “They’re like pets,” he answered.

  “We might call on you to be part of our live nativity scene the night we have the Christmas program at the church. Real sheep would sure be better than wooden cutouts. You wouldn’t happen to have a donkey, would you?” Hope asked.

  “No, but I’m lookin’ for one. They keep the coyotes away from the new baby lambs. Just let me know if you decide you want me to bring sheep to the nativity. You got a nice shed for the play? I’m pretty good with buildin’ things.”

  A vision of Hope on the front porch of a long, sprawling ranch house popped into his head. There was a dog and she insisted that he drive her back to the barn where there was a party going on. It could have been ten years ago or yesterday because he couldn’t get a fix on the date, but he did like her. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to expand the whole memory, but it faded.

  “That would be great. Our old lean-to has sure seen better days,” Hope said. “Kasey, you left a few things over at Hope Springs when you and the kids were staying there. I put them on the landing at the top of the stairs. I remember comin’ over here a lot when your uncle Henry lived here. Nothing much has changed.”

  “Except the house. Evidently Uncle Henry didn’t like all that clutter and cleared it out after my Great-Granny passed away. Did you know Addy, my grandmother? She still worries about Uncle Henry—hey, I remembered something.” He beamed.

  Hope reached around behind Kasey and patted him on the shoulder. “Yes, I knew your grandmother. I called her this morning. Don’t worry about the memories. They’ll come back.”

  “I hope so. Kasey needs a whole husband, not one who hardly knows his name.”

  “Don’t rush it. Just rest and let it come naturally,” Hope said.