A Very Cowboy Christmas

by Kim Redford

  With that thought in mind, she smiled mischievously—maybe even a bit coquettishly—as she put her hands behind her back, unhooked her white lace bra, slid the straps down her arms, and tossed it across her slip on the dresser to make a complete, if mismatched, set.

  That simple act caused him to growl deep in his throat as he crushed her against his chest, pressing hot kisses across her face, down her throat, back to her ears, and finally settled on her mouth where he teased and tormented, nibbled and nipped until he thrust deep inside, kissing her so passionately that he left no doubt that he desperately needed her.

  She returned his kiss with fervor of her own, feeling their combined heat merge, blaze, and burn to new heights. She couldn’t get enough of him fast enough, deep enough, hard enough as she roamed his body with her hands, thrusting into his hair, digging into his shoulders, clutching the fabric of his shirt. She kissed him with a desperation that grew stronger by the moment, wanting more, needing more, and still more as her heart accelerated in time with his heartbeat.

  Finally, he tore his mouth away, gave her a hard look, and set her back from him, hands trembling with repressed passion. He swiveled toward the bed, jerked the cowboy bedspread and top sheet back, and then turned to her with a question in his dark-blue eyes.

  She nodded in agreement, wanting to see him, know him, experience him in every possible way. She watched as he unsnapped his shirt, jerked it out of his Wranglers, and threw it on top of her sweater. She shivered at the sight of his naked, muscular chest with blond hair and hard nipples. She couldn’t wait any longer—not for anything.

  She quickly sat on the bed and reached down to take off her moccasins, but he knelt before her, slipping off one shoe and then the other. As if that simple act unleashed the last thread that bound her, she reached up and pulled him on top of her, feeling his weight, his strength, his desire crush her into the soft mattress.

  He covered her breasts with hot, hard hands and hot, hard kisses until she writhed up against him, struggling for breath, for thought, for his deepest touch. She couldn’t wait another moment. He understood, for he didn’t make her wait. He unzipped her skirt, pulled it down, slipped off her panties, and tossed them both aside. She lay still, completely exposed to him.

  As he watched her with a smoldering gaze, he slowly, gently, deliberately slid his long fingers up the inside of her thighs until he gained the apex of her hot, moist center. He deepened his touch, sending her into a crimson haze of unfulfilled desire. She reached up for him, sliding her hands across his broad chest and tearing a growl from deep in his throat again.

  He abruptly pulled away, then quickly undid his belt buckle, unzipped his jeans, and jerked his Wranglers with his belt still in the loops down. He started to toss his jeans to the floor, then stopped and pulled a foil packet out of his pocket. He glanced back at her with a predatory gleam in his eyes, ripped open the package, and slipped a condom on his hard length.

  “Love me.” And she beckoned him back to her.

  “Always.”

  No more needed to be said because—once more—he understood her need as if it were his own need. She shivered as he knelt before her, raised her hips, and swiftly entered her, joining them completely as one. He thrust deep, stroking harder and faster as he drove them both closer to the edge of fulfillment. She clutched his shoulders as she rode him, twining higher and higher until she cried out, and they reached their blazing peak of ecstasy together.

  He gently kissed her lips, then lay down and tucked her close to him, as if he would never let her go. She sighed in contentment as she cuddled against his shoulder and placed her hand on his chest over his heart.

  Now she knew that life would never be the same, not after this moment. She’d always thought her family, as well as the ranch, the café, the fire station, even Wildcat Bluff, were home. But she was wrong.

  Home was Dune Barrett.

  Chapter 34

  Sydney took a deep breath as she looked out her front door at the clear blue sky with no hint of rain. It was the Saturday before Christmas, so she’d been up since well before dawn. As far as she could tell, everything was in order for Christmas at the Sure-Shot Drive-In.

  She’d worked with Dune yesterday to take care of last-minute details, coordinating with Mom, Granny, and Slade for the festivities. They’d usually go to Christmas in the Country together, but not this year, since there were so many more things to do. Storm was already with Granny, excited but not as much as usual. Once this day was over, Sydney would help her daughter overcome her fears and get on her pony again.

  Fortunately, the day was cool but not too cold. She’d selected a pale pink silk blouse the same color as Celeste to go with a white leather pencil skirt that had a long, matching leather coat with cuffed sleeves and a shawl collar. She wore tinted hose with crocodile kitten heel pumps and carried a white leather handbag with gold trim to complete her outfit. Together, she and Celeste made a fine team.

  She wouldn’t be with Dune for the Sure-Shot parade, because she’d be with the vintage automobiles, and he’d be with the equestrians. All of the local ranches would be represented in the parade, as much to enjoy riding together as to promote the local businesses. Area antique car clubs were always happy to show off their pristine vehicles, so they’d quickly signed up for the event.

  She tucked her cell phone in her purse and glanced around her office to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. As far as she knew, all was in order, and it was time to go. For good luck, she touched one of the poinsettia leaves on the beautiful plant Dune had sent her. She felt a sudden burst of excitement. She’d planned long and hard for this event. Now it was make-or-break time.

  Outside, the day was beautiful with a few fluffy clouds in the sky and a slight breeze that brought the scent of evergreen. She walked over to Celeste, appreciating the high gloss that came from Dune’s fine washing and detailing. She’d already attached a sign that read “Sure-Shot Christmas Queen” in red letters on a white background in front of the longhorns. It’d stand out well in the parade.

  She opened the driver’s door, tossed her handbag across the seat, and took a deep breath. She gave Celeste a quick pat for more luck, then sat down inside. A moment later, the big V8 engine purred to life, and she took off down the lane. Once she reached Wildcat Road, she passed more vehicles than usual, which was a good sign that lots of extra people were in the county.

  When she arrived in Sure-Shot, she drove to the staging area on the north side of town where vehicles were already lining up for the parade. In a nearby but separate area, equestrians were also getting in line after Sue Ann Bridges, their local large and small animal veterinarian, checked Coggins Test papers for each horse to make sure the deadly virus wouldn’t be transmitted between animals. All in all, everything appeared to be running on schedule.

  She drove to the head of the antique cars, because Celeste would be leading the parade. She wished Mr. Werner could be there to see his beloved Cadillac admired and appreciated by all. In fact, she’d have asked him to ride with her, knowing he’d have enjoyed dressing in fine retro clothing with a fedora set at a jaunty angle on his head. She gave a quick, silent thanks to Mr. Werner’s generosity.

  For now, she needed to focus on the day, not the past. She glanced around for Melinda Bright, who’d sold enough tickets to garner the queen title. The hardworking teenager would keep fifty percent of all she’d earned, and the rest would be used to help defray event expenses.

  She caught sight of Melinda as she stepped out of a blue pickup and quickly walked over. She looked perfect. She wore her queen’s crystal tiara in place of the hat band on her bright red cowgirl hat. She’d added a dramatic red leather vest with fringe and matching gloves to a traditional blue pearl-snap shirt and Wranglers with red pointy-toe boots.

  “You look wonderful,” Sydney said. “I could almost mistake you for Annie Oakley in one of her sh
arpshooting costumes.”

  Melinda gave her a big grin. “Thanks. I’m paying tribute to Little Miss Sure-Shot, even if I missed seeing her perform by a hundred years or more.”

  “You make a good stand-in.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate the honor.”

  “You worked hard to sell that many tickets.”

  “I wanted to be the first Sure-Shot Christmas Queen.” Melinda walked over and ran a hand along the side of the Cadillac. “And I really wanted to ride in this power convertible.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Sydney agreed. “Let me introduce you to Celeste. She’s quite a treat.”

  “You named your car?”

  “Mr. Werner named Celeste way back in 1959 when he bought her new.”

  “Really? Is he going to be here?”

  “He almost made it to a hundred, but he’s gone now.”

  Melinda nodded her head thoughtfully. “Maybe Celeste will make it to a hundred.”

  “If I have anything to say about it, she sure will.”

  “I hope every future Sure-Shot Christmas Queen gets to ride in her.” Melinda cocked her head at Sydney. “You look good, too. I heard you’d gone vintage all the way. That’s an amazing outfit.”

  “Thanks,” Sydney said. “But between the two of us, I’m about ready to get back into my regular cowgirl clothes.”

  “I can see it’d be a little hard to ride a horse.”

  “You know it.” Sydney checked her watch. “It’s close to time to start. Why don’t you go ahead and get in the back seat. You can sit above with your feet on the seat.”

  “I won’t hurt the leather, will I?”

  “Not a chance.” Sydney opened the passenger door.

  Melinda quickly stepped into the car and settled into place above the back seat, adjusting her hat so sunlight glinted off the crystals in her tiara.

  Sydney picked up two large baggies of colorful wrapped candy from the floorboard. She handed one to Melinda and set the other on the seat within easy reach. “I thought it’d be fun for you to toss candy to kids along the route.”

  “That’s great.” Melinda opened the baggie and selected a handful to throw out of the car. “I’m all set.”

  “You look terrific. Just wait a here a bit, and I’ll be right back.”

  Sydney quickly walked over to check on the vintage vehicles behind her convertible. She’d requested the car clubs include mostly fifties models, and it appeared they’d done just that for her.

  She saw a Chevy Impala with a white roof and aqua body, a yellow Ford Thunderbird with round portholes for back windows, a red and white Chevy Bel Air convertible with red and white leather seats, a red Corvette convertible with red leather seats, and other pristine vehicles.

  She stopped beside Duke Daniels, the driver of the first car club in line. He wore typical cowboy clothes in green plaid shirt, jeans, boots, and hat, but he’d added a beautiful retro horsehead-and-horseshoe-design cardigan against the morning’s chill.

  “All the vehicles are gorgeous. Thanks for joining us today,” she said with a warm smile.

  “Any time.” Duke gestured toward her convertible. “Your Cadillac isn’t to be sneezed at either.”

  “Thanks. Mr. Werner gave Celeste to me so she’d be in good hands.”

  “You lucky dog! We wondered what had happened to her. I’ll let folks know.” Duke leaned closer. “Listen, if you ever decide to give Celeste another home, please give me a call. I’d be happy to baby her just like Mr. Werner.”

  “That’s good to know. I’ll keep you in mind. For now, Celeste and I are a team.”

  “I can see it.” Duke cocked his head to one side. “Listen, why don’t you join us for some of the car shows? Celeste would be a huge hit.”

  “Thanks. I’ll think about it.” She liked the idea of sharing Celeste with the world, but that was for another time. “Right now, I guess we’d better get this show on the road.”

  “Let’s do it!”

  Sydney walked back to Celeste, gave a thumbs-up to Melinda, and sat down inside. She started the engine, wrapped her fingers around the big steering wheel, and pulled onto Main Street. She was thrilled to see folks lined up all along the boardwalk, waiting for the parade. They looked happy and excited to be celebrating Christmas in Sure-Shot. She breathed a great sigh of relief. So far, everything was going to plan.

  She waited for the color guard from the Sure-Shot American Legion to get into place in front of her. Four veterans wearing white shirts, black pants, and black combat boots with Legion dark-blue caps and vests walked into the center of the street and stood in a row. One veteran carried the United States flag on a long pole while another veteran carried the Sure-Shot, Texas, American Legion flag. They were flanked on each side by a veteran carrying a rifle.

  At the designated time, all four men started their forward march to the center of town where they stopped at attention and turned to face the reviewing stand, a small dais in front of the Bluebonnet Café. The Legion flag was lowered to an angle while the United States flag remained high. A cowgirl in a flowery long skirt and matching blouse stood alone on the dais. She nodded to the Legionnaires, then raised her voice to sing the national anthem, letting the strong, pure notes soar up, over, and beyond Sure-Shot, as people put their hands over their hearts and military veterans saluted in respect. When the last strains of the anthem fell away, the color guard executed a sharp right turn and marched off the street.

  Sydney moved her hand from her heart to her steering wheel, pressed down on the gas pedal, and slowly started the parade down Main Street. She heard Christmas music piped from a speaker system that had been recently installed for the event. She heard a soaring rendition of “Joy to the World” that couldn’t help but ignite the spirit of the season in everyone. Red-and-green, silver-and-gold, blue-and-purple twinkling lights accented store windows while the scent of fresh green cedar boughs filled the air. A rope of shining white light outlined the roof over the busy, bustling boardwalk.

  Sydney smiled and waved at folks while they cheered for their Sure-Shot Christmas Queen. Melinda tossed handfuls of candy from the back seat, and kids scrambled to catch it or pick it up off the pavement while their parents put their sweet treats into plastic bags for later.

  Everyone appeared so happy to be there that Sydney knew all her hard work was well worth every bit of effort. She glanced back where the parade spread out behind her. Sunlight glinted off the glossy paint of colorful classic cars and warmed the rich earth tones of horses sedately walking or taking a few prancing steps while the crowd cheered in appreciation.

  As she drew near the end of downtown, she felt happy and sad at the same time. For something that had taken so long to plan, prepare, and execute, it was going to be swiftly over—at least until another year. And there would be another Christmas at the Sure-Shot Drive-In, because attendance at the parade already made it a success. She took heart in knowing there would always be Christmas to celebrate in Wildcat Bluff County.

  Fortunately, folks still lined the road, waving and cheering and picking up candy as she headed out of downtown toward the drive-in, because the next phase of the day was already on her mind.

  She wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, because Bert and Bert Two were in charge at the drive-in. They’d relieved her of that job, but left her feeling a little uneasy, since she didn’t know the details of their plans. Still, she trusted them, since they always did more than strictly necessary when they elevated houses or events to the next level.

  When she arrived at the large, wide, circular entry area in front of the drive-in open gate, she was thrilled at what she saw there. Vendors of handmade creative crafts such as hand-cast pottery, tie-dyed T-shirts, goat soap products, knit scarves, and jars of pickled fruits and vegetables were set up around the perimeter of the drive-in fence on white portable tables under large white
umbrellas imprinted with the turquoise Sure-Shot Drive-In retro logo.

  As she drove into the area, leading the line of vehicles, Bert Two walked out from behind a vendor table and pointed toward a place near the road where he wanted her to park. She pulled in there with Celeste’s nose pointed outward so she had a good view of the parade.

  Bert Two jogged over, grinning from ear to ear. “So far, so good.”

  “Everything here looks wonderful,” she said, stepping out of her Caddy. “And the parade is going great.”

  He glanced at Melinda. “If you’ll join us, we have a special seat for you at our booth, so you can meet and greet folks as they look at cars and shop at vendor tables.”

  “I’d love to do it.” Melinda picked up a nearly full bag of candy and shook it. “I can also hand out more goodies.”

  “Perfect,” Bert Two agreed. “We have Sure-Shot Drive-In magnets you can give out for free, and we might sell a few caps and T-shirts. Hopefully, we’ll sell a lot of cowboy firefighter calendars, too.”

  “Sounds perfect. And it looks as if you’ve got everything under control,” Sydney said. “Thanks so much for your help and the generous use of the drive-in.”

  “It works both ways,” Bert Two added. “We’ll get a lot of promotional value from this event, as well as helping out the town.”

  “Still, it’s a boon to the county,” Sydney said with a smile.

  “It’s great for everybody.” Melinda got out of the convertible and gave Sydney a big hug. “Thanks. This is the absolute best day of my life.”

  “I’m sure you’ll enjoy many more best days.” Sydney felt warmth blossom in her heart at Melinda’s obvious happiness.

  “I’ll just go over to the drive-in table and see what I can do to help.” Melinda smiled at them, then walked away.