by Janet Dailey
“I’ll remember,” Tracy said. “So, for now, we just need homes for Tiger and Midnight, right?”
“Right.” Clara gave the royal wave to a passing shopper, who smiled and waved back.
“Maggie says you’re coming to dinner today,” Rush said.
“That’s right. It was nice of her to ask me.”
“And it was nice of you to accept. We’ll all be glad to have you there, especially the princess. You’ve become her favorite person.”
“Daddy,” Clara said, “after we shop, can I go to Tracy’s house and play with the kittens?”
Rush met Tracy’s eyes and gave a slight shake of his head. “Maybe another time. Tracy probably has things to do. And this morning we need to go home and decorate your tree.”
“But the kittens are getting big. Soon it’ll be time for their new homes.”
“Tomorrow would be a good day for me,” Tracy said. “But you’ll have to ask your dad first.”
“Please, Daddy!” Clara’s pleading expression was irresistible.
Rush frowned, then nodded. “I’ve got some appointments tomorrow morning. Barring an emergency, I should be able to pick her up around noon. Would that be too long?”
“It would be fine,” Tracy said. “As long as she doesn’t get bored.”
“I won’t get bored.” Clara tugged at her father’s sleeve. “Please, Daddy!”
“We’ll see. You’ll have to promise to behave yourself and not pester Tracy for things you can’t have.”
Like the white kitten. Tracy knew what he meant. “I was just about to get in the checkout line,” she said. “I’ll see you later, for dinner, okay?”
“Okay. Let’s get shopping, princess.”
Tracy watched him walk away with Clara waving and smiling in the cart. Sooner or later, Rush would find the right person and marry her. Whoever she was, she would be one lucky woman. Tracy sighed. Too bad that woman wasn’t going to be her.
At this early hour, the checkout line was short. Tracy made it to the register in a few minutes and paid for her purchases.
The bagger was a young man she recognized. Daniel, nice looking with dark eyes and hair, had Down syndrome. Last year, when his family was new in town, he and Katy had discovered each other. Now they were sweethearts. There’d been talk of a wedding, but for now they lived with their families and spent as much time together as possible.
“Can I help you to your car?” he asked Tracy as he put her bags in the cart.
“Thanks, Daniel, but I can manage fine,” Tracy said.
“Please let me help you,” he said. “I need to ask you something.”
“Of course.” Tracy let him lead the way to her car, pushing the cart. What could this nice young man possibly want to ask her?
“I hear you have kittens,” he said.
“I do. They’ll be ready for new homes by Christmas.”
“I want to give Katy a kitten,” he said. “I already asked her mom. She said it would be okay. Are any of the kittens girls? I think Katy would like a little girl cat.”
“There’s one girl,” Tracy said. “She’s a little tabby. So cute. Katy would love her.”
“She sounds perfect.” He grinned as he lifted the bags into the trunk of Tracy’s car. “Would you save her for me? I can pay you.”
“No, the kittens are free. And Dr. Rushford will give them shots—and I’ll send a little bit of food with her, and some litter,” Tracy added as an afterthought.
“Will you tell me when I can pick her up?”
“It’ll be a few days before Christmas. Do you know where I live?”
“My dad will know. I don’t drive, but he can bring me.”
“Wonderful. I’m so glad Katy will be getting one of the kittens.”
Tracy drove home with a smile on her face. Two of the kittens, Ginger and Tiger, would soon go to good homes. Only Midnight was still available—and Snowflake, too, if Clara couldn’t find a way to keep him.
Her heart ached for the little girl and for Rush. But there was nothing she could do—despite what she’d learned online.
By the time she got home, made the cake and salad, and did some things around the house, it was time to get ready for dinner. She knew no one would be dressed up, but she put on clean jeans, black boots, and a new black sweater. After freshening her makeup and curling the ends of her hair, she added small silver earrings.
Why should it matter how she looked? Tracy asked herself. But she knew the answer to that question. She wanted to appear at her best for Rush.
As she checked her reflection in the dresser mirror, Steve’s photo on the nightstand seemed to gaze at her with sad blue eyes. It’s only paper, she told herself. But she couldn’t shake a prickle of guilt. The love of her life was gone, and here she was, with his picture still on display, primping to impress another man.
A man who would never be hers.
Never mind, she told herself, as she slung her purse on her shoulder and carried the cake and salad out to her car. She would go to dinner, be a good guest, make pleasant conversation, and leave. That would be the end of it....
Until tomorrow, when Rush brought Clara to play with the kittens.
The December sunlight was already fading as she took the south highway and found the turnoff to Christmas Tree Ranch. Tracy switched on her headlights, feeling the bumpy surface beneath her tires as she drove past the ancient cottonwoods that lined the left-hand side of the road. Their branches were bare now, their tops black tracery against the deepening indigo sky. She parked next to Maggie’s old Lincoln Town Car. The lights were on in the house, the breeze cool on her face as she stepped out of her vehicle, balanced the cake and salad in her arms, and mounted the front steps to the porch.
Rush opened the door before she could find a way to knock. “Here, I’ll take that.” He ushered her inside and eased the rectangular cake pan out of her grip and set it on the counter. “That looks downright decadent,” he said, looking at the cake. “You’re a woman who knows the way to a man’s heart—or maybe three men’s hearts tonight.” He leaned close to Tracy’s ear as she set the salad bowl on the table. “And you look pretty damned decadent yourself, lady,” he whispered.
Tracy felt the heat creep into her face. Rush hadn’t flirted openly with her before. Maybe he was doing it to impress his friends.
The table was set with six mismatched place settings. Maggie was just taking the lasagna and foil-wrapped bread out of the oven. The aroma was intoxicating. “Hey, you’re just in time,” she said. “And your salad looks yummy. Give me a couple more minutes, and it’ll be time to sit down.”
Clara, dressed in her new ranch clothes, came dancing down the hall with a clean, fluffy dog at her heels. “Doesn’t Bucket look beautiful?” she exclaimed. “Travis and I gave him a bath in the tub! Boy, was he dirty! Come and see our Christmas tree, Tracy!”
She took Tracy’s hand and tugged her into the living room, where a three-foot tree was set up on a wooden crate in the far corner. Lights, tinsel, and miniature ornaments, almost enough to bury the tree, decorated every branch and twig.
“Isn’t it the prettiest tree ever?” Clara asked. “I decorated it all by myself.”
Tracy smiled. It was impossible not to respond to the happy little girl. “I have some good news,” she said. “Tiger has found a home. She’s going to be a present for Katy, the girl who gave you the gingerbread cookie.”
“Yay!” Clara clapped her hands. “So now there’s just Midnight. Midnight’s the playful one. He’s so cute. He’ll find a home soon.”
And there’s one more. But Tracy decided against mentioning Snowflake’s uncertain future. That would only spoil a joyful moment.
“I want to show you something else.” Clara ran to the blue tent, unzipped the flap, and slipped inside. She emerged holding a fluffy white toy cat with blue glass eyes. “This is Snowflake,” she said. “I got him for my birthday. I have to keep him in the tent so Bucket won’t use him for a dog t
oy. Here, you can hold him.”
Tracy took the life-sized stuffed animal and stroked its silky fur. She recognized the exclusive brand, which she’d seen in high-end stores.
“I love him,” Clara said. “But he’s not as much fun as a real cat. That’s why I love the real Snowflake more.”
“He’s beautiful,” Tracy said. “Now you’d better put him back where he’ll be safe.”
* * *
“Come and get it!” Maggie called from the kitchen.
As they gathered around the table, Rush boosted Clara onto the box that had been added to her chair. When they were all seated, Clara recited a murmured grace. Then the bread and salad started around the table, while Maggie cut squares of lasagna and doled them out with a spatula. Bucket disappeared under the table to wait for a spill or a handout.
Seated across the table from Tracy, Rush stole furtive glances at her. Tonight she looked so tempting that it was all he could do to keep from devouring her with his eyes.
They’d been playing games since the night she’d called him about her cat—and Rush was getting tired of it. He wanted her, pure and simple. If she couldn’t get over her late husband, maybe it was time somebody gave her a nudge in the right direction.
As things stood, he had nothing to lose by trying. At best, he could move the relationship forward. At worst, she would freeze him out and slam the proverbial door in his face.
At least she’d shown up tonight, looking like a sexy angel. If that was a signal, he was ready to take a chance. Get the lady alone, and the next step would be up to him.
“Rush?” Maggie’s voice startled him. He realized he’d tuned out the buzz of conversation.
“I’m sorry, Maggie, did you ask me something?” he said.
She gave him a knowing smile. “I was just telling Clara about the Cowboy Christmas Ball a week from Saturday. It’s a lot of fun. You should plan on taking her.”
“Is it a real ball, like in Cinderella?” Clara asked.
“Sort of,” Maggie said. “Only it’s for cowboys, and it’s a lot more fun. The whole town will be there.”
“Can I wear my princess dress?”
“Honey,” Maggie said, “you can wear anything you want to.”
“That princess dress needs a trip to the cleaner’s first,” Rush said. “Remind me to drop it off.”
“Hey, I remember that Christmas Ball from last year,” Conner said. “The food was great, and I had a blast—must’ve danced with every single woman there, and some of the married ones.”
“I know,” Travis teased. “I was waiting for you to get beat up by some woman’s jealous husband.”
“Well, what about you two?” Conner gave Maggie a wink. “You were so wrapped up in each other that I was afraid the sheriff was going to haul you off for indecent conduct.”
“You were there, too, weren’t you, Rush?” Maggie asked.
“He was,” Conner said. “But all he did was stand around. He didn’t even dance.”
“I was looking for somebody,” Rush said, glancing at Tracy. “Somebody who never showed up.”
“I’ve never been to the ball,” Tracy said. “Steve’s—my late husband’s—law firm always had their annual party that night. And last year, as I’m sure you’ll understand, I didn’t feel much like celebrating.”
“Well, this year, you’re going!” Conner said. “And I’m getting in line for the first dance.”
“Not if I get there ahead of you,” Rush said.
Tracy glanced down at her plate, causing Rush to wonder if she was being pushed too far and too fast. “We’ll see,” she said. “I recall that the rule is traditional Western dress, with long gowns for the women. I don’t have anything to wear, and no time to get something made.”
“Not to worry. I’ve got a couple of extras,” Maggie said. “I’ll bring them by your house, and you can choose one. You might have to baste up the hem and tighten the sash, but you’ll be right in style. Before the ball, there’s a class to teach first-timers the dances, but I can show you the basic steps when I bring the gowns.”
“Thanks, that’s awfully nice of you.” Tracy still sounded hesitant, but nobody could say no to Maggie.
“Can you show me, too?” Clara asked.
“You bet. I’ll even show you a few steps after dinner.”
Maggie cleared away the emptied dinner plates while Tracy cut big squares of chocolate cake and served them on paper plates.
Conner speared a generous forkful and tasted it. “Mmmm! Now this is what I’d call a perfect ending to a perfect meal. Which one of you lovely ladies would be willing to marry me and make me the luckiest man in the world?”
Tracy looked startled, but Maggie was used to Conner’s banter. “Sorry, Conner,” she said. “If we took you out of circulation, the good women of Branding Iron would tar and feather us.”
“Well, it was worth a try,” Conner said. “Let me know if either of you has a change of heart. Meanwhile, I’ll take seconds on that cake.”
“Don’t worry, there’s plenty left, and I’m planning to leave it here.” Tracy passed Conner another slice. “Anybody else?”
Maggie shook her head. “One more bite and I won’t fit into my ball gown.”
“I’m full,” Clara announced. “I want Maggie to teach me to dance.”
“In that case,” Conner said, “I volunteer Travis and me for cleanup duty.” Turning aside, he gave Rush a private wink. The situation was beginning to feel like a conspiracy, Rush thought. But if it offered him a chance to be alone with Tracy, he was all for it.
“I guess that leaves me to take Bucket out and check the stock,” he said. “Want to come along, Tracy? It’s a nice evening for a walk.”
She hesitated. His breath stopped. But then she smiled. “Why not? I could use some fresh air.”
“I’ll get your coat,” he said.
* * *
By now, dusk was deepening to night. Emerging in the darkness, stars twinkled above the distant hills. The breeze was light and moist.
With her hands thrust into her pockets, Tracy strolled across the yard with Travis. Bucket trotted alongside them, his shaggy ears on full alert. The single security light, mounted on a high pole, cast long shadows across the ground.
“Thank you for inviting me tonight,” she said, making conversation. “It did me good to get out and enjoy a meal with nice people.”
“Thanks. I’d like to take credit, but it was Maggie who invited you,” Rush said. “I need to thank her, for that, and for talking you into coming to the Christmas Ball.”
“Maggie’s good at talking people into things, isn’t she?” Tracy remembered Maggie’s phone call and her pitch that she and Rush should become a couple. Maggie had meant well, but there were secrets she didn’t know.
“Maggie’s a master of persuasion,” Rush said, chuckling. “That’s why she’s the mayor. Now, if you’ll come to the ball as my date, I’ll really have a lot to thank her for.”
“As your date?” Tracy wasn’t dating yet. Didn’t he understand that?
“Well, technically it would be our date, since we’d be taking Clara. If I could walk into the gym with two beautiful girls on my arm, I’d be the envy of every man there.”
So it wasn’t a real date. That made the decision easier. “All right,” Tracy said. “You, me, and the princess. It sounds like good, old-fashioned fun.”
“Thank you.” He sounded relieved. “I’d like us to spend more time together, Tracy. If that doesn’t suit you, you can always say no. But it won’t stop me from trying.”
Tracy didn’t reply, but she could feel her emotions pulling her one way, then the other. It was as if she’d been handed a wrapped gift—a gift she was afraid to open.
They had reached the pasture fence. Rush took a flashlight out of his pocket and used its powerful beam to scan the pasture. There was an open shelter for the cattle along the side fence, but tonight, most of the cows and their large calves were still grazi
ng. He took the time to locate all of them. “All present and accounted for,” he said.
His hand rested on the small of her back as they followed Bucket toward the barn. The contact sent forbidden tingles through Tracy’s body but she didn’t pull away. Being touched by him awakened needs that were too powerful to name.
The barn was dark inside. Rush’s flashlight illuminated a wall of hay bales stacked along the back and a row of stalls on either side. The air smelled of hay and the warm, pungent aroma of horses.
Something large snorted and moved in the shadows. Rush trained the light into a roomy box stall. A massive silver-gray draft horse nickered and came toward the gate. “Here, you old beggar.” Rush fished a carrot out of his pocket and laid it on the palm of his hand. The horse took it almost daintily, crunching with its big teeth.
“This is Chip,” Rush said. “His brother in the next stall is Patch. They pull Santa’s sleigh in the Christmas parade.” He moved on to the neighboring stall. The horse that thrust its head over the gate for a treat had a white patch on its forehead.
“They’re magnificent,” Tracy said. “Can I pet him?”
“Go ahead. These two are as gentle as lambs.” Rush guided her hand to the horse’s neck.
Tracy stroked the satiny coat, feeling the solid muscles beneath. “Beautiful,” she whispered.
“So are you.” His hand cupped her chin, tilting her face upward for a long, dizzying kiss.
Chapter 10
The kiss triggered a surge of sensual heat—a heat that flowed like a spring thaw through Tracy’s body, warming every part of her. Her arms slid around Rush’s neck, pulling him down to her, deepening the contact of his lips on hers.
He kept the kiss tender, almost gentle—but that slow-burning flame was kindling a blaze inside her. She stretched on tiptoe, hungry for more.
Whoa! the warning voice in her head cried out. You’re not ready for this. You can’t make a fool of yourself the first time a man kisses you. . . .
Tracy forced herself to listen. It made sense to be cautious. There were red flags going up all over the place—her grief over Steve’s death, Rush’s recent divorce, and the fact that she wouldn’t be able to give him children. And that was just to name a few.
