A scoff burst from his mouth. “Right. I’ll put that at the top of my to-do list. Don’t worry about what the gorgeous, successful, has-it-all-together Andy Larsen thinks of me.” He made a slashing motion with his hand. “Check.” He shook his head, his tone harsher than he intended. But come on. Did she think it was just that easy to do?
She took a calculated step toward him. “You think I’m gorgeous.”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Successful?”
“Every woman I see is wearing something that came from this shop.”
She invaded his personal space, practically forcing him to meet her eye. “I do not have it all together. Most days I’m hanging on by a thread.”
He wanted to argue. Wanted her to take his concerns more seriously. Wanted to ask if his confessions had helped her to trust him more.
Instead, he leaned down and kissed her, relieved and reassured when she kissed him back.
Lawrence boosted himself onto the bottom rung of the fence surrounding the indoor arena. “Make ‘im go right.”
Sariah Swanson, the teen riding Chocolate, nodded, her mouth in a grim line. Sariah came from a town about thirty minutes east of Three Rivers, the victim of a severe fire that left seventy percent of her body covered in scars. Working with the horses gave her a confidence and strength she hadn’t possessed six months ago when she’d started.
Lawrence watched her bring Chocolate around again, this time muttering at him and pulling harder on the reins. He obeyed at the last moment, stubborn horse that he was. Or maybe he just wanted Sariah to work for her successes.
She beamed at Lawrence, who gave her a thumbs up and a grin.
“Lawrence?”
He glanced toward Reese, barely taking his eyes from Sariah. “Yeah?”
“There’s someone here to see you.”
“I’m with—”
“Pete said I should take over.”
A pit formed in Lawrence’s gut. “Who is it?”
Reese shook his head. “Just go see.”
“It’s not my mother, is it?” Lawrence couldn’t get his feet to move toward the offices of Courage Reins.
“No.” Reese didn’t take his eyes from Sariah. “She’s younger than that.”
“My sister?” Urgency flowed through Lawrence now. He’d told her to call him if she needed anything. His phone hadn’t rung in months, since he’d helped her move to San Antonio with her baby girl.
Reese shrugged, but the tight set of his mouth suggested Lawrence wouldn’t like whoever he met. Besides Cheryl, he couldn’t think of a single person who would come looking for him at Three Rivers Ranch.
The walk to the lobby seemed to stretch for miles and he paused at the corner. A woman stood near the front wall of windows, her back to him. She had dark hair and wore jeans and a leather jacket.
Nothing remarkable about her. Maybe she was a new patient.
“Ma’am?” He moved forward. “You asked to see me?”
The woman turned, and still Lawrence found nothing familiar in her face. She had dark eyes to match her hair, and when she smiled, it was a bit crooked like his.
“Are you Lawrence Collins?”
“Yes.” Snakes writhed through his veins. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m Gina Collins.” She grinned at him, her eyes watering now. “I’m your half-sister.”
Andy had barely closed the store after an exhausting Monday—a Monday! Usually one of her quieter days—when her phone sang from inside the drawer. It was Sandy.
“Hey,” Andy said. “What’s up, Sandy?”
“Okay, I don’t normally do this, but I think you better get over to the pancake house.”
Andy punched in the code to open the till, none of her nightly chores complete because of the flurry of sales she’d had in the last half hour. “Why?”
“Lawrence just came in.”
“Okay.” Andy didn’t see why this mattered, though an undercurrent of urgency rode in Sandy’s tone, something Andy hadn’t heard before.
“He’s with another woman.”
Andy’s blood turned to ice. She took a second to force herself to be rational, to trust Lawrence. “Does she have short hair? Sort of chopped like it was an accident?”
“No—”
“Because that’s his sister,” Andy practically yelled over Sandy.
“This woman has dark hair. Curled.” Sandy’s voice dropped to a whisper on the last word. “It’s not my business, and like I said, I don’t normally do this. But I know y’all were dating last year and then weren’t, and now are again, and…I don’t want you to get hurt again, Andy.”
Fire raced through Andy’s system at the same time her thoughts seemed frozen. “Thank you, Sandy,” fell from her mouth and she hung up. She looked around her festive shop like Mama would appear and give her some advice.
Last time, she’d jumped to conclusions.
Last time, she’d trusted what someone else said more than she trusted Lawrence.
Last time, her decision had cost her a year of happiness.
“Not this time,” she vowed as she grabbed her keys and headed for the door. “Not this time.”
Ten minutes later, Andy sat in her car in the pancake house parking lot, seriously questioning her sanity. What are you going to do? she asked herself. March in there and demand to know who he’s eating with?
She could see them through the front window. Her beautiful Lawrence and that dark-haired beauty.
Taking a deep breath, and without a plan in place, she slipped out of the car. She made her steps even as she entered the pancake house. Sandy met her eye and twitched her head toward where Andy had already seen Lawrence.
Now or never, she thought. Help me, Lord.
She slid into the booth next to the woman. “Lawrence,” she said. She’d thought about pretending to just stumble upon them, but had dismissed the idea. She’d been aiming for truth, and he was going to get it.
“I don’t know who this woman is, and I’m sure you’re going to tell me. It doesn’t really matter who she is. What matters is that I love you, and I trust you.” Her words hit her square in the face at the same time they hit him. She found she didn’t need to say anything else.
“Yeah. That’s it. I love you, and I trust you. When you finish up here, come on over and you can tell me all about her.” She cast a look at the woman, who wore a look of pure surprise.
Andy slid out of the booth, her heart thudding in her chest like it was about to go belly up. She paused next to Lawrence, reached out, and grasped his fingers as he reached toward her too. Satisfied and relieved and still beyond curious, she held her head high as she left the pancake house.
Back in the safe darkness of the driveway behind her building, she let herself collapse. Without the adrenaline, Andy felt like she had no bones to support her body. But somehow, she managed to make it upstairs to her loft, half-hoping Lawrence would be waiting there for her.
Of course he wasn’t.
Lawrence stared at Gina—his father’s daughter from a relationship before his dad had met and married his mom. She’d been put up for adoption as an infant, had the birth certificate, his father’s eyes, and Lawrence’s crooked smile. Once he’d verified who she was, he’d suggested dinner. Gina claimed to want only to know where she came from, who her blood relatives were. She’d only be in Three Rivers for the night.
“You should go after her,” Gina said, spearing a chunk of her whole wheat pancakes.
“I should, shouldn’t I?”
Andy’s words rang in his ears. I love you and I trust you.
He fumbled for his wallet. “I’ll leave you some money. I’m so sorry, Gina.” He threw some cash on the table and stood. “You have my number?”
“I have it,” she said. “Go talk to whoever that was.”
Lawrence grinned. “That’s my Andy.” He hurried toward the exit.
“Better tell her you love her back next time!” Gina called after him
.
He’d wanted to tell Andy he loved her since the day he met her. The past couple of weeks rekindling their relationship had only increased that desire. He drove too fast through town, arriving at her loft after only a few minutes. He pulled into the back driveway, directly behind her car. The lights along the top floor indicated she was home, though he knew she sometimes walked the downtown area.
He went up the back steps only to be met by a locked door. He’d come to Andy’s shop after-hours enough to know where the bell was. His fingers searched for the bump on the wall, finding it after several agonizing seconds. He pressed it, satisfied when the peal resonated through the building.
Lawrence stepped back so Andy could look out the window and see him—a dance they’d perfected in the months they’d dated. Sure enough, her shadow passed by the window. Then drew nearer.
She lifted the glass and leaned her elbows on the sill. “Who are you and what do you want?”
He tilted his head back and laughed. “Andy, let me in.”
She regarded him, her head cocked adorably to the side. “You never said what you wanted.”
She seemed playful, yet serious at the same time. His heart raced.
“You,” he said. “I want you.”
She ducked back inside, and a few second later, the door opened. She didn’t come out to meet him, but hung back in that sexy, shy way she had.
“So that woman is Gina Collins,” he said as he crossed the threshold into her boutique. “She’s my half-sister, put up for adoption before my dad met my mom.”
Andy blinked at him. “Wow.”
“Yeah.” Lawrence’s gaze flitted to the storeroom and back to Andy. “Care to show me your new arrivals?” He dashed off a grin.
She returned it and hipped her way into the storeroom. This time, he didn’t even wait to close the door before kissing her.
“I love you, Andy,” he whispered against her lips. “I’ve loved you forever.”
Andy hurried down the stairs when she saw Lawrence’s truck turn the corner. She switched on the built-in speakers and Silent Night filtered through the space. The grin she’d been trying to contain spilled onto her face as she unlocked the shop’s door and opened it.
“Merry Christmas,” she said as Lawrence appeared. She flew down the stairs and into his arms, though he had to practically throw the groceries he’d brought in order to catch her.
“Merry Christmas to you too.” He chuckled and she held onto his broad shoulders even tighter.
“You sure you don’t mind coming here over being at Kelly’s?” Andy pulled away so she could see his face, read the lie in his eyes—if there was one.
But she couldn’t find one. He kept one of her hands in his as he bent to grab the grocery sacks he’d been carrying. “Andy, I’d rather be alone with you, trust me.”
And alone they were. Just the two of them. It was the greatest Christmas present Andy had ever had. All she’d ever wanted.
“Did Santa come?” he asked as they made their way into the boutique.
She sighed and pressed further into his side. “You already know he did.” And the microscopic box had been taunting her since he’d left last night.
“I know of no such thing.” He’d tried to hide the fact that he’d stood in front of her Christmas tree for at least fifteen minutes, even kneeling to examine her tree skirt, exclaiming over her mother’s lace work. She’d found the small, gold-wrapped box tucked into the boughs after he’d left.
“Sure.” She locked the shop’s door behind them, satisfied there wouldn’t be any interruptions this Christmas.
“So you’re sayin’ you didn’t get me anything for Christmas,” he said as she started up the steps leading to her loft.
She turned, up a stair from him, now at the same height as him. “That’s not what I said.”
His hands snaked around her waist. The last few weeks of sneaking kisses in the storeroom and spending most of her awake time on Sundays with Lawrence had made her happier than she knew she could be, especially after Mama’s death.
But the sting of her absence had lessened, and the loneliness that had threatened to crush Andy just a month ago had ebbed into a memory.
She leaned forward and kissed Lawrence, beyond grateful that she could, grateful that he loved her, grateful that she’d found a way to make things right between them. Overcome with emotion, she ducked her head and rested her cheek against his. “Thanks for coming.”
“Mm.” He turned and pressed his lips to the spot just behind her ear. “Nowhere I’d rather be.”
They continued upstairs, and Lawrence hadn’t taken two steps through the door when he said, “You made a ham?”
“It’s Christmas,” Andy said. “And it’s about the only thing Mama taught me to make before she died.” She went into the kitchen ahead of him. “Ham and cheesy potatoes.”
“You’ve been holdin’ out on me.”
She turned and found him leaning against the couch, a delicious half-smile on his face.
“I know how to cook,” Andy said. “I just don’t do much of it during my busy season.”
He stalked a step closer. “So you’re sayin’ when it’s not busy, we can eat like this every Sunday?”
She shrugged, though a zing of delight pulsed through her. He came closer and closer still. “Should we eat first or open presents first?”
“Presents,” Andy said. “The ham has another hour at least.” She tipped her head back as he drew her into an embrace. “And it’s only ten o’clock in the morning.”
“Presents it is.” He kissed her, and Andy thought she could lose hours to Lawrence’s touch. She thanked the Lord for Lawrence’s calming and comforting presence in her life at this precious time of year.
As he took her hand and led her toward the Christmas tree, Andy wondered if every holiday season could be as magical as this one had been. She hoped so.
The angry bees that had taken up residence in Lawrence’s chest buzzed louder with every step toward the Christmas tree. Andy had obviously already seen the box he’d left last night. It had taken every ounce of self-control he possessed to stop himself from giving it to her then. But he wanted it to be a true Christmas gift.
He didn’t care if she got him anything, though he was sure she had. The four wrapped boxes under the tree hadn’t been there last night, and she’d already sent gifts out to the ladies and cowboys at Three Rivers.
“So you sit here.” He led her to the couch. “And I’ll start.” He plucked the box from the branches, his heart beating so fast he thought it might burst.
He cleared his throat, and though he’d already said all these words to Andy at some point over the last several weeks, he somehow couldn’t order them now.
“I’ve known you were the one for me from the day we met,” he said, this part of the proposal completely unplanned. “And I want to be with you for the rest of my life.” He thrust the box toward her, unsure of what to say next.
She unwrapped the box and took out the jewelry container. Her eyes widened when she looked inside. “Lawrence,” she breathed.
“It’s an emerald,” he said, gently taking the box from her fingers as he sat next to her on the couch. “A real one. For your gemstone.” He couldn’t get the emotion out of his voice. “And though we haven’t been able to share your birthday together, when I saw this ring, I thought it would be perfect for—”
His voice stopped working completely, so he carefully removed the ring and started to slide it on her finger. Her left ring finger.
Her gaze flew to his. “Lawrence.” Her voice held a note of warning.
He kept his eyes locked on hers. “I thought it would be perfect for a engagement ring.” His throat felt like someone had swapped it with sand and cotton. “I love you, Andy. I want to see you everyday, not just on Sundays. Will you marry me so we can make that happen?”
His body had forgotten how to do all its involuntary functions. She didn’t seem to be breathing
or blinking either. “Well, now my gift is going to seem really lame,” she whispered.
“Not if you say yes,” he said. “You’re all I need for Christmas.”
With her eyes drifting closed and her leaning closer, she said, “Yes, Lawrence. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Fireworks popped through his mind, bringing a smile to his lips just before he sealed their engagement with a Christmas kiss.
"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
~Psalms 37:4
The dates Sandy Keller had been on hadn’t been so disastrous in at least six months. Maybe longer. She’d been out with so many men, she’d lost count. Of course, she hadn’t ever had to drive out to Three Rivers Ranch to pick up her date before. That was a new low.
And so was having him say the words “my girlfriend” while she paid for dinner.
She fumed as she pulled into the parking lot, the long drive of shame back from the ranch finally over. Sandy didn’t want to return to the pancake house, where she’d have to explain to the night manager how utterly ridiculous dating in Three Rivers had become.
“Only for you,” she muttered as she turned the corner and headed toward the back building. Her oasis away from everything, her condo sat around the rear of the building, giving her unprecedented views of the western range. Living on the very edge of town had its perks, she supposed.
She pressed the brake too hard, jerking her car to a stop. Someone had parked in her designated space. Again.
Muttering, she backed up and found an uncovered parking spot, eyeing the red SUV like it had done her a personal wrong. She unlocked her front door and eased into her condo like she was settling into a warm bath.
Coming home had always brought her comfort. So had cooking. She whipped out a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, slid the tray into the oven, and disappeared into her bedroom to change. She wished she could slip away from the night’s horrors as easily as she shed one set of clothes and replaced them with silky pajamas.
Christmas in Three Rivers: Three Rivers Ranch Romance Novella Collection Page 6
