The Rancher's Christmas Bride. Brenda Minton

and joined the fray. Chickens scattered, squawking in protest.

      The crazy thing jumped at her, claws ripping at her dress, and a vicious beak tried to grab hold. She headed for the beat-up old truck parked to the side of the driveway, and when the doors wouldn’t open, she climbed in the back, the dress tangling around her legs. She fell in a heap of white, but then she scrambled to her feet, grabbing a rake that had been left in the bed of the truck.

      A truck eased down the drive and stopped a dozen feet from where she stood. Through the window, even with the glare of early morning sun, she could see the cowboy from the previous evening. His wide grin was unmistakable.

      The rooster must have known she’d been distracted. He flew at her again. She was ready this time and gave him a good smack with the rake. He made a stupid chicken noise as he fell to the ground, squawking and fluttering his wings.

      Alex Palermo got out of his truck, shaking his head and smirking just a little. She probably looked a sight, standing there in the bed of a truck wearing her wedding dress. He didn’t look like he’d slept on a sofa. No, he looked rested. As he took off his cowboy hat, she saw his hair was dark and curly. His ears really were a little too big. It was good to know he wasn’t perfect. He was compact with broad shoulders, wore jeans that fit easy on his trim waist and had a grin that would melt a girl’s heart. Any girl but her.

      Her heart was off-limits. Out of order. No longer available.

      “It looks like you’ve killed Dan’s rooster,” Alex glanced at the rooster and then raised his gaze to hers. “Want down from there?”

      She peeked over the side of the truck, where the rooster had regained his footing. “The rooster looks very much alive to me.”

      He flashed a smile, revealing those dimples again. “Yeah, I was teasing. He’s a little stunned. I doubt he’s ever been knocked out with a rake.”

      “Stop,” she warned. “That rooster had it coming. And the dog is going down next.”

      “What did Bub ever do to you?” He held out a hand for her. “Come on down now, you’ll be fine. I’ll protect you.”

      But who would protect her from all of that cowboy charm? He was cute and he knew how to make a girl feel rescued without making her feel weak. She took his hand and managed to climb over the tailgate of the truck without getting tangled up in the massive white skirts. If she’d had her choice she would have picked a slim-fitting dress that didn’t overwhelm her five-foot frame.

      “My grandfather is sick,” she told him once she was on the ground.

      “Dan has emphysema,” Alex explained and then he held out a bag. “I guess someone will be here to get you today, but I borrowed some clothes from my sister. They’ll be a little bit big on you but I’d imagine you’d like to get out of that dress.”

      “Thank you.” She held the bag and looked back at the camper. “I told him I’d feed his livestock.”

      His eyes twinkled. “Did you now? And do you know how to feed livestock?”

      “I’ll figure it out.”

      “I don’t doubt that a bit. But I’ll help you. I usually try to check on Dan every few days, since he hasn’t had anyone else.”

      Her grandfather didn’t have anyone. Of course he didn’t. She hadn’t even known about him until her grandmother passed away the previous summer. There were family secrets and hurt feelings. She got all of that. But Dan deserved family. He needed family.

      “Oh, city girl, I wouldn’t get that look in my eyes if I were you.”

      She glanced up at the man standing in front of her, watching her with his steady gaze. “What look?”

      “The look that says you think Old Dan needs rescuing. He won’t take kindly to that.”

      “But he...”

      Alex held up a hand. “You just showed up and he has pride. He isn’t going to let you come in here and start prodding him into submission because you’re a granddaughter with a need to make up for lost time.”

      “But he’s sick,” she sputtered. “And I am his granddaughter.”

      “Right, I get that. I’ll give you some advice, before you ride in there on a white horse. Let Dan think he’s helping you.”

      Her indignation died a quick death. “Oh.”

      He pointed to the bag of clothes. “Go change and I’ll wait for you.”

      For the first time she took a good look at the place her grandfather called home. The land was flat to a point and then it met rolling, tree-covered hills. The fences sagged and the barn looked as if it was at least a century old. The camper sat in the middle of it all, a relic from decades past. Behind that was a chicken pen, the door open and the rooster now inside getting himself a drink of water but still watching her with serious intent.

      “Go on,” he said, and patted her shoulder. “I’ve learned that life has these little moments. I guess we learn from them when we can and we survive.”

      She saw something in him she hadn’t noticed before. There was laughter on the surface, but in his dark eyes she saw pain. For a moment it was so intense, that flash of sadness, she wanted to comfort him. She shook free and stepped back. His easy smile was back in place and he winked, making her think she’d imagined it all.

      * * *

      Alex scrounged around in the shed, found the chicken feed and scooped out a can. As he exited the building, Marissa came out of the camper. She was dressed in his older sister’s—Lucy’s—jeans and a T-shirt she’d tied at the waist. Probably to keep it from hanging to her knees. The jeans were tucked into the boots he’d borrowed from his little sister, Maria.

      He wondered if he should comment on her hair. Having been raised with two sisters, he kind of doubted it. Even though it was a little short and uneven, he liked it.

      “So, you might not be a country girl, but dressed like that you could fool some people.”

      “Because I put on jeans and boots?” She shook her head and kept walking.

      If he had to guess, that fast walk of hers was intended to help her outrun an argument with her grandfather. He paused for a few seconds, and sure enough the door of the camper flew open and Dan, in overalls, muck boots and a straw hat, appeared. His gray hair stuck out from beneath the hat and his face was scruffy with a few days’ growth of gray whiskers.

      “I don’t need no pity from long lost relatives,” Dan squawked, sounding a lot like that bad-tempered rooster of his. “Now call your folks and tell them to come get you. After all these years...”

      He had a coughing fit and didn’t finish. And even with the tongue lashing, his granddaughter hightailed it back to his side and told him to take it easy. She might be a city girl but she had a determined side.

      Alex didn’t want to like her too much. In his experience, women like her didn’t last in his world. And they were too expensive for his bank account. It didn’t matter what he told himself about her being a city girl, or his bank account or any of the other mental objections he might have; he liked her.

      A woman like her, if she stayed around long enough, could make a guy start thinking about forever. Even if he hadn’t planned on having those thoughts. Ever. “I’m asking you to let me stay because I need a little time before I go back and face the embarrassment.” She looked at her grandfather as determined as that old rooster had been. “Just a week or two. Please.”

      Dan reached into his pocket for an inhaler. After a few puffs, he shoved it in the front pocket of his bibs and gave his granddaughter a once-over.

      “Nope.” He went on down the steps, holding tight to the rail. “You call your folks and you go on back to Dallas. I don’t need a keeper. And you don’t need to hide from what happened.”

      “But...”