Mistletoe & Marriage: Snowbound Cowboy. Patricia Thayer

always planned to head back home someday.”

      “Texas,” Jesse said. “Do you have kids there?”

      Boone shook his head. “No family to speak of. Not anymore.”

      The boy’s eyes rounded. “Then why not stay here? You can work for Mom and Aunt Kelley.”

      “Jesse,” she said in her best warning tone. Her son had to stop this. “You know we only hire hands during calving season.”

      “But, Mom…”

      Boone stepped in. “It’s a nice offer, son, but I’m going to buy my own ranch, in Texas.”

      “Oh…” Jesse didn’t hide his disappointment.

      Amelia felt a twinge of the same. She glanced at Boone to find him watching her. Her breathing grew heavy as she locked on his mesmerizing gaze. This was crazy. She’d only just met the man and suddenly she was wanting him to stay around.

      Boone turned back to her son. “You see, Jesse, I’ve been wanting one particular place for a long time, and now I have a chance to buy it.”

      The boy looked thoughtful. “Hey, you could buy a ranch in Montana.” He turned to his mother. “Right, Mom?”

      Hours later the house was quiet as Boone stretched out on the double bed, staring out into the darkness, trying to sleep. But the words that Amelia Hughes spoke earlier were still swimming around in his head:

       Boone’s place is in Texas, and ours is here in Montana.

      He knew it shouldn’t bother him, but it had. He’d never had much as a kid.

      Years ago, Hank and Jolene Gifford hadn’t been much more than day laborers until they scraped enough money together to buy some land of their own. With their old truck loaded up, their son and all their worldly belongings, they arrived in West Texas and their first home.

      Many nights, he’d slept in the bed of the pickup until the house was built. His mother took a job in town to help them survive as his father ran a small herd. Boone had worked hard as a boy and continued as a man, building the family ranch.

      Their hard work finally paid off until the day he lost both his parents in an accident. He couldn’t run the place without his dad.

      Now at the age of thirty, he was getting a second chance. Nothing was going to keep him from his dreams this time.

      He stood, went to his duffel bag and found the manila envelope tucked under a pair of his jeans. He knew what was inside without even looking. All Russ Eldon’s personal effects. Everything his friend had wanted to give his son.

      Boone sighed. Coming here wasn’t supposed to be so complicated. He’d planned to hand over everything to Amelia Hughes and just leave. Instead he was trapped here in her home, and he was feeling things for the woman he had no business feeling.

      He needed to get out of here and fast.

      That same husky soft voice called his name again. Boone looked toward the doorway and saw Amelia. Holding a hurricane lantern, she stood shadowed in the dim light. Her dark hair was slightly mussed and she had a blanket bundled around her trim body. Her gaze was questioning.

      Boone drew another breath, trying to fight the urges she invoked in him. He zipped the bag and went to her.

      “Is there a problem?” he asked.

      “I think we’re going to need more firewood.”

      He suddenly became aware of the chill. “Maybe you should turn on the heat, too.”

      She released a breath. “I’m just worried that the generator won’t hold out.”

      He nodded. “How’s Jesse? Is he warm enough?”

      She smiled. “He’s fine and sound asleep. How are you doing in here?”

      “It’s not bad.” Hell, it was cold.

      She smiled at his lie. “Okay, we turn on the heat. But I’ll need to close the vents upstairs.”

      “I’ll help you.”

      He followed her through the kitchen, checking on Jesse as they went. The boy was layered with blankets on the sofa. He followed Amelia up the steps to the second floor where she opened the door at the top.

      Amelia felt the drop in temperature immediately. “Oh, burr, it’s freezing.”

      “Colder than a witch’s…” Boone began. “It’s darn cold.” He stood behind her and held up the lantern. “Go back downstairs, Amelia. I can handle this.”

      She turned, nearly bumping into him. “But I know where all the registers are.”

      With a nod from him, she headed into her grandmother’s bedroom. They worked quickly to shut off the vents, then moved on to Jesse’s room. Next, they went into hers. This had been her childhood bedroom and not much had changed since then. It seemed strange to have Boone here. There hadn’t been a man in here ever, not even Jesse’s father.

      She knelt down next to her twin bed, and worked the iron grate, but it wouldn’t budge. “Stubborn thing.”

      Boone appeared, shinning more light. “Here, let me try.”

      Before she could get out of the way, he leaned over her, and his hard chest brushed against her back. She felt his muscles strain as he fought the stubborn lever and won.

      He didn’t move away, and strangely, Amelia didn’t want him to.

      “Where to next?” His voice vibrated against her ear. “Your sister’s room?”

      “Kelley doesn’t live in the house anymore. A few years ago she moved into the foreman’s cottage.” She stopped her rambling and took a breath to relax. It didn’t help. Was she so starved for a man that the slightest contact set her off?

      With this man, yes.

      He finally moved back. “Then I guess we’re finished,” he said. “We should head downstairs.”

      Still on her knees, she turned to face him. In the dim shadows, they were close in the confined space. Dangerously close.

      Suddenly she heard her name called. “Mom! Mom! Where are you?”

      She broke eye contact, got to her feet and hurried into the hallway. “I’m coming, Jesse.”

      “Hurry, Mom. Izzy’s having her puppies.”

      Chapter Five

      BOONE FOLLOWED AMELIA downstairs to find the mother-to-be in her box in the pantry. Seeing her owner, Izzy whimpered.

      “See, Mom?”

      Amelia knelt down inside the narrow enclosure next to her son and gently stroked the dog’s head. “What’s the matter, girl? Are your babies getting impatient to be born?”

      In answer, the animal licked her hand and panted heavily.

      “Mom, is Izzy having her puppies now?”

      Amelia stood and backed out of the small space. “It looks like it, honey. Maybe we should give her some privacy.”

      The boy didn’t like the idea. “But what if she needs us?”

      “She might. So we need to get some towels and thread to tie off the puppies’ cords in case she needs help.”

      When the boy started to argue, Boone spoke up, “Come on, Jesse, I’ll help you, too. Do you know where the thread is?”

      With the boy’s nod, the threesome gathered the things needed and returned for the expected delivery. Wrapped in a blanket, with the lantern next to him, Jesse sat in the doorway waiting.

      Boone stood holding another light overhead, and