The Texas Cowboy's Quadruplets. Cathy Thacker Gillen

not in Judith’s view, Chase thought wistfully. But in his, she was pretty darn close. For a mortal, anyway.

      “Mother,” Mitzy groaned, putting one hand to her head.

      Ignoring the entreaty, Judith carried on. “So if she wants her babies to have the fabulous first Christmas they deserve, she needs to put off all this closure business...”

      Like hell they would, Chase thought.

      “...say goodbye to you. Leave Laramie for good. And come and live with us in Dallas, ASAP.”

      * * *

      “Thanks for coming by,” Mitzy told Chase at eight o’clock Sunday evening. She ushered him inside the Craftsman-style bungalow she had inherited from her father. As Chase walked in, he took a moment to look around.

      Many changes had been made since Gus had passed. Walls in the living area had been opened up. The interior had been painted a welcoming ivory, which attracted tons of sunlight and contrasted nicely with the newly refinished pine floors. Plantation shutters replaced the dated drapes, comfortable neutral furniture had been brought in to replace the old faux leather pieces. And of course the kitchen, family room and dining area between, where they had spent most of Thursday, had all been redone and redecorated with the same classic understated elegance for which Mitzy was known.

      Only one room downstairs appeared to have been left untouched, he had noted the other day. Gus’s dark, paneled study. And most of the time, Mitzy left that door closed.

      Chase turned his attention back to Mitzy. She was dressed in figure-hugging gray yoga pants and a long-sleeve white T that did equally nice things for her lush breasts. The need to haul her into his arms and make love to her intensifying, he lifted his gaze back to her face. “You said you needed to see me?”

      “That’s right, I did.” Mitzy took his jacket and hung it in the coat closet. Then led him toward her father’s old study, where it seemed she had set up quite an organizing operation.

      “What’s all this?” Chase looked at the four large bulletin boards set up on easels around the room.

      One held sticky notes of calls needing to be made to various colleagues at the DCFS office. The next a schedule of baby-wrangling volunteers for the week. A third, a list of Christmas errands and chores to be done. The fourth was blank except for the initials MCS, the family saddle company.

      A glimmer of ambition lit her pretty eyes. “I think of it as my war room.”

      He pointed to the holiday to-do list, slanting her a concerned glance. She had at least one activity slated for every day. “You’ll definitely need a battle plan to get this all done. Even without four babies.”

      Mitzy’s lips set in a deliciously kissable moue. “Don’t start. You’ll sound like Mother.”

      Brought up short by the comparison, Chase lifted a staying hand. “Sorry,” he said brusquely. After that tension-filled Thanksgiving dinner he was pretty sure that Mitzy lamented him impulsively agreeing to attend, that was the last thing either of them wanted. Him criticizing or undermining her at every turn, even in jest. “You deserve my unbridled support,” he said soberly. “I’m here because I plan to give it.”

      Their eyes met. Another shimmer of heated desire sizzled between them. “Thank you,” Mitzy choked out emotionally. “I appreciate that.” Her cheeks pinkening, Mitzy swept a hand through her tousled hair. Shoving it away from her face, she went on with difficulty, “I asked you to come over tonight because I wanted to apologize for what happened on Thursday. It was...” She paused, clearly at a loss for words.

      Chase guessed at what she was about to say. “One of the most stilted holiday meals either of us have ever had?”

      Mitzy laughed ruefully. As did he.

      Resisting the urge to pull her into his arms, Chase continued with a shrug, “The food was amazing, though.”

      “Still, I should have known better than to let Mother have access to you. She’s never forgiven either of us for canceling our wedding at the last minute. Even if it was the right decision.”

      Maybe at the time. Now, seeing Mitzy again, kissing her and feeling those emotions rekindle, Chase was not so sure.

      He also knew his ex-fiancée was a “one step at a time” person. He couldn’t rush her into anything.

      She reached over to turn on the woefully outdated desktop computer located in the center of the desk. “So, as far as Mother’s third degree about the scope and success of your business. Never mind her wild idea about you finding a buyer for MCS...”

      Or purchasing it myself, Chase added silently.

      Mitzy winced as the computer slowly—and noisily—booted up. “Or talking me into moving back to Dallas in time for the holidays, in exchange for her blessing on our monthlong closure process...?”

      Sensing she needed her space, he moved to the overfilled bookcases. “You’d prefer I earn it some other way.”

      Mitzy made a seesawing motion. “I’m not really sure that’s possible,” she admitted, tossing a candid glance his way, “even if you were to do everything Mother asked. As you might have noticed, the women in my family can hold a grudge.”

      He sure as heck had.

      Mitzy lifted her chin. Totally serious now. “Still, I’d like to call a permanent truce between the two of us.”

      Gratitude welled.

      He ambled toward her. “I’d like that, too, darlin’.” He paused on the other side of the desk. Noted the quick, excited jump in her pulse and decided to just go for it. “So does this mean you want to start seeing me again instead of just working on ‘closure’?”

      Her smile faded. She arched a censuring brow. “I’m seeing you now.”

      He shook his head and moved around to stand next to her. “Seeing you as in dating you.” He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “The sparks are still there, Mitzy.” Evidenced anew by the erratic nature of her breathing. “We proved that the other day.”

      With a smile, she danced away. “Actually, I was thinking we might try something else while we work our way out of the animosity that has plagued us for the past decade.” She moved one of her easels slightly, before spinning back to him. “Something more platonic and casual.” She met his level gaze with familiar stubbornness. “Like friendship.”

      Which was nothing remotely close to what he wanted.

      Sifting through his disappointment, Chase took a moment to consider.

      In the past, he would have told her it was his way or the highway. She would have said the same to him. That approach had never worked. So if he wanted to pursue any kind of relationship with her, he would have to do more than simply pick up where they had left off. He would have to revise their way of dealing with each other into something that would weather hardship and stand the test of time.

      “Okay,” he said, willing to give this friendship thing a whirl, at least for now. Anything to avoid the permanent “closure” she’d been talking about. “I’ll give it a try.”

      “Good.” She smiled, mirroring his enthusiastic tone. “Because I need your help.”

      “Putting up Christmas decorations?”

      So far, she’d done absolutely nothing on that score. Which was unlike her. Usually, Mitzy went to get a tree and started hauling out the decorations the day after Thanksgiving.

      Amazing, how easily he could envision himself helping her decorate for the holidays. When he was on his own, it wasn’t really his thing. Although he was always around to help his parents and his sibs.

      She tilted her head, as used to denying herself what she wanted as he was in going after it no holds barred. Openly curious, she queried, “Are you volunteering?”