A Cowboy Family Christmas. Judy Duarte

Once Sam gets back from his honeymoon, I’m going to turn over my keys to the ranch and hightail it out of here.”

      “We’re looking forward to having you join us at Esteban Enterprises,” Drew said.

      “I’m glad to hear that, because I can’t wait.” The guys did some elaborate hand shake and fist pump ritual.

      Lainie planned to move on once the honeymooners returned, too. Only problem was, she didn’t have another job lined up, like Nate did.

      Nate would undoubtedly be successful at Esteban Enterprises, but Lainie’d hate to work for a company that had anything to do with rodeos. Cowboys weren’t her thing—except maybe for Sully and the other oldsters. But she’d prefer to never cross paths with the younger ones again.

      She glanced at the handsome promoter. Drew might be dressed like a fancy Texas businessman, but his more casual demeanor shouted urban cowboy. So the sooner she could escort him to his temporary quarters and be done with it, the better off she’d be.

      “I’ll go inside for the linens,” she told him. “Do you have your bags?”

      “Just a suitcase and my briefcase. They’re in the back of my pickup. It’ll only take me a minute.”

      “Then I’ll meet you back here.”

      Moments later, with her arms laden with freshly laundered sheets, pillowcases and towels, Lainie returned to the yard and found Drew waiting for her. He held a suitcase in one hand and a leather briefcase in the other.

      “There it is.” She pointed about fifty yards away from the barn, where a lone structure sat. The outside needed a coat or two of paint, but the inside was probably just fine. It looked sturdy enough and should keep him dry and cozy. “It doesn’t look like much, but I think you’ll be comfortable there.”

      “I don’t require much.”

      No? She found that hard to believe. She glanced across the driveway at his spanking new Dodge Ram truck, then at his fancy denim jacket, his silver belt buckle and his shiny leather inlaid boots. No, this guy clearly liked the finer things in life.

      “This way.” She began walking along the graveled path toward the knoll, and he fell into step beside her.

      “There’s something you should know,” she said. “The cell and internet access on the ranch isn’t very good. There are some random spots here and there where you might get a bar or two, but it’s sketchy at best.”

      “I won’t need to get online right away.”

      “Okay, but when you do, it might be easier and faster to drive to town. Caroline’s Diner offers free Wi-Fi now. And they also have the best desserts you’ve ever tasted.”

      “Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll keep that in mind.”

      They turned to the right, following the incline to the cabin. A cool winter breeze kicked up a bit, sending the scent of his cologne her way. It was a clean woodsy fragrance—no doubt expensive—that suited him.

      For a moment, her femininity rebelled, scolding her for not applying makeup earlier this morning, for choosing a plain white T-shirt and baggy overalls. But her days of enhancing her curves—whether they could be considered a blessing or a curse—were behind her now.

      Yet despite her resolve to remain low-key and unaffected by Drew’s presence, she stole a peek at him, hoping he wouldn’t notice. But he caught her in the act. Her cheeks warmed, and she quickly looked away, placing her focus on the pathway.

      “Have you ever been to Houston?” he asked.

      The first image that flashed in her mind was the swanky hotel restaurant, where Craig had invited her for a birthday dinner. But she shook off the memory the best she could. “I went to college in Houston, but I’m originally from Amarillo.”

      He nodded, as if storing that tidbit of information away to use against her someday. No, come on. That kind of thinking is crazy. But she couldn’t help being a wee bit suspicious. For some reason, he seemed to have locked onto the idea that they’d met before, and they hadn’t. She was sure of it.

      Still, there seemed to be something familiar about him. Probably his lanky, cowboy swagger.

      She cut a sideways glance his way. “Why do you ask?”

      “Just curious about everyone here.”

      She reminded herself that she’d have to stay on her toes around him.

      They approached the small front porch, which appeared to have a rickety railing. Maybe the cabin wasn’t so sturdy after all, but it would have to do.

      “This is it,” she said, hoping the inside was more appealing than the outside. “I probably should have checked things out before bringing you here.”

      “All I need is a place to sleep.”

      Lainie climbed the three steps ahead of him, when a crack and crunch sounded behind her.

      “Dammit.” Drew lurched forward and, apparently to steady himself, grabbed her hip, sending a spiral of heat to the bone and unbalancing her, too.

      She didn’t have to turn around to know what had just happened, but she couldn’t help herself. Sure enough, he was removing his foot from a big crack in the wood, scratching his fancy boots in the process and banging his fancy leather suitcase against the steps.

      He grumbled something she couldn’t comprehend, then removed his hand from her denim-clad hip. Yet her skin sizzled from his touch, tingled from his grip.

      “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t realize that step was loose.”

      “The wood’s completely rotten.”

      “I can see that. I know the owners plan to refurbish the cabins before the rodeo comes to town, but I don’t think there’s a lot of extra cash right now. Are you okay?”

      Their gazes locked, and her pulse struck a wacky beat. His features softened, and his annoyance disappeared.

      “Yeah, I’m fine. But this porch needs to be fixed pronto.”

      “I agree, but I think a repair like that’ll have to wait.”

      “Seriously?” He straightened and slowly stepped onto the porch, testing the wood before placing his full weight on it. “Fixing that step can’t wait. I might break my leg next time.”

      She clutched the linens to her chest. “Good point. But...like I said, Nate can’t spare the extra cash right now.”

      He shrugged a single shoulder. “I’ll fix it myself. I’m not too bad with a hammer and nails. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go to the hardware store and get supplies I’ll need to rebuild the broken step.” He glanced around. “And the porch. It’s just a matter of time before it falls apart, too.”

      “You’re taking it upon yourself to do that?”

      “I may as well pay for my keep.”

      “That’d be nice of you. And appreciated.” For some reason, she hadn’t expected him to actually do any physical labor. He didn’t look like the kind of man who’d risk getting blisters or building up a sweat.

      Lainie turned back to face the entrance and shuffled the linen to one arm. She reached for the knob and opened the door. As she crossed the threshold, into the tidy and modestly furnished interior, she caught a whiff of must and dust. “I guess we’d better open some windows and air it out.”

      “That’s not a problem.” Drew followed her inside. He set his suitcase on the hardwood floor near the small green plaid sofa and his briefcase on the oak coffee table.

      Lainie carried the linens to the bed and placed them on the bare mattress. Then she took the towels and washcloths to the bathroom. When she returned to the bedroom, she found Drew opening the window. He looked especially nice from the