A Texas Soldier's Christmas. Cathy Thacker Gillen

dad never expected me to want to marry or settle down.”

      No one did.

      In fact, she was pretty sure they still didn’t.

      She breathed in the delectable scent of freshly brewed coffee. Aware her knees weren’t as steady as she wanted them to be, she slid onto a counter stool. “So he left you the ranch as an investment?”

      Nodding, Zane lounged on the other side of the island, his arms folded over the hard muscles of his chest. “And a place I could crash while on leave and still be close to the rest of my family, who also all inherited property here.”

      And yet Zane had still, by his own admission, been thinking of selling the property. A move she sensed the rest of the close-knit Lockhart clan would not have taken well.

      The coffeemaker gurgled as it reached the end of the brewing cycle. She searched his face, wishing for some chink in Zane’s emotional armor, some sign that he was capable of more than fulfilling his pledge to defend their country. “Did your dad expect you to ranch?”

      With a brief shake of his head, he filled two mugs and pushed one her way. He got the peppermint-mocha creamer from the fridge and handed that, along with a spoon, to her.

      “No. Dad knew I don’t have an ounce of rancher blood in me. He suggested I do something more outside the norm with the land.”

      “Like...?”

      “Set up a skydiving school, shooting range, ninja-warrior-type obstacle course or outdoor physical fitness training center.”

      Interesting. Frank Lockhart always had been a visionary. With the hedge fund and charitable foundation he created. As well as his wife and five kids...

      Nora took her mug and, feeling the mood inside his home had gotten a little too intimate for comfort, walked back outside. He followed suit.

      The rain had finally stopped but the ground and deck were still soaked. Hence, she had to be careful not to touch or lean against anything. Especially him.

      She traversed the length of the deck, overlooking the property, thinking, considering. “Any one of those ideas would work if you marketed to city slickers looking for a little adventure. Although—” she tossed him a teasing look over her shoulder “—the property would need a new moniker.”

      He chuckled and sauntered closer, filling up the space, making her all the more sensually aware of him.

      “You don’t like the one it’s got?”

      He shook his head, his eyes drifting slowly over her face, before returning to her eyes. “No,” he said gruffly. “Not at all.”

      Nora looked up at him. For a guy who’d planned to sell the property, he suddenly seemed proprietorial. “How did it become the No Name Ranch?”

      “The husband and wife who owned it before me were never able to agree on much of anything,” he replied with an affable shrug. “Including what to call this land, which they used as a vacation-home-slash-investment. So they jokingly called it the No Name, decided they liked that better than anything either of them was suggesting and eventually even made up a sign.”

      “That’s actually a kind of cute backstory, Zane. You could probably use it in whatever you decide to do with the property.” Even if it’s just as a way to eventually sell the place.

      He moved closer. “Maybe.”

      Or maybe not, Nora thought, judging by his unenthusiastic tone.

      Not surprised Zane wasn’t interested in doing anything he saw as that frivolous, even if it could benefit him financially, Nora took another sip of her coffee. “What does the rest of your family think you should do with the property?”

      Disappointment glimmered in his eyes. “Just what you’d expect. My brother Wyatt thinks I should board and train horses, like he does on his ranch. Chance wants me to start a cattle breeding operation to supply quality mama cows for his bucking bull breeding and training operation.”

      No surprise there. His two middle brothers were absolute cowboys and always had been, from the time they had first set foot in Laramie County, visiting their paternal grandpa when they were kids. “And Sage?”

      “Thinks I should find something adrenaline fueled to do for a living, then use the No Name as a private retreat where I can recoup from my new and exciting yet somehow less risky profession.”

      “I like the way your only sister thinks,” Nora quipped, before she could stop herself.

      Zane set his empty coffee cup on the railing. “So does my mom, except she doesn’t want me to do anything the least bit dangerous anymore.”

      I see her point. Suppressing her desire to protect him, too, Nora pushed on, “What about Garrett?” His brother, a highly skilled physician, had served in the Army, too, before resigning to lead the family charitable foundation.

      Zane sobered. “He wants me to help separated and current military at West Texas Warriors Assistance, here in Laramie.”

      “Like you’re doing with the holiday gift basket drive.”

      “Except on a more permanent basis.”

      “But that doesn’t appeal to you, either?” she asked curiously.

      Zane exhaled. “I’m happy to volunteer. But as for a career, I see myself in a more physically active role, whatever it is.”

      “You could join local law enforcement.” They took a lot of ex-military. And Lord knew their life was full of challenges, Nora thought.

      He nodded as if he had expected her suggestion. “I’ve got an appointment to talk with the Laramie County sheriff’s department next week.”

      “Good!”

      “Don’t get your hopes up.” His lips twisted. “I’m not sure that will be a good fit.”

      But he was looking into it. That was something he’d never been willing to do before. “You never know.” He was certainly selfless and heroic enough for the job.

      “No. You don’t,” he agreed, taking her coffee cup out of her hands and setting it aside. “And I’m going to have to do something when I leave the military,” he murmured as he drew her into his arms. “So I might as well look at all my options.”

      Nora caught her breath as one palm slid down her spine, flattening her against him, and the other hand eased through her hair, tilting her face up to his. “What are you doing?” she gasped, way more turned on than she wanted to admit.

      Eyes warming, Zane looked down at her. He rubbed his thumb across her lower lip. “Making amends with you.”

      Nora splayed her hands across his solid, muscular chest, holding him at bay. Not the least bit surprised to suddenly be so flustered. It happened every time they were together.

      He’d come striding in and give her one of his “I can’t get enough of you” looks, and she’d start feeling the same way. As if there were no one else on earth who was ever going to affect her the way he did. Excited. Enthralled. And ready for so much more. “Hey...” she chided softly, her heart already racing, as he held her flush against him, buried his face in her hair and breathed in, “I said we weren’t going to make love again.”

      He moved closer still and her body registered the heat.

      “At your place last night.” He dropped a string of butterfly kisses from her temple to her cheekbone, the lobe of her ear and the nape of her neck.

      As she felt the pounding of his heart, the depth of his desire, tingles swept through her. She melted against him, her insides fluttering even as she struggled to keep her feelings in check.

      Grinning seductively, he slid his hands down her hips to cup her against him. Softness to hardness. “We didn’t say anything about today...”

      The