The Cowboy's Christmas Lullaby. Stella Bagwell

I’ve never seen you here for dinner before.”

      He shrugged, and Marcella’s gaze was drawn to his broad shoulders and the faint movement of muscle beneath the finely woven fabric of his dark gray shirt. A leather bolo tie fashioned with a silver accent set with coral stones was pushed tight against his throat, while matching cuff links fastened the cuffs at his wrist. He looked dark and dangerous and oh so handsome.

      “That’s because I don’t visit the big house that often. Rafe twisted my arm to get me here tonight.”

      Marcella’s mind began to spin. No way would Lilly and Ava go to this much trouble to throw her and Denver together at the same dinner table. Or would they? For the Calhouns, this gathering was little more than a regular family dinner.

      “Oh. Well, Lilly twisted mine. So looks like we’re in the same boat tonight.”

      “I’m here to discuss a new feed program with Orin and Rafe. So far that hasn’t happened,” he said. “Why were you invited?”

      “To catch Lilly and Ava up on hospital news. So far that hasn’t happened, either,” she added with an impish smile. “But no matter. Getting to eat Greta’s cooking is worth the drive out here.”

      “As long as your battery doesn’t die again,” he added jokingly.

      She felt her cheeks turning pink. If only he knew how much she’d been thinking of him since that night he’d welcomed her into his home. He’d probably want to have Colley trade chairs with him, she thought.

      “I’m happy to say I haven’t had any more car trouble,” she told him.

      Before he could make any sort of reply, Bowie caught Denver’s attention, and then Greta appeared with a loaded trolley and began to serve the first course. Marcella glanced down the table to Lilly, and the cunning little smile on her friend’s face left no doubts as to what this dinner party was all about.

      The only thing that could save her from this embarrassing situation now, Marcella thought, was if Denver never discovered how the two of them had been pushed at each other.