Keeping Christmas. Marisa Carroll

get dressed.”

      Beau obligingly turned his back on her, a grin twitching at the corners of his mouth. If she only knew that he’d already taken a good gander at her slender frame, outlined by the glow of the candle behind her, she’d probably have a fit. Not that there was a whole lot to see. She was a little bit of a thing, built more like a child, but for the curves of her breasts. Probably some good food on a regular basis would fill her out nicely.

      Behind him, she shoved her way past. “Where’s my dog? Is she all right?”

      “Put your boots on, girl,” Beau reminded her. “The dog’s all right, just holed up behind a couple of barrels. I think she’s ready to drop her litter. I thought you’d want to know.”

      Her feet slid readily into the pair of boots he’d talked Pony out of the day before, and she left the kitchen, the spring of the screened door slamming it in place.

      “Might’s well join the party,” Beau muttered to himself. “There’ll be no sleeping till she comes back in anyway.” Snatching the lantern from the table, he followed her out the door, heard the murmur of voices from in front of the barn, and then the sound of the doors opening.

      “That you, Pony?” he called.

      Shay appeared before him. “No, boss. I was just about to look for the lantern. The girl says her dog’s cooped up havin’ pups. Thought I’d get her some light.”

      “I’ve got this one,” Beau told him.

      “You want me to stick around, keep an eye on things?” Shay asked quietly.

      Beau considered only a moment. “No. Go on back to the bunkhouse. I’ll be here.” Shay nodded and turned away. Beau watched him go. The man had either taken a shine to Maggie, or he’d appointed himself her guardian angel. And it had better be the latter.

      The animals stirred, a low whinny from one of the stalls signaling a mare’s unease. Beau strode the length of the aisle, and several heads turned in his direction as he passed the open stalls. Maggie crouched by the barrels, speaking softly to the creature she’d rescued.

      “Want me to move those barrels?” Beau asked, hanging the lantern from a peg on the wall.

      “Just the one,” she responded. “It’s too heavy for me to shift it alone. I already tried.”

      He leaned the barrel a bit and rolled it easily, giving better access to the dog’s chosen spot. Maggie reached a hand toward the mongrel and Beau held his breath. It wouldn’t be unheard of for a dog to bite while in the throes of labor, and the thought of Maggie’s small hand left torn and bloody made him cringe inwardly. But the dog only whined, and Beau watched as a long tongue wrapped itself around slender fingers.

      “I’m here, Maisie,” Maggie crooned. “I’ll tend to you if you need me.” She settled herself cross-legged and her hands moved knowingly over the creature’s swollen belly. “You got a whole mess of ’em, haven’t you, girl?”

      As Maggie spoke, the dog stiffened and thrust her head back, a guttural sound passing through her clenched teeth. Maggie’s hands pressed and massaged, her words soft, almost indecipherable, as she comforted the straining mother-to-be. “You don’t need to stay around, mister,” she said after a moment, as the dog panted and closed her eyes.

      “When you going to start calling me Beau?” he asked her quietly, crouching beside her.

      She glanced up, and her small smile coaxed an answering grin from his mouth. “I guess now’s as good a time as any,” she allowed. “I’ll be here a while…Beau. Why don’t you go on to bed?”

      “Nah, I get a kick out of watching new life come into the world,” he told her. “Why don’t I get us a cup of coffee, and we’ll both stick around.”

      “Can she feed six pups? She’s kinda scrawny, don’t you think?” Beau leaned back in his chair, watching as Maggie stirred scrambled eggs in his large skillet. The sun was high in the sky, and they’d been in the barn until after midnight.

      “She’ll do fine,” Maggie answered, turning to the table. “I’ll feed her extra, if you don’t mind. They ought to be good pups. I think the daddy’s a big shepherd from the next farm to my pa’s.” She reached for a spoon. “You don’t have a dog, do you?”

      Beau shook his head. “There was one hanging around when I bought the place, but he died.” He watched as scrambled eggs were turned out onto his plate. “Does Maisie belong to your pa?”

      She frowned, spoon held midair. “What are you thinkin’? That I stole her?” She exhaled noisily, and stomped back to the stove. “My pa wouldn’t give the time of day to an animal, let alone food to fill its belly.” The skillet settled on the stove with a clatter, and Maggie went to stand before the door.

      “I’m sorry,” Beau said quietly. “I just need to know where the land lays, Maggie. If someone comes to my door looking for a stolen dog, I need to be sure you don’t have anything to do with it.” She was silent, and he darted a look at her.

      “Maggie, come on and eat something,” he said. “I didn’t mean to doubt your honesty, thinking you’d take a dog that wasn’t yours. I had to be sure. Though to tell the truth, the poor thing doesn’t look like she’s worth much anyway.”

      Maggie spun to face him. “She’s worth a lot to me. When I leave here, she’ll be my protection.” Her eyes glittered, and Beau motioned to the chair across the table from himself.

      “Sit down. We need to talk a little bit.”

      She moved across the floor and slid into the chair. “Go ahead. Eat your eggs,” she said. “I’m not goin’ anywhere for a while. And that’s another thing I need to mention.”

      Beau ate steadily, willing her to continue. She was a far cry from the female he’d coaxed into his house only three days past, and the difference was most gratifying. “Go ahead,” he said. “Talk away.”

      “Well, I thought I’d find enough to do for you to earn my keep till Maisie gets her pups weaned. I was worried about having to keep us safe and dry in the woods till she had them. Now, with being here and all, I thought I could work for you for the next five or six weeks.” She broke off, her eyes seeking his, her hands clenched tightly against the tabletop.

      Beau nodded, as if he considered her plan. She’d made it easy for him, given him six weeks to figure out some sort of future, and it was all he could do not to beam his approval. “That oughta work,” he said slowly. “I’ll need an extra hand here while a couple of my men take horses to Dodge City this month. You can…”

      “You didn’t answer me before.” Her words were eager and her hands lay flat now, as she leaned forward, sitting on the edge of her chair. “Do you think I could help work with the yearlings you keep?”

      “I don’t want you too far from the house, Maggie. If your pa comes hunting you down, I’d just as soon he didn’t see you.”

      She nodded, considering his words. “Maybe I could work in the corral. You know I can do barn work.” Her head turned to the door as a man’s voice rising in protest caught her attention from outside.

      “Damn dog!”

      Beau was on his feet. “I’ll bet somebody set Maisie off. Probably got too close.”

      From the porch, Pony called his name, and Beau headed for the door. “The girl’s dog won’t let Joe in the barn,” Pony said through the screen. “You better come on out, boss.”

      “I’ll come,” Maggie said, pushing away from the table and hurrying past Beau. She brushed against him and retreated, her glance quick. “Sorry, didn’t mean to shove at you that way.”

      She’d flinched from him, and again Beau felt a moment’s anger at the man who had instilled fear into her very being. “Run on out, Maggie,” he urged her. “I can’t take a chance