When he pulled back the second time she inhaled deeply and laid her head on his chest. Even through all the layers she could hear his heart thumping like he’d run a mile in hundred-degree heat.
She tried to force her feet to take a step backwards, but her feet were glued to the barn floor. She was a grown woman, not a hormonal sixteen-year-old girl who chased down good-looking cowboys in the barn to steal a few kisses. And as such, she had to step back, walk away, and not look back. Falling for Creed Riley would be disaster.
One day, for God’s sake! That’s all I’ve known this man.
The argument began with common sense and her heart taking opposing sides.
You’ve been waiting for Creed Riley your whole life. How big is that hole right now? her heart asked.
Hush! He won’t stick around here past Christmas, common sense said.
She never knew a heart could talk until she heard it say loud and clear, I want Creed Riley for my Christmas present.
Dammit! common sense yelled. Don’t listen to that worthless organ in your chest. You can’t have Creed and Grand both, and remember who’s been there for you your whole life.
Creed hugged her tightly and said, “Well, that made me hungry. Matter-of-fact, I’m starving. Let’s go cook breakfast and check on the livestock in the house.”
Sage looked up at him.
Where in the hell had that crazy fool notion of wanting Creed for Christmas come from? It was just a kiss and she’d only known him for a day. The blizzard must have frozen the part of her brain that made adult, sensible decisions.
It wasn’t until then that she realized she had unzipped his coveralls and her hands were warming against the warm flannel of his shirt. No wonder she could hear his heart beating so well! She withdrew them and brought a full load of guilt with her. She could not, she would not kiss him again.
“I’m not grumpy anymore.” He grinned.
She removed her hands and he zipped his coveralls. “Me either, but I am hungry.”
* * *
Creed’s stomach growled, but food was the last thing on his mind. He could not fall for Sage Presley, not now. Maybe later on down the road it could happen, after he’d bought the ranch and they really got to know each other. And besides, Creed did not believe in that love at first sight shit.
It was the snowstorm causing all the crazy emotions between them. He was excited about finally finding just the right ranch and getting it for such a good price. He would just blame the whole thing on Christmas. For the past two years he’d searched for a ranch that he could afford and that had the right feel. And now he’d found it at the beginning of the season. It stood to reason that after growing up on a ranch with a big family, he’d get a silly notion like that in his head too.
The place had to have some kind of voodoo magic to make him fall prey to Sage’s charms. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind she had something up her sleeve that had to do with her grandmother changing her mind. He’d have to be very careful or else he’d be right back looking for a place of his own again if Ada Presley came home and listened to her granddaughter.
He’d just let things get to him. He’d been bored with only chores to keep him busy and it had been a long, long time since he’d wrapped his arms around a woman. Pregnant dog, new baby kittens, cooking together, and sharing meals—it all combined to put thoughts of a family into his mind.
Creed had a lot of work to do before he could entertain notions of a family. He’d arrived at the ranch with the idea etched in solid granite that he’d given up on all women. That he’d dance with them, do a little flirting, and enjoy a one-night stand a few times a year. But in the end, he’d be the old bachelor uncle who lived out in Palo Duro Canyon that all the nieces and nephews adored. There were six other Riley sons. The three older ones had families. Ace and Jasmine were already pregnant and it was going to be a girl, so Creed’s momma was happy. And Dalton and Blake were out there scanning the mesquite bushes for a woman. It wouldn’t be long until they’d have one cornered and wedding bells would be ringing. He didn’t need to produce a Riley to keep the name going, and he didn’t want another heartbreak.
He stomped what snow he could off his feet and slung open the back door. Noel danced around Sage’s feet as she kicked off her boots and unzipped her coveralls. Angel peeked up over the edge of her basket and then curled up again. Sage reached over and picked a piece of mistletoe from off Creed’s shoulder.
“This stuff thinks you are an oak tree.” She smiled.
“It must be blowing off the scrub oaks. I swear if they brought an instrument to measure the wind that would be a snow tornado out there. The wind is as bad if not worse than the actual snow.”
She dried the mistletoe and laid it on the shelf with the other pieces. “It does feel like that with the hard wind, don’t it? If you keep growing this, we won’t have to go looking for any to hang up for the holidays.”
Just moments before she’d unzipped his coveralls to the waist and slipped her hands inside to hug him tighter. His poor heart had about stopped in anticipation of where those hands might be headed, but they’d splayed out on his chest and stayed there. He’d wished she would go a layer deeper and pull his shirt out from his belt and put skin
