“I’m so ready and you feel so good,” she said.
“So do you, darlin’. Have I told you in the past two minutes that I’m hopelessly in love with you?”
“Don’t ever leave me, Creed. Promise that you won’t ever leave me.”
“Wild horses couldn’t drag me away from you.”
With that promise he was inside her and the rocking motion of beautiful lovemaking began.
“I love you,” she said, and the words came straight from her heart.
Chapter 19
Sage set a poinsettia on her grandfather’s grave.
“Merry Christmas, Grandpa. Grand is selling the ranch. I’m okay with it now but it took a while for me to come around. She won’t be able to stay away very long because this is where your spirit is. I couldn’t ever stay away from Creed so I know she’ll be back often to visit. She’ll be here in a few days and I’m sure she’ll be around to tell you all her news.”
She went back to the tractor where Creed waited and picked up the next two pots of bright red flowers.
“You okay?” Creed asked.
“Yes, I really am,” she said.
She set one plant in front of her father’s grave and one in front of her mother’s.
“Merry Christmas, Momma and Daddy. Every Christmas I wished I had a momma and daddy like all the other kids. I never told you that, did I? I’m sorry. I should have told you that even though I can barely remember either of you, I did miss you in my life. Grand has been a wonderful parent, but there was a hole in my life and in my heart. Momma, you’ll be glad to know that Creed took care of that, and Daddy, don’t worry, he’s a good man. He’d have to be. Grand picked him out special for me.”
“Thank you,” Creed whispered as he slipped his arms around her from behind and drew her back to his chest.
The sweet strains of “Silent Night” on the tractor radio drifted across the cemetery and filled the canyon.
“‘Sleep in heavenly peace,’” Sage said the words. “Fitting, ain’t it?”
“Yes, ma’am, it surely is.”
The sun setting over the west bank of the canyon cast the last glorious golden rays of the day down upon the three graves. A day had ended but the ones ahead held the promise of something beautiful and real.
* * *
Creed had expected tears but Sage had handled things better than the first time they’d visited the cemetery. Whatever she said before he joined her had brought peace into her heart and it showed in her face.
She hummed along with the Christmas carols playing from the country station on the radio and kept time by tapping her foot. He still couldn’t believe that she loved him, a plain old cowboy. And she had said it first. To Creed, that meant the whole world. It wasn’t just an answer back to what he had said but it was going out on a limb and saying the words with no idea of how he would respond.
“Chores done…check. Flowers out…check,” he said.
“Supper to be cooked…no check. Making love before supper…definitely,” she teased.
“Which one first? Kitchen or bedroom?”
“Kitchen,” she answered without hesitation.
He cocked his head to one side.
“Has to be that way even if it’s one of my gourmet bologna sandwiches. Once we hit the bedroom, we won’t be finished until morning.”
The deep chuckle turned into laughter. “Honey, I’m not nearly that good.”
She ran a hand up his thigh. “Darlin’, together we really are that good.”
He pulled the tractor through the double doors of the barn and started to turn the engine off but the DJ was talking about tomorrow’s weather so he waited.
“And tomorrow the weatherman says we can look for more of the same. Low temperatures. Sunshine. Some icicles. Not much in the way of melting the snow. It’s looking more and more like we’ll have a white Christmas in the panhandle of Texas, folks.”
“Well, that’s a big surprise,” Sage said. “Hey, I’ll wait for you beside the doors and race you to the house. Loser has to cook supper in the nude.”
Creed turned the key and everything went silent except for the mooing of the cows out back. He’d turned the milk cow out with the herd that morning so the whole barn was empty.
Sage swiped a kiss across his cheek. “I can already see you without a stitch of clothes on because I’m going to win this race.”
“I can’t even keep my boots on?” he asked.
“Not even your socks.”
“Just remember that when I win. The floor is cold without socks. Want to revise the rules?” he asked.
“Nope, nude as the day you were born,” she answered.
“Okay, let’s shut the doors then and get to it. I’m lookin’ forward to supper now. Have you ever had a cowboy make love to you on the kitchen table?” he asked.
She slid off the seat and shivered. “No, I have not.”
“How about the credenza right inside the door?”
“One time. Man that was some hot sex.”
“Could be again if you’d move that nativity scene you put up there the next day,” he said.
She giggled and helped slide the doors shut.
Creed stretched one long leg out and said, “One for the money. Two for the show. Three to get ready, and four to…”
She leaped and he reached out and grabbed her by the seat of her coveralls. “I didn’t say go.”
“You don’t play fair.” She moved away from him at least four feet. “I’m calling it. Three to get ready and four to go!”
Dusk settled on a blur of mustard-colored coveralls and long legs making a dash for the house. She was keeping up with him, step for step. Then he sidestepped twice and tackled her, but instead of bringing her down in the snow, he threw her over his shoulder like
