Page 58 of Cowboy Stolen Kiss for Christmas

“Very funny!” Her glare deepened. Unless he was mistaken, there was an underlying hint of fear in it, too.

Grimacing, he leaned around her to have a look and almost immediately zeroed in on the problem. One of the battery wires was loose. He tightened it down. “Now try it.”

She stomped around him to climb back inside the truck and turned the key. The engine roared to life.

He shut the hood for her and dusted his hands.

The truck and trailer jerked forward. The way she kept feathering her brakes made him wonder if she’d ever driven a hitch before. He watched her narrowly miss clipping the bumper of another vehicle as she inched her way to the far side of the parking lot. With a puzzled grunt, he followed her. No, her business wasn’t any of his business, but he still couldn’t bring himself to head inside until he was sure she was okay.

Which he was pretty sure she wasn’t.

She parked and hopped down from the truck again, double checking the door handle to make sure it was locked.

He could tell by her agitated movements that she didn’t realize he was standing there. Not wanting to startle her, he cleared his throat to make her aware of his presence.

She whirled around, blinking at him. “Flint?” For a moment, she looked so lost that he did the first thing that came to mind.

He leaped forward and took her in his arms. To his enormous surprise and gratitude, she let him. They stood there in silence, just holding on to each other.

He was the first to speak. “Any chance I can talk you into driving this rig all the way to Texas for Christmas?”

Instead of answering, she burst into tears.

Man! His heart constricted as he tightened his arms around her. He wished he knew what he’d done wrong. Why everything that came out of his mouth lately seemed to push her further away.

“There’s nothing left for me in Pinetop,” she quavered against his chest. “Not with Laura leaving.”

He was aghast by the bleakness in her voice. “What about your parents?”

She sniffled loudly. “Ames keeps offering to build them an in-law suite in Dallas, and I think they’re actually considering it.”

“You’re kidding!” He couldn’t imagine the Lees leaving Santa’s Toy Factory behind. They were the biggest reason it was such a roaring success.

“I’m not sure about anything anymore.” Lucy clung to him, shivering.

His heart thumped at the realization that, regardless of what was troubling her, she felt safe with him. The smart-mouthed Lucy Lee, who was usually pushing him away, was now pulling him closer. She was the biggest puzzle he’d ever encountered, a Santa-sized list of contradictions and complications that he’d gladly spend the rest of his life figuring out.

But she’d said no, and he respected that.

He’d been hoping like crazy to cross paths with her one last time before leaving town, so he could say goodbye. The way she was plastered against him, though, was making a whole new set of possibilities swim through his head.

He reached up to trail his hand down the long, glorious, white-blonde strands of her hair. It was something he’d never dared to do before. “May I kiss you?” Emotion roughened his voice. He’d never before seen her this unraveled, this vulnerable.

She tipped her face up to his. “Why not? Heaven knows you’ve been wanting to for as long as?—”

He silenced her by claiming her lips. Though an icy breeze was swirling down the side of the mountain, a special brand of light and warmth blazed between them, just like he’d always known it would. She was soft and pliable in his arms, tearful and giving. She was every one of his dreams come true.

Shoot! In that moment, he would’ve willingly ripped his heart out of his chest and handed it to her if she’d asked him to.

She pulled her mouth from his way too soon. “Goodbye, Flint.” Tears choked her voice as she slid from his embrace.

Wait! What? He stared after her, dazed, as she walked toward the dinner theater alone.

“Lucy!” He jogged after her, unable to accept that it was over between them. Not after what they’d just shared. “We need to talk.” He leaped in front of her, jogging backward.

She waved a gloved hand helplessly at him. “Don’t you need to get downstairs to the stable?”

“Yes, but?—”

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