Page 34 of The Holiday Gift

“That would work.”

She felt a little more of the tension trickle away. At least he was still planning to come for dinner.

She loved their Sunday night tradition, when she and her sisters and Aunt Mary always fixed a big family meal and invited any neighbors or friends who would care to join them. Chase invariably made it, unless he was driving Addie back to Boise after a weekend visitation.

“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He looked as if he wanted to say something more but she didn’t give him the chance. Instead, she jumped into her pickup and pulled away, trying her best not to look at him in the rearview mirror, standing lean-hipped and gorgeous and watching after her.

They had survived their first encounter post-kiss. Yes, it had been tense, but not unbearably so. After this, things between them would become more comfortable each time until they were back to the easy friendship they had always enjoyed.

She cared about him far too much to accept any other alternative.

* * *

He stood and watched her drive away, fighting the urge to rub the ache in his chest.

The entire time they talked about groceries and hot chocolate and Jim Laird’s bum knee, his damn imagination had been back in a starlit wintry night, steaming up the windows of his pickup truck.

That kiss seemed to be all he could think about. No matter what else he might be trying to focus on, his brain kept going back to those moments when he had held her and she had kissed him back with an enthusiasm he had only dreamed about.

Hot on the heels of those delicious memories, though, came the cold, hard slap of reality.

I have to ask you not to kiss me again.

She was so stubborn, fighting her feelings with every bit of her. How was he supposed to win against that?

He pondered his dwindling options as he headed inside to find Addie so she could put on her winter clothes and help him feed the horses.

He found her just finishing a call on her cell phone with a look of resignation.

“Who was that?” he asked, though he was fairly sure he knew the answer. He and Cindy were just about the only ones Addie ever talked to on the phone.

“Mom,” she said, confirming his suspicion. “She said Grandma is doing better and Grandpa says he doesn’t really need her help anymore. She decided to take me back tomorrow so I can finish the last week of school.”

Why didn’t she call him first to work out the details?

He was surrounded by frustrating women.

“That’s too bad. I know you were looking forward to practicing for the show with Louisa.”

Her face fell further. “I forgot about that!” she wailed. “If I don’t go to practice, I don’t know if I can be in the show.”

“I’m sure we can talk to Celeste and Hope and get special permission for you to practice at home. You’ll be here next weekend and the first part of next week so you’ll be able to be at the last few practices.”

“I hope they’ll let me. I really, really,reallywanted to be in the Christmas show.”

“We’ll work something out,” he assured her, hoping he wasn’t giving her unrealistic expectations. “Meanwhile, why don’t you grab your coat and boots. Since you’re so smart and already figured out the new horse is for Lou, do you want to meet her for real so you can tell me what you think?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed.

“You’ll have to work hard to keep it a secret.”

“I know. I would never ruin the surprise.”

With that promise, his daughter raced for the mudroom and her winter gear and Chase leaned a hip against the kitchen island to wait for her and tried not to let his mind wander back to those moments in his pickup that were now permanently imprinted on his brain.

* * *

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