Page 5 of The Curvy Girl's Christmas Cowboy
“So, Peach,” he breaks the silence with his low husky voice. “I appreciate you not throwing me out of the bakery in front of Loretta. I realize things between us have been ... complicated.”
Complicated is an understatement, but I only nod, not trusting myself to speak.
“I never understood why you didn’t want to see me again.”
I shift to look at him, searching his expression for a clue. Is he really going to play the naïve card? He knows damn well why I never wanted to see him again. Anger bubbles up to the surface, and I’m about ready to give him a piece of my mind—but the town is depending on us to lock in a location. Now is not the time for a knock down drag out fight.
“I’d rather not get into it right this second, okay?” I keep my tone even. “Tell me about your time in Texas. Why were you there?”
Storm glances over at me and I stare back at him wide-eyed in response, silently warning him to please drop the subject. With a shrug he says, “If you say so, but we’re going to have to talk about it eventually.”
“Texas.” I don’t let him throw me off track. “You said you’ve been in Texas. Tell me about it.”
“My uncle Jack hadn’t been doing very well. Thankfully, he’s better now.” Storm sighs. “One of his hands called my dad and filled him in on how much he was struggling to keep up with everything on his ranch. He never had any kids, and you know I’m an only child, so our little family was all he had. I decided it was time to drive down and see for myself exactly what was going on with him.” Storm’s eyes flicker to me, gauging my reaction.
I nod with a slight smile tugging at the edges of my lips, because once again, he is protective and usually does the right thing. “I’m sure your uncle appreciated having you there.”
“He did, but it was harder work than I imagined. I ended up taking over the whole damned operation.” Storm chuckles softly and shakes his head. “He only has two dozen heads of cattle, but the fences were shot. The barn was infested with termites and falling apart, the pastures weren’t being managed, some of them were overgrazed, and all the animals were behind on their health checks, so it was a bitch getting the business up to speed.” He flashes a smile at me. “But it was a good kind of hard work, you know?”
“I sure do.” I gaze out the window. “I’m glad your uncle is okay, by the way …”
As the silent minutes tick by I begin to relax a bit more around him. We spend most of the drive catching up with each other, reminiscing about the good old days as if no time has passed at all.
Soon the grey waters of the lake come into view, shimmering under the winter light. It isn’t long before we’re pulling into the parking lot of the campgrounds.
“This was the set of America’sBest BarbequeReality Show.”I point to a clearing in the distance. “I’ll bet they used that area over there for one of the scenes. Remember?”
“How could I forget? This is where Cash Parker pretty much announced to the world he was in love with Kitty.”
I laugh. “I think Cash and Kitty even trended on Twitter. He won the competition but wanted to forfeit, so Kitty could take home the prize.”
Storm grins and locks on to my eyes. “But he ended up marrying her instead.” I’m captured in his stare as my body crackles and sparks with the distinct feeling he’s hinting we could be a couple, the kind that stays together forever. I come to my senses and stare down at my lap, breaking the spell.
After he parks and grabs a flashlight from the glove compartment, we both step out into the frosty weather. The icy air nips at my cheeks and I zip my coat all the way up to my chin. “The owner said he would meet us out here in a half hour.”
“And you double checked the date. You’re sure it’s available? Storm comes to my side, so close I can feel the heat radiating from his body.
“Positive.” I tease, playfully tapping his arm. “That was my first question. Do you honestly think I’d forget to ask something as important as that?” We’re so far away from West Palomino it almost feels like we left our troubles and baggage behind because the nearness of him is sending tingles from the nape of my neck to the heel of my foot.
As we walk towards a clearing with the snow crunching under my feet, I steal glances at Storm. His strong jawline, dark eyes and muscular build make my heart race.
Finally, we reach the open space, and Storm surveys the area with a critical eye. “This could work,” he says, turning to face me. “It’s not too far from town, but it’s secluded enough for the band to play as loud as they want and not disturb anyone.” He points to his truck. “And that huge parking lot is a bonus.”
I nod in agreement, but my mind is in a dreamworld. Storm’s proximity is making it hard to focus on anything but him.
“Are you warm in that coat? I think I have another one in the truck. Want me to go get it?” he offers, looking so handsome and concerned.
I shake my head, trying to hide my blush.If you only knew what I was just thinking about—“No, I’m fine. Just lost in thought.”
Storm smiles with a devilish glint in his eye. “I bet I can guess what you were thinking,” he says, leaning in close to my face.
My heart races, and my breath quickens. “Barn. The barn,” I blurt, tromping quickly through the white powder, putting a few yards of distance between us. I call out, “I have a hunch it’s over that hill.”
He chuckles behind me. “That isnotwhat you were thinking about.”
I crack a smile and trudge up the incline. He knows me so well. When I reach the top, I catch my breath - the barn is stunning. It’s weathered and rustic, but there’s something about it that draws me in, like it’s been waiting for us all along.
The barn’s large double doors stand ajar. As I approach, the scent of hay and old wood makes me think of my grandma and grandpa’s farm in Maine, and all the summers I spent there when I was a little girl. I step inside, and the light filtering in through the cracks in the walls creates a dreamlike atmosphere. Dust shimmers in the shafts of grey sunlight. The walls are made of rough-hewn wooden planks, and the roof is high and peaked, with a small weathervane twisting in the breeze.
