A Cadence Creek Christmas (Cadence Creek Cowboys) Read Online Free Page A

here and at his mother’s home.
    It was why he’d come back to Cadence Creek, after all.He couldn’t leave his mother here to deal with everything on her own. She’d already been doing that for too many years. It had always been hand to mouth until this place. She still worked too hard but Rhys knew she loved every single minute.
    “I’ll be around tomorrow before work to have a look,” he promised. “Then I can pick up what I need from the hardware and fix it tomorrow night.”
    “That sounds great. Nice to see you again, Taylor. Can’t wait to see your handiwork at this wedding.”
    Rhys watched Taylor smile. She looked tired but the smile was genuine and a pleasant surprise. She had big-city girl written all over her but it didn’t mean she was devoid of warmth. Not at all.
    When Martha was gone he picked up his fork. “Try the pie. She’ll be offended if you don’t.”
    Taylor took a bite and closed her eyes. “Oh, my. That’s fantastic.”
    “She makes her own spice blend and doesn’t tell anyone what it is. People have been after her recipes for years,” he said, trying hard not to focus on the shape of her lips as her tongue licked a bit of caramelly filling from the corner of her mouth. “There’s a reason why the bakery focuses on cakes and breads. There’s not a pie in Cadence Creek that can hold a candle to my mom’s.”
    “You seem close,” Taylor noted.
    She had no idea. Rhys focused on his pie as he considered exactly how much to say. Yes, he’d come back to Cadence Creek to be nearer his mom after his dad’s death. She’d needed the help sorting out their affairs and needed a shoulder. He’d been happy to do it.
    But it was more than that. They were business partners. Not that many people were aware of it and that was how he wanted it to stay. Memories were long and his father hadn’t exactly earned a stellar business reputation around town. Despite his best intentions, Rhys had followed in his footsteps. Being a silent partner in the restaurant suited him just fine.
    “We are close,” he admitted. “Other than my brother, I’m the only family she’s got and the only family here in Cadence Creek. How about you? Are you close with your family?”
    She nodded, allowing him to neatly change the subject. “I suppose so. We don’t live so close together, like you do, but it’s close enough and we get along. I know they were very worried about Callum when he came back from overseas. And they thought he was crazy for buying a dairy farm.” She laughed a little. “But they can see he’s happy and that’s all that matters.”
    “And Jack?”
    She laughed. “Jack is in Montana most of the time, busy overseeing his empire. We don’t see each other much. Our jobs keep us very busy. Running our own businesses is pretty time-consuming.”
    “I can imagine.” Rhys had met and liked Jack instantly, but like Taylor, he looked a bit exhausted. Running a big sporting goods chain was likely to have that effect.
    Which was why Rhys was very contented to work for Diamondback and spend some of his spare hours playing handyman for the diner and his mother’s house. It was straightforward. There was little chance of disappointing people.
    Angry words and accusations still bounced around in his brain from time to time. Failing had been bad enough. But he’d let down the person he’d trusted most. And she’d made sure he knew it.
    The fluted crust of Taylor’s pie was all that remained and she’d put down her fork.
    “Well, I suppose we should get going.”
    “I’m going to have to roll back to the B&B,” she said ruefully, putting a hand on her tummy.
    “Not likely,” he said, standing up, but their gazes met and he was certain her cheeks were a little redder than they’d been before.
    He took her coat from the back of the chair, pulled the scarf from the sleeve and held it so she could slide her arms into it. They were quiet now, he unsure of what to say and his show of manners