Darn Good Cowboy Christmas Read Online Free Page B

appetite.”
    She walked him to the door. He turned and looked down into her eyes and felt himself falling. She moistened her full lips with the tip of her tongue and he leaned in to kiss her then jerked back.
    Liz wanted that kiss and felt cheated, then cheap. A woman didn’t let a man kiss her just because he asked her to Sunday dinner. She might be a carnie, but she wasn’t trashy. She took a step back and looked over her shoulder at the dog and cat.
    â€œI’ll see you tomorrow then,” she said hoarsely.
    He cleared his throat and opened the screen door. “Be lookin’ for you. Want me to drive over and get you?” he asked awkwardly.
    â€œNo, I’d either walk or bring my own truck,” she said just as stiffly.
    â€œOkay, then. Good night, Liz.”
    â€œâ€™Night, Raylen.” His name slipped off her tongue entirely too easy, and he did smell good and look good and that kiss would have been so, so good.
    She plopped down in the recliner, and Hooter laid his head in her lap. Blister moved from the back of the chair to the arm and purred. The remnants of Raylen’s shaving lotion surrounded her.
    â€œI’d give you each a big T-bone if you could talk and tell me more about Raylen.”
    She dug her cell phone out of her purse and punched in the speed dial for her uncle. After five rings she was about to hang up when she heard his voice.
    â€œUncle Haskell. I’m here and I’m unpacked and I was so tickled to see Hooter and Blister. Do I really get to keep them? I’ve already made up my mind. I’m staying on the property and I promise I’ll spoil them even worse than you did.”
    â€œWhoa, girl. Slow down,” Haskell said. “Yes, you can keep Hooter and Blister. They wouldn’t be happy anywhere but right there and I know you’ll spoil them. But you haven’t been there long enough to make up your mind, so you have to stay until March when the carnival pulls out of here before I sign it over to you legally. I told Raylen to water and feed Hooter and Blister. I guess he did?”
    â€œYes, he was in the house when I got here. He went home but he came back and invited me to the O’Donnell’s for Sunday dinner. He said they’re going to have music,” Liz said.
    â€œYou’ll enjoy that. That Raylen and Dewar both are good men, Lizelle. Take your fiddle and enjoy the day.”
    â€œAre you settling in out there?” Liz asked. It hadn’t occurred to her in the flurry of excitement that her uncle might not be satisfied in Claude and might want to come back to Ringgold.
    â€œYes, I am. Poppa and I are getting along pretty good. I’m still unpacking my books, but we’re getting a few boxes done each day. Poppa borrowed some yesterday. I may make a reader of him yet. He’s anxious for Marva Jo and Tressa to get here though. He loves revamping the wagons every winter.”
    â€œI’m glad you are there, Uncle Haskell. He gets lonely. I promised Hooter and Blister some quality family time so I’m going to hang up and visit with them,” Liz said.
    â€œI’ll be looking for reports at least once a week,” Haskell said.
    â€œYou got ʼem. Good night,” Liz said.
    Did that mean she could ask questions about Raylen once a week as well as give her uncle a report?

Chapter 2
    Liz put a Martina McBride Christmas CD in the truck player as she drove down her lane toward the highway and listened to “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” So what if it was the middle of October and Christmas was still a couple of months away? Liz was home for Christmas. She could feel it in the peace and joy that surrounded her.
    Martina sang that Christmas Eve would find her where the love light gleamed. Liz sang along with her and got cold chills down her back as she thought about love light gleaming on her by Christmas Eve.
    â€œMaybe next Christmas Eve. It would take a miracle