Jodi Thomas Read Online Free Page A

burning pinion. This house, this room was the only place Holly felt comfortable, and even tonight the stranger before her couldn’t take away that feeling.
    Zach took a sip. As the warm chocolate slid down his throat, he glanced around the room. “The men picked a fine Christmas tree. It’s as high as the ceiling, yet not so wide that it takes up too much space. They must have worked all the time we were gone to get up the rest of the greenery. There’s even mistletoe over every doorway.”
    Holly nodded, remembering how every year the hands took all the furniture out of the huge room and invited the neighbors over for Christmas Eve. The cook in the bunkhouse would make gingerbread, apple turnovers, and taffy for the children. Most of the wives would bring other candies and cakes, until the kitchen table bulged with the banquet. “We’ll decorate the tree with cookie stars and ribbon rings. There’ll be lots of talking and laughing and even dancing tomorrow night in this room. It’ll be days before I’ll stop smelling evergreen and candles, but it’s a McCarter custom dating back to when there were only a few families within traveling distance.”
    Zach relaxed in the chair close to the fire and crossed his long legs in front of him. “You’ll dance all night with the many ranchers and cowhands from these parts?”
    Holly knew her time of honesty had come. If she didn’t tell him the truth now, she’d never get any instructions. She’d spend the rest of her life ranch talking with men and never know how to talk romance. “No.” She lifted her head, as if daring him to laugh. “I don’t own a dancing dress or know how to dance, even if I did. I learned a long time ago to only do things I’m good at. Dancing isn’t one of them, so I’m satisfied to watch.”
    Zach leaned closer. The longing in her green eyes made a lie of what she said. “Would you like to learn?” he asked.
    “You’d teach me?”
    “For showing me your sunset, it’s the least I can do.” Zach stood and bowed low. “May I have the honor, Miss McCarter?”
    Holly lifted her hand. “You may,” she whispered, feeling more afraid than she had facing down wild mustangs. “If you promise not to tell anyone I’m wasting my time so foolishly.”
    “You have my word.” His strong hand closed around hers and pulled her to her feet. Slowly, as if he were testing her seriousness, he moved in front of her. He lifted her left hand and placed it on his shoulder. “I’ll count, and all you have to do is follow.”
    He counted to four over and over while they moved about the room, and Holly slowly relaxed. Dancing wasn’t as hard as she’d thought it might be. His sure hand guided her and steadied her when she faltered.
    “Why have you never danced before?” he asked without stopping. This might seem a foolishness to her, but it was pure pleasure to him. There’d been a time in his life when he’d never thought he’d hold a woman and dance again.
    “No one ever asked me,” she stated flatly, wishing she had another reason to give him.
    “I find that hard to believe,” Zach responded.
    Suddenly Holly planted her feet wide and refused to move another step. “I’m not in the habit of lying, Yankee.” Anger sparked inside her like lightning striking a dry prairie. No one in her life had ever even hinted that she might lie. She knew men in this country who would kill someone for saying such a thing.
    But Zach’s anger rose to meet hers on equal ground. “And I’m not in the habit of being referred to constantly as ‘Yankee.’ Do you think you could use my name now and then when you’re yelling at me, so I’ll know you’re mad at me and not the entire upper half of the country?” His voice was calm, but she had a feeling his wrath was just as deadly as her own.
    Before either of them could move, the door swung open, and Sam hurried inside. “Wind’s getting up, Holly, you want me to . . .” He froze at the sight of