Her Mistletoe Cowboy (18 page)

He took a long second to speak and when he did his tone was grave. “Where will you spend Christmas?”

“I’ll house sit for Trinity while she’s home with her family.”

Grooves bracketed his mouth. “I was hoping you’d spend it with me.”

She slowly shook her head. “I know you need time, Rhett, but I can’t do this. I can’t only be half in your life. I need to know where I stand. What happens if, even with time, you still think I’m on the rebound?”

He glanced at the pile of decorations she’d placed on the floor, but not before she caught alarm in his eyes.

“Does your planning to spend Christmas elsewhere mean you’ve reconsidered running your consultancy business from Rose Crown?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure. I can’t stay with how things are.” She lowered her tone. “Rhett, you have to believe me and have faith that what I feel for you is genuine. The last thing I’d ever do is rush into another relationship if what I felt wasn’t … real. You’re not the rebound guy. You’re
the
guy.”

She drew courage from his intense stillness. His eyes didn’t leave hers even when an ember popped in the fire beside them.

“You need to know I never truly loved James. What I felt for him is the only emotion that hasn’t been real.” She stepped toward Rhett and linked her fingers with his, then lifted their hands to make a low arc. “You are my bridge. You make me see beauty and light even when there are empty holes and darkness.” Her fingers tightened on his. “I love you.”

She’d never seen anything more gorgeous than the smile that made his dimples wink or more beautiful than the love that burned blue in his eyes.

“Your bridge, huh?”

She held her breath. “Is that more acceptable than rebound guy?”

He slipped his hand from hers and his unsteady thumb brushed over her bottom lip. “Absolutely.” His head lowered. “So acceptable in fact I’m reneging on my promise not to take advantage of you.”

His tender and thorough kiss silenced any doubts Rhett didn’t believe her feelings were genuine. She laced her fingers around his neck and pressed herself against him. Her heart beat strong, whole and safe within her chest.

When his head lifted, emotion etched his face.

“Ivy, I love you. No matter how hard I work, this ranch will never amount to anything if you aren’t here to share it with me. This is where you belong, at Rose Crown, by my side.” He cupped her face with gentle hands. “I’m sorry it took until you saying you’d leave for me to believe that what you felt was real. I couldn’t dare hope that you’d fallen as hard for me as I had for you.”

His kiss offered a further apology.

“How much time do we have?” she said, breathless minutes later.

He grinned. “A lifetime.”

He swung her into his arms. She kissed the hot skin at his throat. In the arms of her mistletoe cowboy was the only place she ever wanted to be.

“But right now I’d say we have half an hour.” Rhett’s voice deepened. “Trinity gave me a wink on my way out so I’m sure she’ll cover for us for at least that long.” His hold firmed as he headed for the stairs. “And I intend on making the most of every second.”

The End

If you enjoyed
Her
Mistletoe Cowboy
, you’ll love the other Montana Born Christmas stories!

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Want more Montana Born Christmas? Don’t forget to grab the Copper Mountain Christmas series

A Cowboy for Christmas
by Katherine Garbera

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Home for Christmas
by Melissa McClone

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Christmas at Copper Mountain
by Jane Porter

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Mistletoe Magic
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When not writing
Alissa Callen
plays traffic controller to four children, three dogs, two horses and one renegade cow who really does believe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. After a childhood spent chasing sheep on the family farm, she has always been drawn to remote areas and small towns, even when residing overseas. Once a teacher and a counsellor, she remains interested in the life journeys people take. Her books are characteristically heart-warming, emotional and character driven. She currently lives on a small slice of rural Australia.

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