Page 161 of Her Boss, Her Rancher: Sunrise On The Ranch

“Wise? I think we’re beyond being wise, Bella. I’m falling for you and I don’t care who knows it. Do you?”

His declaration caught her off guard. God yes, she was falling for him, too. She was too floored to do anything but nod.

“Good. Look up.”

She lifted her eyes to find a thick bunch of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. And when she tilted her head back down, Jared’s lips were there, kissing her lightly but with enough potency to set her body on fire.

She scanned the room to see if anyone noticed and found Veronica’s eyes on her for a split second before she shifted her attention to the person she was conversing with. Bella’s gut clenched and she was suddenly ice cold inside. She shivered.

“Hey, if you’re cold, let’s go stand by the fire,” Jared said. “I think Sienna would like it, too.” Jared gathered up her daughter, tempting her with a candy cane, and the three of them entered the parlor and stood by a crackling fire.

“The caterers will be putting out dinner soon,” he said. “Are you two hungry?”

“I hungry,” Sienna said, sucking on the candy cane.

“Not just for candy, sugar plum.” Jared tickled her and she burst out in sweet laughter.

The sound was enough to put joy back into Bella’s heart, even though her stomach felt queasy. “I could eat a little something,” she said, plastering on a smile.

“Good, because later we might just have Christmas carolers come by the house. And who knows, maybe one of Santa’s elves might be stopping by, too.”

“Sounds like fun,” Bella said, reaching for Sienna and taking her out of Jared’s capable arms. She needed to hold her daughter tight to help the uneasy feeling in her gut disappear. Holding Sienna tight always seemed to work.

Yet her mind kept going back to Veronica. Bella scoured her memory, trying to think if she’d said anything to Jared’s mother that would upset her. They’d been on friendly terms these past couple of days as they got the house ready for the party. And Veronica had been complimentary of the dishes she’d cooked for all of them.

So what was going on? And why was Veronica avoiding her?

The last of the partygoers was gone now and the caterers and cleanup crew were working hard to get the house back in order. Sienna had managed to keep her eyes open during the festivities, fascinated by the lights and activity, the carolers who’d come inside the house to sing their Christmas tunes and, of course, seeing one of Santa’s helpers. Sienna hadn’t been brave enough to sit on his lap, but she did receive a toy, a baby doll she’d clutched in her arms the rest of the night. Now Bella was heading up to bed with Sienna fast asleep in her arms.

“Bella, wait.” Jared approached the staircase. “Let me take her up for you.”

She hesitated only a second. “Okay, thanks.” She made the transfer easily and Jared followed her up. She walked into the adjoining bedrooms and quickly turned down the sheets on the bed. She and Sienna had been sleeping together and, at some point, her little girl would get a bed of her own, but these conditions were fine temporarily.

Jared laid her down and Bella carefully removed her shoes and changed her into her pajamas. She tucked her in and kissed her forehead. Jared bent to do the same, and Bella blinked back tears. It was a ritual she and Paul would do together. She wasn’t saddened by the gesture but rather hopeful and touched that Jared cared so deeply about her daughter. She walked him to the door and whispered, “Thank you. It was a lovely party.”

“Our first date.” She smiled and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “I’ll miss you tonight.”

He nuzzled her hair and then claimed her lips, the kiss going long and deep. They were both breathing hard when the kiss ended. “I’d better go.” He sighed and backed away from her.

“Yes, you’d better,” she whispered back, feeling the same longing she witnessed in his eyes. They were both aware his mother’s room was just down the hall.

“Good night.”

“’Night,” he said and then he was gone.

Bella walked around in a daze, her heart spilling over with emotion, her lips still tingling from Jared’s kiss. She was in love with him. She had no doubt. In the short time she’d known him, he’d become important to her. Every time he walked into the room, her heart just about stopped. She had come to cherish their midnight encounters, as well. Making love with Jared was amazing, but it was more than that. She shared her love of cooking with him, and had his full support. Those late nights had come to mean so much to her.

Five minutes later, as she was brushing her hair, a soft knock woke her out of her thoughts.

Her heart pumped faster at the thought of seeing Jared again.

She opened the door quiet as a mouse and found Veronica standing on the threshold. She gave Bella a small smile. “Can we talk?”

“Uh, yes. Sure. Just let me get the baby monitor.”

Veronica waited and then led Bella to a sitting area, a little alcove in the hallway comfortable for two. “Is this all right?”

Bella nodded, her stomach beginning to ache. So she hadn’t been wrong, something was up with Veronica and she was about to find out what it was.