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He gave her his arm as they stepped out onto the front porch. A passing snow flurry had moved in from the west. Big, lazy white flakes drifted from the sky. They settled on Rush’s dark hair as he guided her down the icy steps. Tracy clung to his side, feeling his solid strength. I could get used to this, she thought.
When they reached her car, he turned and took her in his arms. “Damn, that feels good,” he muttered. “I could spend all night holding you like this, except—” He gave a rough laugh. “Just holding you wouldn’t be enough.”
Tracy understood. She closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. Beneath the open front of his jacket, his shirt was damp from washing Bucket. “You smell like wet dog,” she teased.
“So do you.” His arms tightened around her. “Blast it, woman, when are we going to get some serious time alone?”
She looked up at him. “Something tells me it won’t be until after the holidays. So we might as well relax and enjoy the fun while it lasts.”
“Things will be crazy between now and this Saturday. I’d like to take you to the brunch, but we’ll be busy getting the sleigh and the team to town for the parade. It’ll be my job to load and unload the horses and drive their trailer.”
“Why don’t you let me pick up Clara and take her to the brunch? Then I can drive her to the parade.”
“That’s a nice thought,” Travis said. “But I promised her a special surprise. For that, she’ll need to be home with us Saturday morning. I can meet you on Main Street before the parade starts. We can watch it together before I have to go back and reload the horses.”
“I’d love that. I’ve never watched the parade. You’re sure you’ll have time?”
“Once the sleigh’s in line for the parade, I’ll be free to come and meet you. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”
“Well, then, I have another idea. Why don’t I pick up Clara’s princess costume and take her home with me after the parade? Once she’s had time to play and nap, we can get ready for the Christmas Ball together. You know, sort of a girly thing.”
“I like girly things.” He nuzzled her hair. “Especially yours.”
“But what do you think of my suggestion?”
“It’s a grand idea. She’ll love it. Then I can pick up my princess and my queen at seven o’clock and take them to the ball. I’ll be the luckiest man there.”
The snow was coming down harder now, swirling around them. He bent his head and kissed her—a slow, dizzying kiss that Tracy felt all the way to the tips of her toes. “You’d better get going,” he said, opening the car door for her. Tracy slid into the driver’s seat.
“Be careful on the road,” he said, closing the door. “I love you, Tracy.”
As she drove away, Tracy could see him in her rearview mirror, standing in the driveway with snow falling around him. Had he meant for her to hear him as he closed the door? Had he really said he loved her, or had she only imagined it?
She’d be a fool to believe what she’d barely heard, Tracy told herself. But the thought that the words might be true made her heart sing.
She turned on her wipers to clear the falling snow. “I love you, too,” she whispered into the darkness. “I love you, Rush.”
* * *
On Friday, Tracy picked up Clara at the ranch for a visit to the mall in Cottonwood Springs. Rush’s Hummer had been missing when she arrived. He’d let her know earlier that he’d be gone, freeing and doctoring a bull that had been caught in a tangle of barbed wire half buried in the deep snow. “Wish me luck,” he’d told her on the phone. “This isn’t going to be an easy job.”
As she drove north, Tracy tried not to think about the danger he could be in. A powerful bull, trapped and in pain, could do a lot of damage to anyone who got too close. Would Rush subdue it with a tranquilizer dart before cutting the wire? Would there be men to hold the huge animal with ropes? What if the bull got loose?
Never mind, she told herself. Rush knew his job. He would be fine. Meanwhile, he’d left her his credit card, with orders to have a good time and buy Clara whatever she liked.
“We’ve got a big mall in Phoenix.” Clara spoke from the safety of her booster seat. “It’s got a merry-go-round and a huge food court and a place to see movies.”
Something told Tracy that Clara wouldn’t be impressed by the modest-size Cottonwood Corners Mall. “Phoenix is a big city, so it can have a big mall. Cottonwood Springs is just a big town.”
“So it doesn’t have a very big mall.”
“Right. But we can still have a good time looking in the stores and getting some lunch. Maybe you’ll see something you’d like for Christmas.”
“Maybe.” Clara sounded skeptical. Tracy knew that what she really wanted couldn’t be found in a store.
The mall was festively decorated, with Christmas lights and decorations. The strains of “Silver Bells” rose above the babble of shoppers and vendors. The air swam with the fragrances of cinnamon and peppermint.
In the center of the mall was a glittering Christmas tree. At its foot, in a red and gold velvet chair, sat the mall’s Santa Claus. The line of children waiting to meet him stretched far down one wing of the mall. Tired-looking parents stood off to one side, waiting. Clara stopped, standing a few paces back to look.
