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“Five minutes.”
He sighed. “That’s definitely not long enough.”
She came toward him, went up on tiptoe, and kissed him very slowly. “This will have to sustain me through dinner.”
He patted her ass. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
She blew him a kiss and headed back for the door. “Dinner’s nearly ready, so come on out when you’re dressed.”
* * *
Lucy made her way back to the kitchen, her face still flushed from the amazing sight of Caleb in the flesh. She hadn’t seen much of him in the dark of the previous night and he was truly spectacular. Years of working on a ranch had honed his physique and he’d obviously kept up his fitness levels. She was proud of herself for not outright drooling, falling to her knees, ripping off the towel and kissing his—
“Evening.”
She jumped as Isaiah Erickson came out of the pantry carrying the salt and pepper. He set them on the table and turned to look at her.
“Hi!” she said brightly. “Thanks so much for letting me stay with you until the generator gets fixed.”
He nodded and gestured toward the family room. “Did you decorate the tree?”
“Yes, I hope that’s okay?” She regarded him anxiously. His poker face made Caleb’s look like an amateur.
“It’s fine.” He paused. “It’s nice to see the lights up.”
“It definitely makes things more Christmassy,” Lucy agreed. Her timer went off. “I’ll just get these cookies out of the oven and then we can start dinner.”
He sniffed the air. “Gingerbread?”
“Yup.” She smiled at him. “I remember Caleb always liked it.”
“He must have got that from me. Annie wasn’t keen on it, but she made them for me anyway.”
Lucy set the cookies to cool, and took out the baked potatoes and casserole dish. “Caleb is like you in many ways. You both have a great work ethic.”
“Well, we’re both stubborn. I’ll give you that.” He made sure she had something to place the dish on at the table. “I’ll find a spoon.”
The back door opened, bringing in a blast of frigid air, and Chip came in rubbing his hands.
“Something smells good.”
“It’s me.” Caleb arrived from the opposite direction. “I just showered.”
Chip chuckled. “Bet you haven’t smelled like that for a while, son.”
“Nope, but mud and manure wash off much easier than the city stink.” He’d put a brown sweater on over a shirt and wore jeans. His hair was still spiky and wet. Seeing him next to his father made it easier for Lucy to see the likeness between them.
“What can I do to help?” Caleb asked.
“There’s beer and iced tea in the refrigerator if anyone wants it,” Isaiah said. “And get the butter and sour cream for the baked potatoes.”
“Will do.”
It didn’t take long before they were all sitting around the table with plates full of food. Lucy took the seat next to Caleb. Chip sat opposite her, and Isaiah was at right angles to his son. The empty chair where Ann had sat was a reminder of the family’s loss.
For a while they all just ate. Lucy hadn’t realized how hungry she was. They’d basically skipped lunch, and she’d used up a lot of calories during the previous twenty-four hours.
“I see you finally got your tree up, Isaiah,” Chip said cheerfully.
