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A stupid one.
Today wouldn’t be a good day to travel. The plows would be out clearing the roads. He needed to see if he could pull her car out of the snowbank or call a wrecker to tow it to a shop.
But before they could even think about her car, he would need to clear the road between the house and the highway with his tractor.
Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close to him. It was hard leaving the warm bed with her naked, willing body against his. Kissing her forehead, he heard her murmuring against him.
“Lucas,” she moaned.
“Go back to sleep, darling. I’ve got to get up and feed the animals,” he said.
A deep sense of sadness filled him as he stepped out of bed. He couldn’t just go off and leave his cattle. He’d given his workers time off, but there was a man who he occasionally hired. He was going to call him and see if he could feed the animals for a couple of days.
Olivia had been going to visit her family for Christmas. Her mother said she needed them all to be home for Christmas this year and he was determined he would make certain she would get there safely.
Tomorrow, he would take her to Whitefish, but today was going to be a day of prep, and tonight, he wanted one last night with her.
One last night to tell her his feelings and offer her the moon because she deserved happiness, and he was the man willing to give it to her. Yes, they had not had much time together, but this felt right. It felt certain.
Pulling on his snow clothes, he tiptoed out of the bedroom but not without one last glance at the woman snuggled in his bed.
Never had he felt like this about a woman. Not Beth, not any other girlfriends he’d ever had. All he wanted to do was put a ring on her finger and make her happy.
Much later, he came back into the house, feeling frozen.
When he stepped inside the house, she stood at the stove. “I’ve got breakfast made for you, though it’s almost lunch.”
“Thank you,” he said. “After I fed the animals, I cleared the road to the highway with the tractor so we could get to your car. The plows will be clearing the highway and your car would be safer off the edge of the road. I thought we could pull it onto the road to the ranch and then call a tow truck.”
She sighed. “It’s not drivable?”
“I don’t think so, darling,” he said. “We can try, but I’m afraid the front bumper is pushed up against the tires. And the night you crashed it, I smelled antifreeze. I fear we’ll do more damage if we try to start it.”
Finished frying the bacon, she fixed his plate and then sat across from him.
“Where’s your food?”
“I’m not hungry,” she said. “I just can’t imagine calling my mother and telling her that I’m not going to be there after she asked all of us to come home.”
“Darling, I know that getting home to your family is important to you,” he said. “What if I take you in my truck? It has four-wheel drive.”
Glancing up at him, she grinned so big and then jumped up from her chair and ran to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Lucas, thank you,” she said. “I’ve been worrying about what to do. You know how important my family is and missing this Christmas would have broken my heart. I wanted to ask you to go with me and meet my family, but I know you have responsibilities here. What about the cows? You can’t go off and leave them.”
“I know,” he said. “I’ve hired a man to take care of the animals for a couple of days. Today, let’s take care of your car, and then tomorrow morning, Christmas Eve, we’ll leave after I feed the cows.”
Layering her mouth against his, she kissed him deeply as he pulled her onto his lap there at the table. Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed against him.
“You are so good to me.”
He was a lucky man. Now if only she would stay with him. Tonight, he was going to tell her his feelings and he hoped she felt the same way. Whatever she said, he would take her to see her family. But he wanted her forever, not for just this week.
After losing his own family, he knew the importance of being with those you loved during the holidays. No matter what, he would make certain she was with her family.
When she released his lips, he couldn’t help but grin at her. “So you no longer fear I’m an ax murderer?”
She laughed. “No. You’re the sweetest man I’ve ever met.”
