Mistletoe Kisses

Chapter 1-3

All he could do was nod and watch her saunter away. Ty nudged Holly over to the corral gate and leaned down to slip the rope loop off the post. He pushed the gate open with his foot, then guided his horse through with the lightest squeeze of his legs. Damn, she was a great horse. He had an idea about entering her in a competition he was sure her former owner was sure to attend just to shove it in the prick’s face that he’d sold a gem.

“Stubborn, stupid, and worthless mare my a*s,” Ty said, fondly patting her shoulder. “Intelligent, loyal, and champion mare are much more fitting terms for you, aren’t they, Holly?”

She flicked her ears, listening intently to his every word. He curled his fingers around a fistful of her black mane and tightened his legs a little more. She moved effortlessly into a ground-eating lope up the trail to the ridge crest, her hooves crunching and squeaking in the snow. The brisk November air stung his exposed face, but he reveled in it, thrilled by the freedom of riding bareback without a bridle through the wintry landscape, truly in tune with his horse, and elated by the hope that Shannon would soon be in Northstar.

When they reached the crown of the ridge, he relaxed his legs, cuing Holly to slow to a walk and finally to a stop just as the mountains came into view through the trees. The sight of the Northstar Mountains alight with the late afternoon sunlight was nothing short of breathtaking. The forests of lodgepole pine and Douglas fir that blanketed the shoulders of the peaks were still heavily dusted with the snow that had fallen last night, and the contrast between the white mountains, white hayfields, and the dark green of the pines and firs was muted. Even the leafless, red-brown branches of the scrub willows gathered along the many creeks of the valley wore thick coats of white.

Ty had lived here his entire life, born right here on the Bar E Ranch in the middle of a Christmas Eve snowstorm, and the beauty of this place never failed to leave him awestruck. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, and he wondered what it would take to convince Shannon to stay here in Northstar. He knew she liked it here, and he had hoped since meeting her—and especially since kissing her—that she would realize this could be her home like it was now her brother’s.

With a sigh, Ty again patted Holly’s neck. He noted a restlessness settling over him, and he wanted keep riding, but he’d already put Holly through a pretty good workout this afternoon. Besides, it was getting on toward dinnertime. As he rode back to the ranch compound at a leisurely trot, he pondered his lack of concern over Heather’s decision to end their relationship. Was he really okay with it or was the promise of seeing Shannon again just that powerful? Both, he decided. He and Heather had been dating only a month, and he hadn’t moved very far beyond seeing her as only his friend. The term lover, though accurate enough, didn’t fit right. Shannon, on the other hand, had captivated him from the moment they’d first been introduced at Pat and Aelissm’s wedding. Over the years, he had been content to keep Shannon as a friend despite the nagging desire for more because he wanted her in his life and he hadn’t cared how.

Memories he’d collected of her occupied his mind as he groomed and fed Holly and finished the rest of his evening chores. When he reached his cabin, he stoked the fire in his wood stove and walked into the kitchen. He stood there for a few minutes, aware that he was hungry but not feeling much like cooking. Instead of starting dinner, he grabbed his truck keys. He didn’t think about where he was going or why, trusting his heart to figure it out, but he wasn’t in the least surprised when he pulled up in front of the squat A-frame with dark brown siding and crisp white trim that was the restaurant of the Bedspread Inn. The big windows and glass doors of the front wall brightly reflected the scene behind him, and he stared over his shoulder at the mountains for a moment before climbing out of his truck. The light was now rosy and reminded him vividly of that evening two years ago.

He started toward the stairs up to the inn’s restaurant, but stopped in his tracks when he noticed the SUV he’d parked beside. It had Washington plates. His heart did that skittery thing again, and he took the steps two at a time.

Ty stepped into the dining room, glanced as he always did at the dark beam with his family’s brand emblazoned in bright teal. Heat radiated from the roaring fire in the stone hearth that dominated the center of the room. At first, the restaurant appeared to be empty, but he heard voices. Then Pat’s striking blonde wife peeked around the fireplace, saw him, and grinned.

“I believe there’s someone here who’d love to see you, Shannon,” Aelissm remarked.

If he had worried her recent successes in the spotlight had changed her somehow, he’d been wrong. She was just how he remembered, from the gentle waves of dark auburn hair that cascaded over her shoulders to the dancing, innocent hazel eyes smiling at him from that softly beautiful face. She was every bit as alluring as he recalled, slender with feminine curves and, dressed in a slim-fitting maroon sweater and jeans, more shyly comfortable than brazenly sexy. Shannon O’Neil was the classic girl-next-door and exactly what Ty wanted in a woman.

“Ty,” she murmured, walking slowly toward him.

“Hey there, Shy Eyes.” He met her halfway, concerned when she didn’t wrap him in her usual enthusiastic hug. There was a haze of sadness in her eyes, he noted. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s been a long week,” she replied. Finally, she embraced him and whispered, “It’s so good to see you.”

Ty closed his eyes and held her tightly, delighted to have her in his arms but wondering if it was real. Two hours ago, he had been dating Heather with no idea when he’d see Shannon again, and now he was single and she was here.

She leaned back to look at him. “What? Aren’t you glad to see me, too?”

A slow, tender smile curved his lips. “You bet I am.”

She hugged him again.

“Join me for dinner?”

“I think I’m going to have to pass tonight, Ty. I’m exhausted.”

“No offense, but I’m going to have to agree about that. You look tired, and I’ll bet the roads were a mess. Why didn’t you wait until they cleared a little? This is kind of a spur-of-the-moment trip, and you’re not usually so impulsive.”

“I got my first taste of what it’s like to catch the attention of the tabloids. Chris took the writer of the article’s word over mine. So… here I am.”

“He broke up with you?”

She only nodded and lowered her eyes.

“Is he stupid?”

She let out a derisive sniff but said nothing.

“Are you all right?”

“Not really. Which is why I’m here.”

“I’m here for you if you need it.”

“I know you are, but right now, I think I just need some time to clear my head. I am a little upset with men in general right now, and I don’t want to take that out on you.”

That stung a little, though he wasn’t sure why. To hide it, he joked, “What about Pat?”

“He’s my brother. He has to put up with me.”

“And I’m your friend. I’m pretty sure helping you weather the storm is one of the stipulations in our friendship contract.”

At last, she met his gaze again and smiled. It didn’t touch her eyes, but it was better than nothing. “Give me a week or so, and I’ll stop by the Bar E. I want to meet this horse you’re so smitten with. Just… give me a little space for now, okay? We’ll have plenty of time to catch up once I relax a little.”

“How long are you planning to stay?”

“I was thinking I’d stick around until the day after New Years. Maybe longer. I don’t know yet. I’m sort of winging it on this trip.”

“Just give me a call when you want to meet Holly.”

With a nod, Shannon turned toward the back of the restaurant and called out to her sister-in-law. “I’ll see you and Pat in a little while.”

Aelissm reappeared. “Heading up to the cabin?”

“Yeah. I should probably take a nap before you unleash my niece and nephews on me.”

“See you in a couple hours, then.”

Shannon laid her hand on Ty’s arm for a moment and squeezed, then brushed passed him and out the door. He stared after her, fighting the urge to follow. She needed space right now.

“Shall I break out the mistletoe early this year?” Aelissm inquired.

When he turned his attention to her, he found her grinning broadly at him. “Depends. Do you think Pat would shoot me if I asked to date his sister?”