Mistletoe Cowboy (19 page)

“It didn't look that low in the picture on the Internet. I swear it didn't or I would have talked her out of buying it.”

The big yellow cat left her squirming babies and made a bed in Sage's lap.

“And the lion shall lay down with the lamb,” Sage said.

“What's that got to do with a floozy dress?”

“Nothing,” Sage answered. “But cats and dogs, especially those with babies, don't usually trust each other, do they?”

“I still think they were raised together and then dumped out together. And if I was Lawton, I'd send her back to put something decent on her body.”

“Lawton will most likely take her back and put it on her himself. And then the fight will be on because she inherited her mother's flaming temper.”

“She needs a mother,” Creed said.

Sage put Blue back into the bed and picked up Elvis. “She has a mother.”

“My daughter wouldn't wear something that revealing,” Creed said.

Sage shot a mean look his way. “And you have how many daughters?”

Creed should drop the subject or change it abruptly. She was playing with cats and dogs and she'd tried to change it when she said that about lambs and lions lying down together. He wanted to, he really did, but he couldn't.

“Riley men don't often throw girl babies, but when and if I ever did, she wouldn't be wearing something like that to a party where a bunch of rowdy cowboys would be.”

“Well, my daughter can wear whatever she wants when she's twenty years old.”

Creed clamped his mouth shut.

Sage glared at him.

The silence created a tension so thick that a chain saw couldn't cut through it.

Finally, she laid Elvis close to Noel and went to the kitchen. The way she was banging things around left no doubt that she was still mad and that she wasn't going to talk about it. Well, that cleared up things for Creed. He wasn't going to entertain another moment of sharing his whole life with Sage. No, sir! A woman who couldn't rationally discuss important issues without clamming up wasn't worth wasting his time on and she sure wasn't worth giving up a ranch for.

He brought the chair to a standstill, stood up, and headed to the back door. She didn't even turn around when he put on his heavy coat and boots and went outside.

***

Sage attacked the butter and sugar instead of creaming them together for a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Creed was a pompous, egotistical male who should never have a daughter. He'd keep her wings clipped so close that she'd never be able to fly.

You
are
just
mad
because
you
pictured
him
with
a
daughter
that
wasn't yours
, the voice inside her head said. It sounded so much like Grand that she whined out loud.

“I'm not fighting with you. Matter-of-fact, I'll prove my point.”

She left the well-creamed butter and sugar and dialed Grand's cell phone number. When her grandmother answered she asked, “Did you get the picture?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Where are you? It sounds like you are driving.”

“I am but I've got it on speakerphone so don't say a word you don't want Essie to hear. And don't get her started about April's dress.”

Essie's voice came through loud and clear. “That ain't no dress; that's two Band-Aids holding up a hanky. Her daddy should whip her fanny for even thinking about going out in public in such a thing.”

“She's a little old to be getting a whipping,” Sage said.

“Okay,” Grand said. “If I'd been there I would have told her to hang that dress back for some other affair and wear one of her other party dresses. Change up the jewelry and the shoes and no one would even realize she'd worn it before. There will be a scene if she comes down the stairs in that thing. Lawton will have a fit.”

“Creed and I just had a big argument about that. He said that his daughter wouldn't wear a dress like that.”

“You are pregnant?” Grand asked bluntly.

“No, I am not,” Sage sputtered.

Essie's voice was so loud that it hurt Sage's ears. “Well, I'd hope not. You've only known that cowboy for two weeks. For God's sake, Ada! Why'd you ask a dumb fool question like that anyway? Sage has enough sense not to go to bed with a man she's only known two weeks.”

“Well, shit!” Grand said. “Then why'd you fight? You haven't even got the possibility of a daughter and April is Lawton's problem. Y'all ain't got no say-so in what she wears. And the fight will be between them and none of your business.”

Sage couldn't think of an answer so she changed the subject. “Where are you going?”

“To Walmart, dinner at the Cracker Barrel, and then to Hobby Lobby,” Essie said.

“You got all that in Shade Gap? I always thought it was just a little place.”

“It is,” Grand's voice came through again. “We're going over to Chambersburg to shop.”

“What for?”

“Just stuff at Walmart, but a flier came with the newspaper today and Hobby Lobby has Christmas trees already on sale so I'm going to buy one. That ugly white thing that Essie had the last ten years is in the attic and I bet the rats have built nests in it so long that you'd never get the smell out.”

“I don't have rats in my attic, I'll have you to know,” Essie fussed.

“Well, I'm not putting up a damned old white tree. I'm buying one that will last until we're both dead and gone and it's going to be green. Our reception is about to go, Sage. These mountains are hell on phone reception. Tell everyone at the party tomorrow night hello for me and I'll send you a picture of our tree when we get it all decorated. When are you and Creed putting up one?”

“We already did,” Sage said around the lump in her throat.

“It's getting crackly. I'm hanging up now,” Grand said.

The last two words faded out and the phone went dead. She held it until the tinny recorded sound of an operator said if she wanted to make a call to hang up and try again.

She crammed her feet down into her work boots, didn't bother with a coat, and ran to the barn, the cold wind almost freezing the dripping tears into icicles as they fell off her jaw.

Creed was busy splitting a log when she burst into the barn. He laid down the ax just in time to catch her when she threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably against his chest.

“It's okay. Your daughter can wear whatever she wants,” he whispered.

“She's not going to wear a dress like that, not if she's forty, and that's not why I'm crying. I just talked to Grand.”

“Is she dying? Is that why she's selling the ranch?”

“Nooo,” she wailed. “She's putting up a Christmas tree.”

***

Creed patted her on the back and let her weep.

Why would a Christmas tree bring on tears? She hadn't cried when they'd put up their tree. She'd actually been quite giddy about it.

She swallowed a couple of times and said, “And she said that she was buying a green one that would last them until they were both dead.”

“Is that the problem? Are you worrying about your Grand dying? Honey, she's as full of spit and vinegar as a twenty-year-old. She'll still be putting up that tree when she's a hundred.”

That brought on another batch of tears and weeping so hard that it came nigh unto breaking Creed's heart.

“That's just it. If she's buying a Christmas tree out there, then she's serious and I won't ever be able to talk her into staying on the Rockin' C when you buy it. Creed, it's going to happen. She's not coming home to stay.”

He picked her up and carried her back to the house. He took her all the way to her bedroom where he laid her on her bed. He stripped out of his coat, reached up to remove his hat, and realized he'd left it beside the ax, kicked off his boots, and stretched out beside her.

She instantly rolled toward him, cuddled against his side, and used his arm for a pillow. Creed held her close and let her cry it out. Finally, the weeping stopped and after a long sigh, she slept.

Half an hour later her eyes slowly slid open. “You still here?”

“Yes, I'm still here.”

“Most men run from crying women.”

“I told you in the beginning, I'm not going anywhere.”

Creed had shaved for the second time that day, combed his hair straight back, and dressed in his best Sunday outfit. Black starched and creased jeans, white shirt, black leather bolo tie with a silver and turquoise slide, and eel boots so shiny he could see his reflection in them. He hadn't brought his best Western-cut jacket so he'd have to wear a leather bomber, but with the party held in a house, jackets wouldn't stay on the cowboys long anyway.

He could hear Sage in her bedroom. Closet doors opened and closed. Mumblings went on. The whole time he had a visual of April in that skimpy dress and hoped that Sage didn't come out in something that revealing.

Finally, the door opened and there she was in classic elegance. His mouth went dry at Sage all dressed up. She'd been cute in her coveralls, hot in her tight-fitting jeans, and words didn't describe her without clothes. But when she stopped in the middle of the living room and turned around, his mouth went as dry as if he'd just drunk watered-down alum.

Her perfume reached his nose and he inhaled deeply. It was so exotic, as if it had been formulated especially for Sage, especially for that very night. His hands itched to touch her bare arms, to run his fingertips up her long legs going from simple high heel shoes all the way to the hemline of the snug-fitting shiny dress.

His heart skipped a beat and then lurched ahead so loudly that he could hear it pounding in his ears.

“Ready?” she finally asked.

“No.”

“Well, get your coat. I don't want to miss any part of the party.”

“It's not that.”

“Dammit! Don't tell me you aren't going.”

“I intended to until you walked out of your bedroom.”

“Then what is the matter? This dress isn't like April's. I don't often even wear a dress, but when I do I don't want to have to worry about my boobs falling out or that the hem will ride up to my butt.”

He couldn't wipe the shit-eating grin from his face. “Sage, you are so beautiful, so elegant all dressed up that my feet are glued tight to the floor and I'm tongue-tied. I don't want your friends to think you brought a stuttering idiot with you to the biggest party in the canyon.”

***

Creed had seen big houses in his life. He lived in one that wasn't too shabby, but when they drove up to the Canyon Rose house, there was a hitch in his breath. It stood against the dark sky like a child's rendering of a house. A line across the middle of the page with grass on the bottom, sky on the top, and a house that sat on the line. Only this house wasn't two straight lines with two angles to make a roof. Massive white pillars held up a sun porch with white banisters around the top. The house itself was gray stone, and light flowed from an enormous room attached to the end that extended all the way to the second story. It was almost totally glass with a little bit of weathered gray wood holding the huge panes in place.

“Quite a place,” Creed said.

“It is, isn't it, but I wouldn't want to have to clean the place,” Sage whispered.

“I reckon they don't have to worry about their Christmas tree touching the ceiling.” He nodded toward a huge tree with twinkling lights, and lots of brightly colored decorations sat against the window in the ballroom.

“I guess not.”

“This reminds me of that house in that old James Dean movie,” he said.

“
Giant
?”

“That's the one.”

Sage laughed. “I always thought so too. I watched it when I was a teenager just to see what the big thing was about James Dean. And after that I told Grand that Canyon Rose reminded me of it. It is more intimidating at night all decorated than it is in the daylight. Is your house in Ringgold like this?”

“No, ma'am. It's big enough to house seven boys but it's a ranch house. One floor and a big front porch that wraps around the sides.”

***

Sage did not think she had a stuttering idiot with her when she walked into the party. The buzz of conversation stopped for a few seconds as the women took in the cowboy beside Sage, and the men stared at the woman beside the cowboy.

Creed and Sage removed their coats and handed them off to a lady in black pants and a white shirt. Quiet ended and the noise started again.

April left a group of young women and hurried to their side. She looped an arm in Sage's and one in Creed's and marched them across the room to the Christmas tree where her father was standing with a drink in his hand.

Sage felt like an overgrown giant beside the petite woman with her hair all done up in a mass of blond curls. Her gorgeous red velvet sleeveless gown with jewels around the scooped neckline dipped in drastically at her tiny waist and set off her creamy white skin. A tiny bit of train trailed behind her and a front slit stopped at her knee.

Creed would surely wish that he was with a woman like that rather than one who'd been called Mrs. Jolly Green Giant in high school.

“Nice dress,” Creed said.

“Yes, it is.” Lawton stuck out his hand. “I'm Lawton Pierce. I would've been over to make your acquaintance before now but the blizzard has wreaked havoc. It's taking every man I've got to get the feeding done and make sure I don't lose cattle.”

“Creed Riley. Pleased to meet you. Come around anytime and if you need an extra hand, I'll be glad to help out.”

“Thank you.” Lawton turned to Sage. “You're looking awful pretty tonight, as usual.”

Sage smiled. “And you guys clean up right good too.”

“Well, we did take our monthly bath for this shindig, didn't we, Creed?” Lawton clapped a hand on Creed's shoulder. “Come with me and I'll make you acquainted with the rest of the canyon ranchers and with a lot of the cowboys who help run the Canyon Rose.”

Sage waited until they were well out of earshot before she asked, “What happened to the blue dress? And I didn't even get to see your entrance. I feel cheated.”

April's mouth firmed into a hard line. “I don't know how Daddy found out about the dress but he did. You didn't tell on me, did you?”

“Hell, no!” Sage said.

“Well, I opened my bedroom door and there he was, all John Wayne–like, sitting in a chair right in front of the door. Liked to have scared the shit right out of me. Just sittin' there, his arms folded over his chest and his hat cocked back.”

“What did he say?”

“Not a word. He just pointed, Sage. I slammed the door and stomped around for five whole minutes. When I opened it again, he was still sitting there, just waiting.”

A group of women waved from across the room and started toward them.

Sage said, “Hurry up and tell me what happened.”

“I went back in the room and put on this dress. I wore it to a party at college before I left so no one has seen it here. I came out and he escorted me down the stairs. No big entrance for me this year. Oh, hello, Willa Sue! Darlin', you look fabulous in green. It matches your eyes so well.”

Willa Sue was a small Hispanic woman with jet-black hair, lightly toasted skin, and full lips, but her eyes were light green instead of dark brown. Her dress was the same shade, reminding Sage of mistletoe leaves, which in turn made her think of Creed. She scanned the room and there he was, laughing and talking with a group of ranch owners. He took a sip of bourbon and his eye caught hers. Their gaze met somewhere in the middle of the room and he gave her a sly sexy wink.

“Tell us the truth, Sage?” Willa Sue asked.

“What? I'm sorry, I was looking around the room to see if Hilda decided to join us tonight,” Sage answered.

“I was saying that cowboy that's buying the Rockin' C better get on his runnin' shoes because soon as this snow melts all us single girls are going to start cookin'.”

Sage kept the moan at bay but it wasn't easy. She understood exactly what Willa Sue said. When the weather cleared up, there would be a stampede of women bringing cakes, pies, and casseroles to the new bachelor at the Rockin' C.

“And I was askin' if you thought it was a good idea or if that handsome hunk had already got branded since y'all are holed up together over there.”

Maria, another young woman, spoke up. “And I told her that he's not your type. You'll go for a serious professor arty-farty type, won't you?”

Maria had strawberry blond hair, wore a short emerald green dress, and four-inch spike heels. Still, she barely came up to Sage's shoulder.

“The truth?” Willa Sue asked.

“To cook or not to cook? Is that the question that you need me to answer?” Sage asked.

Willa Sue and Maria both nodded.

“He knows how to cook, how to iron his own jeans, and how to use a mop. He can cut down a Christmas tree, run a ranch like he's been there forever, and he's easy to live with.”

Maria groaned. “That's not fair.”

“Something that looks like that cooks? I don't believe you,” Willa Sue said. “You just don't want us over at your place chasin' him. I heard that Grand put a deal in the will that said you get to live there forever.”

“She did,” Sage said.

“Y'all might as well look on past him at the two new cowboys Daddy hired this week. They're standing over there in the corner. They're brothers and they're both blond-haired like you said you were going to hitch up with before Sage and Creed got here,” April said.

All the eyes in the group went to the corner where April was looking. Sure enough, two tall cowboys were talking in a group of five other men. It was evident that they shared the same genes but one was slightly shorter than the other. The tall one had brown eyes and the short one had green eyes.

The one with brown eyes smiled at Sage and started across the floor.

Willa Sue tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. “Looks like we done attracted one.”

The cowboy stopped right in front of Sage and extended a hand. “Hello, ma'am, I'm Rocky, newly hired on the Canyon Rose. The band is just gearing up for the first dance. You'd make this old cowboy real happy if you'd dance with me.”

Sage shook it firmly and businesslike then let it drop. “I'd love to but I've already promised the first dance to someone else.”

His head barely bobbed and he turned his attention to April. “I see. Well, how about you, darlin'?”

“Daddy always gets the first one. Tradition, but I'll save you one for later.”

His brother had joined the group by then and he was cozying right up to Willa Sue. When the band broke into the first Christmas song of the season the dance floor cleared out and Lawton left his group to claim his daughter's hand for the first dance.

Lawton knew his business. If there was a stranger in the mix, he'd learn real quick that she was the owner's daughter and to tread lightly. Sage wondered if the protective father instinct came the day a man held his child or if it grew along with them. She remembered Creed talking about what his daughter would or would not do after he'd seen April in her revealing dress.

Evidently some men just had the instinct to take care of their womenfolk.

Rocky held out his hand to Willa Sue and she graced him with a brilliant smile. His brother was already on the dance floor with Maria.

Sage was so deep in thought that she didn't even see Creed making his way around the perimeter of the enormous room until he slipped an arm around her waist.

“Can I have this dance, ma'am?” Creed asked.

She slung both arms around his neck and he looped his arms around her waist. Creed Riley didn't just two-step to the country beat. His feet floated six inches above the floor and she felt as if she floated with him.

“You weren't honest with me,” she said. “You said you couldn't dance. You're an expert, Creed Riley.”

“Aww, shucks, ma'am, you're just bein' nice to this rough old cowboy. Woman gorgeous as you makes me look like a bumbling fool.”

Her stomach fluttered at his deep drawl and she wanted to drag him away from the party. She hadn't even wanted to like him in the beginning and now his voice made the zipper on her dress itch to slide down.

What about all the other women watching and waiting for their turn to dance with him? They'd fall backwards on the nearest bed or haystack and drag him down on top of them without blinking an eye. And he would forget all about the Amazon he'd brought to the dance.

He glanced toward the ceiling. “Look there. I believe these folks rustled up some mistletoe.”

She looked up and there it was, hanging from the bottom of a huge crystal chandelier. She started to say something but didn't get the first syllable out before his lips were on hers right there in the middle of the dance floor in front of Lawton, all the other ranchers, April, and even the Almighty.

She felt like a mule had kicked her in the ribs, knocked the breath out of her, and stopped her heart between beats. Then her heart gave a lurch and took off like a steam engine.

“I ain't got a no trespassin' sign to hang around your neck, but I wish I did.” He breathed into her hair when the kiss ended.

The dance ended and a woman was suddenly glued to Creed's side so tight that air couldn't get between them. She had a thumb hooked in his belt at the small of his back and gazed up at him with adoring big brown eyes.

Interior decorators could say what they wanted about green being a peaceful color. It caused all kinds of fiery heat in Sage that evening and it was a very different kind of blaze than what Creed created when he kissed her under the mistletoe.

She flipped her shoulder-length blond hair back and said, “I'll take the next dance.”

Creed stepped away from her and slid an arm around Sage's shoulders. “Well, ma'am, I'd be glad to dance with you but I just now promised Miz Sage that I'd go with her for some barbecued buffalo wings. I understand that Hilda makes the best in the whole county and we're about to put them up against my momma's with a taste test.”