Maybe now that she was here, the holiday season would finally kick into gear. What with the drought and heat, it’d been hell getting in the mood. Not just for him, but for the whole area. No matter how many decorations they put out, no matter how many parties they planned, no matter how many holiday clothes they wore, a pall hung over Wildcat Bluff County.
He’d even put a Christmas wish list on his refrigerator door under a Frosty the Snowman magnet. He’d written one item and one item only on the list. Snow. If they could get a thick blanket of snow across the county, their heat and drought problems would be over. Plus, they’d celebrate Christmas in style. ’Course, chances of getting snow were slim to none. He was just whistling in the wind. Still, he’d settle for a good gully washer.
But that was before his Christmas angel had descended on Wildcat Bluff County. She might carry some weight in high places. She’d definitely add cheer to his personal life. As soon as he got home, he’d add her to his list. Item #1: Snow. Item #2: Misty Reynolds. On second thought, he’d better reverse the order. Chances of achieving Item #1 were none. Cuddling with Item #2 was in the realm of possibility. You couldn’t tell him angels didn’t need loving as much as the next person. He just hoped angels were fond of snow.
That was the upside of the situation. The downside lurked like a rattlesnake in a woodpile. He got the itchy feeling there was more to Misty’s story than she was telling. He had trouble believing she’d vacation in Wildcat Bluff or Wildcat Bluff County. Drive a four-wheeler on back roads? Cast a fishing line in a lake? Hunt deer or turkey in season? Throw a leg over a horse to barrel race? He couldn’t picture it.
He couldn’t see her as an Old West tourist either. Maybe relax at Ruby’s Twin Oaks B&B with its amenities and natural spring. But Hot Springs, Arkansas, won hands-down as the place to go for pampered getaways, what with all the legendary spas, nightspots, and racetrack. Sure, she’d said she was here for peace, quiet, and relaxation, but he just had trouble believing it.
Then again, he was on high alert after so many unexplained fires, downed fences, and cattle let loose. All that, plus the heat and drought, made him edgy and distrustful of strangers. He could be dead wrong about Misty. He’d sure like to be. She’d created an itch that begged to be scratched. Too bad he held the short end of the stick on time and trust.
Any which way he sliced it, he feared his Christmas angel had singed wings. Not that it meant he shouldn’t get close to her. What was that old saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. He’d keep her as close as he could get her. She was holding something back. Might be important. Might be nothing. Folks had lots of secrets they preferred not to share. He had a few of his own. In this case, he had a feeling her secret involved Wildcat Bluff County. And that was his concern.
Not that his body gave a damn. More than one leggy blond had led him around by his nose like a prize bull. He’d sworn off the breed. No blonds. No cowgirls. No city gals. ’Course, that left slim pickings. If he had good sense, he’d cross Misty off his wish list. Still, no point being hasty. She was real fine. Anyway, Christmas angels were as rare as hen’s teeth. And he hadn’t sworn off them. Maybe, if necessary, he’d find a way to burnish this one’s wings bright and shiny again.
“Do you think it’s safe to leave now?” Misty gestured toward the pasture’s blackened area.
“Figured we’d wait a bit.” Someone needed to stay and watch till there was no chance the fire might reignite.
“I need to check in at the B&B.”
“Ruby won’t mind if you’re late.”
“You could stay here. I’d send somebody out to get you.” She finished off her bottle of water and picked up his empty one.
“Someone ought to be here soon. Like I said, I sent my horse back to the barn. A ranch hand will get the word out that I need help once he sees my mount.”
“They’ll know where to find you?”
“General area.” He glanced down the road, but it was empty. “Might take time till somebody spots my horse.”
He might as well admit, at least to himself, that he didn’t want to let her go yet. He should though. She’d already helped more than he had any right to expect. But he felt possessive. If he was right, he’d seen yearning in her eyes that matched his own. If he was wrong, he wanted to be the one who put yearning there.
He was getting in bigger trouble by the minute. He could blame it on being out in the sun too long without his hat. But it wasn’t brain fever that was tormenting him. It was another fever altogether.
As he finished the water, he made his decision. “Best not wait. If you’ll tell Ruby at the B&B I’m here, she’ll contact the fire station.”
“But where exactly are we?” She held out her hand for his empty bottle.
“Wildcat Ranch fence line on Wildcat Road.” For some crazy reason, he felt like she belonged in Wildcat Bluff County and ought to know the landmarks. He handed his bottle to her and watched her walk over to her SUV and toss all three empties onto the floorboard. He liked the fact that she was cautious about littering the countryside. Showed she cared about nature.