Page 10 of The Christmas Cowboy

“Are you calling it off?” she asked him once they halted. They both leaned on the wood fence, facing the pasture.

He looked surprised. “No. Unless you’ve changed your mind.”

“I haven’t but I thought you might have.”

He moved to face her. “I know it seemed totally out there when I asked you to marry me, but if you hadn’t been Riley’s little sister, I’d have asked you out a long time ago.”

That shocked her. “You’ve never acted like you had any interest in me.” And she didn’t believe he really had. “Besides, there’s a huge difference between dating someone and marrying them.”

“You’re eight years younger than me. Almost nine. I figured Riley would kill me if I hit on you. Hell, you saw how he reacted when he thought the baby was mine.”

Oh, how she wished the baby was Liam’s. But it wasn’t and she had to deal with reality. “You don’t need to tell me that to make me feel better.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing?”

“Well, yeah.”

He shook his head, stepped forward and took her face in his hands. “It isn’t,” he said, and kissed her.

Her mind blanked for a moment. This was no peck on the lips. This was a real, honest-to-God kiss. She opened her mouth, inviting him inside and he took full advantage. His tongue thrust slowly inside her mouth, seeking out all its secrets. His hands on her face and his mouth on hers were the only things touching. She’d probably faint if she were held against him, chest to chest.

By the time Liam ended the kiss and drew back, her brain was mush and she wasn’t positive her legs would hold her up. If she tried to speak she’d stutter, so she didn’t. She simply stared at him.

He began to talk as if he hadn’t just rocked her world.

“I have a friend who has a cabin in the Absaroka mountains. I thought we could go there for a few days after the ceremony. He said we could have it as long as we want.”

Though still a bit stupefied, she managed to speak. “You mean like a honeymoon? I thought we’d just go to your place.”

“It’s traditional to have a honeymoon.”

“But we’re hardly traditional.”

“Would you rather we just go for a night? We should at least do that.”

“No. A few days is fine.”

“Can you explain being away for a few days? We can tell all our folks we’re married when we get back.”

She wasn’t sure how, but she’d come up with something. Maybe visiting an old friend from somewhere else. “I can but how can you?”

“I have help now. I’ve got to see if I can trust them to take care of things sometime. Connor’s going to be around too, and my mom, of course.”

“All right.” His business, she supposed. “There’s something I’ve been worrying about but you might have it figured out already. I know we can get the marriage license here, although maybe we should go to Livingston to be safe. But who’s going to perform the ceremony? I can’t ask my family’s minister. He won’t understand why I don’t want to tell my parents. Or what the rush is, either.”

Liam looked—if she hadn’t known better she’d have said he looked guilty. “What is it? Why do you look so guilty?”

“I had to tell Connor the truth. Part of it anyway.”

“Youtoldhim?”

“He kept asking questions and wouldn’t shut up, so when he asked I told him you were pregnant. But he thinks I’m the father.”

“Thank goodness for small favors.”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s all right. As long as he doesn’t talk about it to anyone else.” She’d told Letty. He should be able to take his brother into his confidence. But she was glad Liam hadn’t told himallthe truth.

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