Page 63 of The Cowboy's Christmas
The kiss ended only to be replaced by another, this one deep and knee weakening.
“This is why I decided to apologize here instead of at the ranch,” he muttered, pushing his hands into her hair. “To keep this from happening.”
“Guess you failed.” Savannah clung to his jacket front as their lips met a third time, vaguely aware of the sounds of people moving along the walkway on the other side of the elm. But here, in shadows mottled by colorful pools of light, only her and Quinn—
“Well, look at you, Savannah Dunn!”
Savannah jerked back from Quinn at the sound of the gleefully stringent voice.
Of all the people to come across them, it couldn’t be someone who would realize they’d sought out this quiet corner for privacy. No. It had to be Carol Bingley, who delighted in spreading gossip.
“I’m glad to see that you’reenjoyingthe holiday season?”
The woman’s singsong tone of insinuation made Savannah feel like she was cheating on her dead husband. She fought for words to respond, but her brain was not cooperating. All she could think of was escape, but when she started to step back, Quinn took hold of her hand.
He lifted his chin toward Carol. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Quinn Harding.”
Carol Bingley’s eyes widened and then narrowed as she studied him in the dim light. Savannah could tell the exact moment that the woman realized she’d discovered gossip gold. “Harding.”
“Yes,” he said with a semi-smile. “Those Hardings.”
“Cousin?”
“Brother. And you are…?”
“Carol Bingley.” She barely seemed conscious of saying her name as the wheels in her brain spun.
“I’ve heard of you.”
Carol’s expression shifted, as if she didn’t care for the idea of being the subject of gossip. Savannah would have laughed at the irony if she hadn’t been so fascinated.
“You have?”
He nodded in a way that caused Carol to give him another narrow-eyed look.
“Good things, I hope.”
Quinn sucked in an audible breath and spread his hands in an apologetic gesture, clearly indicating that what he heard had not been complimentary. Savannah said simply, “Goodbye, Carol.”
Carol stared at Quinn for another long moment, then turned and stalked away, shooting a deadly look over her shoulder before disappearing around the elm. Savannah let out a long breath. She could only imagine what was going through Carol’s malicious brain. And how had she found them?
The answer came a split second later when a small dog wearing a festive Santa coat came out of the bushes behind them. He circled them, sniffing at their boots, before responding to Carol’s high-pitched demand for Beasley to show himself.
“Good old Beasley,” Quinn said as he led the way around the elm tree. Carol had scooped her dog up and was carting him away with quick steps, clearly no longer in the holiday spirit.
“You are about to become a topic of conversation,” she said to Quinn. Judging from Carol’s exit, it would not be kind conversation, and woe be to Quinn’s brothers if they were not prepared.
“I figured. Deke pointed her out to me in the diner. Said I was lucky my back was to her, or she’d be over wanting an accounting of my parentage.”
“Then why—”
She was interrupted by a shout of “There they are,” followed by Deke saying, “I see them.”
Savannah shot a quick look at her approaching family, then fixed her gaze on Quinn. “You told her who you were to sidetrack her.”
“I figured this way she’d be more focused on me, than you.”
Before she could reply, the little girls raced up to them. “There are so many butterflies!” Jessa announced. “Come on so I can show you.”
Savannah held out her hands and her nieces took them, pulling her with them. She looked over her shoulder at Quinn who followed a few steps behind, watching the ground in front of him instead of the lights.
“Come on, Aunt Vannie.” The girls pulled her along and she tried to focus on the moment.
Savannah allowed herself to be tugged along, but her mind was on Quinn, not on butterflies.
Quinn who didn’t want to get involved but couldn’t keep his hands off her. Quinn who sacrificed his anonymity to keep her out of the gossip spotlight.
What was she going to do about this man?
