Page 75 of Christmas with the Cowboy
“’Cuz it’s only been a million years and we all know you’re getting younger, not older.”
“Stop.”
“All I’m saying, Dad, it that I’m up for you taking a chance if you want to.” She fiddled the edge of her shirt.
“So you’d be equally good if I didn’t take a chance, because, you know, it’s kind of my life, too?”
Lex blew out a breath that lifted her bangs. “I guess.” She smoothed the part of her shirt she’d just creased into pleats. “I’d just like to see you happy.”
“Are you kidding? I am happy. Things are working out on the ranch. Gregg’s in the seventy percent survival bracket. Grandpa’s colt didn’t stomp him into the ground like I thought he would. We’re together. What more could I want?”
“You seem like you’re”—she made a face before making an eloquent gesture—“missing something. And”—she pointed at him—“you’re different around Trenna.”
He asked the question he probably shouldn’t. “How so?”
Lex considered. “Hard to put into words. You have a different feel to you.”
Now Reed made a face and Lex shrugged. “That’s the best I can do.” She straightened her shoulders. “Ask her to come to Christmas.” Her lips quirked into the teenage smirk as she got to her feet and then laid a hand on his shoulder. “Better yet, tell her you want to go steady.” She spoke dryly, but there was a hopeful light in her eyes.
“Lex, I have no idea what I’m going to do.” He worked up a smile. “But thanks for the pep talk.” He cleared his throat. “I think.” He looped an arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “I wouldn’t do anything ever that I thought would be detrimental to you.”
“Maybe you can do something to add to our lives instead?”
He frowned and she said, “Gregg and I had a long talk before he left. He said that it’s important to grab life while you have it. It made me sad because, you know, but he’s right and I’m glad he said it.”
And now Lex was saying it to him.
“He makes a good point,” Reed said. Lex took his hand and squeezed his fingers.
“Grab life, Dad. Don’t be afraid.” She gave him a cheeky grin after glancing at the clock behind him. “It’s only nine o’clock. You have time.”
*
Trenna’s heart jumpedat the sound of the truck pulling into her driveway. Reed’s Dodge. She recognized the sound of the engine, which was halfway scary since she was not a motorhead.
She pulled in a breath as she went to the door, swinging it open as he mounted the steps. He stopped a few feet away from her, his breath showing as he studied her. Cold swirled around her legs, but she didn’t move. She couldn’t move. There was something about the way he was looking at her, the determination on his handsome face. The look of…she didn’t know, but it made it hard to breathe. Was he there to end things forever? Because she’d definitely set things up so that he could do that.
“I’m back.” There was something about the simplicity of the statement that made her heart leap.
“That’s okay because I lied when I said I didn’t want to see you.”
“Good. Because I love you.”
He spoke so matter of factly that Trenna wondered if she’d misheard. But there was no mistaking the warmth, the love, in his eyes. A small gust of wind blew ice crystals across the porch and Trenna took hold of the front of his coat for the second time that evening, and pulled him into the cottage.
She kicked the door shut behind her then rose onto her toes and took his face in her hands. His arms closed around her, holding her against his frigid jacket as their lips met. The heater in his truck had to be on the fritz again. She shivered, and the kiss deepened, warming her from the inside out.
“I’m grabbing life,” he murmured against her mouth.
“I don’t understand, but I like it.” She slid her hands along the planes of his cheeks. “I love you, Reed. We can work through whatever issues we face, like we should have worked through it before.”
“Can’t change the past, Trenn.”
“Maybe that’s good,” she said on a low breath. “We’ve learned a few things that might come in handy.” She kissed him again then buried her face against his neck. She felt his chest rise and fall, and they stood with their bodies molded together.
“Did you figure things out?”
“No. But I got a shove in the right direction.”
