Page 58 of Tied Up In Tinsel
I smiled into the kiss, tasting laughter and tears all at once, while Ruby squealed with delight.
“Woohoo!” she cheered, bouncing in Brooks’ arms. “This means Brooks is my new daddy!”
I broke the kiss with a cough, cheeks flaming. Brooks threw his head back, laughing so hard he nearly lost his grip on her.
But when his gaze caught mine again, softened and certain, I realized this man was it for me. It was fate that had him showup on my doorstep. Fate that pushed him to come to Snowberry Peak for a holiday escape.
Brooks
Steam curled thick and lazy from the bathroom as I stepped out and into my room, towel in hand. I dragged the fabric through my damp hair, then across my chest, down my abs, and finally cinched it around my hips. Droplets trailed down over inked skin, sliding across the curves of my tattoos, cooling almost as quickly as the warmth of the shower left me.
I itched to go back downstairs. To be near Annie. To slip back into the comfort of her laugh, the spark in her eyes, the way the room seemed lighter just because she was in it. She and Ruby were huddled over crayons and Christmas songs, mother and daughter lost in their own little world. I didn’t want to break that. They deserved that time, just the two of them. So I’d given them space, climbing up here to pack it in for the night.
I was still thinking about Annie from earlier. The way her smile had bloomed—tentative at first, then wide and unrestrained—burned itself into me. The tears that had shimmered in her eyes, soft but powerful, had done me in. I’d leaned down without hesitation, kissing her right in front of Ruby, unable to stop myself.
And that kiss… it had changed something.
Maybe that was why I’d pulled back tonight, letting them have their moment. Ruby was sharp, curious. I knew she’d be full of questions, questions Annie and I hadn’t had the courage to answer yet, even to each other.
We hadn’t talked about whatstayingmeant. She hadn’t asked. I hadn’t offered. Did she mean her house? Her life? This whole snow-dusted town of Snowberry Peak?
Hell, I didn’t even know what a job looked like here.
For the first time in years, the idea of a “home base” didn’t sound like a trap. It sounded like a gift. I could still travel, ride rodeo, drift where the circuit took me. But I’d have somewhere to return to. A porch light left on. A place with warmth waiting.
My hands rummaged through the suitcase I still hadn’t unpacked. No point before because I was supposed to be gone after Christmas. Two weeks and done. That was the plan. Except now, every thought of leaving felt wrong.
A soft tap pulled me from the spiral. My head snapped up, gaze flicking to the door.
I hadn’t locked it. The knob turned slowly, the door easing open until Annie leaned inside.
And just like that, my towel suddenly felt a hell of a lot smaller.
She paused in the doorway, eyes trailing over me, the steam still clinging to my skin. Her gaze dipped, lingering on the towel knotted at my hips, before flicking back to my chest, then up to my face. By the time her eyes locked with mine, lust had filled them, warm and unashamed.
Heat pooled low in my stomach.
“I just wanted to come up to say thank you,” she murmured, leaning her shoulder against the door, not crossing the threshold. Her voice was soft, but it carried, like a secret meant only for me.
I smirked, crooking my finger toward her. “Come in here, Red. Don’t be so shy.”
Her chin lifted. “I’m not.”
But her blush said otherwise.
Still, she shut the door behind her, pressing her back to the wood as though she needed something solid at her spine. I watched her for a beat, water still dripping from my hair, before she finally obeyed the pull between us and stepped closer.
“The pony was too much,” she whispered as she reached me, her hands hesitating before brushing up against my bare chest.
I shook my head, firm. “No way. You needed the spark of Christmas again. I wasn’t about to let you forget what it felt like.”
Her arms slid up, circling my neck. My palms found her waist, thumbs pressing into her curves as I drew her flush against me.
“I can’t believe you did that,” she breathed.
I tilted my chin toward the dresser. The folded paper still sat there.
Her mouth dropped open, a laugh breaking free. “Youfound that? Oh my God.”
