Page 1 of Gifting the Cowboy
one
Brynnlee
“That’s such a coolidea, Aspen.” I’m glad someone is happy about the dating Christmas tree mocking me all day at the bakery. But Rue would be excited about anything right now. She’s hopelessly in love with her contractor/Aspen’s brother/multimillionaire boyfriend, Austin.
The idea of a dating Christmas tree is cool, but what’s not cool is that Rex, my temporary sexy-as-hell cowboy roommate and secret crush, is on one of the cards hanging from the tree. Or he was until I took it off the tree when no one was looking. Now it’s burning a hole in the pocket of my apron.
Rex Ewing – Age 34 – Height 6’4” – Looking for someone to spend cold winter nights at my ranch, snuggling in front of the fireplace, and hot summer days riding horses and skinny dipping in the lake.
Rex has been staying with me at my apartment for the past month while the final touches are completed on his new ranch house. The smaller cabin he had been living in experienced a minor electrical fire. Normally, Rex would have moved in with his brother on the other side of the ranch, but ever since his brother Rhett started dating my best friend, co-worker, and roommate, Charlotte, they’ve been spending all their nights at Rhett’s ranch house.
With Charlotte’s room empty, it made sense for Rex to move in with me until his house was ready. Our daily routines align since he has to leave early for the ranch, and I need to head to the bakery early as well. Given his long hours on the ranch and mine at the bakery, our nights also match up. I’m going to miss having dinner with him and sitting on the couch together watching movies in the evenings.
Nighttime is the worst. I don’t know how many times I’ve woken up sweating after having a sex dream about Rex. I’ve wanted to touch myself to make the ache between my legs go away so I could actually sleep—the only thing holding me back is the thought of Rex hearing me through the paper-thin walls. Howsad would it be if he heard the poor, horny, fat girl pleasuring herself through the walls?
When I first met Rex, shortly after Charlotte and Rhett started dating, I thought he might be interested in me, but he’s had a whole month to act on any attraction he might feel, and he hasn’t. Now, with him signing up for the Christmas dating tree, any hope of him liking me more than a friend has been crushed like a bug.
The idea of Rex going on a date and possibly bringing that date back to my apartment so they could have sex made me steal his card from the tree. To feel better about taking it, I promised myself I would put it back on the tree once he moves out.
“Thanks, Rue.” Aspen’s smile lights up the bakery. She’s been working so hard to get her mail-order bride company, Forever Yours, off the ground that I want her to succeed—just not with Rex as one of her potential matches. “I thought it would be a fun idea to start with something like a Christmas dating tree, similar to what the community center does for buying gifts for kids, by selecting someone from the tree. Especially with all the business, you and your sisters are bringing to town with the bridal shop and, of course, the bakery.” The bakery, Mountain Morsel, and the bridal shop, Curvy by Design, have partnered with Aspen to offer full services from bride selection through wedding gown and wedding cake selection.
“Have any of the guys on the cards caught your attention, Brynnlee?” Rue asks. “Or are you too busy with that hot cowboy warming your bed?”
“I’m not interested in dating. And I don’t have a hot cowboy in my bed—he’s just my roommate.”
“Sure.” Rue smirks. “I’ve seen the two of you together—the sexual tension is so strong I’ve had to go home and work off the steam from the two of you with Austin.”
“Eww, please don’t talk about my brother like that.” Aspen wrinkles up her nose and shoves a finger in each ear.
“Really? You’re the one who caught us in bed that first time,” Rue says, pulling on Aspen’s arms and dislodging her fingers from her ears.
“Yeah, and I’ve thought about bleaching my eyeballs ever since.”
“On that note, I’ve got eggnog scones I need to bake.” Aspen and Rue continue to playfully bicker as I sneak away to my safe place, the kitchen of the bakery.
I love working for Junie, Autumn, and Icelyn at the Mountain Morsel bakery. The bakery has been such a big success that they’ve hired more staff and even launched a food truck with a dessert-only menu.
Charlotte started working here a few months ago. We quickly became friends and roommates. Until the cowboy from her one-night stand came looking for her and claimed her as his own. Now I’m lucky if I see Charlotte at all. When she’s not at work, she’s staying with Rhett on his ranch—the same ranch my sexy roommate will be moving back to once his house is finished.
Reaching into my apron pocket, I pull out the card with Rex’s information on it—a Christmas wish forming in my mind as I close my eyes for just a second, wishing to be the one he snuggles with in front of the fire, goes horseback riding with, and skinny dips with.
“I knew it.” My eyes snap open to find Rue looking over my shoulder, and I realize I’ve been caught, daydreaming about Rex. “You do like Rex.” She snatches the piece of paper out of my hand.
“I, it’s not like that…” I trail off, not sure how I’m going to get out of this conversation now that I’ve been caught red-handed with the proof of my crush in Rue’s hand.
“Okay, if it’s not like that, then you won’t mind if I put this card back on the Christmas tree for some other lucky woman to claim.”
“He’s mine.” I snarl, snatching the piece of paper out of her hand.
“Settle down, tiger. I’m not going to steal your man. But I do think you need my help. I know you and Rex have been handling most of the planning for Charlotte and Rhett’s wedding. Have you gotten to the wedding cake tasting yet?”
“Not yet, but that was my plan for tonight. I have all the sample pieces in the refrigerator to take home this evening.”
Home. I wish it were our real home, and I was his real girlfriend.
“Good, that will fit perfectly with our plan.” I’m not sure I like the wicked gleam in Rue’s eyes or the way she’s rubbing her hands together. “Stop by the dress shop before you go home. I have a couple of surprises I think you will both like.”
If I weren’t so hopelessly in love with Rex, I might have turned Rue down, but if I want my Christmas wish to come true, I’ll need all the help I can get.
