Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy - Diana Palmer Page 0,121
but Ted was the only one around with the expertise to fix anything complicated. He reminded himself that the whole valley would be at the wedding so they were unlikely to be getting up to any other kind of mischief.
His bedroom door opened, and Veronica came in wearing the pink dress she’d bought at the mall. She’d put her hair up on top of her head, allowing soft curls to tumble down and brush her shoulders.
“I think I’ll bring my shoes in my bag and—” She stopped talking and smiled at him so openheartedly that he couldn’t look away. “Wow, you look so good in that color. It really brings out the hazel in your eyes.”
Ted instinctively stood up straighter and sucked in his gut. “Why, thank you, ma’am. You look pretty awesome yourself.”
She smoothed the velvet of her long sleeve with her fingertips. “For once, I’m not going to argue with you about that. I feel beautiful.”
He gently cupped her chin and brought his mouth down to hers. “You are beautiful, inside and out, and I—” He kissed her before he blurted out the L word. Even he knew it was way too early to go down that path, though he was certain to his soul. “And we need to get going. You know I’ve got to do the groomsman thing so I won’t be with you all the time?”
“That’s okay.” She patted his shoulder. “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“I’m sure you’ll be too busy talking to everyone you haven’t seen in Morgan Valley yet to miss me much.” Ted made a sad face as he picked up his hat and coat.
“Oh, I’ll miss you.” Veronica swatted his butt as he went past her. “You can count on that.”
They put on their boots, scarves, and gloves before opening the door and going down to the garage where Ted checked in with Mano who had his cell number for emergencies. The town was quiet, and the snow lay relatively undisturbed, giving the place an old-time vibe. A lot of the shop owners, including Yvonne at the café, Daisy at the florist’s, and Gina at the pizzeria, had closed up for the afternoon to attend the wedding.
Veronica slid her arm into the crook of Ted’s elbow as they crunched through the foot-high ridges of snow, her breath condensing in the freezing air in puffy white clouds.
“It’s beautiful here.” She sighed. “I’d forgotten how much I love this time of year. You don’t get much of a snow season in L.A.”
“Sunshine and heat will sound really good after a couple of months of this,” Ted reminded her. “But by then it’s too late to get out.”
He guided her up onto the planked walkway, which someone had cleared of snow and salted.
“So practical.” She grinned up at him. “Just let me enjoy my little fantasy, okay?”
Ted grimaced. “Sorry, I’m a real Debbie Downer, aren’t I? My dad is always getting at me for it.”
She stopped, turned to face him, and placed her palm on his chest. “It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with being a realist. I haven’t lived here for years so I have forgotten the bad things. I don’t mind you pointing them out to me.”
“But I don’t want to be that person,” Ted exhaled. “I don’t want to be the grumpy old guy in the corner.”
She met his gaze head-on and raised her eyebrows. “Then stop. That’s on you, okay?”
He nodded and she turned around again, took his hand, and walked forward. He followed as meekly as a besotted calf. Was it really that simple? Was it time he stopped weighing up every issue and exploring every possible outcome before he dared take a step?
“I had to be cautious when I took out the loans for the rebuild.” Ted couldn’t quite believe he was still yapping, but there it was.
“I totally get that.” She nodded, but didn’t slow down. “Financial decisions that affect your whole family and your business deserve a lot of thought.”
“But that’s why I didn’t borrow enough money to build my own house and ended up living with my dad.” Even as he said the words, Ted realized how he’d held himself back. “I didn’t want to take that risk, and I could’ve afforded it.”
“You can always refinance,” she said gently.
“Don’t be nice to me,” he grumbled. “I’m trying to be honest here.”
That earned him a laugh and a squeeze of his hand. “They say confession is good for the soul.”