Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy - Diana Palmer Page 0,89
home. A man who looked at her as if she were a treasure to be cherished.
“This is my safe place,” he said, pulling her down to lie beside him. He rolled onto his back and she nestled into the crook of his arm. “After my mom died, it was the only place I could feel like a kid. My brothers and I would fish, swim in the river, play cops and robbers, pirates. We even built a fort.”
He pointed to a small opening under the old bridge that, without being shown, she would never have spotted. She had a strong suspicion that was intentional.
She shifted to rest her cheek on his chest. “No girls allowed, I assume.”
“Yeah, I was pretty dumb back then.” His hand slid up her back and over the nape of her neck. He absently played with her hair while staring at the stars.
She didn’t know how long they lay, with her silently watching him, but realized that she’d be content to stay right there all night long. With him holding her while the crickets chirped in the distance and the water glided over the rocks.
“I hated living here,” he admitted. “I couldn’t wait to get out. I had a countdown calendar with my eighteenth birthday circled and a plan of never coming back. And I didn’t, for over a decade. And I don’t know if it’s time, or age, or you.” His arm tightened around her. “But since coming back, I’ve realized there are a lot more good memories than bad. Turns out it wasn’t this place I hated. It was my dad.”
She cupped his cheek. “I’m proud of you. That’s an incredibly painful realization to have. That you hate one of the people who gave you life.” She leaned up and kissed his chin. “You’re a good man, Noah. You’ve overcome so much, and you didn’t let it harden you.”
“I’ve heard the same about you,” he said, and when she tensed, he gently rubbed her back. “But I’d like to hear from you instead of the people of Mayberry.”
“Most of what you’ve heard about my family is probably true.”
“I’m not asking about your family. I’m asking about you.”
She looked at him through her lashes. “Let’s say I’ve had to atone for a lot of my parents’ mistakes.”
“Sweet’s Secret Samaritan?”
There was no point in hiding it. In fact, she didn’t want to hide anything from him. “Yeah. Since the day my stepdad ran Mr. Rayborn’s hearse into a tree.”
“The sheriff’s tree,” he guessed. “So I gather you were also the mysterious person who planted the new one.”
“Yup. It’s finally big enough to decorate. And the cookies are my thanks to Ester for never saying a bad word about me or my family.”
“That’s a big list and a pretty big burden for one teenager to carry,” he said, and she didn’t comment. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
“Life is rarely fair. And I’m trying to balance out the bad karma from my family. I had to grow up with everyone in town hating me for my last name. I don’t want the same for Pax.”
He chuckled and the sound vibrated through her body. “Are you kidding? Everyone in town loves you. Do you have any idea how many people threatened me with bodily harm if I hurt even a hair on your head? Cody, Logan, Gina, even Shelby. They are more concerned about my hurting you than about my trip home.”
Her head popped up and she smiled. “Really?”
“You think that’s funny?” He gave her backside a teasing smack.
“Yeah.” She touched his nose. “I also think it’s sweet you’re telling me.”
“Sweet? Angel, I can feel the testosterone level drop as we lie here.”
“You have plenty to spare.” She sobered. “Before we go any further—”
“I’m a second-date, second-base-only kind of guy.”
She smacked his chest, but inside she melted. She had something difficult to say, and he knew she was nervous, so he was doing his best to ease her anxiety. “I have to tell you something that might make you not want to see me anymore.”
“You only have to tell me what you’re comfortable with. For the rest, it’s up to me to earn your trust, so that you want to share,” he clarified, then tugged her closer while his hands slid around to lock at the small of her back. Suddenly she wasn’t so afraid, because those soft blue eyes were gentle and sincere. “I’m not going to go snooping around. There’s no timeline to beat.”