Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy - Diana Palmer Page 0,98
front door, and yet it felt as if a lifetime had passed. “Does Pax know his story has been corroborated?”
“No, ma’am, I came straight here to tell you.”
“Thank you.” Relief shot through her, leaving her weak.
“No, angel, thank you,” he said gently. “When I walked into your house, my place was by your side, not behind the badge. See, I sometimes use my badge and job to keep people from getting too close. That’s why I was so set on coming to the rescue. Only, you didn’t need rescuing.”
“I didn’t?” Faith asked on a breath, because Noah was giving that intense stare of his, the one that always made her feel as if she were the only person in the world.
He shook his head and slowly made his way around the table, taking her hands to help her stand. “I should have come directly to your house and said, ‘Angel, whatever happens, I’ve got you. Wherever you need me, I’m there. And whenever things get rough, I will never stop loving you.’”
Flutters by the thousands took flight in her chest. “What did you say?”
“I said I love you.” There was a seriousness to his tone that had that little flame of hope growing warmer. “I’ve never done love before, and I’m sure I’m going to make mistakes, but I’m hoping that you can be patient with me. Help me get it right.”
“You seem to be doing fine on your own,” she said, tugging at the zipper of his coat.
A shadow of a grin appeared. “Is that right?” He moved closer. “Because another thing I should have done this morning was this.”
Noah dipped down, placing a tender kiss on her lips. His arms went around her waist and she slid her hands up his chest to his shoulders. He was holding her so gently she wanted to cry. The next moment, it shifted from a simple kiss to a silent conversation about love and belonging. Because when he held her like that, Faith felt as if she’d found home.
Eventually, he pulled back and she took the moment to look up at him. “I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you, too, Noah Tucker.”
“Pretty sure?” A challenging gleam lit his eyes. “Then I’d better do that again until you’re damn sure.” And, man of his word, he did.
“I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “I came home believing love was a weapon, but then an angel fell into my lap, showing me how wrong I was.”
“I guess I was wrong about something, too,” she admitted. “You’re not a stocking stuffer.”
With a tender smile, his thumb skated along her jawline. “I guess I’m making headway.”
She wrapped her arms tightly around him. “I blame it on the mistletoe.”
Mistletoe Detour
KATE PEARCE
Also by Kate Pearce
The House of Pleasure Series
SIMPLY SEXUAL
SIMPLY SINFUL
SIMPLY SHAMELESS
SIMPLY WICKED
SIMPLY INSATIABLE
SIMPLY FORBIDDEN
SIMPLY CARNAL
SIMPLY VORACIOUS
SIMPLY SCANDALOUS
SIMPLY PLEASURE (e-novella)
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE (e-novella)
The Sinners Club Series
THE SINNERS CLUB
TEMPTING A SINNER
MASTERING A SINNER
THE FIRST SINNERS (e-novella)
Single Titles
RAW DESIRE
The Morgan Brothers Ranch
THE RELUCTANT COWBOY
THE MAVERICK COWBOY
THE LAST GOOD COWBOY
THE BAD BOY COWBOY
THE BILLIONAIRE BULL RIDER
THE RANCHER
The Millers of Morgantown
THE SECOND CHANCE RANCHER
THE RANCHER’S REDEMPTION
THE REBELLIOUS RANCHER
Anthologies
SOME LIKE IT ROUGH
LORDS OF PASSION
HAPPY IS THE BRIDE
A SEASON TO CELEBRATE
MARRYING MY COWBOY
Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.
Thanks to Maddy Barone for pet pig help, and Jerri Drennen for reading the novella through for me. I hope you all enjoy this little bit of holiday magic!
Chapter One
Morgantown, California
When his cell rang, Ted jerked upright, and almost knocked his beer over as he leaned across to find his phone. It was late, it was snowing, and he’d settled in to watch a rerun of his favorite baseball team’s memorable moments from last season. From the drool on his chin he might have been napping....
Even as he swiped frantically at the chips on his chest, he answered the phone in a professional manner. His father and grandfather had instilled that in him from birth.
“Baker’s. How may I help you?”
“Hey, Ted, it’s Nate, your friendly neighborhood sheriff. I passed a broken-down vehicle on my way out of Morgantown, and stopped to tell the driver to expect a tow truck in the next fifteen minutes. Sorry to pass the buck, but I’m on my way to a multi-vehicle pileup near Bridgeport because some idiots don’t know how to drive in ice and snow.”
“It’s not a problem, Nate. I’ll go out there right now.” Ted stood and a veritable shower of orange crumbs peppered the floor. “Where’s the vehicle?”
“It’s a small, white rental. Hazard lights are working fine.