Christmas with the Mustang Man. Stella Bagwell

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      Her gaze drifted up to his face and suddenly she was imagining him lying beside her, his big hands reaching for her.

      Startled by the erotic image, she quickly glanced away from him and swallowed. “Yes. But there’s a ridge of mountain separating them from the main working area of the ranch. So I’m out of the way and the seclusion lets the children pretend they’re riding in the Wild West.”

      “Well, there’s no pretending needed here,” he said dryly. “This is the Wild West.”

      Dallas would certainly agree. Ever since she’d arrived on Boone’s ranch she’d been having all sorts of wild thoughts and feelings.

      He gestured to a door in the far right corner of the room. “There’s a bathroom with a shower. And feel free to use the closet or whatever else you might need.”

      She said, “Thanks, but I doubt I’ll be here long enough to hang up my clothes.”

      His mouth slanted to a vague smile. “I wouldn’t be too quick to say that. Pioche isn’t exactly overrun with mechanics and parts-supply shops. In fact, I just know of one.”

      Even so, she wasn’t going to let that keep her stranded. Christmas was less than a week away. Back on the Diamond D decorations would abound in every room of the house and even extend to the horse barns, where large stockings filled with peppermints and licorice and fresh fruit would hang by each stall door for the horses to enjoy during the holiday. Parties would be held for the house staff, ranch hands and office employees. Then later, family and friends would gather for rich food, warm drinks and lively dancing. Christmas was always the best of times on the Diamond D and Dallas had never missed being home for the holidays. Somehow, someway, she had to get back to New Mexico before all the merrymaking started.

      Smiling with as much confidence as she could muster, she said, “Let’s hope the problem will be easy to fix.”

      “With vehicles, you never know.”

      Did she imagine it, or did his brown eyes momentarily slide from her face down the length of her body? Just the idea that he might be looking at her in that way sent heat crawling up her neck and onto her face.

      You’re thirty-two years old, Dallas. Not eighteen. All sorts of men have looked at you “that” way. Boone isn’t any different from them. The difference is that you’re looking back.

      “Uh…the room is lovely,” she said with a sudden rush. “I’m sure I’ll be quite comfortable.”

      A quirk of a smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “Glad I could oblige,” he said. “So whenever you’re finished here, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

      With that, Boone left the small bedroom and once he was out of sight a long breath whooshed from Dallas. Oh, dear, oh, dear, she silently moaned. The last thing she needed was to have a breakdown in the middle of nowhere and be forced to stay overnight in a stranger’s house, with a man who had enough sex appeal to curl her toes. And for all she knew, he was probably married!

      But if her instincts were right, Boone Barnett wasn’t some woman’s husband. The house simply didn’t have that feminine feel about it. And he’d said that Hayley’s mother wasn’t around. That could only mean the woman had died or lived elsewhere.

      Trying to ignore her tumbling thoughts, she slipped out of her jacket, grabbed a hairbrush from one of her bags and headed to the bathroom.

      A few short minutes later, she entered the warm kitchen to see Boone placing plates and silverware on the table. As she walked toward him, he glanced up from the simple task to acknowledge her approach.

      “I hope you can eat pizza,” he said. “We don’t always eat fast food, but today has been…hectic.”

      “Don’t worry about me. I eat anything and everything,” she replied. She noticed only two plates on the table, and asked, “Won’t Hayley be joining us?”

      “She mostly eats in her room. And I see three slices of the pizza are missing.”

      So he and his young daughter didn’t usually gather around the table for an evening meal together, Dallas pondered. Was that what happened when there was no mother around to hold things together? Except for Boone, Hayley appeared to be alone. The idea bothered Dallas. During her childhood, she’d been swaddled in love and support from family. And over the years that hadn’t changed.

      “Is your daughter the only child you have?” The question popped out of Dallas’s mouth before she could stop it.

      “Yes. Her mother and I divorced when Hayley was only two.”

      His statement brought Dallas up short. That meant he’d been alone for ten years or so! How had that happened? Even though the population in this area appeared to be scarce, surely there were young women around just waiting for a man to propose matrimony, especially a man that looked like Boone Barnett. But maybe one failed marriage had soured him, she decided. Just like Allen’s subterfuge had left her wary of men and doubting she’d ever find one who could really love her.

      Trying to turn off her curiosity about this rancher, she watched him carry the pizza over to the table. “Is there anything I can help you with?” she offered.

      “No, thanks. I can manage.” He pulled out a chair and gestured for her to take a seat. “Just relax. I’ll bring the rest over. Is soda okay for you? Or water?”

      “Water, please.”

      While he went to fetch the last of their meal, Dallas eased down in the wooden dining chair. While she’d been in her room, he’d used the short time to make a salad. Two bottles of dressing and a shaker of Parmesan cheese sat alongside the food. As Dallas looked at the simple meal, she couldn’t help thinking how different it was for her family.

      The Diamond D had always employed a cook and maids. If anyone came in from a late night of work, he or she didn’t have to scrounge up a meal. A substantial plate of dinner would always be left in the warming drawer or the refrigerator. And after it was eaten, there was no need to bother cleaning up the mess. Someone would come by later and take care of the chore.

      But Boone wasn’t so privileged to have such extensive hired help. He didn’t even have a wife to help him with household tasks, much less share the responsibilities of caring for Hayley. The fact that he had any time left to train horses amazed Dallas.

      Returning to the table with their drinks, he took a seat directly across from Dallas and she firmly told herself not to think of the quiet supper as anything more than an intake of food.

      Carefully avoiding his gaze, she said, “After we eat, I’ll call the hotel and let them know I won’t be showing up tonight. I had reservations at the old hotel in town—the one with the saloon downstairs below the rooms. I understand it’s a favorite with tourists and the locals.”

      He handed the salad bowl to her. “That’s what I hear.”

      When he didn’t elaborate, she could only assume that the establishment wasn’t a social spot he frequented. But then she’d already gotten the impression that Boone wasn’t the socializing sort.

      Ladling a small amount of salad onto her plate, she said, “You were saying earlier that a cell phone won’t work out here. Do you mean just for the time being, or СКАЧАТЬ