Teresa Southwick - Her Montana Christmas Groom

Austin took a strand of her hair and rubbed it between his fingers. “Pretty much from the moment we met, I knew we were heading in this direction.”

“You did?” Heart pounding, Rose stared up at him, the flames in the hearth highlighting the intensity on his face. His brown eyes went almost black. “Even though I refused to go out with you?”

His mouth turned up at the corners. “I knew it would be all the sweeter. What comes too easily isn’t cherished as much as what we have to work for.”

“And why did you persevere?”

“Because I couldn’t not pursue you.” He cupped her cheek in his hand. “I couldn’t walk away from you. I couldn’t stop wanting you.”

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the holiday season, Thunder Canyon style. What better time of year to see characters we’ve come to know and love find their happy ending?

Austin Anderson first appeared in my book Taming the Montana Millionaire in Montana Mavericks: Thunder Canyon Cowboys, the last series. He was one of those secondary characters who can take over the story if the writer doesn’t keep him under control. So it was great fun to create redheaded Rose Traub, a worthy heroine for the bad boy turned hero.

The themes of peace, joy and forgiveness are hallmarks of the season and the fabric of life in this tight-knit town. I love spending time at The Tottering Teapot, City Hall and Roots. Hope you do, as well.

Wishing everyone health, happiness and love in the new year. Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Best,

Teresa Southwick

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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TERESA SOUTHWICKlives with her husband in Las Vegas, the city that reinvents itself every day. An avid fan of romance novels, she is delighted to be living out her dream of writing for Mills & Boon.

Special thanks to Susan Litman

for her support and guidance through the fictional world

of Thunder Canyon, Montana

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Rose Traub hadn’t wanted to get naked with a man since moving to Thunder Canyon, Montana. That was kind of a problem if you wanted to get married, and she wanted it bad.

“Rose?”

Austin Anderson’s deep voice scraped over her nerve endings and snapped her out of it. “Hmm?”

“You okay?”

“Of course.” She looked over at him, sitting in the driver’s seat of the old truck. The two of them had just finished delivering Thanksgiving dinners to the town’s invalids and people a little down on their luck this year. They’d left with the meals from DJ’s Rib Shack and Austin had brought her back to pick up her car. “Why would you think I’m not fine?”

“You got quiet. I was afraid tryptophan fumes from all those turkey dinners put you to sleep. That’s easier to believe than…”

“What?” she asked.

“That I bored you into a coma.”

She laughed and shook her head. “You’re great company, Austin, and you know it. Now you’re just fishing for compliments.”

“Busted.” Lights in the empty parking lot illuminated the interior of the truck and his grin was clearly visible. “So you’re not sorry about being stuck as my partner today?”

“Nope. It was fun.”

He nodded. “Any regrets about moving to Thunder Canyon?”

“Nope.”

She was only sorry Austin didn’t fit her male fantasy profile because he was, by far, the most interesting guy she’d met. He was also very cute, in a Ryan Reynolds, sexiest-man-alive sort of way. If only… But wishing for what could never be was a waste of time and that was something she didn’t have.

“Any regrets?” she mused.

Glancing out the truck window at mounds of white that had been plowed to the sides of the lot, she remembered the first snowstorm several days ago. It was beautiful but cold. Shivering, she pulled her knit hat more securely over her ears. “I’m not in Texas anymore. Living in the cold and snow is very different from reading about the seasonal range of temperatures online.”

“You get used to it,” he assured her. “Take it from me, snow is a lot better when you’re inside with a big fire going.”

“I’ve got a fireplace in my apartment. I’ll have to learn how to use it,” she said.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, except for going away to college. That translates to lots of experience. So if you need any help with that fire, you know who to call.”

Was he suggesting something? Her heart skipped a beat, which was just plain stupid, and to read something romantic between the lines, more than a little pathetic. It was an involuntary reaction that smacked of desperation.

“I guess snow is the price one pays for living in the Montana mountains and I do love them. Thanks for showing me the ropes today, Austin.” She started to reach for the door handle. “I should probably go—”

“How’s the new job?” he asked.

She looked back at him, grateful for the excuse to stay a little longer. “It’s good. Working for the mayor is great. Bo Clifton is enthusiastic and energetic. I almost feel guilty taking a paycheck for doing publicity and communications for his office because he makes it so much fun.” She met his gaze. “Just between you and me, this is the first job I’ve had that wasn’t for my family. Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot at Traub Oil, but it feels good to know I have actual marketable skills and my family wasn’t just feeling sorry for me.”

“No, now I have a job with your family’s company and they feel sorry for me.” He laughed. “Seriously, working for Traub Oil Montana is a terrific career opportunity. I’m grateful to your brother Ethan for taking a chance on me.”

“He’s the lucky one. To find a hometown boy with an engineering background, a doctoral student researching green energy alternatives…” The complexity of what he did boggled her mind. According to Ethan, he was brilliant, innovative and passionate about this new technology. Not just a pretty face, she thought. “Ethan is really excited about the possibilities.”

“That makes two of us.”

Was she imagining that his gaze lowered to her mouth when he said that? Probably. Desperation did strange things to a woman.

“I’m glad things are going well with my brother because he can be focused, intense and demanding.”

Austin’s expression was ironic. “You just described practically every guy I know.”

“Me, too,” she said, laughing. “And I know a lot of guys, what with having five brothers.”

“Lucky you,” he said with mock envy. “I’ve got two sisters.”

Rose had met the younger one, Angie, earlier at DJ’s Rib Shack as the holiday volunteers had split into teams. Rose had already been assigned to ride along with Austin, a newbie learning the ropes from someone more experienced. Her attraction to him had been instantaneous, and she’d asked his sister a few questions. She almost wished she hadn’t, but it was probably better to know up front that it wouldn’t work. Still, the disappointment had not made her things-to-be-grateful-for-on-Thanksgiving list.