Judy Christenberry - The Christmas Cowboy

“You should laugh more often. Itbecomes you.”

“Oh, really?” Hank reached out his hand and turned her face back to him. “How so?”

In the light from the bunkhouse he could see her eyes clearly now. They were blue, he noticed for the first time. And not for the first time, he could see how beautiful she was.

“When you smile or laugh, your face lights up,” Andrea said softly, tentatively. “You’re handsome when you do.”

“Am I handsome now?” he asked, giving her a hint of a smile.

She averted her eyes.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

More than anything he wanted to kiss this woman, to take her in his arms and surrender to the tension he felt around her since the first day he met her. But something was holding him back.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“Can I ask you something, Hank?”

“Of course,” he replied.

“Why do you seem so dead set against marriage?”

Judy Christenberryhas been writing romances for more than nineteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. A former French teacher, Judy now devotes herself to writing full-time. She hopes readers have as much fun with her stories as she does. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favourite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy lives in Texas. You can find out more about Judy and her books at www.judychristenberry.com.

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Hank Ledbetter was hungry.

After a long day in the saddle he couldn’t wait to devour the meal his sister had waiting in the kitchen at the Lazy L. But Jessica allowed no one to eat until the entire family was at the table. Whatever was left of the family, he thought.

Right now his brother, Pete, was on his honeymoon, as was his grandfather Cliff and his new bride, Leslie. Jess, too, had married only last summer.

Yes, the Ledbetters were dropping like flies.

Hank’s belly growled. There’d be no wedding in his future.

All he was concerned with was eating his dinner and getting to town to see the ladies. He wasn’t picky about his women. Brunettes, blondes, redheads…Didn’t matter to Hank, as long as they made him laugh and weren’t empty between the ears.

And weren’t interested in roping themselves a cowboy for a husband.

“Jess, can’t we at least get started without Jim?” After a full day’s work, Hank needed nourishment.

His sister shook her head. “Hold your horses. He had to take a phone call. I’m sure he’ll be here in a minute.”

“Can’t he just tell them we’re closed until December?”

“No, he can’t, Hank. You know that.”

He should’ve known Jess would think Jim did the right thing, no matter what. After all, hadn’t Jim agreed last summer to wait for a honeymoon until October—it was now November—when the Lazy L dude-and-cattle ranch was closed to guests until December? Not many men would be willing to postpone what Hank assumed was the best part of marriage.

Not that he would ever find out, he told himself again as he shook his head. He was having too much fun. He and Jim had split their jobs so that neither had to work every day, which left Hank plenty of time for the social life he was enjoying in nearby Steamboat Springs.

At the sound of boot heels, he looked up. “‘Bout time you got here. I’m starving.”

Jim Bradford kissed his wife before he took a seat. “That’s why it pays to be married to the cook,” he said with a grin.

Jessica joined them at the table and Jim said the blessing. As she started passing the dishes, she asked, “Who was it on the phone?”

“It was an interesting call,” Jim said as he took a bite of a freshly baked roll. He looked up at Hank. “Means you won’t have to take care of the cattle anymore, Hank. You’re in charge of the horses.”

On one hand, that was good news, since Hank preferred horses to cows anytime. But he didn’t understand why the change.

“What are you talking about, Jim?”

“That call was from a young woman who needs to learn to ride in a month. She’s willing to pay a lot for lessons.”

Jess asked the question that was on Hank’s mind. “Why’s she coming here?”

“She says she heard about us from a friend of a friend.”

This time Hank spoke first. “Where’s she from?”

“New York City.”

Hank’s hand stilled on its way to his mouth, the beef stew dripping from his fork. “A city woman is coming all the way to Colorado to learn to ride? Can’t she learn in New York?”

“She wants to learn to ride like a cowboy.” Jim dug in to his food. “Anyway, she’s going to take the bedroom next to ours, with the private bath.”

“This isn’t fair! I was supposed to have the whole month off. No guests till December—that was the deal.”

“Except for tending the horses, that’s true,” Jim said calmly. “And that’s why you’ll receive extra pay for the month. Can’t you use a little extra cash?”

“I think I’d rather tend the horses half the week and tend the ladies the other half.” Hank couldn’t help the smile that lit his dark eyes.

Jim named a figure. “You sure you can’t use the money? I did promise the woman, after all.”

The amount was tempting. Still…“Why don’t you teach her to ride!” He had to hold his ground, or Jim and Jess would trot all over him the way they did last summer when the family decided to turn the cattle ranch into a dude ranch. Hank was the only holdout. He’d given Jess so much resistance that his granddad had called in an outside manager. Once Jim came, he not only stole his sister’s heart, he whipped Hank into shape. But Jim wasn’t getting his way this time.

“Then you’d have to deal with the ranch by yourself,” Jim replied calmly. “And you wouldn’t get the extra money. And you’d have to work six days a week.”

Jim had a point. After all, he couldn’t expect Jess to fill in for Mary Jo, Pete’s wife and the ranch chef, and work the herd at the same time.

“Damn it, Jim, I didn’t volunteer for this job.”

“I know, Hank. But one of us has to teach her. And my wife isn’t much in favor of me giving private lessons to a single lady.” He winked at Jess. “But it’s your choice, Hank. Either teach the lady to ride for a month or tend the horses and work the herd six days a week.”

Hank ground his teeth. He didn’t like either choice.

“Did she say she was staying until she learned to ride, or the full month?”

“She’s paying in advance for a full month, so she’s staying.”

“Damn, damn, damn,” Hank muttered.

“It won’t be that bad, Hank,” Jess interjected. “She’ll probably be too sore to ride much in the beginning.”

“True, Jess,” her husband concurred. He turned to Hank. “And you’ve got to promise not to try to get rid of her before the end of the month. Be nice to her.”

Hank frowned at Jim again. “Fine,” he said.