Patricia Thayer - Mistletoe & Marriage - Snowbound Cowboy

The wind howled outside, the cracking of the warm fire combined with the boy’s soft snores was like a symphony. The feel of Amelia’s presence, so close but so untouchable, made him ache. He shifted, trying to push away any wayward thoughts. He didn’t even know this family twelve hours ago. They didn’t know him either, but that didn’t seem to matter.

Amelia woke up surprised to see it was daylight. Suddenly thoughts of last night ran through her head.

The blizzard. Izzy! Snowed in with a stranger.

She sat up to see she was alone. The scent of coffee teased her nose as muffled voices came from the kitchen. No doubt it was Jesse and Boone. She glanced at the clock on the mantel. Eight-fifteen!

She got up and walked to the window. Looking out at the beautiful winter scene, she tried to gather her thoughts. A mountain of snow covered everything. She could barely see the barn, and Boone’s truck was buried up to the bumper. At least it had stopped snowing. She glanced at the threatening gray sky. For now.

How long before it started again? Would they be able to plow the roads? Restore the power? Get her truck?

Suddenly the isolation bothered her even more. She and Jesse were here with a stranger. A man she was drawn to. In the last twenty-four hours, she’d been thinking about Boone Gifford instead of her grandmother’s heart procedure. It was today, and she couldn’t even find out how Ruby was doing.

Had Kelley tried to call her? With the utilities out, her sister would be worried about not being able to reach them. Had the storm knocked out power in Helena? She shook her head. She had to stop worrying. Kelley could handle Gram.

Laughter came from the kitchen and she smiled. At least Jesse was happy to be snowed in with a stranger.

And so was she.

Boone wasn’t much of a cook, but he could whip up some scrambled eggs when he had to. And this morning he had a good reason. Jesse needed to eat, and so did Amelia. She’d already provided him with two meals yesterday. It was his turn. Besides, with the electricity on only periodically, he wasn’t sure how long the food would stay fresh.

He set a plate on the table in front of Jesse. “Here you go, bud.”

The boy smiled. “Thanks.” He took a big bite. “Why did you call me bud?”

“It’s just a friendly term. Short for buddy.”

Those brown eyes widened. “I like you calling me that.” The boy scooped up a forkful and took a big bite. “This is good.”

Boone sat down across from Jesse and began his meal. After a minute the boy had more questions. “Boone, do you think it will stop snowing before Christmas?”

“I expect so. I’m not an expert, but it will probably stop in a few days.”

“Oh.” Jesse looked disappointed.

“You don’t want it to stop?”

Jesse shook his head. “I want you to stay here.”

The boy climbed off his chair and went to a calendar hanging on the wall that revealed the month of December, with big X s marked through half of the days. “See, we have eleven days before Christmas. I don’t want you to leave.”

“Jesse, I can’t stay until Christmas.”

“But what about my wish? And I wrote Santa.”

Boone had no idea how to answer him. “I just happened along, bud. I have to go back to Texas.”

Tears blurred the boy’s eyes. “Who’s going to help me cut down a tree?”

Lost childhood memories flashed into Boone’s head. He and his dad used to do that while his mother was home cooking. He blinked and focused on Jesse. “You cut down your own Christmas tree?”

The boy nodded and wiped his eyes. “Yeah, Gram, Mom and Aunt Kelley and me. This year Mom said I’m old enough to use the saw. What are we going to do if it doesn’t stop snowing?”

“It’s going to stop.” He hoped that was true. “And you’ll get your tree.”

“Oh, boy, can you help us this year?”

“Can Boone help us do what?”

They both turned to see Amelia stroll into the kitchen. She was wearing the same jeans and sweatshirt, now wrinkled from sleep. Her hair was mussed and hung against her shoulders.

“Hi, Mom.” He went flying across the room and hugged her. “Boone said you were tired and we should let you sleep. He fixed me breakfast, and he can help us cut down a tree.” The boy finally took a breath.

Her gaze met Boone’s and she smiled. He felt it all the way into his gut.

“Looks like you two have been making a lot of plans. Did you also happen to notice all the snow?”

“When it stops we can go,” Jesse said hopefully. “Boone said we have plenty of time before Christmas.”

Boone couldn’t stop the boy’s excitement, or his heart racing as Amelia looked at him.

All he managed was a nod at the coffeemaker. “Coffee?”

“Please,” she said. “I think I’m going to need it.” She followed him to the counter. He filled a mug and handed it to her. Close up her eyes were dark from sleep.

“I brewed some coffee while the generator was on.”

She took a sip and sighed. “So worth it.” Her gaze met his, then glanced away. “It has stopped snowing, but probably not for long.”

He wasn’t happy about the forecast. “So there’s no hope that it will warm up today and melt the snow?”

She smiled and his heart tripped again. “Getting cabin fever?”

“I did get out to the barn,” he told her. “Had to do a little shoveling to get there.”

Amelia’s son jumped into the conversation. “Boone wouldn’t let me go with him. I had to promise to stay here.” The boy smiled. “I got to watch the puppies, so Izzy could go outside and do her business.”

Amelia tried to keep her focus on Jesse, but having Boone in her kitchen was definitely a distraction. Especially a man who handled chores and could cook breakfast.

“Thanks for your help, honey. Why don’t you finish your breakfast before it gets cold?” She expected an argument, but Jesse only walked back to his seat.

She had no choice but to acknowledge Boone. “Thank you for letting me sleep.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t see any reason to wake you. You were sleeping so soundly.”

She took another sip. “How did the horses do last night?”

“They were fine. Happy for a little attention.”

She leaned against the counter and watched her son eat. “Kelley usually handles their care. But someone had to take Gram for her procedure.” She frowned. “I just wish I knew how the procedure went. If everything went well, they should come home tomorrow.” She glanced out the window. “That isn’t going to happen, either.”

Boone knew that if Kelley Hughes came home, she’d discover he wasn’t the ranch hand she’d hired. He used that rationalization for not telling Amelia the truth. Right now, she needed his help. With another winter storm coming, they seemed destined to stay together. But he still needed to tell her the reason for his visit, and soon.

But he still wanted to ease her mind. “Do you have a cell phone?”

She nodded. “It’s funny, but there’s poor reception inside the house.” She went into the other room then returned with her phone. “No service.”

“Your grandmother is in the best place possible. If this storm came any earlier she could have been stranded here and unable to get the care she needed.”

Amelia nodded. “I know you’re right, but it doesn’t stop me from worrying. She’s my family. Gram raised Kelley and me. Jesse, too. She’s our rock. She wasn’t too keen on having the procedure. Somehow Kelley talked her into it.” She smiled. “Kelley’s a little more forceful than I am.”

“So you three run this place?”

“Yes. A mama-and-baby cattle operation, and a yearling herd in the summer. We lease some of the grazing land and rent out three cabins during hunting season.”