A Christmas Wedding for the Cowboy by Mary Leo

Author:Mary Leo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-09-24T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Sunday dinner at the Grant house was usually a chaotic event, with not only the immediate family; the two dogs, Dolly and Dora, greeting each new guest with a sniff and playful snort; but a few neighbors and friends always stopped in, as well. Carson’s mom didn’t like anyone she knew to be alone on Sunday night. According to her, Sunday was a day to show kindness to others, and ever since Carson could remember, that kindness meant setting a table for at least fifteen.

With that simple truth in mind, Carson had asked Zoe to dinner, and to his complete delight she had accepted. Now as they sat next to each other at the table, with Beau sitting directly across from them next to Kayla, Carson relished how easily Zoe seemed to adjust to the chaos.

“She’s a keeper,” his sister Callie whispered as she placed a bowl of steaming whipped Idaho potatoes on the table next to Carson. “She fits right in.”

“Can I help?” Zoe asked Callie while pushing her chair back and standing.

“No, thanks. You’re our guest. Just enjoy yourself,” Callie told her, then leaned over and whispered to Carson. “When was the last time your fiancée offered to help with anything?”

Carson was about to defend Marilyn Rose as Zoe settled back into her chair, but decided to let it go, knowing perfectly well Callie had just cause.

Callie went back into the kitchen just as Carson’s dad walked out carrying a large standing rib roast. His mom was close behind sporting a white plate that contained a baked whitefish dotted with herbs, butter and lemon. Homemade dinner rolls, an assortment of steamed veggies and a bowl filled with fingerling purple and white boiled potatoes already sat on the table. A thick square of farm-fresh butter sat on a round plate with a small knife sticking out of the top and a tureen of brown gravy had been placed directly in front of Kayla’s plate.

Sal was there, with his new lady friend, Betty Green, the woman who had provided the Christmas wreath on Carson’s front door. They’d spent every day together since the party and had started clearing snow together. Ironically, Carson had come to enjoy his mornings with Sal and felt a bit neglected when Sal hadn’t shown up asking for help, but instead had taken his blower over to Betty’s house.

“Thanks so much for inviting me. Your family is amazing,” Zoe said as she leaned into Carson. He picked up the scent of her sweet perfume pulling him in even closer. At once, heat drenched his body and his muscles tensed. His heartbeat banged against his throat and he felt certain she could feel his reaction. He moved away, trying to control the primitive response he seemingly had no control over. The woman did things to him he’d never experienced before.

“Amazing,” Carson repeated under the profusion of voices that echoed through the large dining room.

The entire house smelled of pine from the enormous decorated tree

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