A Gift for the Rancher by Karen Templeton

Author:Karen Templeton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-09-06T18:33:30+00:00

* * *

“You ready?”

Sitting beside Josh in his SUV, both kids strapped in their car seats behind them, Deanna blew out a breath, then nodded. Next year, he thought, they’d do Christmas Eve at their house—a thought that still, less than twenty-four hours after Deanna agreed to marry him, sent a thrill racing up his spine. But tonight they were all gathering at his parents’ place, and it would be crazy and loud and a trial by fire for the girl whose childhood had been so lonely and quiet most of the time. But if she was truly opting for this life, best she know what she was really getting into.

He leaned over and kissed her, her lips cold and smooth even though the truck’s heat had kicked in almost as soon as they’d left the ranch. Once she’d told him about her and Gus’s conversation, when she’d learned about her mother’s mental health struggles, her aunt’s role in her father’s sending her away, a lot of things made sense that hadn’t before. For both of them, but especially for Dee. And Josh was well aware that it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park for either of them, watching her feel her way through to the other side after all the crap her family, in some misguided effort to shield her from her own pain, had actually dumped on her to deal with later. At the same time, that she trusted him enough to do that...

Well. You really couldn’t put a price on that.

Austin naturally ran off to play with his cousins the moment they entered the cozy little house, filled with the traditional New Mexico Christmas Eve scents of roasting turkey and spicy enchiladas and posole. Val appeared out of nowhere to claim Katie, who was taking in the sights and sounds with big dark eyes and pursed lips.

“Auntie time,” his twin’s wife said with a wink, as if she knew. Then again, knowing Val, she probably did.

Still in their coats, Josh took Dee’s hand and led her into the jam-packed kitchen, filled to bursting with Talbots. Or soon-to-be Talbots. And immediately the chattering and laughter ceased, all eyes turning to them. Expectantly, Josh thought.

Then Dee took a deep breath and said, “I’m staying,” and Austin popped up again out of nowhere and said, “An’ she’s gonna be my mom! For real!” and all hell broke loose.

In the best possible way.

Several minutes later, after the poor woman had been hugged within an inch of her life and Josh’s back had been slapped so hard he was sure he’d have bruises, he tugged his fiancée into a back bedroom to kiss the stuffing out of her. Then she smiled up at him and whispered, “Thank you for loving me,” and he saw so much promise in her eyes he almost couldn’t stand it.

But he’d manage, he thought, pulling her into his arms with a big old grin on his face.

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