A Texas Cowboy's Christmas by Cathy Gillen Thacker

Author:Cathy Gillen Thacker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarlequinUKLtd
Published: 2016-11-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Noting it had been quiet for a good twenty minutes now, Chance crossed the hall. Rapped quietly on Molly’s hotel room door. There was a pause; then she opened it just enough so they could talk, without inviting him in.

“Everything okay?” he asked her quietly.

“You heard the meltdown?” she whispered back.

Chance doubted anyone on their end of the hall hadn’t heard it. But figuring she didn’t need to be reminded of that, he complimented facetiously instead. “Your son’s got quite a set of lungs on him.”

She cracked a faint smile at the joke. “Tell me about it.”

“But he’s asleep now?”

Nodding, she moved so she was no longer blocking his view, and Chance could see inside the room. Braden was curled up in the middle of the king-size bed, his favorite blue blankie tucked beneath his chin. His cherubic face still bore the evidence of his earlier tears, but he seemed to be resting peacefully now. Molly shook her head. “He finally exhausted himself.”

Chance commiserated with the little tyke. “And no wonder. Given the trip from Laramie to Dallas this morning, the afternoon spent being tested at the Worthington Academy—”

“Followed by the trip to the emporium to see the toy trains, and the dinner out he really did not want to sit through.”

Even though they had tried to make it simple and fast.

Molly leaned against the door frame, still keeping her voice low as she confided, almost as one parent to another, “Usually his bubble bath relaxes him, but tonight not even that did the trick. He just went into full temper tantrum. It was all I could do to get him into his jammies, never mind read him his usual bedtime story.”

Chance wished she had called on him to help. “Tomorrow will be better,” he soothed.

She looked doubtful.

Wishing he could take her in his arms and make love to her until her tension eased, he said, “Can I get you anything? Bucket of ice? I don’t mind hitting the gift shop if you want juice or milk.”

“That’s really sweet of you.”

Sweet was not exactly the way he wanted to be perceived.

“But I think I’m going to take a cue from my son and try to get as much sleep as I can tonight.”

“Okay. Just so you know, though. My room may be a few doors down, but I’m just a text away.”

“Thank you. For everything today.” Without warning, Molly rose on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his cheek. She drew back and looked him in the eye. He caught her against him and kissed her back. At first on the cheek, gently, reverently, and then as she turned her face to his, on the mouth. Not in the way he had when the cookies were burning, but in a way that encouraged her to give him—them—a second chance.

Again, Molly drew back.

The yearning was in her amber eyes, even if she remained conflicted.

Yearning, Chance thought, was good.

Down the hall, the elevator dinged. Heavy metal doors could be heard opening.

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