Secret-Santa Cowboy: The Buckskin Brotherhood by Thompson Vicki Lewis

Author:Thompson, Vicki Lewis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ocean Dance Press
Published: 2020-12-04T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

The roads were clear, which made calculating the time needed to arrive at Fiona’s easy. He added a couple extra minutes to pick up the tree. She’d said eight, and he didn’t want to show up early. Or late.

He’d called the nursery earlier in the day. Good thing the place had Sunday hours this week. The owner had agreed to sell him a display model, a decorated two-footer in a fancy pot. It would be waiting by the nursery gate since the place closed at five.

He spotted it immediately when he pulled up to the curb. His high beams picked up colorful ornaments, red bows and a glittering star on top. Even without the lights on, it looked festive.

He didn’t trust putting it in the truck bed, so he carefully tucked it on the floor of the back seat. It made the cab smell like Christmas. Now that he’d experienced the holidays at the Buckskin, he couldn’t imagine going without the fresh pine scent of a tree.

He’d asked the nursery to include a waterproof saucer to put under the pot. Those original hardwood floors didn’t need to be ruined by water stains. And he didn’t want the lights to ruin the ambiance she treasured.

If the door was unlocked, he could find a plug and test the lights before taking it up there. If they were too bright, he wouldn’t suggest turning them on. Not tonight, anyway.

His heartbeat ramped up as he parked in front of Planet-Friendly Paper. The shop was dimly lit the way it had been last night before the blackout—security lights on plus the glow from the square filtering in.

But her apartment was completely dark. His groin tightened. She was waiting for him, likely naked, in her bed.

A small part of him chafed against this light restriction, but it had a certain appeal, too. In the dark, anything could happen. She’d spent time shopping at Racy Lace for items to surprise and tease him. She planned to seduce him and he was ready to be seduced.

Pocketing his keys and his phone, he maneuvered the tree out of the back seat and picked up the saucer underneath. He needed to test the lights on the tree. Ignoring the persistent ache from his package, he reached for the door handle. Open.

He slipped inside with the tree, closed the door and flipped the deadbolt. He’d tracked in some slush, so he took his boots off and left them by the door. Might as well prop his hat on top of them like he had before.

She’d have plugs near the cash register so he headed in that direction, pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight. There. A power strip with a vacant spot.

He unwound the cord from the base of the pot, set the tree on the floor and crouched down to plug it in. Nice. Small, multi-colored lights created a soft glow. Maybe she wouldn’t mind the—

“Oh, my goodness, that’s so pretty!”

He stood, doused the flashlight app and turned, partially blocking the light and putting himself in shadow.

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