Trusting the Rancher with Christmas by Cari Lynn Webb

Author:Cari Lynn Webb
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-08-16T18:41:01+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

EVAN SILENTLY PRAISED his mom. Paige looked relaxed as she stood in the open doorway of the guesthouse, bathed in the warm porch light. He held up the twin glass stem mugs he was carrying. “Nightcap from my mom. It’s hot buttered rum with apple cider. A popular specialty drink she makes at the Feisty Owl. She figured you could use something after your afternoon and evening entertaining Riley.”

Paige accepted a mug and stepped back to allow him entry. “It was a lot of fun.”

“Thank you for that, by the way. I really appreciated it.” Evan tapped his glass against Paige’s. “Riley fell asleep midsentence tonight. She convinced me I need to try your coconut cream face mask so my skin will be supersoft too. And put cucumber slices on my eyes so they won’t be so puffy.”

“I think I have extra of both I can give you.” Paige laughed and sipped her drink. “Did you find the bicycle for Riley?”

“I found the bike and more.” Evan wandered into the cottage-style kitchen.

His mom had replaced the curtains covering the open shelves under the sink with an updated fabric. He’d replaced the counters with butcher block and painted the cabinets a pure white. The original floating shelves his great-grandmother had installed still hung on either side of the antique stove. And the cast iron sink remained intact.

The modern and the old blended together as if they’d always belonged.

The same was true of Paige, in her flannel pj pants and deep burgundy fleece hoodie. She looked as if she’d always belonged in the cottage too. As if she was as much a part of his family as Riley and himself. He stared at his drink. He’d only had a few sips, not nearly enough to go to his head. He moved away from Paige and ignored his rum.

Craft supplies covered the kitchen table. He picked up a cotton ball. “What’s all this?”

“Project Gumdrop.” Paige intercepted him, squeezing between him and the table.

Except he couldn’t look away. One more place Paige seemed to fit: close to him.

Paige lifted her chin and kept her gaze locked on his. Laughter danced through her brown eyes. “It’s supersecret. On a need-to-know basis.”

There were things he wanted to know. Like, was her skin as soft as he imagined? If he lifted his hand, he could brush his fingers across her cheek and find out. If he leaned forward, the smallest of adjustments, he could kiss her. Again, test that softness of her lips. Finally know if their attraction was a simple sparkler or an elaborate fireworks display. All of that was on a need-to-know basis. But Paige was here temporarily, and some heartaches left permanent scars. Love required a change he wasn’t willing to make, he admitted. “I’m good at keeping secrets.” Even from himself it seemed.

“So am I.” Paige’s mouth quirked. She produced a bag of candy and held it between them. “I hear you have a weakness for gumdrops.”

He could have a weakness for Paige, although he hoped he had more restraint than that.

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