His Christmas Carole (Rescued Hearts Series Book 1) by Alexis Lusonne Montgomery & Montana Sky Publishing

Author:Alexis Lusonne Montgomery & Montana Sky Publishing [Montgomery, Alexis Lusonne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Montana Sky Publishing
Published: 2019-11-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Hap slipped out, pulling the door tight against the fierce wind racing down the valley, stinging snow flurries fast on the storm’s shirttails. He couldn’t see the far ridge through the white curtain, which meant no one spying from there could see the cabin. That suited him just fine.

He opened the top half of the stable door.

Rustler poked out his head, looked around, and stepped back, snorting his disapproval.

“You got that right, buddy. Nobody should be out in this cursed weather.” Hap checked the water barrel just inside the door, still nearly full, and dumped another can full of grain into the feeder. Hay was within reach. “You’re all set. Hunker down and rest easy. I’ll check on you after a bit.”

He pried a hunk of the bale loose and then closed the door, dropping the crossbar into place so the wind wouldn’t rip open the door.

Praise God the stable shares a wall with the cabin. I don’t have to grope blindly from the barn to the house and risk wandering off into nowhere. Another couple of minutes out in this storm, which was fast becoming a blizzard in his estimation, and his ears would freeze right off his head.

He crossed the porch, opened the cabin door as little as possible and slid inside, bolting the door behind him.

Carole stood next to the potbelly stove, holding her Christmas quilt up to the heat to warm one side. She turned and held it out.

“Wrap this around you. Around your head, too. Your ears are really red. Do they hurt?”

“I can hardly feel them.” Hap dropped the hay in a bucket near the door and stepped forward, taking the warmed fabric into his cold hands. He swung the quilt around his shoulders and pulled the edges up to cover his ears. “Sweet Jesus, that feels good. A few more minutes and I think frostbite would have been a real consideration. Thanks for the blanket.”

Her sweet smile warmed him from the inside out, more than any quilt could ever do.

“The coffee’s hot. Would you like more?” She stepped back, ready to reach for the cup he’d left sitting on the table.

“I would. Thank you.”

Hap couldn’t remember the last time someone not in his employment worried about his personal comfort. Her kindness warmed his heart, reminding him of how his parents always considered the needs of their partner ahead of their own. The forgotten memory surprised and comforted him.

I could get used to this kind of caring.

Sitting down on the chair nearest the stove, he pressed the quilt to his ears. They tingled like they’d been pricked with sharp needles. Painful but reassuring. He still had feeling in both.

Had Carole’s cousins made it back to High River before the storm caught them? He hoped the horses survived without injury—although he couldn’t say the same about the men.

“Here’s your coffee.” She came close enough to touch.

Along with the smell of coffee, he caught a whiff of cinnamon and apple blossoms, accompanied by a scent that was uniquely Carole’s own.

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