The Texan's One-Night Standoff by Charlene Sands

Author:Charlene Sands
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Seven

Ruby stood at the gates of the Cool Springs Christmas Carnival on the outskirts of town. She used to barrel race at these fairgrounds as a young girl. Ruby smiled at the memories. Oh, how she’d always loved it when the carnival came to town. With her father looking on, she’d put her horse through the paces, leaning and reining and guiding those sharp turns, feeling at one with the animal. She’d brought home a few trophies in her day, but once her papa had passed on, Ruby turned to something she loved even more: training horses. It was his legacy that she now carried on at Look Away.

Strings of twinkling lights crisscrossed the carnival grounds. There were giant holly wreaths as well as red-and-green banners announcing the holiday. The chatter of fun-seeking crowds, children’s laughter and shouts from hawkers selling cotton candy and funnel cakes brought it all home. Ruby smiled.

It was here that Trace Evans first kissed her, back behind the shack that now sold hot chocolate and coffee. Her heart warmed despite the brisk December night as she stood there taking it all in.

And then she saw him.

Trace.

Approaching from inside the gates, his smile was as broad and sure as she remembered. His polished snakeskin boots leaving dust behind, the six-foot-tall hunk of man worked his way through the crowd as if all the others surrounding him didn’t exist, his deep, dark eyes set only on her.

Just like it used to be.

All the worries she’d been plagued with in coming here vanished the instant she laid eyes on him. Seeing Trace, tall in his Stetson, broad in a black-and-white snap-down plaid shirt and giving her a megawatt smile, flooded her senses, and a shiver of warmth ran down her body. Crap. She was here only to put him off. To tell him they were officially over, so that they could both move on with their lives.

She needed to do this face-to-face.

But his face was filled with genuine joy. “Ruby,” he said, his voice husky and laced with that down-home drawl. “It’s good to see you.”

She stood there immobilized as he paid for her ticket and tugged her through the gate. She realized he held her hand, and when she tried to pull away, he drew her up close, bent his head and gave her a quick kiss. “Sorry,” he said, dipping his head in that charming way he had. “I’ve been dreamin’ about doing that ever since you agreed to meet me here. Gawd, you look good, Ruby. I’ve missed you, honey.”

“Trace.” She put force in her words, ignoring the crazy, mixed-up stirrings in her heart. “I’m here only to—”

“I know, I know. You’re not happy with me right now. I get that. How about we enjoy the evening a little before we get all serious? Look over there. Funnel cakes. I’m dying for one. I bet you are, too.”

“I, uh...”

“Don’t you remember how much we used to crave those things? With all the fixin’s, too. Strawberries and whipped cream, the more powdered sugar the better.

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