A Down-Home Country Christmas Read Free

Kayleigh said, picking up her spoon and scooping up a large dollop of the grits she’d barely touched before. “I’m glad the donkey ended up here, so Captain Robbie has to come see us.”
    Heaven help her, but Holly felt the same way.

 
     
    Chapter 2
     
     
    The growl of a truck engine followed by the metallic rattle of an empty livestock trailer sent Holly racing out the front door. She watched as the door of the ancient green truck creaked open, and Robbie sprang out onto the driveway like the former athlete he was, landing lightly on thick-soled police boots. A weak sunbeam from the breaking dawn found glints of blond in his light brown hair, and she could see how blue his eyes were, even from twenty feet away.
    He strode up the cement sidewalk, and her eyes were drawn to the fluid movement of his long legs in their ink-dark uniform trousers. His badge caught the sun, making her blink at the sudden flash against his winter jacket. On his face was the official “everything will be all right, ma’am” smile. It softened into something a little more personal as he got closer and she smiled back.
    The truth was she’d had a crush on him when he was the high school football team’s quarterback, but she was two years younger than he and too shy to do more than worship him from afar. After he graduated he’d traded his green-and-gold Spartan’s uniform for a police officer’s deep blue. When Frank turned violent, Robbie had come back into her life in his professional capacity, taking responsibility for her safety until he had confirmed her ex had left the country to live in Mexico. With all her money.
    He still monitored Frank’s whereabouts with the promise to warn her if the bastard ever reappeared in Sanctuary. And her crush had matured into an awareness that unsettled her every time she saw Robbie.
    “Morning, pretty lady,” he said. Holly’s heart did a little flip when he called her that. “Grady took a shy spell and sent me with his truck and trailer. He’s gotten reclusive since his wife died.”
    “We all miss Bess Boone. She was such a sweet person.” She twisted her hands together in front of her. “I’ve got nineteen minutes before we have to be in the car. The girls won’t leave until Noël does.”
    “Then let’s get Noël loaded.” He held out his hand to help her down the slippery steps. She hesitated, looking at the long fingers she’d seen him wrap around a football and the butt of a gun. She’d also seen Robbie’s hand clenched into a fist when Frank threatened her at the 4-H barn dance.
    She laid her hand in his, feeling the strength of his grasp for the split second it took to reach the sidewalk. She wanted to hold onto that warm, strong anchor for the whole walk around the house to the gazebo—and beyond—but he released her as soon as she stood on the sidewalk beside him, shifting his grip to her elbow to steady her through the snow.
    She reminded herself that it was just his automatic chivalry toward women in general. He had four older sisters and, up until her death two months ago, a frail and ailing mother, so he was well-trained in gallantry. His gesture meant nothing more than basic courtesy, but she was willing to take even that crumb of attention.
    “Noël sure walked a long way from her farm,” she said, as delicious flickers of sensation radiated from his hand up her arm through the layers of her wool coat and sweater.
    “The crash probably scared her.” Robbie shortened his stride to match hers. “Those two drunken idiots deserve more than a few nights in jail and a fine. Grady was pretty torn up over the destruction, since he and Bess built the nativity scene together.”
    “Maybe we could help him fix it up again,” Holly said, sympathy tugging at her.
    Robbie shook his head. “It’s pretty smashed up. And he says he’s done with it.”
    “That’s a shame.” Holly felt a flare of anger at the drunk driver. He’d destroyed more than just some wooden