A Thunder Canyon Christmas Read Free

weren’t firing on all cylinders.
    She considered his invitation, taking in the small dance floor that had been set up in front of the small stage where the band had now switched to a bluegrassversion of Jingle Bells. Only a handful of couples were out there: an older man and woman doing a complicated Western swing like they were trying out for some television dancing show, another pair who weren’t really even dancing, just bear-hugging like they were joined at the navel, and a couple about her age, dancing with a painful awkwardness she instantly pegged as a first date, even through her bleary brain.
    Ordinarily she loved to dance. But since she had probably spent enough time in the Thunder Canyon spotlight the last few weeks, she decided she didn’t need to be the center of attention by dancing out there in front of everyone. Everyone being primarily Matt Cates.
    â€œI’m not much of a dancer,” she lied. “Why don’t we just talk? Get to know each other a little better?”
    â€œTalking’s nice.” Jake grinned and put his hand on her knee. Through the material of her favorite skinny jeans, his hand felt uncomfortably hot. “Gettin’ to know each other better is even nicer.”
    Drat Haley and her stupid rhinovirus.
    She tried to subtly ease her knee away, wondering if she ought to ask Carl for a cup of coffee.
    â€œWhere are you from, Jake?” she asked a little desperately. “Originally, I mean.”
    â€œOver Butte way. My daddy had to sell off our little ranch a few years ago so I’ve been on my own since then. What about you?”
    â€œUm, I live in Billings most of the time. I’m only in town for the holidays. I think I said that already.”
    â€œYou did. And doesn’t that work out just fine for me?”
    She barely heard him. Out of the corner of her gaze,she saw a woman in tight Wranglers and a chest-popping holiday sweater approach Matt’s table and a moment later, he headed out to the dance floor with her. Elise refused to watch and shifted a little more so her would-be Romeo was blocking her from view.
    He didn’t seem to mind. “Hey, what do you say we get out of here? Take a little drive and see the Christmas lights?”
    She might be tipsy, but she wasn’t completely stupid. She wouldn’t go with him, even if his breath wasn’t strong enough to tarnish the frame on Lily’s picture.
    â€œI’d better not. I don’t want to miss the music. That’s the reason I’m here, after all.”
    Just her luck, at just that moment, the lead singer stepped up to the mike. “We’re going to take fifteen, folks. Meantime you can keep dancing to the jukebox.”
    â€œWhat do you say? Want to at least walk outside and get some air?”
    Air might be nice. Even cold air. The faster she worked the margaritas out of her system, the faster she could leave. Where she would go until the dinner party with Erin was over was a question she didn’t want to consider yet.
    Though she was leery about going anywhere with a man she had just met and didn’t trust, how much trouble could she get into walking out into the snowy parking lot on a frigid Montana night? Anything had to be better than sitting here trying to avoid being seen.
    â€œSure. Let me grab my coat.”
    The coat and hat racks at The Hitching Post linedthe hallway on the way to the restrooms. She decided to make a quick stop at the ladies’ room first to check her lipstick and maybe splash a little water on her face to clear her head.
    It helped a little, but not much. When she emerged a few moments later, she found Jake lurking in the hallway.
    â€œI thought you might be having trouble finding your coat,” he murmured. For some reason, she thought that was hilarious. As if she was so stupid she couldn’t recognize her own coat, for heaven’s sake.
    â€œNope. I just stopped to fix my