Christmas in Cowboy Country Read Free Page B

bulbs, the traditional kind. The bulbs’ colors were flat and dull. She smiled at Nell. “I always love it when they’re all laid out in a dark room and get plugged in. Can we close the blinds?”
    Even though it was dark out, the street lamps poured golden light in through the windows.
    Nell chuckled, looking into some other boxes without removing them. “Go right ahead. Just so long as I don’t have to get down on my knees. You don’t even have to untangle them.”
    Annie set the tangle of bulbs and wire on a table, and went to the windows, letting the wooden-slat blinds rattle down. Then she switched off all the interior lights. There was enough light coming in from the street for her to find her way back.
    â€œShow time,” she said to Nell, grinning like a kid as the older woman handed her the plug to the string of lights.
    Annie kneeled by the outlet, positioning the prongs, then turning her head as she pushed in the plug. All of the bulbs blazed with glorious color in the darkened saloon.
    â€œYeah!” she said happily.
    â€œLooks like they’re all working,” Nell said on a more practical note.
    Annie rose, dusting off her knees and walking back to the table. She stopped in her tracks when the saloon door swung open.
    It framed a broad-shouldered, lean man in a checked flannel shirt and denim jacket. No ball cap this time. Just a lot of thick, dark hair, ruffled by the wind. She recognized him immediately. The glowing light from the tangle of Christmas bulbs didn’t soften his rugged features that much.
    â€œHello again,” said the stranger.

Chapter 2
    A nnie stared at him. “Ah—hello.” There was no reason he shouldn’t be in the saloon, but seeing him there took her aback. He looked taller indoors.
    She managed an awkward smile and went back toward the table where the Christmas boxes were haphazardly piled, stopping for a second to flip the wall switch. Then she bent to unplug the lights and picked them up, stuffing them back into their container.
    Nell bustled over and moved behind the bar as the stranger stepped inside the saloon and took a stool. “Welcome. What’ll you have?”
    â€œA beer, thanks. Anything on draft is fine.”
    She offered him a choice of three and he selected the darker ale. Nell chatted him up as she filled the tall glass, setting it carefully in front of him.
    He didn’t drink it right away, half glancing at Annie.
    She caught his gaze for a second, then looked down, into a clear plastic container that held pinecone birds. They seemed to be stuck together. They could use organizing. She popped off the lid and reached in, then put the lid back on when she realized that they were glued to each other. So much for that big idea.
    â€œWould you like some peanuts?” Nell wiped her hands on a bar towel, smiling at him.
    â€œSure.”
    She took a small bowl from under the counter and poured shelled peanuts from a paper sack into it, sliding it over to him.
    Hmm. His very own bowl, Annie thought. And fresh peanuts. Nothing was too good. Nell’s brown eyes looked awfully bright.
    â€œMind if I ask why you said hello again to Annie?”
    As a lifelong resident of a small town, Nell had pretty good instincts for sizing up outsiders. Clearly, she had decided on the spot that this one could be trusted. It didn’t hurt that he was chiseled and handsome.
    â€œNot at all,” the man replied.
    A bit belatedly, Nell thought to look Annie’s way to make sure that she didn’t mind the question either and received an almost invisible nod in reply.
    Let the stranger do the explaining, Annie thought. She was interested to hear how he would describe the encounter on their ranch.
    He took a long swallow of his beer. Nell forged on with an even brighter smile. “Have you two met?”
    â€œYes indeed. Not long ago. Today, in fact. I would say it was around noon.”
    â€œOh my.