A Texas Soldier's Christmas

She paused to hand over her squalling son. “The nursery is upstairs, next to the last room on the right. His pajamas and a clean diaper are already laid out. If you can get things started up there, I’ll warm a bottle for him and be right up.”

Liam, who had miraculously slowed down his crying during their exchange, stared worshipfully up at Zane, tears still glistening moistly on his rosy little cheeks.

She understood the abruptly spellbound attitude.

Zane had that effect on a lot of people.

Even on her.

Zane smiled down at Liam, as fondly as if he were her son’s daddy. Nora’s heart gave another leap.

“Atta boy,” Zane soothed, running a hand over Liam’s back. “We’ll get you into your jammies in no time...” He headed up the stairs, Liam now quietly compliant in his arms.

Trying not to think about how nice it would be to have Zane here helping her all the time, Nora went into the kitchen. Three minutes later, she joined them.

Zane was standing over the changing table, laughing, a big, gentle hand placed over Liam’s bare chest. “Nice shot, fella. You have a future as a comedian.”

Nora edged closer.

Saw, too late, the damp arc across Zane’s sport coat, holiday tie and shirt. Smelled the urine. Oh, no. She sucked in a breath of embarrassment and regret. “I’m so sorry.”

“Really?” Zane chuckled, stepping back to let her take over, as promised. His eyes twinkled merrily. “Because I would’ve thought you would feel it was what I deserved for hanging out on your office sofa, waiting so long for you to wake up that I fell asleep myself.”

Why did Zane have to possess such a great sense of humor? Take everything in stride? Even the news that this darling little baby wasn’t his, after all.

Nora lifted an airy hand. Ignoring her mounting desire for him, she professed, just as humorously, “One of the hazards of raising a boy, I have learned.”

He shrugged out of his sport coat, unknotted his tie, set both aside. “You’ve taken incoming, too?”

“Oh, yeah. The worst time was my first day back at work when Liam was six weeks old. I was trying to get him changed before we headed out the door. And bam, he hit me with everything he had. I ended up having to completely change both of us.”

While she finished dressing Liam, Zane unbuttoned the first couple of buttons on his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. “Do you always take him to work with you?”

Nora nodded. “It was part of my condition for returning so early, that I have Liam nearby. I hire student-sitters during my shift to help out with him. But I try to do all his feedings myself, even if it means I stay a little longer to finish up my work.”

Overhead, without warning, a soft staccato sounded. Was that...?

Catching her frown of dismay, he confirmed, “It’s raining.”

Nora gathered Liam in her arms. She looked up at Zane, achingly aware how cozy this all was. How right it felt. And would have been if only Liam were Zane’s baby, too.

But he wasn’t. The sound of the rain overhead picked up, thundering against the roof. Nora peered outside and frowned. “How are you going to get back to your vehicle?”

Looping his soiled garments over his arm, Zane shrugged nonchalantly. “I think I can handle a little precipitation. Besides—” he held out the stained fabric of his dress shirt and the T-shirt beneath “—maybe the downpour will help rinse out some of the smell.”

Nora grinned.

Only Zane would be able to find the bright side in that.

Together, they walked downstairs.

The rain came down even harder. Nora hesitated. Only a heartless woman would send a soldier home on leave out into torrential downpour at one in the morning. Reluctantly, she insisted, “You have to stay.”

He shook his head stubbornly, shrugged on his damp jacket and turned up the collar against his neck. “I don’t think so.” Zane opened the front door.

Another wave of guilt and anxiety swept through her. Followed swiftly by a soul-deep emotion that was even harder to rein in. “But...” she protested.

Their gazes clashed as surely as their wills. His scowl deepening, he said huskily, “You’ll only resent me in the morning.”

She put out an arm to stop him from shrugging on his jacket. Her hand curled over the flexed muscles of his bicep and she felt a jolt of electricity skitter through her. Face flushing self-consciously, she looked him in the eye, determined to clarify this much. “I didn’t mean in my bed.”

He regarded her with mounting amusement. Eyes gleaming mischievously, he said, “I didn’t think you meant in your bed.”

She dropped her hand. “Then...”

His sensual lips formed a sober line. “I showed up at Laramie Gardens today because I promised Miss Mim and Miss Sadie and all the guys that I would. It wasn’t because I wanted to annoy you.”

She fought back a sigh. “You didn’t.”

He clearly didn’t believe her for one second. “Uh-huh.” Another silence fell, fraught with tension. Gently, he continued, “I came by your office after the last game ended to tell you that.”

And then he had stayed to rescue her. Lending a hand, showing her all over again what a great guy he was.

Nora released a wistful breath.

Why did he have to make everything so simultaneously hard and wonderful? “So now that I have...” He released her, turned, and swung open her front door again. Another blast of wet air flowed in. A sudden yellow zigzag of light filled the sky, followed immediately by a clap of thunder loud enough to make her jump. “I’ll be on my way.” He stepped onto the porch.

Like heck he would. Feeling very glad he was there, despite herself, she caught his arm, her palm curving around the swell of his bicep and tugged him right back inside. “You’re not going anywhere, soldier. Not in a thunderstorm.”

He turned to her, his shoulder nudging hers in the process. “There’s no need for you to babysit me,” he insisted.

Her palm tingling as badly as the rest of her, she dropped her hand.

Rocking forward on his toes, he hooked his thumbs in the denim loops on either side of his fly. “I’ll wait out the worst of it on the porch. Then go.” Their eyes met and held, and another jolt of awareness swept through Nora. Letting her know just how very much she had missed him.

She hesitated, unsure.

“I’ll be fine.” His tone was both conciliatory and deadpan. So why was he suddenly looking as if he were thinking of kissing her again? Why was she feeling the same way?

Nora winced and ducked as another sharp zigzag of electricity lit up the sky and thunder rumbled half a second later. Wow, that was close. Dangerously so.

A fact that left her no choice.

She had a duty and responsibility here to maintain his safety, just as he’d done for her half an hour prior.

Her heart racing, she countered in exasperation, “No, you won’t,” she said.

He quirked a brow.

She dragged in a bolstering breath, then stepped closer, determined to try and talk sense into him. “You know how it is in Texas, Zane, particularly this time of year. This storm could go on for hours.” She gave him a long level look. “There is no reason to huddle out here on the porch, never mind risk life and limb, waiting for a reprieve that might not come until dawn. I have a guest room. You can bunk there tonight.” She waved an amiable hand, deciding if she was in, she might as well be all in. At least when it came to reluctantly hosting. “I’ll even wash your pee-soaked shirt.”

He waved off her offer of aid, then cupped her shoulders warmly. “I can do that if you point me toward the laundry room. You look ready to collapse on your feet.”

She was.

“So how about you go on to bed?” he suggested, seemingly oblivious to the way the casual contact was affecting her. With another brief companionable squeeze, he let her go. “I’ll start the washer and close up down here.”

Had she acted too hastily? Could they still actually be friends?

Savoring the possibility, she reluctantly gave in. “Okay. Thanks.”

He nodded at her, like the Texas gentleman he’d been raised to be. “See you in the morning.”

His innate gallantry brought forth another slew of memories. Time seemed to be suspended. Suddenly it was just the two of them again, their only duty and responsibility to each other.

Her heart racing, she jerked in a steadying breath, inhaling the brisk masculine fragrance of his hair and skin. It had been hours since he had shaved, and the stubble of new beard on his jaw only enhanced his raw sex appeal. “You know which one the guest room is?”

He cocked a brow, his gaze drifting over her lazily. “The one on the other side of the nursery, with the silver comforter on the bed?”

Trying not to wonder if his mind was traveling down the same forbidden paths as her own, Nora smiled. They were both adults. They could handle this.

“That’s the one,” she confirmed lightly. “There are towels, washcloths and soap in the hall bath, extra toothbrushes and toothpaste, if you need that.”

Thunder roiled, even louder.

He nodded again. “Thanks.”

She felt him watching her as she headed upstairs, realizing that despite everything, even when they were moving apart, fate kept throwing them back together again.

* * *

NORA FELL ASLEEP listening to the sound of the rain still drumming on the roof and thinking about Zane. She woke to the sound of an even softer rain and Liam starting ever so gently to fuss.

By the time she had changed her son’s diaper and put him in a new playsuit, the sumptuous smell of breakfast cooking filled the air.

She went downstairs, not all that surprised to see Zane standing at her stove, making himself completely at home. Bare-chested, with his jeans riding just below his navel, he looked sexy as hell. It was all she could do not to run her fingers through his rumpled hair and rub her cheek against the morning beard lining his square jaw.

HE SMILED WARMLY at her and the baby in her arms. “I’ll be out of here as soon as my shirts are dry. In the meantime I thought you might be as hungry as I am.”

She was.

Trying not to think how often he had made breakfast for her in the past, never mind how often they had made hot, passionate love to each other after that, she eased past him. Retrieved a bottle of formula from the fridge. “What are you making?”

He looked in the pantry, emerged with a bag of tortilla chips. “Migas.”

Her favorite.

And he’d brewed coffee and poured juice, too.

This was all so cozy. Too cozy.

She put Liam’s bottle in the warmer, still cuddling her son close, then looked out the window at the water pouring down.

He followed her glance. “Yep, it’s still raining.”

She had hoped it would have stopped by now, but that did not look very likely, given the gloomy skies overheard.

Zane cast a glance at her drenched shrubbery and lawn. “No thunder, though.” He beamed as Liam offered him a toothy grin. Reaching out, he gently touched her son’s cheek. Liam chortled softly in response.

Zane slid his little finger into her son’s tiny fist.

Liam held on tight.

The way Nora wanted to hold on...

Oblivious to her forbidden thoughts, Zane regarded her son, then lifted his glance to meet her gaze. “I forgot to ask you last night. Do you have to work today?”

Acutely aware of how wonderful it would have been if Liam had been Zane’s child, Nora shook off her wistful mood. She swallowed around the sudden parched feeling in her throat and forced herself to meet Zane’s eyes. “No. I’ve got the day off.”

Liam jerked on Zane’s hand. Grinning at the mingled demand and curiosity in her son’s baby blue eyes, Zane stepped closer still. His smile widened as Liam chortled happily.

Zane nuzzled Liam’s knuckle, eliciting another happy gurgle, then smiled again and turned his attention back to her. “Any plans?” he asked, that charismatic intensity solely focused on her now.

He smelled like toothpaste and soap. And pure, primal man.

Blushing at the memories the tantalizing fragrance elicited, Nora turned her attention away from Zane and plucked the bottle out of the warmer.

Working to corral her escalating feelings, she sat down at the table to feed Liam. “My sitter is coming at ten o’clock. I was going to go get a Christmas tree, but with it raining, I don’t know that it’s the best time to try and pick one out. I wouldn’t be able to bring it inside until it dried out anyway, so I’ll probably get a jump on my holiday shopping instead.”

Still listening, he crumbled chips in his fist, and stirred them into the pan of scrambled eggs and cheese.

Nora drew a deep breath as the Tex-Mex aroma filled the room. “In any case, not to worry,” she continued, giving him a look to let him know this meal would not be followed with the usual passionate lovemaking. “I can drive you over to get your pickup truck and drop your jacket off for cleaning on the way.”

Zane flashed a sexy smile. “Actually, I’ll take care of the dry cleaning if you do me a favor.” He spooned up a plate of migas and a side of salsa, and carried both over to her.

Curious, she met his eyes. It was unlike him to drive a bargain. Usually he gave, then walked away. Thereby keeping control of the situation. But now he clearly wanted something from her. Something he seemed unsure she would be willing to give.

Aware this was a first, she looked at him, waiting.

He grabbed his breakfast and sat down opposite her, their knees touching briefly beneath the table. Then, his emotions suddenly as fired up as hers, said, “Come out and see the ranch my father left me in his will. And give me your unvarnished opinion about what you think I should do with it.”

Chapter Four

Nora told herself the only reason she was following Zane out to his ranch was because she was interested in seeing exactly what he had inherited from his late father.

Well, that, and it had been a good way to get the sexy soldier out her door, back to his pickup truck and on his merry way as fast as possible. Before she started wanting to make love with him again... Which, she promised herself resolutely as she followed him out of town in her minivan, she most certainly did not.

Being completely alone with him without her son as an emotional shield, however, proved more challenging than she had expected. Luckily, they had the No Name Ranch he had inherited to focus on.

The two-thousand-acre spread was surrounded on all sides by barbed wire fence and covered with scrub vegetation and the occasional strand of trees.

In the center of the long-neglected land, a half mile back from the road, there was a newly renovated A-frame ranch house with a raised wraparound deck. Inside, everything from the wood floor to the open kitchen-family-living area and big masculine furniture on the first floor bore the same neutral brown and gray color palette as the exterior.

Zane’s king-size bed and a luxurious bath with steam shower dominated the loft-style second floor. A lone duffel sat on the floor in the wide-open space, reminding Nora just how light Zane traveled.

She headed back downstairs, determined to stay just long enough to be polite before getting back into her minivan and heading out to Christmas shop, as planned. “Your brother and sister-in-law did a nice job on this for you. Did Molly and Chance pick out the furniture, too?”

“Actually, I told them not to furnish it, since up until a few days ago—”

When he’d learned about Liam, Nora realized uncomfortably. And jumped to the erroneous conclusion her child was his...

“—my intention was to sell.”

Made sense, she noted, since he was rarely in Texas. “And property with a move-in-ready home fetches a much higher price,” she guessed, shivering a little.

“Right.” He strode to the thermostat and made an adjustment. The furnace kicked on with a purr.

She looked around, trying not to feel disappointed he was already on his way out of her life. Again. “Well, your stagers did a remarkable job here.”

He stood, looking over at her, hands braced on his waist. “Actually, I didn’t plan on doing that, either.” He tossed her a fond look. “All the furnishings, down to the dishes and towels, are an early Christmas gift from my mother.”

A rueful smile curving his sensual lips, he walked into the kitchen and began making a pot of coffee. “She wanted to make the No Name Ranch house so cozy I’d never want to leave.”

Nora slid onto a stool at the island. “Did it work?”

His gave her a long look that spoke volumes. Finally he leaned toward her and with an even more intimate look, said, “It’s not the decor that interests me here.”

Oh, dear.

She pulled in a stabilizing breath, clasped her hands in front of her and tried again. “In any case, it’s a really nice bachelor pad.” For whoever eventually wanted it.

He leveled an assessing gaze on her, kept it there.

“Yeah, well—” he shrugged and turned away “—my dad never expected me to want to marry or settle down.”

No one did.

In fact, she was pretty sure they still didn’t.

She breathed in the delectable scent of freshly brewed coffee. Aware her knees weren’t as steady as she wanted them to be, she slid onto a counter stool. “So he left you the ranch as an investment?”

Nodding, Zane lounged on the other side of the island, his arms folded over the hard muscles of his chest. “And a place I could crash while on leave and still be close to the rest of my family, who also all inherited property here.”

And yet Zane had still, by his own admission, been thinking of selling the property. A move she sensed the rest of the close-knit Lockhart clan would not have taken well.

The coffeemaker gurgled as it reached the end of the brewing cycle. She searched his face, wishing for some chink in Zane’s emotional armor, some sign that he was capable of more than fulfilling his pledge to defend their country. “Did your dad expect you to ranch?”

With a brief shake of his head, he filled two mugs and pushed one her way. He got the peppermint-mocha creamer from the fridge and handed that, along with a spoon, to her.

“No. Dad knew I don’t have an ounce of rancher blood in me. He suggested I do something more outside the norm with the land.”

“Like...?”

“Set up a skydiving school, shooting range, ninja-warrior-type obstacle course or outdoor physical fitness training center.”

Interesting. Frank Lockhart always had been a visionary. With the hedge fund and charitable foundation he created. As well as his wife and five kids...

Nora took her mug and, feeling the mood inside his home had gotten a little too intimate for comfort, walked back outside. He followed suit.

The rain had finally stopped but the ground and deck were still soaked. Hence, she had to be careful not to touch or lean against anything. Especially him.

She traversed the length of the deck, overlooking the property, thinking, considering. “Any one of those ideas would work if you marketed to city slickers looking for a little adventure. Although—” she tossed him a teasing look over her shoulder “—the property would need a new moniker.”

He chuckled and sauntered closer, filling up the space, making her all the more sensually aware of him.

“You don’t like the one it’s got?”

He shook his head, his eyes drifting slowly over her face, before returning to her eyes. “No,” he said gruffly. “Not at all.”

Nora looked up at him. For a guy who’d planned to sell the property, he suddenly seemed proprietorial. “How did it become the No Name Ranch?”

“The husband and wife who owned it before me were never able to agree on much of anything,” he replied with an affable shrug. “Including what to call this land, which they used as a vacation-home-slash-investment. So they jokingly called it the No Name, decided they liked that better than anything either of them was suggesting and eventually even made up a sign.”

“That’s actually a kind of cute backstory, Zane. You could probably use it in whatever you decide to do with the property.” Even if it’s just as a way to eventually sell the place.

He moved closer. “Maybe.”

Or maybe not, Nora thought, judging by his unenthusiastic tone.

Not surprised Zane wasn’t interested in doing anything he saw as that frivolous, even if it could benefit him financially, Nora took another sip of her coffee. “What does the rest of your family think you should do with the property?”

Disappointment glimmered in his eyes. “Just what you’d expect. My brother Wyatt thinks I should board and train horses, like he does on his ranch. Chance wants me to start a cattle breeding operation to supply quality mama cows for his bucking bull breeding and training operation.”

No surprise there. His two middle brothers were absolute cowboys and always had been, from the time they had first set foot in Laramie County, visiting their paternal grandpa when they were kids. “And Sage?”

“Thinks I should find something adrenaline fueled to do for a living, then use the No Name as a private retreat where I can recoup from my new and exciting yet somehow less risky profession.”

“I like the way your only sister thinks,” Nora quipped, before she could stop herself.

Zane set his empty coffee cup on the railing. “So does my mom, except she doesn’t want me to do anything the least bit dangerous anymore.”

I see her point. Suppressing her desire to protect him, too, Nora pushed on, “What about Garrett?” His brother, a highly skilled physician, had served in the Army, too, before resigning to lead the family charitable foundation.

Zane sobered. “He wants me to help separated and current military at West Texas Warriors Assistance, here in Laramie.”

“Like you’re doing with the holiday gift basket drive.”

“Except on a more permanent basis.”

“But that doesn’t appeal to you, either?” she asked curiously.

Zane exhaled. “I’m happy to volunteer. But as for a career, I see myself in a more physically active role, whatever it is.”

“You could join local law enforcement.” They took a lot of ex-military. And Lord knew their life was full of challenges, Nora thought.

He nodded as if he had expected her suggestion. “I’ve got an appointment to talk with the Laramie County sheriff’s department next week.”

“Good!”

“Don’t get your hopes up.” His lips twisted. “I’m not sure that will be a good fit.”

But he was looking into it. That was something he’d never been willing to do before. “You never know.” He was certainly selfless and heroic enough for the job.

“No. You don’t,” he agreed, taking her coffee cup out of her hands and setting it aside. “And I’m going to have to do something when I leave the military,” he murmured as he drew her into his arms. “So I might as well look at all my options.”

Nora caught her breath as one palm slid down her spine, flattening her against him, and the other hand eased through her hair, tilting her face up to his. “What are you doing?” she gasped, way more turned on than she wanted to admit.

Eyes warming, Zane looked down at her. He rubbed his thumb across her lower lip. “Making amends with you.”

Nora splayed her hands across his solid, muscular chest, holding him at bay. Not the least bit surprised to suddenly be so flustered. It happened every time they were together.

He’d come striding in and give her one of his “I can’t get enough of you” looks, and she’d start feeling the same way. As if there were no one else on earth who was ever going to affect her the way he did. Excited. Enthralled. And ready for so much more. “Hey...” she chided softly, her heart already racing, as he held her flush against him, buried his face in her hair and breathed in, “I said we weren’t going to make love again.”

He moved closer still and her body registered the heat.

“At your place last night.” He dropped a string of butterfly kisses from her temple to her cheekbone, the lobe of her ear and the nape of her neck.