Mistletoe & Marriage: Snowbound Cowboy

“Hurry, Mom. Izzy’s having her puppies.”

Chapter Five

BOONE FOLLOWED AMELIA downstairs to find the mother-to-be in her box in the pantry. Seeing her owner, Izzy whimpered.

“See, Mom?”

Amelia knelt down inside the narrow enclosure next to her son and gently stroked the dog’s head. “What’s the matter, girl? Are your babies getting impatient to be born?”

In answer, the animal licked her hand and panted heavily.

“Mom, is Izzy having her puppies now?”

Amelia stood and backed out of the small space. “It looks like it, honey. Maybe we should give her some privacy.”

The boy didn’t like the idea. “But what if she needs us?”

“She might. So we need to get some towels and thread to tie off the puppies’ cords in case she needs help.”

When the boy started to argue, Boone spoke up, “Come on, Jesse, I’ll help you, too. Do you know where the thread is?”

With the boy’s nod, the threesome gathered the things needed and returned for the expected delivery. Wrapped in a blanket, with the lantern next to him, Jesse sat in the doorway waiting.

Boone stood holding another light overhead, and watched in awe as Amelia coaxed the Labrador to push out the first tiny puppy. Jesse gasped in delight, and showed even more excitement as the second and third came along.

“You’re doing fine, girl,” Amelia spoke to her patient as she wiped off each new arrival. “Here comes another,” she said, then amended that. “Oh, and another.”

Boone handed Jesse the light and instructed him how to hold it. Then he jumped in and assisted Amelia so none of the puppies would be lost.

By the end, the litter count added up to eight healthy puppies. Amelia gently helped clean the last arrival, and gave it to the mother to begin nursing. Then she worked quickly to removed the soiled towels and replace them with fresh bedding.

Boone took the dirty towels and set them aside, then helped Jesse bring some food and water for the new mother.

“Mom, can we keep one this time?” Jesse pointed to the yellow pup that was busy trying to find a vacant nipple to feed on.

“Honey, we talked about this. You know we have to sell them. Besides, Mr. Clevenger might want that one to keep.”

The boy hung his head. “What if I don’t want to go to college?”

Amelia looked at Boone. “We started breeding Izzy when our neighbor, Ralph Clevenger, approached us because he had a registered Labrador, too. After Ralph takes his pick, I plan to sell the others and put the money in Jesse’s college fund.”

Boone wanted to tell Amelia that she didn’t have to worry about money for college. Russ had left everything to his son, along with a hefty life insurance policy. But that wouldn’t mean much to a little boy who wanted a dad. Instead, Boone spoke to Jesse. “Your mom will make sure they all have good homes with other boys and girls.”

Amelia glanced down at the new mother. “This is Izzy’s third litter. I usually have the vet come out to check her. That’s not going to happen this time.”

He could hear the worry in her voice. “They should be fine for a few days.”

“I hope so.” Amelia walked to the kitchen sink, then turned on the water and washed her hands and forearms. When she turned, Boone held out a clean towel for her. Even in the shadowed light, he could see her fatigue. But nothing took away from her beauty.

“I can keep an eye on Izzy,” he said.

She peeked back into the pantry. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.”

“The sofa isn’t that far away. You take Jesse and at least lie down. I’ll stay here.”

“You need sleep, too,” she said.

“Yeah, Boone,” Jesse said. “Come sleep with us.”

Boone glanced at Amelia and saw her uneasiness. No way was he intruding any more. “How about if I come sit with you until you fall sleep?”

Jesse let out a yelp, ran to the sofa and dove under the blankets.

Boone followed, but added more logs to the dying fire before heading to the opposite sofa. With the heater running, the room was warmer. Boone sat down and looked across the large coffee table as Amelia tucked her son under the covers, then she moved to the opposite end and took off her boots. She lay back, her brown hair spread against the pillow, making him think about anything but sleep.

“Good night, Boone,” Jesse said on a yawn.

Boone jerked his gaze away. “’Night, Jesse.” He shut off the lantern, leaned his head against the high-backed sofa and closed his eyes. Just for a minute, he told himself.

The wind howled outside, the cracking of the warm fire combined with the boy’s soft snores was like a symphony. The feel of Amelia’s presence, so close but so untouchable, made him ache. He shifted, trying to push away any wayward thoughts. He didn’t even know this family twelve hours ago. They didn’t know him either, but that didn’t seem to matter.

Amelia woke up surprised to see it was daylight. Suddenly thoughts of last night ran through her head.

The blizzard. Izzy! Snowed in with a stranger.

She sat up to see she was alone. The scent of coffee teased her nose as muffled voices came from the kitchen. No doubt it was Jesse and Boone. She glanced at the clock on the mantel. Eight-fifteen!

She got up and walked to the window. Looking out at the beautiful winter scene, she tried to gather her thoughts. A mountain of snow covered everything. She could barely see the barn, and Boone’s truck was buried up to the bumper. At least it had stopped snowing. She glanced at the threatening gray sky. For now.

How long before it started again? Would they be able to plow the roads? Restore the power? Get her truck?

Suddenly the isolation bothered her even more. She and Jesse were here with a stranger. A man she was drawn to. In the last twenty-four hours, she’d been thinking about Boone Gifford instead of her grandmother’s heart procedure. It was today, and she couldn’t even find out how Ruby was doing.

Had Kelley tried to call her? With the utilities out, her sister would be worried about not being able to reach them. Had the storm knocked out power in Helena? She shook her head. She had to stop worrying. Kelley could handle Gram.

Laughter came from the kitchen and she smiled. At least Jesse was happy to be snowed in with a stranger.

And so was she.

Boone wasn’t much of a cook, but he could whip up some scrambled eggs when he had to. And this morning he had a good reason. Jesse needed to eat, and so did Amelia. She’d already provided him with two meals yesterday. It was his turn. Besides, with the electricity on only periodically, he wasn’t sure how long the food would stay fresh.

He set a plate on the table in front of Jesse. “Here you go, bud.”

The boy smiled. “Thanks.” He took a big bite. “Why did you call me bud?”

“It’s just a friendly term. Short for buddy.”

Those brown eyes widened. “I like you calling me that.” The boy scooped up a forkful and took a big bite. “This is good.”

Boone sat down across from Jesse and began his meal. After a minute the boy had more questions. “Boone, do you think it will stop snowing before Christmas?”

“I expect so. I’m not an expert, but it will probably stop in a few days.”

“Oh.” Jesse looked disappointed.

“You don’t want it to stop?”

Jesse shook his head. “I want you to stay here.”

The boy climbed off his chair and went to a calendar hanging on the wall that revealed the month of December, with big Xs marked through half of the days. “See, we have eleven days before Christmas. I don’t want you to leave.”

“Jesse, I can’t stay until Christmas.”

“But what about my wish? And I wrote Santa.”

Boone had no idea how to answer him. “I just happened along, bud. I have to go back to Texas.”

Tears blurred the boy’s eyes. “Who’s going to help me cut down a tree?”

Lost childhood memories flashed into Boone’s head. He and his dad used to do that while his mother was home cooking. He blinked and focused on Jesse. “You cut down your own Christmas tree?”

The boy nodded and wiped his eyes. “Yeah, Gram, Mom and Aunt Kelley and me. This year Mom said I’m old enough to use the saw. What are we going to do if it doesn’t stop snowing?”

“It’s going to stop.” He hoped that was true. “And you’ll get your tree.”

“Oh, boy, can you help us this year?”

“Can Boone help us do what?”

They both turned to see Amelia stroll into the kitchen. She was wearing the same jeans and sweatshirt, now wrinkled from sleep. Her hair was mussed and hung against her shoulders.

“Hi, Mom.” He went flying across the room and hugged her. “Boone said you were tired and we should let you sleep. He fixed me breakfast, and he can help us cut down a tree.” The boy finally took a breath.

Her gaze met Boone’s and she smiled. He felt it all the way into his gut.

“Looks like you two have been making a lot of plans. Did you also happen to notice all the snow?”

“When it stops we can go,” Jesse said hopefully. “Boone said we have plenty of time before Christmas.”

Boone couldn’t stop the boy’s excitement, or his heart racing as Amelia looked at him.

All he managed was a nod at the coffeemaker. “Coffee?”

“Please,” she said. “I think I’m going to need it.” She followed him to the counter. He filled a mug and handed it to her. Close up her eyes were dark from sleep.

“I brewed some coffee while the generator was on.”

She took a sip and sighed. “So worth it.” Her gaze met his, then glanced away. “It has stopped snowing, but probably not for long.”

He wasn’t happy about the forecast. “So there’s no hope that it will warm up today and melt the snow?”

She smiled and his heart tripped again. “Getting cabin fever?”

“I did get out to the barn,” he told her. “Had to do a little shoveling to get there.”

Amelia’s son jumped into the conversation. “Boone wouldn’t let me go with him. I had to promise to stay here.” The boy smiled. “I got to watch the puppies, so Izzy could go outside and do her business.”

Amelia tried to keep her focus on Jesse, but having Boone in her kitchen was definitely a distraction. Especially a man who handled chores and could cook breakfast.

“Thanks for your help, honey. Why don’t you finish your breakfast before it gets cold?” She expected an argument, but Jesse only walked back to his seat.

She had no choice but to acknowledge Boone. “Thank you for letting me sleep.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t see any reason to wake you. You were sleeping so soundly.”

She took another sip. “How did the horses do last night?”

“They were fine. Happy for a little attention.”

She leaned against the counter and watched her son eat. “Kelley usually handles their care. But someone had to take Gram for her procedure.” She frowned. “I just wish I knew how the procedure went. If everything went well, they should come home tomorrow.” She glanced out the window. “That isn’t going to happen, either.”

Boone knew that if Kelley Hughes came home, she’d discover he wasn’t the ranch hand she’d hired. He used that rationalization for not telling Amelia the truth. Right now, she needed his help. With another winter storm coming, they seemed destined to stay together. But he still needed to tell her the reason for his visit, and soon.

But he still wanted to ease her mind. “Do you have a cell phone?”

She nodded. “It’s funny, but there’s poor reception inside the house.” She went into the other room then returned with her phone. “No service.”

“Your grandmother is in the best place possible. If this storm came any earlier she could have been stranded here and unable to get the care she needed.”

Amelia nodded. “I know you’re right, but it doesn’t stop me from worrying. She’s my family. Gram raised Kelley and me. Jesse, too. She’s our rock. She wasn’t too keen on having the procedure. Somehow Kelley talked her into it.” She smiled. “Kelley’s a little more forceful than I am.”

“So you three run this place?”

“Yes. A mama-and-baby cattle operation, and a yearling herd in the summer. We lease some of the grazing land and rent out three cabins during hunting season.”

“That’s a lot for three people to handle.”

“It didn’t start out that way. When we were little, our parents moved here to work in the cattle business. Mom died shortly after I was born, and we were barely settled here when Dad was thrown from his horse. He was in a coma for a while, then he eventually died.

“Grandma Ruby and Granddad Jesse stepped in and raised us. Then about six years ago, Granddad died. Gram said we had no choice but to go on.”

Amelia drew a breath and released it, but he could still see her pain as she looked at him. “What about you, Boone Gifford? You said you were buying a place in Texas. Where?”

He drank the rest of his coffee. “Outside of Odessa, Texas. It had been my family’s place, but when my parents passed away, I couldn’t make a go of it on my own. Now I have a little more capital to carry me through the rough times. I’m hoping to buy the ranch back from the bank.”

“There sure are enough foreclosures around here,” Amelia added. “Is there anyone else back there to help you?”

He shook his head. There had been someone once, until he lost everything, but he didn’t want to talk about the past. “It’s just me.” He suddenly realized how sad that sounded.

Chapter Six

BOONE STARED OUT the kitchen window as night began to fall on his second day trapped with Amelia Hughes. Again flurries started blowing against the window, letting them know that another storm was brewing. He’d hoped that if the weather held tonight, he could take off tomorrow. Only, that meant he’d be leaving Amelia and Jesse to fend for themselves.

He couldn’t do it.

That was the excuse he’d given himself all day to keep from mentioning Russ’s name and handing over his friend’s personal things. Worse, it would mean spoiling a little boy’s Christmas.

Instead he’d kept the fireplaces going, fed the stock just as if he were the hired hand. He also occupied Jesse to keep him from being bored. It wasn’t hard. He liked spending time with the boy, even with his endless questions that every kid asked.

He’d also been plagued by a different kind of guilt. If Russ hadn’t hung back to save him, he might be here himself to meet his son.

Boone couldn’t think about that now. He had to fulfill his promise. Somehow before he left the Rocking H Ranch, he had to find a way to tell Amelia the truth about his connection to Jesse’s father.

He glanced at Amelia. Earlier he’d made it out to the barn to check on the animals. The temperature had risen some during the day, but after hearing the forecast on the radio, he had no doubt they were in for more snow. So that meant he had to stay put for now.

He got up from the kitchen table while Jesse set up another game for them and went into the living room to find the beautiful brunette pacing. Tall and graceful, Amelia reminded him of a Thoroughbred with her fine bones and delicate features.

Were the men around here blind? Even after only a few days together, she was going to be hard to leave.

“Amelia,” he called to her.

She turned around. “What?”

“Worrying isn’t going to help.”

She seemed to relax a little and offered him a hint of a smile. “I know.” She sighed. “I guess I’m the one with cabin fever now.”

“It’s understandable.”

“We haven’t had a bad storm like this for a few years. I guess we’re overdue.” She looked out the window at the fading light. “I normally love this time of year. It’s beautiful here with the mountains covered in snow.” She raised her startling green eyes to his. “I guess I miss Kelley and my grandmother, too. What if something has happened to Gram, and Kel can’t reach me?”

He shook his head. “You can’t think that way. From what you’ve said about her, she’s a strong woman.”

A smile appeared on her pretty face. “Yeah, she is. We had to fight to even get her to go to the hospital. And the doctor said she was healthy enough to handle this procedure.”

“See. She’s strong like I said.”

“You have to be when you run a ranch.”

Amelia enjoyed talking with Boone. She didn’t get much male companionship, and she never realized how much she missed it. And she had to admit, it was nice to lean on someone for a change. Just so she remembered that he was doing a job, and he’d be leaving for Texas soon. If she were looking for something serious, Boone wasn’t the man. He wasn’t even from around here. And Montana was her home.

Besides, she wasn’t sure she could trust a man again. That foolish girl who’d been willing to run off with the first guy who’d given her attention no longer existed. She was a mother now and had to think about her child. No matter how attached Jesse was getting to Boone, she had to make him understand that the ranch hand wasn’t staying around.

His voice broke into her thoughts. “It’s nice you have your family.”

She nodded. “They’ve both been there for me and my son.”

“From what I gather from Jesse, his dad hasn’t been in his life.”

Amelia never explained her life to strangers. She’d never needed to before. “It’s no secret that I never married Jesse’s father. When Russ found out I was pregnant, he took off. Never heard from him again.”

“You must have been pretty young.”

She glanced away. “And naive. It’s funny how easy it is to let love cloud your judgment. Yet, at nineteen, I’m not sure we even know what it is.”

“Love can do that to you.”

Something in his low tone of voice caused her to turn around. “Sounds like you have your own experiences.”

He shrugged. “Past history. I found out in time.”

Amelia could see a flash of hurt. She wanted to reach out to him, but she held back. “Were you married?”

His dark eyes met hers. “No, but we planned to, before I lost the ranch.”

“She left you?”

His jaw tightened. “I don’t blame her. I didn’t have anything to offer her.”

“Don’t say that. You had love. She should have stood by you. Together you could have worked to get it back. That’s what love is, working for a future.” She crossed her arms. “Well, you’re lucky to be rid of her.”

An easy smile crossed his face. “You are fierce when riled. Remind me never to cross you.”

“I’m sorry. It just seems that so many people just walk away when things get too rough. A commitment means sticking it out through the hard times as well as the good times.” She blinked at the sudden tears welling in her eyes. “You had to be devastated, losing your home, then someone you love. I’m sorry.” She moved away, swiping at the rush of tears. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

He touched her arm. “No, Amelia. Please, you have no reason to be sorry.” He came closer. “Besides, it was a long time ago. I don’t think about Kendra anymore.”

“Good. She doesn’t deserve your time.”

“God, Amelia. I wish…”

His dark gaze held hers, and Amelia knew it could be trouble. She wanted to blame what she was feeling on the storm and their being thrown together.

“If only I had met someone like you,” Boone began.

“Yeah, right. A single mother with a child. Not that I’ve been pining after Russ after all these years. I haven’t. It took a while, but I realized I don’t need a man to make me complete. Of course, that doesn’t mean men are exactly beating down my door.”

“Then, they aren’t worth your time. And they sure don’t deserve you. If things were different—”

Amelia held up a hand. She didn’t need to hear his reasons why he couldn’t be that man. “It’s okay, Boone.”

She started to move away, but he stopped her. “I was about to say there are things you don’t know about me. And there’s also the fact that you live in Montana and I live in Texas.”

Three hours later Boone was in his room. Restless, he’d done a fifteen-minute workout, hoping exhaustion would help him sleep. He should be used to the confinement after living and working on the oil platform, except there he had television and other guys to talk to.

All he had here was a five-year-old boy and one beautiful woman, making him realize what was missing in his life. And tonight he nearly stepped over the line. Just touching Amelia’s softness had him reeling with need. It had taken everything in him to keep from dragging her into his arms and kissing her senseless. Great, he was turning into some sex-starved maniac.

Boone suddenly heard the puppies’ cries. He hurried to the pantry, hoping they hadn’t woken up anyone else in the house. Amelia was already there. She was leaning over the box. He started to move away, but she turned toward him.

“Seems they want some attention.” She stroked the tiny animal in her hands.

Boone couldn’t resist and sank down beside her, trying not to notice as his leg rubbed against hers. He scratched Izzy’s head, then gently scooped up one of her crying babies. “You know, you’re spoiling them,” he told her.

“Everyone needs some spoiling. Besides, I don’t get to keep them long. All these precious babies will be in other homes soon.”

He smiled down at the now-sleeping chocolate-colored pup. He wouldn’t mind having one of these himself. He shook away the thought. It would be another connection to Amelia Hughes, and give him a reason to keep in touch. She probably wouldn’t want to when she learned the truth about him.

Amelia propped her back against the shelves that stored canned goods. Boone did the same on the other side. Even though the small closet was cold, it wasn’t bad, or was it the fact she warmed his blood whenever she got near him?

“Jesse asleep?” he asked.

She nodded. “He fought it for a long time, but lost in the end. Thank you for helping burn off some of his energy earlier.”

“He does seem to have a lot to burn, doesn’t he?”

“Always had.” Amelia smiled as if she were remembering. “Even as a baby. He crawled at five months, and was walking before he was a year old.” She continued to stroke the puppy. “I guess I should say running. He hasn’t stopped since.”

“He’s a fine boy, Amelia. Any man would be proud to have him for a son.”

“Thank you.” Her smile faded. “There are times when I think I’ve cheated Jesse, with him not having a father.”

This was the time he could tell her. “Earlier you said the boy’s father was never in his life. Have you explained why to Jesse?”

She shook her head, but didn’t seem angry at the question. “Somewhere around the age of four he began asking about his daddy. I only told him that he lived somewhere else. Then this year he went off to kindergarten and discovered all the other kids had fathers.” She glanced at him. “That’s how this silly Christmas wish came about. A little girl on the school bus, Emma Clark, told him to make a wish for one. Jesse took it to heart.” She released a long breath. “I don’t know what’s going to happen when Christmas arrives and he has to face reality.”

“It’s a hard lesson for a little boy. I wish…” He hesitated and looked at her. “I wish things could be different.”

She smiled and his gut tightened with longing.

“You know what they say,” she began “‘If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.’”

He nodded, silently cursing Russ for putting him in this spot, and for waiting so long to contact his son. Now it was too late, and Boone had to bring the bad news to a little boy. “I know I won’t be around much longer, but if you ever need anything for the boy, you can call me.”

Amelia was shocked by Boone’s offer. It also made her look at reality, too. He’d be going back to Texas. “Oh, Boone, that’s sweet of you, but we can’t intrude on your life. Besides, you’ll be so far away.”

“Not that far.” He put the pup back with its mother.

Amelia couldn’t stop looking at his hands. His palms were large and his fingers long and tapered. What would they feel like against her skin? A shiver ran down her spine. She shook away the thought. “But you’ll have your own life.”