A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe by CATHY GILLEN THACKER Page A

end of the week or so—before Gracie can takeher nourishment with her siblings, and give up the handfeeding entirely.”
    Which meant, Ally realized with a pang, that Gracie wouldn’t need her.
    â€œThat’s great,” she choked out, telling herself that the pup’s coming independence, as well as Hank’s wordless departure from the bedroom, was to be celebrated, not mourned. Ever so gently, she pressed a kiss on the top of Gracie’s head and handed her back to him.
    Their fingers brushed during the transfer. The tenderness of his touch told her he knew just how vulnerable and exposed she felt. A humiliating sting of tears pressed against the back of Ally’s eyes. She knew she had to get out of there. Now. Before she gave her heart away to more than just Duchess and the puppies.
    Determined not to reveal herself even more, she whirled around. Reminding herself she could not stay in Laramie, no matter what happened with her job in Houston, Ally found her coat, purse and keys. I’m a city girl now. And that being the case… “I have to go into town.”
    Hank’s eyebrows went up. “Right now?”
    Not trusting herself to speak, Ally nodded. He looked…disappointed.
    The odd thing was, she was disappointed, too. But she knew it was for the best. Despite Hank’s protests to the contrary, their fling was just that—a one-time event never to be repeated. Ally forced herself to hold Hank’s steady, assessing gaze, and said in the most even voice she could manage, “Since I can’t find a crew to do it for me, I’ve decided to go ahead and strip and paint at least the living room and foyer myself. Hopefully, the kitchen and mudroom, too. I’m going to pick up some paint samples before the hardware store closes, and decide on a color this evening.”
    Hank settled Gracie in the warmer and began adding the other puppies, too. “Want company?”
    Yes, as a matter of fact, she did. Which was another part of the problem. She was used to weathering life’s difficulties alone. Hank was going to be in her life for only twelve more days. It would be a mistake to count on him more than she already had. And an even bigger mistake to put herself in situations with him that could only lead to further intimacy.
    â€œThanks for the offer,” she said briskly, “but no.” For both their sakes, she flashed a too-bright smile. “I think we’ve imposed on one another enough.”
    Much more, and she’d begin to think they were in some sort of relationship. And that was not the case.
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    â€œA ND I THOUGHT THE situation couldn’t get any worse,” Ally’s coworker told her over the phone in an anxious tone two hours later. “Unfortunately,” Porter continued unhappily, “I was wrong.”
    I’m not sure I want to hear this.
    Ally stopped her car at the end of the road leading to the ranch and rolled down her window. She checked the post and took out several pieces of mail, all for Hank. She set them on the seat beside her and rolled up her window again, speaking into the microphone attached to her earpiece. “What do you mean?” she asked, doing her best to remain calm.
    â€œThe powers that be have decided to notify everyone of their job status—or lack thereof—by email!” Porter railed. “If we’re laid off, we’re not even going to be permitted back in the building. They’re going to ship our personal belongings to us.”
    Ally turned her car into the lane, the golden arc of her headlights sweeping through the darkness of early evening.On either side of the gravel path were heavy thickets of mesquite that further obscured her view. In no hurry to get back to Hank, she drove carefully. “I’m sure the new CEO thinks it will be easier that way,” she told Porter.
    â€œMaybe for them,” he argued. “For us, it’s all the more