Home For Christmas (A Copper Mountain Christmas) by Melissa Mcclone Page A
Authors: Melissa Mcclone
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to make scones for him and his dad, so Rachel had decided to surprise him. Cowboys had to take breaks once in a while, right?
She entered the barn. Empty.
"Hello?" A peek into Ty's office showed a desk and chair covered with barn cats, making the most of the heated room. "Where is everyone?"
"Define everyone." Nate walked toward her, no trace of a limp now that his ankle had healed, and a black cat at his feet. He stretched his arms wide. "Will I do?"
A wool cap pulled low hid his hair, but the shoved-down gaiter around his neck showed his smiling, handsome face. With his thick jacket, insulated pants and heavy boots, he looked rugged, a total hottie who'd stepped out of a glossy Carhartt ad.
Staring at him was like plunging herself into a hot tub. The chill disappeared in a flash. "You'll do."
"Something smells good." He eyed the container. "You come bearing gifts."
"Scones."
His smile widened, spreading across his face to his eyes. "You remembered."
Her heart stumbled, head over heels, until dropping at his booted feet. The man had no idea how he twisted her into knots. Rachel smiled tentatively, glancing up at him. "Told ya. Mind like an elephant. They're still warm. I brought jelly and butter. Thought you all might want a break and a snack."
"Thanks, but the guys aren't here."
Rachel had made the scones as an excuse to see Nate, but she'd made plenty for everyone. "Where are they?"
"Down at one of the cabin clusters, clearing snow from rooftops." A more intense smile replaced the sexy Carhartt model grin.
Alone. Just like she wanted.
Until an avalanche of second thoughts buried her with a vengeance.
The way Nate looked at her would melt the snow on those roofs in a flash.
This was not a holiday fling. This was not diving off a cliff into a pool of cool, deep water. This was jumping off the ledge of a burning building, flames licking at her heels, and trusting the guy with his arms out would catch you.
And trust was so not her thing. Not anymore.
She stood firmly on her ledge and her fingers clawing into the wall.
"Let's go," Rachel said. "Nothing beats a warm scone."
The intensity in his face ratcheted down. "Sure, I'll take you anywhere you want to go."
His words blanketed her like the goose down duvet on her bed in the ranch house. "It's time I saw some of the Bar V5 beyond the main house, barn and meadow in back. It'll be a nice walk."
"There's no shoveled path."
"I don't mind a little snow."
"There's a lot of snow. You could get lost. Fall. Drop the scones." He met her gaze. "I'll drive you over on the snowmobile."
"Sounds like fun."
He grabbed a backpack off a hook and held it open. "Put your stuff inside."
She did.
He put the pack on her back then handed her a helmet.
"Put this on and follow me." Outside the barn, Nate climbed onto a black snowmobile. "Get on the back."
Excitement buzzed through her. She'd never been on a snowmobile before. Or so close to Nate. She straddled the seat.
"Scoot closer to me," he said.
Rachel did, her thighs pressed against Nate, her arms wrapped around his waist. Her pulse skittered. The thick outerwear they wore provided a layer of cushion between them, but that didn't change the intimacy of the seating arrangement.
The engine roared to life, the snowmobile vibrating beneath her, making her want to clench her legs tight around Nate's hips, to get as close as possible. If only all these clothes weren't in the way… She swallowed.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
"Hold on."
No worries there. She wasn't about to let go.
Rachel had proved she was a chicken, sending them off into the cold when they could have stayed at the barn and kept each other warm, because she was afraid.
Afraid of Nate. Afraid of falling in love. Afraid of being hurt again.
Pathetic.
CHAPTER SEVEN
With Rachel on the back of the snowmobile, pressed up against Nate like his shadow, making his body buzz, he decided he had a new favorite way to get around the
She entered the barn. Empty.
"Hello?" A peek into Ty's office showed a desk and chair covered with barn cats, making the most of the heated room. "Where is everyone?"
"Define everyone." Nate walked toward her, no trace of a limp now that his ankle had healed, and a black cat at his feet. He stretched his arms wide. "Will I do?"
A wool cap pulled low hid his hair, but the shoved-down gaiter around his neck showed his smiling, handsome face. With his thick jacket, insulated pants and heavy boots, he looked rugged, a total hottie who'd stepped out of a glossy Carhartt ad.
Staring at him was like plunging herself into a hot tub. The chill disappeared in a flash. "You'll do."
"Something smells good." He eyed the container. "You come bearing gifts."
"Scones."
His smile widened, spreading across his face to his eyes. "You remembered."
Her heart stumbled, head over heels, until dropping at his booted feet. The man had no idea how he twisted her into knots. Rachel smiled tentatively, glancing up at him. "Told ya. Mind like an elephant. They're still warm. I brought jelly and butter. Thought you all might want a break and a snack."
"Thanks, but the guys aren't here."
Rachel had made the scones as an excuse to see Nate, but she'd made plenty for everyone. "Where are they?"
"Down at one of the cabin clusters, clearing snow from rooftops." A more intense smile replaced the sexy Carhartt model grin.
Alone. Just like she wanted.
Until an avalanche of second thoughts buried her with a vengeance.
The way Nate looked at her would melt the snow on those roofs in a flash.
This was not a holiday fling. This was not diving off a cliff into a pool of cool, deep water. This was jumping off the ledge of a burning building, flames licking at her heels, and trusting the guy with his arms out would catch you.
And trust was so not her thing. Not anymore.
She stood firmly on her ledge and her fingers clawing into the wall.
"Let's go," Rachel said. "Nothing beats a warm scone."
The intensity in his face ratcheted down. "Sure, I'll take you anywhere you want to go."
His words blanketed her like the goose down duvet on her bed in the ranch house. "It's time I saw some of the Bar V5 beyond the main house, barn and meadow in back. It'll be a nice walk."
"There's no shoveled path."
"I don't mind a little snow."
"There's a lot of snow. You could get lost. Fall. Drop the scones." He met her gaze. "I'll drive you over on the snowmobile."
"Sounds like fun."
He grabbed a backpack off a hook and held it open. "Put your stuff inside."
She did.
He put the pack on her back then handed her a helmet.
"Put this on and follow me." Outside the barn, Nate climbed onto a black snowmobile. "Get on the back."
Excitement buzzed through her. She'd never been on a snowmobile before. Or so close to Nate. She straddled the seat.
"Scoot closer to me," he said.
Rachel did, her thighs pressed against Nate, her arms wrapped around his waist. Her pulse skittered. The thick outerwear they wore provided a layer of cushion between them, but that didn't change the intimacy of the seating arrangement.
The engine roared to life, the snowmobile vibrating beneath her, making her want to clench her legs tight around Nate's hips, to get as close as possible. If only all these clothes weren't in the way… She swallowed.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
"Hold on."
No worries there. She wasn't about to let go.
Rachel had proved she was a chicken, sending them off into the cold when they could have stayed at the barn and kept each other warm, because she was afraid.
Afraid of Nate. Afraid of falling in love. Afraid of being hurt again.
Pathetic.
CHAPTER SEVEN
With Rachel on the back of the snowmobile, pressed up against Nate like his shadow, making his body buzz, he decided he had a new favorite way to get around the
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