Merry Cowboy Christmas (Lucky Penny Ranch #3)(23)

“Thanks.” Lizzy smiled.

Jud didn’t actually need a thing from the convenience store that morning, but he wanted to see Fiona.

Tell a man he can’t have something or that he can’t do something and that will give him incentive to go after either with a full head of steam. The voice in his head sounded remarkably like his grandfather’s.

A few flakes of snow fell from the sky as he stepped out of his truck at the convenience store. It was shaping up to be a second hard winter in Dry Creek. Last year Blake had to run things by himself. At least this year there were three of them to share the work load, plus two women who were absolutely the best rancher’s wives in the whole state of Texas.

“I’m in the back room at the table trying to make heads and tails of Mama’s books. Holler when you get ready to check out,” Fiona yelled.

He stopped long enough to pour a cup of coffee and carried it to the door where a floral curtain had been pulled to one side. “Looks like you aren’t going to get any moss on you today.”

She looked up and frowned.

“A rolling stone gathers no moss,” he explained.

That netted him half a smile.

She laid her books aside. “Well, there won’t be a bit of moss on me if that’s the truth. I’ll be here until eternity dawns getting Mama’s books in order. If she’d ever been audited, they’d have never found their way through the maze.”

“I heard Lucy Hudson is bringing her things to you, too.”

Fiona rolled the kinks from her neck. “That’s probably fifty years’ worth of work.”

Jud removed his coat and hat and tossed them on the table in the corner, set the coffee on the end of the desk, and rounded the end. He stopped behind her chair and massaged her shoulders and neck muscles, his fingers digging in the knots that had been there far longer than the four days he’d known Fiona.

“Why are you a rancher?” she asked.

“Because I love the job,” he answered.

“Women would pay big bucks for you to do this for them. If you did it naked from the waist up, you could charge double,” she teased.

“And if I did it totally naked?”

“Oh, honey, the sky would be the limit.”

“Want me to close that curtain and take off my clothes?”

Fiona shook her head. “I’m just sayin’, not askin’.”

“You need a break. Come up front and have a cup of coffee with me,” he said.

“After that massage, I’d follow you to the moon and back.” She stood up, got her foot tangled in a cord, and stumbled right into his arms.

“Whoa, there, darlin’. I know I worked the kinks out of your neck, but I didn’t touch your legs,” he teased.

One second she was straightening up; the next he was looking down into her green eyes and then his lips closed on hers. The kiss set off bells and whistles so loud that he couldn’t hear a damn thing but ringing in his ears. Her lips were soft and the way her hands pressed against his chest sent bursts of heat right through his shirt to his skin. Dammit! Dammit! He’d never been so attracted to a woman in his whole life. It wasn’t fair that fate had put her in his pathway and then said he couldn’t have her.

“Hey, Katy, where are you?” Sharlene yelled. “I need a cup of coffee. Okay if I pour it?”

Fiona took a step back and frantically licked her lips. Jud picked up his hat and coat from the table.

“I didn’t even hear the bell,” she whispered.

“I thought it was just more of those going off in my head after that hot kiss.” He quickly settled the hat on his head and put the coat on, more to cover up the bulge in his jeans than for warmth.

“I’m in the back, Sharlene! Be there in a minute. Mama ran over to Nadine’s,” Fiona called out as she started from the back room into the store.

“Fiona, is that you? What are you doing here?”

“Yes, it’s me,” Fiona said. “I’m helping Mama through the winter. You must have lost your touch, girl. I remember when you had all the gossip firsthand.”

Sharlene, one of the biggest gossips in town, flipped her shoulder-length blond hair over her shoulder and ran her hand up Jud’s arm. “Hey, handsome. Fiona, I haven’t lost my touch at all. I was in Abilene for the holiday with my boyfriend and I just got back today. I’ll be catchin’ up on all the news soon as I get to Nadine’s for lunch, but I wanted to run by and get a cup of coffee and visit with Katy first.”

Jud waved and started for the front door.

“I’ve got a boyfriend or I would simply have to sample the goods you bring to the table,” Sharlene teased.

“Your boyfriend is one lucky feller.” Jud flashed a brilliant smile and took two steps away from her.

“Oh, honey, as sexy as you are, just say the word and I won’t have a boyfriend in thirty minutes.”

“I might change my mind in that length of time.”

Sharlene laughed. “Poor baby! I don’t cheat when I’m in a relationship and my boyfriend is out of cell phone reception for thirty more minutes, so it can’t happen today. But don’t give up hope.”

“Never,” Jud drawled. “See you at home this evening, Fiona. I’ve got to get the feed out to the ranch.” He tipped his hat but his eyes were on Fiona. “Ladies…”