Merry Cowboy Christmas (Lucky Penny Ranch #3)(47)

“Thank you.” Fiona flashed a smile across the table. “I haven’t been dancing in such a long time.”

“How long’s it been since you were in a bar? Those fancy clubs in Houston don’t count, either. I mean an old country bar like this one.”

“Seven years,” she said honestly. “I had to use a fake ID last time, but you should remember that. You were with me.”

“Whole bunch of us had a good time that night, didn’t we?” Deke laughed.

The blonde tapped him on the shoulder and crooked her forefinger. “It’s hot in here. Let’s take our break out in the cool air. Maybe in your truck? I bet you’ve got a really big truck.” She all but drooled on his shirt.

“I came with some other folks, so I don’t have a truck here,” Deke said.

“Then we’ll see if my car is big enough to hold a sexy cowboy like you,” the woman said.

Deke pushed his mug across the table. “Here, Fiona—don’t let this go to waste.” Then he was gone into the same fog that the kid and his girlfriend had vanished in.

“It’s cold out there? They’ll either freeze or die of carbon monoxide poisoning if they leave the car running long enough for…” She hesitated as a blush worked its way up from her neck to dot her cheeks with crimson.

“I don’t think either of them is going to mind the chill in the air or stay long enough to die of any kind of poisoning,” Jud chuckled. “You ever go outside to cool off after dancin’?”

“Honey, I was only in a bar twice. Once on graduation night and then again the weekend I left for college. My life plan was set in stone and I didn’t have time to screw around with boot-scootin’ cowboys in those days.”

“And now?” he asked.

“And now I’m enjoying this night and not thinking about any of that. I’ve figured out that even the best laid plans can be wrecked.” She picked up Deke’s beer and tasted it, then went back to the bottle. “But nowhere in any of my plans, past, present or future, do I expect anyone to crawl up on the water tower and paint ‘Dry Creek, Texas, home of Fiona Logan’ on it in John Deere green or even Christmas red.”

“Hey, can we sit with y’all?” Mary Jo and her red-haired fellow, each holding a margarita, appeared behind Deke’s chair.

“Sure thing. Got room for two more folks here,” Jud said.

“Tables are hard to get,” Mary Jo said. “Y’all, meet Scooter. Scooter, these are my friends Jud and Fiona.”

Scooter tipped his hat and held a chair for Mary Jo. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Jud nodded.

“Who left their beer?” Mary Jo asked.

“Help yourself to it. Deke’s cooling off outside,” Jud answered.

Mary Jo’s laughter was loud enough that several people turned to look in their direction. She slapped a hand over her mouth until she could get control, then picked up the pint glass and downed half the contents. “Poor old Deke. I know that woman he’s dancing with. He’d best be careful or he’ll be listening to the pitter-patter of little feet. She’s got wedding dresses on the brain right now.”

“Seems like everyone does,” Fiona said.

“You got something to tell us?” Mary Jo pushed her brown hair behind her ears and licked the salt from the rim of the margarita glass.

“Not me! The band is getting set up again. I came to dance,” Fiona said, taking a long swig of her beer and then standing up.

“We’ll hold the table.” Mary Jo moved close enough to wrap her arms around Scooter’s neck and share the taste of salt with him through a long kiss.



The two singers each picked up a microphone, but the woman did the talking. “And now for the next hour we’re going to kick off the holiday season with country music Christmas songs, starting off with Blake Shelton’s version of ‘Jingle Bell Rock.’”

Fiona’s moves were right on, but her heart and soul weren’t in it like before. Now she was more aware of Jud. Never, not even one time, had Fiona not been able to get lost in the music. It didn’t matter if her partner was smooth on his feet or if he stumbled through the steps, she loved the way the music made her feel. But tonight the sound of the guitars and drums took a backseat to the way Jud held her against his buff body. Melting into him, listening to his heart beat against her breasts, feeling the heat of his hands on the small of her back was more important than the rhythm of the steel guitar and the drums. When that fast song ended and “White Christmas” started, Jud pulled her into his arms and started a slow waltz.

“Have I told you that you are beautiful tonight?” he asked. “That green shirt is the exact color of your eyes.”

“Thank you,” she mumbled.

“What are you thinking about? Your face is a mixture of emotions right now,” he asked. “Are you tired of dancing?”

“Not at all. I’d forgotten how much I missed this,” she answered.

“We could do this every weekend,” he said. “Talking about dancing put a happy look on your face.

“Hey, don’t tempt me.” She smiled. “Do you read all women so well or am I that transparent?”

“It must be the vibes between us. You can’t deny that they are there,” he said.