Merry Cowboy Christmas (Lucky Penny Ranch #3)(48)

“Let’s talk about something else or just dance.” She tucked her head into his shoulder.

“Long as you are in my arms and we’re dancing, we can talk about anything. Do you want a white Christmas?”

“Do you?” she asked.

“I don’t care if it snows on Christmas or if it’s eighty degrees and the sun is shining. I just want family all around us.” He stepped back, did some fancy footwork, and twirled her around a couple of times. “This is good holiday music.”

“I like Blake Shelton. Met him once, and he’s as country as his songs,” she said.

“For real?” Jud asked.

“The rich and shameless get backstage passes at concerts,” she said. “But before you ask, I’m not interested in being that high on the corporate ladder again. I would like to be a couple of steps up from the convenience store, though.”

“What do you want to do?” he asked.

“I’m still working on that, but right now I want to dance some more.”

Folks formed a line to dance to “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Sharlene fell in beside Fiona but she’d had so many shots with the melancholy boy that she had trouble keeping up with the moves.

“Lord, I’d better go sit out a few and just drink Coke until this gets through my system. Hey, where’s my sad boy?”

“His woman came in and took him home,” Fiona said.

“Well, good for her.”

“Deke?”

“Cooling off outside.”

Sharlene’s eyes widened and she giggled. “He’d better be careful if he left with the woman that’s been glued to his zipper all night. See y’all when we shut down the place.”

“The wagon train leaves at twelve sharp,” Jud said. “I’ve got to work tomorrow.”

“Party pooper.” Sharlene staggered off.

When midnight rolled around, Fiona still wanted one more dance with Jud, to feel his arms around her for a few more hours and to spend a little while longer looking into his fascinating brown eyes.

When they stepped out into the cold night air, there was no big lovers’ moon hanging in the sky. Not even one little bright star could find a hole in the gray skies to push its brightness through. Other than the streetlamps on the four corners of the parking lot and a few headlights as folks headed home, it was a dreary night.

Fiona welcomed the fresh, icy air when she sucked it into her lungs. Jud laced his fingers in hers and hunched his shoulders against the bitter wind blowing from the north.

“I don’t see any of them,” she said.

“We’ll call Deke from the truck.”

Snowflakes had begun to fall from the sky when they were inside his truck. “White Christmas may be a reality if this keeps up all month,” he said.

Her phone vibrated in her hip pocket. Deke had sent a text. Scooter would take Sharlene and Mary Jo home after breakfast. Deke had found his own way back to Dry Creek. They’d all see them in church on Sunday if not before.

“Guess we’re on our own.”

“They’ve all got plans, right?” he asked.

“Looks that way,” she answered.

“Hungry?” He backed out of the parking lot and made a right-hand turn onto the highway.

“More tired than hungry, but we could get a burger to go at that McDonald’s at the next exit,” she said.

“So you know this area well enough to know that?”

“No, I saw a sign that said the golden arches were at the next exit when we were driving up here. This place has grown so much in seven years that I hardly know it at all.”

“We’ll get used to it together, then. We did our partying down around Dallas or else west of Gainesville if we didn’t want to drive all the way into the big city, but this is all new territory to me.” The lights were still on and the sign said the drive-through window was open twenty-four/seven, so he eased the truck up to the order place.

“Name your poison,” he said.

She unfastened her seat belt and leaned toward him so she could see the menu. Remnants of shaving lotion, smoke clinging to his shirt, beer on his breath, tousled blond hair all worked together to send her hormones into a whining state.

“Burger with mustard and no onions, fries, and coffee,” she said, but her mind damn sure wasn’t on food right then.

The lady repeated it back. “Anything else?”

“Double that and add a chocolate shake to the order.”

“Large?”

“That’s fine,” Jud answered, and handed her a bill.

Fiona opened her mouth to argue but he laid a finger over her lips. “I’ve had a wonderful time tonight. Just let me buy you a burger without a fight.”

She straightened up. “Thank you. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun.”

Fiona’s phone buzzed in her pocket. When she checked it, there was a text message from Allie.

“Audrey needs diapers. We need to go to the store on our way home,” she said.

The lady reached out and tapped on the truck window to get their attention. Jud hit the button and rolled down the window. She handed him the order and he drove forward to let the car behind him move up.

“So drive and eat or park and eat?” he asked.