Merry Cowboy Christmas (Lucky Penny Ranch #3)(85)

For the most part, they were very practical. Sweaters, new work coats, boots, and wallets, belts—that kind of thing was what they were interested in buying. Two western wear stores pretty much finished their job. Blake did want her to go to Victoria’s Secret to pick out something pretty in lingerie for Allie. From the time they entered the store to the time they walked out with a lovely bright red silky nightgown in a gift bag, ten minutes had elapsed.

Jud glanced up from the bench where he and Deke had opted to sit. “Are we all done, then? Can we grab some Chinese food at that place?” He pointed. “My treat since you came with us, Fiona.”

Deke whispered something in Jud’s ear and Fiona heard her name in the mix of muted words. Jud nodded the whole time and clamped a hand on Deke’s shoulder.

Fiona hoped to hell that Deke had not just told him about the interview. She wanted to make up her mind about it before she mentioned it to her mother or to Jud. She fought the urge to pop herself on the forehead. She should have told Deke it was a secret.

“We’ll eat first and then, Fiona, we want you to call the girls and go with them for a while,” Deke said. “We have to shop for you.”

She wanted to wipe her forehead in relief but she held her hands together tightly. “I’ll call Lizzy. If they’re hungry, maybe they can join us.”

“Sounds good,” Jud said.

Thank goodness the mall hours had been extended from Monday through Christmas Eve because after they’d eaten and the guys had gone off in a different direction from the ladies, Fiona was completely at a loss.

Where did she shop and what did she buy for Jud?

“Did you see that Santa right back there?” Dora June asked.

“You want to go back and sit on his lap?” Fiona asked.

“No, but my Truman looked better than that. I bet he could get a job being Santa and he’d look better than that guy did,” Dora June declared. “That man’s eyes were glazed over. I bet he’s been drinking. I wouldn’t let my kids sit in his lap. Oh, here’s the toy store. I want to look for a Raggedy Andy doll for Audrey to go with Ann doll I got her last time.”

“Y’all go on. I’m going to sneak into this bookstore,” Fiona said.

Nothing took Fiona’s eye in the store until she was leaving and noticed a small display at the end of an aisle. A cowboy hat hung on a nail up above stacks of long, narrow booklets titled Merry Christmas Cowboy. The tagline said, “Something special for the sexy cowboy in your life.”

She picked one up and flipped it open to find a coupon for each week of the upcoming year and they all had to do with something a cowboy would like. A night of western movies. A picnic in the pasture. Plus there were a few that made her blush but Jud would love it.

Did buying it mean that she was staying in Dry Creek? Or did it mean he’d have to drive or fly to Houston to collect once a week? She wasn’t sure but she bought the booklet anyway and meandered on down the mall alone.

A sex toy place caught her eye because of the silk boxer shorts hanging in the window. She chose a pair with a picture of glow-in-the-dark tangled Christmas lights printed on the front. With their past experience with the condoms, he’d think those were funny.

Two presents and neither one of them could be wrapped to go under the tree. Now it was time to get serious and buy something for him that he could unwrap in front of the family. She stopped at a jewelry store and stared at the display in the window. A tie tack caught her eye. Shaped like steer horns, it was something that Jud would really like—and then she glanced over at the wedding bands.

She’d had diamonds the first time around and they hadn’t helped things to work. Next time all she wanted was a plain gold band—if there was a next time. An antsy feeling told her that someone was staring at her and she looked up to see the manager of the jewelry store smiling from the other side of the glass.

Then an arm slipped around her waist and Jud was there beside her. Her heart jacked up its speed a few notches and her palms got a little clammy as he pulled her close enough that they were touching from shoulder to thigh.

“I’ve bought you a couple of private things to be opened when it’s just us,” he said. “But I can’t find anything that looks right, that tells you what is in my heart and yet can be opened in front of the family.”

“Me too,” she sighed.

“How about that?” He pointed toward a red velvet box with a set of matching gold bands.

“Are you serious?” Fiona asked. “We’ve barely known each other a month.”

Her heart fluttered and her hands trembled. She should panic or run but all she wanted to do grab hold of Jud and never let him go.

“We could put them on a shelf until you’re ready,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.” He dropped down on one knee right there in front of the jewelry store and held her hands in his. “I think I knew I was in love with you the moment you kicked the crap out of the tires on that old truck you drove into town. And since then all I can think about is you. When I go to sleep, I relive the day we’ve had. When I wake up, I can’t wait to see you again. When we dance, it’s like the world disappears. I never want to live a day without you. Fiona Logan, will you marry me?”

It was too soon. She had a decision to make about the Houston job. She couldn’t rush into anything. She had to plan things out. She couldn’t say yes. It was crazy. It was too fast.