Home For a Cowboy Christmas(25)

“And what if I’m too busy trying to determine that to know whether the people after her have arrived?”

Vic flattened her lips. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. It’s just the two of you in the house once I leave. It’s a great way to grow closer to someone. And, who knows? Something might develop between the two of you. Personally, I think she’s marvelous. Think on what I said, okay?”

Dwight nodded slowly.

Vic rose and kissed his cheek. “You’re a good man, Dwight. You deserve happiness. Good night.”

“’Night,” he replied and returned his gaze to the distant mountains, barely visible in the darkness.





Chapter 12


“Promise you’ll call,” Victoria said as she hugged Emmy.

The morning was cold, the sky bright as they stood on the porch. “I will.”

“I mean it.”

Emmy chuckled. “I know you do.”

Victoria leaned back and met her gaze. “Once I’m in your life, it’s impossible to get rid of me.”

“She isn’t kidding,” Dwight teased from beside them.

Vic rolled her eyes at her brother before returning her attention to Emmy and squeezing her hands. “You’re doing the right thing in testifying. As scary as all of this is right now, you’ll come out ahead. You do have my brother acting as your bodyguard.”

Emmy glanced at Dwight. “Be careful going back.”

Victoria winked at her before turning to her brother. Dwight wrapped his arms around her and lifted her feet off the floor, squeezing before setting her back down. “I expect more phone calls from you, as well.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She playfully slapped him on the arm. Then the frown transformed into a smile. “I love you.”

“Love you, too,” he replied.

Victoria gave them a wave before walking down the steps to her car and driving away.

Emmy sighed, feeling as if the air had deflated inside her somehow. “She’s a force.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

“You’re lucky to have her.”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “I agree. She also reminds me of that often.”

They returned inside. Emmy shivered and poured herself another cup of coffee to warm up. She offered one to Dwight, but he shook his head.

“I need to get to work.”

Emmy tried not to be disappointed. She wasn’t looking forward to being in the house alone again. Not because she was scared but because there wasn’t anything to do.

Dwight adjusted his cowboy hat. “You’ve cleaned every surface in the house. I understand that you need something to do. If you want, there are some things you can do in the office.”

“Yes, please,” she hurriedly replied.

He chuckled and motioned for her to follow him. Once inside, he sat in the chair and began telling her what needed to be sorted, filed, and shredded.

“I might be overstepping, but I could do some bookkeeping,” she offered.

Dwight hesitated, his gaze darting to the computer.

That’s when Emmy realized that Vic might not have shared her story with Dwight. “I’ve been a bookkeeper with a well-known firm in Denver for over eight years. It-it’s just a suggestion.”

“I’ll think on it,” he said and rose to walk to the door. There, he paused. “I should be back for lunch.”

She met his blue eyes and smiled. “Sounds good.”

Dwight walked out with Sam on his heels. A heartbeat later, she was alone. Emmy didn’t want a repeat of when Vic had arrived, so she rose and checked all the doors. Dwight had locked the back door behind him, but she double-checked anyway. Then she felt the knife in her sock that she always kept with her. The gun wasn’t so easy to carry around the house, but she wanted it with her while she was alone.

She retrieved it from her room and brought it down to the office. Then, she sighed and sank into the chair before reaching for the first stack of papers. It felt good to get lost in work that she knew and understood.

Before she knew it, Sam was beside her. Emmy checked the time on the laptop to see that it was, indeed, lunch. She rose and stretched her back and neck before walking into the kitchen just as Dwight came into the house.

“I’d ask how your morning has been, but I have a feeling you enjoyed it.”

She laughed, nodding. “I did, actually.”

They began gathering the items needed for sandwiches. They each made one, standing side by side.

It wasn’t until they sat down that Dwight said, “I’ve been thinking about your offer from this morning.”

She held up a hand to stop him as she finished chewing and swallowed. “I never should have put you in that kind of position. You don’t know me. I would certainly never hand over my bank account information to a complete stranger.”

“Nor would I,” he told her as he popped a Cheeto into his mouth. “However, the ranch runs off a business account so the bookkeepers and CPAs can access everything. I can set it up so you can’t withdraw funds or write checks—or transfer money somewhere I’ve not approved. In other words, I’d like to take you up on the offer.”

Elation filled her. “Are you serious?”