Home For a Cowboy Christmas(37)

“Happy Thanksgiving.”

As they began to eat, Emmy said, “I thought that I might help you out on the ranch tomorrow.”

He looked up in surprise. “I’d love that.”

“I’m not sure what all you do, but I’m sure I can figure things out.”

Dwight grinned. “We’ll stick close to the house. I’ll make sure my ranch hands aren’t anywhere near.”

“I keep forgetting about them,” she said, her nose wrinkling.

“I trust them, but I think it’s better if they don’t know you’re here.”

She nodded quickly. “Oh, I agree. It’s just that I’ve finally started to feel safe. I forget you have people working for you that don’t know about me.”

“It’s because I talk about them. You feel like you know them, which makes you believe you’ve met them, and they you.”

She swallowed her bite. “I suppose. I’m just so ready for this trial to be over.”

Dwight hoped she didn’t mean that she was ready to leave him. He tried not to let his mind go down that road, but he couldn’t stop it.

“There are days when I can almost forget, you know?” Emmy continued. “Then there are some when it’s all I can think about.”

He glanced at her. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve done so much to help. Without you, I wouldn’t be here now. You’ve helped me feel safe, but not so much that I’m not taking precautions.”

Dwight nodded with a smile. “I understand.”

“Have you heard anything from Dalton?”

“Nothing. Though, I didn’t expect to. At least not until it gets closer to the trial.”

Emmy tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about this now.”

“It’s obviously on your mind. Talk if you need to.”

She set her fork on her plate and looked at him. “It’s because of you.”

“Me?” he asked with a frown.

Emmy smiled, a little sadness in her eyes. “The time we’ve spent together has been…” She shrugged. “I can’t even put it into words. It’s Thanksgiving, a holiday I’ve spent alone the last couple of years. And now, I’m with you. We put up Christmas decorations.”

“Was it too much?”

“It was perfect. That’s what has me thinking about the trial. I’m tired of it hanging over my head.”

He reached for her hand again and covered it with his. “I know. Not long now.”

“I don’t know if I can make it.”

“You will,” he told her. “I’ll be right by your side.”

That seemed to fortify her as her smile widened, and she returned to eating. But all Dwight could think about was how little time he had left with Emmy before Dalton came for her. Even though he’d said he would go with them to Denver, they’d said nothing about what happened after the trial.

That was primarily due to Emmy not wanting to think about the possibility that she might not live. Just because she made it to Denver, and even the courthouse, didn’t mean she would live long enough to take the stand.

Dwight wanted to say so many things to her. He wanted her to come back to Montana when everything was done, but he also knew putting that kind of pressure on her right now would be disastrous. She needed to focus on remaining calm. She felt safe right now, and he didn’t want that to change.

When the trial was behind them, he would talk to her. Hopefully, by then, she could tell him her feelings. He knew she cared about him. It was in the way she touched him, how she smiled at him and held him.

But he still needed the words.

Having her in his life, being a couple as they were now, he knew that she was the only one for him. However, they hadn’t spoken of their current arrangement. After he had confessed that he was falling in love with her and she hadn’t responded, Dwight had thought it best not to go down that path again just yet.

She hadn’t brought up anything either. They had simply fallen into things that most couples did, including sleeping in the same bed together.

After the meal, they moved to the living room. To his surprise, Emmy turned out all the lights except for the ones on the tree and the various garlands. He stoked the fire and added another log. When he turned around, she held out a glass of bourbon for him.

“To the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had,” she said and lifted her glass.

He touched his glass to hers, smiling. “To the best Thanksgiving.”

They each took a drink to seal the toast. Dwight then took her hand and brought her to the sofa so they could curl up together. Once they were settled, Sam jumped up to lie next to Emmy.

“Too early for Christmas music?” he asked.

She smiled up at him. “Not at all.”

“Unless you want to watch something.”

“I think I’d like to just sit and enjoy the evening.”

“I can give you that.” He took out his phone and found his Christmas playlist, then sent it through the speaker.

Perry Como’s “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” filled the silence.

“I love the old Christmas songs,” Emmy said as she began singing along.