Home For a Cowboy Christmas(9)

“That’s kind of you, but you don’t need to.”

A pained expression came over her delicate features. “But I do. If I’m not busy, then I think about what happened in Denver. I think about them coming for me. I need to stay busy.”

He nodded, seeing the truth in her pale brown depths. “All right. There’s a hamper in the master if you wish to do some laundry. I live here alone, so I don’t make much of a mess.”

“Thank you,” she said with a grateful smile.

They went back to eating, silence once again reigning. When he finished, Dwight rose and brought his plate to the sink. He started to rinse it when Emmy cleared her throat behind him. He set the plate in the sink and turned to her with a smile.

“If you’ll get me that list, I’ll head into town. There’s a big storm coming in tomorrow evening. I’d rather not chance being on the road if it hits early.”

“Of course.” Emmy rose.

Dwight took the magnetic pad of paper stuck to the fridge along with a pen and handed it to her. As she wrote down what she needed, Dwight noted that Sam watched her intently.

“Here,” she said, not meeting his gaze as she handed the paper to him.

He read it over, noting that she had put brand names beside the things she needed. It wasn’t until he came to the last two items that he found himself looking at her.

She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe it would be better to buy those online?”

“It’ll be easier to get them in town.”

“You sure?”

He smiled. “Do you have any particular colors or anything?”

“It doesn’t matter. Whatever you find.”

Dwight folded the paper and put it into his wallet. He wrote his cell phone number on the pad and put it back on the fridge before walking to the hooks to put on his coat and hat and then reaching for his keys hanging nearby. “My number is there if you need to call. Lock the door behind me. Sam will stay with you. I shouldn’t be longer than two hours. If I’m held up, I’ll call the house and leave a message.”

“Thank you.”

It had been a really long time since he had felt the need to protect the way he did with Emmy. He gave her a nod and walked from the house to his truck in the garage. Once he’d backed out and was on the road, he called his sister.

“Hey,” Vic answered cheerfully. “You don’t usually call until evening. What’s going on?”

“Nothing is going on.”

“Right. Spit it out,” she stated.

He hesitated for a moment. “I need a favor.”

“Of course. What do you need?”

“I … well, I need to buy women’s panties.”

There was a beat of silence before Victoria burst out laughing.

Dwight rolled his eyes as he made his way up the mountain. “Let me know when you’re finished.”

At his comment, she laughed even harder.

It took another full minute before she calmed herself. “Sorry,” she said, but he could hear the smile in her voice. “I was unprepared for that statement. Took me completely off guard.”

“Mm-hmm,” he murmured.

“Want to fill me in on why you need to buy such things?”

He wrinkled his nose because he’d known she would ask that. “I can’t get into details. I’m doing a favor for someone in a bind.”

“Does this someone in a bind have a name?”

“Emmy.”

“Oh,” Vic said, drawing out the word. “What a pretty name. Is she pretty, as well?”

Dwight clenched the steering wheel. “She’s fucking gorgeous.”

“Ah. She must be for you to admit it in such a way.”

“Don’t even think about matchmaking, Vic. This isn’t the time.”

She snorted loudly. “There is always time for that.”

“Not when her life is on the line.”

“Damn. So, I take it this favor is from your old days.”

“Yeah,” Dwight answered.

Victoria sighed, all the teasing gone from her voice as she said, “Tell me what details you can.”

“She came with nothing but the clothes on her back. I let her borrow some of yours, but the pants are a bit short.”

“She needs a little of everything, then.”

“That she does.”

Victoria was silent for a heartbeat. “Okay. How about this? Get a few of the basics that she’s asked for, but also send me the list. I’ll buy some things here and then drive down in a couple of days. It’s a good time for me to visit.”

“That’s a lie. You’ve got that big client coming in that you need to prepare for over Christmas.”

“True, but I’m ahead on things. And it’s nothing for me to take a long weekend. Besides, it might do Emmy good to have another female around.”

“Maybe you can get her to leave the house.”

“It’s that bad, is it?” Victoria asked.

Dwight reached the top of the mountain and rounded the curve to begin the descent. “It is. I can’t share anything over the phone. You need to make sure you don’t repeat any of this.”

“I can’t believe you just said that,” she snapped. “Of course, I won’t. Now, tell me. How do my tops fit her?”