Santa's Sweetheart (The Christmas Tree Ranch #4)(33)

Without giving Sam a chance to reply, she climbed into the car, started the engine, switched on the headlights, and hit the gas pedal. The tires spat gravel as she pulled away from the curb. When she glanced in the rearview mirror, Sam was no longer in sight.

By the time Grace turned onto her street, she’d developed a pounding headache. The day had been like a runaway roller coaster—the busy time in class, Ed Judkins’s nasty surprise, the car, the visit to Sam’s house, with its heart-twisting revelations . . . and finally the kiss that had shaken her to the roots of her soul.

Why had Sam kissed her? And why had she let him? Grace had no answers to those questions. She’d come to Branding Iron to pull herself together after her broken engagement and take a break from men. It was cruel fate that she should meet the most appealing man who’d ever walked into her life.

Falling in love with Sam could be the easiest thing she’d ever done. But letting it happen would only end in one more emotional train wreck. Sam and Maggie deserved better than that. They deserved a happily ever after, like the endings in Wynette’s romance novels—something Grace was too badly broken to offer them.

Maybe she should just chalk the whole day up to the Christmas crazies.

A few minutes later, she pulled into the driveway. In the house, her roommates were watching the end of a Christmas movie on TV. “We saved you a plate of enchiladas and beans,” Jess said. “It’s in the fridge. You can microwave it if you’re hungry.”

“I’ve eaten, thanks.” Grace tossed her coat onto the rack. “All I want to do is get ready for bed and sleep off this headache. I’ve had a day of it.”

“Oh, Grace!” Wynette was staring at her over the back of the couch. “You look like you’ve been crying. What’s wrong?”

Grace managed a feeble smile. “Nothing serious. Like I say, it’s been a long day.”

“But what happened? You were fine when I saw you at the bakery.”

Grace shook her head. “Oh, no, you don’t. You’re not getting a story tonight. I’ll be fine, but right now I’m too tired to talk.”

“Oh—that reminds me,” Jess said. “You had a phone call about twenty minutes ago. Someone named Nicky. He said he’d call back. I hope it’s not bad news. It looks like that’s the last thing you need tonight.”

Nicky. Grace’s headache throbbed. Nicky Treadwell, who served as an assistant principal in the school district where Grace formerly worked, had never come to terms with her leaving him virtually at the altar. She’d learned to expect a call from him every few weeks, usually late at night when he’d been drinking. She certainly hadn’t given him her number here, but it would have been easy enough to get it from one of their mutual friends.

Grace knew she’d hurt him—or at least hurt his pride. Nicky’s constant neediness had made her feel loved. But as the wedding date neared, his growing demands for attention and control had begun to worry her. Days before her planned walk down the aisle, she’d given his ring back.

Time and distance had convinced her that she’d made a wise choice. But had the problem been with Nicky or with her own insecurities about her father? Grace was still struggling with the answer to that question.

“You look exhausted, Grace,” Jess said. “Go on to bed. If he calls again, I can just ask him to leave a message.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think he’ll be satisfied with that.” Grace had never told her roommates about her past. Now wasn’t the time. “I’ll give him a few minutes. Maybe he won’t call.”

Just then the phone rang. Jess gave Grace a questioning look.

“No, I’ll get it.” Grace reached for the phone. Nicky’s number showed on the caller ID.

“What do you want, Nicky?” she asked. “I can’t talk long. I need my sleep.”

“I just want to remind you that you ruined my life.” He sounded drunk. “I’ll never get over this, Grace, and I’ll never forgive you. If you hear that I jumped off a bridge, I want you to know that it was your fault.”

He made the same threat almost every time he called. Unlikely as it probably was, it still worried her. “Get some help, Nicky,” she said. “Find a therapist or a support group. Or get yourself a girlfriend. I can’t help you from here.”

“You’re a heartless bitch, Grace.” He slurred the words. “One day I’ll make you pay for what you did.”

“As I said, get some help, Nicky. And don’t call me again.” She hung up the phone before he could say more.

Jess had busied herself with cleaning up the popcorn bowl and soda cans from the coffee table. But Wynette was staring at Grace. “What’s going on, girl? Are you all right?”

Grace gave her friend a faint smile, knowing that her concern was well meant. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “As for what’s going on, that story’s best saved for another time.”

Just getting ready for bed drained what was left of her energy. But settling into sleep was harder than she’d hoped. Time crawled as she tossed and turned, the day’s events replaying in her mind like scenes from a B-grade movie.

At last, exhaustion won out and she drifted into a dream. She was in Sam’s arms, his tender, passionate kisses sending ripples of desire through her body. She wanted him. She loved him, and for the first time, everything felt right.