Chapter 6
six
BEAU
I can’t believe I kissed her. Wait. Yes I can. What I can’t believe is that it took me so long to finally flip out and pin her against the wall to kiss her.
I fully expected her to throw open the door and take her chances freezing in the open countryside. Never did it cross my mind that she would kiss me back. And that’s exactly what she did with her soft, warm lips. Thankfully, reason overtook me before it went any farther. I would like to claim that I can be a gentleman when put to the test.
But then, would a gentleman be leaning again the doorjamb to her room watching her curled up next to a giant dog in bed? I opened the door simply to insist Reacher go outside this morning. Something about her, though, holds me rooted in place. Maybe it’s the golden hair splayed across the pillow, or the soft curves curled under the blanket, or the way she has her arm wrapped around my dog.
“You’re starting to freak me out,” she mumbles, pulling me from my fantasies.
“Sorry. Reacher, out.”
The dog grunts, but he slides off the bed and out the door.
“You’re spoiling him.” Closing the door behind us, I roll my eyes at my reprimand. It takes me a few minutes to convince Reacher that he has to go outside to do his business.
I return to the kitchen to find her wrapped in the blanket from the bed and sitting in a kitchen chair. I should say something about last night. An apology is on the tip of my tongue when she speaks.
“Do you never get cold?”
“I guess.” I look down at what I’m wearing. This time I have on a T-shirt instead of just jeans. My feet are bare though. I never think about it, being cold or hot.
“Were you about to say something?”
My gaze meets hers again.
“You were going to apologize for last night, weren’t you?”
I shrug.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Okay.”
“Are you sorry you kissed me?”
“No.” I don’t have to think about it. Kissing Harmony might just be the best spontaneous thing I’ve ever done. “I’m not sorry I kissed you, but I’m sorry that I didn’t ask you first.”
“I’m not,” she says, pulling the blanket tighter around her. “Because I might have overthought it, and it was perfect just the way it was.”
I feel the heat flush through my body. Am I blushing? I never blush, or I didn’t used to anyway. Still, I agree, it was perfect. Before I can tell her, there’s a muffled bark at the back door. Shit, I forgot my dog.
Rushing to the back door, I open it to a snow-covered, giant, angry-looking yellow dog. I swear he sneers at me as he pushes past into the kitchen. His demeanor turns pathetic as he moves to Harmony to rest his frozen head on her leg.
“Poor baby, are you frozen?” she coos. Did he just smirk at me? “Come here. I’ll share my blanket with you.” She slides to the floor and wraps the blanket around the dog.
“Seriously?”
“I’m not the one so busy thinking about kissing the girl again that I left my dog outside in the snow.” Okay, fair point. “You’re not thinking that at all are you, big boy,” she says, ruffling his ears. “Because you’re a good boy.”
I think the noise I make is something that combines a snort, a grunt, and a guffaw. She pretends to ignore me, but I see the corners of her mouth tick up.
“You’re baiting me.”
She shrugs, and I swear to all that is fucking holy, it is the sexiest shrug I’ve ever seen. Without thinking, I push the dog away, wrap my arms around her and pick her up. The second her ass meets the table, I’m between her legs with my lips pressed against hers.
Her arms close around my neck as my tongue chases hers. Opening the blanket, I pull her against me on the edge of the table. The aching bulge in my jeans presses against a pair of shorts that barely covers her. Jesus, I’m not this strong. Her hands drift down my shirt until they can pull the hem up to rest on my stomach.
“Harmony,” I warn.
“I know,” she whispers against my lips. “I know,” she says stronger the second time and straightens her back.
I step back, helping her off the table. Finding the edges of the blanket, she pulls it back around her, covering straining nipples begging for my touch. That image does nothing to curb my raging erection.
“I’m going to get dressed,” she adds before turning toward her bedroom.
“Good. Yeah.” My brain can’t think of anything else. I start the monotonous routine of making breakfast hoping it will calm me down.
By the time I have the oatmeal ready, she’s returned. “I hope you’ll eat this. I’ve got stuff to put on it.” She sits at the table and begins to eat. I can think of so many more things that table should be used for than eating. Well, eating oatmeal anyway.
“Are we still checking on your neighbors?” she asks.
“Yeah, they’re older. I don’t like the thought of something happening over there and no one knowing about it.”
“Sounds good.” We both sound like we’re trying to force a conversation that would have come easily earlier. Her side of it would have anyway. Maybe we could use some fresh air. “Are we still taking the horses?”
“I thought we would.” She nods her head and continues eating. I can’t think of a single thing to say so we eat in silence until we’ve finished.
“Ready?” I ask after the dishes are drying in the rack. Digging out a handful of winter gear, she tries on different coveralls until she finds a pair that fits the closest. I add gloves, hat, and face covering to her look.
“I feel like that kid from A Christmas Story . I really can’t put my arms down.”
“At least you’ll be warm.” I lead her and Reacher out the front door. She steps off the porch and into snow that reaches her knees. I noticed when I let the dog out that we had new snow on the ground. “You okay?”
“Peachy,” she says, pulling a boot out of the drift. Together, we finally make it to the barn. I sit her on a bale of hay to warm up while I saddle the horses. They’re both snorting and stamping in the frigid air. Reacher races around digging in the snow like he might find buried treasure.
“This is Hoss,” I tell her when I’m finished saddling my big roan gelding. “And this is Joe,” I add, pointing to the small bay she’s going to ride. I hook a lead line to his bridle so I can still control him from my horse.
“ Bonanza ?” she asks.
I shrug a shoulder and help her onto Joe.
“You remember I’ve never ridden before, right?” She has a death grip on the saddle horn.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” Holding both the lead line and my reins, I swing onto Hoss. With a whistle at Reacher, we head out of the barn.
“Wow, it’s cold out here.”
“Do you want to change your mind?”
“No,” she answers, straightening her shoulders. “I’ll be fine.”
She is too. It takes us half an hour to ride the mile, but she never complains. Her only concession to the cold is to keep her mouth closed most of the way.
I’ll admit that I miss her banter as we slog through the snow. It’s not possible to fall for someone in a day, is it? Can you feel this connected to someone who you know basically nothing about?
I knew a few things about Harmony Ellis before she walked into my kitchen yesterday. I already knew she was the nice sister. Any time I saw her with Travis in high school, she was laughing. I also know she has a voice that can tame even the most savage beast. At graduation, she was in the top ten percent of the class. She had as many cords around her neck in her gown as Travis, which was substantial.
She can cook, that’s for damn sure. The gumbo last night was orgasmic. I should probably think about something other than orgasms. Anyway, she’s gorgeous, funny, and kind. What else do I need to know about her? How about the sounds she makes when she comes on my cock? Jesus. Good thing it’s freezing.
“Is that it?” she asks, pointing to a plume of smoke coming from a distant chimney.
“That’s it.” We arrive at the house, and I help Harmony off the horse.
“Oh my, look what the weather blew in.” Mr. Harris stands in his front door. He quickly rushes us inside before taking our horses to his barn. I help Harmony unwrap from the layers of clothing she’s in.
“Are you trying to freeze your guest, Beau?” Mrs. Harris asks. “She’s as cold as ice. Come here, sugar. You sit down while I make some hot tea.” She gives me a shake of her head before turning to the stove. Reacher, who’s kept up with us the entire trip, makes himself comfortable in front of the fireplace next to their dog.
“Hi, I’m Harmony.”
“I know who you are, honey. We watched every episode of that country star show you were on. Nate and I were so proud when you won.”
“Who were we proud of?” Nate asks, stepping into the kitchen.
“You remember the youngest Ellis girl,” she chastises. “I was telling her about watching that show she was on. I’m Reba,” she adds. “Like the star, but without the singing voice.”
“We thought we would come see how you’re holding up in the snow,” I try.
“We’re just fine,” Reba answers as the kettle begins to whistle. “But the bigger question is, what are you doing at Beau’s?” She sets a cup of tea in front of Harmony and sits in a chair across from her. I’m pretty sure I’ll be hearing about this for a while to come. I should have thought this venture out better.
“I was heading home for the holidays and got trapped in the storm.”
“Oh, bless your heart. It’s a good thing you got stranded near his place then,” Reba answers. Sure, that’s what we’ll go with. Not the story about how my brother abandoned her in my guest bedroom.
“Speaking of, we wanted to ask if you had any extra Christmas lights for our tree?” Harmony asks.
“Beau put up a tree?” Reba asks as if the very concept is an aberration. She and Nate exchange looks before looking at me. I ignore them. “Of course we have extra lights. We’ll dig them out after you warm up a little.”
“We might be experiencing a Christmas miracle, Mother,” Nate teases.
“All right.” There’s no need to point out what an asshole I’ve been in the past so blatantly.
“We’re just giving you a hard time. Come on, let’s go find the extra lights,” Reba said, patting Harmony on the leg. We watch them leave the kitchen for another part of the house.
“Pretty girl,” Nate says.
“She is,” I agree.
“Might be worth keeping.”
“She’s one of Travis’s friends,” I argue. “I don’t even know her. She just got trapped here because of the snow.”
“Still,” he says. “No time like the present. To get to know someone that is.” There’s a smirk on his face that makes me uncomfortable. I’m saved by Harmony bouncing back into the room clutching a sack of stuff to her chest.
“Look, Beau!” she blurts. “We have lights, tinsel, some craft stuff for making more ornaments, and stockings.” How? They weren’t even gone that long.
“Who is Duke?” I ask as she holds up one of the stockings.
“It’s one of our dogs long since gone,” Reba answers. “I’m sure you can do something with the names.”
“Or you can be Duke, and I can be…Sissy,” Harmony says, holding up the other stocking.
“Do all of your dogs get stockings?” I ask.
“What can I say? Mother likes to sew,” Nate says.
“Don’t worry, I included one for Reacher.”
“Or…Bitsy.” Harmony laughs.
“Jesus,” I swear under my breath.
“You watch that mouth, Mirabeau Rayburn,” Reba warns.
“Mirabeau?” Harmony’s eyebrows are so high, they almost disappear into her hairline.
“Don’t,” I warn. “We should be heading back.” I stand and walk to the door to begin pulling back on all my outer layers.
“You don’t want to stay for lunch?” Reba asks.
“I left something cooking at home. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay and to borrow some lights. Thank you, though.” Harmony joins me by the door. When she’s redressed, we say our goodbyes and step outside. The wind feels colder than our ride over. She shivers next to me.
“Do you want to ride home behind me. I’ll cut some of the wind. You’d be warmer,” I offer.
“Okay. Mirabeau,” I sigh as I take Joe’s reins in my hand and swing up on Hoss. Reaching down, I pull Harmony up behind me. Reacher races around us in the snow. I whistle for him, and we start back to the ranch.
Harmony scoots as close to my back as possible before burying her face in my coat. Her arms wrap around my waist. I slide them inside my coat to help keep her hands warm.
Just the feel of her hands on me, even though there are multiple layers of clothes separating us, is enough to make my heart race. My mind drifts to thoughts of her heart pressed against me as we fight our way through the snow. My body heats at the feel of hers tucked against mine. This is going to be a very long ride.