A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe Read online

  So delivering Thanksgiving leftovers was a cover story and the actual reason was currently sitting in her living room sweating out an unexpected face-to-face with her parents. Poor Ty. She hadn’t meant to put him in this position. She’d had several other positions in mind, though, and now that was a lost cause.

  Because Ty had her front-door key, she used the intercom to get buzzed in.

  Her dad answered. “Hey, sweetie! We’re making turkey sandwiches and drinking a really good pinot noir. Come on up and join the party!”

  “Be right there!” Oh, boy. They would assume she’d want turkey sandwiches on the Saturday after Thanksgiving because she always had before. She wondered if Ty was forcing down a sandwich to be sociable even though he’d had a large helping of mac and cheese not very long ago.

  Her mother came out of the hallway and hurried to meet her. “Honey, I had no idea you would be seeing him again tonight. But once we were here, what could we do? He seems nice.”

  “He is nice, Mom.” She gave her mother a hug. “And surprising me with Thanksgiving leftovers is a sweet and thoughtful idea.”

  “I actually wanted to find out what was going on with this new guy.”

  Whitney laughed. “I knew that.”

  “So you’re not surprised we showed up?”

  “I was at first, but when I thought about it on the drive home, I figured it out.”

  “Forgive me?”

  “Of course.” She smiled at her petite mother, whose head was a smidgen higher than Whitney’s shoulder. Her parents were physical opposites, and Whitney had inherited her height from her dark-haired dad. Her coloring came from her mother, who was just beginning to go gray.

  “I debated with myself for a long time after we talked on Thanksgiving, but in the end, I had to come up here. I trust your judgment, but I heard that homesick note in your voice, and here you were inviting this rakish-looking centerfold person into your apartment. You’ve never lived this far away before, and I just...needed to see for myself that you were okay.”

  “I understand, Mom.” She wrapped an arm around her mom’s shoulders as they walked back to the apartment. “Did Ty mention the celebration at his foster parents’ ranch?”

  “He did, just a little bit ago. Had we known about that we wouldn’t have given him so much wine.”

  “So much wine? Is he drunk?”

  “I don’t think so. He’s a big guy, and I fed him a turkey sandwich so that should help, but I gather you were supposed to go to this party at the ranch, too. You should go so you can drive him just in case he’s not up to it. We’ll hang out here until you get back.”

  Whitney had to press her lips together to keep from laughing. This was not the evening she’d been looking forward to. “I’ll see what he thinks.” She mentally added the mac and cheese to the turkey sandwich. Considering he’d only had about thirty minutes to eat a sandwich and drink wine, he couldn’t have consumed that much. “But you’ve come all this way and I know you’ll have to start back tomorrow, so I hate to run off and leave you.”

  “Ty has to head back to Cheyenne tomorrow, too, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes. Monday’s a work day for him.”

  “Then you two should go to the party tonight regardless of which one of you drives. That’s what you planned and that’s what you need to do. I’m feeling like a buttinski right now.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I don’t have to go unless Ty’s not okay to drive.”

  “But you should.” Her mom pulled her back from the door and lowered her voice. “He’s nothing like I thought he would be. Your dad and I have been talking with him and he’s a lot more modest and gentlemanly than I expected. He’s also smart and funny. I can see why you like him.”

  Whitney weighed her options. If she stayed here with her parents, she wouldn’t get to spend any more time with Ty before he left. He’d drive to the ranch and that would be the end of that. She hated to leave things that way after all the plans they’d made.

  “Okay, I’ll go to the party,” she said. “Please don’t wait up for me, though. It could be late. And take my bed.”

  “I knew you’d want to give us your room, so we already have our stuff in there. Your bed looked as if you’d just changed the sheets.”

  Yikes. Her mother was way too observant. “You taught me well! I change the sheets every Saturday come hell or high water.” Or a handsome cowboy.

  “Well, I’ll wash them again in the morning so you have fresh sheets for the rest of the week.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “No, I want to. It’s the least I can do after all this. What time do you work tomorrow?”

  “I start at eight, but I only scheduled myself for three hours and I don’t go back until four. We can have a nice lunch before you drive home.”

  “Sounds perfect. Now let’s go see what those men are up to. Last I heard, they were debating who would end up in the Super Bowl.”

  Whitney relaxed a little. If Ty could talk football with her dad, then they’d get along fine. Maybe it hadn’t been a tortuous half hour for him, after all.

  But when he met her gaze, he looked like a drowning man who’d just been thrown a lifeline. Good thing she’d decided to go to the party with him. They needed some time alone to sort this out.

  He stood and set down his empty glass next to a half-eaten sandwich. On her dad’s end table stood one empty wine bottle and one that was half full. Maybe she’d better drive, after all.

  Her mother had obviously claimed the rocker. One of Whitney’s little folding tables held her mom’s glass and a partly eaten sandwich. Four people made her little apartment bulge at the seams.

  Her dad came over and gave her a hug. “We just barged in here like we have good sense. Apparently you have plans, so you should go ahead with them.”

  “That’s what I told her,” her mother said.

  “No worries. She certainly doesn’t have to go.” Ty picked up his coat and hat. “I’ll just head out and let you enjoy time with your daughter.”

  Whitney unzipped her coat. “Actually, I’d like to go with you if that’s still okay.”

  “You would?”

  “I feel a connection to that project and I’d love to be part of the celebration. My folks will understand.”

  “We certainly will.” Her mother smiled at Ty. “It’s a wonderful idea, this Thunder Mountain Academy. We made a small contribution, ourselves.”

  Ty looked confused. “Would you two like to come along, then? The more, the merrier.”

  “Oh, no.” Whitney’s father shook his head. “We’ve been on the road for five hours. Another glass of pinot noir and I’ll be ready to turn in.”

  “Me, too.” Her mom picked up her goblet. “You and Whitney go have fun.”

  Whitney glanced at Ty. “I’ll just be a minute. I’d rather not go in my work clothes.” She hurried into her bedroom and made the fastest wardrobe change in history.

  Her parents’ overnight bag stood in a corner and their jackets lay on the bed. Her mom’s purse was on the dresser. Just in time, Whitney remembered the box of condoms she’d stashed in the bedside table drawer.

  Yes, they knew she was a sexually active adult, but that didn’t mean she wanted them to open the drawer and find that box, especially now that they were aware she’d given Ty her keys. She grabbed the box and noticed four loose packets of a different brand lying on top.

  She had a tough time not bursting into hysterical laughter as she scooped those up, as well. Stuffing Ty’s contribution in one of her slippers, she shoved the box behind a pair of rain boots. Next time she planned a hot night of sex, she’d make damned sure that her parents weren’t about to visit.

  Dressed in a black cowl-necked sweater and a new pair of jeans with rhinestones on the pockets, she ducked into her bathroom across the hall, quickly brushed her teeth and put on fresh lipstick.

  She dropped her lipstick in her purse, picked up her coat and walked into the living ro
om. All conversation stopped. Maybe they hadn’t been talking about her, but she had a feeling they had. She glanced at Ty. “Ready?”

  “Sure thing.” He popped up immediately and came over to help her with her coat. “Just let me take my dishes into the kitchen.”

  “Leave them, leave them.” Her mother made a shooing motion with her hand. “We’ll take care of it. Have a great time.”

  “Thanks.” Ty grabbed his jacket from where it lay on the futon and shrugged into it, his movements uncharacteristically clumsy. “It was really nice meeting you both.”

  “Nice to meet you, too.” Her dad stood and they shook hands. “Five bucks says my team takes home the Super Bowl trophy.”

  “You’re on.” Ty reached for his hat.

  “We’ll be in bed by the time you get back.” Whitney’s mom stood and walked over to Ty. “So let me give you a goodbye hug, now.”

  “Sure thing.” He looked startled but hugged her gently as if afraid she might break. He was no taller than her dad, but he was a lot more muscular. Her mom looked tiny in his arms.

  “Now be on your way.” She smiled at Whitney. “And I do think you’d better drive, honey.” She rolled her eyes toward the two wine bottles on the end table.

  “We’ll see.” But after watching Ty put on his coat and noticing the odd tilt of his hat, she had to agree. “I’ll catch up with you two in the morning. Sleep well.” She walked out the door Ty held open for her. Once it was closed behind them, she turned to him. “Would you like me to drive?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I surely would.”

  “How much wine did you drink, anyway?”

  He looked sheepish. “I’m not positive. Art kept refilling my glass when it started getting low and I was glad for that, to be honest. All of us were nervous and the wine helped. I didn’t get around to mentioning the party at the ranch until right before you got home, so they probably thought the four of us would be hanging out together tonight.”

  “What if I hadn’t decided to come with you?”

  “I would have stopped somewhere for coffee and waited until I felt more like making the drive. Not Rangeland Roasters, obviously. Maybe the diner.”

  “Oh, Ty.” She tucked her arm through his as they started down the hall. “I’m so sorry. I never dreamed they’d show up tonight. I’ll bet you were in shock.”

  “Pretty much. But so were they. Things were tense at first, but then Art opened the wine and Ellen made sandwiches. They were so dead set on giving me food and booze that I couldn’t decide how to bring up the subject of the party at first. Anyway, I was mighty glad to see you come through that door.”

  “I could tell.” As they navigated the stairs, she realized that he wasn’t his usual steady self.

  “It was good wine,” he said as they walked outside. “I’m going to look for that label. Went down real easy.”

  “I see that.”

  “Your mom seems to be the wine buyer in the family.”

  “She is. My dad’s happy with whatever she picks out. Oh, by the way, I hid the condoms in my closet.”

  He stopped abruptly on the sidewalk. “Oh, God. I forgot about those. Did you get mine, too?”

  “Yes.” She grinned at him. “What did you think when you opened that drawer?”

  He laughed. “That we had the same idea and we sure as hell wouldn’t run out. Thanks for hiding them.”

  “No doubt my folks have guessed what we had in mind for tonight, but I didn’t want to hit them in the face with the evidence.” She gave his arm a squeeze. “Well, there’s my car, the burgundy Subaru.”

  “I see it.” He walked her to the driver’s side like the gentleman he was.

  Fishing out her keys from her purse, she pressed the remote. She expected him to open the door for her, but instead he shoved back his hat with his thumb and reached for her.

  “Before we climb in there, do you have some lipstick in your purse?”

  “Why? Want to refresh yours?”

  “Very funny. I desperately want to kiss you.” His face was in shadow, but there was no mistaking the tight line of his jaw.

  Her blood heated, making her forget the icy chill surrounding them. “That would be okay with me.”

  “I mean really kiss you, with full body contact.” He stepped back and unbuttoned his jacket.

  “Don’t tell me you’re taking that off.”

  “Nope.” Leaving his jacket open, he unzipped her coat with surprising dexterity considering all the wine he’d had. Sliding his arms inside, he pulled her against his taut body. “I just don’t want all that material between us.”

  “Yeah, this is much nicer.” Heart pounding, she followed his lead and slipped her arms inside his sheepskin jacket. Then she gazed up at him. “I’m sorry this turned into such a mess.”

  He cinched her in closer. “My fault. You were ready to go for it last night.” His breath fogged the air. “Wish we had.”

  She was ready to go for it now, and so was he, judging from the hard ridge pressed against her belly. But she wouldn’t let him take the blame for their frustrating situation. “Waiting was the right thing to do, even if tonight didn’t turn out the way we’d hoped.”

  “Keep telling yourself that.” He lowered his head. “See if you believe it a few minutes from now.” His hungry mouth found hers.

  It took mere seconds before she deeply regretted last night’s missed opportunity. Apparently the wine had stripped away his inhibitions, because his kiss was blatantly suggestive, far more sexual than the one he’d given her the night before. He tasted of wine and hot desire.

  The steady stroke of his tongue drove her wild, sending a rush of warm moisture between her thighs. Despite the cold and the very public setting, she wanted to rip his clothes off so she could touch him everywhere. She moaned and snuggled closer.

  He lifted his lips a fraction from hers. “I know,” he murmured. “I know.” Reaching under her sweater, he cupped her breast through the lace of her bra.

  Whimpering, she arched her back and silently begged him to open the front clasp. When he did, she trembled in anticipation. His touch was heaven, but she’d known it would be. They would have been so good together tonight, so very, very good.

  Backing her against the car, he thrust one leg between her thighs. Ah, sweet pressure. She bore down against it as his kiss deepened and became more urgent.

  She responded to that urgency, rocking against his firm thigh as he massaged her breast and pinched her nipple hard. His tongue thrust rhythmically, filling her mind with images of their naked bodies locked together. The tight coil of an impending climax made her gasp against his plundering mouth. Awash in the fantasy of what they’d hoped for but wouldn’t have tonight, she let herself go.

  He swallowed her cries and gathered her shuddering body close. When the storm had passed, she sagged against him, weak from the power of her orgasm. Lifting his mouth from hers, he peppered her face with light kisses.

  “That’s better.” His voice was as soft as the touch of his lips. “I didn’t want to end this night without giving you something.”

  She took a shaky breath. “But I didn’t give you anything.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” He rubbed the small of her back and gazed down at her. “You let yourself come apart in my arms. I treasure that.”

  “Not half as much as I do, I’ll bet.” She looked into his shadowed face. “Look, I know it’s a long way from Cheyenne to Sheridan, but—”

  “It’s getting shorter by the second.”

  “And I already have a supply of condoms.”

  “There’s that. Wouldn’t want them to go to waste.”

  “So...” She traced the line of his jaw with her finger. “If you’d consider making the drive next weekend, I promise that my parents will not be sleeping in my bed.”

  “Gonna tell them that I’ll be sleeping in it, instead?”

  “Not on your life, cowboy. I’ve learned my lesson on that score. Gonna tell
Rosie and Herb you’re driving up?”

  “Hadn’t planned to.”

  “So you’ll do it?”

  “Lady, wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”

  8

  TY USED THE drive to the ranch to sober up and tamp down his lust for the woman at the wheel of the Subaru. She’d caught fire so fast tonight that he could imagine how spectacular she’d be under better circumstances. If he allowed himself to think about the way she’d responded to him, he’d only torture himself with what could have been.

  So they talked about her folks and her other relatives, of which there seemed to be a bunch living in Cheyenne—both sets of grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins galore. After meeting Ellen and Art, Ty could see why Whitney was such a bright spirit. They both had an optimistic outlook and they obviously adored their daughter.

  Although they might be a tad overprotective, he couldn’t blame them. Until this move to Sheridan, she’d lived in Cheyenne all her life. “Considering your mom only knew me from that calendar,” he said, “I’m not surprised they showed up tonight.”

  “Me, either, but she feels guilty about intruding. I told her not to worry about it. When I called her on Thanksgiving I probably sounded homesick, and then I mentioned I’d invited you over to help decorate the tree. She thought I was going off the deep end and needed an intervention.”

  “You think she’s feeling better about me now?”

  “Definitely. Until tonight, she was afraid I’d been seduced by a rogue.” Then she laughed. “Good thing she wasn’t in the parking lot or she might still think so.”

  “No kidding. I was a desperate man.”

  “I’m not complaining.” She glanced over at him. “About next weekend, I’ll do my best to clear time, but I should warn you that I’ll have to work at least part of each day.”

  “That still leaves us two full nights.”

  “I know, but it seems inhospitable to go off and leave you alone in my apartment.”

  “That’s okay. I can bring my laptop and work on case files while you’re gone. I’d be doing that at home, anyway. I won’t have to worry about getting behind.”