Chapter 1
“Move over, Santa Claus,” Renata said, patting her blue-gray mare, Luna, on the neck. A final click on her phone screen and she’d officially checked everyone off her Christmas list—early. With all the babies and weddings they’d seen the past few years there was a good chance she’d emptied her bank account in the process. Come Christmas morning, it would be worth it. “I even got something for you, Luna. A cowgirl is only as good as her horse.”
Luna snorted, navigating the shallow creek with ease and keeping a slow and even pace. Renata glanced over her shoulder to make sure the two horses she was bringing back to the barn were still following them. They were. They probably felt the chill in the air, too. Nothing like the unexpected threat of an ice storm to make even the most rebellious horse eager to get back to the ranch. It was October. In Texas. The temperatures normally hovered in the mideighties for another month.
She shivered and tugged up the thick flannel-lined collar of her coat. After her two-hour search, she’d earned a cup of hot chocolate in front of the fire—preferably in her flannel pj’s. This weekend was her last bit of downtime. Thanksgiving might be weeks away, but Monday Stonewall Crossing would officially begin its annual holiday craziness. The only thing on her calendar was tomorrow’s Ag Club meeting. It was her nephew Eli’s freshman year. If he wanted her to be there, she would. Besides, she loved helping out with the holiday floats—it was one of her favorite things about this time of year.
She loved the holidays—loved how busy she was. Nothing like being busy to keep gut-wrenching loneliness away. Since she wasn’t one to wallow in self-pity, she made sure to stay occupied. Besides the Christmas parades and the town Gingerbread Festival, she had a stack of invites to holiday parties and get-togethers to fill her waking hours.
One thing she could check off her list: Christmas shopping.
“And since I have the best presents, I will continue to be everyone’s favorite aunt,” she said to Luna.
Luna snorted, her ears flicking.
“I’m glad you agree. I can live with being the cool aunt.” That was enough. It should be enough. But every time she saw one of her brothers with his wife, saw the adoring looks and stolen touches, she ached. She wanted that, desperately. An unwavering love connecting her to that one special person, tying them together for the world to know and see. And a baby of her own.
Nope. Not going there. She’d focus on being thrilled that her four brothers were so happily settled. They deserved happiness. From now on, she was going to ignore every twinge of envy being surrounded by her nieces and nephews and blissfully content brothers and their wives stirred. Being single wasn’t the end of the world. She had plenty of friends and family that loved her. Better to concentrate on being the best sister, the best daughter and the very best aunt in the great state of Texas. Yes, that was a good plan. No point wishing her life away.
Her humming grew louder and she sat up straight in the saddle. She and Luna led the horses up the hill and across the pasture to the fence line. Her brother Archer had asked her to check this stretch of wire. It was the oldest, showing signs of rust and wear, but he was hoping the replacement could wait until spring. “Archer will be happy,” she murmured, seeing no cause for concern.
They’d moved down the fence when Renata spied a white truck parked on the side of the road. It had pulled well off into the grass, close to the fence line. The cab was elevated and the front passenger wheel was missing. Rental plates.
“Where’s the driver?” she asked, nudging Luna into a faster clip.
A few hundred feet down the fence, she had her answer.
A large canvas duffel bag and seen-better-days black felt cowboy hat lay in the brittle winter grass at his booted feet. He was tall, his red flannel shirt encasing broad shoulders and a lean torso. Other than thick black hair, she couldn’t see much. A camera covered most of his face. He was clicking away at the glorious fall sunset.
Luna’s ears pivoted toward the man, the rapid-fire shutter echoing in the relative quiet of the country. Renata ran a hand along her horse’s shoulder and glanced at the sunset. There was no denying the view was incredible. Vibrant blues, purples and pinks that colored the sky, shot through with bold strokes of yellow and orange. To her, Texas fall sunsets were just as impressive as Vermont’s turning leaves. But then she loved her state, the Hill Country and her hometown. Stonewall Crossing was beautiful no matter what time of the year it was. And she appreciated anyone who recognized that.
“Evening,” she said, drawing Luna to a stop.
“Good evening,” he said, setting his camera aside and grabbing her full attention.
Oh my. Pale eyes with thick lashes. A strong jaw covered in a dark stubble. He was all strong angles, in the very best way. Strong. Manly. And super good-looking. The sort of good-looking it was easy to stare at. Like now. She was totally staring at him. “Need help?”
He grinned, the corners of his pale eyes crinkling just right. “I think I’m lost.”
He was lost. And she was staring. She blinked, hoping he hadn’t picked up on her dazed-with-admiration episode. “It’s wide-open country with twisty farm roads,” she agreed. “Folks get lost all the time. Take one wrong turn and you get stuck on Loop 8 or wind up back on the highway.”
“Sounds about right.” Was she imaging things or was he staring right back?
She tipped her hat back, trying her best to stop staring. He was handsome, so what? She cleared her throat, nodding at the pasture behind her. “And there’s not much out here. Most cows are leery of talking to strangers and offering up directions,” she teased.
His eyes widened before he laughed. “I’ve noticed. They’ve all been giving me the cold shoulder.” His gaze held hers. “I’m Ash.”
“Renata.”
He was studying her face. Intent. Curious. Interested.
She blew out the breath lodged tight in her chest. “Where are you headed?”
He cleared his throat, then blinked, effectively severing their connection. “Stonewall Crossing. Staying at a place called the Lodge.”
“The Lodge?” Her home sweet home? Looked like things just got more interesting. “You’re almost there. About another mile and a half down the road on your right. There’s a big gate—you can’t miss it.”
He pulled his gaze from hers, searching the long stretch of road. “So, I was close?”
“Yes, sir. Not so lost after all.”
His gaze traveled across the sky before returning to her. “I don’t mind getting lost now and then. That’s when you find sunsets like this.”
“And meet new people, too, I’d imagine.”