Mistletoe & Marriage: Snowbound Cowboy

“Yes, it’s in the mud room.” She led him out to the enclosed porch and to a closet.

Boone examined the old machinery. “Have you used it recently?”

“Not since last spring. And only for a few hours. Gram had it checked out just last month.”

Jesse poked his head in. “And the man said she needed to get a new one,” he volunteered. “Gram was looking in the catalog. She showed me a picture of the one she wants.” He looked up at both adults. “You want to see it?”

“Not now, honey.” She turned to Boone. “Do you think you can start it?”

He threw a switch, then pulled the cord to get the motor running. He stood back. “I’m just not sure how reliable it is. It’s best to keep both fireplaces going. You can sleep in front of the living room one tonight.”

“Oh, boy. Can you sleep there, too, Boone? Can he, Mom, huh?”

Boone watched the pretty brunette blush. “I don’t think Mr. Gifford would be happy to share space with a rambunctious five-year-old.”

The boy wrinkled his nose. “That means I jump around too much. But I’ll promise to be quiet.”

“I appreciate the offer, son, but maybe you and your mother should have the sofa space. I’ll make sure you have plenty of firewood to keep you both warm.” He started to walk off.

“Wait, Boone,” Amelia called as he started out. “I have to agree with my son. You can’t sleep in the barn, not without electricity. You’ll move in here.”

Chapter Three

BOONE WASN’T SURE how to react to Amelia’s statement. True, he couldn’t sleep in the barn, but invading their personal space was a different story. He hadn’t signed up for this.

“Maybe the electricity will be back on by then.”

Amelia frowned. “I take it you haven’t lived in Montana long. This outage could last days.”

“I’m originally from West Texas. We don’t get many blizzards.”

“Well, we do. So unless you want to freeze, you better decide to camp out with us tonight. You can have the small room off the kitchen.” She led them back inside and pointed to the eight-paneled door across the room. “One of its walls is the back of the fireplace. It stays pretty warm in there.”

He hated doing this. “I don’t mean to put you out, ma’am.” He had no business being here in the first place.

“You’ll only put me out if I have to worry about you sleeping in that cold barn.”

He felt a strange feeling in the center of his gut. It’d been a while since a woman had been concerned about him. “I would have been okay. The animals are my responsibility.”

“Their stalls are pretty well insulated. And there’s another generator out there, but we don’t usually use it unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

He was surprised how well Amelia Hughes handled the emergency. If she was nervous about the situation, she didn’t show it.

“Seems you have everything under control,” he told her.

“I’m fine as long as we stay in the house and have enough food. And we do. Since the stove is propane, I’ll be able to cook.”

Boone stood at the counter, the only thing that separated the kitchen from the dining area, then past it was the living room with two overstuffed sofas angled toward a huge stone fireplace.

He looked up to see the exposed beams, then down at the polished hardwood floors. No doubt the place had probably been remodeled over the years. He found he liked the mixture of both the old and the new.

His attention was drawn back to the woman wandering around turning off unneeded lights. She smiled and he felt a funny tightness in his chest. Her green-eyed gaze locked with his, then quickly she turned away.

“How about I finish making us lunch?”

Boone nodded. “I could eat.”

“So could I,” Jesse chimed in. “I’m real hungry.”

She messed up her son’s hair. “You’re always hungry.”

The boy grinned. “That’s cause I’m growing.”

The twosome walked into the kitchen, and Boone found he enjoyed listening to the bantering between mother and son.

Something tugged at his heart as his thoughts turned to Russ. His friend would be happy at how well his boy had turned out. Now all Boone had to do was find a way to tell the kid’s mother about her son’s father.

As Amelia mixed the egg salad, she could feel Boone watching her. It had been a long time since a man had been in the Hughes house. Sad, but true. She hadn’t had time, or any desire, to attempt a relationship. Since Russ, she hadn’t let anyone get close to her. Not that men had rushed to her door. If one did, Kelley would probably be there to give him the third degree. Her big sister had always been Amelia’s protector. She’d also sat with Amelia during the rough times after Jesse’s father left. Later she’d coached her through labor and the delivery of her son. And she loved Jesse as much as Amelia did.

What would Kelley think about Boone Gifford? That he was handsome? Her sister didn’t get her head turned easily. Not when she worked side by side with ranch hands that drifted from job to job. She couldn’t afford to.

Neither could Amelia, but she couldn’t deny that she’d taken notice of Boone Gifford. She sighed. She had to keep reminding herself that he was a stranger. Thank goodness Kelley had checked him out.

Amelia handed out the sandwiches and poured the milk.

She sat down and glanced at the smile on her son’s face as he chatted with Boone. It was Jesse who’d suffered the most from his father choosing to desert them. With just women around, a boy craved male companionship.

She turned her attention to Boone. He wasn’t the kind of man either one of them needed. He wasn’t even from Montana, but West Texas, and she had no doubt he would be going back. No way was she getting mixed up again with a guy who was just passing through.

Jesse said something, and Boone managed a smile. Her attention went to his mouth and the tiny lines bracketing it, which only seemed to add to his rugged features.

Suddenly he looked up. She swallowed, feeling the strange tension in her stomach. This was not good.

“Mom!”

“What?” She turned to her son.

“I asked if Boone and me can play cards.”

“Honey, Boone isn’t here to entertain you.”

“It’s not a bother,” Boone said, then turned to her son. “First, we need to help clean up.”

Amelia watched as her son picked up his empty plate and followed Boone to the sink. The big, tall cowboy took up too much space in the kitchen, making her feel crowded and edgy. And a lot more. She stood, too, but kept the needed distance between her and the man. Boone Gifford was a stranger and he would be leaving soon.

She needed to remember that.

The afternoon dragged on as the snow continued to fall. Boone had played card games with Jesse to keep the boy occupied. Amelia kept busy going around the house, closing off rooms to conserve the heat. She’d brought out candles and extra bedding from upstairs. When Boone had offered to help her she put him off. Instead, she began chopping vegetables for supper.