The radio was on low, and he could hear the weatherman announcing the winter storm headed their way. He’d been a rancher long enough to see and smell bad weather coming. He’d already texted his ranch hands to get the livestock under shelter. Trinity was with his parents, so he didn’t have to worry about her. The only thing on his plate right now was getting Jazzy home and tucked into bed.
“Wow,” Jazzy said. “The sky is darkening fast. I think the storm will hit sooner than predicted.”
“Hopefully, I can get you home and settled in before I head back to the ranch,” he said, guiding his pickup through the town square.
Shoppers bent over against the wind, clutching their coats closer around themselves. Beside him, Jazzy shivered.
Roan turned up the heat. The temperature outside had dropped ten degrees while they’d been in the hospital.
“Home sweet home,” she said as he pulled into her driveway. She unbuckled her seat belt and hopped out before he’d even killed the engine.“Thanks for the ride home. You don’t have to retrieve my car. I’ll get Charlie to pick me up on his way to work tomorrow.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Roan said. “I’m not going to leave you all alone with a storm coming. Not until I’m sure you’re going to be okay. You’ve had a painkiller—”
“A mild one,” she said, standing in the driveway looking at him.
“And because of that, you might not be thinking clearly. I’m coming in to get you settled.”
She looked relieved but put up a mild protest. “I don’t want to impose. You need to get home to look after your own stuff.”
“Trinity is with Mom and Dad and the ranch hands are taking care of the ranch. I’m at your disposal, Jazzy.”
“I don’t want to cause problems.”
“No problem at all.”
“Really, I—”
“Jazzy,” he chided. “I want to help. Let me help...please.”
She shivered against a fresh blast of wind, and barely nodded.
“C’mon. Let’s get inside.” He got out of the pickup and went to her, sliding his arm around her shoulder as he guided her to the door, while at the same time hitting the lock button on his truck remote.
She sank against his body and he could feel her gratitude in how she slipped her arm around his waist.
He was glad he’d been pushy. Normally, he wasn’tso insistent, but he owed her. She’d done so much for him and Trinity, it was his turn.
They stepped over extension cords snaking across the lawn for the animated Christmas display and when they got to the front door, he took the house key from her and unlocked the door.
Even before they stepped over the threshold, he could smell Christmas in the air—pine, cinnamon, gingerbread. It smelled like home. Or at least the way his home used to smell when Claire lived there.
A pang of sorrow punched him in the gut, but he shoved it aside. The past was in the past. Now he was here with Jazzy.
First off, he met her tabby, Sabrina, who went to him like they were old friends, weaving around his legs like a lovesick eel.
“Wow,” Jazzy said and picked up her cat. “Sabrina’s doesn’t usually take too well to strangers.”
“I like cats,” he said. “But Claire was allergic, and I thought I’d wait until Trinity was older before getting a house pet.”
Jazzy stroked Sabrina’s head and invited him farther into her home.
The place was tidy, but he’d expected no less from her. And decorated just as aggressively as the front lawn. Everywhere he looked he saw happiness and good cheer. A large Christmas tree done in red and white lights and ornaments. Gaily wrapped packages underneath the tree. A nativity scene laid out on a long sideboard and on the coffee table, a Christmas village. And at the fireplace mantel, red-and-white stockings.
A lot of stockings. At least a dozen. Names embroidered on the fluffy white cuffs. He stepped close to read the names—Travis,Sarah,Crystal,Charlie,Sabrina.Her family, friends, pet. Other names too. Many people he knew from Twilight.
Two stockings that didn’t quite match the others, hung on the end. They looked bought later than the rest. When he saw the names on those two stockings, the breath left his body.Roan. Trinity.
She’d added stockings for Roan and his daughter to her mantel.