A Cadence Creek Christmas (Cadence Creek Cowboys) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Avery’s partner in business.
    In deference to Clara’s pregnancy and the fact that everyone was driving, the evening’s beverages included a simple punch and hot drinks—tea, coffee, or hot cocoa. Never one to turn down chocolate, Taylor helped herself to a steaming mug and took a glorious sip. Clara had added a dollop of real whipped cream to the top, making it extra indulgent. Taylor made a mental note to start running again when she returned home.
    “I hope everything’s okay for tonight,” Clara said beside her. “It’s a bit nerve-racking, you know. I can’t put on an event like you, Taylor.”
    Taylor had been feeling rather comfortable but Clara’s innocent observation made her feel the outsider again. “Don’t be silly. It’s lovely and simple which is just as it should be. An event should always suit the guests, and this is perfect.”
    “Really?”
    Indeed. A fire crackled in the fireplace and the high wood beams in the log-style home made it feel more like a winter lodge than a regular home. The last bridal shower she’d attended had been in a private room at a club and they’d had their own bartender mixing custom martinis. She actually enjoyed this setting more. But it wasn’t what people expected from her, was it? Did she really come across as...well...stuck up?
    Taylor patted her arm. “Your Christmas decorations are lovely, so why would you need a single thing? Don’t worry so much. This cocoa is delicious and I plan on eating my weight in appetizers and sweets.”
    She didn’t, but she knew it would put Clara at ease. She liked Clara a lot. In fact she liked all of Callum’s friends. They were utterly devoid of artifice.
    Clara’s sister-in-law Angela was taking puff pastries out of the oven and their mother-in-law Molly was putting out plates of squares and Christmas cookies. Jean had brought chocolate doughnut holes and Melissa was taking the cling wrap off a nacho dip. The one woman who didn’t quite fit in was Amy, who Taylor recognized as the young woman from the diner the night she’d had dinner with Rhys. The implication had been made that Amy wasn’t pretty and smart. But she looked friendly enough, though perhaps a little younger than the rest of the ladies.
    She approached her casually and smiled. “Hi, I’m Taylor. You work for Melissa, right? I’ve seen you behind the counter at the shop.”
    Amy gave her a grateful smile. “Yes, that’s right. And you’re Callum’s sister.” She looked down at Taylor’s shoes. “Those are Jimmy Choos, aren’t they?”
    Taylor laughed at the unconcealed longing in Amy’s voice. “Ah, a kindred spirit. They are indeed.”
    “I’d die for a pair of those. Not that there’s anywhere to buy them here. Or that I could afford them.”
    Her response was a bit guileless perhaps but she hadn’t meant any malice, Taylor was sure of that. “I got them for a steal last time I was in Seattle,” she replied. She leaned forward. “I’m dying to know. Why is it that everyone else is over there and you’re over here staring at the Christmas tree? I mean, it’s a nice tree, but...” She let the thought hang.
    Amy blushed. “Oh. Well. I’m sure it was a polite thing to include me in the invitation. I’m not particularly close with the Diamond women. I kind of, uh...”
    She took a sip of punch, which hid her face a little. “I dated Sam for a while and when he broke it off I wasn’t as discreet as I might have been about it. I have a tendency to fly off the handle and think later.”
    Taylor laughed. “You sound like my brother Jack. Callum was always the thinker in the family. Jack’s far more of a free spirit.”
    “It was a long time ago,” Amy admitted. “It’s hard to change minds in a town this size, though.”
    “You haven’t thought of moving?”
    “All the time!” Amy’s blond curls bounced. “But my family is here. I didn’t go to college. Oh, I must sound pathetic,” she bemoaned, shaking her