Christmas Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #5) Read Online Free PDF

article—fifteen years
previous. So his boy would be fifteen. She had seen no evidence of a teenager
living with him, but that didn't mean there wasn't one. Had the child lived?
    She found more articles written in rag magazines,
but nothing shedding additional understanding about Mr. MacKenzie and his son.
After his accident, he seemed to have dropped off the radar. Even before the
accident he had been reclusive. He did, however, have a current website that
showcased and sold his paintings, and she found another site where a journalist
had done a blog about trying to interview the elusive artist. He'd posted a statement
from Mr. MacKenzie's attorney reiterating the fact that the artist did not give
interviews and that he requested his privacy be respected.
    Cecelia glanced at the clock. She had been gone
for over two hours. She needed to return to her shop. Wearing a long skirt and
loose blouse with three quarter sleeves to hide her injuries from customers,
she walked as swiftly as her sore knees would permit, back to her coffee shop. Business
always slowed down after the noon hour and as soon as she stepped through the
back door, her employees once again rushed her. After inquiring as to her
wellbeing, they didn't move away.
    "Well," said Justin. "Are you
going to tell us about Mystery Man? Is he a hit man running from the CIA? Does
he look like Quasimodo?"
    Cecelia puffed a breath, "No to all of the
above."
    Everyone waited.
    Justin said, "You're not going to tell us
anything, are you?"
    Cecelia admitted, "That's true."
    "Ooooh this is rich. I love a good
mystery."
    Julie said, "Wow. I can't imagine why
you're being so secretive."
    Tilly said, "Just like Dixie guessed, he's
an alien. Is he grey or reptilian?"
    Everyone turned incredulous eyes on her.
    "Hey, I watched Aliens Among Us last
night. It was on the history channel. They had me convinced."
    Cecelia said, "The only thing I can say is that
Mystery Man is very nice. Other than that, my lips are sealed, so please don't
ask. And please don't say anything to anyone about this." Her voice took
on a pleading tone.
    Justin said, "Damn, as much as I want to
gossip with my friends about Mystery Man, when you whine like that, my conscience
would kill me."
    Julie said, "I promise I won't say
anything."
    "Me either," Tilly gave Spock's finger
sign.
    Cecelia laughed and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you."

Chapter 7: Doctor's Advice
    Connor buttoned his shirt and waited for Doctor
Hillsborough to return to the examining room. The drive to Denver had been a
nice respite from his daily routine, but an idea for a new painting had recharged
his energy level. He couldn't wait to get back to Paxtonville.
    The doctor reentered the room. "Connor, I'd
like to speak with you in my office."
    That didn't sound promising and Connor frowned.
He sure hoped he wouldn't hear what he thought he was about to hear. His hopes
were soon dashed after Dr. Hillsborough settled behind his desk and Connor
lowered himself to a plastic chair. The man was the foremost in his field, but
the aesthetics of his office left much to be desired. His many degrees and
awards hung crookedly on the walls in cheap plastic frames, while piles of
papers and books covered every available surface.
    Dr. Hillsborough looked concerned when he said,
"I looked at the x-rays and CT scan and I'll be frank; you can't forestall
the operation any longer. If you do, you run the risk of losing most of the
mobility of your right arm and hand."
    Connor heaved a sigh and studied one of the
framed credentials without really seeing it. "But the operation is no
guarantee that the problem will be fixed, and it could have the same effect as
doing nothing—correct?"
    "As we've discussed before, that's right.
But if you want to continue painting, it's a risk I think worth taking. Without
it, you have maybe a year or two before irreparable damage to your nerves. At
least with the operation there's a chance you can continue painting for