Mistletoe and Montana Read Online Free PDF Page A

tree for the kids last
year, but I thought….” His words broke off. In the bright moonlight reflecting
off the snow, it seemed that he blushed.
    She pretended not to notice, and merely
nodded. “I thought you wanted to bring Ian with you.”
    “He didn’t want to go, once Mrs. Gomez
took out her cookie baking stuff.” He seemed to study her in the moonlight.
“What’s wrong, Jellybean? Don’t want to chop down trees in the middle of the
night?”
    “Actually, it is exactly what I wanted
to do. How did you know?”
    “Believe me; I know all kinds of things
about you.”
    She chose to laugh rather than ask him
what. “Just don’t go tattling on me to a celebrity magazine.”
    “I would never do that.”
    “I know.” She shouldn’t have said it.
Lord knew he’d had ample time and opportunity.
    “Well, let me see how well you can take
down a tree, or I will call one of them.”
            Within the
hour, Ben had the tree cut and wrapped with twine. Sticky, fragrant sap stuck
to their clothes and she feared there was some in her hair that she might never
get out. They each grabbed a heavy branch, and dragged, pushed, and pulled it
down the hill. By the time they reached the house, they were both panting and
dirty. Mrs. Gomez opened the door, fussing over them like they were kids. She’d
pushed aside some of the furniture so they had an open path to the corner
they’d decided to put the tree.
    “It didn’t look that big outside,” Ben
said, scratching his head in such a comical way that Joely laughed. His face
split into a grin. “I’ll get my saw and trim it down.”
    “Yeah, by a few feet.” Joely swiped her
hand across her sweaty forehead. “We should get out of these dirty clothes,
first. I’m all sticky.” She pulled at the front of her sweatshirt a few times.
    “Good idea. I’ll get the tree trimmed up
tomorrow.”
    “You’re just going to leave it in the
middle of the living room?” Mrs. Gomez asked. When Ben nodded, she sighed and
shook her head. “I’ll be back in the morning, then. The kids went to bed fine.”
She pulled on her coat and hat and headed outside.
    “You don’t have to rush back in the
morning,” Ben said, walking her to her car. Joely followed them partway.
               
“You’re going to make breakfast and do all the laundry?” Mrs. Gomez asked, and
Joely snickered at the doubt in her voice. Ben obviously heard her amusement,
and laughed a little.
               
“I’m sure I can manage some bacon and eggs.”
               
“As I recall, you used to make some wicked buttermilk pancakes.” The words
nearly choked in her throat. That was a long time ago, when they were newly married,
and before the days when their mutual careers had taken off so that they could
afford a cook. She covered up her gaffe by clearing her throat, but Ben took it
easily.
               
“I still do. And, as fate may have it, I have a quart of buttermilk in the
fridge.”
               
“Okay. I will come at the end of the week. Once the airport reopens, you will
need help in the kitchen again.” She winked at Joely. “Good night, Ms.
Burbank.”
               
The older woman’s words seemed to awaken something inside Joely. She’d nearly
forgotten why she was still at the ranch, and not back at her studio on her
twelve-hours-a-day shooting schedule.
    Ben came back inside. When he bolted the
front door, it seemed like they were all being tucked in for the night. He
glanced around the living room at the giant tree lying from one end to the
other. “Tackle this in the morning?”
               
She echoed his grin. “Unless you know of any beavers who like to work
overtime.”
               
He walked to the kitchen, indicating she follow. “Would you like some eggnog?”
Flipping open the fridge door, he removed a carton, opened it and gave it a
sniff. “Smells