Merry Christmas, Cowboy!
“We can call it an evening anytime you want.” Lauren kept her tone light, not wanting him to see her disappointment. This had been the best Christmas Eve she could remember and she was reluctant to see it end. “I brought a book to read—”
“I’m not talking about going to bed right now,” Seth said, looking startled. “I was just thinking it’s time to start putting the presents under the tree.”
Lauren shifted her gaze to the eight-foot Douglas fir that sat in front of the window. New and old ornaments intermingled on the thick bushy branches. Bubble lights had replaced traditional lighting. A unique tin-punched silver star that Seth had admitted making in middle school topped the tree.
Lauren had been so awed by the massive tree and its decorations that she hadn’t noticed the lack of presents beneath its branches.
“I’ll be happy to help.” She glanced around. “Where are the gifts?”
“Hidden in one of the upstairs closets.” Seth gestured with his head toward the stairs. “But you don’t need to do a thing. I’ll change and bring them down.”
“Change?”
“Into the Santa suit.” Though they were the only two in the room, Seth’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I always wear it when putting the presents under the tree.”
Lauren paused. “But this year is diff—”
“No different.” A tiny muscle in Seth’s jaw jumped.
Lauren wasn’t about to argue. Only a few days ago Seth had faced the possibility of losing his daughter. Keeping to tradition was probably his way of reassuring himself that all was still well in his world.
“You might want to turn down the thermostat before you put on the suit.” Her lips quirked upward. “Wouldn’t want Santa to get a heatstroke.”
“It is a little warm in here,” Seth admitted.
An understatement if she’d ever heard one. Lauren chuckled. “Ya think?”
“I wanted to make sure you were comfortable.” A swath of color cut across Seth’s cheeks. “Guess I went a little overboard.”
“Only by about a gazillion degrees.” Lauren kept her tone light, ignoring the trickle of sweat slithering down her spine.
Seth rose and crossed the room to the thermostat. Almost immediately, the hot air that had been billowing out of the duct near the sofa stopped. “Better?”
“Much.”
He smiled and started for the stairs, then stopped and turned back. “Can I get you anything before I go upstairs? More eggnog? Ice water? Glass of tea?”
“I’m fine,” Lauren said, realizing she was more than fine. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so content. “I think I’ll put in another Christmas CD. Set the stage for a visit from St. Nick.”
“You’re being awfully accommodating to the bogus, fantasy figure who contributes to the commercialization of Christmas,” Seth teased.
Something about the way he said the words made Lauren grin. “Chalk it up to capturing some of that Anderssen Christmas spirit you’ve been dishing out in great abundance tonight.”
“Good to hear.” Seth smiled and her heart skipped a beat. “Back in five.”
Lauren found herself humming as she searched through the stack of Christmas CDs. She finally settled on one that featured original artists performing their classic Christmas hits. After popping the disc into the sound system, Lauren turned down the volume before returning to her seat on the sofa.
Though the furnace had stopped pumping hot air, the temperature in the room was still in the sweltering range. Lauren considered her options. She could continue to suffer in silence or she could make a small wardrobe adjustment.
In a matter of seconds, her bulky sweater was up and over her head, leaving her cool and comfortable in the skimpy black tank she’d worn underneath.
With her body temperature now under control, Lauren leaned her head back against the top of the sofa, closed her eyes and let the strains of “White Christmas” wash over her.
She’d intended to relax and enjoy the music. But when she opened her eyes to the faint jingle of bells and saw all the brightly wrapped gifts at the base of the tree, she realized she must have fallen asleep.
Lauren shifted in her seat and found Seth—er, Santa—drinking the glass of milk Dani had set out for him. “Appears circling the world in a sleigh is thirsty business.”
“It is indeed,” Seth said, the fake white beard moving up and down as he spoke in his deep fake-Santa voice. “Delivering presents is very hard work.”
Lauren studied him for a moment, then rose to her feet and strolled close. There was something about the suit that intrigued her. Perhaps it was the white fur trim on the coat. Or maybe the shiny black belt. Or the red hat with the pom-pom at the tip.
All she knew was she couldn’t take her eyes off him—er, the suit. She resisted the urge to stroke the red velour and see if it really was as soft as it appeared. Because touching the fabric would mean touching Seth…
“Are there any lumps of coal for me under that tree?” Lauren asked abruptly.
“Not a single lump,” he assured her, adding a very convincing “Ho-ho-ho.” “I have it on good authority that Lauren Van Meveren has been a very good girl this year.”
“I’m not sure your information is entirely accurate.” Lauren inhaled the intoxicating scent of his cologne and took a step closer. She’d never been attracted to overweight, white-haired, bearded men before, but for some reason she found this one incredibly sexy.
And it appeared Santa wasn’t immune to her charms. His gaze dropped to her shirt and she felt the tips of her breasts tighten.
As his gaze lingered, raw want coursed through her, igniting a need that shook her with its intensity. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d craved a man’s hands on her this badly.
The desire flickering in his suddenly dark eyes told her Santa was having some naughty thoughts of his own. The realization gave her the courage she needed to wrap her arms around his neck. “I’ve always wanted to kiss a man with a beard.”
Seth stiffened and for a second she worried she’d misread the signals. Then, without warning, his mouth closed over hers. His hands splayed against her back and he pulled her as close as his overstuffed belly would permit.
Waves of desire washed over Lauren and she gave in to the moment, until an excited voice cut through the passionate fog.
“Daddy, Daddy, come quick!” Dani called from the doorway. “Santa is kissing Miss Lauren!”
Chapter Four
Seth wrenched himself out of Lauren’s arms and raced for the stairs, his stuffed belly jiggling like a bowl full of jelly. Out of the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of Dani’s face. Mouth open. Eyes wide.
Four steps up was all it took for Seth to lasso in his rioting emotions. Running wasn’t the answer. There was a child—his child—to consider. He rested a white-gloved hand on the rail, turned and let loose his best “Ho-ho-ho!” before continuing heartily, “Danica Sue Anderssen, Santa hopes you like your gifts. You’ve been a very good girl this year.”
Warmth rushed through him at the look of pleasure that flushed his daughter’s face.
“I have been good, Santa.” Dani’s words tumbled out one after the other. “My daddy says I’m the best girl ever.”
Not sure how to respond, Seth gave another, “Ho-ho-ho!”
He realized he should have thought of something better when Dani’s eyes darted around the room. “Where is Daddy?”
“He went upstairs.” Lauren’s voice was calm and serene.
If the kiss had affected her, it certainly didn’t show. Seth wasn’t sure why the thought brought a surge of disappointment.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Dani bellowed, her tone reverberating with excitement. “Come see who’s here!”
Lauren’s gaze met his, her green eyes piercing.
Go. Go. Go.
Across the distance, the unspoken words slapped Seth in the face, rousing him to action.
“The reindeer are restless,” Seth said in his deepest Santa voice. “We’ve many stops still to make. I thank you for the cookies and milk. And the reindeer thank you, too.”
Without saying another word, Seth whirled and raced up the stairs. By the time he reached the guest room, the Santa suit was almost off. In record time the beard was discarded and the suit and accessories back in the closet.
Dressed now in the jeans and shirt he’d worn underneath, Seth took a deep steadying breath. He could do this. He had to do this. There was no way he was going to let an impulsive action steal his daughter’s innocent belief in Santa.
With that thought firmly in front of him, Seth sauntered down the stairs as if he hadn’t a care in the world. When he saw Dani seated on the sofa next to Lauren, his heart slammed against his ribs. So much hinged on how he handled these next few minutes. Calling upon the acting experience gleaned from several high school plays, Seth forced what he hoped could pass for an excited expression. “Did you see Santa?”
“I saw him.” Dani bounced up and down on the sofa. “I saw him kissing Miss Lauren.”
Seth had never blushed in his life but at that moment he came pretty darn close. Somehow he managed to meet Lauren’s gaze. “You were kissing Santa?”
Even to his own ears, his shock sounded genuine.
“Guilty as charged.” Lauren lifted a hand, the twinkle in her eyes taking him by surprise. “I gave him a friendly kiss to say thanks for stopping by.”
“It was like the kisses Aunt Anna gives Uncle Mitch when they’re in the kitchen alone,” Dani said in a loud voice. “She had her arms around him and everything.”
Seth closed his eyes. Dear God, could this get any worse? He opened his eyes a second later to the sound of Lauren’s laughter.
“What can I say? I was swept away. The old bearded guy knows how to kiss.” Lauren shot him a wink.
Though Seth told himself it shouldn’t matter what Lauren thought of his kissing ability, his chest puffed with pride. If he was being honest, he’d admit that for a second, he’d been swept away, too. He’d forgotten how good it felt to hold a woman. How good it felt to have soft, warm lips pressed against his. Most of all, how good it felt to simply be that close to another human being.
The three years since Jan passed had been lonely ones. Oh, he kept busy raising Dani and running the ranch. He played ball with his friends and went to church with his neighbors. But he hadn’t realized until now how much he missed physical intimacy.
“What happened to Santa, Daddy?” Dani’s sweet voice broke through his thoughts. “Where did he go?”
“Out the bedroom window,” Seth said. “The reindeer were pawing the roof. I’m surprised you didn’t hear them. I think they were eager to deliver more presents.”
Dani’s mouth formed a perfect O. “Did you see them? Did you see Rudolph?”
“Yes, Seth,” Lauren asked, her lips twitching. “Was Rudolph with them?”
“Everything happened so fast.” Though it seemed weird to be having a conversation about a reindeer, Seth somehow managed to keep a straight face. “I’m afraid I didn’t look for him.”
Dani exhaled a heavy sigh. “I wish I could have seen Rudolph and the other reindeer.”
“Me, too.” Lauren reached over and gave Dani a sympathetic hug. “At least we got to see Santa.”
Lauren’s generosity of spirit toward his daughter continued to amaze him.
“When I heard bells jingling, I knew it was Santa,” Dani said to Lauren, her expression oh-so-earnest. “That’s why I got out of bed.”
“I don’t blame you,” Lauren responded.
Seth stared in amazement.
Lauren’s expression was as serious as his daughter’s. Despite the psychologist’s feelings about fantasy figures, she seemed determined to help him preserve Dani’s innocence.
“Since Santa was here already, can I open my presents now?” Dani’s focus shifted to the stack of brightly wrapped gifts beneath the tree. “Pretty, pretty, pretty please?”
When his daughter turned her attention back to Seth, her blue eyes shining with hope, he wanted to give her the world. Only the thought of his sister stopped him. Anna and Mitch were coming over tomorrow specifically to share Christmas morning with their niece. He could imagine how they’d feel if they arrived and found gifts already opened. “’Fraid not, princess.”
“Please, Daddy, please,” Dani begged.
“Just think, once your aunt Anna gets here tomorrow, you get to open Santa’s gifts and the ones from her and your uncle Mitch,” Lauren said soothingly.
Seth pretended not to notice Dani’s trembling lower lip. Experience had taught him that commenting on her distress would only make things worse. Instead he moved to the sofa and lifted her high over his head, careful not to bang her casts. “Can you see Rudolph from way up there?”
Dani giggled. “He’s not here, silly.”
The childish laughter was music to his ears. As Seth lowered his arms and hugged her close, he was struck by how much of Jan lived in her. Dani had her mom’s button nose, curly hair and crooked smile. And from the moment she was born, she’d had her mother’s total and complete love.
Growing up, Jan had experienced firsthand the disaster that sometimes happens when a parent remarries. During those last weeks of life she’d worried that her daughter would experience that same pain. Assuring her that he wouldn’t remarry until Dani was out of high school had been a small price to pay to ease her fears.
The promise had been freely given and would be kept. The only problem was that Seth hadn’t foreseen the loneliness of a single-parent existence. Hadn’t fully taken into account his physical needs. His friend Wes Danker had once said that if he had an itch, he scratched it. But Wes wasn’t a father. Seth couldn’t just go out and have a brief fling. Not in Sweet River. Not without causing talk.
He remembered how hard such gossip had been on Mitch growing up. Seth would never put Dani in such a position.
“Good night, Dani…again.” Lauren stood and leaned close, brushing her lips across the child’s forehead. “Sweet dreams.”
“You smell good.” Dani studied Lauren. “And you’re very pretty. I bet that’s why Santa kissed you.”
A swath of red cut across Lauren’s cheeks.
Dani squirmed in Seth’s arms so she could look up at him. “You think she’s pretty and smells good, don’t you, Daddy?”
Seth gave a noncommittal smile. He’d noticed the sultry scent that wafted about Lauren, a scent that stirred his senses. And pretty? No living, breathing man could say otherwise. But this was his sister’s friend, his daughter’s potential babysitter. Although kissing her had probably been a mistake, he wasn’t going to compound the error by saying sweet words that might give her the wrong impression.
He’d been under the influence of the Santa suit when he’d lost control. Which meant that as long as he steered clear of red velour and hats with pom-poms, he should be safe.
A wave of irritation washed over Lauren. She’d felt sure that Santa—er, Seth—had noticed her new perfume, but for some reason he refused to admit it. Six months ago she’d have been devastated if Seth had disavowed any attraction to her. But that was when she’d had a silly crush on him, one more suitable to a schoolgirl than a mature, educated woman.
The “crush” period had begun shortly after she’d moved to Sweet River. She’d never been around a rugged cowboy before. And Seth had been so helpful in getting her settled. When he found out she needed single male subjects for her research project, he’d made it a personal goal to recruit the men.
For some reason, and perhaps it had been a reaction to the testosterone and kindness, she’d gone off the deep end, getting all nervous and excited whenever he was around. Then one day, she’d overheard him asking Anna to quit trying to hook him up with her friends. Though his tone had been joking, Lauren had realized how ridiculous she’d been acting. And, even if he had been interested in her, this was a man who could never be more than a friend. He was a rancher who loved his home and his life in Montana. She was an academician with her sights set on tenure at an Ivy League college.
Still, the attraction lingered. Though she wasn’t sure he felt it, there had been electricity in the air whenever they were in the same room. It wasn’t until the steamy dreams started that she finally realized it was a physical attraction drawing her to Seth.
Just like tonight. The Kiss—it had somehow achieved capitalized status in her mind—had been a purely physical response to the chemistry between them. It had nothing to do with the fact that they shared an interest in the writings of Thoreau, or both loved old horror movies. And the kindness he displayed toward his daughter—and to her—hadn’t factored into the equation at all.
“It was lust, pure and simple,” Lauren advised the fireplace, giving her head a decisive nod.
“What was lust?”
Apparently while she wasn’t looking, Seth had returned to the room after putting Dani back to bed. He dropped into the chair next to the sofa where Lauren sat.
“The Kiss,” she said matter-of-factly. “What we experienced was simply a momentary lapse into lust.”
She could tell she’d surprised him by speaking so frankly, but knew he’d understand. After all, he’d been gripped by the same fierce physical need. Lauren had felt it in the urgency of his lips, had seen it in the fire that had burned in his blue eyes.
“That kiss—” Seth raked a hand through his hair before continuing “—was a mistake.”
“I disagree.”
After shooting her an incredulous glance, Seth jerked to his feet and began to pace. “How can you think otherwise? My daughter saw you kissing me—I mean Santa Claus. She’ll probably be traumatized for life.”
Lauren rolled her eyes. She couldn’t help it. She’d never seen anyone make such a big deal out of something that was no big deal. “On the list of things with potential to wound a child’s psyche, seeing your aunt’s friend kissing Santa Claus wouldn’t even make the top ten thousand.”
His lips quirked upward. “Tell me if you think I’m overreacting.”
“You’re overreacting.”
Seth laughed then stopped himself. He glanced in the direction of Dani’s room. “Let’s take this into the kitchen. We can talk more comfortably in there. I’ll make some hot cocoa.”
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