Free A Cowboy for Christmas by Lori Wilde Page B

rivalry.
    â€œWell, at least she’s musical. Music is nice.”
    â€œI don’t think it’s going to be a love match,” Stewart went on. “The fact that I’m tone deaf will probably be a deal breaker.”
    â€œDon’t pass judgment. Give her a chance.”
    â€œOh-ho, this sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me,” Stewart said. “I remember when Linda tried to fix you up with her cousin Larry and you wouldn’t even consider it.”
    â€œLarry sold vitamins through multilevel marketing, for heaven’s sake,” Claudia said. “I couldn’t get involved with a guy who could fall for a glorified pyramid scheme.”
    â€œTouché.” Stewart smiled. “FYI, Larry declared bankruptcy last year. You dodged a bullet.”
    She smiled, glad for Stewart’s distraction.
    â€œHow’s Lissette?” he asked.
    Claudia drew in a deep breath. “She’s hanging in there.”
    â€œI heard she had a fender bender in Searcy’s parking lot this afternoon.”
    â€œWhat?” Alarm pushed through her. “Where did you hear that?”
    â€œMailman.”
    â€œOh my goodness.” She pressed a hand to her chest. Why had she been so hands-off? Lissette needed her and she’d been here grubbing in the garden in the rain feeling sorry for herself. “Is she okay? What about the baby?”
    Stewart touched her arm. “It was just a fender bender, Claudia. She’s fine.”
    â€œHow can you be so sure?”
    â€œC’mon. You know the gossip mill. If she’d been hurt you would know about it.”
    Why hadn’t Lissy called? “She might be hurt. Maybe she hit her head and got a headache and she went home to lie down and got a brain bleed like that poor actress Natasha Richardson.”
    â€œYou’re letting your imagination run away with you. There’s no point jumping to conclusions. Don’t get upset until there’s something to get upset about.”
    She knew Stewart was simply trying to comfort her, but she didn’t need to be told how to feel. Why was it that men always negated a woman’s feelings? They thought they were being tough, but Claudia suspected it was really because emotions scared the hell out of them. She bit down on her tongue to keep from saying something tacky.
    â€œWhy don’t we go in the house and call her,” Stewart said. “That should put your mind at ease.”
    â€œI need to see her.”
    â€œTell you what, you change your clothes and then I’ll drive you over.”
    â€œOkay, okay,” she said, her pulse thready.
    Stewart followed her into the mudroom, where he took the bread and butter from her arms and set it on the kitchen counter. She kicked off her muddy shoes and, trailing water, padded through the house to the bathroom.
    She had an awful feeling that something was terribly wrong. She exhaled with the weariness of a woman who’d been through bad times and knew things could always get worse.
    Claudia took a hot shower, got dressed, and by the time she wandered into the living room, she was feeling better. Stewart perched on the edge of the recliner, thumbing through the TV channels. He’d turned on the lamp.
    â€œAnything good on TV tonight?” Claudia asked.
    He shrugged, looked embarrassed. “I like Survivor .”
    â€œThe girls in bikinis,” she guessed.
    â€œNah, it’s the whole Robinson Crusoe thing. Always been fascinated by the idea of being stranded on a deserted island. Not that I mind the eye candy.” He chuckled. “But it’s the survival element that intrigues me.”
    Claudia clasped her hands in front of her. “I’m sorry for losing it.”
    â€œCompletely understandable. You’ve been through more than anyone should ever have to go through.”
    The phrase losing a child went unspoken.
    They studied each other in the light from the