Free A Cadence Creek Christmas (Cadence Creek Cowboys) by Donna Alward Page A

slightly before he silently stepped back, and she gave a self-conscious laugh as she turned her head a little and dabbed at her eyes.
    She could see again but she didn’t dare look at him. A handkerchief—a white one, she could see now, and it smelled like starch and his aftershave. What sort of man these days carried a white handkerchief, for Pete’s sake? And why on earth was she charmed by it?
    The documents were signed, the minister introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Callum Shepard and clapping erupted as the bride and groom immediately went to gather their daughter and then swept jubilantly down the aisle.
    Taylor swallowed as Rhys offered his elbow. “Shall we?” he asked quietly, smiling down at her.
    She tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. It was strong and warm and she felt stupidly pretty and feminine next to him. “Certainly,” she replied as they made their way out of the sanctuary to the much cooler vestibule. They’d form a receiving line there briefly, and then the guests would go on to the golf club for a cocktail hour while the wedding party had pictures taken.
    Taylor gave a final sniff and prepared to get herself together. She had the next hour to get through and didn’t want smudged makeup or red eyes to mar the photos. The sentimental moments had passed.
    What she hadn’t prepared herself for was the number of times she’d be forced close to Rhys during the photos; how she’d feel his hand rest lightly at her waist or his jaw close to her hair. By the time the wedding party was dismissed, her senses were so heightened her skin was tingling.
    “You want a drive to the club?” Rhys asked, as the groomsmen and bridesmaids gathered by the coatrack.
    “Avery said we could all go in the limo that brought us from Diamondback.”
    “But aren’t they doing just some bride and groom photos in the snow first? I guess I figured you’d want to get there and make sure things were running smoothly.”
    She smiled up at him, making sure to put several inches between them. “You know me too well.”
    He shrugged. “That part’s easy to read. The tears on the other hand? Total surprise.” He reached for her coat and held it out so she could slip her arms into the sleeves.
    “And yet you were at the ready with a hanky. Impressive.” She needed to inject some humor so he wouldn’t know how genuinely touched she’d been at the gesture.
    He chuckled. “That was Molly’s doing. She said that at weddings you never know when a woman might need a hanky. She gave one to all of us.”
    He brushed his hands over the shoulders of her coat before stepping back. “Didn’t think it’d be you, though. You’re too practical for that. I guess I figured you’d be thinking two or three steps ahead.”
    Normally she would have been, and it stung a bit knowing that Rhys only saw what everyone else seemed to see—a woman lacking in sentimentality. But she’d been caught up in the moment just like everyone else. And for the briefest of seconds, she’d felt a strange yearning. Like she was possibly missing out on something important.
    “I slipped up,” she replied, reaching in the coat pocket for a pair of gloves. “It’s just temporary.”
    She finally looked up into his face. His dark eyes were glowing down at her and whatever other smart reply she’d been about to make fluttered away like ribbons on a breeze. Her gaze inadvertently slid to his lips as she remembered the sound of his aroused breathing in the confined space of his truck. A truck that he was suggesting she get in—again.
    This time there would be no funny business. She really should get to the venue and make sure everything was going according to plan. She relaxed her face into a pleasant smile. “I’ll accept the drive with thanks. Let me just tell Jack that I’m going on ahead.”
    “Taylor?” He stopped her from walking away by grabbing her arm, his fingers circling her wrist. “You should slip up more often. It looks good on