Free Cowboy Who Came For Christmas (Harlequin Romance) by Lenora Worth Page B

he decided his best move would be to shut up.
    What did he know about women? About as much as a thimble could hold. He’d grown up mostly in a man’s world, but his sweet mama had tried to guide him on the feminine mystique. He’d married well into his late twenties after he’d fallen hard for a spoiled Texas princess and that had ended badly about two years later when she decided she didn’t want to be a wife and a mother. Now he was remembering why he’d been so cautious since. He wasn’t good with the opposite sex.
    So he grunted and started up the mountain with the girl and Sophia in tow. “Don’t make me regret this,” he said.
    He’d get the girl into a safe, warm place and then find out if she was on a missing person or runaway list and get as much information as he could on her. That was, if he could get any bars on his infernal phone.
    * * *
    A N HOUR LATER , they trudged into the circle of cabins.
    “So much for searching for Joe Pritchard,” Adan mumbled, aggravated with Sophia and Melissa since his instincts shouted that they both had big secrets.
    And probably about the same man.
    Ol’ Joe must sure be a charmer. Adan planned to show him some charm once he had him in his custody.
    Sophia motioned toward her cabin. “Melissa, I live here and your grandmother lives right there a few yards from my place.”
    The girl stopped at the edge of the clearing. “Wow. This place looks like...outta
Cold Mountain
or something.”
    Impressed, Sophia smiled. “You’ve read
Cold Mountain
?”
    Melissa rolled her eyes. “Duh—saw the movie twice.”
    “The movie. Oh, well, that’s good,” Sophia replied, glad that at least the girl had some sense regarding mountains.
    “Do y’all have wireless up here?” Melissa asked.
    Adan grunted. “Yeah, as in if it ain’t wired up to something, it ain’t going out over the airwaves.” He tapped his phone. “I have almost half a bar.”
    Melissa looked panicked. “How will I call Sean?”
    “Who’s Sean?” Sophia asked.
    “Uh...my boyfriend. He’s supposed to meet me here this weekend.”
    “And how old are you again?” Adan asked, his Ranger frown front and center.
    “I’m sixteen,” Melissa retorted. “And it’s really none of your business.”
    Adan towered over the girl. “It is if—”
    “Hey, why don’t we get you inside and find you something warm to drink?” Sophia asked with a warning glance toward Adan. “Then we’ll go see your grandma.”
    “I’d rather just see her now,” Melissa said, already stalking toward Bettye’s cabin.
    But before Adan or Sophia could stop the girl, Bettye’s front door opened and she came out on the porch. The older lady stared at them for a moment then put her hands to her mouth in a gasp.
    Sophia watched as Bettye grabbed hold of the porch railing and tried to get down the steps. She pulled Melissa forward. “Bettye, this is—”
    “Martha!” Bettye reached out a hand as if she wasn’t sure whether to touch the girl or not.
    Melissa glanced over at Sophia, tears in her eyes. “Martha was my mama. She died when I was a baby.”
    “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Sophia said, her heart hurting for both of them. “She thinks you’re your mother.”
    “Grandma?” Melissa stepped closer. “Grandma, I’m Melissa. Martha was my mama.”
    Bettye looked confused. “What?”
    “I’m Martha’s daughter,” Melissa said, rushing toward Bettye. “My daddy used to say I look just like her. He left, too, after she died.”
    Bettye reached out both hands now. “Mercy, child, come here and let me look at you.”
    Melissa rushed into her grandmother’s arms. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t know if you knew about me.”
    “I did, I did,” Bettye replied, her hands smoothing Melissa’s long hair. “I never got to see you, though. Never did.”
    “I... I read about you in Mama’s journals,” Melissa replied, tears streaming down her face. “She said y’all used to come here when she was