Free A Rancher's Christmas (Saddlers Prairie) by Ann Roth Page A

blindfolded, so the dark isn’t a problem. Besides, I only had the one hot toddy and half a glass of wine, and you saw how much food I put away tonight. I’m as sober as I was when I got up this morning.”
    He shot a wry look at Sophie and Gloria, who’d helped Gina and Zach drink the wine. “I can’t speak for your cousins, though.”
    The women glanced at each other and giggled. Slightly drunk herself, Gina smiled.
    In no time, everyone was in the kitchen, Gina and Zach helping the older ones into their coats.
    After all they’d been through today, Gina felt very close to her family. She hated to see them go and dreaded spending the night alone in the house. But she wasn’t going to admit it.
    “Will I see you tomorrow?” she asked after she hugged and kissed each of them.
    Gloria shook her head. “Probably not, honey. Saturday is the day Sophie and I do our house cleaning. Besides, you’ll be sorting through Lucky’s papers and things, and we’d probably just get in the way. Why don’t you come to our house Sunday night for dinner? We’ll plan our Thanksgiving meal.” She smiled at Zach. “It goes without saying that you’re invited again this year—both for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
    “I appreciate that,” Zach said. “Count me in.”
    Without Uncle Lucky, both holiday celebrations were bound to feel dreary. Gina half wished she could come back at Christmas.
    Redd opened the door to leave. “Don’t stay up late, you two.” Winking, he closed it behind them.
    “They couldn’t be more obvious about pushing us together.” Gina shook her head in disbelief. “I love them all dearly, but sometimes—make that a lot of the time—they drive me crazy.”
    “They aren’t so bad.”
    “That’s because they’re on their best behavior when you’re around. You should hear them nag and question me about when I’m going to get married. They’re worried that if I don’t get married and have kids soon, the Arnett family line will die out.”
    “What do you tell them?”
    “That I’m barely thirty and I have plenty of time. I’m not even dating right now.”
    “Too busy working?”
    “That, and I’m also picky.”
    “Let me guess, you’re looking for a CEO to come along and sweep you off your feet.”
    She laughed. “He doesn’t have to be a CEO as long as he’s ambitious. My family doesn’t understand at all.”
    Zach was silent and his expression was unreadable. Gina wished she knew what he was thinking. “Men don’t have the same kind of pressure as women,” she added.
    “Sure we do, but in different ways. You have a choice of whether or not to make your name in the world. We don’t have that choice.”
    “Your family puts that kind of pressure on you?”
    “Every man’s does.”
    “And you’re rebelling.”
    For a moment he looked puzzled. Then his eyes narrowed a fraction. “You mean because I’m a ranch foreman. You’re a white-collar snob.” He snorted and headed back to the living room.
    She was offended. “I am not! I just... You’re really smart, Zach. What you said about Uncle Lucky at the funeral today was eloquent and moving. You have all this potential, and...” By his grim expression, she saw that she’d only made things worse, and she let the words trail off.
    “You’re wondering why I don’t do what you do? Put in eighty-hour workweeks chasing after the next deal? That’s an empty life I don’t choose to live.”
    None too gently, he began to stack the dessert plates.
    She’d really hit a sore spot. “You’re going to break something, Zach.”
    He set down the dishes and slapped the folding TV tables shut. “I’ll take these back to the basement.”
    “I can do that later.”
    Tight-lipped, he hefted the five folded tables and strode toward the kitchen.
    Those tables were heavy, yet he toted them as if they weighed nothing. Gina followed him, jogging to keep up. In the kitchen, she shot around him to open the basement door and flip on the