Free A Cowboy For Christmas (A Copper Mountain Christmas) by Katherine Garbera

to learn how to walk again.
    “ We can talk after I get your tree sorted,” he said. “Dinner smells good.”
    “ Thanks. I made lasagna. Everyone likes it,” she said.
    “ I don’t know about everyone,” he said as he walked to the door stopping to look back at her as he donned his cowboy hat. “But I certainly do.”
    “ I’m glad,” she said.
    He stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him. The old house looked worn down, not at all like it had the last time he’d been inside it more than fifteen years ago. Could she stay in a place like that? It was nothing like he remembered her wanting for her life.
    But then she ’d admitted that she wasn’t the same woman she used to be.
    “ We’ve got to take the tree around the back through a couple of French doors,” he said as he approached his ranch hands. Carl and Jimmy had been working for him for the last five years and were solid guys.
    “ When don’t we have to do some sort of odd wriggling to get a tree in the house? At least this place isn’t built like those Victorian mansions in town,” Carl said.
    “ Stop bitching,” Jimmy said. “Let’s get it done. I’ve got a date tonight.”
    “ You do? I didn’t realize there were any blind women in town,” Carl said.
    “ Maybe it’s the charity of the Christmas season motivating her,” Carson added.
    “ She likes me,” Jimmy said. “Said so herself.”
    They worked quickly to get the tree down from the flat bed and soon had it set up in her living room next to the fireplace where she ’d said she wanted it. She had mugs of hot cocoa and cookies waiting when they were done. Jimmy looked like he wanted to decline but Carl was having none of it. They all sat at her kitchen table and talked about the weather. Soon the boys were on their way and he was alone with her.
    “ Those two are funny,” she said. “I don’t remember them.”
    “ They’re from Colorado. Cousins I think. Definitely good friends. They came to town for the rodeo one year and decided to stay and change their luck.”
    “ Working for you?” she asked. She liked getting to know the details of Carson’s life. She realized that he was still a stranger and she had no one but herself to blame for that. But tonight she vowed she’d change that.
    “ Yeah, I’m a pretty fair boss.”
    “ I’m not surprised,” she said. “You’re a fair man even when someone’s not too nice to you.”
    He arched one eyebrow at her. It was an arrogant gesture and one she noticed he did often.
    “ Me. Sorry again about earlier.”
    “ It’s already forgotten… well, almost.”
    “ Almost?”
    “ How the hell am I supposed to forget that kiss?” he asked his voice was low and husky. Seductive.
    “ You’re not,” she said. “I don’t suppose you want to help me with the lights. We’ve got another thirty minutes until dinner will be ready.”
    “ Sure, I’d love to. This old house is looking really cheery.”
    “ I’m glad,” she said. “I hadn’t realized it was in such bad shape but I’m glad for it.”
    “ Why?”
    She thought about the sketchpad she ’d filled with images for the rooms in the house. She used her paycheck from the diner to slowly buy a few new pieces for the living room and it was shaping up to be what she had envisioned. It was hard to start from scratch but it was what she’d needed. “It gives me something to do,” she said, leading the way back into the living room.
    She picked up a box and put it on the coffee table. He glanced down and groaned. “Tangled?”
    “ Sorry,” she said, wrinkling her nose. She really didn’t want to waste the money on buying new ones. “I guess I should have picked up some new ones—
    “ Why do that when these are perfectly fine? It’s not my favorite job to do but I can definitely untangle lights.”
    They both started working together through the box and finally reached the bottom and the last one. He realized that the silence filled only