Free A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe by Vicki Lewis Thompson Page B

stuff in there. Your bed looked as if you’d just changed the sheets.”
    Yikes. Her mother was way too observant. “You taught me well! I change the sheets every Saturday come hell or high water.” Or a handsome cowboy.
    “Well, I’ll wash them again in the morning so you have fresh sheets for the rest of the week.”
    “You don’t have to.”
    “No, I want to. It’s the least I can do after all this. What time do you work tomorrow?”
    “I start at eight, but I only scheduled myself for three hours and I don’t go back until four. We can have a nice lunch before you drive home.”
    “Sounds perfect. Now let’s go see what those men are up to. Last I heard, they were debating who would end up in the Super Bowl.”
    Whitney relaxed a little. If Ty could talk football with her dad, then they’d get along fine. Maybe it hadn’t been a tortuous half hour for him, after all.
    But when he met her gaze, he looked like a drowning man who’d just been thrown a lifeline. Good thing she’d decided to go to the party with him. They needed some time alone to sort this out.
    He stood and set down his empty glass next to a half-eaten sandwich. On her dad’s end table stood one empty wine bottle and one that was half full. Maybe she’d better drive, after all.
    Her mother had obviously claimed the rocker. One of Whitney’s little folding tables held her mom’s glass and a partly eaten sandwich. Four people made her little apartment bulge at the seams.
    Her dad came over and gave her a hug. “We just barged in here like we have good sense. Apparently you have plans, so you should go ahead with them.”
    “That’s what I told her,” her mother said.
    “No worries. She certainly doesn’t have to go.” Ty picked up his coat and hat. “I’ll just head out and let you enjoy time with your daughter.”
    Whitney unzipped her coat. “Actually, I’d like to go with you if that’s still okay.”
    “You would?”
    “I feel a connection to that project and I’d love to be part of the celebration. My folks will understand.”
    “We certainly will.” Her mother smiled at Ty. “It’s a wonderful idea, this Thunder Mountain Academy. We made a small contribution, ourselves.”
    Ty looked confused. “Would you two like to come along, then? The more, the merrier.”
    “Oh, no.” Whitney’s father shook his head. “We’ve been on the road for five hours. Another glass of pinot noir and I’ll be ready to turn in.”
    “Me, too.” Her mom picked up her goblet. “You and Whitney go have fun.”
    Whitney glanced at Ty. “I’ll just be a minute. I’d rather not go in my work clothes.” She hurried into her bedroom and made the fastest wardrobe change in history.
    Her parents’ overnight bag stood in a corner and their jackets lay on the bed. Her mom’s purse was on the dresser. Just in time, Whitney remembered the box of condoms she’d stashed in the bedside table drawer.
    Yes, they knew she was a sexually active adult, but that didn’t mean she wanted them to open the drawer and find that box, especially now that they were aware she’d given Ty her keys. She grabbed the box and noticed four loose packets of a different brand lying on top.
    She had a tough time not bursting into hysterical laughter as she scooped those up, as well. Stuffing Ty’s contribution in one of her slippers, she shoved the box behind a pair of rain boots. Next time she planned a hot night of sex, she’d make damned sure that her parents weren’t about to visit.
    Dressed in a black cowl-necked sweater and a new pair of jeans with rhinestones on the pockets, she ducked into her bathroom across the hall, quickly brushed her teeth and put on fresh lipstick.
    She dropped her lipstick in her purse, picked up her coat and walked into the living room. All conversation stopped. Maybe they hadn’t been talking about her, but she had a feeling they had. She glanced at Ty. “Ready?”
    “Sure thing.” He popped up immediately and came over