Free Maybe This Christmas: A Sweet Historical Western Holiday Romance Novella (Holidays in Mountain Home Book 2) by Kristin Holt

enjoy it. Whatever Gus was playing at, he wouldn’t let it ruin the enjoyment of finally having her in his arms. He smoothed a hand up her back. He savored it doubly, knowing it had to rankle Gus.
    “Nah.” A bit of joviality sparkled in Gus’s tone as he met Luke’s gaze directly. “No need. She knows I came by. And tell Luke this war isn’t over, not by a long shot.” Gus fell back from the doorway and his footfalls retreated to the front door.
    Well, son of a gun. This should be interesting, seeing what scrimmage Gus would wage next. It seemed kind of pointless, given Effie had made her choice. That kiss still hummed in his brain like too much liquor…and he just couldn’t see Effie kissing him like that and giving Gus more than the time of day afterward.
    “Afternoon, Miss Finlay.” Gus let himself out, setting the bells to jingling.
    Effie pushed away, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright. “ You. ”
    “Me?” The woman didn’t make a lick of sense.
    “Did you see him in the doorway?” Her eyes narrowed with accusation.
    Was there a correct response?
    Apparently she didn’t want an answer because she turned away, her skirts swirling.
    “Oh, no you don’t.” He reached for her, caught her elbow. “Settle down and tell me what’s wrong.”
    “If you don’t know, I don’t feel the need to enlighten you.”
    She tugged her arm free and he let her go. She stomped into the shop and Luke followed. Shameless, he was. He’d follow her anywhere.
    “Did he see?” Effie questioned Noelle. “He saw, didn’t he?”
    “Hey, now,” Luke jumped to his sister’s defense, tried to calm Effie with the same low voice and slow movements he used when approaching a riled stallion. Or a mean bull. He couldn’t help it…the comparison of his sweet Effie and a snorting bull was just too accurate at the moment…and a smile shoved his control aside.
    “You think this is funny?” She whirled on him.
    “Yes, ma’am, I do. You heard him. You knew he was there, and you willingly and intentionally stepped into my arms. I saw the look in your eye, Effie O’Leary. You chose me.”
    “I did not .”
    Luke glanced at his sister for support. Noelle ducked her head and whipped a stitch with her needle. So much for help from his sister—he changed his mind. She didn’t deserve a thanks after all.
    “Mind telling me what this is all about, then?”
    She growled in frustration, more agitated than he’d ever seen her.
    He’d never felt more helpless. He’d seen females’ moods swing fast like this, from all placid and happy to spitting mad inside a second and a half, but this was ridiculous. As far as he could see, he only did what she’d wanted him to do. “ You hugged me .”
    “Only to make him see I meant every word I’ve said.”
    Ouch. That stung. But he’d known, at the time, she’d used him and she wasn’t herself at the moment, so he let it slide. “What did you say? To him?”
    “That I will remain a widow the rest of my life. I have no intention of remarrying, and he’d best let go of his grand plans to marry me here—or Connecticut—because I won’t.”
    “Well, that’s good news.”
    She glared at him.
    He sobered right fast.
    “What you seem to have missed,” she said in a tone of false calm, “is that this effects you, too. I will remain a widow the rest of my life.”
    “Of course you’re a widow. Your husband died.”
    She made an inarticulate sound of frustration. He’d evidently said the wrong thing.
    She drew a deep breath and blew it out. She clasped her hands at her waist and just like that, she’d regained her composure—sort of. “Let me make myself clear. I refused Gus, and I refuse your courtship, too. I’m never getting married—”
    “You kissed me like it meant something.” He took a step closer.
    He must’ve looked and sounded far more menacing than he’d intended ‘cause Noelle shrieked and hopped down from the stool. “I’m headed to the