Free Secluded With the Cowboy by Cassie Miles

famous raisin rolls.”
    From down the hall, Dylan heard the front doorbell. Carolyn answered, and called out, “Nicole! Come here, Nicole.”
    This wasn’t happening the way Dylan had planned. He’d hoped to be alone with his wife when the surprise arrived. He’d wanted her to be looking only at him.
    No such luck.
    Standing in the front foyer were two deliverymen from a flower shop in Delta. Each of them held two dozen red roses in vases. “These are for Nicole Carlisle,” one of the men announced. “From her adoring husband.”
    Instead of cooing with delight, her eyes narrowed as she looked from the bouquets to him and back again. She didn’t appear to be pleased. What the hell? She had to be happy. What woman wouldn’t be thrilled by four dozen red roses?
    He stepped toward her. “You said you wanted posies.”
    “Thank you.”
    The perfunctory statement of gratitude fell from her lips and landed on the floor with a thud. What had he done wrong this time?

Chapter Eight
    After bidding the sheriff goodbye, Nicole directed the deliverymen to place the roses on the table in the dining room. A massive display, the flowers were absolutely gorgeous with their long stems, green leaves and sprigs of baby’s breath.
    In the early years of their marriage, Dylan had often surprised Nicole with a bouquet of wildflowers he’d picked along the trail. The spontaneous gesture had delighted her. It had showed that he was thinking of her. He’d taken the trouble to dismount and gather brightly colored posies.
    Roses from the florist weren’t the same. Anybody could pick up a phone and make a call.
    With a sigh, she plucked one long-stemmed rose from the vase. This rich crimson would fit nicely into her plans for Christmas decorations, though she doubted her husband had considered the color from a decorating standpoint.
    He stood close behind her. “Do you like them?”
    “Of course.” He was trying, and she had to give him points for the effort. “Really, Dylan. They’re lovely.”
    “Well,” Carolyn said as she came close and inhaled the somewhat overwhelming fragrance. “If you ask me—”
    “Nobody asked,” her brother said. “Nobody ever asks, but it never stops you from talking.”
    Ignoring Dylan, she continued, “I like the roses better than poinsettias. We’ll tie some green ribbons around the vases, and they’ll be perfect.”
    “I want to get started decorating today,” Nicole said as she trailed the velvety rose petal along her cheek. “It’s only two weeks until Christmas. I’m kind of surprised that nothing’s been done.”
    “Blame your husband,” Carolyn said. “Andrea and I were ready to deck the halls, but Dylan said no.”
    Puzzled, Nicole asked, “Why wouldn’t you let them decorate?”
    “Because that’s your job,” he said. “I know how much you love Christmas. There’s a story behind every ornament you hang on the tree. I told Carolyn we had to wait for you.”
    “Really?” She remembered their meeting in the forest when she’d been forced at gunpoint to tell him she wanted a divorce. “How did you know I’d come back?”
    The green in his corduroy shirt emphasized the color of his eyes. A deep red flushed his cheeks. “I knew you’d be home for Christmas.”
    His trust touched her heart. No matter what she’d told him, he believed in her. In their relationship . She held out her hand. “The holidays have always been a special time.”
    When his fingers laced through hers, she felt the old Dylan returning—the bashful cowboy who blushed and wasn’t afraid to show he cared. This was the man she’d fallen in love with.
    “We’ve got things to do,” Carolyn said. “Fiona and her daughter are coming over this afternoon with Jesseto help with the decorating. I’ll find Burke, and we’ll bring down the Christmas boxes from the attic.”
    “And we need a tree,” Dylan said.
    With the light snow falling, today would have been the perfect time to head out on