without Grady’s permission, so I’ll have to go ask him.”
“He should come see the nativity scene too,” Brianna pointed out.
Holly nodded and turned to leave the stall. The donkey suddenly swung her rear end around, banging into Holly so she was knocked full-length against Robbie.
“Oof!” she gasped, as her body and his collided. His arms came up around her when she grabbed at his jacket for balance. It was like being surrounded by a warm, breathing oak. She felt desire rip through her as her breasts were crushed against his chest and their thighs slammed into contact.
She hadn’t been in a man’s arms since Frank left, but she hadn’t felt the loss until now. A great yearning swirled in her belly and she glanced up to read Robbie’s reaction. As she met his gaze, she felt his arms tighten around her. She expected him to smile or toss off a joke, but he just stared down at her.
“What on earth got into that donkey?” Holly said, pressing her weight backwards to break his hold. For a long moment, his grip didn’t loosen.
Finally, his lips tipped up into a smile that seemed strained and he released her. “Guess she thought her stall was getting too crowded. I’ll go rustle up a lead line.” He was out the stall door before Holly could thank him for catching her.
Holly rubbed her hands on her thighs, as she tried to decipher her reaction and his.
“Are you okay, Mama?” Kayleigh asked.
“Noël didn’t mean to hurt you,” Brianna said.
“I know that, sweetie.” She yanked her thoughts back to the children. “I’m fine.”
A lie. She was reeling from feeling Robbie’s hard, male body against hers. Their stroll across the snowy field had been something out of a sweet romantic comedy. The way she felt now was dark and primitive and so potent she could barely think straight.
“Let me go talk to Mr. Boone,” she said.
When she walked out of the barn door, the winter air smacked into her like cold, hard reality, blowing away the sensual haze she’d been wrapped in. It was better this way.
She knocked on the side door of the house again and waited. She knew Grady was there because they’d checked in with him before they’d started setting up the nativity scene. It took a long moment before she heard footsteps and the door opened.
“Evening.” The light behind the old farmer cast a gleam on his bald head and glowed on the yellow stripes in the plaid of his shirt.
“We finished the nativity scene, and we thought you’d like to come see it,” Holly said.
Grady seemed taken aback. “Does it look any different?”
Holly had to be honest. “It has fresh paint, and we shifted a couple of figures.”
“I reckon I’ll see it tonight when I put the animals out,” Grady said.
Holly felt a little thud of disappointment. “Well, okay.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “Would it be all right if we took Noël down to see the scene? The girls thought she—” It sounded ridiculous to say the donkey would want to see the place where she’d be on display. “She might like the exercise.”
A cloud of guilt passed over Grady’s face. “The little girls are going to see it?”
Holly nodded.
“Well, since they worked on it, I guess I should go take a gander.” He turned away from the door. “Come inside while I get my boots on.”
She stepped onto the cracked green linoleum of the mud room as the old farmer plunked down on a bench and pulled off his slippers. Lying on top of a small chest of drawers by the kitchen door was a partly completed baby blanket still on the knitting needles. It looked as though his wife had laid it down there before she died, and Grady hadn’t been able to throw it away or even move it. Holly’s chest tightened with sadness as she reached out to brush her fingers over the soft stripes of mint green and pale yellow.
She caught Grady watching her and pulled her hand back. A deep blush climbed his cheeks as he bent over to yank on his rubber
“He should come see the nativity scene too,” Brianna pointed out.
Holly nodded and turned to leave the stall. The donkey suddenly swung her rear end around, banging into Holly so she was knocked full-length against Robbie.
“Oof!” she gasped, as her body and his collided. His arms came up around her when she grabbed at his jacket for balance. It was like being surrounded by a warm, breathing oak. She felt desire rip through her as her breasts were crushed against his chest and their thighs slammed into contact.
She hadn’t been in a man’s arms since Frank left, but she hadn’t felt the loss until now. A great yearning swirled in her belly and she glanced up to read Robbie’s reaction. As she met his gaze, she felt his arms tighten around her. She expected him to smile or toss off a joke, but he just stared down at her.
“What on earth got into that donkey?” Holly said, pressing her weight backwards to break his hold. For a long moment, his grip didn’t loosen.
Finally, his lips tipped up into a smile that seemed strained and he released her. “Guess she thought her stall was getting too crowded. I’ll go rustle up a lead line.” He was out the stall door before Holly could thank him for catching her.
Holly rubbed her hands on her thighs, as she tried to decipher her reaction and his.
“Are you okay, Mama?” Kayleigh asked.
“Noël didn’t mean to hurt you,” Brianna said.
“I know that, sweetie.” She yanked her thoughts back to the children. “I’m fine.”
A lie. She was reeling from feeling Robbie’s hard, male body against hers. Their stroll across the snowy field had been something out of a sweet romantic comedy. The way she felt now was dark and primitive and so potent she could barely think straight.
“Let me go talk to Mr. Boone,” she said.
When she walked out of the barn door, the winter air smacked into her like cold, hard reality, blowing away the sensual haze she’d been wrapped in. It was better this way.
She knocked on the side door of the house again and waited. She knew Grady was there because they’d checked in with him before they’d started setting up the nativity scene. It took a long moment before she heard footsteps and the door opened.
“Evening.” The light behind the old farmer cast a gleam on his bald head and glowed on the yellow stripes in the plaid of his shirt.
“We finished the nativity scene, and we thought you’d like to come see it,” Holly said.
Grady seemed taken aback. “Does it look any different?”
Holly had to be honest. “It has fresh paint, and we shifted a couple of figures.”
“I reckon I’ll see it tonight when I put the animals out,” Grady said.
Holly felt a little thud of disappointment. “Well, okay.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “Would it be all right if we took Noël down to see the scene? The girls thought she—” It sounded ridiculous to say the donkey would want to see the place where she’d be on display. “She might like the exercise.”
A cloud of guilt passed over Grady’s face. “The little girls are going to see it?”
Holly nodded.
“Well, since they worked on it, I guess I should go take a gander.” He turned away from the door. “Come inside while I get my boots on.”
She stepped onto the cracked green linoleum of the mud room as the old farmer plunked down on a bench and pulled off his slippers. Lying on top of a small chest of drawers by the kitchen door was a partly completed baby blanket still on the knitting needles. It looked as though his wife had laid it down there before she died, and Grady hadn’t been able to throw it away or even move it. Holly’s chest tightened with sadness as she reached out to brush her fingers over the soft stripes of mint green and pale yellow.
She caught Grady watching her and pulled her hand back. A deep blush climbed his cheeks as he bent over to yank on his rubber
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