holding a tiny cake with one lit candle. He
carried it over to her on the loveseat.
Her breath caught. "Boone." Her eyes misted.
"How did you…" She sighed. "No. I don't need to know."
He sat next to her holding the cake and a fork. "I'd
sing, but it'd probably spoil the moment." His eyes gleamed a soft blue in
the candlelight.
Another chunk of her heart broke off and became his
property. "Thank you."
"For not singing?" He grinned. "Make a wish
and blow it out."
She closed her eyes, listing all the things she would have
wished for before she met Boone, but trashing them all for the one thing she
wanted right now. More time with him. She blew out the candle.
He plucked it out of the cake, scraped it across the
frosting, and held it out toward her. "Lick it, baby."
She shook her head but smiled. "You're so bad."
She wrapped her lips around it and sucked.
"Yeah. That's the way." He laughed. "For some
reason, I seem to have a tent in my robe."
"We'll take care of that. After cake."
"Promise?" He forked a piece and held it out to
her.
Delicious vanilla butter cream frosting and a dark chocolate
cake melted on her tongue. "Mmm hmm. Promise."
"Damn. You're callin' me bad?" He took a bite and
nodded. "This is almost as delicious as you."
After they plowed through the cake, she held her wine glass
and snuggled close against his chest.
His hand stroked her arm as they watched the cacophony of
the Christmas tree lights against the background of the Las Vegas strip.
"Boone?"
"Uh huh."
"Why did you decide to spend Christmas in Vegas?"
"The rodeo."
She glanced up at him. "Your parents didn't
object?"
"At first. Then we explained that the Old West Casino
Invitational is something new the casino is doing. Put on just to benefit local
food shelves."
Gieselle laughed. "Kira and I wondered why people were
carrying cans into the arena. At first we thought they were going to open them
and pelt you with baked beans."
He chuckled. "Doesn't happen at rodeo. It's a pretty
respectful crowd, usually."
"It was so much fun, Boone. I loved it, and I really
want to see more live events." Her hint that he could ask her to join him
was met with silence.
A few minutes later, Boone set down his empty glass.
"Mom made us promise to be back the day after Christmas. She's holding the
feast until we return."
"That's nice." When she finished her wine, Boone
took her glass and arranged her more snugly against him.
"Does Dallas live close to you?"
"He does. He's on his own, though. Lives in an
apartment in town."
The warmth of the fire surrounded her in a cozy, muzzy blur
and her eyes slid shut. The next thing she knew, Boone had her in his arms,
carrying her into the bedroom.
He stood her next to the bed, tugged off her hair towel and
robe, and tucked her in. Before he even slid in next to her, she was half
asleep.
Gieselle woke with a start. The bedside clock said
four-fifteen a.m. Boone's hand rested on her belly and she slid out from under
him. Digging a T-shirt and jeans from the dresser, she grabbed her jogging
shoes and walked out to the living room.
The tree, the birthday cake, even the candle were the most
thoughtful gifts any man had ever given her. She wanted to surprise him with a
little gift. Something that said she needed more than these two amazing days
with him.
Grabbing her wallet and phone, she snuck out of the suite
and headed down to the twenty-four hour gift shop.
The casino was quiet. Just a few hardcore gamblers played
slots. The poker rooms were busy, though. In the shop, she browsed a minute
before the sleepy employee walked over and greeted her. When Gieselle explained
the type of gift she was looking for, the woman came to life. In minutes, they
found the perfect thing.
A replica old West pocket watch. Flipping it open, there was
a place to put a photo.
Gieselle touched her phone in her pocket. Kira had sent her
the picture. "Is there a place in the hotel to print out a photo?"
The woman smiled. "What a
carried it over to her on the loveseat.
Her breath caught. "Boone." Her eyes misted.
"How did you…" She sighed. "No. I don't need to know."
He sat next to her holding the cake and a fork. "I'd
sing, but it'd probably spoil the moment." His eyes gleamed a soft blue in
the candlelight.
Another chunk of her heart broke off and became his
property. "Thank you."
"For not singing?" He grinned. "Make a wish
and blow it out."
She closed her eyes, listing all the things she would have
wished for before she met Boone, but trashing them all for the one thing she
wanted right now. More time with him. She blew out the candle.
He plucked it out of the cake, scraped it across the
frosting, and held it out toward her. "Lick it, baby."
She shook her head but smiled. "You're so bad."
She wrapped her lips around it and sucked.
"Yeah. That's the way." He laughed. "For some
reason, I seem to have a tent in my robe."
"We'll take care of that. After cake."
"Promise?" He forked a piece and held it out to
her.
Delicious vanilla butter cream frosting and a dark chocolate
cake melted on her tongue. "Mmm hmm. Promise."
"Damn. You're callin' me bad?" He took a bite and
nodded. "This is almost as delicious as you."
After they plowed through the cake, she held her wine glass
and snuggled close against his chest.
His hand stroked her arm as they watched the cacophony of
the Christmas tree lights against the background of the Las Vegas strip.
"Boone?"
"Uh huh."
"Why did you decide to spend Christmas in Vegas?"
"The rodeo."
She glanced up at him. "Your parents didn't
object?"
"At first. Then we explained that the Old West Casino
Invitational is something new the casino is doing. Put on just to benefit local
food shelves."
Gieselle laughed. "Kira and I wondered why people were
carrying cans into the arena. At first we thought they were going to open them
and pelt you with baked beans."
He chuckled. "Doesn't happen at rodeo. It's a pretty
respectful crowd, usually."
"It was so much fun, Boone. I loved it, and I really
want to see more live events." Her hint that he could ask her to join him
was met with silence.
A few minutes later, Boone set down his empty glass.
"Mom made us promise to be back the day after Christmas. She's holding the
feast until we return."
"That's nice." When she finished her wine, Boone
took her glass and arranged her more snugly against him.
"Does Dallas live close to you?"
"He does. He's on his own, though. Lives in an
apartment in town."
The warmth of the fire surrounded her in a cozy, muzzy blur
and her eyes slid shut. The next thing she knew, Boone had her in his arms,
carrying her into the bedroom.
He stood her next to the bed, tugged off her hair towel and
robe, and tucked her in. Before he even slid in next to her, she was half
asleep.
Gieselle woke with a start. The bedside clock said
four-fifteen a.m. Boone's hand rested on her belly and she slid out from under
him. Digging a T-shirt and jeans from the dresser, she grabbed her jogging
shoes and walked out to the living room.
The tree, the birthday cake, even the candle were the most
thoughtful gifts any man had ever given her. She wanted to surprise him with a
little gift. Something that said she needed more than these two amazing days
with him.
Grabbing her wallet and phone, she snuck out of the suite
and headed down to the twenty-four hour gift shop.
The casino was quiet. Just a few hardcore gamblers played
slots. The poker rooms were busy, though. In the shop, she browsed a minute
before the sleepy employee walked over and greeted her. When Gieselle explained
the type of gift she was looking for, the woman came to life. In minutes, they
found the perfect thing.
A replica old West pocket watch. Flipping it open, there was
a place to put a photo.
Gieselle touched her phone in her pocket. Kira had sent her
the picture. "Is there a place in the hotel to print out a photo?"
The woman smiled. "What a
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