Read Online A Down-Home Country Christmas by Nancy Herkness - Free Book Online
Authors: Nancy Herkness
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Wellington boots. “I make ’em for that Project Linus,” he said gruffly. “For babies in the hospital.”
“ You made it? I thought—” Holly stopped herself. “It’s beautiful.”
Grady pushed up from the bench and reached for his jacket. “Bess taught me how to knit when she got sick because she’d promised six blankets and had only finished four.”
Holly tried to picture Grady, in his flannel shirt and rubber boots, going to the yarn store and choosing the skin-caressing yarn in baby-appropriate colors. “It’s wonderful of you to carry on her work,” she said, thinking how very little anyone knows about the private lives of the people around them. Everyone had thought she and Frank had a wonderful marriage. Only Claire had been able to see behind the façade, and that was because she had insisted on helping Holly daily when she had been so ill with Lyme disease.
Grady shrugged and held the door open for Holly. “It makes watching the television less of a time waste.”
As they started across the road toward the barn, Holly tucked her hand around his elbow. “You know, Grady, I think you’re just pretending to be a curmudgeon.”
The old farmer didn’t say anything, but he bent his arm so her hand rested there more comfortably.
* * *
Robbie felt a ping of jealousy when Holly walked into the barn escorted by Grady Boone, smiling as though she and the old farmer had just shared a private joke. It took him back to the walk across the field with Holly. He’d wanted that field to go on for miles, with her tramping along beside him so close he could hear the intake of her breath as the cold made her gasp slightly. He could feel the shape of her hand in his and watch the way the setting sun brushed its light over her cheeks and dark hair.
But that was nothing compared to the lust that had walloped him when that blasted donkey had shoved her soft, warm body right up against him. Once he got his arms around her, he had to fight the temptation to pull her down in the straw, cradling her body over his while he tasted those soft lips he dreamt about in ways that forced him to take a cold shower in the morning.
Nope. Not going there.
He shook his head and unlatched Noël’s stall door, letting Brianna lead the donkey out since he was sure Grady would agree to anything Holly asked. She had that effect on people; she was so sweet and generous, she made the folks around her behave better to match up.
“Grady, I see you’ve fallen prey to the charms of the Snedegar girls,” Robbie said as the farmer bent down to receive a hug from Kayleigh.
The older man hesitated a moment and then put one arm around the more reserved Brianna’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. He produced a rusty smile when Holly beamed her approval at him. Grady turned to Robbie. “You hang around them a lot yourself.”
Robbie choked on a laugh. Who’d have thought old Grady had it in him to give as good as he got? “I’m a sucker for a pretty face, and when there are three of them, I’m sunk.”
Kayleigh did a little twirl at the compliment.
“Careful,” Brianna said to her sister, “You don’t want to scare Noël.”
“Noël’s steady as a redwood in a windstorm.” Grady rested his hand on the donkey’s back as Brianna led her out the barn door and onto the road.
Except when Holly was standing beside him in Noël’s stall.
“Captain Robbie, my friend Teresa’s mama says you’re a lady killer.” Kayleigh inserted herself between Robbie and Holly and took their hands. “But that doesn’t sound very nice.”
He heard a choked giggle from Holly and had to quell a grin of relief. “That’s what you call a figure of speech, sweetheart,” he said to the little girl. “I don’t kill ladies. Or anyone else.”
“But you have a gun.”
“That’s to keep bad guys from killing me,” Robbie said.
“So what did her mama mean?”
“She’s like a dog with a bone,” Holly said, her brown eyes
“ You made it? I thought—” Holly stopped herself. “It’s beautiful.”
Grady pushed up from the bench and reached for his jacket. “Bess taught me how to knit when she got sick because she’d promised six blankets and had only finished four.”
Holly tried to picture Grady, in his flannel shirt and rubber boots, going to the yarn store and choosing the skin-caressing yarn in baby-appropriate colors. “It’s wonderful of you to carry on her work,” she said, thinking how very little anyone knows about the private lives of the people around them. Everyone had thought she and Frank had a wonderful marriage. Only Claire had been able to see behind the façade, and that was because she had insisted on helping Holly daily when she had been so ill with Lyme disease.
Grady shrugged and held the door open for Holly. “It makes watching the television less of a time waste.”
As they started across the road toward the barn, Holly tucked her hand around his elbow. “You know, Grady, I think you’re just pretending to be a curmudgeon.”
The old farmer didn’t say anything, but he bent his arm so her hand rested there more comfortably.
* * *
Robbie felt a ping of jealousy when Holly walked into the barn escorted by Grady Boone, smiling as though she and the old farmer had just shared a private joke. It took him back to the walk across the field with Holly. He’d wanted that field to go on for miles, with her tramping along beside him so close he could hear the intake of her breath as the cold made her gasp slightly. He could feel the shape of her hand in his and watch the way the setting sun brushed its light over her cheeks and dark hair.
But that was nothing compared to the lust that had walloped him when that blasted donkey had shoved her soft, warm body right up against him. Once he got his arms around her, he had to fight the temptation to pull her down in the straw, cradling her body over his while he tasted those soft lips he dreamt about in ways that forced him to take a cold shower in the morning.
Nope. Not going there.
He shook his head and unlatched Noël’s stall door, letting Brianna lead the donkey out since he was sure Grady would agree to anything Holly asked. She had that effect on people; she was so sweet and generous, she made the folks around her behave better to match up.
“Grady, I see you’ve fallen prey to the charms of the Snedegar girls,” Robbie said as the farmer bent down to receive a hug from Kayleigh.
The older man hesitated a moment and then put one arm around the more reserved Brianna’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. He produced a rusty smile when Holly beamed her approval at him. Grady turned to Robbie. “You hang around them a lot yourself.”
Robbie choked on a laugh. Who’d have thought old Grady had it in him to give as good as he got? “I’m a sucker for a pretty face, and when there are three of them, I’m sunk.”
Kayleigh did a little twirl at the compliment.
“Careful,” Brianna said to her sister, “You don’t want to scare Noël.”
“Noël’s steady as a redwood in a windstorm.” Grady rested his hand on the donkey’s back as Brianna led her out the barn door and onto the road.
Except when Holly was standing beside him in Noël’s stall.
“Captain Robbie, my friend Teresa’s mama says you’re a lady killer.” Kayleigh inserted herself between Robbie and Holly and took their hands. “But that doesn’t sound very nice.”
He heard a choked giggle from Holly and had to quell a grin of relief. “That’s what you call a figure of speech, sweetheart,” he said to the little girl. “I don’t kill ladies. Or anyone else.”
“But you have a gun.”
“That’s to keep bad guys from killing me,” Robbie said.
“So what did her mama mean?”
“She’s like a dog with a bone,” Holly said, her brown eyes
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