Read Online Winter's Embrace by Kathleen Ball - Free Book Online Page B

didn’t seem to take notice of him. They switched
partners, laughing the whole time. It hurt that both his girls were so happy
without him. He took off his coat and hat. The
First Noel started to play, and Stone walked right over to Caleb and cut
in.
    Winter’s eyes widened and her lips formed an O. She
slipped easily into his arms and they danced nice and slow. Having her in his
arms had never felt quite like this. The love he felt overflowed and he hoped
that she could feel it. He needed her to feel it.
    Finally, the song was over, but Stone didn’t want to
let her go. The ends of his mouth tilted up when he realized she was holding on
to him, too.
    The magic of the moment was spoiled when Colt grabbed
her hand and led her into a lively two-step. Stone watched briefly, before he
strode over to the pair, and grabbed Winter’s arm.
“Sorry, Colt, but she’s taken.”
    Both Colt and Winter looked
at him as though he had two heads.
    “Stone…” Winter shook her head at him.
    “You’re my woman and I don’t want these two yahoos
thinking that they can come over and paw you.”
    Winter pulled away and put her hands on her reddening
cheeks. “They brought us a tree and we were just having fun.”
    “You call having two men, brothers, vying for your
attention fun?”
    “Stone, you know us, we’re not like that.” Colt picked
Rachael up and gave her a quick kiss. “You be good to Faith now.”
    “I will. Thank you for my new dolly.” Rachael kissed
Colt on the cheek.
    Caleb reached for her. “Happy
holidays, Ray Ray . I’m glad Snoopy likes his
bone.”
    “I love you, Caleb.”
    “Right back at you, Ray Ray .” Caleb handed Rachael to Stone. “No
hard feelings, buddy. See ya soon.”
    Stone turned to look at Winter ,
but she wasn’t in the room. He’d really done it this time!

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Seven
     
     
    The silence in Winter’s room
worried him. She’d shut herself in and wouldn’t answer him. Rachael looked
ready to kick him with her shiny, patent leather shoes and Stone couldn’t blame
her, he’d been an ass once again. Even Snoopy gave him the evil eye.
    “Will you be all right with Snoopy and Faith if I go
in to see Winter by myself?”
    Rachael hugged her new doll closer and nodded.
    Stone knocked once on Winter’s door and entered without an invite. His heart dropped to his stomach when he
saw her all huddled up in her bed. She glared at him and turned away.
    Her misery was his fault and he felt gut kicked. He
never seemed to be able to do the right thing where she was concerned.
Christmas was fast approaching and he hoped to be practically engaged by then.
It wasn’t going to happen because he’d been completely selfish in his pursuit
of Winter .
    “I’m sorry, Winter . I’m just
a big country hick who has no manners or regard for anyone else’s feelings. If
you want to go, then go. I won’t hold you back. I realize now that you’ve never
had many choices in life, and a lot of it has been my fault.”
    Staring at her, he saw the desolation her gorgeous
eyes, held and it scared him. Slowly, he approached her bed. She stiffened, but
he kept on course. The bed dipped as he sat on it and scooted over to where she
was huddled.
    He took her hand, intertwined his fingers with hers
and kissed the back of her hand. When she didn’t pull away, it heartened him.
“If you want to make a life for yourself somewhere else, I will buy you a house
and get you a job.”
    Winter turned and considered him, her eyes full of
doubt.
    “Anywhere you want.”
    Silently she sat very still for a while. Then she
shifted so that she sat across from him, staring at him. “Why is it always so
hard between us? I realize that I’ve lived my life waiting for you to come back
and it was plain wrong. I never grew, never found my own likes and dislikes.
Hell, I never even left town hoping that one day I’d catch a glimpse of you. Pathetic really. I have never dated, never made friends, and
I mainly