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  “Oh?” Colton switched his gaze to Annie. “What business is that?”

  “I own a cleaning company,” she said. “It’s called Swept Away. We all work it together. It’s a family company.”

  Colton knew it wasn’t as big as his family company, but he was impressed anyway. “That’s great.”

  Thankfully, a phone rang, and Emily jumped to her feet. “It’s Kelly.” She hurried away, leaving Eden there with Annie and Colton. He wasn’t sure what happened next, but he looked down for more ice cream, and Eden got up too. “I’m going to go take a shower.” She left too, and Colton looked to the little kids sitting on the other couch, all of them piled around a device one of them held.

  Colton smiled looking at them, because this was the kind of situation he wanted. None of his brothers had gotten married for good yet, though Gray and Cy had both been to the altar before. Cy’s marriage hadn’t lasted very long, and he had no kids.

  But Gray had been married for five years, and he had a ten-year-old son who lived with him full-time. His wife had left town in the middle of the day one day, and Gray hadn’t found out until the principal at Hunter’s school had called to see who was supposed to pick the child up.

  Gray had picked him up, and then tried to pick up the pieces of his life too, putting them all back together into a new life where he was a single dad, a corporate lawyer, a good son, and the best brother of them all.

  Colton could learn something from Gray, that was for sure. With his ice cream finished, and no audience for his conversation with Annie, he looked at her and said, “My fiancée left me standing at the altar about seven weeks ago. That’s why I have a lot of walls up right now.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Annie looked at him, blinking as she absorbed what he’d just said. A quick glance toward the doorway revealed that no one stood there watching, and she reached over and took Colton’s hand in hers. “Wow. I’m so sorry.”

  He nodded, the brim of his hat moving up and down. He kept his eyes and chin down, and she couldn’t see his face.

  “I wanted to apologize,” she said.

  That got him to look up, and their eyes met. Sparks flew through her chest, and she hoped he couldn’t tell how handsome she thought he was.

  “For what?”

  “Pushing you,” she said, humiliation streaming through her. “I’m not normally like that, and you’ve literally been here for twenty-four hours.”

  “Well, I’m pretty sure I got here before dinner last night,” he said with a sexy smile. Annie knew he’d be downright devastating with that exact grin on his face. She pulled it into her memory, so she could picture him while she fell asleep at night. “So it’s been more than twenty-four hours.”

  Annie knew she’d have to explain to her daughters about Colton, but she found she didn’t care. When Emily had left, Annie had nudged Eden to go too, and thankfully her youngest had gotten the hint. A yawn pulled through her, and she didn’t want anyone to see her sitting there holding Colton’s hand.

  So she said, “I’m exhausted. I’m going to head to bed.”

  “Hopefully we won’t have to babysit any fireplaces tonight,” he said.

  “If the furnace goes out,” Annie said. “I’m calling Graham.” She gave a light laugh, let go of his hand, and stood up.

  He joined her, and said, “I’ve got a bit of work to do before I can go to bed. What time is breakfast?”

  “Usually eight,” Annie said. “But really, you can get food whenever.”

  “I hope so,” he said. “Because I’m not going to make up here by eight.”

  Annie led him downstairs, and she stepped to her door and knocked while Colton went past.

  “It’s open,” Eden called, and Annie went inside without looking at Colton. She could do it. She wasn’t fifteen, or even twenty-five.

  Or even thirty-five, she told herself. Another hint of foolishness threaded through her as she stepped inside and closed the door. Both of her daughters faced her, their eyes full of questions.

  “I’m sleeping until I wake up,” Annie said. “No alarms.” She turned toward the door and added, “I have to use the bathroom. Be right back,” hoping that would be it before she went to bed.

  “You’re telling us about him,” Emily called after her as Annie closed the door. She hurried next door to the bathroom and pressed into the door behind her, a sigh moving through her body, accompanied by a fair amount of giddiness.

  Once those emotions passed, Annie could face them. She didn’t want to admit that her heart had run away from her already, but it kind of had. So she pressed on the brake, and she’d pull back a little bit. She didn’t need to push Colton into a corner he didn’t want to be in, and he’d just been through a terrible trauma.

  She’d had years and years to heal after her husband’s death. He’d had seven weeks. “Almost seven weeks,” Annie reminded herself. She washed her face as she thought about him and what his plans for his life moving forward were. He hadn’t said and while Annie wanted to know, she wasn’t going to ask. Oh, no, she was not.

  She racked her memory for what he’d said last night when he’d arrived, but she couldn’t remember. The older she got, the less her brain could retain, and she’d simply have to take one day at a time. He wasn’t going to leave the lodge tomorrow.

  She finally returned to the room, unable to hide from her daughters for long. They both lay in bed, looking at their phones, and Annie peeled back her own covers. Eden put her phone down with a clunk and said, “Start talking.”

  “He’s handsome,” Annie said. “And close to my age. And I like him, and maybe we’ve been flirting.”

  “More than maybe,” Emily said, still swiping on her phone.

  “Yeah, Mom, you kicked me in the back to get me to leave.”

  “I nudged you,” Annie said. “And thank you for getting the hint.” She climbed into bed and pulled the blankets over her.

  “Are you going to date him?” Emily asked, sitting up and looking at Annie.

  Annie saw the worry in her daughter’s eyes. “I don’t know. I’m not sure how long he’ll be here. I just know he’s the most interesting man I’ve met in a long time, and we’re getting to know each other.”

  “Good for you, Mom,” Eden said. She’d always had an easier time with the men Annie dated. For some reason, Emily felt responsible for making sure whoever Annie went out with wasn’t leading a dangerous life. Or something.

  “He’s a marketing something-or-other,” she told Em. “The most dangerous thing he probably does is drive to work.”

  Emily nodded, gave her mother a small smile, and laid back down. “No alarms,” she said. “And let’s pray that the furnace stays pumping all night long.”

  “Will you say a prayer?” Annie asked. “We can stay in bed.”

  “Sure,” Em said, and she waited a couple of seconds before beginning, giving the others time to close their eyes and be ready. “Lord, we thank Thee for this Christmas season, where we can celebrate the birth of Thy Son. Bless us to be safe. Bless us to be kind. Bless us to get along with all of those around us. Bless Mom that she can have a clear head when it comes to Colton. Bless Kelly that he can arrive safely on Christmas Eve.”

  She went on to offer gratitude for the blessings they had, and Annie smiled all the way to the end. “Thank you,” she said, reaching over to snap off her lamp. She loved it when her daughters prayed for her, and she did need the blessing of a clear mind when it came to Colton. She was grateful for all the Lord had given her over the years.

  She closed her eyes, that smile of Colton’s dancing through her mind the way sugarplums did in the famous Christmas poem, and fell quickly to sleep.

  The next day, Annie woke feeling like she’d caught up on the sleep she’d missed the night before. Neither of the girls lay in the bed next to hers, and she sat up, somewhat surprised. Her phone said nine o’clock had just come and gone, and Annie couldn’t believe it.

  She dressed quic
kly and went upstairs to get a cup of coffee and see what she could find for breakfast. The kitchen was the hub of the house, and at least half a dozen people milled about, coffee mugs in front of them as they chatted and finished feeding their children.

  “Morning,” a few people chorused to her, and she said the same back to them.

  She poured herself a cup of coffee and spied a couple of pans of breakfast casserole sitting on the stovetop. She served herself and took a seat at the table to eat.

  “Are you going out to get the tree?” Lily asked, reaching to help Charlie down from his chair. “Stay upstairs, bud,” she said to him before looking at Annie.

  “No,” she said. “I’ll stay here and help with lunch or pull decorations out of storage.”

  “Would you mind watching Charlie if Beau and I go?”

  “Of course not.” Annie smiled at her, glad she’d have someone to keep her entertained. She’d always wanted grandchildren, though her daughters were still young.

  “I think Andrew and Becca wanted to go too, but they were going to ask Amanda to help with their kids.”

  “I’m sure we can manage all the kids if they’re left here,” Annie said. “I’ll make white chocolate popcorn and put a movie on in the theater room. Done.” She took a bite of eggs and sausage, so grateful Celia kept them all fed here at the lodge.

  Lily put her arm around Annie’s shoulders and squeezed. “Thanks, Annie. You’re the best.” She stood up and reached for Charlie. “Come on, bud. Let’s go find Daddy and see what time they’re going to get the tree.”

  Annie glanced at Rose and Vi, who both sat by their kids, making sure they all got enough to eat. She wanted to ask if they’d seen her girls or Colton, but she didn’t.

  As if drawn by her thoughts, Colton entered the kitchen, with Bree right beside him. He was smiling at her, and Annie’s jealousy reared instantly. Her mouth turned dry as she watched the two of them together, despite the reassurances from both of them that they were just becoming friends.

  “There you are,” Bree said. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes,” Annie said with a smile. “Have you seen Em or Eden?”

  “They went out to help dig out the sidewalks and cars.” Bree exhaled as she sat down. “Colton and I just got back from doing the sidewalks out to Patsy’s and Sophia’s, and Graham has the tractor to clear the path for me and Elise.”

  Annie nodded, because she’d learned over her lifetime of living in Wyoming that shoveling snow came with the territory. Today, she was glad she had all these big, strong cowboys to dig them out from underneath what Mother Nature had dumped on them for the past couple of days.

  “Are you going to go pick out the tree?” Bree asked as Colton sat on the other side of Annie with a fresh cup of coffee.

  “No,” Annie said. “I’m staying here to babysit some of the little kids so their parents can go.” She glanced at Colton. “We’ll have to wait until later to try cribbage again.” She gave him what she hoped was a flirty smile.

  “Oh, I’m not doing that again,” he said. “It’s literally the most confusing game in the world.”

  “We didn’t even make it through one game.”

  “That’s because it’s too confusing.” He kicked at grin in her direction and added, “We should raid the pantry here until we find a bag of chips and then put a movie on.”

  “There’s a movie later today,” Bree said. “It’s at four-ten.” She tapped on her phone. “There are still some slots for tree decorating. And let’s see…Celia is doing a kid’s cooking class just before dinner, which is pot roast and baked potatoes.” She glanced up at Annie and Colton. “There’s always games and whatnot, and I think the weather is nice enough for snowshoeing.”

  “I’m not a hugely outdoor person,” Annie said.

  “You’re not?” Colton asked. “I love being outside in the mountains.”

  “In the winter?” Annie cocked her eyebrows at him.

  “Definitely more in the summer.”

  Annie finished breakfast and got up to put her dishes in the dishwasher. Patsy came over the speaker system and said, “Anyone who would like to go pick out the Christmas tree, please meet in the front circle drive.”

  The activity in the house increased, and Amanda and Finn came into the living room, grouping kids onto the couches.

  “You’re sure?” Rose asked. “There’s three of them.”

  “We can handle it,” Amanda said, glancing at Annie. “Annie’s here, and Celia, and Patsy.”

  “They’re naughty.”

  “Oh, go on,” Annie said, picking up one of the boys who was trying to get off the couch. “They’re fine.” The two-year-old in her arms started to cry and reach for Rose, whose face fell. “Just go,” she said. “He’s fine.”

  Rose blew them all kisses, and she and Liam made a hasty exit.

  “Come on,” Amanda said. “I’ve got play dough, but you can only use it in the kitchen.” She picked up another two-year old, and Finn did too. “Come on Daisy. Mary.” The little girls slid off the couch and went with her, and Annie reached for Charlie.

  “Come on, sweetheart. Do you want to play with play dough?”

  “Yes,” Charlie said, putting his hand in hers. Her heart melted, and she went into the kitchen, only to find Colton standing there.

  “You didn’t go to get the tree?” she asked, putting a still-sniffling Jackson in a highchair. “You want a cookie, baby?”

  The little boy looked up at her, his eyes wide and hopeful. She smiled down at him. “I know where Celia keeps the cookies.” She used a hushed voice, but Charlie still said, “I want a cookie, Aunt Annie.”

  “And you will get one,” she said, beaming at him. “Get up in that chair, and I’ll be right back.” She stepped away from the table and rounded the counter into the area where all the cooking took place. She took out a box of animal cookies and handed them to Colton.

  “You give them those, and these kids will do whatever you want.”

  “Oh, I see how you do it.” He gave her a sparkling look and stepped over to the two little boys waiting at the table. He gave them each one cookie, and Amanda arrived with a chunk of green play dough for both of them.

  “Don’t eat the play dough,” she told them. “Only the cookies.”

  “Grandma?”

  Amanda turned toward Averie and Ronnie. “What, my sweets? We’re doing play dough and cookies in here.”

  “Can we put a movie on in the big bedroom?” Ronnie asked.

  “Of course.”

  “Can we have some cookies too?” Averie asked.

  Colton didn’t miss a beat as he stepped over to them and filled their six-year-old hands with cookies.

  “Don’t get those on the sheets,” Amanda called after them. “Finn and I are sleeping in there.”

  “We won’t,” Ronnie yelled back to them.

  Annie sat down next to Jackson and helped him make his dough into a circle and then a square. She liked talking to Amanda and Finn, and Colton didn’t say much but he had a calming presence and when they took the littles downstairs to put on a movie, little Collin climbed right into his lap as if they’d known each other their whole lives.

  Annie’s heart softened toward him, and she caught him snuggling the little boy back too.

  When their parents returned, so did the chaos, as it was also lunch time. She stayed in the basement as the children went with their parents, and when she and Colton were all that remained, she looked at him. “Thanks for helping.”

  “That was actually fun.”

  “You were great with them.” She moved over and slipped her hand into his. “Do you want little children?” Because she couldn’t give him little babies of his own, and maybe he wanted a woman who could.

  “I haven’t thought much about it.”

  “No?”

  “I mean, I don’t really have a lot of faith in marriage right now, so I haven’t thought about kids.” He spoke casually, as if he did
n’t realize what he’d just said.

  But Annie heard him. And it sounded like Colton didn’t want to get married. That he didn’t want to commit to a woman.

  Annie really didn’t want to spend the rest of her life with just herself and her cleaning clients. She wanted another husband.

  And Colton didn’t believe in marriage, let alone have the desire to get married.

  Chapter Twelve

  Colton watched Annie recede right in front of him, and he wondered what he’d said. His stomach grumbled for food, though he’d had a few animal cookies too. “Should we go up to lunch?”

  “You go,” she said, removing her hand from his. “I’ll be up in a minute.” She flashed him a tight smile and headed toward the bathroom. The door clicked closed with a very final sound, and Colton stared after her.

  He took a couple of hesitant steps toward the staircase, wondering if he was making a mistake by going. But she clearly didn’t want to keep talking to him, so staying would definitely be a bad idea too.

  Footsteps came down toward him, and Colton paused as a couple of teenagers thundered down to the landing and then jumped the last three steps to the basement.

  “Sorry,” the girl said, but she didn’t stop. She continued into the theater room while the boy followed, saying something about how it wasn’t fair she got to choose every time. Colton knew exactly how he felt, because Gray and Wes had always been bigger and faster than him. He never got the good tennis racquet, never got to pick the best water shoes, never had a plate of food first.

  Colton smiled and shook his head as he went upstairs, the scent of spicy salsa hanging in the air. Mixed with that, a chill permeated the house, and a distinct earthy smell met his nose too.

  “No, it has to go that way,” a man said from the living room, while someone else said, “We’re not eating until they have the tree set,” from the kitchen.

  Colton hardly knew which way to go, but he chose the living room, because it seemed like they wouldn’t be eating until whatever was happening out there finished up. He made it through the doorway far enough to see people everywhere. Several clustered in front of the fireplace, watching, while a couple of cowboys stood on the stairs, holding the largest, tallest, and most beautiful pine tree Colton had ever seen—and he’d grown up in the Rocky Mountains.