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  “What are you doing for dinner tonight?” she asked, hoping he’d take the hint and suggest they eat out. Perhaps pick up where they were leaving off this morning.

  “Not sure.” He sat on the bed, tugging on his boots. “We’re missing a few heifers. Probably hiding during the roundup. One of them is ready to deliver. Me and the boys are riding out today looking for them.”

  “Don’t cows usually give birth in the spring?”

  “She was already bred when we purchased her. Didn’t know until this fall when she started showing.”

  Emma hid her disappointment. Work came first, and she respected that. Still, he could give her some reassurance their night together had meant something to him.

  “There’s always later. Call me when you get back.”

  He stood and gave her a quick, distracted hug. “Sure thing.”

  They didn’t talk during the ride to the Yule Tide. At first, Emma assured herself that theirs was simply companionable silence. Halfway there, doubts crept in. Was Nick having regrets? Did he think they’d acted foolishly? He had been extremely noncommittal about dinner tonight.

  She inched her hand across the console separating them. When he finally noticed, he flashed her a grin and squeezed her fingers, then withdrew his hand to rest it in his lap.

  Emma tried not to read anything into his actions. Her insecurities won out, and she began creating scenarios in her head, none of them ending well.

  Once again, she’d jumped the gun with Nick. Why had she kissed him last night at the front door? Maybe she should have sent him home instead. But then they wouldn’t have made love. She didn’t regret that.

  At the ranch, Nick dropped Emma off in front of the house. “See you later.” This time when he kissed her, his lips lingered.

  See, Emma told herself. Nothing to worry about. Watching his truck bump along the dirt drive to the barn, her insecurities returned. He hadn’t been entirely honest with her once before. He could be holding back again.

  Opening the door to the ranch house, she stepped inside.

  “Morning, honey.” Her mother stood in the center of the living room, eyes red-rimmed and vivid splotches marring her cheeks.

  Not the picture of a woman about to be married.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Emma said.

  “No problem.” Her voice rang with artificial cheeriness. “We just...just got started.”

  Emma hugged her mother, whose response was token at best.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Of course.”

  It was then Emma spotted Holly on the other side of the room, near one of the rental tables. Her future stepsister held herself ramrod straight, and her narrowed gaze never left Emma’s mother.

  “Hey, Holly.” Despite her rising alarm, Emma kept the greeting casual as she removed her coat. “Whatcha two doing?”

  “Sorting gifts,” her mother answered.

  “Can I help?”

  Holly erupted in bitter laughter.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Emma snapped. She didn’t know what had put Holly in such a sour state, but she’d reached her limit.

  “This is what’s the matter with me.”

  The table beside Holly contained a pile of presents sent from long-distance friends and family members unable to attend the wedding. One package had been opened and the gift box removed. The lid sat askew, and white tissue paper spilled from the sides of the box.

  Holly reached into the gift box and removed a blue-and-white heart-shaped condiment dish. It was quite pretty, very delicate and obviously expensive.

  Emma turned to her mother. “I thought you were going to open these gifts at the reception.”

  “I am. Was.” Her mother hesitated.

  “I opened this one.” Holly’s features hardened.

  “Why?” Emma didn’t understand.

  “It’s from my dad’s cousin. She lives in England.”

  “That doesn’t give you the right to open a package not addressed to you.”

  “This is Wedgwood china.” Holly raised the dish. For a split second, Emma thought Holly intended to smash the dish to the floor. “My dad’s cousin has been sending my mother pieces for years. Every birthday and Christmas. She had quite a collection. Now, evidently, there’s one new piece to add.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “Yeah, uh-oh,” Holly mimicked.

  “I have no interest in the china,” Emma’s mother insisted. “I told you that. I can’t imagine why your father’s cousin sent the dish. It was thoughtless on her part. And as far as I’m concerned, the entire collection, including that dish, belongs to you and your sister.”

  “You think I want this?” She waved the dish again.

  Emma stepped between the two women. “I can see why you’re upset, Holly. But this is hardly my mother’s fault. She doesn’t even know your dad’s cousin.”

  “Well, she sure as heck is making herself part of the family. And the house. It doesn’t look the same anymore. Pictures are missing. Furniture’s rearranged.”

  “Holly.” Emma’s mother gasped. “That’s not true. I’ve hardly moved a thing.”

  “Except your stuff into my dad’s bedroom.”

  What Emma thought was jealousy on the part of Holly obviously went far deeper. She was still grieving her late mother and taking it out on everyone around her. Especially Emma’s mother. Emma should be angry with Holly. Instead she felt sorry for the other woman. To be miserable all the time was no way to live.

  That didn’t, however, give her reason to ruin her father’s wedding.

  “Where’s Leonard?” Emma asked her mother.

  “With Nick, I think.”

  “I doubt it,” Holly said. “Since Nick didn’t get here until a few minutes ago. With you. I saw him drop you off.”

  Emma resisted rising to the bait. “Maybe we should find him. Your dad, that is.”

  “Don’t pretend you and Nick didn’t spend the night together.”

  Okay. Maybe Emma couldn’t resist. “Frankly, what I do and who I’m with is none of your business.”

  “It is if the guy’s my ex-boyfriend.”

  “Boyfriend?”

  “Nick and I dated.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Last year. For four months. We were quite the couple.”

  Shock rendered Emma mute. Nick and Holly, boyfriend and girlfriend? No, impossible. He’d have told her. Or would he?

  “My dad really wanted it to work out with us,” Holly continued. “Still does. Ask Nick if you think I’m lying.”

  In a weird, terrible way, what Holly claimed made sense. By his own admission, Nick had dated extensively. And he had a proved history of not revealing the entire truth.

  Emma swallowed, then inhaled deeply. Neither restored her equilibrium. She tried to think of what to say or do next and came up blank. In her mind, she was standing in the church dressing room, her mother behind her and arranging her veil. A loud commotion had sounded from another part of the church. All of a sudden, her maid of honor poked her head through the door. “Emma, you should come out here,” she’d announced. “There’s a problem.”

  After that, her entire world had imploded.

  She shouldn’t be hurt by this revelation about Holly and Nick. He and Emma weren’t engaged. They weren’t even dating. She had no ties to him. Yet she was hurt. Severely. The similarities between Holly and Laurel Linkletter were too striking not to affect her. Nick had purposely not told her about a past relationship. Would he also claim this time he was sparing her feelings?

  Raised voices penetrated the haze surrounding Emma, and she blinked herself back to the present.

  “Was that really necessary?” her mother demanded.

  H
olly shrugged one shoulder. “She has a right to know.”

  “But it wasn’t your place to tell her.”

  “Well, then, you should have.”

  “You’re stirring up trouble and targeting Emma for no good reason. It’s me you’re angry at.”

  Wait, Emma thought. Her mother knew about and Nick and Holly? Of course she did. Emma bit her lower lip. She would not fall apart. Not now.

  Leave. That was best. She refused to give Holly more ammunition to use against her.

  Wait. Was her car here? Emma couldn’t remember where she’d left it last night. Yes. It was parked near the garage. She took a tentative step on legs too wobbly to support her.

  The kitchen door opened. She knew this because her mother and Holly stared in the direction of boisterous male voices and heavy footsteps.

  Nick and Leonard strode into the living room, only to come to an abrupt halt.

  Leonard took one look at them and scowled. “What’s wrong?”

  What isn’t wrong? Emma thought bitterly.

  “Sweetheart?” He showed more sense than the other day and went to Emma’s mother rather than Holly.

  Nick stayed where he was, his jacket hanging open. He was wearing the same shirt from yesterday. Of course he was. He’d donned it this morning at her mother’s house. Why was she even noticing his clothes?

  Her glance traveled from Nick to Holly and back again. Such an unlikely pairing, though she could see why Leonard might favor the match. His single daughter and the ranch foreman he loved like a son.

  By the way, Holly and I dated briefly last year. I thought you should know.

  Two simple sentences. More than enough. Except Nick hadn’t said them. Why?

  Someone was crying. Emma looked around to see her mother in tears and Leonard comforting her.

  “It’s for the best,” she said between sobs.

  “Sweetheart, no. Please.”

  “Emma’s right. We rushed into this and should have waited.”

  “For once, I agree with her,” Holly bit out.

  Emma forced herself to focus. “Mom? What’s going on?”

  “We’re calling off the wedding.”

  “No,” Leonard insisted.

  “Postponing it, then. Holly is distraught, and I refuse to marry you unless the entire family is supportive. That’s no way to start our lives together.”

  “We’re getting married,” Leonard insisted. “Tomorrow.”

  Emma felt the burn of Nick’s stare and spun around. Their eyes locked, and she tensed. What did he have to be mad at? He wasn’t he one who’d been lied to. Again.

  “Leonard,” her mother pleaded. “Be realistic.”

  “We’re going to talk this out. I don’t care if it takes all day.” He grasped her arm and, sending Holly a warning glare, led Emma’s mother toward the hall and, Emma assumed, his bedroom.

  “What have you done, Holly?” Nick said the second Leonard and Emma’s mother were out of earshot.

  “How is this my fault?”

  “Your father loves Candy.”

  At that, Holly burst into tears.

  Emma couldn’t stay a moment longer. She had to get out of there. If only to escape a room suddenly void of oxygen.

  Legs no longer wobbly, she bolted through the living room, to the kitchen and out the back door. There, she hesitated long enough to gain her bearings. Frigid wind cut through her, causing her teeth to chatter. Damn, she’d forgotten her coat. No matter, she wasn’t going after it.

  Hugging herself to ward off the cold, she set out in the direction of the garage. When had the weather worsened? A quick glance at the sky gave her the answer. Clouds had grown denser and darker since her and Nick’s arrival.

  “Emma!” Nick flew out the back door, calling her name.

  She broke into a jog.

  “Wait.”

  A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed he was gaining on her. Dammit. He was the last person she wanted to talk to right now.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  NICK REACHED EMMA just as her fingers grasped the car door. “I don’t understand why you’re so angry at me.”

  Ignoring him, she wrenched open the door.

  He had half a mind to let her go. At the last second, he blocked her way. Something was terribly wrong, and he needed to find out.

  “What have I done? Because the last time I checked, which was thirty minutes ago, we were getting along great.”

  The glare she aimed at him would have a less determined man rethinking his decision. “You dated Holly.”

  “Ah.”

  “Ah! That’s all you have to say?”

  “We went out a few times. No big deal. She means nothing to me, other than she’s the daughter of my boss and a friend.”

  “Four months, Nick. Hardly a few times.”

  “I’ve dated other women. You know that.”

  “Not her.” Emma’s voice cracked. “You should have told me.”

  “I didn’t think about it. That’s the truth.”

  “Kind of like you didn’t think about your weekend fling with Laurel Linkletter?”

  She would bring that up.

  “Being with you does tend to make me forget about former relationships.”

  “Nice line, Nick. Use it on the next girl.” She attempted to slip past him.

  He stood his ground. “Look, my dating Holly didn’t matter until last night. When exactly was I supposed to mention it? While we were making love? Or maybe this morning in the shower?”

  “How about on the drive over?”

  “If it had occurred to me, that would have been the right moment. But it didn’t. Because my relationship with Holly is in the past. The forgotten past.”

  “You weren’t honest with me.”

  “I wasn’t dishonest. If you had asked me, I’d have told you about her.”

  “My mother is marrying her father.”

  “You haven’t said one thing about previous boyfriends.” He strived to maintain control. “And I haven’t asked. For all I know, you have one tucked away in Austin.”

  Her eyes widened. “I would never have spent the night with you if I had a boyfriend.”

  “And I can say the same thing. I’m unattached, Emma. I don’t care about Holly, other than as Leonard’s daughter, and you shouldn’t, either.”

  “She’s going to be my stepsister. Every time I look at her, I’ll be thinking she had you, too.”

  “We weren’t involved like that.” Nick’s tone sharpened as his control weakened. “I never slept with her.”

  “Still, a little awkward. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Why do you constantly make everything about you? Your mom’s called off her wedding, and all you can talk about is a previous, meaningless relationship I failed to mention.”

  “Why do you constantly dismiss my feelings as insignificant? I realize that my mom and Leonard are in crisis. Thanks to Holly.” Her features hardened. “Quite a coincidence, isn’t it? Their marriage is also interrupted at the last minute because of another woman.”

  “This isn’t the same, Emma.”

  “Thank God. I’d hate for a pregnant woman to show up claiming Leonard was her child’s father.”

  “Dammit, Emma. I get that you’re still ticked at me, but do you have to keep bringing up Laurel?”

  “Believe me, I’m done being ticked at you. Have been for a long time.”

  “Then why bend over backward to avoid me since then?”

  “I was hurt.”

  “And I wasn’t? You. Left. Me.” He enunciated each word. “And you didn’t come back or take my calls even after the DNA tests confirmed I wasn’t the baby’s father.” That had hurt the worst.
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  “I didn’t trust you anymore. And apparently with good reason. You haven’t changed one lick.”

  Her not trust him? That was almost funny. He posed the same question he had that night outside Frozen Delights. “Would it have made any difference if I’d told you that Holly and I dated briefly? Would you feel less awkward or less insecure?”

  “I’m not insecure.”

  That was debatable. Nonetheless, Nick reined in his temper. “I was trying to protect you. Both times.”

  “You keep justifying your lack of honesty.” She shivered, and her teeth chattered. He’d take her in his arms if she’d let him. No chance of that. “When two people care for each other, they don’t withhold important information, even if it might hurt the other person.”

  Nick was growing tired of arguing and tried a different approach. “We spent the night together, Emma. That’s not something I do with just anybody.”

  “We hooked up for old time’s sake.”

  If her intention was to wound him, she’d succeeded. “That’s all it meant to you?”

  “We have a lot of history. And I’m willing to admit the attraction hasn’t died. But it’s obvious you aren’t serious.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “You barely spoke to me on the drive here.”

  The past five minutes suddenly made sense. She was making less of her feelings in order to shield herself against heartache and disappointment.

  “I was planning my day,” he explained. “The blizzard’s coming, and we have half a dozen missing heifers. My distraction had nothing to do with you or us.”

  “Right.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “There I go again, making everything about me.”

  “Emma, please. Can we call a truce? At least until after the wedding.”

  She continued as if she hadn’t heard him. “We were wrong to think we could pick up where we left off. There’s too much damage. Too many unresolved issues.”

  “We’ve hardly tried.” Twelve hours, by his count.

  “Let’s just get through the next two days. I’ll go home and take that new job if they offer it to me. You can keep dating every available woman in town.”

  So much for controlling his temper. Nick exploded. “Of course. Because that’s what you always do. The second trouble hits, Emma heads for the hills. And you say you don’t trust me.”