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“And I just walked away,” Tag said, a hint of disgust moving into his voice now. “I didn’t even say anything to her. I didn’t bring it up with her later. Nothing.” He scoffed, the sound similar to the angry one he’d made in the stable. “I just let her walk all over me. Over and over, and when I saw you…I just…blitzed.”
Everything about him softened then, and he lifted his arm and curled it around her. “I’m sorry, Opal. Really.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” he whispered. “I do, which makes everything that just happened even more insane. I’m sorry.”
“Accepted,” she said. “Thank you for talking to me about this.”
“I can be a right fool sometimes,” he murmured.
“Stop it.” She looked up at him. “Are you ever going to kiss me again?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Right now?”
He met her gaze, and Opal could’ve bathed in the hot flames between them. They licked up her arms and down her neck, making everything heated between them. “Why haven’t you kissed me since my birthday?”
“A coupla reasons,” he said.
“Do tell.”
“Do you want me to confess before or after I kiss you?”
Opal’s nerves danced in pure anticipation. “Mm, after.” She tipped her head back slightly, and thankfully, Tag could read body cues.
He leaned down and matched his mouth to hers, uniting them in a way Opal had missed. She’d known she’d missed his touch, the stroke of his lips against hers, but she hadn’t realized how much until this moment.
She hadn’t realized how very dependent upon him she’d become. How important he’d become. How beautiful he was inside and out.
He pulled away first, just like he had beside the barn, weeks ago. “You make me nervous, Miss Opal,” he whispered. He kissed her again, and oh, Opal could stay right here and do this all day.
But he once again ended the kiss before she was ready. She held so still, everything existing inside this tiny bubble of perfection. He moved his cheek to press against hers, which put his mouth right at her ear.
“And I don’t normally kiss a woman as early as I kissed you. I just wanted to give us some more time to make sure you wanted to kiss me again.”
“I did.”
“A cowboy wants to make sure,” he whispered. Then he lifted his head and reached for a hot chocolate packet. “Now, I saw you put two of these in your mug, and if you’re gonna be doin’ that all winter, I should probably buy some stock in Swiss Miss.”
And just like she had earlier this morning, when someone had said something funny, Opal tipped her head back and laughed.
twelve
Tag finished cleaning out the last stall in the stable, and he moved Dusty back into it, saying, “There you go, bud. You’re all set for Christmas now.” He smiled at Gerty’s old horse, and then he turned to go back down the row.
They kept Rooster on the other end, because he was nosy. He liked to know who was coming in and out of his stable—for it was his. In fact, Rooster lifted his head over the gate and whiffed at Tag.
“Yeah, Merry Christmas to you too, Roost.” He grinned at the big horse and stopped in front of him. “Now don’t you be tellin’ her I told you, but Gerty’s got something special for you.” He looked down the line of horses. “All y’all. So no funny business today. The rest of the Hammonds are coming in today.”
In fact, Mike should be returning to the farm in the next half-hour with his brother, his wife, and their daughter. They’d been entertaining Wes and Bree for a few days now, and Tag could admit he’d enjoyed the evening meals with Opal’s parents.
“Big party tonight,” he said. “Christmas in the morning. I’ll bring out your stockings, okay?”
Rooster pressed the long bridge of his nose to Tag’s shoulder, but he pushed right back. They played this game every now and then, but Tag always won. Rooster always acquiesced, as he should.
“When spring comes, you’re going to be awed by the greenness of this place,” Tag promised him. “It’s a little muddy in the beginning, but you’ve never seen a summer like one in the Rocky Mountains.” He grinned at the horse and ran his hand down Rooster’s neck. “Merry Christmas Eve, my friend. I’ll see you tonight.”
