Mistletoe detour, p.1
Mistletoe Detour, page 1
Mistletoe Detour
KATE PEARCE
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
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New York, NY 10018
“Mistletoe Detour” © copyright 2020 by Catherine Duggan
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-5349-1 (eBook)
ISBN-10: 1-4201-5349-8 (eBook)
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Mistletoe Detour
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Christmas Peanut Clusters for Ted
Books by Kate Pearce
The House of Pleasure Series
SIMPLY SEXUAL
SIMPLY SINFUL
SIMPLY SHAMELESS
SIMPLY WICKED
SIMPLY INSATIABLE
SIMPLY FORBIDDEN
SIMPLY CARNAL
SIMPLY VORACIOUS
SIMPLY SCANDALOUS
SIMPLY PLEASURE (e-novella)
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE (e-novella)
The Sinners Club Series
THE SINNERS CLUB
TEMPTING A SINNER
MASTERING A SINNER
THE FIRST SINNERS (e-novella)
Single Titles
RAW DESIRE
The Morgan Brothers Ranch
THE RELUCTANT COWBOY
THE MAVERICK COWBOY
THE LAST GOOD COWBOY
THE BAD BOY COWBOY
THE BILLIONAIRE BULL RIDER
THE RANCHER
The Millers of Morgantown
THE SECOND CHANCE RANCHER
THE RANCHER’S REDEMPTION
THE REBELLIOUS RANCHER
THE RANCHER MEETS HIS MATCH
SWEET TALKING RANCHER
Anthologies
SOME LIKE IT ROUGH
LORDS OF PASSION
HAPPY IS THE BRIDE
A SEASON TO CELEBRATE
MARRYING MY COWBOY
CHRISTMAS KISSES WITH MY COWBOY
LONE WOLF
Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.
Thanks to Maddy Barone for pet pig help, and Jerri Drennen for reading the novella through for me. I hope you all enjoy this little bit of holiday magic!
Chapter One
Morgantown, California
When his cell rang, Ted jerked upright, and almost knocked his beer over as he leaned across to find his phone. It was late, it was snowing, and he’d settled in to watch a rerun of his favorite baseball team’s memorable moments from last season. From the drool on his chin he might have been napping....
Even as he swiped frantically at the chips on his chest, he answered the phone in a professional manner. His father and grandfather had instilled that in him from birth.
“Baker’s. How may I help you?”
“Hey, Ted, it’s Nate, your friendly neighborhood sheriff. I passed a broken-down vehicle on my way out of Morgantown, and stopped to tell the driver to expect a tow truck in the next fifteen minutes. Sorry to pass the buck, but I’m on my way to a multi-vehicle pileup near Bridgeport because some idiots don’t know how to drive in ice and snow.”
“It’s not a problem, Nate. I’ll go out there right now.” Ted stood and a veritable shower of orange crumbs peppered the floor. “Where’s the vehicle?”
“It’s a small, white rental. Hazard lights are working fine. It’s pulled over just before the entrance to Morgan Ranch. Should be easy to spot unless we get more snow.”
“Okay, no problem,” Ted said. “I’ll get out there right now.”
“Thanks, Ted. I’d prefer it if the car was taken off the road so no one can drive into the back of it. Let me know if you have any problems, okay?”
“Will do. Drive safe, Nate.”
Ted ended the call and glanced guiltily at the collection of empty packets on his side table. Chips, peanuts, and a protein bar counted as dinner, right? With his father being away, he hadn’t bothered to cook. There didn’t seem much point when he lived right opposite a pizza parlor.
He set his untouched beer back in the refrigerator and put on his heaviest jacket and boots. Whenever he was called out, he always tried to start the car and get people moving before deciding to take it into the shop. At this time of year, that usually involved standing in the snow and ice while he froze his nuts off, so he’d learned to be prepared. As the sole mechanic, with the only garage and gas station in Morgan Valley, he was called out to all kinds of situations.
He went down the stairs into the garage below his apartment, and spent a few minutes making sure he had everything he needed stashed in his tow truck before opening the doors and heading out into the inky blackness. Once he got out of the town proper, and into the sparsely populated Morgan Valley, there weren’t many streetlights.
Not that it worried him. He’d lived in Morgan Valley his whole life, and knew the roads like the back of his hand. It took him less than fifteen minutes to locate the broken-down vehicle. He carefully backed up on the side of the road behind it and set his hazard lights flashing.
As he approached, the driver’s door flew open, and a woman scrambled out and rushed toward him.
“Oh, thank goodness! Nate said someone would be along, but I was beginning to wonder whether he’d forgotten about me, and worrying about ax murderers, and—” She paused for breath, and a huge smile broke out on her face. “Oh, it’s you! Ted Baker! How cool is that!”
She pointed at her chest. “Veronica Hernandez. We went to school together, remember?”
Still reeling from the force and brilliance of her smile, Ted nodded like a dumbass. “Yeah, I mean, hey, what’s up?”
She pointed at her car. “It’s embarrassing, but I ran out of gas. I thought I had enough to get me to Uncle Victor’s, but I obviously miscalculated, and now I’m stuck.” She gazed hopefully up at him. “Can you give me a ride into town so I can call him to come get me?”
Ted cleared his throat. “Yeah, of course, but—”
She interrupted him. “Shall I get my stuff and put it in your truck?”
“Sure, but I’ll need to hitch up the car and take it with us, okay?” He surveyed the narrow, unlit road. “It’s not safe to leave it out here in this weather, and on this bend. It won’t take long. Do you have the keys?”
She handed them over and followed him back to the car. “Are you sure it will be quick?”
“I can’t see why not.” Ted opened the trunk, took out her bags, and walked them over to his tow truck. “There’s no damage so it should load up easily.”
Ted returned to the car and paused by the open door, peering into the murky interior, which smelled odd. A weird snuffling noise made him back up a step.
Veronica eased past him. “Oh, my little darling, are you okay? I’m coming right now.”
Ted retreated farther as she emerged with a bundle of blankets and held them tenderly to her chest. It was stupid the way his heart immediately plummeted to his boots. Of course she was married and had a family. She’d always been way out of his league, and he was an idiot to think otherwise.
But if that was her kid, it had one hell of a breathing problem....
She tenderly drew the blanket away and stepped close to him.
“This is Bacon, my pet pig. Isn’t he the sweetest thing ever?”
* * *
Veronica waited as Ted stared down at Bacon; his mouth was working, but no sounds came out. From what she could see in the flickering lights, he hadn’t changed much since school. His brown hair and eyes were as cute as ever, he definitely needed a shave, and he’d filled out his gangly frame quite nicely.
“I thought”—he paused and looked directly at her—“that was your kid.”
“Gosh, no!” She gave a snort of laughter, which sounded remarkably like one of Bacon’s. “He is pretty special to me, though.”
“So I can see.” He stepped back. “Why don’t you and . . . Bacon take a seat in my truck while I get this car loaded up? There’s a flask of coffee in there if you need it.”
True to his word, it didn’t take long for them to be heading toward Morgantown. As they drove down the deserted main street, Veronica gazed eagerly at the town she’d called home for the first eighteen years of her life.
; “It looks good.” She half turned to Ted who hadn’t said much since they’d gotten under way. “I was worried it might have gone downhill like a lot of small towns.”
“Is this the first time you’ve been back?” Ted asked as he drove the tow truck into a vast garage, which easily swallowed her car as well. He closed the doors, leaving them in relative silence.
Her smile dimmed. “Yeah, not that I haven’t wanted to come back, but things got . . . complicated.”
“I know how that goes.” He grimaced. “I didn’t think I’d still be here when I was pushing thirty. I thought I’d be living in a big city doing something with the motor sport industry.”
Impulsively, she reached over and patted his denim-clad knee. “You could still do it. You’re not that old.”
“Thanks.” His smile was wry as he turned off the engine and opened his door. “I feel about ninety some days.”
He came around to her door and offered her his hand. “Don’t want to wake the pig.”
She let him help her down, her hand firmly grasping the front of his open jacket, her face momentarily buried against his chest. He smelled like motor oil, leather, and coffee, which was surprisingly comforting.
“Thanks for this.” She followed him to the far corner where there was a door. “How much do I owe you?”
He unlocked the door and went up a flight of stairs into a large open-plan apartment that faced right down onto Main Street. The town was festooned with Christmas lights and looked like something out of a history book, with its raised walkways and false-fronted buildings. Ted took off his baseball cap and heavy jacket, and stepped out of his boots before turning back to her.
“No charge.” His swift smile was disarmingly sweet. “Consider it a welcome-home gift.”
“That’s really nice of you.” Veronica answered his smile with one of her own. But Ted was nice, he always had been, and it seemed nothing had changed. “Now where can I put the pig?”
He gestured at one of the doors. “How about my dad’s bathroom? It’s got a tiled floor.”
Veronica bit her lip. “Won’t he mind?”
“He’s not here. He’s gone on a Christmas cruise to the Hawaiian Islands.” Ted went down the hallway and opened the door. “If he sends me one more picture of him drinking mai tais and basking in the sun I’ll send him one of the pig.”
Veronica studied the pristine tiled space. “I think this would do nicely.” She gently placed Bacon on the floor still wrapped in his blankie, but he didn’t stir. “I’ve got his food and the rest of his stuff in my luggage.”
“I’ll go and get that for you.”
Ted was already halfway out the door before she could offer to get it herself. Considering how badly she’d disrupted his evening, he was being very kind.
After using the facilities and making sure the bathroom door was firmly closed, she wandered back down the hallway to the kitchen and family room. Although the space looked relatively new, there was very little furniture in it. If Ted and his father were the only people living there, maybe they didn’t care about décor.
There was a small kitchen table with two chairs, a black leather couch, a huge TV, and an ancient recliner that desperately needed recovering. There were blinds, but no drapes, cushions, or photographs.
Ted came back with her bags and stacked them behind the couch.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Veronica turned a slow circle. “Did you guys just move in?”
“We’ve been here about two years. Why?” He went into the kitchen and started making coffee.
“No reason,” she said, trying not to make eye contact.
He grinned at her. “It’s okay. My sister, Beth, thinks we look like squatters, too.” He held up the coffeepot. “Would you like some?”
“Yes, please.” She leaned against the countertop that separated the two spaces and watched him move efficiently around the kitchen. “It’s been a very long day.”
“Where did you drive from?” Ted asked as he scooped coffee into the filter paper.
“L.A.”
“Today?”
“It’s taken me a lot longer than that.” She tried to relax her shoulders. “You wouldn’t believe how many hotels wouldn’t let me bring Bacon in with me.”
“I think I would.”
“And I was trying to avoid the freeways because who knew that pigs get carsick?”
“Not me.” Ted opened the fridge. “Do you take cream in your coffee?”
“Yes, please.” She turned back to her bags. “I’ll just get Bacon settled in, and I’ll be right back.”
* * *
Ted fussed around with the coffee and wondered whether he should offer Veronica something to eat. Not that he had much to tempt her with, but Beth had left some meals in the freezer, and he was perfectly capable of reading a set of cooking instructions. Luckily, Beth was an excellent cook and even her frozen food turned out great.
Having Veronica in his apartment made Ted painfully aware of how he and his dad were still living out of boxes like two people who weren’t sure they were really home. When he’d rebuilt the mechanics shop and gas station, he hadn’t intended to live in one of the apartments. One was for renting out, and the other was for his dad. But after everything that had happened with his father’s health, he couldn’t leave the old guy to fend for himself, so he’d moved in with him—just for a while.
Two years later, he was still here, and his dad had gone off on a cruise to Hawaii....
“He’s still sleeping.” Veronica came back into the kitchen. “I left out some food and water just in case he wakes up.”
She wore a thick, knitted blue sweater over jeans and her long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her earrings were large gold hoops that swung as she talked and her lipstick was bright red. There was more color in her than in his entire apartment or life—and far more warmth.
She glanced over at the phone on the kitchen wall. “Is it okay if I call Victor? My cell phone battery died somewhere around Bridgeport.”
Ted paused as he set out two mugs. “Is he expecting you?”
“No, but I don’t think he’ll mind. Do you?”
He caught the hint of uncertainty in her voice and looked up. “Seeing as he’s always talking about you, I doubt it, but . . . he’s not there right now.”
“He’s out for the whole day?”
“Nope, he’s gone for the next two weeks.”
She went still. “But he’s always there.”
“Not this Christmas. He’s gone on a cruise to the Hawaiian Islands with my dad.”
She gulped. “What?”
“That’s exactly what I said.” Ted poured out the coffee and slid a mug across to her. “Apparently, they both had the same crazy idea and decided to go for it together.”
He’d tried to be pleased that his dad felt well enough to travel, but he was worried about him. Victor had reassured him that he’d keep an eye on his old friend, and yet it still hadn’t felt right.
“Is there anyone out there at the ranch?” Veronica asked, breaking into his thoughts.
“No one’s living there while Vic’s away, if that’s what you mean.” Ted hesitated. “If you’re contemplating heading out that way, I don’t think your rental would make it through the snowdrifts. I wouldn’t recommend you trying to go out there without four-wheel drive.” Ted took a sip of his coffee. “I know your uncle asked the Garcia family to deal with any produce or stock issues. It’s the end of his growing season, so he doesn’t have a lot left in the ground.”
Vic ran a small organic farm that provided produce and free-range eggs to many of the local towns, businesses, and farmers’ markets. He also kept a few horses, which meant that Ted and his father got to keep up their riding skills so they could cowboy up and help out on the ranches during branding and herding operations.
Veronica stared down at her coffee as if it held the key to the universe.
