Page 32 of Wicked Cowboy

She arches a brow. “Let’s hope you’re half as good at stringing lights as you are at talking.”

Luke grins, undeterred. “Guess we’ll find out.”

Rhett groans quietly beside me. “You realize they’re going to end up killing each other or sleeping together.”

“Or both,” I say.

Holly spreads a set of sample photos across the table, they contain sleigh ride routes, lanterns, wreath arrangements. She points to one sketch. “We’ll have the ceremony right here, in front of the barn doors, just before sunset. The trees frame the aisle perfectly.”

I look at Rhett, who nods, content. Holly turns to Luke next, waiting for approval.

“Looks good,” he says. “But what about weather?”

“I’ve already arranged for heated tents as backup,” she replies. “And a generator in case of outages.”

Luke’s grin widens. “Do you believe in miracles?”

She narrows her eyes, but the corners of her mouth lift. “No. I believe in planning.”

“You keep talking like that,” Luke says, “and I might actually start behaving.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Cowboy,” she says, closing her binder with a decisive snap.

Rhett’s trying, and failing, not to laugh. “You sure she’s not here to runyouinstead of the wedding?”

“Wouldn’t be the worst fate,” Luke mutters.

When Holly glances up, there’s a flicker of amusement she doesn’t bother to hide. “I’ll need a full walkthrough of theproperty this afternoon,” she says. “Preferably with someone who knows the layout.”

Luke straightens, eyes bright. “I’m your guy.”

“Wonderful,” she says. “Wear something practical. And don’t try to impress me, I can tell when a man’s showing off.”

“Now you’re just daring me,” Luke says under his breath as she heads for the door.

Holly calls back, “Good. I like a challenge.”

The door closes behind her, and silence fills the room for half a second before Rhett lets out a low whistle. “Well, that’s gonna be fun to watch.”

Martha hums her approval. “He finally met a woman who can lasso him without lifting a rope.”

I laugh, leaning against Rhett’s side. “Should we warn her?”

“Let ’em figure it out,” he says. “Could use some entertainment before Christmas.”

Outside, snow keeps falling in lazy spirals. Through the frosted window, I can see Luke catch up to Holly at her car. She’s talking, gesturing at her clipboard, while he’s nodding and smiling that slow, deliberate smile that’s gotten him out of, and into, plenty of trouble.

Holly looks up at him, half-exasperated, half-smiling despite herself. He holds the door for her, still talking, still teasing. She finally shakes her head and says something that makes him laugh loud enough for me to hear through the glass.

I turn back to Rhett. “It’s happening.”

He wraps his arm around me, voice low against my ear. “Yeah,” he says. “He would be lucky to be half as happy as I am with you.”

I laugh, curling against him as the snow thickens and the world outside turns white. Inside, there’s warmth and cinnamon and the quiet joy of something new beginning—not just for us,but for the cowboy on the porch who doesn’t yet realize that he’s about to have a holly, jolly holiday.