LITMIR.BIZ

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fifteen and she would, by golly, honor that promise. Anticipation curled in her stomach the way it used to on Christmas morning when she was little. Those mornings might be the only times she’d been up at dawn.

      Despite her mother’s many failings as a parent, she’d always made a big deal about Christmas. She and her boyfriend du jour would be standing at the foot of the stairs, their arms loaded with gifts. Another big pile would be waiting under the tree.

      On some level, Geena had known the truckload of presents stemmed from her mother’s guilt because the rest of the year she’d left Geena in the care of Beatrice, the nanny. Beatrice had always spent Christmas with her family, so the holiday had been all on Geena’s mom. When it came to extravagance, her mother had written the book.

      But as Geena stepped out on the front porch, the commercial splendor of her childhood seemed tawdry compared to the scene spread before her. The ground sparkled as if diamonds had been scattered there, and she finally realized it was dew touched by sunlight. And, oh, the mountains! She’d driven in after dark and she’d been too worried about getting lost to notice the dim bulk of the range that stretched as far as she could see.

      Shadows chased by the rising sun moved gently downward from peaks still tipped with snow. If she lived here she’d never get anything done. She’d spend all her time on the porch in an Adirondack chair watching the light shift on the mountain slopes.

      A horse whinnied. She’d left her prescription sunglasses in her room, so she shaded her eyes with her hand as she glanced in the direction of the sound. The barn doors slid open with a soft rumble and Matt walked out to gaze up at the house. He was looking for her!

      Her pulse raced at the sight of him framed in the doorway of the barn. He had on a white T-shirt, possibly the same one he’d worn the night before. After all, he’d slept down there. She waved and started toward him.

      He waited for her, and she found that incredibly sweet. He could have ducked back in to help with the chores, but instead, he’d made welcoming her a priority. Too bad she couldn’t get there faster, but her open-toed shoes weren’t happy with the uneven terrain. She’d rather not embarrass herself by falling down on her way to the barn.

      When she drew close enough, he called out a greeting. “You look great!”

      “Not exactly Western wear.”

      “Doesn’t matter.” He walked to meet her. “You climbed out of bed and made it down here for feeding time.” He hadn’t shaved, and his rakish grin made him look like a certified bad boy.

      If he had a rebellious streak, he kept it firmly in check. But last night she’d caught an exciting glimpse of his wild side. She liked it.

      He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I like the ponytail. Sassy.”

      “Thanks.”

      “You impress me, Geena Lysander.”

      “That makes it mutual.” If she could wake up to the sight of Matt in a snug T-shirt and jeans every morning, she’d have no problem becoming an early riser. He would inspire any woman to sacrifice a little sleep. “But I don’t want to interrupt your work.”

      “Since I slept down here, I had some of it done before my dad and Cade came. They sent me out to see if you were on your way. And here you are.”

      “I hope I didn’t miss everything.”

      “Oh, no. I shoveled stalls instead of feeding. I knew you wanted to watch that part. Let’s go let them know you’re here and then I’ll introduce you around.”

      “But I already know Herb and Cade.”

      “I meant introduce you to the horses.”

      “Oh! Then I’d be delighted to meet them. I don’t think I’ve ever been personally introduced to a horse. Like I said yesterday, I have no experience with them.”

      “Then we should change that. They’re amazing animals.” Matt paused before heading down the wooden barn aisle. “She’s here!”

      “Excellent!” Cade poked his head out of one of the stalls.

      “Hey, Geena!” Herb walked toward them. “Come on back. I was about to feed Lucy and Linus.”

      “Then let’s start with them,” Matt said. “I promised to introduce her to everybody. She’s never met a horse face-to-face.”

      Herb chuckled and reached into his pocket. “Then it’s a good thing I brought carrots.” He handed her six chunks. “Give them three apiece. Those two love their carrots.”

      She put the pieces in the pocket of her pants and decided not to worry if they left a stain. She’d have fun explaining it to the dry cleaner.

      “I’d start with Lucy,” Herb said. “She gets her nose bent out of shape if her son gets treats before she does.” He motioned toward the last stall. “That’s Lucy.”

      A golden horse with a white streak down her nose put her head over the stall door and whinnied.

      “She’s gorgeous!” Geena gazed at the sleek animal. “She looks just like Roy Rogers’s horse!”

      Matt glanced at her in surprise. “I thought you didn’t know horses.”

      “I don’t, but I know movies. My mother has a collection like you wouldn’t believe.” Then she noticed another horse, nearly identical, peeking out from the neighboring stall. “Two of them! Lucy and Linus. I see the family resemblance.”

      Herb folded his arms and beamed. “Amazing, isn’t it? You don’t always get a palomino foal just because you have a palomino mare, let alone one with a blaze that’s almost identical. Linus just had his first birthday. He was born here last May.”

      “Wow.” Geena stared at the young horse. “He looks pretty big to me. They must grow fast.”

      “He’s big,” Herb said, “but he’s not nearly filled out yet. And he’s still a kid at heart. You can go ahead and give Lucy her carrots whenever you want.”

      “Okay.” She approached Lucy, who looked extremely interested in the hand she’d shoved in her pocket. “How do I do it?”

      “One piece at a time and rest it on your palm.” Matt walked up to stand beside her. “Hold your hand flat, like this.” He straightened out her fingers. “Perfect.”

      He’d only touched her fingers, yet she felt a zing in every cell of her body. “So, I just hold out my hand and she’ll take it?”

      “Yes, ma’am.”

      She was growing very fond of his country manners. Shoot, she was growing very fond of him. If they’d been in LA she might not have allowed herself to give in to this attraction, but circumstances had changed. She expected the dynamic to reverse when they went back. Once again he’d be in a goldfish bowl and they’d need to rethink their arrangement.

      Then Lucy began to nuzzle her palm in search of the carrot, and she forgot all about what would or wouldn’t happen in a week or so. A horse was eating from her hand. It tickled, making her giggle. She pulled out another carrot and repeated the process. “Matt, I love this.”

      His soft laughter danced along her nerve endings. “Knew you would.”

       Chapter Seven

      Watching Geena feed carrots to Lucy and Linus caused a major shift in Matt’s thinking. She wasn’t dressed for hanging out in a barn, but despite that, she looked as if she belonged here. He’d figured she’d like the horses and he’d been right about that. Her uninhibited delight as she interacted with them for the first time was touching.

      But until this moment he’d thought of her as a city girl getting a taste of country living. She might enjoy the visit, but without any

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