Chapter 9
~ Sammie ~
After a whirlwind trip through one of Reno’s biggest malls, I’m decked out in new clothes, skinny black jeans, leather Western boots, and a snowflake-bordered sweater underneath a faux-fur vest.
I take a peek at my new look in the side mirror of Braden’s car as he unlocks it. My shiny, new blue eyes twinkle back at me, thanks to the colored contact lenses, and I run my fingers through my quirky, asymmetrical pixie-style haircut that makes me resemble a department store elf.
“Do I look like your daughter?” I blink as if I’m precious.
“Still too sexy.” He whistles. “You’ll have to remove some makeup when we get closer.”
“How many hours do we have left to drive?” I heft my bags of clothes into the trunk along with my new matching set of luggage.
“Thirteen or more,” he says, looking at his phone with a frown. “Bad weather’s coming. Hope we don’t get caught by the forecasted snowstorm.”
“Then I’d better wrap all the presents on the way up.” I lay out rolls of wrapping paper and ribbons on the back seat. “Where did you put the scissors?”
He goes through the bags containing the presents he bought for everyone in his family, including brothers and stepsisters, as well as any potential children they might have. After finding the scissors and tape, he hands them to me. “Okay, Santa’s Elf, here’s a list of who gets what. Wrap and tag while I drive?”
“Aye, aye, Big Santa.” I turn quickly as he’s holding the door and dot him a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for all the clothes, Daddy.”
He tilts his face and meets my lips with his. “I’m not your daddy yet. Not until we get to the ranch.”
“Oh, well, in that case…” My arms wrap around his solid shoulders, and I let him drill his tongue through my mouth. His whiskers are rough, and the way he kisses has me all wiggly and melty. Now that I’ve decided to trust him, at least for the Christmas trip, I’m a tiny bit regretful I have to play the role of daughter and not fake girlfriend.
The kiss goes on and on, right in the middle of the shopping center parking lot overlooked by a towering community Christmas tree.
Too bad the wind bites through my vest, and the back seat is full of unwrapped presents. I swallow my last breath, strengthen my resolve, then rest my palms on Braden’s hard, muscular chest and push away. “You sure you’re going to drive straight through the night? Shouldn’t we get a motel room?”
“Have to arrive by Christmas Eve,” Braden says. “I promised Jolene.”
“Is your grandfather at the ranch or still in the hospital?”
“He was released, and they’ve set up a hospital bed for him. Palliative care.”
“I’m so sorry.” I give his hand a squeeze. “Let’s make it his best Christmas ever.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m sure he and my late grandmother had many best Christmases in the past, but thanks for helping. I’m sure he’ll be proud of you.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” I reach into the laptop bag and plug the charger into the media outlet. “Put your phone on hotspot mode so I can make profiles for us. We’d better snap a few pictures together.”
“Good thing your lipstick is all smeared.” He reaches into his shirt pocket and dabs my face with a handkerchief. “There. All innocent.”
“Sixteen-year-old girls do like to wear makeup.” I sneer like a rebellious daughter.
“Not my daughter.” He tucks the handkerchief back in his pocket and stretches out his phone in selfie mode.
“I’ll upload these, but won’t they be suspicious that we don’t have any older pictures?”
“I’m sure you’re good with Photoshop.” He quirks a sneaky grin. “I have some older pictures of me on the phone, and I’m sure you can scare up a few pictures of yourself.”
I give his abdominals a noogie. “Okay, Dad. I’m counting on a huge trust fund and a prominent place in your will.”
“If you perform, you’ll be rewarded, Sammie girl. Trust me.”
* * *
The fourteen-hour drive to Brant Falls, Wyoming, is long and numbing, and the last few miles off the interstate was harrowing, especially when Braden had to put chains on his tires in the dark.
