Baby, It's Cold Outside

prologue

Can you believe that Edna took off like that?”

“What do you expect, Bethel? Her grandbaby needed her,” Eileen replied.

“I know. I know. But the Christmas pageant is coming and it just won’t be the same without her,” Bethel said.

“Yes, of course, but don’t you see the opportunity this presents?”

Both women turned to look at their friend Maggie, whose grin ran from ear to ear. The three women were thought to be in their sixties, but no one knew for sure—they guarded their age more securely than Fort Knox guarded its gold.

“What do you mean?” they asked in unison.

“We don’t get too many new people here in town,” Maggie told them. “Hawk’s been single for long enough. Now that my boy Bryson has gotten married and settled down, I’m more than ready to see the same happen for Hawk.”

“Ooh, I like your thinking, Maggie,” Bethel said, her eyes twinkling with understanding.

“So, we just need to find an . . . appropriate teacher,” Eileen said with a giggle.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Bethel burbled. “I’m so glad to be on the school board, so we have the task of finding Edna’s replacement.”

“Did they include photographs with the résumés?” Maggie asked.

“Sure did!” Eileen told them as she flipped open her laptop.

“Shouldn’t we bring Martin in on this?” Eileen asked quietly, and a slight blush tinged her cheeks.

Bethel and Maggie knew that something was happening between their friend and town businessman Martin Whitman, but they weren’t about to call Eileen out on it.

“We will . . . eventually,” Bethel said. “But not right now. This girl needs to be for Hawk. Martin would try to steal her away for one of his four boys.”

“Well, we need to find some women for those ornery sons of his, too,” Maggie chimed in.

“Let’s just focus on one kid at a time,” said Bethel, always the logical one. “Besides, I already have plans brewing for my granddaughter Sage and one of the Whitman boys. As soon as she’s done with medical school . . .”

Maggie’s eyes widened. “Oh, do tell.”

“Now’s not the time.” Bethel said, clicking through the résumés. “Girls, I think we have a winner!”

The other two women leaned over, and then all three of them smiled as they read about Natalie Duncan, who was seeking work as an elementary-school teacher.

“I think you might just be right,” Maggie said.

Poor Natalie had no idea what she was about to step into . . .

chapter 1

Her heels clicking on the hard tile floor of the airport, Natalie Duncan smiled and popped a Hershey’s Kiss into her mouth. Her first teaching job! It was a dream come true. Four years of college, thousands of study hours, even more volunteer hours, a teaching internship at a beautiful elementary school in sunny LA, and she had finally received the call she’d been waiting for.

Sure, it was November, and sure, she’d been called only because another teacher was going through some sort of family emergency and had to leave the state suddenly, but Natalie was still stoked. She’d been the one the school had called. She was the one who would be stepping into her very own classroom come Monday morning.

The small town of Sterling, Montana, wasn’t exactly where she’d wanted to begin her career, but it was a job teaching what she loved. This was only a stepping-stone.

Wholly unaware of the masculine eyes that were following her in her sharp blue pencil skirt and four-inch heels, Natalie pressed forward. With her slim five-foot-three-inch frame and her fiery red hair, green eyes, and full lips, she was made to turn heads. The thing was, Natalie wasn’t looking for male attention. She had plans. She had goals. And men were far down on her list of priorities. After all, she was only twenty-three. Work first. Marriage and family later.

A smile flitted across her lips as she thought about her life fifteen years down the road. She’d have a white picket fence and one girl and one boy running through the sprinkler on a nice, hot day while she sat next to her husband and enjoyed the successes of her life.

Wrapped up in her fantasy future, Natalie stepped through the airport doors buzzing with excitement and a huge smile plastered on her face, which vanished in an instant when the biting Montana wind slapped her in the face.

“What the hell?”

Her voice came out choked as she struggled to regain the breath that had been sucked from her.

She’d been born and raised in Southern California, and was in no way ready for this sort of weather. She’d been so excited over receiving the job she hadn’t even thought to research what climate she was stepping into. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Running back inside she gulped warm air into her frozen lungs.

“Okay. You can do this,” she told herself as she looked down scathingly at her completely inefficient shoes. “Heels? What was I thinking?” Heels and sexy lingerie were her concessions to blatant femininity. Otherwise she wore beige and dark colors, and downplayed what she’d been blessed with.

Raising her head, she studied the people passing her by. None of them were wearing heels and a skirt. No. They were clad in warm boots, thick coats, and trousers. She threw her suitcases a disgusted look as it dawned on her that she’d have little choice but to spend some of her precious savings on warmer clothing.

Reaching into her carry-on bag, she pulled out her warmest jacket, which wasn’t going to do much, but it was better than nothing. She was wishing she’d done a lot more research on the weather in Montana before her arrival. Making her way back to the doors, Natalie glared at them as if they were the gates to hell, and took a deep breath before moving forward again.

As she stepped outside, tears sprang instantly to her eyes, and her entire body shook, but she forced herself to trudge to the curb. Thankfully, there was a cab waiting. Fearing she’d never feel warmth fully return to her body again, she huddled in the backseat after giving the driver the address for the little furnished house the school district had set up for her.

The people of Sterling had been unbelievably kind. One woman—her name was Bethel—had even sold Natalie a small Toyota sedan, dirt cheap. That was one less thing she had to worry about. The vehicle should be parked in her driveway already.

First she’d get settled in, and then she’d drive around town. She hoped they kept the roads plowed, because her little car wasn’t going to make her feel particularly safe, and she couldn’t fork out the money needed for a truck or SUV. Her mind drifted as the miles passed and she gazed out absently at an endless expanse of white.

“Looks like Hawk’s here to show you the place.”

Startled, Natalie looked up to see the cabbie peering at her through the rearview mirror. “What?”

One of Natalie’s worst faults, or at least what she felt was one of her worst faults, was that she’d get so lost in her own head she’d tune out the rest of the world.

A vivid imagination was great when you were teaching young children, but not so great when trying to hold normal conversations with other adults. How pathetic. Her life was so dull that she spent most of her time in a fantasy world.

That was going to change, though. She was a teacher now. A professional. Pulling a little notebook out of her purse, she turned to the list of goals she’d written out in clear, even handwriting. With pure delight, she checked off Get first teaching job. Of course, not everything on that list would be crossed off so easily.

“Hey, Mickey. How was the drive?” asked a husky male voice.

Whoa. When Natalie looked up and saw the man leaning against the side of the cab, she felt frozen to her seat. And it had nothing to do with the cold air drifting through the now open window. A pair of linebacker shoulders completely swallowed up the open space. He was wearing a thick coat, sporting dark and slightly unruly hair, with piercing brown eyes with lashes that seemed to go on forever.

And those lips. They were full and turned up in an electrifying smile as he bantered with the cabbie. Natalie had no idea what the two men were saying, because the deep timbre of this man’s voice enveloped her. It seemed to be sending all sorts of wrong signals to her stomach, which was fluttering.

Suddenly, her side door flung open and the man stood there with his hand out while saying something to her, but all she could hear was buzzing in her ears.

Nonsense!

This was total and utter nonsense. She didn’t believe in love at first sight, or even lust at first sight. So to be looking at this man as if he were a piece of her favorite chocolate was freaking ridiculous.

She was a professional woman who’d just had a weak moment. He was holding out a hand to help her from the taxi. That was all. She could do this. She’d reach out casually, take his hand, say a polite thank-you, and make her way into the house. Easy-peasy.

But when she did reach out, the sensation of his gloved fingers gripping her bare ones sent tingles through her body. She somehow managed to climb gracefully from the vehicle. But as their eyes met for the first time, she felt as if she were being sucked into another dimension.

“Hawk Winchester.”

It took her a moment to realize he was introducing himself. It took her another moment to notice the narrowing of his eyes, the slight pursing of his lips. His smile had vanished, and it seemed she wasn’t the only one confused by this instant attraction.

Never before had she felt any sort of zing with a stranger. Never before had she stood in front of someone and wanted to tear off her clothes without any preliminaries, civilized or not. She was Natalie Duncan, innocent and repressed schoolteacher. She’d been the one in the library while her peers were out partying. She’d never had lustful thoughts about any man, any man at all.

Yes, she’d fumbled through sex during college, but that was just going through the motions. She’d never before experienced the intensity she was feeling at this moment, looking at Hawk. As this stranger held her gaze, she couldn’t seem to shake the irrational vision of the two of them entwined together in reckless passion. Oh, this was bad. So very bad.

It didn’t have to be. The man was just being neighborly. Helping her into her new house. After this moment passed, she wouldn’t see him again. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Right.

“Natalie Duncan.”

She’d finally found her voice. Pulling her hand away, she began walking up the cleared path to the front steps. Let the men handle her bags. There was no possible way she’d be able to get her fingers to quit shaking long enough to actually lift one of those suitcases.

Suddenly the heels she was wearing didn’t make firm contact with the slick path, and she felt herself slipping slightly.

“Wait!” Hawk’s low voice called.

Too late. Her heel caught in a gap between the front porch boards. Her hands flew up, imitating a windmill, and she felt herself falling backward.

Closing her eyes, she prepared for a nasty fall into that wretched snow, but instead she landed in solid arms and against an even more solid chest. Afraid to open her eyes, she peeked up from under her thick lashes.

She should have kept her eyes closed, because the smoldering fire burning in Hawk’s eyes was enough to make her feel faint. He didn’t move, just looked at her as if she were the main course for dinner. Yeah, she’d have to avoid this man at all cost! Because she found herself wanting desperately to close the minuscule gap between them, and that just wasn’t in her plans.

She just had to think of her list. Her life was mapped out—school, check; career, check; ten years of hard work, not checked. Nowhere on that map was the gorgeous man now holding her in his arms.

“Well, Natalie, I always do enjoy it when a beautiful woman falls right into my arms,” he said, his eyes bright, his lips set in a smoldering, confident grin.

Womanizer! That’s what this man was. He figured he was cute enough that he could say a few words and she’d simply invite him in. Natalie hadn’t fallen under a man’s spell before, and she certainly wasn’t going to do it while she was frozen, grumpy, and more than irritated to be caught in such a vulnerable position.

“I’m grateful you didn’t let me hit the ground, but you can wipe that look off your face and let me go.” Her voice stern, her eyes anything but receptive, she was satisfied when his expression changed to one of confusion.

But he quickly regained his composure. “Hmm, not the usual reaction I get when I have a beautiful woman in my arms.”

“I’m not a usual woman.”

Just as quickly as he’d caught her, he let her go, nearly making Natalie tumble backward again. Barely catching herself, she grabbed the ice-covered rail and climbed the couple of steps just as the cabdriver set her bags by the front door.

Thanking the man, she paid him, then turned back to Hawk, who for some reason was holding her house key in his hand.

“As I said, Hawk Winchester,” he said smoothly. “Local fire chief, and . . . your landlord.”

Crap.

Putting away her anxiety, she held out her hand, hoping like hell he would just drop the key into it without any further physical contact. Of course, that wasn’t going to happen. He gripped her fingers and wrapped them around the key, his eyes once again smoldering as he captured her gaze. “I’ll be seeing you again real soon,” he said, and then turned away, leaving her shivering by the front door.

She watched him leave, his stride smooth, his movements confident. Before he reached the sidewalk, she shook her head and turned back to her door, her fingers shaking so hard it took a few tries before she was able to unlock it. Natalie had a feeling her time in Montana wasn’t going to be quite as easy-peasy as she’d thought it would be.

chapter 2

Something was wrong. As she started to come out of a deep slumber, Natalie realized her nose was frozen. After pulling the covers over her head with one hand, she let the other hand crawl up her body until it reached her face. Dammit. Her nose felt like a Popsicle. What was the matter with this place?

No way could she crawl from this stupid bed. Even beneath five blankets, she was fighting not to shiver. What was wrong? The old furnace had been working when she went to sleep.

And how long had she slept, anyway? Groping the nightstand for her watch, she was shocked to discover it was already nearly eleven o’clock. She’d been exhausted, true, but she had too much to do to lie here any longer.

Deciding to test the temperature again, she slid the blankets down. Sheesh. Frigid air assailed her body and made every hair stand on end atop giant goose bumps. Yanking the covers back into place, she curled into a ball and fought tears.

Unfortunately, her bladder was screaming at her.

It took her another five minutes, but she finally talked herself into making a run for the bathroom. Throwing off the covers, she leapt from the bed and sprinted through the small house to its lone bathroom. She cranked up the shower to the hottest setting to try to build up steam, and dashed through her morning routine despite the shivers wracking her body. When the water in the shower finally reached a reasonable temperature, she jumped beneath the spray.

It took a full two minutes before she felt heat return to her beleaguered limbs. And when she stepped out of the shower, she gloried in the steam that filled the small bathroom. Mostly dry, she gazed at the door leading to the rest of the house.

“It’s like I know there are a thousand snakes on the other side of it, yet I have no choice but to go out there,” she muttered before laughing at herself. “This is ridiculous!”

Wrapped in a towel, Natalie took a deep breath for courage and opened the door. Yep. It was as bad as she’d expected. She darted back to the bedroom and made a beeline for the dresser. After yanking her undergarments on, which wasn’t easy—she was shaking more violently than a single leaf in an autumn breeze—she found her warmest pair of wool pants.

Next, she piled on four shirts, a sweater, and a coat that didn’t want to fit over the bulk of her cleverly “layered” clothes. The only shoes she’d brought were not going to cut it, and she was kicking herself for that now. Her toes were going to turn black and fall off with frostbite before this Montana adventure was over.

Once she’d clothed herself as best as she could, she moved over to the blasted furnace, which was really just a glorified space heater. Not knowing what else to do, she slammed it hard with palm of her hand and stood there shaking as she waited for a miracle.

Nothing happened.

“All right. Time to go shopping.”

She’d never thought she’d be the type of woman to wear hopelessly unattractive long underwear, but if she was going to survive a Montana winter, she’d dang well better get used to the things. She didn’t even care what color they were, just as long as they kept her warm.

Rushing outside, she gazed at her “new” car, a small blue Toyota probably from the Pleistocene era. It had most certainly seen better days, but it was hers and the heater worked, and nothing at the moment was more beautiful than the thought of a burst of warm air blasting from the vents. It took the old metal heap about five minutes before the heat actually began flowing, but once the warmth hit her, she smiled in delight.

“Not so bad,” she muttered. It occurred to her that maybe she was talking to herself just a little too much. “Oh well.”

Driving into the almost comically small town, Natalie was surprised by the lack of traffic. No one seemed to be around. What was going on? These people had to be used to driving in the snow. But all she’d seen on the roads were big plows clearing the streets.

She reached a stop sign and tapped on her brakes, and in the blink of an eye everything began to go wrong. Though her taps were growing urgent—hell, they were stomps now—the car wasn’t responding, and in front of her was a gigantic black truck.

“No. No. No!”

Nope. That didn’t work. Her car kept on going, and she crashed into the back of the behemoth. And even though she was going less than fifteen miles per hour, her tiny Toyota had no chance of surviving.

Her car went beneath the truck’s bumper. Her hood crinkled, and steam flew up into the air as her radiator was impaled. The impact jolted her head forward, but the small car’s air bags didn’t deploy for some reason and she felt the sting of her forehead connecting with the steering wheel.

Dammit! She hadn’t even insured the car yet! Now what in the heck was she going to do? Tears sprang to her eyes, but with a will borne of hard times, she blinked them away and stepped out of what was once a running car. At least she hadn’t suffered more than a couple of bruises and a huge dent to her pride. She really hoped the bulk of the physical damage was only to her car and not the other vehicle.

“What in the hell are you doing out on the road if you can’t even do as simple a task as stopping at a big red sign? Did you decide that today would be a great day to plow into a complete stranger?”

Instant fury filled her. Natalie’s eyes burned as she watched Hawk Winchester stalk toward her, his face a mask of irritation.

“Yeah. I just learned how to drive. I thought, what the hell—I’ll go screaming through this incredibly small town, and then I’ll blow through a stop sign and kill my car on the back of some idiot’s butt-ugly truck!”

Sure, she might regret her quick temper later, but right now, she was ready to throw a kicking, screaming, and gleefully adolescent temper tantrum. Too much had happened in the last fifteen hours, and this was just the icing on a very frozen cake. At least her fury was masking the fact that she was still freezing. There was nothing like an exploding temper to heat the blood.

“Why would you be driving a car without snow chains in this weather?”

“I just moved in last night, as you well know, and I haven’t had time to buy chains, not that it’s any of your business!”

“Well, maybe you should have walked. Of course, that’s another disaster waiting to happen in those absurd shoes you’re wearing.”

Natalie had been mad enough before, but his disdainful look made her want to smack the crap out of the man. She had never, ever had the urge to close her fingers into a fist and slug anyone, but at this moment her mind was urging her to do just that.

Too bad her fingers were freezing and incapable of forming a fist.

“You are the most pompous, self-absorbed man I have ever met in my life.” She’d thought of him as gorgeous the night before, but now he counted as monstrous, like his truck. “Just bill me for the damage.” She spun around and did her best to storm off. Not easy in heels and all that snow, and without a working car. But she was so done with this conversation, done with speaking to this man, and done with a ridiculous town that didn’t even have an open store on a freaking Thursday, for goodness’ sake.

“You can’t just go off like that. We haven’t even exchanged insurance information yet!” he yelled, but she wasn’t listening.

“Call the cops on me, then!”

She was feeling pretty damn good about her exit until her feet decided they weren’t going to cooperate. She didn’t even have a chance to stop the fall.

“Natalie!”

He couldn’t catch her this time. One minute she was walking away. The next, everything went black . . .

chapter 3

Hawk reached Natalie just in time to see her head slam into the ground and her eyes roll back in her head. Damn! Possible concussion. He lifted her in his arms and raced back to his truck, where the heater was still running. “Come on, Natalie. Open your eyes,” he commanded.

She began to stir. “What happened?” Her eyes fluttered open, then widened when she saw him only a few inches from her face.

“You fell down and hit your head,” he said, and then he ran his hands over her ankles and wrists.

“Ouch!”

“That’s what I thought. You bruised your wrist, too.”

Dammit! It was Thanksgiving and he was already running late. His mother was going to kill him.

“I’ll take you to the doc. Give me a minute to move your car out of the road.”

Leaving her on the front seat of his truck, he jogged back to her car. She’d crushed her radiator, and there was no chance that the heap of metal would start now. After he put the car in neutral, it took him a few tries for his feet to gain traction on the ground, but he managed to roll the car to the curb before jogging back to his truck. He found Natalie there huddled in a ball, her entire body shivering.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about the car,” he told her. “But the doc should look at you.” He knew he didn’t sound very reassuring. Normally, it was his job to reassure people who’d been in accidents, as he was a damn fine paramedic as well as being fire chief. So why was he so tongue-tied all of a sudden?

“I’m fine. If you can just drop me off at my house . . .” she said, her voice alarmingly quiet.

“Not gonna happen.”

He didn’t say anything else. He threw his truck into drive and headed out of town. The doc didn’t live far from his parents. Maybe he’d even get a piece of the doc’s wife’s sweet apple pie. That woman had the best pie in the county—hell, maybe the country—though he’d never say such a thing to his mother, or he’d be banned from her table.

Hawk’s gaze strayed repeatedly over to Natalie as he cruised the snow-covered country roads. Forcing his eyes forward, his thoughts strayed to the conversation he’d had with the town meddlers.

We have a perfect tenant for your house. That should have been Hawk’s first clue that the women had been up to no good. When he’d received a phone call from his mother demanding that he make the new teacher feel welcome in their little town, he’d been suspicious, but apparently not enough to say no to letting her use his rental house.

What in the hell did his mother and her best friend, Bethel, think? That he was going to make Natalie some blueberry muffins and show up on her front porch carrying a basket? Hawk didn’t do that. And he certainly didn’t mingle with fiery-tempered red-haired schoolteachers. Not ever.

Hawk liked women. That’s women, plural. He never dated anyone like the schoolteacher, who was really rubbing him the wrong way right now. She was the sort of woman who would want commitment—he could see that clearly from the moment he’d met her in her uptight clothing.

Hawk dated a woman for only one night. Okay, he wasn’t rigid about it. If she was truly spectacular, then he’d make it two or three nights. Third time, however, was the charm. It would only go downhill from there, so he chose to avoid any further contact after that.

This was a prime reason he never, ever dated women from Sterling. It was too small a town and he couldn’t run and hide from them. He’d had several false fire calls from eligible women and their mothers, just to get him to their house. He’d been forced to get a little stern once or twice to stop all that from happening again.

The last such call that had come in had been from a mother who’d purposely set her trash can on fire. He’d lectured her for an hour about the danger she’d put her home, family, and pets in. As he’d walked out the door, the woman had still had the gall to slip her daughter’s phone number into his pocket.

Women! He just couldn’t figure them out.

Arriving at Dr. Holo’s house, throwing the truck in park, and rushing around to Natalie’s side of the vehicle, he lifted her into his arms before running up the walkway to the front door.

“Hawk, what are you doing out on Thanksgiving? And with such a pretty young woman?”

“Hi, Maybelle. This is the new schoolteacher, Natalie Duncan. We had a slight fender bender, and then she fell and hit her head. Wrist seems bruised, as well.”

“Oh, darling,” Maybelle gasped. “That’s not a very good welcome to our town.” Ushering them both inside, Hawk set Natalie on her feet and then Maybelle wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Alfred just finished his Thanksgiving dinner and was getting ready for dessert, but he’ll certainly take care of you first. Hawk, you just sit on down and I’ll dish you up a piece of pie,” she added, and then led Natalie away.

Hawk felt much better when a juicy slice of pie was put before him, and he began devouring it.

His grumpiness had almost completely dissipated. A smile even appeared on his lips as he sat back and waited for Natalie. That smile vanished when the doc came back into the room with the new schoolteacher and Hawk heard the tail end of their conversation.

“I’m so sorry about ruining your holiday, Doctor. I didn’t even realize it was Thanksgiving.”

Hawk was baffled. How could she not have known it was Thanksgiving? It was Turkey Day. Well, turkey and his favorite, pie. And family, and of course football. How could anyone forget about this particular day? Didn’t she have a mother to call? A family to go home to?

Of course, she had just arrived for her new job, so she didn’t know anyone here yet. But why wouldn’t she have come on Friday or Saturday instead, so she could spend Thanksgiving with her family?

Hawk caught himself worrying about her, but he didn’t want to know about this woman. He certainly didn’t want to be concerned about her. He wasn’t going to be interested in her. That was for damn sure!

“She has a slight concussion. Nothing too serious, but I don’t want her alone for a straight twenty-four hours,” Doc said, looking meaningfully at Hawk.

Dammit!

“Of course not.”

“I’m fine, really,” Natalie said, shifting from foot to foot. “I just need a ride home.”

Because she refused to meet Hawk’s eyes, she didn’t see the withering look he sent her before he turned back to the doctor. “I’ll take her with me to my parents’ place for dinner and then make sure she’s not alone.”

Finally looking up, Natalie gaped at him, but he just turned back to Maybelle instead.

“Thanks for the pie. It really is the best in the county,” Hawk said, kissing her cheek.

“You come back anytime. I always have a fresh pie for visitors,” she said, a rosy glow where he’d kissed her.

“You know that you’re both more than welcome to come on over and eat at my mom’s,” Hawk said. His parents always had a few extra people at their table. They couldn’t stand the thought of anyone being alone on a holiday.

“I’m going to turn the game on in a few minutes and focus on digesting,” Doc said with a laugh. “Serious work. You just take care of my patient and I’ll rest easy.”

“I can assure you that she’ll be well looked after,” Hawk told them as he ushered Natalie toward the front door.

“That’s a good boy,” Doc said, and Hawk felt as if he should bend down so the doctor could pat him on the head the way the man used to do years back. Instead, Hawk said good-bye and led Natalie outside.

When they got back inside the truck, Natalie turned toward Hawk with nervous eyes. “It’s really okay for you to leave me at my place. I promise to not go to sleep right away.” She spoke bravely, but she was almost shaking.

Hawk was now even more curious. Why was she so determined to get away from him? Sure, they’d been less than pleasant to each other after the wreck—they’d both lost their tempers—but he wasn’t a monster. It hadn’t gotten out of hand. Besides, he wasn’t used to women trying to avoid him. Women running after him, yes. Women giving him their number, also a big yes. Women who would rather suffer from a concussion alone than be with him? That was a new one.

“I said I’d take care of you, and that’s what I’m going to do.” As far as Hawk was concerned the subject was closed. “I hope you’re hungry, because my mother’s made a feast.”

“No. I can’t intrude on your family,” she gasped.

“What’s your problem?” When she flinched, he felt a twinge of guilt about the way the words had come out, and he was careful to speak more gently now. “Sorry. It’s just a meal, though. You don’t need to get so worked up.”

“I’d just rather be at home,” she mumbled, her arms folded across her chest.

“Well, tough.” So, his vow to be gentler had lasted ten seconds. It was the thought that counted, right? With no more conversation, he headed toward his parents’ sprawling raised ranch house. Half the county’s pastureland surrounded it.

His mom was so going to read this the wrong way. Hawk had never brought a woman home before, not even for a brief visit, and definitely not for a holiday. His heart pounded as he pulled down the long drive.

It was time to get his game face on. His mouth had better be faster than his mother’s brain, because if she saw a matchmaking opportunity, he was screwed.

chapter 4

Natalie could barely hold herself together. Her entire body was shaking as she sat huddled by the door of Hawk’s huge truck. She couldn’t do this, couldn’t go into his parents’ house and act as if this was normal for her.

This was so far from normal she didn’t know where normal began. It had always been just her and her mom. Her father had left them both before Natalie was even born, and her mother had never remarried.

They’d struggled throughout Natalie’s childhood, never having money, never having much time together. Her mom worked two jobs just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Then, the time they were together had been . . . she couldn’t exactly describe it in words.

Her mother had led a difficult life and she’d had the right to be bitter, to be angry over the cards that had been dealt to her. She’d warned Natalie not to fall in love, that it only led to heartache, and certainly not to end up getting pregnant.

Natalie didn’t hold any ill will toward her mother, choosing to focus only on the good memories, though they’d been few and far between. And Natalie had promised her mother that she wouldn’t settle, wouldn’t accept less than the best for her life.

When Natalie had lost her mother during her freshman year in college, she’d wanted desperately to quit, to just give up, but because she’d loved her mom in spite of it all, she’d pushed through the grief. She’d tried that much harder.

As they arrived at Hawk’s parents’, she felt as if she was betraying her mother. Her mom had never gotten to celebrate a holiday, had never been welcomed into somebody’s home with open arms.

“I really can’t do this.”

Hawk turned and his intense gaze held hers. It was unnerving—she felt as if he could actually see what she was thinking.

“You can, Natalie. My family doesn’t bite.” His voice was soft, almost a caress.

“I’m sure they won’t appreciate an uninvited guest,” she pointed out. Surely he’d see reason.

When he laughed, that really got her hackles up. She didn’t like to be laughed at.

“I’m sorry,” Hawk told her when he saw her veiled outrage. “I’m not laughing at you, but as soon as you meet my mother, you’ll realize how untrue that is. The more people, the better—that’s her motto.”

Unless Natalie wanted to create a scene, she was stuck. She found herself being helped from the truck just as the door to the large house in front of her opened. She turned and lost her balance and of course, fell right into Hawk’s arms.

“You seem to have trouble staying on your feet,” Hawk said with a smile as his arms tightened. Before she could respond, a female voice rang out.

“Well, I guess you’re forgiven for your monumental rudeness in being so late.”

“You can . . . um . . . let me go now,” she said, her voice little more than a squeak.

“Oddly enough, I don’t want to,” he blurted out. His words made her head snap up in surprise. Nothing he seemed to say or do was consistent from one moment to the next.

“Dang, Hawk. Would you quit groping the girl and introduce us?” Natalie peered nervously upward, looking for the speaker. About ten people were looking down at her. How could she climb the steps onto the wraparound front porch without disgracing herself again?

Hawk slowly—reluctantly? She couldn’t be sure—released his hold on Natalie, only to place his arm behind her back. She refused to read anything into the gesture. It had to be his way of ensuring he wouldn’t have to catch her again if she tripped.

If she didn’t get some good boots, and soon, her ass would be grass. Correction. Her ass would be snowbound.

“Sorry I’m late, Mom. We had a little accident in town. This is Natalie Duncan, the new third-grade teacher. Natalie, my family. There are too many names for you to even try to remember them all,” Hawk said with a wink.

“As much as I love my son, I know his failings. Ignore him, dear,” a tiny woman said as she took Natalie from her son’s arms and rushed her inside. “What in the world are you wearing, my child?”

That was the question of the hour. Or maybe the last day and a half. “I . . . um . . . wasn’t prepared for the cold here.”

“I’m Maggie, Hawk’s mom, and I’ll get you introduced to the rest of the gang real soon. For now, we need to find you some better clothes. You must have ripped your pants in the accident, and those shoes just won’t do.” Maggie was talking so quickly that Natalie was having a hell of a time keeping up.

“I didn’t realize it was Thanksgiving, so I went looking for a place that sold boots . . .”

Maggie just stared at her as Natalie trailed off in embarrassment. Damn.

“Oh, darling,” Maggie exclaimed. “No one should forget Thanksgiving. You look about the same size as my daughter, Taylor. Let’s go raid her closet.” She took Natalie’s hand and dragged her up an extrawide staircase to a room with a large sign on it that said, ironically enough, Do Not Enter.

“What size shoe do you wear?”

“I’m a seven, but really, I can wait until tomorrow and go buy some appropriate apparel.”

Natalie’s protests were clearly falling on deaf ears—Maggie was already digging around in the closet.

“Aha! I knew you were about the same size. Here’s a brand-new pair of UGG boots, size seven,” she said triumphantly. “I bought them for her two years ago, but Taylor disdains any article of clothing without a Fox label on it. She races dirt bikes.”

Natalie’s mouth dropped wide open. “Your daughter races?”

“Yes, and she’s very good at it. This is the first Thanksgiving in years that she hasn’t been home. She made it to the finals. It breaks my heart, but I understand.” Maggie’s sudden sniffles belied her final words.

“Doesn’t that scare you?” Natalie asked.

“Oh, it can if I let it,” Maggie said, “but I’m very proud of my daughter. Her two brothers, on the other hand, are constantly preaching to her about how unsafe racing is. They don’t realize that the danger makes her that much more competitive. Someday they’ll learn, but I fear it won’t be anytime soon.” The woman kept pulling out clothing.

As the pile grew higher and higher on the bed, Natalie shifted on her feet. “I really shouldn’t just borrow her clothes without her permission.”

“Nonsense, darling. Taylor would want you to have them. You can wear what you want now, and then we’ll bag the rest of the things up for you before you leave.” And apparently the woman was just like her son, because she didn’t listen to any further protests, but instead just walked from the bedroom and shut the door behind her.

Natalie’s knees suddenly turned weak and she found herself sinking down onto the neatly made bed. She was so exhausted. But she couldn’t help looking around Taylor’s room. Pictures of dirt bikes and Fox racing gear lined the walls, and there was a floor-to-ceiling shelf with so many trophies on it that Natalie couldn’t count them all. Taylor was apparently really, really good at racing.

Knowing that if she went back downstairs without changing, there was a very good chance that Maggie would march her back up and dress Natalie herself, she picked out a nice pair of jeans and a thick sweatshirt.

When she slipped on the fur-lined boots, she had to admit her toes wiggled in warm appreciation. Okay, maybe the boots were worth the slight guilt she was suffering from taking clothes from a stranger’s closet. And they probably made up a little for the torture of feeling out of place, of knowing that she’d essentially barged in on this nice family.

Although she wasn’t happy about facing the crowd again, she couldn’t hide in this bedroom all night. So she took a deep breath and moved to the door.

She opened it, and then fell backward with a squeak. Hawk was standing right in front of her, and the smoldering embers leaping from his eyes sent a shiver of anticipation deep into her core.

Heat invaded her system, and she found herself wanting to find out exactly why that was.

chapter 5

Hawk stood in the doorway staring at Natalie and couldn’t move. At least she was now far more decently dressed for the cold Montana weather, but she might as well have been naked by the way he was gaping at her. He didn’t understand the hold this virtual stranger had over him.

This woman was messing with his head and causing him to feel emotions he couldn’t fathom—emotions more suited to a teenager than a grown man. He’d been with his share of females, and there had been nothing to elicit any real feeling at all beyond the simple exchange of physical pleasure. Not that there was anything wrong with that . . .

“You look better.” His curt tone made him shudder, but he couldn’t seem to do anything to stop it. She took a startled step backward, and he felt like a complete tool.

“Um . . . thank you,” she finally murmured, casting her eyes to the floor.

No. That wouldn’t do. He needed to look into her eyes, and he needed for her not to hide from him, though he didn’t know why. So he stepped forward and, placing a gentle finger under her chin, tilted her head up.

“Sorry. That came out wrong. I meant you look warmer,” he said, purposely making his voice softer. “We’ve really gotten off on the wrong foot. I’m not a bad guy. I’m just a bit . . . gruff sometimes.”

Her eyes widened at his words, but she quickly looked past him. Yeah, he wasn’t making the situation any better. He should take his hand away. And he would . . . in just a minute.

“All right,” he told her. “Let’s just scratch everything that’s happened from the moment we laid eyes on each other.” He finally removed his hand and took a step back so he could think properly. “My mother is an incredible cook. Let’s go have some dinner,” he said, offering his arm and waiting, afraid he might spook her if he moved any closer.

“That sounds nice,” she finally said, reluctantly accepting his arm.

As they descended the stairs, Hawk looked out to find every last person staring up at them, some of them with knowing grins on their faces.

“Ah, you look wonderful, Natalie,” Maggie said as she came up to them holding his niece close to her heart. “I hope you have a healthy appetite, because I’ve been cooking for two days straight. Well, okay, to be honest, I’ve been mostly directing this year as I can’t seem to put my granddaughter down.”

Natalie didn’t even get a chance to reply to Maggie because suddenly she was surrounded, everyone attending Thanksgiving dinner wanting to speak with her. That’s how his family and friends were. There was no such thing as strangers; everyone was simply a friend they hadn’t met yet.

When he sat down, Hawk found himself directly across from Natalie. “Where did you move here from?”

“I grew up in Southern California,” she answered after a beat.

“I guess it’s just a bit warmer there,” he said, giving her his most trustworthy smile. He knew he should just back off, but what his brain was telling him and what he was doing were two entirely different things.

“Yeah. It’s not like I’m stupid. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting quite this much . . . cold,” she said with a nervous laugh as she accepted the large bowl of potatoes passed to her and took a small scoop.

“I’ve done a lot of traveling, or I used to, at least. I’ve always enjoyed the beaches in California.” See, he could be friendly, have a normal conversation with this woman. He’d have patted himself on the back if he were able.

“I always thought it would be fun to travel. Maybe someday,” she said with a soft sigh that almost wasn’t noticeable.

“Where would be the first place you’d go?” He could see that she’d rather be left alone, but Hawk didn’t feel like doing that, so he just looked at her and waited as other conversations went on around them.

“I guess Europe. I’d love to go to Venice, but that’s stupid, really.”

“Why would that be stupid? It’s beautiful.”

“Because it’s not practical,” she replied.

“We don’t always do things because they’re practical, Natalie. We have to also live our lives and have some fun.”

“Some people have that privilege.”

The sudden sadness in her eyes made him want to know her story. And Hawk was determined to get that story despite the dangers it posed to his peace of mind.

His dad interrupted before he could ask Natalie anything else, and when he turned back to draw her into the conversation, Hawk found Natalie speaking with his brother. When Bryson made her laugh, Hawk felt a bizarre pang of jealousy. If he hadn’t known how much Bryson loved his wife, Hawk might have suffered a little more from the green-eyed monster.

But even as the thought crossed Hawk’s mind, his brother shifted in his chair and leaned into his wife to steal a kiss before turning back to Natalie. It was sweet. It was also a bit disgusting. Bryson, his own freaking brother, had changed so much since meeting Misty.

“Are you excited about the Christmas pageant, Natalie?”

Hawk saw the way Bethel was grinning. And the way Natalie blanched before her smile disappeared.

“What pageant?” she asked.

“You do know that you will be in charge of the school Christmas pageant? It’s a wonderful tradition here,” Bethel said matter-of-factly before taking a bite of her gravy-covered mashed potatoes.

“No one said anything about a pageant,” Natalie almost gasped, her fork clattering against her plate.

Eileen jumped in. “It’s so well organized that you won’t have any trouble at all.”

“I’ve never done anything like that before,” Natalie replied.

“Don’t worry, darling,” Maggie said, a reassuring smile on her face. “You’ll have Hawk to help you. He volunteers his time every year.”

Hawk’s eyes narrowed. These women were getting out of hand.

“I . . . uh . . . guess I’ll talk to the principal about it on Monday. She’d be much better off having one of the other teachers do it, one who’s been here longer than a day,” Natalie said with a nervous giggle.

“Nonsense, darling. You’ll do just fine.”

And just like that, the problem was solved, at least in the minds of the meddlers. Natalie sat there bewildered as the conversation turned to another topic. Hawk wasn’t content with the way things were going, and he watched Natalie squirm in her seat.

And then his mother glanced over at him with a sly smile. No, no, no, he wasn’t at all happy. Yes, he was attracted to this woman, but if the people of this town thought they could rope him into a relationship, they’d be sorely disappointed. But then his eyes wandered back over to Natalie, and suddenly the room disappeared as she looked up and their gazes collided.

Heat. Steam. Sex. No!

He reined his thoughts back in and focused on the good food before him. But as the night went on and his eyes continued to stray toward Natalie, he knew he was in trouble. Wary as he was, especially with the strong suspicion that his mother and her friends were up to no good, his body and a good part of his mind didn’t seem to be listening to him. He couldn’t turn away from this woman.

The school pageant—working closely with Natalie over the next month—wasn’t a good idea. Not a good idea at all . . .

chapter 6

Natalie twisted a strand of her hair in trembling fingers. She could do this. True, the school was surprisingly large for such a small town. But it was just an elementary school. Just a place filled with young kids. They weren’t judging her. They weren’t hoping she would fail.

Who was she kidding? They were all hoping she would trip in the doorway and fall flat on her freaking face. They would take immeasurable joy in laughing and pointing as she picked herself up off the floor and endured the utter humiliation.

No. She couldn’t think like that. They were only children, for goodness’ sake. But she, too, had once been a child and she’d written the book on mischief, at least in her early years. And now she was teaching children who were in those early years.

All she knew for sure was that she must be strong. If they sensed weakness, they’d strike faster than a nest of irate wasps, and chaos would reign in her classroom forever.

Practicing her breathing techniques, she made her way to the main office suite and stepped through the doors. Because of the holiday and the swiftness with which she’d had to be hired, she hadn’t gone through the standard orientation. She was early today, as she knew she had to get her classroom ready before the doors of the school opened up to all and a flood of kids came pouring in.

“Hello, Natalie. It’s great to meet you.”

Natalie looked up, startled. An older woman was smiling at her, and a quick downward glance revealed a nameplate that said Dorothy Simms, Secretary.

“Good morning, Ms. Simms. I’m here to meet with Carol O’Connor.” Excellent. Her voice was calm, self-assured. These people would never know that she was actually shaking in her borrowed boots.

“Yes, she’s been waiting for you. Go right on in. And it’s a real pleasure to have you here with us.”

“Thank you. I already feel welcome,” Natalie replied, surprised that she did feel welcome. With as much confidence as she could muster, Natalie walked over to the principal’s door, knocked timidly, and went inside. She found a petite blond woman sitting behind a desk, reading on her laptop.

When the principal finally looked up, a big grin split Carol’s face, and she stood up. “You must be Natalie. It’s so good to finally meet you in person,” she said as she stepped around her desk. “I hope you’re settling in nicely at your house.”

“Yes. The furnace was broken, but maintenance fixed it almost immediately.”

A shudder passed through Natalie at that thought. After Thanksgiving dinner, she’d been told there was no way she could go home alone for the next twenty-four hours, and Maggie had insisted she stay the night. At some point the topic of her furnace had come up, and as soon as she said there was a problem, Hawk had jumped up and left his parents’ house.

The next day, when he came to pick her up and he drove her home, she’d been more nervous in his presence than ever before. But then the two of them walked into her place, and she couldn’t suppress the bounce in her step when she felt the heat.

It seemed that when Hawk decided to do something, he did it fast. And the proof was in the fact that in only a weekend, this man had managed to wedge his way permanently into her brain. And that’s where he seemed to be staying.

It would be good to get to work, because she needed something to focus on other than a very sexy fire chief who always seemed to be around. She’d run into him at least four times over the weekend. At the small clothing store. In the post office. At the diner. He just seemed to be everywhere.

“Well, you can’t have a broken furnace in this weather,” Carol said with a laugh. “You’re in Hawk’s old house, right?”

That quickly snapped Natalie back to the present. “Yes, it’s a lovely home.”

“Hawk’s a good man. A little rough around the edges, but there’s nothing that man won’t do for the people he cares about, which happens to be just about everyone in our close-knit community. He has a heart of gold. If only I were twenty years younger,” she said with a sigh before turning to Natalie again. “Oh, and if I didn’t already have a husband,” she added with a laugh.

Natalie didn’t know why, but she found herself blushing. Could everyone please talk about something other than Hawk Winchester? She really didn’t know what to say to that statement—it was far from professional as she understood the word. But everything here was just different, so she’d have to learn to go with the flow or she’d never fit in. Still, she was tongue-tied and more than grateful when Carol started speaking again.

“I know this is your first job as a teacher, Natalie, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me or any of the other teachers. Dorothy is a godsend for this school, and she’s your best source of information. She knows everything, and I do mean everything!”

“Thank you. I do have one question. I was told I would be in charge of the pageant? I’m not complaining—not in the least—but as I’m so new, it might be better to have someone else in charge.”

There. That had come out professionally. She didn’t sound as if she was whining. Or at least she really hoped she didn’t.

“Nonsense. You’ll be just fine.” And that was the end of that as far as Carol was concerned. Everything suddenly moved at warp speed.

Carol moved to her door, and she continued speaking as she led Natalie down the hallway to one of the classrooms. Natalie gulped when she walked through the doorway and found a giant Welcome on her chalkboard with little messages from all the other teachers.

When Carol left her and she was alone in her first real classroom, she read those sweet and hospitable notes. Natalie really hadn’t wanted to come to this small town; she’d always dreamed of working in a prestigious private school where she could feel she was molding future presidents and high-level businessmen and -women.

But as she stared at the chalkboard, she was so overcome with emotion that she was struggling to fight off the tears. This wasn’t the sort of place where she’d feel intimidated, where parents would try to bribe her to give their kid a better grade.

No, this was the type of school where she would find young children eager to learn, and parents who asked to see their homework. Taking out her cell phone, she snapped a few photos so she could always remember this moment, and then she picked up the eraser and cleared the board. It was time to be practical. Cool, calm, collected. Time to get her lesson plan up, and time to jump into her first day of being a real teacher.

Just as she finished writing on the board, the bell rang and the sweet music of children’s voices filled the halls. Laughter preceded the kids into the classroom. With a shaky smile, Natalie turned to face her class—thirty pairs of young eyes looking back at her, trying to decide whether she made the cut or not.

“Good morning, class.” The noise didn’t die down as the kids all settled into their chairs, so Natalie tried again, this time louder. “Good morning, class!”

The voices quieted; heads turned and eager eyes looked back at her. “Good morning, Ms. Duncan.”

Natalie beamed at the little blond girl sitting in the first row.

“Thank you for answering,” Natalie said as she pulled out a piece of candy and tossed it to the now-excited little girl. “Each time you answer a question today, or respond to a statement, you get a small treat.

“Since this is my first day here, I thought we’d start off by you each introducing yourselves to me, and then I’ll do the same,” she said, and a burst of confidence blazed through her as thirty hands shot up. Nothing like having a bag of candy to get them to listen.

The day passed in a blur of activity, and when the final bell rang, Natalie dropped into her chair. When she was sure no one was looking, she scooted backward, kicked off from the floor, and set her chair to spinning, then hugged her knees to her chest as she whirled around and around.

She’d survived. Not only had she survived, but she’d had a wonderful day, one full of great kids who were eager to learn. She felt on top of the world. A happy giggle flew from her lips as she continued spinning. She didn’t stop until her head was light and she knew if she continued she’d make herself sick.

“It appears that you like your new job.”

Natalie froze, but her chair spun one more time before her feet touched the ground and she could focus her eyes on the doorway. Leaning against the doorjamb, and looking far too good, was Hawk, sporting a sexy-as-hell smile and those made-for-dreams smoldering eyes.

Oh, this was going to be a very, very long month if she had to work with the man every day. As the wattage on his smile kicked up a notch, her stomach shook.

Yes. A very long month . . .

chapter 7

Slow and painful torture would be better than this!” Hawk’s stomach dipped when his hand brushed against Natalie’s for the tenth time this day alone. His muscles tight, his mind anywhere but where it should be, he moved quickly to the other side of the gym, feeling her gaze follow him.

“What’s your problem?”

Turning, Hawk found his best friend, Colt, walking up.

“None of your damn business,” Hawk grumbled.

“Ha! Obviously it’s woman trouble.”

“How would you know about woman trouble, Colt?”

“That’s a hoot, Hawk! Weren’t you mocking me this past year while Brielle put me through the ringer?”

“Well, that was you. It was much more fun to watch.” Hawk had definitely enjoyed how uncomfortable Brielle Storm had made his friend.

“Yeah. Well, payback’s a bitch,” Colt said with an evil grin.

“We’re in a school, Colt,” Hawk reminded him. He looked around and was grateful not to see any kids listening in. “And what are you doing here anyway?”

“I had to drop off the green paint I picked up.”

“Well, you did. Now leave,” Hawk said, not in a mood for visiting.

“If I promise to be good, will you tell me about your troubles?”

What the hell. “The entire situation is ridiculous, Colt. I barely know this woman, but suddenly I can’t seem to think of anything else but her.” Blowing out his breath, he waited for Colt to mock him.

“Maybe you should just take her out, see where things could go,” Colt told him as they both turned to stare at the woman in question while she moved through the gym hanging decorations.

“Nah. Women are great and all, especially for one thing. However, they’re also pretty much interchangeable, and most important, they’re always temporary. Natalie lives in this town, so she’s automatically out. I don’t sleep with women here, you know that.”

“Yeah, I remember that rule. That was until I met Brielle . . .” Colt said with a knowing laugh.

“You’re not being any help at all, Colt. This woman is just too damn complicated. Too messy. Too . . .”

“Too what?” Hawk’s eyes narrowed. Was his best friend mocking him?

“Hell, this is insane. I just need to get over myself, quit acting like a damn teenager.”

“All I can say is, good luck, buddy,” Colt said before laughing and walking away.

“Thanks a lot!” Hawk replied, but all he got back was a chuckle from his engaged and far too happy friend. “They all fall sometime,” he muttered, and tried to focus on what needed to be done for the pageant to be a success.

Thirty minutes later, when he took a step back and knocked into Natalie, nearly tripping over her as she leaned over a chair, he was barely able to stop the groan that seemed hell-bent on escaping from his dry throat.

Her ass should have Warning: Lethal pasted right on it, because for a woman who had shown up in town in such uptight clothing, she’d sure found her own casually hot style during the last week. The jeans were enough to give him a heart attack, and the tight sweaters she’d decided to wear with those jeans didn’t leave much to his imagination.

Conversation. That’s what they needed. Then he’d discover she wasn’t so appealing after all. He’d grow bored and the fact that she had a great body wouldn’t matter, because he couldn’t stand a woman who didn’t know how to hold her own while talking.

He cornered her by the gym wall. “We never finished the discussion we began at Thanksgiving, Natalie.”

“We’ve talked plenty of times, Hawk,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“Not about anything important. It’s usually just you telling me what to do.”

“Isn’t that what women are supposed to do?”

Her sass had him smiling. “That’s what my mama says, anyway.”

“Ah. I like a man who knows that he’s supposed to listen to women,” she said, making his stomach clench.

“So you like me, huh?”

This was where he expected her to blush and run away. That was her usual reaction when he flirted with her. This time, she must have had a bowl of Wheaties for breakfast, because she took his breath away when she winked at him.

“Nah. I think you’re a pain in the butt, Hawk, but you do make a great worker bee.” She turned.

“No way,” he said, stopping her easily and trapping her against the wall with a hand on either side of her head. “You don’t get to make a statement like that and then just walk away.”

Her breathing hitched, making his groin tighten, and he leaned just a bit closer. Conversation certainly wasn’t helping him get over his fascination with Natalie Duncan.

“Hawk, I get to say whatever I want and then walk away because it’s my prerogative.” She looked a bit jittery, but not nearly as spooked as she’d been a week ago.

“Then you’ll have to learn that if you play with fire . . .”

“If I play with fire, what?”

Amazing. She wasn’t backing down.

“Then the fire chief has to come put out the flames,” he said. Their bodies were practically touching now; Hawk had forgotten they weren’t the only two people in the gym.

“Well . . .” she said, making his heart thunder. “In that case, I’ll have to . . .” He waited with bated breath, and she looked deep into his eyes. “. . . stop playing with fire.”

It took several heartbeats for the words to process in his muddled brain. When he realized she was through with this little dance, he pulled his hands from the wall, releasing her.

After watching the sway of her hips as she walked away, Hawk leaned against the wall for several agonizing moments, unwilling to turn and show everyone in the gym just what effect Natalie Duncan had on him.

When he knew it was finally safe to turn, he looked out and saw Natalie going about her business as if nothing had just happened. That irritated him more than anything else. How could she play so hot one minute and then so cold the next? What was her problem?

As things were wrapping up for the night, Hawk watched Natalie climb up a ladder, those jeans hugging her ass to perfection and putting far too many images in his head while he was in a room full of giggling children.

He had to wonder again what in the hell was wrong with him. Again, he thought about calling in a crime report on the town’s three meddling women, who were currently up on the stage, paintbrushes in hand, heads bent close as they planned something else that was sinister, he was sure.

Hawk looked on nervously as Natalie stepped close to the top of the ladder, stretching her body as far as it would go to hang a star from the ceiling. His stomach flipped over when he saw the bottom of the ladder wobble. She was going to fall and crack her head wide open!

Rushing away from the wall he’d seemingly been holding up, he grabbed on to the bottom of the ladder to steady it, and got a far too close glimpse of the soft white inch of skin showing on her stomach as she stretched out her arms.

Just when he began getting a good handle on himself and his lustful thoughts, he heard an oof and felt the ladder wobble dangerously. He looked back up just in time to see Natalie slip from the rung she’d been barely holding on to. Letting go of the ladder, he held out his arms, then groaned as she landed safely against his chest, her arms automatically reaching up around his neck.

“Oh my gosh!” Her eyes were wide, her mouth open, and her cheeks flushed.

Hawk didn’t even think, didn’t hesitate. He simply closed what little gap there was between them. He might regret this later. Hell, he would regret this later. But right now, oh yes, he had to taste those lips. Feeling almost as if he were in a trance, he ran his fingers through her long and beautiful hair and pulled her head closer to his.

Hawk tried to rein himself in, but he gave up when his lips brushed hers and he felt her breathing change. His first taste of her was like an explosion of flavor, cherries and mint and heat. A whole hell of a lot of heat.

He held on to her tightly as his mouth demanded her full attention. There was no struggle, no awkwardness. It was as if they were made to fit together. He could go on kissing her all night long.

After a few more seconds, he realized he was on the verge of losing control, and only then did he pull back. As her eyes fluttered open, Hawk knew the truth. He would have sex with this woman. And it would be out-of-this-world incredible. He could fight it all he wanted, but it was going to happen. And it was going to happen soon. His raging hormones demanded it.

“Excuse me,” he said as he set her down on her feet, slowly. Without another word, he turned and walked away, not looking back once. If he had turned around, he’d have noticed the panic flare in Natalie’s eyes. He would have noticed how she immediately closed herself off.

Sure, he felt the eyes of all the adults in the room on him. Screw it! He didn’t care. It was time to drink an ice-cold beer, and then maybe he’d kick his own ass for acting like such a damn fool.

chapter 8

Natalie snuck away from the gym. Parents were beginning to arrive to pick up their children, and she couldn’t face them right now. She had to get away from here, had to get away from the eyes that she knew were upon her.

Not once in her life had she shared a kiss with a man in a public place—not that she’d shared many kisses in her twenty-three years, but she had shared a few. But those had been nothing to prepare her for the feelings assailing her body from the simple touch of Hawk’s lips on hers.

Although almost in a daze, she made it to her classroom. She put on her new thick coat and slipped on her boots. The walk home took only about ten minutes, but it would be enough to clear the cobwebs from her head.

Once outside, she cringed when she saw Maggie approaching her. The woman made eye contact and there was no possible way to get out of this mess. So, with her heart pounding, and snow falling down upon her, Natalie waited for Hawk’s mother to approach. She could only hope the woman hadn’t witnessed the kiss. But her luck was never that good.

“Are you leaving already, Natalie?” Maggie’s smile was sweet and inscrutable.

“Yes. I have to get my lesson plan ready for tomorrow.” Natalie answered Maggie’s smile by pasting on the most convincing one she could manage.

“I bet you’re so overwhelmed right now. A new teaching job, and then thrown into doing this pageant at the same time. You poor thing.”

Natalie’s shoulders relaxed. Maggie might not have seen the kiss. Thank goodness! “Yes, it’s a bit overwhelming, but it’s always much nicer to be busy than to have too much time on my hands.”

“That’s always been how I feel. How long will the lesson plan take?”

It was an innocent question, one that didn’t raise any suspicions for Natalie, so she answered honestly. “Only about an hour or so, but I really need to go to the grocery store, too. I tend to forget to shop until I’m out of just about everything, and a person can only live on ramen noodles and microwave mac and cheese for so long.” She didn’t add that her other staples were frozen pizza and corn dogs. Maggie was the type of woman to be horrified by that sad fact.

“Oh, darling. You can’t eat like that. I insist you come to my place for dinner tonight,” Maggie told her.

Natalie’s anxiety instantly reappeared. “I promise you I wasn’t fishing for a dinner invitation.”

“Of course not, dear. But I won’t take no for an answer. I’d be hurt if you refused.”

“But . . .” Natalie tried to think quickly. Yes! She had it! “I don’t have a car,” she nearly shouted.

“That’s no problem at all,” Maggie said as she took out her cell phone. “Hawk, darling. Where did you disappear to?” Maggie was silent for a moment as she listened to her son. “Perfect. I need you to stop by Natalie’s house in one hour and pick her up. She’s coming over for dinner and doesn’t have transportation.” Silence again and then, “Thank you, son. I’ll see you in a little while.”

Maggie hung up and gave Natalie a big grin. “It’s all settled, then. Hawk will pick you up. We’re having a nice big pot roast. See you tonight.”

Maggie headed away, leaving Natalie standing there with her mouth gaping. The one person she’d wanted to avoid for the next century was now going to be showing up on her front porch in an hour. Tears threatened, but Natalie wouldn’t cave in to them.

This was just another bump in the road. No big deal. After all, it was only a little kiss. From what she’d heard about Hawk from the other teachers, he was quite the playboy, and kissing was almost a pastime for him.

He’d probably forgotten all about it by now. That’s what kept her going as she trudged home and slipped inside. No lesson plan was made as she sat on her couch and watched the clock, the hands seeming to move so much quicker than normal.

When the doorbell rang exactly on time, her heart gave a little lurch, and she was still no closer to figuring out what she was going to say to Hawk. Keep it light. She could do this.

Of course, that all flew out the window the second she opened her door and found Hawk leaning against her rail, his cheeks slightly flushed from the cold, his dark eyes carrying a sparkle in them, and his lips instantly turning up when she caught his eye. Before she could utter a single word, he opened his mouth.

“I decided I liked that kiss a whole hell of a lot. I’ve also decided I’m not going to fight the attraction I feel for you. If I thought you didn’t feel the same way, I’d back off, but that small hitch in your breath and that look in your eyes tell me there’s something between us, something strong. And I want to explore it further.”

The way he spoke was casual, as if they were discussing nothing more significant than what was for dinner. But the look he shot her was anything but casual. Hunger burned inside her, and Natalie knew she was in serious trouble.

“I think this is a very bad idea, Hawk,” she whispered.

He took a step closer, and for the life of her, she couldn’t back away like she needed to.

“You know, all the best things in life happen because of bad ideas,” he said, his words a promise that sent a shudder right through her.

“We don’t know each other.”

“No one knows each other at first. Finding out all of the things that make you tick—that’s where the fun comes in.” He reached out a hand and cupped her cheek.

“The teachers here love to gossip, Hawk. Really love to gossip.”

“Aw, heck, Natalie. Don’t you want to know me for yourself?” he countered.

“It’s just that you’re a popular topic around the school. Every eligible woman in Sterling would love to be the one to wear your wedding ring.” Then a slight smile tilted her lips. “Well, to be fair, you’re neck and neck with the Whitman men.”

“Oh, honey, I’m much better than any of the Whitman boys,” he said with a laugh.

“You and the Whitmans were described to me as royalty in this small town. There’s been a lot said about none of you settling down, but even more said about your character and how you love your family and neighbors. I think this could be too complicated. I’m not interested in settling down.”

“Good. Because I’m not ready to settle down, either. But there’s nothing wrong with taking a beautiful woman out. There don’t have to be any expectations.”

“Well, I also heard you don’t date women in your hometown.” She was trying desperately to stand firm, but failing epically.

“You’re not from here, so we’re okay.”

“I think we’re far from okay, Hawk.

But he wrapped an arm around her and tugged her close.

“I have the remedy for that,” he told her, as he bent forward and kissed her for the second time. Natalie didn’t even try to pretend she didn’t want it. Maybe it would be for the best if she just held on and enjoyed the ride.

chapter 9

Natalie had ended up playing Othello with Hawk until about midnight. Then he’d taken her home, given her a scorching kiss on her front porch, and gone away with only a wave. She hadn’t heard from him for the next two days. Was this his idea of keeping it casual?

She hated that she felt unsure about herself, hated that she was even thinking about Hawk as much as she was, and hated that her plans seemed to be coming unraveled. It was too soon. Entering into a serious relationship was way down on her checklist, and she couldn’t stray from that list. Not that Hawk wanted to get serious. He’d even said that. So she was worrying for nothing, right? Right!

Peeking around a corner, Natalie watched the gym buzz with activity. The pageant was coming together, and decorations covered the walls in brilliant blues and silvers. Everyone, adult and child, sported a major smile.

The next moment, she noticed something strange. Concealed by a wall, she watched as Hawk peeked through a doorway—not unlike what she was doing!—with a large box in his hand. When he saw that nobody was paying any attention to him, he set the box down and casually walked over to his mother and her two friends, who were painting a giant board to look like a snow-covered mountain.

After a few moments, he strolled over to a small group of children and sat on the floor with them, and soon their voices rang out as they practiced one of the musical numbers.

With her curiosity overriding her need to hide from the man, Natalie walked swiftly into the gym. Almost as if Hawk had built-in GPS on where she was, he turned his head and their eyes collided.

“Ignore it,” she told herself, but it was so difficult. She felt quite accomplished when she managed to move forward and break the connection.

As she found herself coming closer to the box that Hawk had brought in, and when she saw a giant pink tag on it with the name Mary Pascal, she gulped. Mary was a sweet child who had just moved to the area with her parents. They were living with the child’s grandparents, and the family had hardly a dime to their name. Had he brought the little girl gifts?

“Oh, please, no,” she murmured.

She was already falling for this man, though she’d continue to fight it for as long as she had the strength to do so. It was just that even though he tried so hard to act tough, he was actually very kind and amazing with the children. She understood why everyone valued his volunteer work at the pageant so highly. Not once had she seen him lose his temper or even get the slightest bit irritated as child after child clung to him or jumped on his back.

He seemed to have never-ending patience, and if he wasn’t the fire chief, she could easily see him as a schoolteacher. In fact, she could really see him as the gym teacher, preferably in a tight shirt and a nice pair of shorts. Nope. She was going to push that image right out of her mind this second.

Natalie got busy, and she was very happy that she was able, for once, to avoid Hawk for the whole evening. He didn’t make it easy, but she was discovering that if she kept a tracking beacon on the man, she could anticipate his moves and counter them.

But if his hand brushed hers one more time, she couldn’t be held responsible for anything she might do. And if she did what she wanted to do, the local sheriff was going to be hauling her in for public indecency.

“Evening, Natalie.”

Startled, Natalie jumped, then relaxed when she saw Bethel walking up to her.

“Evening, Bethel. The mountain scene is looking wonderful.”

“You are too kind, darling. We should be all set up and ready to go within a few days.”

“Yes. It’s moving fast. Could I ask you something?”

“Anything, darling,” Bethel replied.

“There’s a box over there with Mary’s name on it, and . . .”

“Oh, that’s a secret Santa gift,” Bethel said, beaming.

“Secret Santa?”

“Yes. Each year the community members pick families that may need a little something extra. Whoever participates is very secretive and the boxes are always left where the children are sure not to miss them. Mary was one of the children chosen this year.”

“That’s amazing,” Natalie said, thinking back to her childhood. How much would it have meant to her to receive a gift from Santa?

“Her parents should be here soon, and then you’ll see Mary’s face light up. That’s always the best part. The other children love to be a part of it, too. The nice thing with living here is that we do truly love the people in our community.”

The two of them spoke for a few more moments, but fell silent when Mary’s parents walked into the gym. One of the kids quickly took them over to the box that the little girl had been waiting to open. There was so much pride in the set of both parents’ shoulders, and so much obvious love for their daughter shining in their eyes.

“Can I open it?” Mary asked eagerly.

“It appears to be for you,” her mother whispered softly.

Hawk was moving across the stage, cleaning up the endless line of crumbs from snacks the kids had just finished, but watching out of the corner of his eye. Natalie’s eyes darted between him and Mary as the child opened the box.

When Mary pulled out a warm winter coat, a brand-new pair of boots, and several outfits, her eyes welled up with tears. “Is this all for me?” she asked as her small fingers caressed the soft down jacket and took in the pretty black boots with small purple flowers at the top. She also brought out some presents wrapped in bright paper with labels saying Don’t Open Till Christmas Morning.

“I think it is,” her mother said, and a tear slipped from her eye.

An envelope was tucked discreetly inside the box, and Natalie had no doubt it contained some money so the parents could get something for themselves. Hawk’s generosity was choking her up. Damn his hide.

“Who’s this from?” asked Mary’s mother, Stacy.

“It’s from Santa,” Bethel replied, but her eyes strayed to the stage where Hawk was still sweeping away.

Without a word, Stacy began to move, slowly approaching Hawk. Placing her hand on his arm, she said something that stopped him from what he was doing. Although Natalie was too far away to hear the words whispered between the two of them, there was no mistaking the shine in his eyes as Mary’s mother wrapped her arms around him and gave him a grateful hug. When she let go, he bowed his head, nodded, and vanished through the back door. Mary’s mother returned from the stage and spoke quietly.

“He won’t admit it was him, but he said that Mary is a sweet child who has the voice of an angel.”

Natalie didn’t even realize tears were falling down her own cheeks as Stacy spoke.

“He’s a pretty spectacular man,” Maggie murmured as she stepped up and hugged Mary’s family.

“Yes he is,” Stacy said quietly.

Soon the group walked from the gym together, leaving Natalie there all alone with her thoughts. Natalie realized that she’d learned more about this man in a few days’ time than most people learned about anyone in a lifetime. He was good and kind, with a heart the size of Texas. She’d have said the size of Montana, but that was too small.

If she wasn’t careful, this man would change her entire future, whether he was willing to or not. She needed to avoid him. She had a feeling that she was going to become too attached, that he was going to want to have a casual affair, and that she was going to give him her heart. That just couldn’t happen. So what came next?

She honestly didn’t know.

chapter 10

Why aren’t you ready?”

Natalie stood in her doorway looking at Maggie, Bethel, and Eileen, all wearing thick coats, thicker hats, scarves, and high boots.

“Ready for what?”

“The big party!” Bethel said, looking at her as if she’d lost her mind.

“Party?” Natalie vaguely remembered some of the other teachers speaking about it the day before at school, but it was Saturday, and after a long week, she was looking forward to curling up in bed and sinking into a good book.

Okay, if she was to admit her true feelings, she wasn’t exactly pumped about her big plans, but she was trying to avoid Hawk, and she knew if she went to the only café in town, she would most certainly run into him.

“Yes. Tonight we light the Christmas tree and then go to the fire hall for a party,” Eileen said with anticipation.

“Brrr. Invite us in and we’ll wait while you get dressed,” Maggie said, leaving Natalie no choice but to open her door wide for the three bundled-up women to enter her toasty little house.

“Don’t take too long. I don’t want to strip down just to put all these clothes back on,” Bethel said as she looked around. “You really need some decorations in here . . .”

“Oh, you leave her be, Bethel,” Maggie scolded her friend. “She’s only been here for about two weeks. Some people need more time than that to make their mark on a place.”

“Ha! When I moved into my home, it was all good to go in three days,” Bethel said.

Not used to such friendly people—heck, not used to visitors, period—Natalie couldn’t move. She just watched the three women make themselves comfortable looking around, or, more accurately, snooping into just about everything.

“Go on, girl. I’m getting warmer by the minute,” Eileen said when she turned to find Natalie still standing just on the inside of her front door.

Defeated, Natalie slunk to her bedroom and began pulling out clothes. It looked as if she was heading to a party. Her stomach churned because she knew there was no way that she wouldn’t run smack-dab into Hawk.

And the part that frightened her the most? That she wasn’t as upset about this as she should be. The man had run into her life with a steamroller—or at least with his gargantuan truck—and though she told herself she wanted to avoid him, in reality her heart rate spiked at even the sight of him. It was pathetic. It was wrong. It wasn’t the right time.

But it was much easier to know what she should do than to actually do it.

After changing clothes, she went to her bathroom and looked into the mirror. Between the way her blood was racing through her veins and the prospect of the cold she’d be enduring the next hour or so, she certainly didn’t need any blush. With a quick layer of mascara and some lip gloss, she figured she was as ready as the three women out there would allow her to get.

When she stepped back into the living room, she couldn’t help but smile. Maggie was absolutely grinning over a knitting project on the coffee table. And when Hawk’s mother looked up, her expression almost proud, Natalie felt a warmth in her chest she hadn’t felt since . . . She actually couldn’t remember.

“This is beautiful, Natalie. You have a real talent,” Maggie said before putting the knitting down and walking over to her. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I just want to bring you home and take care of you.”

The sincerity in her voice, the glimmer in her eyes—it was all too much. Natalie had to turn away before her own eyes followed suit.

“If you ever need someone to talk to,” Maggie said, “you know where I live. I feel as if there’s a lot inside of you that wants to be free.”

Sometimes the pain of always being alone was overwhelming, and now she had this woman before her who was asking for nothing but offering her the most precious gift of all—love.

Before Natalie could respond, Maggie wrapped her arms around her and gave her a hug. Natalie was grateful when Bethel and Eileen joined them, breaking up the moment. She had to get out of there. If she gave in to her emotions, she wouldn’t be able to stop crying—not for a long, long time. Too much had been buried deep inside for too long, and she knew that it would be disastrous to let it out.

“Oh, almost forgot,” Eileen said. “Here’s your candle.” She handed Natalie a long candle with a shield surrounding the bottom. “We’ll wait to light it until we reach the next block over.”

Natalie had no idea what Eileen was talking about until they turned the corner and saw a line of her neighbors walking down the street, all of them holding candles as they sang Christmas carols. Bethel pulled out a lighter and lit all their candles, and they merged with the crowd as more people appeared from their houses and joined them.

A light snow began falling as they marched toward the town center, sweet voices all around them singing “Silent Night.” So much nostalgia filled the air. It was more touching than anything Natalie had ever experienced before.

As she walked with her candle in her shaking hand, she was barely able to sing. She was surprised that the small flakes of snow didn’t extinguish the light, but it seemed that nothing, not even a winter storm, could stop the magic of this evening.

They reached the little park in the center of town, where a huge tree stood proudly with a stage to the left of it. The newcomers saw a small crowd of town residents already waiting for more people to arrive, and for the next twenty minutes, the festive caroling continued as more and more people joined in the celebration.

When the songs stopped, the mayor stepped up to a microphone and gave a short speech about the magic of the season and the blessings of living in a small community. Then another man stepped forward and the crowd clapped noisily.

“This year we’ve been blessed more than ever before. Our town continues to stay strong while other places struggle. And why? Because we genuinely care about each other, and because we know how to treat our neighbors. I expect each and every one of you to come and give me a kiss beneath the mistletoe.” He finished his remarks with a saucy wink at the crowd. Natalie found herself laughing along with everyone else.

“I’m sure Eileen will be the first person in that line,” Bethel said, making Eileen blush.

Eileen bristled. “That’s just not polite, Bethel.”

But Natalie noticed that Eileen was still gazing at the man who’d just left the lectern and microphone.

“Who is he?” Natalie asked.

“That’s Martin Whitman,” Maggie said. “He employs most of the people in this town at his oil plant. Has four very sexy sons, and they’re each just waiting for a woman to tame them.”

“Oh.” Natalie didn’t know what else to say to that.

“You’ll pretty much meet the entire town tonight,” Bethel told her, and for some reason Natalie found her own cheeks taking on major color. Just because she was meeting people, it didn’t mean that these nice women were trying to match her up with anyone. It wouldn’t do them any good anyway, as it seemed she couldn’t think of anyone other than the town’s sexy fire chief.

The talking stopped when Martin stepped over to a large box and pushed a button. The tree lit up instantly, and the crowd gave out a collective sigh.

“Come on, darling. Time to find that mistletoe,” Maggie said, and she took Natalie’s arm in hers as everyone began moving toward the fire station.

Natalie’s stomach dropped. Yes, because she could so easily picture kissing a certain person beneath the bunch of leaves and berries. And she’d be mortified if his mother knew the less than strictly religious thoughts that were running through her head. When they walked through the doors, there was barely room to move, let alone seek anyone out.

Yet somehow Natalie found herself beneath the mistletoe. And even more amazingly, she was standing right in front of the man she couldn’t stop thinking about.

“I’ve never been able to resist a beautiful woman beneath the mistletoe.”

That was all the warning she received before Hawk bent down and captured her lips. As festive partyers merged around them, Natalie saw no one, heard no one, and thought of nothing but Hawk and the way she felt with his lips caressing hers.

Why again did she try so desperately to avoid this man? Because when she was actually in his arms, all her insecurities faded and all she could think about was that this was perfect, it was right.

When he finally released her lips, he looked down into her eyes, and she knew she was his for the taking. It was too late for her to turn around this thing between them, because she wanted to get lost in his arms, and whether he wanted her for a day, or a maximum of three as the ladies at school were so fond of saying, then that’s what she’d give him.

Walking away at this point just wasn’t an option. “Wow,” she finally whispered and his lips turned up in a sexy grin.

“I was about to say the same thing. Want to go find all the places mistletoe is hung?”

“I was thinking that you could at least offer me a glass of eggnog first,” she replied, trying to rein in her passion. After all, they were surrounded by most of the town of Sterling.

“I think I can arrange that,” he said, freeing her from his arms but quickly capturing her hand and maybe capturing a little bit of her soul . . .

chapter 11

Way too much eggnog!

The party was over and her head was beyond fuzzy, but Natalie walked about the nearly empty firehouse with the other volunteers who’d offered to stay for cleanup. She wasn’t capable of doing much to help them, but she could at least say she was trying to help.

After a couple of dances with Hawk, the two of them had been separated, so here she was, trying to decide whether to go home alone or to wait him out. She knew she would rather wait, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to seem desperate. The alcohol was messing with her rational mind.

Music was playing softly over the speakers, smooth country tunes, mellow, relaxing. She felt her eyes grow heavy, and she spread herself out on the front of the nearest fire engine. The step was wide enough for her to get just a little rest.

No one would notice if she lay down for just a moment . . .

Before she knew it, she was asleep.

“See ya later, chief!”

Hawk watched as the last people trickled from the fire station. They’d done such a great job of cleaning, it didn’t even look like there’d been a party. Good. He liked it when things were all in order. He valued a job well done. Only one problem remained.

He’d been separated from Natalie too soon. He hadn’t been ready for their night to end, and he still wasn’t. And now as he turned out the lights and did his final walk-through of the station, he felt an odd emptiness settle inside him.

It was ludicrous. Hawk didn’t need to be around a woman to find fulfillment. He didn’t have to have companionship. But in the space of a couple of weeks, he’d found himself counting down the hours until he got to see Natalie again. The highlight of his day was when he walked into that gym and found her there, speaking with the children, smiling, gifting them with her laughter.

This was so far beyond anything he’d ever experienced before that he couldn’t even identify what exactly he was feeling. One thing he knew for sure, though—he wasn’t going to wait until Monday to see her again.

He couldn’t. He had to see her. Tonight.

Walking around the front of his line of fire engines, Hawk stopped in his tracks.

“What happened?” Natalie’s voice came out huskily as she began sitting up on the front bumper of the fire engine before him.

So Hawk didn’t have to go anywhere to find Natalie. She was within grasping distance. At the sight of her sleepy eyes and tousled hair, he could think only of taking her, right now.

“Everyone’s gone,” he said, his voice a low growl.

Her eyes widened, and then, even under the dim lights, he could see the change in her expression. She knew what came next. They both did.

He stopped trying to fight himself. This was inevitable from the moment he’d caught her in his arms that first day on the cold front porch of his rental property. He stepped forward, grasped her hands, and pulled her to her feet before kissing her, knowing this time he wasn’t going to be interrupted.

Urgently, almost frantic, Hawk reached for the hem of her sweater and yanked it over her head. He had to see her body, had to feel her naked skin against his as soon as his own clothes came off.

Her moans of pent-up desire encouraged him, and he grabbed her wool slacks and slid the zipper down. Within minutes she was standing before him in nothing but a lacy bra and matching fire-engine-red panties. Whoever had invented women’s underclothing should be thanked profusely, he told himself.

He’d get on that. Well, maybe not right now. He’d get on her instead.

“Let’s go inside,” he said, feeling a sudden urge to take her in his favorite fire engine. Yes, he knew that some of his men, just for the thrill of it, brought women to the fire department for a night of sex, but Hawk hadn’t even thought once about doing such a fantastical thing.

He doubted it was a great idea now—he’d never walk through these doors again without thinking of her—but they were hurtling forward at breakneck speed, and there was no reverse for the ride they were on.

He opened the door to the fire truck, and Natalie wobbled in that direction. She reached the first step on the truck, leaving her bent over with half her body inside the truck while her luscious behind presented itself right in front of his face, hanging outside the door.

Gripping her hips to stop her from going any farther, he ran his fingers along the smooth skin of her thighs, delighting in the panties that barely hid anything from his view. Her pleased gasp encouraged him to continue.

Spreading her thighs, he moved his fingers along the seam of those delectable panties, touching her moist folds and reveling in the slow purr she gave in response.

“So ready,” he whispered, wondering how he’d managed to wait this long to make love to this woman. Passion like this didn’t burn out. No. The only way to extinguish the fire burning within them both was by coming together in a blaze unlike anything he’d ever battled before.

As Natalie arched her back, lifting her derriere higher into the air, her hands clutching at the diamond-patterned floorboard of his truck, Hawk leaned forward and caressed the smooth skin of her behind with his tongue. He took a slight nip at one perfectly round cheek, and she wiggled her hips in return, wanting more. So much more.

He was more than willing to give it to her. Running his tongue down and around toward what he wanted so badly, he pulled on her hips so he could get a taste of her sweet, boiling-hot core.

So wet.

So willing.

The fabric of her panties was no barrier against his tongue or fingers. He slid them effortlessly out of his way so he could pay homage to her womanhood. He built her pleasure higher and higher until they were both ready to explode, and she was writhing beneath his expert tongue.

When he pulled back, she moaned in protest, but after a moment, she slowly climbed the rest of the way into the truck. Without any guidance from Hawk, Natalie bent forward over one of the jump seats and grabbed ahold of a hanging strap.

Hawk took his time. How could he not look his fill at the sweet image of her flushed skin, of her ass in the air, of her moist folds peeking out at him? Tempting him. He could gaze at her curvaceous body all night and be a happy man. Well, maybe gaze at her after he’d satisfied both of them.

Leaning forward, he unhooked her bra, freeing her beautifully round breasts, perfectly proportioned to fit in his hands. Reaching around while the softness of her backside cradled his still-clothed arousal, he squeezed her nipples with expert pressure, making her cry out. When her nipples hardened beneath his touch, he so wanted to flip her around and take the luscious tips inside his mouth.

But he had plenty of time for that. He had all night long to make love to her. Right now he had to feel himself sliding against her core. Pulling back a few inches, he shed his pants, allowing his arousal to spring free, and then he gripped himself before pushing forward toward his goal. He wanted so desperately to sink deep inside her hot body, but he didn’t want this exquisite moment ever to end.

So he ran the tip of his manhood against her wet heat, and he pushed the head against her provocatively. She pushed back against him. Her moans were his primary clue to her desires, and the clue was an unmistakable yes.

Hawk had never received so much pleasure from teasing a woman in this way, but he was throbbing as he ran his erection along the outside of her folds. The more she moaned, the more he wanted to prolong everything that was happening and not happening between the two of them.

But she had other ideas. She wiggled her behind, and he felt his engorged tip sink inside her tight heat. And then he was lost. With a hard thrust, Hawk was finally buried inside her, and he felt his world spin as she gripped him like a vise and pulsed around his staff.

Her groan reminded him to move, and he was soon thrusting in and out of her, clasping her hips as he pushed harder and faster, searching for release.

When she cried out and contracted tightly around him, he nearly let go, but as he slowed his movement to draw out her pleasure, he knew he needed to look into her eyes, needed to see her face when he came.

When her orgasm had run its course he pulled free, then gently turned her over to face him. She sighed in pleasure, her eyes half slits of satisfaction.

Leaning down, he enveloped the pink bud of one luscious nipple in the warmth of his mouth, sucking gently and placing light pressure with his teeth to draw out her afterglow, the taste even more exquisite than he’d imagined.

When he looked up at her face, he could see that she was already anticipating more. He felt her slick folds, and then he was done with foreplay. Neither of them needed it now. He pushed her back against the seat, lifted up one of her legs, rested her foot on the crossbar of the cab door, and spread the other leg to the center console. She was wide open for him, and he drove inside.

After the first thrust, Hawk had to take a second to breathe and regain something like control. But when he looked down and saw her body quivering with the need for another release, he managed to establish a quick rhythm in their holiday dance.

This time, when her body convulsed around him, he let go, filling her with his pleasure while he delighted in watching her eyes as the final shudders passed through both of them. One night wouldn’t be enough. He knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. He opened his mouth to say something.

And the fire alarm went off.

Natalie’s eyes widened with panic as the lights of the fire station filled the room as if it were midday. She jumped from the truck, then tugged her sweater over those perfect breasts and stuffed her bra into her pocket. They barely had time to finish dressing and scamper out of the fire truck before the first men rushed through the bay doors. And before Hawk could stop her, Natalie slipped out into the night, leaving him standing there with a body that didn’t realize their lovemaking was over.

The two of them needed to talk, and they would, as soon as the fire call was over. But right now, he had a job to focus on . . .

chapter 12

She knew she was a chicken. She didn’t even care. Let Hawk think what he wanted, but when he’d come to her door on Sunday, no, she didn’t answer it and yes, she’d been hiding.

It was now Monday, and today was the day of the fire station field trip. Just her luck. How was she possibly going to avoid Hawk at his place of work? She’d seriously considered calling in sick, but she had too solid a work ethic to give that idea much more than a passing thought. So here she was, entering the same fire hall she’d been in two nights before—naked.

“Ms. Duncan, do we get to hear the sirens?”

“Of course you do, Bobby.” She could do this. She’d just focus on the kids.

“Hello, future firefighters!”

Natalie turned to find a larger-than-life Hawk Winchester standing in front of the same fire engine where he’d taken her to the highest reaches of pleasure and passion. His eyes bored into hers for a full three seconds before he turned his attention back to the kids. That look alone nearly had her sagging to the floor. It was more than clear that he had a lot to say to her. She was grateful there were about thirty small chaperones with her to keep her safe.

From the look he was shooting her way, it was apparent that Hawk Winchester didn’t like being ignored.

The tour began and Natalie did her best to not stare at the man of the hour, but their eyes kept meeting over the heads of the kids, and the smoldering look in his deep brown depths was enough to fry her insides. This man would barely have to lift a finger to get her back into the truck that he seemed to be spending so much time showing the kids. Her imagination went wild as she pictured herself leaning back . . .

Nope. Not the place. And really not the time.

When the schedule called for snacks and Natalie turned to follow the other teachers and kids into the break room, a hand caught her arm in a punishing grip.

Uh-oh!

“You’re not hiding from me anymore. Not a chance.”

Natalie felt herself being dragged away from the crowd, and then she found herself alone with Hawk, leaning against the very truck she’d been focusing on all weekend. No one else was in the main garage—the other firemen were helping to entertain the kids inside the lounge—and Natalie felt exposed and raw as she looked up at Hawk.

“This isn’t the place or time,” she whispered, praying that no one wandered in and saw the two of them.

“I agree. Sunday would have been a great time for us to have this conversation, but you wouldn’t answer either your door or your phone.”

His eyebrows rose as he waited for her response.

She gathered her courage and spoke sternly, though it wasn’t her style. “A wise person would have figured out that I had nothing to say to you.”

“I don’t think that’s it at all, Natalie. I think what happened between us was pretty damn spectacular, and now you’re running away scared instead of facing it like an adult.”

Such unmitigated arrogance irritated the hell out of her. It didn’t matter that he was right; what ticked her off was the fact that he knew he was right. No one should be that sure of himself. She certainly wasn’t of herself. How could he know how she felt? He couldn’t.

“You can think whatever you want, Hawk. I don’t care. We had sex. It ended. Get over it, and get over yourself.” She tugged against the hold he had on her.

“Nope. I don’t think so. You know what, Natalie?”

His pause was painful. They stared each other down for several edgy seconds.

“What?” she practically shouted.

“I’ve decided I like being with you. I’ve decided that we make quite a great couple. This weekend we’ll have a real date.”

“I don’t think so, Hawk.” She tugged against his hold but it did her zero good.

“Why?”

His now cold eyes wouldn’t release her from their hold, just as his hand still gripped her tight. How could she continue fighting him while fighting herself as well? Somehow she dug down deep and found the will to resist him.

“Because you’re not what I want, Hawk. You aren’t good enough for me to change my plans,” she said as coldly as she could manage.

That did the trick a little bit better than she wanted it to. Releasing her quickly, he took a step back, his expression blank as he gazed down at her, making her stomach clench with both remorse and hating that she’d just been so cruel. She instantly wanted to take the words back.

“Hawk . . .”

“Save it. I think you’ve said all you need to say.” Hawk turned and left her standing there. Natalie wanted to run, wanted to flee the station as quickly as she could, but she was in the middle of a field trip.

She reminded herself that she’d been through far worse times than this, and she’d most likely go through far worse in the future. Squaring her shoulders, she took a breath and walked to the lounge where she found the other teachers and the students as they asked questions and gobbled down goodies.

She did just fine until they got ready to leave and her eyes met Hawk’s. Trying desperately not to show weakness, she turned away, but feared it was too late. If he’d seen the tears in her eyes, he would know she was a liar. She just hoped he hadn’t, because if he came to her again, she knew she wouldn’t have the strength to turn him down a second time.

chapter 13

Emptying the box of the last tissue, Natalie blew her nose and decided enough was enough. She’d cried for days and it was insane. She wasn’t the kind of girl to lay around crying over a guy.

She barely knew the man for goodness’ sake. A few hot kisses, a couple of visits at his parents’, and the hottest sex known to man did not make for a lasting relationship. Looking down she realized she was holding her little notebook, the evil, ridiculous notebook with her stupid goals.

Suddenly, she was furious with herself, her mother, her life. She threw the notebook across the room, feeling immensely good when it hit the wall. Why was she so determined to hide?

What would be the problem with going out on a real date with Hawk? Hadn’t she decided it would be nice to be with him, even if it was only temporary? Why did she have to analyze the whole thing, map it out, and deny herself what she wanted?

Just because the idea of going out with him on a real date didn’t fit in with her nice little plans didn’t mean it was wrong. Why keep fighting this when she knew it was a losing battle? Besides, this man was the last thing she thought about before falling asleep. He was the one she dreamed of, and he was the first thought on her mind in the morning.

But would she even get a choice to go out with him now? The look he’d shot her after she’d told him he wasn’t good enough hadn’t been too kind. She may have blown her shot with the man. Wouldn’t that make this all so much easier?

She was a chicken! That’s what she was. She wanted him to hate her because then she wouldn’t have to choose between her own happiness and her goals. She was also a fool. With determination, she stood up.

She’d overheard the teachers talk about how Hawk liked to ice-skate with the kids on some Saturdays. Though it had been years since she’d gone ice-skating, and though she hadn’t been good at it back then, she decided she should give it another try.

Before she could change her mind, she washed her face, bundled up, and left her house. Practically shaking because she was so nervous, she made her way down to the outdoor skating rink, and just hoped he was against public humiliation.

Not that she wouldn’t deserve a good tongue lashing from him, but that would really be a bad end to an already bad day. It didn’t take her long to get there, and there was no sign of Hawk, so she rented skates and got ready to go out on the ice.

When she looked up and saw Hawk moving toward her, an odd sense of excitement began to build. This was going to go one way or the other, and from the look in his eyes she really didn’t know which way, but she decided to paste a smile on her lips and hope for the best.

“What are you doing here, Natalie?” Still no expression to give her the slightest hint of what he was thinking or feeling.

“I thought I’d go ice-skating,” she said, glad when her voice didn’t wobble, at least not too badly.

“Alone?”

“I was hoping to not be alone.” His eyes widened at that and then narrowed as he looked down at her.

“What game are you playing?”

“It’s not a game . . .” She trailed off, because if she was in his shoes she’d ask the same thing.

“Isn’t it better to be alone, than to hang around a man who isn’t good enough for you?” His voice was deadpan, his eyes cold, making her shiver even more than the icy coldness of the Montana weather.

“I was wrong to say that. It’s just that . . . well, it’s just that I mapped out a certain life for myself, and for the longest time I thought I had to stay with that plan. Then you came along, and I didn’t know what to think. Everything became chaotic, but I like it . . . sort of.”

His eyebrows rose at her fumbled explanation, and he didn’t help her out at all with letting her know what he was thinking. She shifted on the bench, wondering if he was going to make her beg. It sure looked as if he was.

“I wrote down goals, and I haven’t achieved hardly any of them,” she said.

“And I don’t fit into those goals?”

“It’s not that you don’t fit into them,” she began, when she decided to be honest. “No. I wanted to have a career established, a house. I don’t want to be like my mother. I want . . .” What did she even want anymore? She didn’t know.

“Ah . . .”

“That’s it? Ah? Really. I’m trying here. I swear I’m not playing with you. It’s not a game. I just . . . like being with you.” She felt her cheeks flush, but with the cold outside, he wouldn’t know that.

Silence greeted her statement and she was about to give up. This was hopeless. She’d insulted his pride, so why should he forgive her? Wouldn’t that make it all easier, anyway? She wouldn’t have this internal struggle because she’d have no choice but to stay away from him.

“I don’t think you’re acting,” he finally said. The two of them faced off for several moments before he shocked her by smiling. What did it mean?

“Um . . .” She wasn’t sure what she wanted to ask.

“Fine. You say you aren’t playing a game. I believe you. Argument over.” Then he sat down and took off his shoes and began putting on his ice skates.

“So . . . We’re okay?” She didn’t know how to define what the two of them had been before their little tiff, so she didn’t know what to ask him about them now.

“Yep. We’re now officially on our first date.”

“Just like that?”

“Yep. Why hold a grudge?”

Turning, he placed an arm behind her and gave her that simmering look that had made her fall for him in the first place. No grudge. No holding it over her head. This was something Natalie was in no way used to. When she’d been growing up, if she’d done something to upset her mother, she wouldn’t hear the end of it for months to come.

What if this was his idea of a joke? What if she made a complete fool of herself? What if she fell on her face, which was more than likely, considering she’d never been graceful—face it, she’d always been a real klutz.

There were plenty of what-ifs, but the bottom line was that she was here and their fight was over, and it was their first real date. She would breathe and she would get through it. So, taking her cue from him, she decided to act casual and pretend they hadn’t fought. If he could do it then so could she.

“I’m warning you now, Hawk, I’m not going to be graceful.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be there to catch you when you slip.”

“Oh? When I slip?”

“Yeah, we both know it will happen. I think you enjoy falling into my arms. I know I certainly like it.”

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out her thoughts. “You have killer eyes. Seriously! Does anyone ever deny you anything you want?”

Hawk looked startled. Then he laughed. “I can honestly say that no one has asked me that before.” He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “But, if I had known it was that easy . . .”

He didn’t have to finish that sentence to make her thighs press tighter together in a semisatisfying squeeze. This man was making her shiver and heating her up all at once, and Natalie had to confess she liked the wild sensations running through her body.

Natalie jumped up, needing to move, to displace the sudden energy burning through her. She had gone through a myriad of emotions over the last few days, and right now she felt joy. It just felt right when she was in Hawk’s presence. Smiling, she stood and made her way to the rink.

It didn’t take Hawk long to follow her, and soon, Natalie was laughing as Hawk lifted her into his arms and spun her around as he glided seamlessly in and out of the other couples on the ice. She was out of breath by the time he set her back on her wobbly feet.

“How in the heck did you get so good at ice-skating?” she gasped.

“I play ice hockey every year,” he said smugly.

“Mmm. Now, that’s something I have to see.”

After another hour on the ice, she was growing more confident, taking longer strides, and even spinning a few times with a few of her students who happened to be there. She wasn’t even cold anymore—in fact, with all the activity, she was a little warm. In Montana, of all places!

When she fell against the wall and then felt solid arms cage her in, she didn’t hesitate to turn around. She forgot all about the crowd when Hawk’s lips captured hers and she found herself lost in his embrace.

Bethel lifted a cup of steaming cider to her lips and took a sip. “I know I should be a lot happier about this. But those two kids are leaving us with nothing to do,” she groused from the sidelines of the ice-skating rink.

“I know. I thought we’d surely have to do a little more meddling,” Eileen said with a grumble of her own.

“Yes. They appear to be falling in love,” Maggie sighed, too happy to be grumpy about it.

“What are you ladies up to?”

The three women turned guilty stares to their friend Martin Whitman.

“Oh, just enjoying watching the kids skate,” Bethel said. Unfortunately, she’d never been good at telling a fib and she flushed, but she hoped he thought it was from the cold.

His eyes narrowed and he looked out at the ice. It didn’t take long for him to home in on Hawk and Natalie, who were still locked in a passionate embrace.

“Enjoying the show, huh?” he said as he sat down.

“Yes. The kids are really getting good,” Eileen said with a nervous giggle.

“Somehow I don’t think it’s the little kids you’re watching,” Martin said with a laugh. “You know, you’d better spill everything to me right now, or I might have to figure it out on my own and tell other people what you’re up to.”

Maggie’s outrage showed only too clearly. “Martin Whitman, you wouldn’t dare.”

“I’m sure your husband wouldn’t be too pleased if he learns that you’re meddling in the kids’ lives,” Martin said with a self-satisfied grin.

“All right. Fine, then,” Maggie snapped, and she gave a nod to her two best friends.

They spilled the whole story. They would be pleased to know that their meddling was putting some ideas into Martin’s head about his own stubborn sons, who still refused to settle down . . .

chapter 14

The stage filled with children in red, white, and green, and even a few in traditional costumes associated with the Near East and Africa. The young performers giggled as they looked out upon the audience, searching for their parents and waving excitedly.

Natalie felt like she was going to be sick. They weren’t ready! She was going to prove herself a failure—had she taught them well, given them good direction? Or would they choke out there?

The last week of rehearsals had zipped right by. The only things she could remember about the time were the looks that Hawk threw her from across the gym, making her forget her voice as she tried to sing along with the kids. Now Natalie was standing in the wings, shaking in her nice slacks as the auditorium filled with parents all expecting to see a show as good as the one put on last year.

“Calm down. It’ll be fine.”

Hawk was standing beside her, a reassuring smile on his lips. But instead of calming down, she felt her heart pick up speed while she remembered that twelve short hours ago he hadn’t been telling her to calm down. He’d been making her cry out.

“I can’t do this,” she said in a hushed wail.

“Not only can you do this, but you will do it, and you’ll do it well. I’ve been here with you the entire time. You’re amazing with the kids. They love you. And so they’ll perform their little hearts out for you.” He rested a hand on her shoulder.

The gesture settled her down, finally. Hawk believed in her, and if this man, a man she was falling so deeply for, believed in her, how could she go wrong?

“You’ll save me if I freeze?” Funny question to ask a fire chief . . .

“I won’t need to rescue you, Natalie. You’re confident, beautiful, and more than capable of hosting a pageant. Go and knock the socks off these parents.”

He nudged her forward, and Natalie had no choice but to step from behind the curtain and face the entire town. Feeling her cheeks turn as bright as the lights she was under, Natalie nevertheless walked to the microphone with what she hoped appeared to be confidence. A hush fell over the crowd as the children behind her continued to giggle and wave.

“Thank you all for coming out this snowy evening.” Natalie felt her throat tighten. These people didn’t want her to fail. They just wanted to enjoy their children. If only she’d realized this sooner, she wouldn’t have been such a wreck.

“I have to admit that when I first arrived in Sterling and walked out of those airport doors, I was in shock. When I saw the one lone street of businesses, I didn’t know how I’d survive.” No one said anything as she paused to swallow her emotions. “But during this last month, I’ve fallen in love with this town. How could I not when my neighbors have brought me goodies and cheer, when my classroom is full of beautiful, talented students, all eager to learn, and when every time I step from my home there is always someone passing by with a wave and a good morning? All I wanted to do in the beginning was to run far away to somewhere bigger and warmer, but now I can’t imagine teaching anywhere else. Thank you for trusting me with your children, and for believing in me to give you a good pageant. I can guarantee the children are ready. As for me, on the other hand . . .” She trailed off with a laugh that had the audience doing the same.

“I can’t promise perfection, but I can guarantee I’ll always put in a thousand percent effort. Enough about me and my silly emotions. It’s time to watch the show!”

Natalie knelt down in front of the kids, and they took over, singing their songs in celebration of Christmas, completely off tune and with full delight.

During the last number, five children stepped forward, and while the kids behind them sang “Silent Night,” they signed the words for a mother in the audience who was deaf. It had been something one of her young students had asked to do for her mother, and Natalie had been touched immeasurably by the request. Standing next to the kids, she signed along with them, looking down and smiling at the woman they were doing it for.

When the song ended, the audience maintained a reverential silence for a few moments, and then several people lifted their hands and waved, the universal sign language for applause. The children were glowing with pride as they walked offstage, and as Natalie prepared to thank everyone and call an end to the pageant, Martin Whitman stood up and walked to the microphone.

“The parents would like to extend a very special thank-you to our newest teacher, Ms. Natalie Duncan, for directing another beautiful pageant. You were thrown in at the last minute, and you’ve done a spectacular job.

“And we’d also like to present an award to our very own fire chief, Mr. Hawk Winchester. This year marks his tenth pageant, and his help with building sets, moving equipment, bringing in the other firefighters to set it all up, and coordinating the necessary fund-raising has always been invaluable. Would you come out here and join us, Hawk?”

The audience burst into applause, and Natalie found herself standing next to Martin as Hawk approached. Their gazes connected and even a room full of people was unable to tear her eyes from him until he turned toward the audience with his most winning smile.

“Thanks, Martin,” Hawk said. “I love these pageants, and I feel that I’m getting far more from it than the help I’m giving. I hope you keep me around helping for at least another ten years.”

“We’re not going to let you go that soon, son,” Martin joked.

“Not a chance,” someone in the audience called out.

Then Hawk placed an arm around Natalie’s shoulders and turned them both to allow photographs to be taken. But instead of facing the camera, she looked up into Hawk’s eyes, instantly feeling lost in their deep brown depths. And then, right there in front of the entire town, Hawk claimed her lips and at the same time captured the rest of her heart.

chapter 15

I can’t come with your family!”

Natalie was standing in her living room, still wearing her pajamas and looking at Hawk as if he were insane. There was no way she would intrude on his family at Christmas. It was bad enough she’d been thrust upon them on Thanksgiving.

“You’re coming,” he said with the same sickeningly confident smile he’d been sporting since he’d walked in the front door.

“No, I’m not, Hawk. Christmas is family time.”

“And you have no other family, so my mother has decided to adopt you,” he told her. “Besides, she’s invited a few other friends. The holidays are about more than just family being together. It’s a time to leave no one out.”

Natalie turned away, pretending to wipe dust from the spotless end table as tears forced their way into her eyes. Dammit, she was always crying now, like some sappy twit, and she sure as sin didn’t want to expose her vulnerability where family was concerned. Her relationship with Hawk had been moving at the speed of light, and she felt overwhelmed.

To hear him say so casually that his mother had adopted her choked her up. But she was never going to admit to anyone how badly she wanted to be part of a real family. It would make her sound too desperate, too pathetic.

“Hey? What’s wrong?”

Hawk came up behind her, slipped his arms around her waist, and tugged her against him. Great. Having him touch her certainly wouldn’t help her gain control over her wretched emotions.

Despite all her efforts, a damned tear fell. They hadn’t spoken of the future. They hadn’t talked about a happily-ever-after. She hadn’t told him how she felt about him.

“Nothing. I’m just . . .” She was just what? She had no freaking idea.

“I’m not demanding that you come with us,” he said softly, his breath washing across her cheek. “I’m asking you to please make this Christmas my best one ever, and join us.”

How could she tell him no after that? “Okay,” she whispered.

“Why is this so hard on you?” he asked again, this time making her face him.

Natalie suddenly needed to speak about it, needed to release the weight from her shoulders. He said nothing more as he waited, his hands caressing her arms and back. She could do this.

“I . . . it was always just me and my mother while I was growing up. She had me when she was only fifteen, and I grew up in shelters, and then she worked hard and got us a little apartment. Mom worked all the time, I mean like seven days a week. Even working so much, we never had enough—not enough food, clothes, not enough to pay the bills. Mom told me over and over again not to mess up like she’d done, not to fall for a guy who would walk away at the first sign of trouble. She told me to go to school, get an education, and get a good job. She was bitter a lot, but she did love me.”

“I’m sure she loved you very much,” he whispered when she paused for too long.

“She did,” Natalie sighed. “She did the best she could. But I had no family, Hawk. I had no one but her and she was gone so much. We didn’t do holidays; we didn’t celebrate much. I feel like I’m betraying her by enjoying my life.”

“You feel that way because you are kind and caring. But, Natalie, if she truly loved you, she would want you to be happy. Don’t all parents want better for their children than what they had for themselves?”

“I don’t know, Hawk . . .” Would her mom forgive her for straying from her goals? She honestly didn’t know.

“I know I want my kids to be happy,” he said.

“Do you have some secret children you’ve been hiding from me, Hawk?” She smiled up at him, trying so hard to quit her self-pity party.

“It’s not that easy to divert my attention, Natalie. Let my family love you. Don’t feel guilt about it, and don’t feel sadness. Just let us love you.”

When he said us, her heart leapt with joy. But what exactly did he mean by it? The question was on the tip of her tongue, but she wasn’t brave enough to ask—not yet, not now. After an extended silence, Natalie was relieved when he asked whether she needed help packing. Their talk was over for now, and she’d survived it. She’d shared something with him, and he hadn’t turned away in disgust. There was hope, after all, that the two of them would make this relationship last longer than his three-date maximum.

As they moved through the house, he looked up and smiled. “My family has a cabin up in the woods where we spend Christmas every year,” he told her.

“I’ve never seen a white Christmas,” Natalie admitted, not that she’d ever gotten to celebrate Christmas, not really. “I’m kind of excited, though I still hate the idea of snow on every day other than Christmas.”

“Let’s get your bags in the truck and get up there. You will never miss California again after spending Christmas at our family cabin.”

“I already don’t miss it, Hawk.”

The smile he sent her as he helped her into his truck almost made her heart stop. “Natalie Duncan, I’m not letting you escape.” With that, he closed her door and moved around to the driver’s side, leaving Natalie to wonder exactly what he meant by that.

When they arrived at the cabin a couple of hours later, she learned that her idea of a cabin and Hawk’s idea were completely different. Yes, the building was made from logs, but this place wasn’t some rustic little cabin in the woods. It was enormous! Large enough to house several families and all their friends.

That was a good thing, because when they walked in the door, Natalie found what appeared to be half the town inside. Several dozen people were gathered in the spacious living room, their voices carrying with its high vaulted ceilings. Christmas decorations adorned the walls and eggnog sloshed in everyone’s cup.

No one made a big deal when she and Hawk arrived, for which Natalie was grateful. They just greeted the two of them with eggnog and spoke with Natalie like she belonged. It didn’t take too long for her to grow comfortable and realize this wasn’t a dream. When it came time to go hunting for a Christmas tree, she was thankful she didn’t miss out on joining Hawk and his family and their many friends.

“Are you too cold?”

Natalie entwined her arm with Hawk’s and snuggled a little closer. “A bit, but it’s refreshing. I still can’t believe I’m going to have my very first Christmas with snow!”

“Tell me more about your life in California, more about your life with your mom.”

She’d finally opened up to someone, finally shared a small piece of her past, and now she found herself wanting to share it all. But if he knew the truth, the full truth, wouldn’t that frighten him away? Even with that thought she couldn’t seem to stop herself from speaking. Now that he’d opened the floodgates to her past, the words came rushing out.

“You know that it was just me and my mother and that she worked a lot. So, from the time I was little, I was on my own most of the time. That’s why I loved school, because then I was with other people.”

“Was it miserable?” Hawk stopped and leaned against a large tree, pulling her into the cradle of his arms as he rubbed his hands up and down her back.

“No. The thing was that even though we didn’t have a whole heck of a lot, I wasn’t unhappy. I loved my mom, even during the bad times. I loved what little time we got to spend together. I didn’t need to have the newest pair of jeans, or to go to summer camp. When she died, I was devastated. It took me a lot of years before I felt like I could live again. She did the best she could. . . .”

“You impress me, Natalie.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t dwell on the bad memories. You even manage to find a way to turn the tough times into positive experiences. You humble me with your attitude.”

“I’m not that noble, Hawk,” she said with an uncomfortable laugh.

“We’ll have to just agree to disagree,” he said before giving her a kiss that melted the snow that was covering them.

chapter 16

I love my family, but they’re a bit overwhelming,” Hawk said later that night as he and Natalie strolled outside, hand in hand.

“Yes, but I honestly enjoy spending time with them. I think your mother and I baked at least five hundred Christmas cookies today,” Natalie said with a laugh as they approached a large red barn.

“Want to see something really cool?”

“Always.”

He opened the barn door and they stepped inside. She didn’t see him turn around and engage the latch.

“Over here,” he said, and he led her through the ginormous building.

They entered a large room behind another door, and before her was an old cherry-red fire truck.

“It’s seventy years old and my dad and I spent ten summers bringing her back into mint condition. I love this engine.” He couldn’t contain his excitement when he ran his hand along the shiny bumper. That small gesture had her stomach clenching as she thought back to the other fire engine and the first night they’d made love.

It had been several days since they’d last been intimate, and now that her body knew how incredible sex between them was, she didn’t want to miss out on the feel of his hands and his . . . never mind . . . for even a single second more.

Without much sound, Hawk was suddenly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her close. “Want to see where I had my first kiss?”

Natalie tensed at the thought of Hawk ever kissing anyone else.

“Hawk!” she snapped, no longer wanting to play as she had ten seconds before.

“Awww, come on. The place is really cool.”

“I seriously have no desire to see where you kissed some trashy girl.”

“Well, can you really be trashy at five years old?”

“Five? Really?” she asked suspiciously.

“Yep. I was five and kissed JoBeth up in the hayloft,” he stated proudly.

“And how many other girls did you kiss in the hayloft as the years passed?” Natalie had no intention of being just one of many.

“I kissed lots of girls in lots of haylofts, but, alas, only JoBeth in this one,” he replied.

“Fine. Show me this loft, but if you think you’re going to get any kisses out of me, then you will be very disappointed.”

They climbed a ladder and then Hawk was right behind Natalie, nuzzling her neck. “I’m not kissing you, Hawk,” she said again, but her voice came out breathy because his hands were slipping beneath her shirt and touching the bare skin of her stomach.

“Why? Don’t you like my secret hideaway?” he murmured as he gently nipped her shoulder while his fingers climbed higher, lightly brushing across her breasts.

“No,” she replied, though they both knew she was lying, especially when she pushed back against him and rolled her hips so she could better feel his arousal.

He lowered his fingers across her abs and reached for the zipper of her jeans, taking his time in releasing the material that was binding her. Natalie gave up even the smallest pretense that she didn’t want this.

“Yes, Hawk. Faster.”

He didn’t disappoint her. He slid his hands inside the denim and gave a good push, and then her jeans were pooling at her feet, landing on the hay to provide a nice barrier between their bare skin and the dry grass when they became horizontal.

With her back still to him, Hawk pushed her legs apart, leaned in, and sucked on her neck while he slipped a hand inside the silk of her panties and found her core more than ready for his touch.

“I love how you respond to me,” he groaned in her ear, causing a shudder to rip through her.

“You make me catch fire, Hawk.”

“You inspire me, Natalie.”

He took her shirt away, adding it to the pile beside them, then flung her bra aside, leaving her gasping while his hands wandered all over her.

“More,” she begged, moaning as he pinched her hard nipples.

Dropping them both to their knees, he turned her around and kissed her before edging back just a couple of inches so he could remove his shirt, revealing his incredible abs and disgracefully hard pecs. With sure fingers, he undid the buttons on his jeans and pushed the denim down his muscular legs. When he unveiled her favorite part of his body, she gasped in anticipation. Soon, very soon, that pulsing arousal would take her to new heights of pleasure.

Natalie pushed him backward, and he lost his balance. She crawled up his legs, her tongue licking along the sweet muscles of his thighs until she reached his manhood. Without hesitation, she grabbed his hardness and took her first taste of him. Oh my . . .

“Natalie,” he groaned.

She didn’t answer him; she just moved her hand up and down his throbbing arousal while she sucked on it. After a couple of minutes, he pushed her back, his face crimson, his eyes wild.

“Your turn,” he growled, easily flipping her over onto her back. “Hold on!”

Hold on to what? she wondered before she couldn’t think anymore, because he’d slid his hands beneath her thighs and was taking his turn at tasting her. Natalie cried out as his masterful tongue stroked her pulsing flesh, taking her higher and higher as she strove for release. His low moans mingled with her cries in such beautiful music that Natalie felt tears sting her eyes.

When the first explosion of pleasure raced through her, she rode the wave, loving how he drew it out, loving the perfect way he played her body. He slowed his touch, murmuring his approval of her response to him. Then he shifted, his eyes hungry, almost starving, as he looked down at her flushed skin. Without another word, Hawk climbed up her sated body and then plunged inside her, making her cry out again at such a welcome invasion.

“More,” she practically sobbed as he moved back and then thrust forward again, and she dug her nails into the slick skin of his back.

“Yes, Natalie. Give me your pleasure . . . Let it go,” he demanded.

How could she possibly refuse him? Her body knew what it wanted, and when he thrust forward again, she gripped him tightly as a violent wave of ecstasy rushed through her. Hawk’s shout of joy followed quickly.

“I could make love to you all night,” Hawk said as he kissed her slowly, tenderly, making her stomach start to flutter again.

She giggled. “You wouldn’t hear any complaints from me.”

Her lips parted when she felt him growing hard against her thigh. Whoa. Impossible. Hawk proceeded to prove to her that he wasn’t just offering up empty promises . . .

chapter 17

Natalie shot straight up in bed, clutching the comforter to her chest as her heart pounded.

“What’s wrong?” Hawk slowly sat up beside her with blurry eyes. They couldn’t have been asleep for more than a couple of hours.

“What was that?” she asked as she tried to calm herself.

“What was what?” He still wasn’t awake.

“How in the heck can you wake up at a tiny little beep from your pager, but then sleep through what sounds like a bomb exploding?”

“I don’t know. You just learn to tune out certain noises,” he said with a crooked smile as he began rubbing a hand along her thigh.

Natalie jumped again as the door was thrust open and Hawk’s sister gazed in at them, her face going from excited to impish at finding Natalie in her brother’s room.

“Go away, brat!” Hawk said as Natalie tried to hide beneath the covers. Dang. She wished that he hadn’t insisted she spend a little time in his bedroom last night.

“Not a chance, Hawk,” Taylor said. “It’s Christmas morning and I want to open my presents.” She crossed her arms against her chest and stamped her foot, a mutinous scowl on her face.

“You’re not five anymore, Taylor. You’re twenty-three,” he pointed out.

“And you’re well past five, old enough to have set your alarm for the big family celebration. Anyway, I don’t care how old a person gets. If you’re not excited about Christmas morning, you just aren’t human. By the way, hi, Natalie!”

Smoked out. Natalie peeked over the covers, her face scarlet. “Hi, Taylor. Please don’t tell your mom,” she whispered, mortified at the thought of Maggie knowing she was in Hawk’s room, even if they were adults.

“Then you’d better get downstairs fast,” Taylor said with a satisfied grin.

Natalie was more than willing to agree to the demand, but the two stubborn siblings remained in a deadlock for several tense moments while Natalie’s head whipped back and forth between them. Finally, Hawk let out a disgusted sigh.

“Fine. We’re coming,” he said. “Turn around for just a moment, my darling sister.” He threw off the covers, yanked on the pair of sweats that he’d discarded nearby, and rose from the bed.

Natalie’s mouth dropped open at the sight of his naked back. It didn’t help that the sweatpants rode so low on his amazing hips. No matter how many times she saw this man half dressed, he still awed her.

“Close your mouth, Natalie, before you let in some flies,” Taylor said with a mischievous grin as she turned back to face them.

“I swear I’m not going to give you your presents if you don’t go away right now,” Hawk said, and he moved threateningly toward the door.

“Fine. But if you aren’t down in five minutes, I’m coming back,” Taylor said, before adding, “and I’m bringing Mom!”

Hawk shut the door in her face. He turned and winked at Natalie. “I can set up a barricade.”

“It’s tempting . . .” And she actually considered it. But the sound of more footsteps thundering down the stairs caused her to sigh and climb from the bed. “Nope. We better get moving,” she said as she floated to the en-suite bathroom after grabbing her clothes from the floor.

It was going to be tricky enough sneaking back to her room without being seen. No way was she doing it without a quick shower first. When she came out, Hawk grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her into his arms, letting her feet dangle in the air. “I love it when your cheeks are all rosy.”

“It’s been well over five minutes,” Natalie reminded him with a giggle. “We’d better go before they send out a search party.”

He kissed her and then set her back on her feet. Hand in hand, they went to the door. And right there on the other side was Taylor with a perturbed look that made Natalie laugh in spite of herself.

“I’m sorry, Taylor. I took a really quick shower.”

“Most people wait till after the presents are opened to shower,” Taylor grumbled, but as it was Christmas morning, she forgave them both. Still, she wedged herself in between them to lead them down the stairs.

Natalie couldn’t help but grow excited herself when she found Hawk’s entire family and several other family friends all sitting around the giant living room with a huge tree taking center stage and so many gifts that it looked like a department store had exploded.

Soon, laughter filled the cabin as paper tore and thank-yous rang out. Natalie had to fight emotion as present upon present was thrust her way. She took her time with each one, not wanting to ruin the paper, and not wanting this moment ever to end.

She had never, ever received so many gifts before, and she felt guilty because she hadn’t been able to do nearly as much for this wonderful family as they were doing for her. She hadn’t expected to spend Christmas with them, but she’d still purchased a few items she’d planned on giving them after Christmas. What did you get a family that obviously had so much? When a tiny package was thrust at her, she was concentrating so hard on not ruining the paper that she didn’t notice how quiet the room had become.

She found a small jewelers’ box inside the wrapping, and the thought that she was about to get a pretty new trinket made her absolutely gleeful. No one in the room could have missed the brilliance of that smile. But when she opened the case and found a magnificent diamond ring inside, she almost dropped it.

Lifting her face, she saw Hawk staring intently at her with a look of love so tender that she was grateful to be sitting cross-legged on the floor already.

“Natalie, I know this has been quick. I know that you’re probably terrified right now, and I know I should have done this more privately so you could tell me to take a flying leap if you wanted. But I love my family and I want them to be a part of this moment, because up until meeting you, I didn’t think there could ever be another person in my life who would make me feel the things you make me feel. Even though it’s only been a month, I know you better than any other person could, and I love that. I feel like what we have together is one hundred times stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before. I never thought anyone could make me as happy as you do. Everything that’s stressful in my life disappears the second I see your smile. I can say with one hundred percent certainty that you are my soul mate. There is a plan for everyone and I know that you are my only future. I will never let you go no matter what your answer is. Please marry me and make me the happiest man alive.”

He didn’t break the connection of their eyes, and though he’d shown her day after day that he wanted to be with her, this was something she would have never expected from him, not because he wasn’t perfect, but because she wasn’t. At least she wasn’t in her own eyes. Natalie didn’t know what to say.

Yes, this had moved quickly, and yes, she should try to think logically, but running over the last month in her head, she knew that she was happiest when with him, whether at the school, or in the gym, or just sitting and playing a board game at his parents’ place. Their love would only grow stronger from this day forward.

This wasn’t a part of her plans. This wasn’t even on the table, but love didn’t care. They had found each other and there was nothing that would change how they felt. Nothing.

“I love you, too, Hawk,” she whispered. And she didn’t even notice that her voice had wobbled. “I love that you care about me, insecurities and all. I love that you see me differently than I see myself, and I love that family is so important to you. I want a family; I’ve just always been afraid to ask for one. I thought I had a plan I needed to follow, but what you’ve taught me is that the best things in life aren’t planned—they’re discovered.”

“Will you marry me, Natalie?”

“Right this minute if I could,” she told him.

Soft sighs echoed through the room as Hawk moved forward, pulled Natalie to her feet, and drew her gently into his arms, where he sealed their promises to each other with a tender kiss. Love had found them this holiday season, and it had taken hold of both of their hearts. And it wasn’t about to let go.

epilogue

Valentine’s Day

Well, what do we do now?” Eileen asked.

“I don’t know,” Bethel said with a sniffle. “We should be a heck of a lot more happy. That was a wonderful wedding.”

Maggie’s answering smile was accompanied by watery eyes. “Yes, I think Hawk and Natalie are going to make each other very happy.”

“Yes, they will,” Martin said. “They were meant to be.” Even he sounded a bit choked up.

Still, Bethel pouted. “But I’m bored now.”

“Well, Hawk isn’t the only single man in this town,” Eileen said.

Bethel perked up instantly. “That’s very true.”

“My boys are way past their time to find their brides,” Martin reminded them.

“I couldn’t agree with you more, Martin,” Maggie replied with a painful level of excitement.

“I just don’t know where to even begin,” Martin said.

“I know. It worked out really well with Natalie, but we don’t need any more schoolteachers,” Eileen said.

The four of them sat at a large table and watched Hawk and Natalie hold each other tight while dancing to Lonestar’s rendition of the song “Amazed.”

“I know that I’ve been more than ready for Jackson to settle down, but that boy avoids commitment like it’s a double-headed snake,” Martin groused.

“What do we do to change his mind?” Bethel asked.

Martin said, “I’m at a loss. I just don’t know . . .”

“Well, he does have that trip to Paris coming up. Any chances of a romance there?” Eileen asked.

“It is the city of love,” Maggie said.

“We need help!” Bethel insisted.

Martin grinned. “Maybe it’s time to call Joseph.”

“That old rascal hasn’t visited in too long,” Eileen said. “What is Joseph Anderson up to these days?”

“I know that he’s managed to create a large family for himself. He’s told me a little about how it all happened, so I know he had his hand involved,” Martin told them.

“Well, then. Let’s give the man a call!” Eileen pulled out her cell phone and punched his number from the contacts list.

“Hello?”

Joseph Anderson’s voice boomed across the line, and the meddling was only just beginning . . .