She fell asleep to dream about Zach and awoke early the next morning. Longing to go find him, kiss him awake and love again was strong. She slipped out of bed and looked at the clock, knowing she would follow a sensible course and get ready for a workday.
They both needed to step back and get things under control again. Just thinking about Zach, she wanted to be in his arms. Surprise lingered that she had asked him to go home with her and that he had accepted.
What had seemed a good idea at first, began to look like complication after complication. She had to let her family know. She thought about the family letters she had read and how little Zach cared and decided to hold him to his acceptance. She wanted him to see a family who relished being together and made the most of their moments. Maybe he would join his brothers more on holidays and participate with his own family.
Touching her lips lightly with her fingertips, she remembered his kisses. After Christmas she would return to her job in Dallas, and Zach would disappear from her life. She would be with him less than a month more. Despite her earlier worry, she could keep from falling in love with him because they had nothing between them except physical attraction. She didn’t like his lifestyle, his attitude toward family, his disregard for all the things she loved so much. Maybe her heart was safe in spite of the attraction that was pure lust. She pulled out her phone to text her mother that company was coming. Company with an injured foot.
By Thanksgiving afternoon Zach wondered how he had gotten himself into this. Since he was twelve years old, he had been able to say no or get out of most things he didn’t want to do unless it involved his father. Even with his father, by age twenty-one, he had become adept at escaping his father’s plans for him.
He was in the center of a whirlwind. He had met four generations of Hillmans. They encompassed ages two to ninety-something. Brody, Emma’s father, had made him feel welcome, as well as her mother, Camilla.
Zach tried to keep the names straight, learning her parents and siblings quickly. Connor, the married older brother, his wife, Lynne, Sierra, Emma’s oldest sister, and Mary Kate, the youngest, both sisters married, Bobby, the younger brother. Zach mentally ran over the names of people seated around him while they ate the Thanksgiving turkey. He received curious glances from Connor and could feel Connor being the protective big brother even though they were far across the long table from each other.
The dining room table seated eighteen and other tables held more of the family with grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews gathering together today.
Until the subject came up during the Thanksgiving feast, Emma had neglected to warn him that it was family tradition to decorate for Christmas after Thanksgiving dinner, which was eaten early in the afternoon. After dinner everybody under eighty years of age changed to jeans and T-shirts or sweatshirts. Also, the decorations didn’t come out until the men had set up the Christmas trees in various rooms in the house, which they did while others cleared the tables.
Once trees and lights were up with an angel or a star at the top of each tree, the women and children took over with the decorations while the men decorated the porch.
As soon as Zach started to join the men, Emma took his arm to lightly tug him toward the living room. “You sit and elevate your foot. You can help the kids with the decorations. The little kids can’t put the hooks on the balls and that sort of thing.”
“Emma, I can do a few things outside.”
“We need you in here and you know you should stay off your foot. The more you don’t walk on it, the sooner you’ll heal,” she lectured, looking up at him with wide green eyes. His gaze lowered to her mouth and he longed to be alone with her and saw absolutely no hope until they left Dallas.
In minutes he began to help the little kids with ornaments while he sat with his foot resting on a footstool. Boxes of shiny trimmings were spread around him and on the table in front of him. Emma and her mother had a table over his propped-up foot to keep the kids from bumping his injury. The living room held what Emma had called the real Christmas tree. It was a huge live balsam pine that touched the ceiling. Spread around him were boxes of a family history of decorations with shiny ornaments mixed with clay and paper trimmings made by kids. Once Emma stopped beside him. “How are you doing?”
“You owe me,” he said. “I intend to collect.”
Her cheeks turned pink and he wondered what she was thinking. He remembered their lovemaking and wished with all his being he could be back at his ranch and alone with her. Instead, what seemed like a hundred people and kids were buzzing around him like busy bees. He had to admit she had a fun family and he’d had a good time through dinner. What he knew he would remember most, was when she had come down for Thanksgiving dinner. The whole family dressed for the occasion, which she had warned him about just before they had left the ranch.
He had been standing in the front hall and looked up as she came down the stairs. She wore an emerald green dress that came only to her knees and her red hair was caught up in a clip with locks falling free in the back. She looked stunning. The sight of her had taken his breath and he longed to be able to hold her and kiss her.
After a time Emma took away the table that sheltered his injured foot. “You’re excused now to go watch football. They’ve finished decorating the porch and the guys turned on a game. We’ll help the kids decorate and then clean up the Christmas tree mess. I’ll take over your job.”
“I don’t mind doing this.”
“Go watch football with the guys in the family room.”
“You won’t have to tell me again,” he said, smiling at her and still wanting to kiss her. He stood and she slipped into his chair while he limped away.
During the second half of the game, his cell rang and he excused himself to answer Will’s call.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Zach.”
“Happy Thanksgiving to you and Ava and Caroline. Let me talk to Caroline,” Zach said as he stepped farther into the hall so his conversation wouldn’t interfere with everyone listening and watching football. He talked briefly to his niece and then Will came back on the line.
A touchdown was scored and the family members watching the game cheered and applauded.
“Where are you?” Will asked. “You sound as if you’re at a game.”
“I’m at Emma’s house in Dallas,” Zach admitted, certain there was too much background noise for him to convince Will he was home alone at the ranch. He braced for what he knew was coming.
“You’re where?” Will asked.
“You heard me. I sort of got finagled into this,” he tried to say quietly.
“I can’t hear you. You’re at your secretary’s house with her family?”
“That’s right, Will. And I need to go. Happy Thanksgiving to you.” As he ended the call, he was certain he had not heard the last from Will. Returning to his seat, he looked at the room filled with Hillman men and the older boys. This room held a huge white Christmas tree. Their attic had been filled to the brim with all the decorations that now covered the various trees in the house. With a deep sigh he settled to watch the game. The evening promised to be incredibly long, but he had to admit, the Hillmans had fun and obviously loved being together. To his surprise, he’d had a good time with them. They were nice people and her brothers were great to be around, actually making him miss seeing his own, which gave him a shock when he realized he was thinking about calling both of them, even though he’d just spoken to Will. He had to admit, Emma had been right about the weekend with her family versus his staying at the ranch by himself.