Chapter 248

December 21st

After parking near the house, she sat in the warmed-up car for a minute remembering the first time she'd seen Carter. She'd flown out in late spring to visit her best friend from high school who'd gotten married and had a baby without her there. Lauren and her baby boy, Cameron, picked her up at the airport and, when Lauren pulled into the drive, Janelle saw him. Carter, standing in front of the barn, was the handsomest man she'd ever seen. Lauren opened her car door and had to practically drag her over to him to introduce them.

Janelle didn't remember much of the conversation that morning, just his name and that he worked at the ranch. She baked and took him coffee and a pastry using him as a guinea pig. When he finally asked her to dinner at his place, she found out he also lived at the ranch in a really nice log cabin. But she'd already fallen for him.

She jumped when a knock sounded on her driver's window. She rolled it down. "Carter, you scared me half to death