The Texas Kisses Collection Read online

  Texas Kisses

  Jenny Schwartz

  Texas Kisses will steal your heart with their celebration of love and small town life. Whatever the season, there is a chance for new beginnings. For fans of sparkling romance and honorable cowboys, enjoy!

  The collection includes:

  Kiss Me, Quick

  On a lonely Valentine’s Day, Lily discovers that some debts can’t be paid with chicken soup.

  First Kiss

  If you paint a cowboy’s horse pink, be prepared to face the consequences!

  Summer Kiss

  The town’s new sheriff is about to fall in love.

  Joy House

  Dreams are stronger for being shared, and this very special B&B is about to show Bree the power of love.

  Fall Into His Kiss

  The path reluctantly taken can lead to love.

  Table of Contents

  Kiss Me, Quick

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Note From The Author

  First Kiss

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Note From The Author

  Summer Kiss

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Note From The Author

  Joy House

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Note From The Author

  Fall Into His Kiss

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Note From The Author

  Kiss Me, Quick

  Jenny Schwartz

  If there’s one thing Lily Gibb doesn’t need for Valentine’s Day, it’s a cowboy. But when she hears that handsome rancher Ross Fortescue is sick with the flu, she knows her duty. He once saved her from a nasty situation and she owes him.

  She just never expected Ross to demand payment in something other than chicken soup!

  Chapter 1

  The black horse cantered towards Lily Gibb, sure-footed despite the icy ground. Its rider wore a black coat and hat, both dusted with snow. They could have been an image from a classic Western movie. Man and horse moved with power under effortless control. They were magnificent, awe-inspiring, heart-stopping.

  Lily retreated behind her car, hugging a container of chicken soup to her chest. “You’re meant to have the flu!” It wasn’t what she’d intended to say, but the man—and her response to him—never failed to disconcert her.

  The massive horse snorted, sending a puff of white cloud into the late afternoon air.

  Ross Fortescue grinned. Rather than looking guilty—or heaven forbid, repentant—he touched his hat in a casual salute. “Hello, Lily. How do you know I don’t have the flu?”

  “Look at you.” She waved a hand, encompassing all of him and his characteristic air of vitality. The container of chicken soup slipped and she grabbed for it.

  He swung down from the horse and led it with him around her car. “Here, let me carry that for you.”

  “Eep.” She scrambled back into her small car, the soup sloshing. But the lid held.

  Ross paused.

  They stared at each other through the windscreen with its scattering of snowflakes.

  The horse nudged Ross’s arm. He patted its nose. They both looked intrigued by her behavior.

  Lily took a deep breath. Okay. Things could have gone better, but the important point was not to let this turn into a debacle. She could do this. She would hand Ross the soup, then she’d drive away.

  She wound down the window. “I made you chicken soup.”

  “That’s mighty kind of you.” He didn’t move.

  “You can take it,” she prompted.

  “Even though I don’t have the flu?”

  She frowned, embarrassment forgotten. “Your aunt said you did.”

  “I lied to her,” he confessed shamelessly. “But when you hear why, you’ll understand I had no choice. Come inside. I’ll put Nero away, then make you a coffee. You don’t want to go back on the road without a hot drink.”

  “Town’s not that far away.” Although she’d driven slowly over the icy roads. She was a transplant from Houston and not used to the winters of the Texas Panhandle.

  Ross dropped his horse’s reins and walked around to open her door. “Inside. Warm up.” He turned his head suddenly as a ranch hand ambled towards the barn. “Hey, Pete! Take Nero for me, would you?”

  “Sure, boss.” The older man gave Lily a polite nod.

  With the snow still falling, she could barely see him through the windscreen. She sighed as she realized there was no polite way out of the situation. As the man and horse headed for the barn, Lily gave Ross the container of soup and got out of the car. “It’s chicken soup. Home-made.”

  “Much appreciated.” He held the container in one hand and reached around her to close the car door. Then he took her arm.

  The courtesy might have been automatic on his part, but it jolted through her like electricity. His touch burned through her jacket sleeve. His coat smelled of the crisp, cold air, and he, himself, was a strong, solid presence.

  He created a melting feeling inside her. It was bewildering and scarily wonderful for a woman who considered herself practical. She was used to standing on her own two feet, not walking arm in arm with a handsome man. And yet, it felt good to have his strength supporting her and his large body blocking the wind.

  Too good. She scrambled to activate a self-protection strategy. Ross Fortescue wasn’t for her, so she shouldn’t dream. She ought, in fact, to remember that she was angry with him for lying.

  She’d driven out to the Argyle Ranch, braving icy roads, to check on him because she’d thought he had the flu, when she could have stayed cozily at home, curled up with a hot chocolate and an even hotter romance novel. Anger stoked and feeling a bit more composed, she said. “You told your aunt you were sick.”

  This time his smile was just a crinkle at the corners of his dark brown eyes. His gloved hand brushed over her hair. “Snowflakes.” He put an arm around her shoulders and hustled her into the house.

  She pretended it was the pace he set rather than the sensation of being surrounded by him that had her pulse racing. Once inside, she shrugged out of her jacket and looked around curiously, while he put her soup container down and shed his gear.

  They’d entered via the back door, which opened directly into the kitchen. The kitchen was a few years out of date, but clean and comfortable with a big table in the middle, a large double sink under the window and loads of cupboard space. It was a family room, but Ross lived there alone.

  “Now, about my aunt and the reason I had the flu.” He measured coffee into an old-fashioned coffeemaker, before slanting Lily a smile. “Aunt Donna meddles. If I hadn’t claimed to be sick, she’d have roped me into dinner or a dance, tonight. It is Valentine’s Day.”

  “I know.” The fact it was Valentine’s Day was partly why Lily had felt compelled to come to Ross’s rescue. Other women had husbands and sweethearts to spend the day with. She had no one, so checking on his health wouldn’t ruin any romantic plans.

  She bit her lip to prevent a sigh escaping.

  Valentine’s Day was tough for single women. It wasn’t that Lily envied beautiful women their roses and gifts. No, she envied the truly lucky women who’d already found their soulmates.

/>   “Valentine’s Day is tough on men.”

  It was an unlikely echo of her thoughts and she stared at Ross, standing tall, strong and independent.

  Behind him, on the counter, the coffee machine gave an odd gurgle, as if it chuckled.

  Ross pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her, leaning back. “On Valentine’s Day we’re expected to be romantic.”

  “Poor you.”

  “I sense a lack of sympathy.” He was teasing her again.

  But she detected something truer behind his grin, something almost wistful as he held her gaze. “What’s so difficult about being romantic?” she challenged him.

  “Nothing,” he said promptly. “If you’re in love. But around Valentine’s Day, some women start to act crazy. They buy into the fairytale that a handsome prince is waiting to whisk them off to some gold-sparkly romantic adventure.”

  Lily smiled faintly because that dream did exist. At sixteen, she’d still believed it. Adulthood brought its own lessons. “I hadn’t thought of the pressure that put on single guys.”

  “You’d better believe it. We’re hunted!”

  Her eyes widened and her smile died. She wanted to curl up with mortification. “That’s not why I’m here! I’m not chasing you.”

  “Darling, you’ve made that clear.” He stood to pour their coffees.

  She forgot her embarrassment to stare at his back view, at broad shoulders under a dark blue woolen sweater and jeans that molded to his muscled thighs. He’d sounded rueful, almost frustrated. Had he noticed how she’d avoided him the past few months? She hadn’t known what to say to him or how he’d treat her. In her confusion, she hadn’t thought that she might appear rude.

  She avoided his eyes as he handed her a mug of coffee and brought out a store-bought chocolate cake, cutting generous pieces. She watched his hands, deft and capable even at domestic tasks, and remembered how he’d held her elbow and tucked her close to him, out of the wind.

  Unnerved, she hurried to fill the silence, not thinking of what she’d say. She just opened her mouth and words came out. “The soup will be good for you. I made the stock for it, so there’s extra nutrients. It wasn’t hard. You could make it yourself. You take three chicken drumsticks, a carrot, onion and a stick of celery. Add salt, pepper, two bay leaves, parsley, marjoram, thyme, rosemary and dried chili, and cover them with water in a large pot. Simmer for three and a half hours to get the goodness out of the bones. Then you sieve it, cut the meat from the bones. It’ll just fall off. Add that back to the stock along with whatever fresh vegetables you like. Just before it’s ready, after about thirty minutes, add noodles.” She stopped abruptly, aware she was babbling.

  He smiled. “You did all that for me?”

  “There’s goodness in bones.” And yes, even to her, that sounded weird. “I thought you really had the flu. Your Aunt Donna was at the office phoning Kim Moreno and Savannah Tip. She couldn’t get them, so she was leaving voice messages asking them to check on you since she couldn’t. She’s going out to dinner with Dr. Lewis.”

  Ross’s coffee mug thumped onto the table. “She didn’t.”

  Lily stared, uncertain why he seemed so upset. “Donna said she couldn’t get out to the ranch to check on you—”

  “I employ five men. I’m hardly likely to die alone.”

  “Don’t snarl at me. Donna sounded concerned, and I thought the women she called would all have plans for Valentine’s Day.”

  “I’m sure they do, now.”

  She stared at him, taking in the scowl that only made him appear sexier. Belated comprehension dawned. “Oh, you think Donna’s match-making.”

  “Aunt Donna’s a determined woman. She wants me roped and branded, settled down having babies.” He looked at Lily. “You’ll have to protect me.”

  “What?”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the table. He kept pulling her out of the kitchen, down the hallway and into the living room that overlooked the driveway. “We need to keep watch.”

  “Pardon?” He wasn’t making a lot of sense—or else her thinking was muddled by how good his warm, calloused hand felt holding hers.

  And then there was the room. It was a serious distraction. The living room was exactly how a family space ought to be: not glossy-magazine perfect, but welcoming. It was fantastic. The polished wooden floor was covered by two large Persian rugs, in harmonious tones of green and blue with splashes of red, that delineated a generous-sized television viewing area complete with over-sized sofas and recliners, from a second smaller sitting area that focused on the fireplace, with leather armchairs drawn up to it and arranged for conversation and dreaming.

  The curtains were wide open. She had a feeling that out here on the ranch, Ross never closed them. Although it was only late afternoon, evening shadows already claimed the landscape, making the room even cozier. The pine trees along the driveway were dark shapes against the snow and cloudy sky.

  She blinked. In the distance, she thought she saw car headlights. The snow seemed to be reflecting them because she saw double. Then they vanished in a dip in the road.

  “Out of time,” Ross muttered. He flicked on the lights in the room and pulled her closer to the window. “Lily, darling, you remember how I rescued you from Daffy?”

  She winced, chagrined by the reminder. “How was I to know he was an evil-tempered—”

  “Never mind that. The point is, you owe me.”

  “That’s why I brought you chicken soup.”

  He blinked.

  Then his slow, sexy grin melted her all over again. She tugged her hand free of his, hoping distance might lessen his effect. It would be idiotic to stand there staring at how the smile started in his eyes, and creased a lean dimple in his left cheek, before curving his beautifully-shaped masculine lips over strong white teeth. Idiotic, right. She had to look away.

  She glanced out the window and saw three sets of headlights approaching.

  Ross looked, too. “Hells bells.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  The three cars stopped. Three car doors opened. Three beautiful women stepped out.

  Ross pulled her into his arms. “Kiss me, quick.”

  Chapter 2

  As Lily’s gentle mouth parted in surprise, Ross covered it with his own. Satisfaction rippled through him. He had dreamed of her mouth so often. Thought of how she’d feel in his arms. And now she was here. Of course, it was probably the surprise of his kiss that held her so still, but after months of her avoiding him, he’d take what he could.

  He kissed her tenderly, saving up memories of their first kiss and the discoveries that accompanied it. She tasted of chocolate cake, coffee and sweet woman. She was all curves and enticement as he held her to him. Her sweater was the color of fall leaves and soft under his hand. He stroked his fingers over it, along her spine.

  Her sigh brushed his lips, and then, ever so delicately, she was kissing him.

  Every male, hunting instinct stilled him. He mustn’t frighten her. He coaxed her shy response into a more confident pressure, reining in his own need to deepen the kiss, fast. He kissed her with slow, dazzling pleasure and had his reward in her hands creeping up, one to wrap around his neck and the other…he adored the possessiveness of her fingers curling into his sweater.

  He adjusted her to fit more closely in his embrace. Now their thighs, both wearing jeans, aligned.

  Ding-dong.

  Lily jumped at the sound of the doorbell.

  Around her, Ross’s arms tightened as he lifted his head and scowled in the direction of the front door.

  She looked at his mouth and trembled for the memory of how persuasively he kissed. How good and right, and magical, it felt.

  Weren’t first kisses meant to be awkward? She’d been kissed before. Noses had bumped, disappointment had been mutual.

  But with Ross…she sighed, smiling into his dark eyes.

  His scowl faded and he smiled back. “Well now, darling.”
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br />   The low, warm timbre of his voice sent a secret shiver along her spine. Forget melting, she was a puddle of delicious new experiences. She stretched up on tiptoe, daringly touching her mouth to his.

  Ding-dong.

  Oh no! Reality slammed back so fast that as she dropped back onto her heels, her brain rattled. What had she done? How could she have forgotten where she was or that the light from the room would have outlined her and Ross for all the world to see? They’d been as spotlighted as dummies in a storefront window. She blushed and pulled back.

  His arms stayed strong around her. “Don’t go running away.”

  “Ross, they saw us.”

  “That was the plan, darling.”

  She stared at him, uncomprehending.

  “Come on. We have to go let them in. Can’t leave them standing out there, even if Aunt Donna sent them.” His strong arm around her waist propelled her inexorably out of the living room and into the hallway.

  Lily forced her pleasure-addled brain to function. He said he’d kissed her for a reason. Before he’d done so, he’d said she owed him. She added two and two together, and reached four, just as he opened the front door with a flourish.

  Good grief! She gripped his arm as it encircled her waist, his strength the only thing holding her up as the shock of understanding weakened her muscles.

  He was hiding behind her—not literally, but in pretending he wasn’t single, available or, to use his own words, prey to be hunted on Valentine’s Day. He’d wanted their amazing kiss to be seen so that people would think she was his girlfriend.

  Her heart somersaulted and her brain stalled at the thought. His girlfriend.

  “Good evening, ladies.” Ross’s low drawl was incredibly sexy, but not welcoming.

  Lily regained her mental balance, helped by the disappointing nature of reality. No one was going to believe she and him were together. He was a Valentine’s Day prize and she was always damned with faint praise as “a nice girl”. She tried to move away.