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. He looked at her laughing at something her sister said to her. His insides knotted and he wanted badly to be alone with her and to hold her in his arms.
It took several hours to get the decorations up and the empty boxes put away. A sweeper was run. Finally the entire bunch of people settled in the family room, sitting on the floor, chairs, sofas. When the football game ended, Emma’s sister, Mary Kate, sat at the piano to play Christmas carols and they all joined in singing. Emma came to sit beside him and to his amazement, the kids found him interesting, so they had squeezed onto the sofa beside Emma and him. Being crowded together suited him because he could put his arm around Emma’s shoulders without it seeming a personal gesture. He had an arm around two of the little kids on the other side of him, but he enjoyed having Emma pressed against him.
To his surprise, he remembered the old songs he hadn’t sung in years. Finally when they stopped singing, they began to pull coats out of closets.
“We’re going outside because Dad turns on the Christmas lights, a tradition that means the Christmas season is officially kicking off at the Hillman house.”
Zach laughed. “I don’t know how I let you get me into this.”
“I know exactly how,” she said, giving him a sultry look, and his smile disappeared.
“Emma—” Smiling, she walked away and he watched her hips covered in tight jeans as she walked away from him to get her jacket.
The entire family and dogs gathered on the front lawn and waited for the light ceremony. In minutes the lights came on and it was bright as noontime. Zach stood next to Emma and applauded with the others when the lights sparked to life. “Emma, I’ve fallen into Christmas Vacation. This is the Griswold house,” he said softly.
She laughed. “Except the lights all came on at the first try. Dad loves Christmas. Actually, we all do. It’s wonderful.”
The family stayed up talking until one when they began to say good-night. By the time Emma and her younger brother, Bobby, turned in, they had to lock up and switch off lights.
She had an apartment nearby, but she had told him she would stay at her parents’ house. He hadn’t known they wouldn’t sleep at her place until they were almost to Dallas. A huge disappointment to him.
At her door, Zach placed his hand on the jamb to block her way. He tugged on a lock of her hair to draw her closer and leaned forward to brush her lips with a light kiss. The instant his mouth touched her soft lips, his body reacted. He ached with wanting her. His arm tightened around her waist while he kissed her long and fervently. “I want you, Emma,” he whispered.
The look in her eyes made his pulse pound. He inhaled deeply, fighting the urge to reach for her again. This wasn’t the time or the place, so he told her good-night before going to the room given to him for his weekend visit.
He wanted to be alone with Emma now and couldn’t wait to get back to the ranch, but the holiday had been a pleasant surprise.
By Saturday, the weather had warmed. The family sat at a long picnic table, made from five tables pushed together with Zach at one end, his foot propped on a wooden box. Emma’s mother was to his right and Emma sat on his left. Her father was at the far end while various relatives lined both sides of the table. They sat in a sunny spot in a wooded park not far from Emma’s parents’ home.
It was easy to see where Emma got her looks. Her auburn-haired mother, Camilla, was a good-looking woman and appeared far younger than she had to be since she was the mother of Emma’s older brother and older sisters. Brody Hillman, Emma’s dad, had welcomed
