Cowboy Who Came For Christmas (Harlequin Romance) by Lenora Worth Read Free Book Online

the snow going up the steps. “No fresh footprints, but the downfall could have hidden any.”
    “We left her about an hour ago,” Sophia replied. “I’d feel better checking the back porch and all the windows.”
    Adan grabbed her by the arm. “Why are you so worried about Bettye?”
    Sophia didn’t know how to explain that now. Telling him the truth would save her a lot of grief, but she didn’t want to give Adan something to pin on her, a bargaining chip to make her talk even more. Or evidence that could put her in jail.
    “I care about her,” she finally said. “She’s helped me a lot and...she’s the only real family I’ve ever had.”
    Adan’s eyes widened but he seemed to accept that explanation. At least that much was the truth.
    “Let’s go around back,” he suggested, his gun now drawn.
    Now he was taking her seriously.
    “Will her dog alert?” he asked.
    “He should if it’s a stranger,” she said, her voice carrying through the ferocious wind and clinging snow. “But he knows me, so he might not bother with us.”
    Adan shined the flashlight at the side window, but the heavy bushes were so covered with fresh snow it was impossible to tell if anyone had been near the place. No sign of new footprints on the back porch, either. Not even a peep from Bettye’s devoted companion.
    “Her bedroom is on the other side,” Sophia said, pointing to the right corner of the porch.
    Adan nodded and helped her down the steps. They slogged through almost a foot of snow before they reached the other window.
    And saw that the screen was not on the window. It was lying ripped and torn on the snow-covered grass.
    Sophia turned and tried to run. “I have to get inside.”
    Adan hurried and caught her by the arm. “Hold up. Do you want to scare her?”
    Angry that he was wasting time, she shouted, “You saw that screen!”
    Adan nodded. “Yes, and I saw the window. The glass is intact. No one went through that window.”
    “He could have closed it.”
    “He would have broken out a pane to get inside. The glass is intact.”
    When they heard a dog barking from inside the house, Sophia yanked away from Adan. “I’m going inside.”
    “How?”
    She lifted the key ring from her coat pocket. “I have a key.”
    She didn’t wait for him to ask her about anything else. Sophia’s heart was churning and shifting in the same blustery confusion as the wind’s unforgiving gusts. Her safe, quiet life was now in an uproar and her fears for her friend had multiplied twofold after seeing that busted window screen.
    She was fighting two very determined men. One evil...and one good. She just wished she knew which one would win.

CHAPTER FIVE
    B Y THE TIME they’d made it back around the house, the rear porch light flickered on and Bettye cracked open the door enough to push a rifle barrel through it. “Who’s out there?”
    Letting out a held breath, Sophia ran up the slippery steps. “It’s me, Bettye. I was worried about you.”
    The door peeled back like a creaky old trunk lid. “I’m fine, honey. You sure scared Bandit, though.” She motioned them inside with the gun down and her left hand in the air.
    Sophia smelled the faint scents of vanilla and lavender. A burning candle? Then she heard a man’s cough.
    Adan shot her a confused glance before they entered the back door of the cluttered, cloying cabin. “What’s going on?”
    Bettye gave them a sheepish grin. “Jacob saw y’all with me earlier and...came over to see what all the commotion was about.” She motioned to Adan. “Jacob, this is the Ranger-Man I was telling you about.”
    Jacob? Sophia’s relief was followed by a bemused confusion. She’d always known Jacob Miller had a huge crush on Bettye, but Bettye had never indicated that she felt the same about the grizzled, cantankerous older man. He had to be at least eighty. He could barely walk!
    Adan introduced himself and walked over to shake Jacob’s hand. “Hello, sir.”
    Jacob