Delores Fossen - A Coldwater Christmas

Sometimes a little Christmas magic can rekindle the most unexpected romances...

Sheriff Kace Laramie and his brothers found long-awaited happiness when they moved to Coldwater, Texas, as foster children. But the feel-good story has one bittersweet twisthis brief marriage to local rich girl Jana Parker. When that blew up, Kace vowed never to marry again and has kept Jana mostly off his mind...until she comes back to town, needing his help.

Recently divorced for a second time, Jana just wants to create a good life for her young daughterand keep her mother from marrying Kaces gold-digging father. Asking him for help may be wrong given their history. But as the stakesand their chemistrymake the Christmas season sizzle, Jana knows how much more wrong it would be to let a love this magical slip away again...

Praise for USA TODAY
bestselling author Delores Fossen

The plot delivers just the right amount of emotional punch and happily ever after.

Publishers Weekly on Lone Star Christmas

Clear off space on your keeper shelf, Fossen has arrived.

New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde

A marvelous Christmas romance novel, a fantastic family saga, and a deliciously desirous addition to the beloved series!

Books and Spoons on Lone Star Christmas

An amazing, breathtaking and vastly entertaining family saga, filled with twists and unexpected turns. Cowboy fiction at its best.

Books and Spoons on The Last Rodeo

Fossen certainly knows how to write a hot cowboy, and when she turns her focus to Dylan Granger...crank up the air conditioning!

RT Book Reviews on Lone Star Blues

Overall, this romance is a little sweet and a little saltyand a lot sexy!

RT Book Reviews on Texas-Sized Trouble

This is much more than a romance.

RT Book Reviews on Branded as Trouble

Nicky and Garrett have sizzling chemistry!

RT Book Reviews on No Getting Over a Cowboy

Delores Fossen takes you on a wild Texas ride with a hot cowboy.

New York Times bestselling author B.J. Daniels

Also available from Delores Fossen
and HQN Books

Coldwater Texas

Lone Star Christmas

Lone Star Midnight (ebook novella)

Hot Texas Sunrise

Texas at Dusk (ebook novella)

Sweet Summer Sunset

A Coldwater Christmas

Wranglers Creek

Lone Star Cowboy (ebook novella)

Those Texas Nights

One Good Cowboy (ebook novella)

No Getting Over a Cowboy

Just Like a Cowboy (ebook novella)

Branded as Trouble

Cowboy Dreaming (ebook novella)

Texas-Sized Trouble

Cowboy Heartbreaker (ebook novella)

Lone Star Blues

Cowboy Blues (ebook novella)

The Last Rodeo

The McCord Brothers

What Happens on the Ranch (ebook novella)

Texas on My Mind

Cowboy Trouble (ebook novella)

Lone Star Nights

Cowboy Underneath It All (ebook novella)

Blame It on the Cowboy

To see the complete list of titles available from Delores Fossen, please visit www.deloresfossen.com.

Delores Fossen

A Coldwater Christmas

Contents

W ATCHING FROM THE window of the police station, Sheriff Kace Laramie wasnt sure if he should deal first with the senior citizen flasher, the traffic violation or the whizzing longhorn.

As a cop in a small ranching town like Cold water, Texas, Kace didnt usually have to pick between wrongdoings and disturbances, but apparently today they were experiencing a sort of crime wave.

When he saw the flasher, Gopher Tate, reach to unbutton his ratty raincoat, Kace moved him up to the number one spot of which situation should get his attention. There wasnt anyone around Gopher, and the man never flashed a full monty, especially in winter, but Kace didnt want anyone shocked or complaining if they got a glimpse of Gophers tighty-whities covering his wrinkled junk.

Liberty, Kace called out to Deputy Liberty Cassaine as he pulled on his jacket and hat and then headed out the door of the police station. Go after that idiot who just blew through the red light. Red Porsche, Oklahoma plates.

No need for Kace to specify which light, since there was only one, and it was on Main Street, right in front of the police station. It was also next to the clearly marked sign with the posted speed limit of 30 mph. By Kaces estimate, the guy wasnt exactly speeding, but the light had been red.

Liberty leaped up from her desk in the squad room, crammed the rest of a goo-loaded sticky bun into her mouth and hurried out to the cruiser in the parking lot next to the building. Kace went across the street to deal with Gopher.

As Kace walked, he gave the pissing longhorn a glance. Like the rest of Coldwater, it was a familiar sight. It belonged to the librarian, Esther Benton, who affectionately called the bull Petunia.

Petunia had a fondness for breaking fence, wandering onto Main Street and disrupting traffic. Today though, the bull wasnt in the street but rather had taken to the sidewalk, working its way through the dancing Santas, glittering candy canes, and other assorted decorations that the town and business owners had set out for Christmas. Those particular items had only been in place for a couple of hours and had replaced the gobbling turkeys and cardboard cornucopias from Thanksgiving. In a monthspecifically December 26the Christmas decor would be boxed up, and the New Years stuff would be set out.

Coldwater had no shortage of overly done spangles, adornments of questionable taste and downright tacky holiday plastic.

Kace gave Petunia another glance to make sure the longhorn hadnt moved. It hadnt. It was now underneath the awning of the taxidermists shop, Much Ado about Stuffing, and it had pissed a puddle deep enough to drown an alley cat.

Apparently, hydration wasnt an issue for Petunia.

Once Kace had finished with Gopher, hed need to get the longhorn moving, call Esther and tell the woman shed need to pay for another cleanup. Ironically, Gopher often did janitorial services for the town so Kace would be tapping the man for the job if he didnt have to arrest him first.

Gopher still had hold of the sides of his raincoat, but his grip dropped away when he spotted Kace. You gonna arrest me? Gopher asked, making it sound as much a challenge as a question.

Depends. You got a good explanation as to why youre on Main Street wearing a raincoat when theres not a chance of rain in the forecast?

Gophers forehead bunched up as if giving that some thought, and he glanced up at the cloudless blue sky. I like to be ready in case theres a change in the weather.

Well, it was an explanation all right, but it wasnt an especially good one. Youve got two choices, Gopher. Come with me to the jail or button up that raincoat and clean up after Petunia.

Gopher contemplated that, too. But I got a different color bow on today, and nobodys had a chance to see it.

Since that bow, whatever color it was, would be tied around Gophers junk, Kace didnt intend to give the man an audience. Choose wisely, Kace advised him. Cleanup or lockup.

Cleanup, Gopher finally grumbled, and he continued to grumble while he got busy buttoning the raincoat.

With that task ticked off his to-do list, Kace turned toward Petunia. He took off his cowboy hat to smack the bull on the butt, but he stopped in midwhack when Gopher spoke again.

Say, aint that your wife over yonder? Gopher asked.

That got Kaces complete attention, and he followed Gophers gaze across the street. Specifically, to the parking lot of the police station, where he spotted the tall blonde getting out of a silver SUV. Not easily getting out, either. She was taking a wriggling, fussing baby from the infant seat in the back, and the kid wasnt cooperating.