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his previous dates had—not that this was a date.
    “Hello, Nola, George.” Kay swept into the room and gave each of them a hearty hug. “I’m glad you could come out today.”
    “Thank you for having us. You have a lovely home,” Nola said.
    Kay tilted her head. “All these years and you’ve never been inside? Our door is always open to both of you, and George, any time you want to bring your kids by to go riding, please feel free.”
    “Thank you, ma’am,” George said. “My wife and I would enjoy that.”
    Kay squeezed in between them and wrapped her arm around George, leading him to the kitchen. “None of that ‘ma’am’ nonsense. Kay is fine.”
    “Yes, ma—Kay,” George sheepishly mumbled.
    Nola smiled and turned to Chase. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him reduced to mush before. Remind me to thank your mother later.”
    “She meant what she said, you know.” Chase reached for Nola’s hand so George and Kay could walk ahead of them. The intimacy of the gesture surged through him, and for a moment, Chase questioned his own boldness. “You’re welcome here anytime, and the invite is still open for you to join us for the Winter Festival and tree lighting.”
    “Thank you.” Nola didn’t attempt to move away. “I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful, but with my schedule—well, that’s the problem. I don’t really have a schedule. I’m an on-the-scene reporter and they call us at all hours. It makes it difficult to plan anything.”
    Chase hadn’t considered that aspect of her job. He was used to traveling according to a set rodeo itinerary. Nothing was ever last minute. “It’s not as though this isn’t work related. Say yes, and if a bigger story comes up, I’ll understand.”
    “How about we see how today goes, and take it from there?”
    “Agreed.” It wasn’t the yes Chase had hoped for, but it was a step in the right direction. The more coverage the Mistletoe Rodeo gained, the more successful it would be. Although he had to admit, it would be much nicer to have Nola to himself, without George in the mix.
    Facing each other, their hands still linked, Chase briefly forgot they weren’t the only two people in the house. His first instinct was to kiss her. Right there in the middle of the great room, not caring who walked in on them. Everyone deserved to celebrate Christmas surrounded by love and family, and it bothered him that she’d probably spend hers alone in some tiny condo. That wasn’t acceptable. Nola needed to experience a down-home Christmas, and he was determined to show it to her.
    * * *
    K ISS ME , YOU FOOL .
No, wait! Don’t kiss me...not here anyway.
    No one had ever thrown Nola this far off her game before. Bridle Dance was not Camelot, Chase was not Prince Charming and she was far from a princess.
Get a grip, soldier
. Guys like Chase didn’t fall for girls like Nola. She was way out of her league, and any thoughts otherwise would be a waste of time, leading only to disappointment. Nola didn’t measure up to the Langtry women. She was a military brat with a tainted past and she definitely didn’t belong in their world.
    She released Chase’s hand and followed him into the large but simple kitchen, which was perfect for entertaining a large family. Nola could easily envision the four brothers tearing through the house when they were children.
    “I love the flooring in here.” George squatted to run his hand over the wide planks and was greeted by a big, wet, black canine nose.
    “Barney, behave. I’m sorry. He’s a little enthusiastic around new people.” Kay gently tugged on the dog’s collar. “The floor is reclaimed lumber from the barns that used to stand on the property. Joe wanted to incorporate the old with the new, so the previous generations of craftsmanship have been woven into our home.”
    Nola reassuringly touched Kay’s shoulder. “He succeeded beautifully.” From previous interviews, she knew how difficult it had been