"So, what are your plans for Christmas?" Dean asked Corey. The two of them were having a quick lunch before they both had to return to work.

"Well, up until the Turkey Trot I wasn�t sure. I figured I�d be spending it alone since Meg and I weren�t talking."

"And now?"

Corey smiled. "Well, now that Meg has accepted the fact that you and I are spending time together, things seem to have gone back to the way they were. I was invited to the Saunders house for Christmas."

Dean smiled. "I�m so glad that things are better with you and Meg. I didn�t like seeing the two of you fight."

"Me neither . . . for as long as I can remember, Meg and I have been best friends. There wasn�t a fight before this one that kept us from talking for more than a day or two."

"You�re lucky to have a friend like Meg," he said softly, almost wistfully.

Corey sensed the change in Dean�s voice and squeezed his hand. "What about you? What are your plans for Christmas?"

Dean shrugged. "Never was one to make a big deal outta Christmas . . . in my family it was always just another day. Anjanette offered me the day off, but I'll probably work anyway. Could always use the extra money."

Corey felt a rock settle in her stomach and before she knew what she was doing, she just opened her mouth and let the words speak for themselves. "Dean, why don�t you spend Christmas with me?"

Dean turned to her, his eyes wide with surprise, but then darkened almost instantly. "I can�t."

"Why not?"

"Corey, I�ve already caused enough problems for you and Meg."

Corey shook her head. "But you heard her at the Turkey Trot . . . who I choose to spend my time with is my business and she accepts that."

"Exactly . . . accepts it, not approves of it." Dean sighed. "This is a special night, one that you should spend with your family and let everyone have a good time. If I�m there, well then I just don�t want to cause anymore tension."

It was then and there that Corey made her decision. "Dean, I want to spend Christmas with you. We can go over to the Saunders after dinner, but I want Christmas to be special for you and me, alone."

Dean turned to her, his face a mix of disbelief and pure joy. "You mean you�d sacrifice spending the night with your family for me?"

Corey nodded. "Trust me, it�s not a sacrifice. Dean, you�ve made a real difference in my life since you came here. I can�t explain it, and maybe I never will be able to, but all I know is that with you I am happier then I ever thought I could be."

His eyes moistened as he held out his arms, which Corey gladly folded herself into. "Thank you," he told her softly as he closed his eyes, and she knew that no answer was required.

Dean opened his eyes and hesitantly looked up at the clock on the wall. "Well, I�d love nothing more than to stay like this all day, but I�m already fifteen minutes late back from lunch."

"Already?" Corey pouted.

Dean nodded. "And don�t you have to get back as well?"

"Well, at least Luke is an understanding boss," she said giggling. "If I�m a few minutes late, he won�t have my head."

Dean laughed and escorted Corey out of the restaurant, where he then proceeded to walk her back to the barbershop. "Thank you for making this one of the most memorable days for me," he told her honestly.

Corey flashed him a dazzling smile and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for accepting." She was just about to walk inside when Dean grabbed her elbow gently, turning her around again. He slowly lowered his face to hers, touching his lips to hers in a kiss that seemed to stop the world around them. Regrettably, they parted, both a little dazed yet undeniably happy, and Corey floated into the barbershop, peeking out of the window to watch Dean walk away.

Dean smiled to himself as he walked down the street towards the bordello. He didn�t know what had caused him to kiss Corey, it was just something that he�d wanted to do all through lunch and seemed right. He knew at that point in time that he couldn�t be any happier than he was. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he passed right by Vanessa and Buck, who were standing outside of the general store talking.

"Dean?" Vanessa called out, but he kept walking, a silly smile plastered across his face. "Hmm," she said thoughtfully, "the only person I know that does that to him is Corey . . . must have just come from seein� her."

If she was looking for a reaction from Buck, she got what she was looking for. The Indian stiffened next to her, his brow drawn in a thoughtful furrow. "Yeah, probably." He said.

"Anyway, like I was saying . . . it was the weirdest thing!" Vanessa went back to their prior conversation.

Buck snapped back to attention, promising to talk to Corey about Dean later. "Now, you said you saw Meghan and Ian Grant in the barn alone?"

Vanessa nodded her head. "Buck, I swear, it was like I was hallucinatin�! I went outside for some fresh air and I heard a commotion over by the barn. Sounded like a woman was upset and yellin�."

Buck arched an eyebrow at his mischievous friend, who curiosity always got the better of. "So of course you had to check it out."

Vanessa smiled innocently. "Of course. Anyway, I walk over there and I hear Meg's voice and a man, but the man wasn�t Luke! So I peered in and saw Ian Grant with his arms around Meg!"

Buck�s eyes widened. "Are you sure about this?"

"As sure as I am that the sun rises every mornin�. Then he kissed her head, she kissed his cheek and they just held on to each other for a few minutes." Vanessa continued.

Buck shook his head in disbelief. "What were they saying?"

Vanessa shrugged. "That I don�t know, they were talkin� real quietly, and I would have had to go inside the barn to hear. So I just left and figured I�d talk to you as soon as I could."

Buck�s face paled for a second. "You didn�t say anything to Elena, did you?"

Vanessa smirked at him. "Come on now Buck . . . I catch Meg possibly cheatin� on her husband, and I�m gonna tell Elena . . . the woman who wants Meg�s husband?"

Buck laughed nervously. "True," he said.

"What are we gonna do?" Vanessa asked.

"I�m not sure yet . . ." Buck answered. "I say we just wait and watch to see if anything else happens."

"Will you be at the house for Christmas?" Vanessa asked.

Buck shook his head. "No, I�m eating dinner with Caly�s family."

"Too bad, because I know Ian will be there . . . maybe you could get Corey to keep an eye out? Won�t she be there?" Vanessa asked.

At the mention of Corey�s name, Buck because visibly uncomfortable again, and Vanessa decided to let it drop. Corey was a big girl and could make her own decisions. She just had to decide soon before either Dean or Buck got seriously hurt.

"Oh well, I have a run coming up in a couple of hours, and I�m gonna head back to the way station and catch a quick nap while I can," Buck said, a yawn punctuating his remark.

Vanessa smiled warmly. "Okay, thanks for the talk Buck. You go home and rest now."

Buck nodded and smiled back. "Don�t worry about Meg and Ian, we�ll figure something out."

As Vanessa walked away she wondered if there really was something going on between Ian Grant and Meghan Saunders. They certainly had been acting rather chummy since Ian arrived in town, and she knew that Luke was uncomfortable with his friend being there.