Maverick Christmas Surprise

by Brenda Harlen

  Every once in a while, Leighton would invite her into her inner circle, allow her to be included in her plans. It didn’t take Beth long to realize that her sister wasn’t trying to befriend her so much as she was testing her. But it wasn’t in Beth’s nature to go along with the crowd when what the crowd was doing was questionable, dangerous or illegal. And Leighton had stopped inviting her, further cementing her status as an outcast, widening the gap between the sisters’ lives.

  Wilder caught up to her in the hall, before she even reached her room.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  She shook her head. “You didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”

  “But I didn’t mean it.”

  “Yes, you did. And it’s true. Leighton’s the fun sister. I’m the responsible one.

  “And normally that wouldn’t bother me so much, except that her latest actions have been beyond irresponsible.”

  “You’re worried about her,” Wilder guessed.

  “Of course, I’m worried about her. And I’m worried about Cody. And I’m mad that she doesn’t seem to be worried about Cody.”

  She stalked back and forth in the hall. “I mean—she just left him here without telling anyone where she was going or when she would be back,” Beth continued her rant. “How could she do that? And what if something were to happen to his mom? Where would that leave him?”

  “I can understand your concerns,” Wilder said. “But even in such a worst-case scenario, I’m confident that Cody would be just fine.”

  She frowned. “How can you say that?”

  “Because he’d still have his Aunt Beth,” he pointed out to her. “And she’s a force to be reckoned with. Brave and strong. Loving and loyal.”

  Inexplicably, her eyes filled.

  “Oh, crap,” Wilder said. “What did I say wrong now?”

  She shook her head, but she couldn’t stop the tears from spilling onto her cheeks. And though Wilder looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else in that moment, he drew her close and held her while she cried.

  Of course he was only trying to offer her comfort, but with her face pressed against his shirt, she couldn’t help but notice how the soft flannel contrasted to his hard muscles. And that he smelled really good.

  “You want to tell me now what caused you to go from spitting nails to a complete meltdown in the blink of an eye?” he asked, when her tears had finally dried up.

  She shook her head again.

  “You don’t know?” he queried.

  “I don’t want to tell you,” she admitted.

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’ll think I’m ridiculous.”

  “I won’t think you’re ridiculous,” he promised.

  “The things you said...about me being strong and loving...they were nice.”

  “And?” he prompted.

  “No one’s ever said such nice things about me before.”

  “You need to get some better friends,” he told her.

  She managed to smile at that. “I have wonderful friends,” she assured him. “But I don’t tend to open up and dump my emotional baggage on them.”

  “So why me?” he wondered.

  “I guess you’re just lucky.”

  He chuckled at that. “Yeah, that’s what my niece said when a baby was left on my doorstep. And though I was skeptical at first, I’m beginning to think maybe she was right.”

  In only four days, Beth had seen it—he’d not just grown more comfortable with the daily responsibilities of taking care of a baby, but he’d learned to interpret Cody’s cries and anticipate his needs. She’d heard it, too, in the warmth in his voice when he talked not just to Cody but about him. Forcing Beth to acknowledge that this was one more thing her sister had lied about.

  Or maybe Leighton hadn’t been able to guess how he would respond to the news of her unexpected pregnancy. Maybe she really hadn’t known him well enough to anticipate that he would step up.

  “So...will you reconsider coming to the party?” he asked.

  Beth appreciated the invitation. She was even a little tempted. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone out to celebrate the arrival of a new year, and the idea held a certain appeal. But she had nothing appropriate in her wardrobe for a night out, and no intention of trekking into town to spend money on an outfit she’d probably never wear again. Not to mention that she had no desire to see Wilder live up to his reputation, flirting with all the pretty girls in town.

  “Truthfully, I’m not keen on the idea of hanging out with a bunch of people I don’t know.”

  “You know me and my brothers,” he pointed out.

  Yes, and they were all—aside from Wilder and his father—engaged or married. In other words, if she went, she’d be surrounded by happy couples. And when the clock counted down to midnight, they’d instinctively turn to their significant others to embrace and kiss, reminding her once again that she was alone in the world—as she’d always been.

  “I do appreciate the invitation,” she said. “But I want to stay home with Cody.”

  Not only was that kind of celebration much more her speed, but she sincerely wanted to spend the time with her nephew. Because she was beginning to suspect that, if Wilder was the little boy’s father, he would want Cody to stay in Rust Creek Falls, which meant that her days and nights with her nephew were numbered.

  * * *

  “Did you convince Beth to come to the party?” Max asked, when Wilder made his way back downstairs.

  “It’s not my place to try to change her mind,” he said, conveniently ignoring the fact that he’d attempted to do just that.

  “I’m sure if you used some of your legendary charm, she’d reconsider,” his father said.

  Wilder narrowed his gaze. “What are you up to?”

  “I’m not up to anything,” Max denied.

  “Then why do you care whether or not Beth goes to the party?”

  “I just think she deserves a night out,” his father said.

  “That’s the only reason?”

  “What other reason could there be?”

  Wilder didn’t buy his father’s innocent act for a minute. “Just as long as you don’t have any crazy ideas in your head about matchmaking,” he said.

  “Why would I waste my time when I paid good money to Vivienne Dalton to take care of that?” Max countered.

  “I didn’t think you’d paid her anything yet.”

  His father waved a hand dismissively. “You know what I mean.”

  “I know that you’ve avoided giving a direct answer to the question,” Wilder pointed out.

  “How’s this for direct? You don’t need to worry that I’ve got any illusions about you and our houseguest from Dallas,” Max assured him. “It’s obvious that Cody’s aunt isn’t at all your type.”

  “I’m glad you can see that,” Wilder said, even as a part of him wondered if his father—and his own instincts—might be wrong.

  * * *

  When Wilder walked into the kitchen while Beth was preparing a bottle for Cody on New Year’s Eve, her heart actually bumped against her ribs. Because as good as Wilder looked in his usual jeans and flannel, decked out in a suit and tie and dress boots, he was even more mouthwateringly delicious. And looking at him now, she had absolutely no difficulty understanding why her sister had been so eager to fall into bed with him.

  Not that Beth would ever do the same thing.

  Of course, she’d never have the chance.

  Because she and Leighton were complete opposites, and though her heart might act a little crazy whenever Wilder was near, the handsome cowboy had given her absolutely no indication that the unwelcome attraction she felt was reciprocated.

  Well, except for that one time, when he’d brushed the remnants of gooey marshmallow off her lip and
looked at her in a way that made her feel all gooey inside. But again, that was probably only her overreaction to a casual gesture not intended to be anything else.

  “You clean up good, cowboy.” She kept her tone light, as if she was unaffected by his appearance and merely making an observation.

  He took a moment to peruse her outfit in turn: a chunky knit sweater, black leggings and wool socks. “And you look comfortable and warm,” he said, with a wink.

  “Because I am,” she agreed.

  “It’s not too late to change your mind and come with us,” Max said, entering the room.

  He was dressed in a similar fashion to his son, and looking at him now, Beth could easily imagine what Wilder would look like in another thirty-five years—and it was a good look.

  “Hunter and Merry are staying home with Wren tonight and said they’d be happy to watch Cody if you wanted to go out,” he explained.

  “I don’t want to go out,” Beth said. “But thank you again.”

  “Well, Happy New Year then,” Max said, nudging his son toward the door.

  She wished both men a happy new year in return, then locked the door behind them and settled in for a quiet night with her nephew.

  As always, the advent of a new year caused her to look back and reflect on all the wonderful things that had happened in the past twelve months—the most notable event being Cody’s arrival. She wondered if Leighton was thinking about him today, too. Maybe even missing him a little.

  Six days had passed since she’d left Cody at the Ambling A Ranch. Seven since Beth had arrived at her sister’s apartment on Christmas Eve in eager anticipation of celebrating the holiday together. And in all that time, she hadn’t heard anything from Leighton. Not a single word aside from that brief and cryptic message left by her phone.

  Maybe she could understand her sister not reaching out to her—especially if Leighton didn’t want to answer the questions she knew Beth would ask—but she couldn’t understand her not being in communication with her friends. Or her boss. And a full week’s absence from social media was unprecedented.

  Beth picked up her cell now, as if she could will her sister to call, but it remained silent, the screen blank. Of course, wherever Leighton was—unless she’d left the country—it was December 31, so she was probably out celebrating. There was nothing Leighton loved more than a party. The wilder the better. And yes, it had crossed Beth’s mind, when she found Wilder’s name and address in her sister’s apartment, that Leighton would have found his name as appealing as the rest of him.

  Beth had always been attracted to a different kind of man. The kind who would prefer a simple “dinner and a movie” date over loud music and fancy cocktails in a trendy nightclub. The kind who aspired to obtain a wife and a family rather than fast cars and faster women. She wanted a simple man with simple dreams.

  Which was why her attraction to Wilder wasn’t just unexpected but unwelcome. Because if he was her sister’s type, he was definitely not hers. Unfortunately that knowledge didn’t stop her pulse from racing when he was near, or prevent butterflies from swirling in her belly when he smiled at her, or cool the blood that heated when he touched her.

  Aside from the fact that he wasn’t her type, he was quite possibly her nephew’s father. And regardless of whether or not the DNA results proved he was Cody’s dad, there was no denying that he’d had an intimate physical relationship with her sister. Yes, that relationship had ended a long time ago, but it still felt as if she was violating some kind of unwritten code.

  Or maybe a written code, she acknowledged, as coveting thy sister’s lover was undoubtedly the moral equivalent of coveting thy neighbor’s spouse.

  Thou shall not, she reminded herself sternly.

  But even if she did covet, nothing would ever come of her desires, because Wilder would never be attracted to someone like her. His history with her sister proved that he preferred a very different kind of woman.

  So really, any fantasies that played out in her head—or in her dreams—were just that. And fantasies aside, she was happy with her life. She had a great job, a nice apartment, good friends and friendly neighbors, and now she had Cody, too.

  The birth of her nephew had filled her life in ways she couldn’t have imagined. But now she had to face the very real possibility that, if Leighton didn’t come back and the DNA test proved that Wilder was Cody’s father, she could lose him.

  She no longer had any doubts that the cowboy would pursue legal custody of his child. And the courts, taking into consideration the biological connection and Leighton’s apparent abandonment of her child, would likely rubber-stamp his application.

  Sure, Beth could put in a claim for guardianship and argue that she had a stronger bond with her nephew, who’d never even met Wilder until he was four months old. But the courts tended to favor placement of a child with a parent, and they certainly wouldn’t hold it against Wilder that he’d had no contact with a child he’d known nothing about.

  Even if she believed she was better equipped to deal with Cody’s day-to-day needs, she couldn’t deny that Wilder had a lot of family support in Montana. And though she’d had limited interactions with his siblings and their spouses, it was evident that they’d readily accepted Cody as part of the family.

  So the most likely scenario was that Cody would stay in Rust Creek Falls and she would go back to Dallas, and maybe she’d get to see her nephew a few times a year. The prospect made her heart ache unbearably.

  Of course, if Leighton came back to reclaim her baby and Wilder consented to her returning with him to Dallas, then the status quo of Beth’s life would be restored. Or maybe Leighton would return and decide to give her relationship with the cowboy another chance—to give Cody a family. Which was what Beth wanted more than anything for her nephew, even if it meant she’d be left on the outside looking in.

  But perhaps this was a lesson to her. A reminder that she needed to live her own life and let Leighton live hers. Whether or not she agreed with her sister’s choices, she had to accept that they were hers to make. And if Leighton made mistakes, she would have to own them and learn from them.

  And maybe it was time for Beth to make some mistakes, too. Or at least take some chances. She’d mostly given up on dating, having grown tired of putting herself out there in an effort to meet “the right guy” only to find that she didn’t click with anyone. Or, when she thought she clicked, to realize she’d been duped by someone who’d only said and done the right things to get her into bed and then totally ghosted on her.

  Maybe she should put herself out there again—say “yes” the next time Barry Kendrick asked her to go out with him. So what if the fifth-grade science teacher didn’t make her heart race or her belly quiver? It was time to grow up and accept that those physiological reactions didn’t exist outside the pages of the romance novels that she loved to read.

  Except that her body’s responses to Wilder Crawford proved otherwise.

  Chapter Eleven

  Looking around the festively decorated ballroom of Maverick Manor, it seemed to Wilder that after a lot of years and a lot of parties, they all started to look and feel the same. The glittery venues and beautiful women mixed with champagne bubbles and blurred together in his mind.

  His memories of last year’s celebration, being the most recent, were perhaps a little clearer. He and Leighton had been seeing each other for a few weeks by then, and he easily pictured the sparkly green dress that hugged her curves and the sexy skyscraper heels that put her mouth within easy reach of his. But the rest of the details remained fuzzy.

  He knew she had pale blond hair and moss green eyes, but the image that teased his mind now was of dark hair and dark eyes. And as the features came more fully into focus, he noticed other inconsistencies: the lush mouth was a little too full, and instead of being painted glossy red, the lips were naturally pink. Naked. And so
mehow even more tempting.

  Beth’s lips.

  The realization was as startling to Wilder as it was unsettling.

  Scowling, he escaped to the outdoor terrace to get some air and clear his head.

  Looking around at the crowd, everyone decked out in their holiday finest, it belatedly occurred to him that Beth might not have wanted to come to the party because she didn’t have anything appropriate to wear. He would have been happy to take her shopping, if she’d asked, though the way she’d balked at shopping with him the last time, he wasn’t surprised that she didn’t. Which was too bad. He wouldn’t mind seeing her in something other than the jeans or leggings and bulky sweaters she seemed to favor. Or maybe in nothing at all.

  Uneasy with the direction of his thoughts—and uncomfortable outside without a coat—he returned to the gathering. After a quick stop at the bar, he stood on the periphery of the crowd and spotted his father in conversation with an older, petite blonde he didn’t recognize.

  Could this be the mystery woman his father had gone into Kalispell to have dinner with? Max had been uncharacteristically tight-lipped the day after his date, volunteering no details and refusing to respond to his son’s questions. But whoever this woman was with the platinum curls and four-inch heels, she seemed to have Max’s complete and undivided attention.

  And because Wilder was watching them, he didn’t notice the pretty brunette who’d sidled up to him until she spoke. “Can I buy you a drink?”

  His smile was automatic as he turned. She had dark hair pinned up in some kind of fancy twist, with a few strands pulled loose to frame her heart-shaped face. Her eyes were as blue as the sapphires in her ears and sparkled with wicked promise.

  She was beautiful and confident and not at all subtle about what she wanted—the type of woman who usually made his blood hum in his veins. And yet, when he looked at her, he felt nothing but a vague appreciation for her obvious attributes.