by Liz Isaacson
“You’re a beast.” She pushed against his chest, a smile dancing in her eyes.
“Oh, you can’t say that about everything.” He laughed and added, “I get some time to get properly dressed for the outdoors.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and headed for the mudroom. “I’ll yell at you when you can go.”
He heard boxes sliding and plastic rustling, and he called, “Cheater!” as he shoved his feet into his boots. Laney giggled, the sound high and girlish and absolutely diving right into the soft places of his heart.
He thought about the word he’d called as he finished getting ready and burst out in the cold. Cheater.
Erica had cheated on him in Seattle, and he’d expected the sting, the shrinking of his chest, to linger with him forever. But it was gone. He tossed a last look at the back door of the lodge, wondering if Laney had anything to do with how healed his heart felt.
Chapter 11
Laney woke the next morning, the warmth in the lodge more comfortable than she’d been expecting. Maybe she had labeled Graham as a hairy beast who’d locked himself away in this giant house. But he did have a good heart, and everyone who met him seemed to love him, and she’d really enjoyed her time here.
But the snow was predicted to stop, and the power company had said they’d be out that afternoon to look at the lines, and he had a whole slew of people coming into town for the holidays.
You should go back to the ranch, she told herself as the night started to lighten to dawn. She obviously couldn’t go until the electricity had been restored and the furnace had had a chance to get things toasty again.
So maybe another night, she thought, the idea grabbing on and holding tight. And if she was here tomorrow, she might as well stay all the way to Christmas Day.
A light knock sounded on the door and then Bailey’s little voice said, “Mom? Are you awake?”
“Yep. Come in, bug.”
The door opened and Bailey padded in wearing her pink nightgown, carrying her stuffed llama, and all three dogs trailing behind her. Laney didn’t let her two animals on her bed, but apparently Barry and Clearwater had lost all civilization, because they jumped up on the bed and gave her looks like, We can’t believe we’ve been missing out on these soft mattresses all these years, before turning and lying down.
Laney opened her arms and Bailey slid into bed with her. “What’s up?”
“Something hit my window.”
Laney glanced toward the window to her left but it was still too dark to see much. “Maybe it’s windy.”
“Clearwater barked.”
“Clearwater barks if I sneeze.”
Bailey snuggled in deeper, and Laney tucked the blanket around her and stroked her hair. “We’re going to do the tree lighting today. You’re excited about that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“All of Graham’s family is coming.”
“I know. Celia said we’re having chicken pot pie tonight.”
Laney’s mouth watered just thinking about it. She served chicken pot pie, but it was the frozen ones she simply put in the oven for an hour while she showered and twisted her wet hair into a bun, maybe ran the vacuum, and then took a ten-minute nap until the timer went off.
“We might not be here tonight,” she said.
“Why not?” Bailey twisted her head to look up at her.
“When they get our power back on, we’ll go back to the ranch.”
“But you said Santa could bring the presents here.”
“And he can. But if our house is fixed, we’ll go back there.”
Bailey frowned, but she settled back against Laney’s side. “I think he might get confused with all the switching.”
Laney didn’t want to squash her daughter’s dreams, but she didn’t want to make her plans based on what a six-year-old believed about a mythical figure. “We’ll see,” she said, her standard answer when she didn’t know what she was doing as a mother—which was all the time.
They settled into silence, and Laney did hear the wind whipping around outside, and she secretly hoped the power lines couldn’t get repaired that afternoon. Then she wouldn’t have to make a decision, and Bailey would be satisfied.
They dozed for a while, until the scent of coffee and something yeasty lifted into the air. Bailey rustled first, and when Laney opened her eyes, she found all three dogs waiting at the door. Clearwater whined, and Bailey got out of bed.
“I’ll be right down, okay?” Laney asked.
“Okay.” Bailey opened the door and let the dogs go through first. She left the door ajar and Laney heard her footsteps recede and then go down the steps. Laney wasn’t particularly tired, but she sure did like lying in a warm bed for a few extra minutes.
When she finally got up and pulled on a gray sweater with a pair of jeans and went downstairs, she found everyone sitting at the dining room table, Belgian waffles mounded in front of them.
“There you are,” Celia said, the way Laney’s mother would have when she’d overslept. “I saved some bacon for you. These two were like wolves.”
Graham lifted one shoulder in a non-apologetic shrug as his mouth was full of waffles and syrup.
“Oh, thank you,” Laney said, not quite sure how to take being fussed over. It hadn’t happened in so long, and her first instinct was to say, “I’m fine. I don’t even like bacon,” though the opposite was true.
She let Celia get the bacon from the oven and she loaded a Belgian waffle with strawberries and cream. “So,” she said. “What’s the plan for today?”
“Beau’s helping me shuttle everyone from the airport,” Graham said. “Farm chores this morning. Tree lighting at six.”
“Dinner at six-fifteen,” Celia said.
“Everyone will be here by four,” Graham said. “I hope.” He peered toward the windows down at the end of the table. “If the weather holds.”
The sun shone outside, but Laney knew it held false warmth. She’d spent many winters in Wyoming, and she knew what the wind could do to noses and fingertips.
Breakfast ended, and she took a few extra minutes to sip her coffee while Bailey helped Celia in the kitchen. Graham disappeared down the hall to his office with a look in Laney’s direction, but she didn’t follow him.
This reality felt a little too…easy. A little too good to be true. As soon as she got back to Echo Ridge Ranch, she’d be reminded of the stark truth of things. Not enough hours to do everything that needed to be done. Not enough money to go around.
But she did love Bailey, and Bailey loved her, the dogs, the horses, all of it. So Echo Ridge did have something this lodge didn’t. Heart. Spirit. Love.
Sighing, Laney rinsed her dishes and put them in the dishwasher before saying, “Come on, Bailey. We have work to do.”
As darkness fell, Laney tromped up the road to the lodge, which glowed with cheery yellow lights in the front windows. At the end of the drive, she took a moment to gaze at the building, which looked warm and welcoming and wonderful.
Everyone should’ve arrived this afternoon, and she wondered what kind of reception she’d get from the Whittaker brothers, their friends and other family members. Bailey had spent the morning working the ranch with her, but Laney had brought her back for lunch and gone back to the ranch to meet with the electric company alone.
A deep breath helped her center herself. Strengthen her resolve for what she needed to do. Her phone chimed as she took the first step down the cleared driveway, and she pulled it out to see Graham’s name on the screen—and that she was late.
How close are you? his message read.
Two minutes, she typed out. Coming down the drive now.
A few seconds later, the front door opened, and a tall, broad-shouldered figure blocked the light spilling out. Laney’s breath caught and she couldn’t even see the man. She couldn’t help feeling nervous to meet his whole family and spend Christmas with them, but she also knew some of the butterflies were simply because she hadn’t yet kissed Gr
aham that day and she wanted to.
He met her at the sidewalk, his leather jacket not nearly bulky enough to stave off the cold. His breath puffed out as he smiled. “Hey, pretty lady.”
Laney’s grin popped onto her face and she paused to lean into his warmth. “Hey.”
“How’d it go down there?”
She exhaled, sending her own cloud of white into the chilly air. “Not great. The lines are severed, and require a full crew.”
His arms came around her, holding her close to his heartbeat, enveloping her in the scent of his skin, his clothes, him. He smelled like cotton, and air freshener, and soap, and something woodsy. “How soon can they get a whole crew out?”
“They won’t have a full crew until after the new year.” She spoke with measured syllables, hoping he’d hear the desperation in her voice. “Hey, it saves me on heat, right?” She tried a chuckle, but it didn’t quite come out right.
“So you’ll stay with me until then.” The way he said it, like it would just be so, actually warmed Laney this time.
“If we can,” she said. “I can pay for the room.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“People used to pay for those rooms, you know.”
“I know.” He laced his fingers through hers and faced the house. “You ready for this?” That was all. No negotiation. She simply would not be paying rent.
“How crazy is it?”
“Compared to living alone? A nightmare.” He chuckled. “But it actually feels kinda nice to have everyone here too.”
She squeezed his hand. “All right, cowboy. Let’s do this.”
But he didn’t move. “I just….” He gazed down at her, and Laney lost herself in the darkness of his eyes, the emotion streaming from them. “I’m wondering how I introduce you.”
Because she wanted to, she tipped up onto her toes and skated her lips across his. He quickly caught her waist and drew her close again, kissing her more firmly the second time.
“So girlfriend should work,” Laney whispered against his lips, kissing him one more time and hoping the term didn’t shock him—or his family—too much.
“Not best friend?” he asked.
“I think I can be both.” She put a couple of inches between them and searched his face. “Don’t you?”
“I’ve never thought about it.”
“You weren’t friends with any of your girlfriends?”
“Well, yeah, I mean…I guess.”
“I was best friends with my husband.” Laney gazed back at the house. “Once upon a time.” She didn’t want to go down that road, not at Christmas. Thinking of Mike would only make her angry, and she didn’t want to spend another holiday furious. She’d checked the house for mail, and when she didn’t find any, she’d called the post office.
No packages. No gifts.
Bailey’s father had forgotten her—again.
She drew in a breath and forced the thoughts out with mere oxygen. “I have presents at my house,” she said. “Maybe you could help me get them tomorrow, sneak them up here to the lodge?”
“Of course.” He kneaded her closer, held her for another moment.
Someone opened the front door and called, “Graham? We’re ready in here.”
He chuckled and said, “That’ll be Eli. Always keeping us on schedule.” He walked toward the house, Laney’s hand securely in his, muttering, “Girlfriend. Hey, guys, you remember Laney Boyd? She’s my girlfriend,” to himself.
Laney grinned at the ground, liking the way the word sounded coming out of his mouth, the way she’d long suspected she would. Now, if she could just get through meeting everyone, she could maybe take a decent breath and enjoy the festivities.
Chapter 12
Graham stopped just short of opening the front door. “What about Bailey?” So maybe he had some nerves about announcing to his whole family at the same time that he’d gone and gotten himself a girlfriend in the past three days. He could see their faces now; his mother’s eyes full of surprise, Andrew’s squinted gaze as he tried to figure out if Graham was kidding or not….
“We’ve talked about me dating again,” she said.
“She’s six.”
“She’s not stupid.” Laney looked up at him, her light green eyes blazing with a strange sort of fire.
“Look who’s being beastly now.” Graham cracked a smile but his chest did sting the tiniest bit. He just felt so out of his element with a new relationship, especially since Laney’s situation wasn’t easy and came with a six-year-old. Graham had no idea how to relate to children, though he thought he got along just fine with Bailey.
She sighed and said, “She started first grade this year. She knows other people have dads. There was a ‘Bring Your Dad to School Day,’ and Bailey and I talked a lot her dad, and where he was, and that I might find someone else to….” She trailed off, and though it was dark, Graham could definitely see the hint of a blush there.
“Marry?” He forced the word out of his mouth. Best friend or boyfriend was certainly more palatable, as Graham had never really envisioned himself as a husband and father.
“I mean, not right now.” Laney squeezed is hand. “You look like you’re going to throw up.” She tacked a giggle onto the end of her sentence, but she wasn’t far off.
“I’m just—” He cleared his throat. “It’s a lot to take in on short notice.”
“So maybe just start with we’re starting to see each other. I mean, we haven’t even been to dinner yet.”
They were practically living together—and would be for at least another week. But he squared his shoulders, a bit of the sound inside leaking through the solid wood door. “Okay.” He opened the door before she could say anything and gripped her hand as he stepped inside.
“There he is.” Eli stood nearest to the door, his tie a bit looser than before. Just the fact that he traveled in a white shirt and tie said a lot about the second youngest brother, but Graham liked Eli the best.
He was down-to-earth and practical. He had lighter brown hair than Graham, but the same glinting, dark chocolate-colored eyes.
“Eli,” Graham said. “You remember Laney Boyd, don’t you?”
It was as if the conversation had been muted. Even the Christmas music that Celia had started through the overhead speakers hit a lull, making the silence the only thing between him and everyone else.
Eli’s appraising eyes ran down the length of Laney’s body and back to her face. It only took a second, maybe two, but Graham felt like it had taken an hour, and his brother definitely saw their joined hands.
“Laney Boyd.” He stepped forward and gave her a quick side-hug. “Of course.”
“It’s McAllister now,” she said with a smile. “You’re looking great, Eli.”
He twisted back to the foyer, which was filled with people, and said, “Thanks. Come meet my son. He was thrilled to see your daughter here. Stockton, where are you?”
Graham’s nephew emerged from behind the tree, a portable game machine in his hand. He passed it to his father when he arrived and looked up at them. “Uncle Graham, this place is awesome.”
“Thanks, bud.” Graham grinned at the boy, hoping he’d get to see him a lot while Eli was here. Bora Bora was too far away. “This is my girlfriend, Laney. It’s her daughter Bailey you’re playing with.”
Stockton, ever the gentleman, stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, well.” Laney giggled and shook the child’s hand. “Nice to meet you too.” She released Graham’s hand and bent down to the boy’s level. “If you find me later, I’ll make sure you know where your uncle keeps the treats.”
Stockton’s eyes rounded and he grinned. “All right.”
“Did I hear right?” Graham’s mother arrived on the scene and put a protective arm around Stockton. “You two are dating?”
Graham exchanged a look with Laney, but she simply smiled at him, her face the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “Kind of, Mom.”<
br />
“Kind of?” Andrew demanded. He, at least, wore a pair of jeans, a blue T-shirt, and a gray hoodie.
“I’ve asked her out.” Graham straightened, trying to gain the half-inch of height he had over his brother. “But with the storms, we haven’t made it out of the lodge yet.”
“Come meet my friends.” Eli guided Laney and Stockton away from Graham, and he watched his girlfriend go, her long hair swaying as she walked over to two men and a woman—Eli’s friends and nanny. Beau joined the circle of people surrounding Graham, and he had no choice but to stay.
Celia caught his eye from her position against the wall leading into the hall, a small smile on her face. Graham felt his neck heat, but he knew he had her approval.
“Graham, I didn’t know you and Laney were even that close.” Beau sipped from a bottle of water, his question-that-wasn’t-really-a-question so much like a lawyer it was annoying.
“Of course we are,” Graham said. “She’s the closest neighbor I have out here, and she’s been helping me with the farm for a year.”
“You’ve never mentioned her before.” His mother wore a look of concern like maybe Laney had bewitched him somehow.
Honestly, Graham could barely think straight. “I’m mentioning her now.” He glanced past Andrew to where Laney laughed at something Meg, the nanny, had said.
“Look, it’s new, okay? She’s been staying here for a couple of days because the power lines at her place are down. She’ll be here through the holidays, and I like her.” He practically hissed the last couple of words as Bailey skipped over.
“Graham, remember how you said I could pass out the Christmas Eve gifts?”
He swept his gaze past the members of his family and focused on the little girl. “’Course I do, Bay. Are you ready? We’ll do them right after the lighting.”
“Stockton wants to help.”
“Oh, well, I think that’s okay. Don’t you?”
She looked torn, but she glanced over her shoulder to where Stockton stood with his nanny and back to Graham. “Yeah, it’s okay.”
