“Right!”
Hannah took off in a rush toward the house and Vivian smiled up at him. He couldn’t believe how gorgeous she looked this evening. And it wasn’t just the pretty skirt that draped over her hips, or the sweater that outlined the shape of her breasts. No, it was the sparkle in her green eyes, the way her red lips made her white teeth gleam and the way her shiny hair dipped in an alluring wave against her cheek. This evening she didn’t look like a ranger. She looked all woman.
“Thank you for being so patient with my daughter,” she told him. “Hannah loves the ranch and everything that goes with it. And she never meets a stranger. Just try not to let her talk your ear off.”
“Don’t worry. I have friends on the reservation who have kids. I know what they’re like. Besides, you and I were Hannah’s age once.”
Smiling, she looped her arm through his and turned him toward the ranch yard. “Let’s head on,” she suggested. “We don’t have much daylight left.”
As they walked along, he glanced down at her. “You look very beautiful tonight. You make me feel dowdy in these old jeans.”
“Those jeans are exactly the kind I’m used to seeing my brothers wear to the dinner table. You look very nice. Not like a park ranger at all.”
He laughed. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”
She laughed with him and then gestured ahead to where several ranch hands were spreading feed and hay to a herd of cows and calves.
“That’s a small herd Blake purchased the first of the week from a Prescott rancher. He and Matthew like to keep them quarantined for a few days before they turn them out to pasture. Just in case they develop shipping fever or anything like that.”
The herd she was calling small would probably add up to a hundred or more head and would cost a fortune to someone like Sawyer.
“I recall that Blake is your brother—the one who’s going to have the new baby. And Matthew is?” he asked, while relishing the feel of her hand on his arm. She smelled sweet and spicy, like a cookie just begging to be bit into, and with each step he could feel the side of her hip brushing against his.
“Yes, Blake is my oldest brother and the manager of Three Rivers. Matt is the foreman and has held that position since before Dad died. When he first came to work for us, he was newly married. But they divorced soon afterward. Not every woman is cut out for ranch life,” she added.
He slanted her a wry look. “Not every woman is cut out for life on the reservation, either. But some thrive there. Like my grandmother. I liken her to castilleja, or prairie-fire, as she calls Indian paintbrush. It roots down and remains strong and beautiful while surviving the harshest soils and elements.”
“I hope to meet her one of these days,” Vivian said, then added jokingly, “I want to ask her a few questions about her grandson.”
Sawyer chuckled. “I have her totally fooled. She thinks I’m the grandest thing since the invention of matches.”
She started to reply, when the sound of running footsteps approaching from behind distracted her. Sawyer glanced over his shoulder to see Hannah and a brown-haired boy close to the same age rushing up to them.
“We’re here!” Hannah exclaimed. “And we’re ready to give Sawyer a grand tour of the ranch yard.”
“Don’t you think you should introduce Nick first?” Vivian prompted.
“Oh, sure.” She nudged the boy forward. “Sawyer, this is Nick Hollister. We’re cousins. And best friends. Right, Nick?”
He grinned at Hannah. “The best,” he answered, then turned his attention to Sawyer. “I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Whitehorse.”
Like Hannah, Nick extended his hand to him and Sawyer realized the Hollister children had certainly been taught their manners. “Hannah is going to call me Sawyer so I think you should, too,” he told the boy.
“Yes, sir,” Nick said, “I mean, Sawyer.”
With the introduction out of the way, Vivian asked, “So what would you like to look at first?”
“The yearlings!” Hannah practically shouted, while Nick chimed at the same time, “The mares’ paddock!”
Chuckling, Vivian once again reached for Sawyer’s arm and he gladly gave it to her. It didn’t matter if they had two young chaperones tagging along. Being with Vivian like this was a sweet pleasure and nothing like he’d ever experienced before. Was this a glimpse of what it was like to be a real family man?
Damn, was he cracking up? Even if he had only been a little kid, he’d not forgotten what it was like with his parents. The fussing and fighting between them, the resentment and spite that had permeated every room in the house. There had been no love and very little toleration.
But he wasn’t his father, Sawyer assuredly reminded himself. He wasn’t going to trust his heart to the wrong woman. No. He might never trust his heart to any woman.
* * *
Vivian shouldn’t be this happy. To have Sawyer standing by her side, interacting with the children and viewing everything about her home as though it was as important to him as it was to her, shouldn’t be thrilling her this much, but she had to admit that it was.
“It’s getting dark. We’d better get back to the house before Mom sends out a search crew for us,” Vivian announced when they emerged from the foaling barn.
“But there’s still the barn where Uncle Chandler doctors the animals,” Nick spoke up. “Sawyer hasn’t been there yet. And I want him to see the raccoon that Uncle Chandler has been making well.”
“Yeah! He’s so cute.” Hannah seconded Nick’s idea.
“Sorry, kids,” Vivian said. “We’ll have to do that the next time Sawyer comes for a visit. We don’t want to make dinner late.”
As the four of them started walking in the direction of the house, Sawyer arched a questioning brow at Vivian. “Where did a raccoon come from? Is it a pet?”
She shook her head. “Some of the ranch hands found the wounded animal out on the range. Its foot was mangled, so they brought it in to Chandler. My brother never turns away any kind of animal that’s injured or sick. Like someone else I happen to know,” she added.
Only a couple of days ago, she and Sawyer had found a wounded hawk near a hiking trail. He’d carefully managed to cage the bird without causing it any more harm, and they’d hauled it into a wildlife conservatory to be nursed back to health.
“Sometimes animals need our helping hand,” he said.
“Sometimes we humans need them, too,” she replied.
He glanced at her and just for a moment she thought she spotted a flash of vulnerability in his eyes. But then he grinned and it all disappeared behind a mischievous twinkle.
“Yeah. Even guys like me.”
* * *
Everything Sawyer had expected the Three Rivers ranch house to be turned out to be all wrong. Instead of opulent rooms with furniture too nice to be touched, much less used, the large house was warm and homey and very comfortable. The Hollister family was equally inviting, and by the time dinner was over and everyone had gathered in the den to trim the tree, he felt as though he knew them well.
The first thing he’d gathered about Vivian’s brothers was that the men were all rugged, down-to-earth guys, who respected their mother and the land that made their living. Blake appeared to be the quiet, serious one of the bunch, except for when his pretty wife was at his side. Chandler possessed a laid-back personality, while Holt was the jokester of the group. Joseph, the deputy and family man, seemed to be a younger version of his brother Blake.
However, it was Vivian’s mother, Maureen, who really caught Sawyer’s attention. Wearing a festive skirt and blouse, she looked attractive and feminine, especially for a woman of her age. Yet when he noticed Maureen’s hands, he could see they were strong and weather-worn with short unpolished nails. Vivian had told him that her mother was an outdoor woman, who wasn’t afraid to do a man’s job.
At the time, he’d doubted her. After all, why would a woman of Maureen’s wealth and social standing be doing hands-on ranch work? But tonight, he could see for himself that the Hollister matriarch was like her daughter, far from a typical woman.
“Looks like Viv is busy. Mind if I have a seat?”
Sawyer looked up to see Sam, the older man who’d been introduced as Joseph and Tessa’s ranch foreman, gesturing to an empty cushion on the couch. He was cradling a squatty glass filled with bourbon and ice, most likely his second or third for the evening, yet he appeared perfectly sober. Just from looking at his wiry body and leathery face, Sawyer figured he had the constitution of a bull.
“Sure,” Sawyer told him. “I think it’s going to take Viv and Katherine a while to untangle that box of Christmas tree lights.”
“You don’t want to help?” Sam asked.
Sawyer did want to help, but he didn’t want to intrude on a family moment. “Maybe later. When they get to the easy stuff.”
“This your first time coming to Three Rivers?” Sam asked.
Sawyer nodded. “I live on the reservation up near Camp Verde. I’d heard of this ranch before but never seen it until this evening.”
Sam cackled. “Son, it would take you days to see all this ranch. Seven hundred thousand acres is a lot of land.” His eyes narrowed thoughtfully on Sawyer’s face. “You say your name is Whitehorse?”
“That’s right. Do you know anyone by that name?”
The old man rubbed a thumb and forefinger against his whiskered chin. “I used to. He rode bareback broncs on the Indian Rodeo Circuit. Name was Willy Whitehorse.”
Sawyer looked at him with surprise. “He was my uncle. I have a few of the buckles he won. That was years ago, though.”
“Yeah, a long time back I heard he died.”
Sawyer nodded, while thinking of the uncle he’d lost only a few short years after his father had passed. At one time he had idolized Willy and had wanted to try his hand at riding broncs, too. But his uncle had rightly discouraged him by pointing out that Sawyer was simply too tall to be successful at the sport.
“He had a stroke and died suddenly,” Sawyer told him.
“That’s too bad. I liked him. He was a happy guy always telling jokes.” He sipped the bourbon, then cast another curious eye at Sawyer. “Maureen tells me you’re a park ranger like Viv.”
Sawyer nodded. “Viv and I work together.”
Sam shot him a pointed grin. “Bet that’s lots of fun.”
He’d not expected that kind of reply to come out of the old man’s mouth. “You say that like you know what it’s like to work with a woman.”
“Sure, I know what it’s like. Me and Tessa work together all the time on the Bar X. She’s dainty-looking, but she’s a real cowgirl. Course, she’ll probably be hanging up her spurs for a while if she and Joe decide to have another youngin’ to go with Little Joe.”
Yes, Sawyer could see the Hollister bunch was all about family. Was that why Vivian had invited him to dinner tonight? To show him exactly how far apart the two of them really were?
No. He didn’t want to ponder those questions now. Tonight was too special to ruin it with thoughts about the future. When he’d be back at Dead Horse Ranch and Vivian would be out of his life.
For the next quarter hour, he visited with the old foreman, until Vivian walked over to where the two men were sitting and reached for Sawyer’s hand.
“Come on, lazy,” she said. “We have the lights untangled and you’re just the man to help us put them on the tree.”
Sam motioned for Sawyer to get to his feet. “Better go, son. We have to keep the womenfolk happy. Especially at Christmastime.”
Laughing, Vivian winked at Sawyer. “You need to listen to Sam. He’s an expert on women.”
“That’s good to know,” Sawyer said as he rose from the couch. “I’ll be sure to get his phone number before I leave.”
Sam laughed and sipped his bourbon.
* * *
Nearly an hour and a half later, the twelve-foot blue spruce was loaded with lights and ornaments and silver-and-gold tinsel.
With Hannah and Nick oohing and aahing over the tree, Vivian stepped back to admire the effort they’d put into placing the decorations in just the right spot.
“I think this tree is the prettiest we’ve ever had,” she declared.
“I like the star on top,” Tessa spoke up as she jostled Little Joe on her hip. “The Christmas star guided the Wise Men and shepherds to the manger in Bethlehem. Maybe this star will guide happiness to our family.”
Vivian kissed her sister-in-law’s cheek, then pecked another on the top of her baby nephew’s head.
“I so hope you’re right,” she said, then moved a few steps over to where Sawyer was standing next to Maureen.
“I’m going to apologize for my daughter,” Maureen said to him. “She should have warned you that she was going to put you to work tonight.”
He smiled at her and Vivian was amazed at how comfortable he seemed to be around her family. She’d not expected that any more than she’d expected for this night to fill her with such joy.
“I’m used to it,” he joked.
Maureen chuckled, then directed a glance at Vivian. “Matt built a fire a few minutes ago on the patio. Why don’t you take Sawyer out for a break? He deserves it after all this tree-trimming commotion.”
As best as Vivian could tell, everyone was inside the den. That meant she and Sawyer would be alone. Was her mother actually trying to throw the two of them together?
Either way, Vivian wasn’t about to argue the matter. Since Sawyer had arrived, she’d not had one private moment with him.
“Good idea,” she said to her mother, then turned to Sawyer. “Come on. I’ll show you out back where we can get some fresh air.”
He followed her to the opposite side of the den, where a pair of French doors opened onto the patio and as they stepped outside, Vivian tried not to wonder what the rest of the family were thinking about her and Sawyer’s exit.
They probably aren’t thinking anything, Vivian. You and Sawyer are alone together every day. A few minutes on the patio isn’t any different.
Maybe it wasn’t, Vivian argued with the pestering voice in her head. But it sure didn’t feel the same. Her heart was tap dancing against her ribs and her mouth was so dry she couldn’t begin to swallow down the nervous lump in her throat.
Standing next to her, Sawyer gazed at the twinkling icicle lights bordering the eaves of the patio roof. “Now this looks like Christmas is coming. Someone spent a few hours putting up these lights.”
“A couple of ranch hands did this handiwork,” Vivian told him. “Hannah and Nick wanted to make sure Santa could find the back entrance to the house. Just in case he doesn’t want to come through the front door.”
He gestured to a spot out on the lawn where a group of lighted reindeer were pulling a sleigh. “I suppose that’s in case Santa’s reindeer play out and he needs to make a change.”
Vivian laughed. “Right. Having children around at Christmas makes the celebrating more fun.”
They stepped onto the covered patio and instinctively gravitated toward the rock firepit where low flames were radiating waves of heat.
“This is where we spend most of our time in the warmer months. Mom likes to have barbecues,” she explained. “And we all like eating outdoors.”
“This is nice,” he said, then added with a wry chuckle, “and quiet.”
Her little laugh sounded more like a gasp for air and she berated herself for having such a schoolgirl reaction to him. Just because they were alone in the dark, didn’t mean he was going to make romantic advances. Especially after she’d made a point of telling him she wanted him to keep his hands to himself. But did he really believe that’s what she actually wanted? How could he?
She didn’t even believe it herself.
“I have to apologize for Holt. He likes the Christmas music loud. Blake turns it down, but Holt comes along and punches the volume back to high.”
She took a seat on the wide stonework that circled the fire and Sawyer eased down next to her.
“You don’t have to apologize for anything, Viv. I’ve enjoyed everything about this evening. Even the music. Your family is great. And not at all what I expected them to be.”
Her gaze lifted and for a moment she watched orange-and-golden hues of light from the fire flickering across his face. He looked so young and strong and sexy. She’d be crazy to think she could hold his attention for more than a very short time.
She asked, “What were you expecting? Stiff businessmen in suits sitting around counting stacks of money? And my mother overseeing everything from a throne?”
He chuckled. “Not exactly. I guess—well, I wasn’t expecting all of them to be so friendly with me. But I suspect they’re all being nice for your sake.”
Vivian couldn’t help herself. She reached over and wrapped both her hands around his. “Don’t kid yourself. You’d know right off if they didn’t like you. And I can tell you’ve made a big hit with Hannah and Nick.”
“Your daughter is very special. And so is Nick. To be honest, Hannah surprised me, too,” he admitted.
“Really? In what way?”
“Kids can be possessive of their parents. Especially when there’s just one. I thought she might resent you giving me attention.”
Or might resent the idea of her mother having a boyfriend? Was that what he’d actually been thinking? No. Their relationship wasn’t anything of the sort, she reminded herself. It couldn’t be. Not at work. Or anywhere else. He wasn’t in the market for a wife, or a ready-made family.
With that thought in mind, she realized she should let go of his hand, but she couldn’t make herself release her hold on him. Touching him made her feel alive and good and happy. It was that simple.
“Thankfully Hannah doesn’t have that sort of nature. She’s very sharing and generous, especially with the people she loves. That’s not to say she’s perfect. I do have my problems with her. Mostly when it comes to horses and saddles. She wants every one of them she sees. But I want her to understand that she can’t have everything she wants—even though we do have enough money to buy it.”
A Ranger For Christmas (Linda Lael Miller Presents; Men 0f The West Book 40) Page 12
