Christmas Rescue at Mustang Ridge

by Delores Fossen

“Or what,” Jake answered for her. “Come back inside and let’s talk,” he whispered to Maggie.

  She glanced around as if trying to decide what to do, but Jake didn’t want to see indecision in her eyes. So, he kissed her. He kept it gentle because of those bruises, but he slid his arm around her, pulled her to him and he really kissed her.

  He felt her hesitation. And then he didn’t. Maggie gripped his arms and returned the kiss. Man, did she. When she finally pulled back, both of them were fighting for air.

  “Sheez.” She scrubbed her hands down his arms. “You’re freezing. Where’s your coat?”

  “In the waiting room. When I read your note, I ran out without it. That was a stupid note, by the way. And you’re stupid to have written it.”

  Her left eyebrow came up. “Gee, that’s just what a girl wants to hear.”

  Hell. He was messing this up. “You’re stronger than that. And what do you care how my family feels about you?”

  “I care because you care. You love them.”

  “Yeah. But this is my life, not theirs.” He ducked down, looked at the medic. “If Maggie needs a ride to the police station, I’ll take her.”

  The woman waited for Maggie to give a verifying nod, and she killed the engine and locked up before heading back inside. Jake got Maggie moving in that direction, too. Even though she had on a coat, a huge one that she’d obviously borrowed from someone, it was too cold to be standing in a parking lot. Hard to win an argument with his teeth chattering.

  And this was one argument he’d win.

  He kept his steps short and slow. “Are you in pain?”

  “My hip’s a little sore, but I’m okay.”

  He still didn’t speed up. “I’m taking back my don’t.”

  She stopped, stared at him. “What?”

  “My don’t.” He got them moving again. “When you told me you were falling for me, and I said ‘don’t.’ Well, I’m taking it back.”

  “Are you saying you want me to fall for you?” she asked.

  “Oh, yeah.” And he didn’t hesitate.

  Maggie, however, swallowed hard, and he didn’t care for the doubts in her eyes. “My family won’t stand in the way,” he promised her. “So, if you’re looking for an out so you can leave, don’t use them.”

  Her gaze snapped to his. “I don’t want an out. I want you. I’ve loved you since I was fifteen.”

  Those words alone nearly brought him to his knees. The kiss that followed probably would have, too, if he hadn’t heard someone call out his name. It was Nell, and she was standing in the hospital doorway motioning for them.

  “Sunny’s asking for you,” she said. “Both of you.”

  That got Maggie and him moving even faster.

  “She’s fine,” Nell added. “Better than fine. She already looks like she’s getting better. She just wants to see you.”

  “After we see Sunny,” he whispered to Maggie, “I want you to repeat that part about loving me.”

  And he’d say some things to her that he needed to say.

  Maggie and he made their way back into the building and down the corridor to Sunny’s room. One look at his baby girl, and he knew Nell had been right. Sunny looked more alert than he’d seen her in weeks, and she gave him a thousand-watt smile when she saw them.

  “Daddy and Aunt Maggie.” She reached for them, and the nurse quickly handed them some antiseptic wipes for them to use.

  Maybe they wouldn’t need to take such measures too much longer. He went to Sunny and kissed her on the forehead.

  “Santa left your presents at the ranch, but someone’s bringing them out. You up to opening them?” Jake asked.

  She eagerly bobbed her head and extended her arms to Maggie so it became a group hug. But Sunny’s smile faded when she saw the bruises on Maggie’s face.

  “You got hurt.” Sunny sounded very concerned.

  “Just a little. And you know how I helped you get better?” Maggie asked. “Well, you’re helping me get better.”

  “How?” Sunny asked.

  “By smiling.” Maggie gave Sunny’s ear a playful tug. “The doctor said that’s what will cure my boo-boos. I just need some Sunny smiles.”

  She giggled, smiled, and Jake figured that sound was the cure for a lot of things. He could almost feel the dark cloud lifting.

  Sunny looked up at Maggie. “Are you one of my presents?”

  Maggie froze, a surprised sound rattling in her throat. Jake knew what Sunny was asking, and even though he’d wanted to have a talk with Maggie first, he really wanted Sunny to get that present.

  “I’m working on that,” he assured Sunny. And he turned to Maggie, kissed her. Maybe the kiss would make her a little mindless, as it was doing to him. “I asked Aunt Maggie to stay.”

  “And what did she say?” Sunny asked.

  Both Jake and Sunny stared at Maggie. He hated to put her on the spot like this, but he’d hate even more if she walked out.

  Maggie drew in a deep breath and another one when she turned and saw Nell, Royce and Chet in the doorway. “I’ve loved your daddy for a long time,” she said to Sunny. “So, I really want to stay if that’s all right with you?”

  “And be my mommy?” Sunny pressed.

  Jake held his breath. Turned to Maggie. “Will you marry me?” He wondered how many other men had proposed in front of a three-year-old and his entire family.

  Maggie blinked. Behind them, he heard his family mumbling. At least there wasn’t any profanity, and Royce even said, “All right.”

  “You want to marry me for Sunny?” Maggie clarified.

  “No.” Jake put his arm around her, eased her to him. Kissed her. “I want to marry you because I’m in love with you.”

  The air seemed to swoosh out of her, and Maggie practically collapsed against him. It took Jake a moment, one terrifying moment, to realize she was smiling and relieved.

  “Yes, yes, yes,” Maggie said. She kissed him back and kept kissing him until Nell cleared her throat.

  “Might want to save that for later,” Nell suggested.

  That was a great idea. Jake wanted lots of later with Maggie.

  He looked down at Sunny, who was smiling from ear to ear. “I got my Christmas present.” Her voice was little, but it showed every bit of her happiness.

  “And I got mine,” Jake whispered back to her. He brushed another kiss on her forehead.

  A nurse made her way through Royce and the others, and she snagged Jake’s gaze. “Sunny should probably take a nap before her other presents get here. We don’t want her to get too tired.”

  “Aw, I gotta take a nap?” Sunny complained.

  That complaint was music to his ears. It was probably too early for the marrow to be working, but it was a good start to having Sunny nap whether she wanted to or not.

  Maggie kissed the top of Sunny’s head. “Maybe just a short nap,” she bargained. “Close your eyes, and when you wake up, there’ll be more presents. Lots and lots of them.”

  Sunny closed her eyes but then peeked out. “Next Christmas I want a baby sister.”

  Jake didn’t know who was more shocked by that—Maggie, him or Chet.

  “I’ll see what I can do about that,” Jake told his daughter.

  “A baby sister?” Royce teased as they filed back into the hall and the nurse closed the door. He looked at Maggie. “You think Jake’s up for that?”

  “He is,” Jake answered for her. “But I figure I need to get a ring on her finger first.”

  “I can help with that.” Nell took the diamond ring from her hand and tried to hand it to Maggie. “It was Mom’s engagement ring.”

  Maggie pushed Nell’s hand away. “I couldn’t take your mother’s ring.”

  “Sure you can,” Nell said at the same moment that Royce said, “Why not?”

  “Since Jake’s the oldest, Mother would have wanted his wife to have it,” Nell insisted. She leaned in, kissed Maggie’s cheek. “Welcome to the family.”


  “Yeah, welcome,” Royce added, and he kissed her, too.

  “Here,” Nell said, handing the ring to Jake. “Get it on her fast before she changes her mind.” Nell winked at him and Maggie.

  Even though he didn’t think there’d be any mind-changing today, Jake did take Maggie’s hand, and he slipped the ring onto her finger. Perfect fit.

  Tears sprang to her eyes, and she practically melted into him. Jake was ready to give her another of those celebration kisses, but he realized one person hadn’t given them well-wishes, and that one person—his father—was staring at them.

  “Don’t you dare object,” Royce ordered Chet.

  That caused Chet to bristle. “Wasn’t going to object. I was just gonna say I’d rather have a grandson next time around. Especially since it appears neither Nell nor you is interested in getting me another generation to help run the ranch.”

  And with that, Chet turned and headed toward the waiting room.

  “Coming from him, that’s practically a whoop for joy,” Jake assured Maggie.

  She laughed and then gave him a look that let him know she, too, would like one of those celebratory kisses. Nell and Royce picked up on that, and they mumbled something about checking on the Christmas presents.

  Maggie watched as Chet disappeared around the corner. “I want to marry you. More than my next breath, I want that, but I don’t think living under the same roof with Chet would be a good idea.”

  Jake had a simple solution for that. “Then, we won’t. I own all that land by the creek, and we can break ground there for a new house.”

  “You’d build me a house?” she asked, surprised.

  “I’d build us a house. You, me and Sunny.”

  She smiled, inched him closer to her. “And you’d offer me a job?”

  “That, too. But you’d have to sleep with the boss.” And since Jake was the boss, he hoped she wouldn’t object.

  Her smile widened, and she inched even closer. “Before or after I take the job?”

  “Both.”

  “I like the sound of that. In fact, I like the sound of all of it—you, the house, the job, a new life with Sunny and you.”

  “So do I.”

  And Jake meant it with all his heart.

  He pulled her to him and gave her the kiss that they’d both been wanting. Not just to celebrate but to seal the deal of their becoming a family.

  “Merry Christmas, Maggie.”

  * * * * *

  Next month, don’t miss USA TODAY bestselling author Delores Fossen’s STANDOFF AT MUSTANG RIDGE. Look for it wherever Harlequin Intrigue books are sold!

  Keep reading for an excerpt of Mason by Delores Fossen!

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  Chapter One

  The scream woke Deputy Mason Ryland.

  His eyes flew open, and Mason stumbled from the sofa in his office where he’d fallen asleep. He reached for his shirt but couldn’t find it. He had better luck with the Smith & Wesson handgun that he’d left on his desk.

  He threw open his office door and caught the scent of something he darn sure didn’t want to smell on the grounds of his family’s ranch.

  Smoke.

  The wispy gray streaks coiled around him, quickly followed by a second scream and a loud cry for help.

  Mason went in the direction of both the smoke and the voice, racing out into the chilly October night air. He wasn’t the only one who’d been alerted. A handful of his ranch hands were running toward the cabin-style guesthouse about a hundred yards away. It was on fire, the orangey flames licking their way up the sides and roof. And the place wasn’t empty.

  His newly hired horse trainer, Abbie Baker, was staying there.

  That got Mason running even harder. So did another shout for help. Oh, yeah, that shout was coming from the guesthouse all right.

  “Call the fire department,” he yelled to one of the ranch hands.

  Mason also shouted out for someone to call his brothers as well even though they would soon know anyway. All five of them, their wives and their children lived in the family home or on the grounds of the ranch.

  Mason made it to the guesthouse ahead of the others, and he tried to pick through the smoke and the embers flicking through the night air. He hurried to the sound of his trainer’s pleas for help.

  And he cursed when he saw her.

  Abbie was in the doorway, her body half in and half out of the house, and what was left of the door was on her back, anchoring her in place.

  The smoke was thick and black, and the area was already hot from the flames, but Mason fought his way through just as one of the ranch hands caught up with him. Rusty Burke. Together, they latched on to the door and started to drag it off Abbie. Not easily. It was heavy and bulky, and it didn’t help that the flames were snapping at them.

  Mason didn’t usually think in terms of worst-case scenarios, but he had a split-second thought that his new trainer might burn to death. The possibility gave him a much-needed jolt of adrenaline, and Rusty and he threw the door off her. In the same motion, Mason latched on to her arm and dragged her away from the guesthouse.

  “I couldn’t get out,” she said, her voice clogged with smoke and fear.

  “You’re out now,” he let her know.

  Out but not necessarily safe. The ranch hands were already there with the hoses, but he doubted the house would stand much longer. If it collapsed, Abbie could still be burned or hurt from the flying debris.

  “Are the horses okay?” she asked. Mason was more than a little surprised that she’d think of the animals at a time like this.

  “They’re fine.” At least he was pretty sure of that. “This is the only building on fire.”

  Mason scooped her up, and she looked at him. It was pitch-dark, probably two or three in the morning, but thanks to the flames and the hunter’s moon, he saw her eyes widen. A single word left her mouth.

  “No.”

  Mason didn’t have time to question that no before she started struggling. She wasn’t a large woman, five-five at the most and on the lean side, but she managed to pack a punch when she rammed her elbow against his bare chest. He cursed and put her in a death grip so she couldn’t fight her way out of his arms.

  “I’m trying to save you,” he reminded her, and he added more profanity when she didn’t stop fighting.

  Abbie was probably still caught up in the fear and the adrenaline, but Mason was finding it a little hard to be sympathetic with the cold rocky ground biting into his bare feet and with her arms and legs waggling around.

  “We have to get away from the fire,” he snarled.

  Those wide frightened eyes looked at the flames, and she stopped struggling just long enough for Mason to get a better grip on her.

  He started running toward the ranch office where lately he’d been spending most of his days and nights because of the heavy workload. He could deposit Abbie there and hurry back to see if the guesthouse could be saved. He wasn’t hopeful, especially because the ranch wasn’t exactly in city limits. It would take the fire department a good twenty minutes to reach them.

  The door to his office and quarters was still open, and he hurried inside, flipped on the lights with his elbow and placed her on the sofa. Mason looked down at her, to make sure she wasn’t injured.

  She didn’t appear to be.

  Visibly shaken
, yes. Trembling, too. Pale and breathing way too fast. All normal responses under the circumstances.

  Her eyes met his again, and Mason saw the fear that was still there. And maybe something else that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

  “Did you try to kill me?” she asked.

  That single question seemed to be all she could muster because she groaned, closed her eyes, and the back of her head dropped against the sofa.

  Mason huffed. That definitely wasn’t something he expected to hear her say. He’d been a deputy for fifteen years, and his employee no doubt knew it. Even though most people were leery of him because…well, because he wasn’t a friendly sort, they didn’t usually accuse him of arson or attempted murder.

  “Why would I set this fire?” he demanded.

  Abbie opened her mouth, closed it and shook her head. She also dodged his gaze. “I’m not sure what I’m saying right now. I thought I was going to die.”

  Mason guessed that was a normal response, but he was beginning to get a bad feeling about this. “How did the fire start?”

  Abbie shook her head again. “I’m not sure. I woke up, and there was smoke all around me. I tried to get to the door, but I started coughing and couldn’t see.” She paused, shivered. “When I got to the door and opened it, it fell on me.” Another pause. “Or something.”

  “Or something?” he pushed.

  Oh, man. The bad feeling was getting worse, and Mason blamed it on that stupid question. Was there a nonstupid reason that she thought someone had tried to kill her, or was this the ramblings of a woman whose mind had been clouded with fear and adrenaline?

  “Or something,” she repeated.

  Abbie pushed her light brown hair from her face. Long hair, he noticed. Something he hadn’t realized because she always wore it tucked beneath a baseball cap. In fact, he’d thought of her as tomboyish, but there wasn’t anything boyish or tom about the person lying on his sofa. In that paper-thin pale blue gown, she looked like a woman.

  An attractive one.

  Something Mason wished like the devil he hadn’t noticed. She worked for him, and he didn’t tread down that path. Business and sex never sat well with him.