Maverick Holiday Magic (Montana Mavericks: Six Brides For Six Brothers Book 5)

by Teresa Southwick

  “I’m Meredith Matthews but everyone calls me Merry.” She was standing on the front porch of his log cabin house on the Ambling A Ranch. The man practically filled the doorway and she was looking up at him. “And I’m not sure how to respond to that remark about my age, Mr. Crawford.”

  “Sorry. It’s just that my daughter talked about you and I just expected—” He shook his head and looked sheepish and, actually, pretty adorable. A dashing cowboy dressed in a snap-front shirt, worn jeans and boots. There was probably a Stetson around somewhere but he wasn’t wearing it. His short hair was light brown and there was the slightest indentation in his chin. “I apologize. That was rude.”

  “Not really. If you think about it, there’s no way to go wrong when you judge a woman’s age on the younger side.”

  “I suppose that’s true enough. But now I’ve kept you standing outside in the cold. Please come in.” He opened the heavy door wider and stepped back to let her enter.

  Merry glanced at the interior and liked what she saw. There were wood floors with colorful braided rugs strategically scattered over the surface. A comfortable blue couch and a leather recliner were arranged in front of a flat screen TV housed in an entertainment center. On the opposite wall a fireplace held freshly chopped wood just waiting for a match to light it. The place had a woodsy feel and was very cozy.

  When she looked at the man again, any hint of sheepishness had disappeared, and he was all business. Which he should be. After all, this was a job interview.

  “Please have a seat.” He indicated the sofa and took the chair at a right angle to it. “As I said on the phone, Wren mentioned you for a child-care position that I need to fill.”

  “I’m looking forward to hearing more about it.” She really needed the money and appreciated this chance.

  What she made as an aide at Rust Creek Falls Elementary School didn’t go far enough now. Since her father’s death, she’d had to shut down his electrician business and there went her extra income. This could be the break she so badly needed.

  She settled her purse beside her and rested the folder she’d brought on her knees. “How can I help you?”

  “My brother is getting married in a couple of weeks. It’s a destination wedding, in Colorado. A place called Rustler’s Notch. Have you heard of it?”

  She shook her head. “Sounds quaint and colorful. And interesting.”

  Exasperation flashed in his eyes, a clue that there was a story here. “Mostly it’s inconvenient.”

  “How so?”

  “My father is sparing no expense and insists the whole family be there.”

  “That’s very generous of him. And I can see how you’d think it’s incredibly unreasonable,” she teased. “Is there a problem?”

  Irritation flashed in his eyes again but this time it was directed at her. “I have five brothers. Four of them are married. One has a baby. They’ve offered to help keep an eye on Wren and have the best of intentions, but all of them have distractions. The bottom line is that she’s my responsibility. My daughter is at that stage where she’s curious and likes to explore, and while I like to think I can keep up with her, sometimes one person isn’t enough.”

  Merry had taken his daughter under her wing on her first day of school. Wren had been new to town and frightened and Merry understood how that felt because growing up she’d been the new kid a lot. Her father had moved around for work and she’d changed schools often. So it had become her mission to make Wren Crawford comfortable, introduce her to the other kids and facilitate friendships. The little girl had made passing comments about her life. Her mother was dead and her father was sad sometimes.

  She folded her hands and set them on the file folder in her lap. “Wild guess here. You don’t want to go to the wedding.”

  He grinned wryly. “And I thought I was being subtle. To be honest, I’d rather not. But I can’t let my daughter miss out on the chance to be a flower girl, which she wants more than another princess doll. Also I’m a groomsman, so...”

  “You don’t feel you have much choice.”

  “Yes. And—” His gaze narrowed.

  Merry had the fleeting thought that his intensity brought out a dark, brooding and slightly dangerous side that made her insides quiver. And that reaction needed to stay inside if she was going to land this gig. “Is something wrong?”

  “You’re judging,” he accused.

  “I’m not,” she lied. “Just clarifying. Trying to determine your expectations for the child-care professional you’re looking to hire.”

  He nodded. “Because of the commitments I have at the event, it will be impossible for me to keep an eye on Wren one hundred percent of the time, and while of course I want someone to watch her when I can’t, it would be great if that person could really relate to her.” His mouth pulled tight for a moment. “I want someone who is nurturing, caring and warm with my daughter.” Another slight grin ghosted across his face. “No self-defense training is required.”

  “Your little girl is an angel. I think I can handle the above qualifications without breaking a sweat.”

  “Wren really seems to like you. But she’s a kid. How do I know you’re the best person for this position?”

  “I brought references.” Based on the few things his daughter had said, she’d had a feeling she might need more than just her sincere and friendly smile to get this job. She handed him the folder.

  He opened it and glanced through the papers there. “What’s this?”

  “My résumé. Also I’ve included business, personal and educational references.” They were all glowing declarations of her interaction with people in general and children in particular.

  One by one he examined each testimonial. “You’re an aide at the school, taking early childhood education classes. And you work for your father’s electrical business.”

  “Not anymore. He passed away recently.”

  His gaze met hers and there was sincere sympathy in his eyes. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you.” The words were quiet and polite, completely at odds with the pain and panic of insecurity trickling through her.

  He nodded, then continued his inspection of her paperwork. “This all looks to be in order. Do you have anything else?”

  Really? Apparently he was looking to hire Mother Teresa. She reached for her purse and pulled out her wallet. “Did you miss the part in the principal’s letter of recommendation where she mentioned my wings, halo and uncanny ability to walk on water? Here’s my current Montana driver’s license. Feel free to run a background check.”

  Merry had kept her tone courteous and professional, though she wanted to be huffy and annoyed. Still, she prepared herself to be shown out of his house. Her recommendations were glowing. That wasn’t blowing her own horn, just a fact. If that wasn’t good enough for him, then maybe the extra money wasn’t worth the trouble. And good luck to him finding a weekend nanny in this town.

  The man stared at her for several moments before the corners of his mouth curved up a little. He was fighting a smile. Hallelujah. The cowboy had a sense of humor.

  “That won’t be necessary, Miss Matthews. The most important qualification for this job isn’t on here.”

  “And that is?”

  “Wren likes you. If you still want it, the position is yours.”

  She looked at him for a moment, not sure she’d heard right. “You’re sure? As you probably guessed from what I said, I can sometimes be headstrong and a little outspoken.”

  “I noticed. And you may have guessed that I am protective of my daughter. Maybe too much, but with her I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

  “You love her,” Merry said simply. And it was quite possibly his most attractive quality.

  “I do. Very much. Her mother died so she only has me.”

  “She told me.” Merry r
emembered the conversation. She’d told Wren her own mom was gone, too, and that made them members of a club that no little girl wanted to join.

  “Okay. That means you understand the situation.” He handed back her folder. “So, will you take the job?”

  “Yes. I’d love to,” she said. “And I really wanted it. A chance to earn some extra money and the chance to get away for a couple of days at the same time. It’s been a rough year for me. So, yes. Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Crawford.”

  “If you call me that, I’ll be looking around for my father. It’s Hunter.”

  “Okay.”

  “May I call you Merry?” he asked.

  “Wren already does so that works for me.”

  “All right, then. I’ll give you the details.”

  Hunter explained that his father’s private jet would take them to Rustler’s Notch, where they’d stay in a three-bedroom suite at the hotel. He told her the salary and the amount was exceptionally generous. Now it was her turn to fight a smile. She would be expected to keep Wren in sight at all times, which meant attending the rehearsal dinner and wedding festivities the next day.

  “Oh, this is probably relevant information for you since my daughter is over the moon about the fancy flower girl dress she will wear. The ceremony is formal.”

  The scenario he described was like a fantasy, until he dropped that bombshell. She didn’t have anything to wear to a formal wedding and there was no money in her extremely limited budget for a new dress.

  “Is something wrong?” He was frowning at her.

  “No. Why do you ask?”

  “I don’t know. Just a funny expression on your face. Are you okay?”

  “Fine.” She gave him a bright smile. And without missing a beat said, “That won’t be a problem at all.”

  Nowhere in her personal references had anyone said she was a habitual liar but that was the second whopper she’d told him. The first being that she wasn’t judging him. How she wished this was a fairy tale. Then she could count on her fairy godmother spinning her a gorgeous dress out of unicorn sighs.

  How in the world was she going to pull this off?

  Chapter Two

  Merry left the Ambling A just as the sun was dropping behind the mountains. She was in a panic and did what she always did at a time like this. She called her best friend, Zoey Kubiak, who was the other educational aide at the school. Zoey was a semester away from a degree in elementary education and lived with her divorced mother in a little house that had been restored after the Great Flood of 2013. In fact, they’d met when her dad did electrical work for Zoey’s mom, Dora. She and her friend had sort of hoped their parents might click romantically, but that had never happened.

  She pulled her dad’s beat-up old truck to a stop at the curb in front of the gray house. Envy, worry and pain twisted inside her and she missed her father so much. If only he was here so she could talk to him. But, as he’d always said, if wishes were horses beggars would ride.

  Merry slid out of the truck and walked up the sidewalk to the front door. It was opened before she could even knock.

  “I hate it when you declare an emergency over the phone then say I’ll tell you all about it when I get there.” Zoey had long straight blond hair and cornflower blue eyes. She was beautiful, loyal, supportive—like the sister Merry had always wanted.

  She hugged her friend. “I have a big problem.”

  “So you said. Together we will find a big solution. My mom is out for the evening so we have the house to ourselves. I put a casserole in the oven and a bottle of white wine is chilling. You’ll spend the night and whatever is wrong can be fixed. I promise.”

  “I didn’t bring my pajamas,” Merry said.

  Zoey shook her head. “Out of everything I said that was your takeaway?”

  “I’m overwhelmed.”

  “You came to the right place. We’re about the same size so you can wear a pair of my jammies.”

  “You don’t happen to have a cocktail dress lying around, do you?” It was a joke, a throwaway remark, a sign of desperation.

  “As a matter of fact, I do have a couple.” Zoey studied her face. “What’s wrong, Mer?”

  “I think we’re going to need that wine for this.”

  “Okay. Follow me.”

  They went into the small but cute kitchen with white cabinets and wood floors. Zoey opened the bottle, then poured the golden liquid into two stemless glasses before they sat down at the dinette.

  “Now, tell me everything.”

  Merry sucked in a breath, then let it out. “I just left a job interview with Hunter Crawford. He needs a nanny for the weekend. His brother is getting married at a fancy resort in Colorado—”

  “Rustler’s Notch?”

  “Yes.” Merry stared. “How did you know?”

  “It’s the new ‘in’ place for weddings. I read an article about it in a bridal magazine. Looks like a gorgeous spot. Romantic.” The excitement level in Zoey’s voice rose as she talked. “And Hunter Crawford is going to pay you to go there with him?”

  “His whole family is going and he’s paying me to take care of his daughter for the weekend.”

  “Isn’t she the little cutie who gives you a hug every morning at school?”

  “Yes. She’s a sweetheart, so smart and loving.” Merry smiled. “Watching her will be a pleasure. Besides, I really need the extra money. It’s an all-expenses-paid trip combined with a paycheck, which makes it kind of a dream job.”

  Zoey looked puzzled. “I’m still not seeing the problem.”

  “It’s a formal wedding, Zo. I don’t have anything to wear to something like that. And I don’t have the money to buy anything. So it’s a catch-22. What am I going to do? I have to go to the ceremony. Hunter really needs me there to keep an eye on Wren because he’ll be busy with groomsman stuff and family.”

  Zoey tapped her lip. “Well, as I said, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve been in friends’ weddings—always a bridesmaid, never a bride, as the saying goes. You and I are pretty close to the same size. Come on. Let’s go play dress up.”

  Merry basically had nothing to lose. She followed her friend down the hall to the bedroom. It was a very girlie space with pink bedspread, flowered throw pillows and lace curtains crisscrossed over the window. From the walk-in closet Zoey pulled out four heavy-duty hangers holding long dresses.

  While Merry stripped out of her slacks and sweater the other woman removed the plastic protecting the first dress, a black number with long sleeves. It fit, but neither of them was crazy about it. The next was yellow, but an unflattering shade that washed out her skin. Number three was orange.

  Zoey took one look and grimaced. “It was a Halloween wedding. I don’t even know why I keep it. Take that off and we will never speak of it again.”

  “Thank God.” Merry did as ordered while her friend took the plastic off dress number four—also known as her last hope. “Well, the black one will work although neither of us thought it was a wow. Still it’s... Wow.” She got a look at the pale lavender dress Zoey was holding up. “That color is fabulous.”

  “It will bring out your hazel eyes. And, I confess, this one is my favorite. I’ve been saving it for last. And I have shoes to match. I’ll find them.” She disappeared back into the closet.

  Merry slid the chiffon over her head and loved the silky feel of the fabric flowing over her body. It was a one-shoulder dress with a floaty skirt, a satin sash and it fit like a dream.

  Zoey reappeared with a shoe box in hand and stopped dead in her tracks to stare. “Oh, Mer, that looks fantastic.”

  “Really?” She thought so but desperation could skew a girl’s fashion sense. But in her opinion it was definitely fairy-godmother worthy.

  “It looks better on you than me and it looked pretty awesome on me.”
<
br />   Merry moved around the room, then back to the freestanding full-length mirror. “Do you think the slit is too revealing? After all, Hunter hired me as the nanny. I’m not sure if there’s a dress code.”

  “It hits you mid-thigh,” Zoey said, studying her critically. “It’s not immodest and your legs are great. I think it’s fine. Is another brother getting married? The last I heard Finn and Avery had eloped.”

  “They did. But their father wants a big family celebration for them since the other three weddings were casual.”

  “He’s number four out of six to find true love here in Rust Creek Falls. It would seem that the Crawford bachelors are dropping like flies since coming to town. So, tell me about Hunter.” There was a gleam in her friend’s eyes.

  Merry should have expected this and had an answer ready, but she’d been preoccupied with her wardrobe crisis. Her reaction to him had been instant and visceral—sweaty palms, weak knees, pounding heart. For some reason she was reluctant to share that. Maybe because he’d been very businesslike and serious, but when he smiled... That was a moment with a capital M. “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything. He’s elusive. According to the rumor mill he’s never in town by himself, always with his daughter.”

  “Well, I like him,” Merry said. “And don’t start. It’s not in a crush sort of way. He’s a concerned father or I wouldn’t have this job.”

  “I talked to Vivienne Dalton who knows all of the Crawfords. Hunter is a widower and she said he’s just as good-looking as the other brothers. Did you get a sense that he’s looking to settle down like the others?” Zoey asked.

  “No.” Merry got exactly the opposite feeling. The man didn’t even want to go to the wedding. And her instincts told her that wasn’t just about logistics with child care for Wren. “I think his daughter is the only female he’s interested in.”

  “Too bad. Shame for all that hunk factor to go to waste.” Zoey sighed. “But I guess dating is hard when you have a child.”

  “Dating is hard when you don’t.” Even Merry heard the bitterness in her voice.