“I know.” He reached a hand out then lowered it to his side without touching her. “I know you’re not.”
“Then just answer one question. It doesn’t matter what you say as long as you tell me the truth. I can deal with it either way.” She took a deep breath then asked, “Are you still in love with your wife?”
The direct question seemed to take him by surprise and he didn’t say anything right away. He was thoughtful for several moments, then sighed. “I loved Lara very much and I always will. But I’m not in love with her now.”
“You sound very sure of that.” There was a flutter in her chest and she was pretty sure that was hope stirring to life. “Are you?”
“Very.”
“How can you be?”
“Because I’m in love with you,” he said simply.
For a second, happiness exploded inside her, given that the words were everything she wanted to hear. Then the glow faded and pesky reality sneaked in before she could shut it out. She still had questions.
“If you love me, why are you pushing me away?”
He looked lost and his eyes were grim. “The only explanation I have is that I’m messed up.” He spread his hands in a helpless gesture.
“I appreciate your honesty.” She truly meant that. It was something at least after trying to guess what he was thinking, why his mood changed so suddenly. “And it makes sense. You’ve been through a lot.”
He nodded. “It’s just that I’m having a hard time putting myself in a position where I could go through it again. And protecting Wren is the most important thing—”
“She could get hurt, too.”
“Yeah,” he whispered.
Merry saw the conflict raging in him and longed to offer comfort. She had to touch him and pressed her body to his, putting her arms around him before resting her cheek against his chest. His heart was hammering. Proof of life, she thought, and it should be lived. After losing her father, she was more convinced of that than ever. And Hunter had so much love to give.
“I can’t give you a guarantee that the future will be perfect, but with a great deal of certainty I can say that it won’t even be close to that if you don’t take a chance.”
“Merry—”
“I’m not finished. And you don’t have to say anything, but I need you to hear this.” She moved away from him, just far enough to see his face, the look in his eyes. “You are one of the best men I’ve ever known. I’m not going anywhere. And I promise that I will wait for you to figure things out. As long as it takes. Because that’s the way I love.”
He nodded but there was no peace in his expression. Without a word he moved away from her then grabbed his sheepskin jacket hanging on the hook beside the door. And then he walked out. He was just gone.
Merry desperately wanted another mistlesnow wish. This was a bad time to realize that giving him the okay to say nothing was without a doubt her most boneheaded move. Looking at the plate of cookies with a side of carrot, she smiled sadly.
“I didn’t win, but at least I fought for him, Daddy.”
If only her father was there to hold her while she cried.
* * *
“Wake up! It’s Christmas.”
Merry opened her eyes and it wasn’t easy. The sun was barely up. And wait. Didn’t she just fall asleep five minutes ago? Sleep was hard to come by when the man you loved walked out. Come to think of it, she’d been awake for hours after that and didn’t hear him come back.
She sat up and looked at Wren standing by the bed. “Is your dad awake, sweetie?”
“He’s not in his room. I checked. And I’m not s’posed to go downstairs by myself and see if Santa came yet.”
“Maybe your dad is feeding the animals. I’ll throw on some clothes and go find him.”
“I wanna go with you.”
“Okay. Get dressed.” She put on a brave face along with jeans, boots and a sweater, but this situation was not good. Everything Hunter did was about being a devoted dad. No way he wouldn’t be here when his daughter woke up on Christmas morning. Unless something was wrong.
Merry steered the little girl out the back door to keep the “Santa surprises” a secret until, hopefully, her father could be here to see her reaction. His truck was gone but he might have been hauling hay for the animals or using it for any of a hundred other ranch chores that had to be done even on holidays. It wasn’t by the barn either, but they still checked the stalls and tack room without success.
“Where could he be?” Wren asked.
“He must have had an errand.” It was the hardest thing she’d ever done, but Merry managed to keep her voice neutral and calm when she felt just the opposite.
“But I wanna open presents. I’ve been waitin’ so long.”
“I know, sweetie. It must be an important errand.”
Or something bad had happened. Something that needed the sheriff involved. With every step back to the house it was harder to hold off the panic and Merry didn’t know what to do.
When they walked back into the kitchen, Jack was there. He was dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt but his hair was sticking up and there was a shadow of stubble on his face. But he’d never looked better to her. She wasn’t alone.
“Merry Christmas.” There were questions in his eyes. “When I woke up to an empty house, I thought this was a Twilight Zone holiday.”
“Sorry.” She looked down at the little girl pressed tightly against her, then rubbed a hand reassuringly down Wren’s arm. “We went to see if Hunter was in the barn.”
Jack nodded slightly, letting her know he got her concern and wouldn’t say anything alarming. “What does a guy have to do to get a cup of coffee around here?”
“Push a button.” The water and grounds were ready to go in the coffee maker. It’s one of the things she’d done when sleep wouldn’t come last night. “Wren, why don’t you show him how it’s done?”
“Over here, Uncle Jack.”
His eyebrows went up, an indication that he didn’t miss his elevation in rank. “I’m right behind you, squirt.”
That’s what he used to call her, Merry thought.
Although Wren loved to do it, she magnanimously allowed her new uncle to do the button-pushing honors. Moments later the sound of water dripping into the pot filled the kitchen, followed quickly by the rich aroma of brewing coffee. Normally Merry loved it but her stomach was in knots and she was afraid she was going to throw up. Every second that ticked by without a word from Hunter was like a shot of adrenaline to her nerves.
She looked at Jack. If Hunter was at the main house he would have walked so his truck would still be there. And it wasn’t. He’d gone somewhere and hadn’t returned. “I’m wondering if I should call the S-H-E-R-I-F-F.”
“Sheriff?” Wren’s eyes went wide.
“I forgot how smart you are.” Some teacher she was going to be, Merry thought. And a crisis management failure on top of it. She tried to smile at the little girl and hoped somehow it was reassuring. “I’m sure everything is fine and—”
The sound of the front door opening interrupted her. Then a deep voice calling out, “Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas!”
“Daddy!”
The little girl raced out of the room and Merry was right behind her. Jack brought up the rear and the three of them came to a dead stop when they saw Hunter. He was wearing his ever-present Stetson but on top of that was a deluxe Santa hat with faux white fur trim and a matching pompom. His arms were full of wrapped presents that he’d just carried inside.
“It’s a beautiful day.” He put everything under the tree, then said to Jack, “There’s more in the truck. Mind giving me a hand?”
“Happy to.”
The two men brought everything inside and set the presents by the tree. It looked like Christmas exploded in the cabin’s front room.
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Wren hugged her father. “We couldn’t find you, Daddy. Merry was gonna call the sheriff. She spelled it but I knew anyway.”
Hunter picked her up. “I’m sorry you were worried. I had some last-minute shopping to do.”
“All night?” Merry asked.
“In Kalispell a few stores were open all night. But there was this one—” He smiled mysteriously. “It took a little longer than I expected.”
Wren’s arms were around his neck. “Can we open presents now? Santa came and I don’t think I can wait much longer.”
“Let’s do it.” He squeezed her tight for a moment, then set her down.
It was a paper-ripping, gift-opening free-for-all that seemed to go on forever. Wren was giddy with excitement when she saw her new princess doll with its royal wardrobe. Other packages revealed socks, pajamas, mittens, a scarf, a scooter and a sparkly pink helmet.
Hunter handed Jack a box. “You look like a Scotch drinker. It’s not imaginative, but next year I’ll do better.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed for a moment, then he nodded his understanding. “Later I’ll open it and we’ll drink to next year.”
Merry heard that exchange and added another question to the list she had for Hunter. Right now she was keeping busy shoving used wrapping paper into a trash bag. Finally all the packages had been opened and the contents neatly stacked under the tree.
“It looks like that’s a wrap. Pun intended,” she said.
“Merry, look.” Wren pointed to a tall present sitting alone by the front door. “There’s one more.”
Hunter grabbed it before his daughter could. “That’s not for you, kiddo.”
“Who then?” she asked.
“Merry.” There was an expression in his eyes that had never been there before. He set it down in front of her. “Merry Christmas.”
“Hunter, I—”
“Just open it, please.”
“Okay.” It was tall but she had to get on her knees because her legs were shaking. Her hands were shaking, too, as she carefully unwrapped the beautiful gold foil paper to reveal a plain box. She lifted the flaps and found another wrapped box inside. Puzzled, she met his gaze. “What—”
Emotions scrolled across his face too quickly to identify. “Keep going.”
She nodded, then lifted out the gift and slid the paper off, only to find yet another box. This happened three more times and her excitement and anticipation grew even as the boxes got smaller. Especially because they got smaller. Finally, there was one left and she found a black velvet jewelry box inside.
“Hunter?”
“There weren’t any jewelry stores open twenty-four hours on Christmas Eve. But when you have enough money and determination, doors open for you.”
“So this is what took you so long?”
“Yes.”
“Merry said you must be doing something important,” Wren said.
“I definitely was.” He smiled down at her before moving in front of Merry. He took the box from her palm then helped her to her feet.
“What are you doing?”
Without answering, he went down on one knee and opened the box, revealing a stunning vintage diamond engagement ring. He looked at her expectantly. “Will you marry me?”
Her heart was hammering so hard she wasn’t sure she could speak. That was incredibly inconvenient at the most important moment of her life. The love for him that she’d kept bottled up inside was straining to be set free. But she had to know something first.
“Does this mean you figured things out? That you’re not afraid anymore?”
“Oh, I’m terrified.” But he didn’t look it. Hope sparkled in his eyes where once there’d only been emptiness. “The only thing that scared me more than taking this step was not taking it.”
“So, you figured things out pretty fast.”
“As soon as I walked out the door last night,” he agreed. “I’m in love with you and will always be afraid of losing you. But I won’t let it be because I gave up on us without trying.”
Merry stared at him for several moments, too stunned to speak. Her brother, on the other hand, had no problem at all.
“For crying out loud, sis, will you put the man out of his misery and say yes already?”
Hunter nodded at him. “I’d have asked your permission the old-fashioned way, but due to my own stupidity and the necessity of a big gesture to cancel it out, the timeline had to be altered.”
“Understood,” Jack said. “Permission granted.”
And Wren, who’d been uncharacteristically silent through all this, said, “Are you going to marry Daddy? Can I be a flower girl? And wear a tiara?”
“I’d say she approves.” Merry smiled at him.
“So is that a yes?” Hunter asked. “I want it to be. But only if it’s what you want, too. I don’t want to push—”
“Yes.” She held out her left hand for him to slide the ring on. When he did, she sighed at the exquisite diamond and the perfect fit, then tugged him to his feet. “I want this more than I can say. It’s what I wished for on that very first mistlesnow.”
“See? I told you mistlesnow wishes worked,” Wren said happily. “And I told you this was going to be the best Christmas ever.”
“You were right,” Merry and Hunter said together.
And then he kissed her. No mistletoe required.
Epilogue
Hunter held tightly to Merry’s hand as they walked to his father’s place. Wren had run ahead with Jack right behind her. Walking beside the woman he loved so much made him happy and he planned to do it for the rest of his life. The darkness he’d carried inside him for so long didn’t stand a chance against a woman named Merry.
“I can’t wait to tell everyone our good news,” he said. “How do you feel about a short engagement?”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. “That works for me. Maybe we should go to Rustler’s Notch for a destination wedding. Max would like that.”
“I’m more interested in what you want.” He looked down at her, golden hair framing her face like a halo. An angel. And she was his.
“As long as the whole family is there, we can get married in the barn for all I care.” Smiling, she met his gaze. “We’ll talk to Jack and see how long the military can spare him. I feel as if I have my brother back and I want him to walk me down the aisle.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
They were almost at his father’s, and in front of the two-story log cabin it looked like a car lot with all the vehicles lined up. There was a decorated tree in the window with white lights twinkling. On the front porch they smiled at each other, then took a deep breath.
“Here we go,” he said. “Are you ready?”
“Are you?” she teased.
“More than you can possibly know.”
Hunter didn’t bother knocking. Family never did. He opened the door and walked into Crawford central, where everyone was talking excitedly. Wren was with her aunts and Jack was shaking hands with Max. Introductions had apparently been made. Someone, probably Lily, had been cooking because mouthwatering smells were coming from the kitchen.
“Hello, everyone.” Hunter let go of Merry’s hand long enough to wave a greeting. “Merry Christmas.”
The whole crew stopped their conversations and welcomed them.
Wilder said to their father, “Everyone is here. Can we eat now?”
“Don’t ask me. That’s up to our chef. Lily?”
“It’s all ready. But I could use extra hands to put everything out on the table.”
“Oh, let me help,” Merry said. “I feel like such a slacker for not pitching in.”
“No worries.” Lily’s green eyes sparkled with more than Christmas spirit. “You’ve had a lot going on today. What with your brother visiting,” she ad
ded.
Everyone rallied around and brought out mashed potatoes, freshly baked biscuits, various side dishes that were enough to feed an army and a standing rib roast. The seating went pretty much like Thanksgiving with Logan and Sarah on one side of a high chair for Sophia and Hunter’s daughter on the other. Seeing Wren with her baby cousin reminded Hunter of their earlier conversation. After his proposal, Wren had asked for a baby sister and Merry had given the child a hard yes on that. She loved children and was going to be a teacher, after all. He would be nervous for nine months but he’d deal with it. And something told him it would turn out all right.
After much juggling and repositioning, everyone was finally settled and Hunter wanted to make his announcement while there was still a shred of sanity in the room. He tapped his fork against the water glass by his plate, demanding their attention.
“Before we start, I have something to say.” He smiled at the amazing woman beside him. “I proposed to Merry and she said yes. We’re getting married.”
Hunter was prepared for everyone to start talking at once. He anticipated hearing congratulations, good-natured teasing and sincere wishes for a lifetime of happiness. And from Max he figured there would be some taking credit for the match because he’d suggested hiring a nanny for that wedding weekend. None of that happened. There was total silence.
Baffled, Hunter looked around the table. “Who are you people and what have you done with my family?”
They all looked at each other then burst out laughing.
“Gotcha,” Logan said.
“Do you really think we didn’t know?” Genevieve looked at her husband and Knox gave him an I-told-you-so smirk.
“There were so many clues to pick from.” Finn took Avery’s hand and she smiled at him. “You couldn’t stop touching each other.”
“Not to mention that ring,” Lily chimed in. “That rock is so big and shiny I think it’s visible from space.”
Merry held up her hand to give them all a better look. “It is beautiful, isn’t it? Hunter has very good taste. I’m a lucky woman.”
Maverick Holiday Magic (Montana Mavericks: Six Brides For Six Brothers Book 5) Page 19
