Rust Creek Falls Cinderella

by Melissa Senate

  “Lily?” Ryan asked, peering closer at her as he came out of the kitchen with a beer.

  “That’s not Lily,” Bobby, right behind Ryan, said with a firm shake of his head. “Who are you and what have you done with our baby sister?”

  “Oh, my God, that is definitely Lily,” her father said, one hand over his mouth, another over his heart.

  Oh, brother—literally. She sucked in a breath and finished walking down the stairs, the four Hunts staring at her, mouths still agape.

  “I mean, Lily, I’ve seen you in a dress a time or two,” Andrew said, “but this isn’t just you in a dress. This is...”

  “Lily as a nominee at the Academy Awards,” Bobby said. “Wow,” he added.

  “Fairy Godmother up in your room or something?” Ryan asked, the Hunt green eyes completely confused.

  “Can’t a girl doll up a little for a dance?” she asked innocently, moving over to the large mirror above a console table in the hallway. She checked her appearance for a stray bit of mascara or something in her teeth.

  But nope—she was camera ready.

  She’d gone with the pale pink sundress with the spaghetti straps, the hem ending in a swish just above her knees. She wore the pretty earrings she’d bought in Kalispell, silver filigree hoops, and three delicate silver bangles on her left arm. The ballet slippers, which kept the outfit casual and simple, were perfect for an outdoor dance at Sunshine Farm. Makeup, including the famous “smoky” eye Sarah had taught her to do, a sweep of mascara, pink-red lipstick, her layered hair all shiny, bouncy and loose, and a spritz of a perfume sample she’d gotten in the boutique—and she was all ready to go.

  Oh, and the blush-colored lace bra and panties underneath it all.

  She took a final glance at herself in the mirror, gave her hair a fluff and turned toward the Hunts, who were still all staring at her.

  “Uh, what?” Andrew asked again.

  Lily laughed and faux-bopped him on the arm. “You guys know I’ve been making a lot of positive changes lately. Working on my business degree, upping my game with my recipes and cooking techniques at the Maverick Manor, really thinking about my future plans, saying yes to experiences I normally wouldn’t.” She didn’t add that those yeses included one to Viv Dalton when she’d asked if Lily wanted to throw her name into the Crawford brothers dating pool. But it was a great example of how she’d gone from Nah, but thanks to Why not? “So I wanted a new look to reflect who I feel like on the inside. I’m not the scrappy tomboy chasing after you guys in the woods with an insect net anymore.”

  “Well, you’ll always be that girl,” her dad said. “But you’re this woman, too.”

  Aww, her father had tears in his eyes. Now he was going to make Lily cry and she would mess up her mascara. She’d practiced applying it four times last night until she got it right, somewhere between natural and enhanced.

  “You look flipping amazing, Lil,” Andrew said.

  “Beautiful,” Bobby agreed with a bow.

  “You know I like to rib you,” Ryan added, “but I have to agree. Wow.”

  She grinned, thrilled with the response. “Thanks, guys. That means a lot. I’m all dressed up with somewhere to go.” Yes, I am! And look out, Xander. She couldn’t wait for his reaction.

  Andrew glanced at his watch. “Speaking of the dance, I need to go pick up Heidi. See you all there.”

  “Want a ride, Lil?” Ryan asked. “I didn’t even think you were going or I would have asked earlier. Bobby and I are picking up a couple friends, then heading over.”

  “I’ll take my car,” she said. “But thanks.” The Hunt brothers headed out, and Lily breathed a sigh of relief, glad to not be under the microscope any longer.

  “Should I go?” her father asked. “Dances aren’t usually my thing, but...”

  Lily felt her eyes widen. “You should!”

  “Well, if you’re going and look like a princess, I could certainly put on a nice shirt and comb this rat’s nest on my head and sway to a country tune or two. Say hello to some people.”

  Lily’s heart leaped. “Go change,” she said with a smile. “Maybe your blue shirt with the Western yoke and the gray pants? Or even a pair of dark jeans?”

  His eyes lit up. “Back in a jiff,” he said, taking the stairs at a dash.

  Lots of changes happening in the Hunt household, she thought with a smile. Her. Andrew in a serious relationship with Heidi. Bobby and Ryan in business together with their auto-mechanic shop. And now her dad, who’d dated here and there over the years but never let anything serious develop, was going to a town dance when he never had before.

  Five minutes later, her dad was back downstairs, in the Western shirt and jeans Lily had suggested, and his good cowboy boots. He’d combed his hair and even added a little bit of his aftershave.

  “You look great, Dad,” she whispered, trying to avoid crying.

  He nodded, dusting off imaginary lint from his shirt. “We look like a million bucks. Shall we?” he said, holding out his arm.

  Lily grinned and wrapped her arm around her father’s, her heart about to burst.

  * * *

  Xander saw her hair first. And just a swath of it because she was surrounded by people. He’d been on the lookout for Lily since he’d arrived at the dance about fifteen minutes ago, but there had been no sign of her. Now he’d caught a glimpse of that unmistakable red hair, those lush fiery tresses. There was something different about it, the bit he could see. Sleek and...sexy.

  He moved closer, craning his neck around Henry Peterman, who was six foot four, built like a linebacker and blocking his vision. He went around Henry, and stopped dead in his tracks.

  Whoa.

  It was Lily—he was sure of it. But she looked nothing like the Lily he’d known for the past few weeks.

  Damn, she cleaned up well.

  Henry was saying something to her, and he saw Lily smile politely and respond, then step back. Another guy took Henry’s place. Then another.

  “Sorry, but I promised my first dance to someone,” he heard Lily say.

  That was his cue. He sure as hell hoped so, anyway.

  “Lily?” he said strangely in the form of a question. Whoa, whoa, whoa. “You look beyond beautiful.”

  She smiled, those gorgeous green eyes all lit up. “Thanks. I needed a change.”

  “This is some change,” he said. “Stunning.” He stared at her, completely tongue-tied all of a sudden and unable to think of another thing to say. “Uh, I could go get us some punch. Nice night,” he added. Smooth, Xander. You’re great at conversation.

  “I’d rather dance,” she said, holding out her hand.

  Her soft, pretty hand. She wore sparkly blue nail polish, silver bracelets jangling on her arm. He took her hand and led her over to the dance area, which was pretty crowded. The band was playing an old Shania Twain song he’d always loved, a slow one.

  He barely heard the whispers around them as she slid her arms around his neck. Is that Lily Hunt? Oh, my God, that’s Lily. Holy buffalo, did you see Lily Hunt?

  “Guess I’ll be getting that a lot tonight,” she said, her eyes only on him.

  They were practically chest to chest. So close he could see every individual freckle across her nose.

  His hands were on her waist, on the soft, silky fabric of her dress. “Pretty in pink,” he said. “Isn’t that a movie?”

  She smiled. “I’ve seen it at least ten times,” she said, tightening her arms around his neck. She glanced around, then looked back at him. “It really is such a gorgeous night. I’ve heard that this dance is the town’s way of saying goodbye to summer every year. I’m definitely not ready to see summer go.”

  “Me, either.” He’d associated Lily with summer since he’d met her at the beginning of August, their first date, if it could really be called that, on a wi
ngs-and-sauce picnic in the park.

  “And I love all the white lights strung in the trees,” she said, staring up at the lights. “So festive and pretty.”

  “Like you,” he said. He hoped to God he wasn’t blushing because his cheeks sure were burning.

  She laughed. “You’re not used to seeing me like this.”

  “No. I could get used to it, though. I think. You looked great the way I met you. And you look great now.”

  She stopped swaying and stared at him, her expression...wistful. “That means a lot to me. Thank you.”

  They continued dancing, his throat going so dry at being this close to her, holding her, breathing in the delicious, sexy scent she wore, that he needed some punch or he’d pass out.

  “How about that punch now?” he asked.

  “I’ve love some.”

  He headed past throngs of people, most of whom he recognized now from town and the rancher association meeting he and his family had attended. Logan and Sarah were slow dancing at the edge of the dance area, Andrew and Heidi making out as they swayed not too far away.

  Xander said hello to Luke and Eva Stockton, who owned Sunshine Farm and had turned it into this gorgeous guest ranch with a welcoming main house and cabins dotting the property. He saw a couple of his brothers talking to Nate Crawford, who owned the Maverick Manor, and his family, distant relatives of Xander’s clan. A bunch of attractive women crossed his path with smiles and “save me a dance, will you, cowboy?” Yes, two had actually said exactly that. He finally made it to the punch and downed a cup, then poured two more and headed back over to where he’d left Lily.

  Except she wasn’t there.

  He should have known better than to leave her alone! Of course she’d been surrounded by men the minute he’d left and was probably now dancing with someone.

  The thought turned his stomach.

  His gaze ran over the dance area. He saw Wilder with his arms around a pretty brunette. Finn was talking more than he was dancing with a blonde. Max Crawford was chatting up two women who looked to be his age by the buffet table. The Jones brothers—millionaire cowboys who’d moved to town over the past couple of years from Tulsa, Oklahoma—were dancing with their wives, and Xander made a note to meet one or two of them tonight since they’d also come to Montana from out of state.

  Finally, he caught a swish of the red hair. He craned his neck around two women who were looking longingly at Hunter as he was deep in conversation with their nearest ranch neighbor, and yes, there Lily was. Dancing.

  With Knox.

  What?

  It wasn’t a slow song, so his brother didn’t have his arms around her. And Lily’s arms were up in the air at the moment as she laughed at something Sarah, dancing next to her with Logan, said.

  Now Knox was whispering something in her ear. Lily laughed and touched Knox’s arm.

  A red-hot burst of anger swelled in his gut. Knox had had his chance to date Lily and had opted out. So move along, buddy.

  He marched over with the two cups of punch, someone’s elbow almost knocking them out of his hands. “Hey, Lily,” he said with a fast glare at his brother. “I have our punch.”

  “Oh, great!” Lily said. “I’m so thirsty! All this dancing.”

  “None for me?” Knox asked with too much amusement.

  Xander narrowed his eyes at his brother.

  Knox chuckled at what had to be the murderous expression on Xander’s face. “I was just apologizing again to Lily for how I acted a few weeks ago. The date that wasn’t. I was telling her all about Dad’s master plan to get us all hitched and how the whole idea made me nuts after I’d already agreed on a date.”

  “I completely understand,” Lily said. “And besides, I got to meet Xander,” she added, those beautiful green eyes looking straight into his.

  “I’ll go say hi to Nate,” Knox said. “Thanks for the dance, Lily.” He smiled and walked away, sending an infuriating wink at Xander.

  Lily took one of the cups of punch and held it up. “A toast.”

  He raised his, as well. “To?”

  “To change,” she said, holding his gaze.

  Dammit. She had him there. Change, progress, forward movement made the world go around. Stagnancy was a slow death. Case in point: Xander moving to Montana. He might have stayed back in Dallas, stewing in his bitterness. Instead, he’d opted for an entirely new state, a new life, and he’d met Lily. A woman he couldn’t stop thinking about.

  “Change is good,” he agreed.

  They clinked cups and he watched her drink, tossing back her head, her long, creamy neck so kissable-looking.

  “Thanks for this,” she said. They put the cups down on a tray of empties on a table, then headed toward the buffet, where there were light appetizers and tiny sandwiches.

  “Must be hard to eat anyone else’s food but yours when you’re the best cook in town,” he said, popping a mini quiche in his mouth.

  She laughed. “That is some serious high praise. Thank you. But I’m hardly the best. All the cooks at the Manor are amazing. And Sarah and I had lunch in Kalispell that blew me away. I had no idea vegetable soup could be that good.”

  “Maybe we could go check out one of the restaurants in Kalispell sometime,” he said. “I’d love some Thai food. Or really good Italian.”

  “Are you asking me on a date, Xander Crawford?” she asked. “Or are we just friends?”

  He felt his cheeks burn. “I... We’re...” He gnawed the inside of his cheek. “I’ll go get us more punch. Be right back.”

  The minute he left he realized that by the time he got back, she’d likely be dancing with someone else. That is what you get, idiot, he chastised himself. “I... We’re.” Stammer, stammer, stammer. Jeez. What the hell was that?

  But he had no idea what he meant it as. Date. Friends. He just knew he wanted her to himself.

  He hurried over the five feet to the punch bowl, filled two cups and yup, when he got back, Lily was dancing with some guy in a straw cowboy hat. He had a good inch on Xander, too, which bugged him.

  At least it wasn’t a slow dance.

  The song ended and he saw Lily smile at her partner and dash away—right toward him.

  “Why do I keep leaving you by your lonesome?” he asked.

  “Because you have to torture yourself before you accept that there is something going on between us, Xander Crawford.”

  “Say how you really feel,” he said with a smile.

  “Hey, this is the new me. The real me. We’re at a dance on a beautiful summer night. I’m in this pretty pink dress. You have on that gorgeous brown Stetson. My favorite Dierks Bentley song is playing right now. Seems like just the place to see what’s what.”

  He handed her the punch, feeling like he’d been socked in the stomach. She was 100 percent right. They downed the drinks, tossed the cups and hit the dance floor.

  The moment her hands slid around his neck, he knew he wasn’t letting her go again, wasn’t letting her out of his sight.

  “So what’s this about an old diary you and your brothers found buried in your bedroom?” she asked, looking up at him. “I overheard Logan and Sarah talking about it. You guys found it under the floorboards?”

  “Funny, I was just thinking about the diary earlier tonight. It’s on my bedside table—locked. I tried to get it open with a letter opener, but I need something smaller. Plus, should I really be opening it? I don’t know.”

  “Whose is it?” she asked, her hands both hot and cool on his neck.

  He shrugged. “No idea. Someone must have hidden it under the floorboard to keep it from prying eyes and either forgot it when they moved or wanted it buried forever. I really don’t know. There’s a letter A on the cover of it. It’s jewel-encrusted and was probably all fancy and expensive when it was new.”

  “An ol
d jewel-encrusted locked diary!” Lily said. “Something so romantic about that! I wonder whose it could be.”

  “Don’t mean to eavesdrop,” Nate Crawford said from behind Lily. A tall, good-looking man around forty, Nate was dancing with his wife, Callie. “If it looks really old and has an A on the cover, it probably belongs to someone in the Abernathy family—that’s where the Ambling A ranch originally got its name. The Abernathys left town a generation ago, though.”

  “Wow,” Lily said after Nate and Callie excused themselves to the buffet table. “It would be great if you could get it back to an Abernathy. Imagine the family stories written in the diary.”

  “Or family secrets,” Xander said.

  “Those, too. Still would be so wonderful to return it.”

  He nodded. “I’ll ask around about the Abernathys.”

  The song changed, a slow one this time, and Xander found himself pulling Lily a bit closer.

  “If that’s okay,” he whispered.

  “Oh, it’s more than okay.”

  He breathed in the flowery scent of her hair. He could stand here holding her forever.

  “Cutting in,” said Henry, the huge linebacker of a cowboy. He practically knocked Xander out of the way to get to Lily.

  “Her dance card is full, sorry,” Xander snapped.

  Lily stared at Xander, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “Say what now?” Henry asked, looking confused.

  “Lily promised all her dances to me,” Xander explained.

  Now Lily’s stare turned into a glare—at Xander.

  Henry shrugged. “Oh. You two are a couple? I didn’t know. Sorry.” He left, walking up to a pretty blonde standing at the edge of the dance area.

  Yeah, that’s right.

  “I didn’t get a chance to tell Henry that he misunderstood,” Lily said, raising an eyebrow.

  “Misunderstood what?” he asked, not liking where this was headed.

  “That we’re a couple. We’re just friends. Isn’t that what you keep saying? Of course that means I can’t promise all my dances to a buddy, Xander. You understand, right?”

  Grrr. “I... We...”