His Christmas Cowgirl

by Alissa Callen

  Peta gave Tank a good-bye ear rub. The puffs of rising dust from over in the corral said Garrett and Hal still worked with Scout. She waved as she drove by. Both men turned to wave in return, but it was to Garrett’s tall form that her gaze clung to until she could no longer see him in the rearview mirror. It had been a week since he’d met her and Cloud on the falls road, but the memory of his mouth on hers still made her insides curl.

  When they’d arrived back at the ranch, the storm had showed no sign of easing. Torrential rain had continued to shroud the truck and cocoon them in a private world. But when Garrett had stared at her with regret darkening his eyes, she’d known reality was about to return.

  He’d cupped her cheek with gentle fingers. “Peta… I’ve never met anyone like you but… I came here to do a job and I have to see it through… with no complications. You’re my boss.”

  She’d managed a nod. The warmth of his fingers on her rain-wet face had made it hard to think about anything but peeling off his soaked shirt and pressing her mouth against the heat of his skin. “I understand and I appreciate you being straight with me. There are lines we perhaps shouldn’t cross. So from here on in, it will be business as usual between us.”

  For a heady second his attention had focused on her mouth but then he’d pressed a kiss to her forehead. She was sure a muscle had worked in his jaw as he’d turned away and went out into the rain.

  But as resolute as his words had been and as casual as he then was around her, attraction continued to simmer between them. It might be an accidental touch when she’d pass him a mug, or a locking of their gazes when working Scout, but she had no doubt he remained as aware of her as she did of him.

  She sighed. And this was reason enough for not fighting his decision to not give in to what burned between them. Because a fling with Garrett, no matter how hot it could be, would never be enough.

  When the night time silence cloaked the ranch house it reminded her that her life had been, and would be again, a solitary one. When Hal moved back to the foreman’s house, there’d no longer be the murmur of a television downstairs. When Garrett returned to wherever he came from, no longer would the stairs creak as he headed to his room.

  She couldn’t taste what life could be like with a man like Garrett, knowing she’d soon be alone. Anything more than a few heated and stolen moments in a wet truck and it would be impossible to return to her real life and remain content.

  *

  When Peta pulled into the Rose Crown ranch, a neat row of trucks and sedans were already parked outside the barn Rhett had painstakingly restored. Built by Ivy’s forefathers, the red building had her grandfather’s initials carved in the door. Two generations later, the old barn now provided the perfect venue for Ivy and Rhett’s wedding.

  Peta stopped at the main ranch house and parked alongside Kendall’s white sedan. She took the porch steps carefully. Her knee was much better but she didn’t want to push her luck. She soon had to wear her high heels for hours and she’d promised her father a dance.

  The front door flew open and a tan-and-white Jack Russell raced out to greet her. Peta bent to tickle Milly’s stomach as she rolled over for her usual belly rub.

  “That’s one fancy collar you have there, Miss Milly. Somehow I don’t think you should be out here. Those white flowers won’t stay on long once you’re in the garden.”

  The energetic Jack Russell was notorious for digging and generally getting grubby.

  Ivy appeared at the door, breathing hard. “Thank goodness you caught her. I put her collar on to see if it fits and off she went.”

  Ivy bent to remove Milly’s wedding finery and to then lift her into her arms. “Come on, inside you go. Bridie’s been brave enough to offer to give you a bath.”

  Peta grinned and followed Ivy and the wriggling Milly inside. Bridie would need a medal, or a stiff drink. Milly had a favorite mud spot near the wood pile she liked to roll in whenever Ivy bathed her.

  Peta walked through the doorway and hesitated. She felt like she’d entered Married in Marietta. The scent of lilies drifted from the long, elegant flower boxes resting on the dining room table. Ivy’s bridal bouquet was a collection of large white lilies, while the bridesmaids’ bouquets were a cluster of pink lilies. On a rail tucked in the corner of the dining room hung four elegant, royal blue bridesmaid dresses protected in fine plastic.

  She continued walking. She might only be a simple cowgirl who remained uncomfortable in the spotlight but she wouldn’t let Ivy down. Laughter sounded from the kitchen and when Peta entered she discovered the heart of the ranch house was now a hive of wedding activity.

  Trinity sat in a kitchen chair, a slim and young makeup artist making the most of the speech therapist’s classic features. A serious-faced photographer, dressed in a black jacket and skirt, stood close by taking photos. At the other end of the room, Payton sat in a chair with wet hair. As the hair stylist brandished a hair dryer in her direction, the cowgirl shot Peta a wide-eyed look.

  Ivy came to Peta’s side and laughed softy. “Payton, don’t look so concerned. You’ll be fine. I can’t believe someone who’ll ride an unbroken mustang is hesitant to have her hair blow-dried.”

  Payton pointed at the hair pins that filled the small jar beside her. “It’s what happens afterwards, I’m worried about. Have you see the length of these things? Don’t tell me they won’t hurt when they go in.”

  Kendall looked up from the bridal magazine she’d been reading at the kitchen bench. She held up a picture of an elaborate updo that would take many pins to hold in place. “So I take it this won’t be your wedding hairstyle?”

  Payton shuddered. “No way. Apart from the pin factor, I want Cordell to recognize me when I walk up the aisle. I could never ride a horse with hair like that. You know, though, it would look good on you.”

  Kendall’s eyes turned dreamy before she lowered the magazine. Next spring Kendall and Brent would also be having a barn wedding.

  A surge of sadness took Peta by surprise. Would there ever come a day when she too would make plans to marry the man she wanted to spend forever with? She’d never want the fuss of a big wedding but she did want the glow that spoke of Ivy’s deep happiness and she did want a man’s voice to deepen like Rhett’s had when he spoke about Ivy becoming his wife.

  Ivy slipped her arm through hers. “I’ve made you a pot of hot tea and I want you to sit to take the weight off your knee. Then you can tell me all about the roundup while we have our nails done.”

  To Peta’s surprise the hours passed quickly. It seemed like it didn’t take much time at all for Ivy and the four bridesmaids to have their hair styled, faces made up, and nails done. Once Bridie had Milly clean, the outback cowgirl joined in the pre-wedding fun but drew the line at having her nails varnished.

  After Bridie left to return to Larkspur Ridge to get dressed, the makeup and hair stylist also departed. Before the hair stylist disappeared, she gave Payton a stern look to remind her not to remove any pins that held the delicate spray of flowers in her upswept hair.

  Ivy collected a bottle of champagne from the fridge. She filled five crystal flutes and when everyone had a drink, she raised her glass. The shutter of the photographer’s camera clicked in the silence.

  “I’d like to make a toast,” Ivy said, her large, hazel eyes earnest, “to the kindest, loyal and most beautiful bridesmaids a girl could ever have.”

  After they’d clinked glasses and took a sip of the light and bubbly champagne, Ivy set a white gift bag on the kitchen bench. She untied the thick ribbon and passed each bridesmaid a small, flat box.

  Peta lifted the lid and blinked. Inside lay a fine gold bracelet that glittered like diamonds.

  “Ivy,” Trinity’s shocked voice said, “these look like real diamonds.”

  “That’s because they are.” Ivy’s voice was husky with emotion. “I wanted to give you something that showed how much I value you all. Trin, you’ve always been my one true friend, but before I
came here I didn’t think I’d ever find such a real or genuine friendship again.”

  Peta stood to hug Ivy, careful not to touch her hair that was swept into a French twist. As Peta moved away, Ivy fanned her hand in front of her face.

  “Don’t make me cry. I’m sure I’ll be weepy enough when I say my vows. Before I came here I also didn’t know the love I found with Rhett was even possible.”

  Peta looked away to hide her own misty eyes. “I just heard a truck pull up. I hope that isn’t Ethan come to take us to the barn.”

  Shrieks and squeals sounded as everyone raced to collect their dresses and shoes. Peta zipped up the side of her dress as the doorbell rang. Thankfully the adjustments Lisa had made to the bodice had ensured that the blue dress not only zipped up but it covered more of her. She headed downstairs to the front door and greeted Ethan with a smile.

  “I told Rhett to make sure he didn’t run late but now here we are running behind schedule.”

  “Don’t panic,” Ethan said, deep voice steady and calm. “You know me. I’m early.”

  He stepped inside, his dark suit fitting him to perfection. Material whispered behind them and she turned to see Ivy, who made the most beautiful bride. Simple and elegant, her strapless and full skirted wedding dress showcased her tiny waist and her gentle curves.

  “Oh, Ivy,” Peta said, voice hushed. “Rhett won’t know what to say when he sees you.”

  Ivy kissed Ethan hello. “As long as Rhett says ‘I do’, that’s all he needs to say.”

  Soon all the bridesmaids were downstairs. Makeup and hair were checked. Wedding bouquets handed out and Milly settled on her dog bed in the kitchen. She’d later make an appearance in her wedding collar at the after-party. The photographer snapped some final shots and then it was time to go.

  Ethan helped Trinity and Payton into his truck and drove them to the barn. They would be the first to walk down the aisle. He then returned for Peta and Kendall. As they arrived at the barn, Peta scanned the rows of parked vehicles. When her attention settled on Garrett’s black truck, nerves flip-flopped in her midriff. They’d agreed to keep things casual between them but would tonight give them a chance to relax and to have some fun away from the ranch?

  Old Henry Watson ushered Peta, and then Kendall, into the warmth of the barn, where they waited just inside the now closed door. The straight-talking rancher, an old family friend of the Bishops, would soon walk Ivy up the aisle.

  Peta took a deep breath and gazed around. The tender strains of a country love song filled the historic barn. Against the posts, bare branches rested, their fragile limbs draped with fairy lights. From the roof, ornate lanterns hung, casting a brilliant glow. In the front side sections, circular tables were covered in white sateen and topped with vases of pink flowers and tall, creamy candles. Soon the white-ribboned chairs would seat the wedding guests who, for now, sat side-by-side further inside the barn awaiting the appearance of Ivy. In front of the crowd, Rhett, Zane, Cordell, Saul, and Brent stood. Their suit-clad shoulders a wall of solidarity.

  Peta looked over Payton’s shoulder to search the guests. Finally, she saw Garrett seated beside Hal and Sam. As if feeling her attention on him, Garrett’s head slightly turned. Peta stared at his handsome profile. Used to seeing him in ranch clothes and with day-old stubble, now sporting shorter hair and wearing a dark suit he almost appeared a different person. Her hands trembled causing her pink lilies to quiver. But it didn’t matter what he wore. The sight of him still made her breaths shallow and her pulse flutter.

  *

  The moment Garrett had been bracing himself for had arrived. Peta would walk down the aisle. And when she did, he had to hide how she made him feel. Especially from the perceptive man beside him. Hal had been reading him like a pro since he was a hostile teenager.

  When it came to Peta, he was already in far too deep and no amount of damage control would alter the fact that the Bluebell Falls cowgirl affected him like no other woman ever had. The connection that had exploded between them in the truck, still ripped through him like aftershocks.

  And with such an acknowledgment came vulnerability. He’d been wounded when Jeanie had left him for a stockbroker, but not heartbroken. He’d been hurt when his mother had abandoned him for her third husband, but not distraught. She’d left him behind many times before. His gut now told him Peta was the one woman with the power to truly bring him to his knees.

  And he couldn’t take such a risk. Peta had to remain off-limits. He’d seen when Hal’s wife had been involved in a car accident, and then again when the bank had foreclosed on Hal’s ranch, how life could change in a heartbeat. On the day Hal had lost everything, Garrett had vowed to take care of the man who’d given him so much. Hal’s financial future might again be secure but Garrett couldn’t become complacent. Life could again throw a curve ball their way and he had to stay focused. As he’d learned as a child, hopes and dreams didn’t keep him warm on a winter’s night or put food in his belly. Only money did that.

  He hadn’t noticed his hand had curled into a fist on his thigh, until Hal whispered. “Relax, it’s not you up there.”

  He shifted in his seat as a blue dress caught the corner of his eye. But when the woman slowly walked past along the carpeted aisle, he recognized the next bridesmaid as Payton. He relaxed.

  Peta had appeared to accept his explanation after their kiss that he had a job to do and couldn’t mix business with pleasure. But over the past few days when their hands brushed and their eyes met, he’d known one false move by either of them and there’d be no stopping the pull between them. He had to stay strong and lock down his feelings before they led him down a path he shouldn’t follow.

  This time as a blue dress appeared he knew it was Peta before he turned to see her beautiful face. The way she walked and the proud angle of her chin were embedded in his memory. At the bridal store when he’d seen her in the blue dress, his heart had pounded. Now it slammed again his chest so loudly he was sure Hal could hear it.

  The silken material of the long gown clung to curves that haunted his dreams. Her upswept hair showcased the graceful line of her neck and reminded him of her sigh when he’d kissed a sensitive spot below her ear. The pink of her full lips matched the pink of her varnished nails. But no longer did he think of her hands as being soft and manicured. They were practical hands that could throw a lariat, hands that could soothe a skittish mare, and hands that could trail fire across his skin.

  She took her place beside Payton and he didn’t look away from Peta even when Kendall passed by. When a collective sigh rippled through the crowd, he turned to watch Ivy slowly walk up the aisle. As she reached the front, he again focused on Peta. He wasn’t sure, but he thought she glanced in his direction.

  Vows were spoken, rings slipped on ringers, and a kiss exchanged that was so loving and heartfelt sniffles sounded from somewhere behind him.

  As guests rushed forward to offer their congratulations and to take photos, he waited with Hal. The elder foreman’s crutches would make it difficult to maneuver his way through the crowd to reach the tables and chairs where everyone would soon sit.

  To Garrett’s surprise, after a quick glance at his face, Hal didn’t mention how stunning Peta looked. Instead he turned to talk to Sam who sat on his other side.

  When Ivy and Rhett had moved to the bridal table, along with the wedding party, Garrett helped Hal make his way to their dinner seats. Hal introduced him to Rhett’s rodeo friends and the talk quickly moved to all things country. Garrett settled back to enjoy the night. Seated in an old barn, and talking to cowboys, he could be true to who he was. Here it didn’t matter what designer suit he wore or what fancy car he had parked outside.

  A flash went off beside him. He froze, his beer glass halfway to his lips. He carefully lowered the glass, squaring his shoulders against any more rapid-fire light. But when no further flashes went off, he turned and relaxed. The person behind the camera was the wedding photographer and not any pa
parazzi.

  The first course was served at the bridal table. This time when Peta searched the barn and her glance rested on him, he was certain she’d been looking for him. He swallowed past a swell of emotion and lifted his glass in a silent toast. Her knee had to be aching wearing heels that high. She smiled before turning her attention to her meal.

  As the celebrations progressed, Garrett relaxed further. Which was more than he could say for the bridegroom. After their three-tiered wedding cake was cut, Rhett’s expression grew grim.

  Hal chuckled softly. “Poor Rhett. He’s so worried about the wedding waltz. But he’s determined to do a proper waltz to a traditional song because he knows how much it means to Ivy. The music is the same song her grandparents waltzed to at their wedding.”

  When Rhett and Ivy took to the floor and she gave him her sweet smile, Garrett could see Rhett get lost in Ivy’s smile. While his waltz was far more stiff than perfect, when it was over and Ivy kissed him, Rhett’s expression said he’d waltz another ten songs for her.

  Guests spilled onto the dance floor to also try their hand at waltzing. While Rhett danced with Kendall, Ivy gazed around the barn. Then, her hands lifting up her full skirt, she made a beeline for Garrett.

  Hal elbowed him. “Hope those are your dancing boots.”

  Ivy stopped in front of Garrett and reached for his hand. “Come on. I know you can dance. You’re the only man not looking terrified.”

  He came to his feet. “Yes, I can dance. I wouldn’t say well, but I can’t refuse a bride on her wedding day.

  He followed Ivy onto the dance floor and took her in his arms. To his left, Peta made her way around to his seat. Rhett’s cowboy friends were over talking to him and only Hal and Sam now remained at the table.

  He twirled Ivy and she laughed. “You can dance and very well.”