His Christmas Cowgirl

by Alissa Callen

  From across the table, Rhett groaned. “I thought my waltzing days were over.”

  Ivy stood and with a sweet smile took hold of his hand. “Think again. Now come and sweep me off my feet.”

  Rhett pulled a tortured face but his eyes shone with love as Ivy led him onto the dance floor. The other couples at the table followed. Peta smiled. In every instance, it was the girls who towed the reluctant cowboys up to dance.

  Garrett tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. “Ready?”

  “Not really, but I also don’t want to be the only person sitting here missing out on the fun.”

  He pulled her to her feet. “Just count one-two-three and follow my lead.”

  When Garrett pulled her close, she understood why Ivy loved to waltz with Rhett. Secure within Garrett’s embrace, it was as though the strength of his arms had the power to keep the world at bay. Color faded and all sound dulled. It was just the two of them and the promise in his eyes that said how special it would be when they made their way to their room upstairs.

  After the song ended, Peta didn’t move out of his embrace. When a flash went off close by, Garrett’s expression didn’t change but his body tensed. He swung her away from whoever was taking the photos. Ivy appeared at his side.

  “Garrett, Rhett’s thirsty after surviving his waltz. Could you please help him with the drinks?”

  Ivy’s words were light but Peta swore warning widened her eyes as she glanced at Garrett. An impression confirmed when Ivy took her arm and steered her away from Garrett before he turned to head toward the bar.

  “Ivy,” Peta lowered her voice. “What’s going on?”

  “I suspect rogue paparazzi are being escorted out after not respecting the prince’s wish to remain low-key.”

  “I did see a flash from over near where the prince was waltzing.”

  When they returned to their seats at the table, Ivy sat facing the crowd so she’d have an unobstructed view of the ballroom.

  Peta slipped into the seat beside her. “Ivy… what’s really going on? Why do I feel like you’ve just run an intervention mission? And why’s Garrett so tense around photographers?”

  Ivy settled her pale gold, tulle skirt around her before speaking. “Peta… has Garrett ever told you much about… his life?”

  “A little. Tonight, after the ball, he said he has one last part to tell me.”

  Relief relaxed the crease between Ivy’s dark brows. “Just as well, because thanks to the paparazzi being here, I have a feeling he won’t wait until later to tell you. Look… here he comes now with Rhett and the drinks.” Worry clouded her eyes. “You know the compass I gave you? Remember I mentioned a time when you might need to follow your heart?”

  “I do.”

  “Well, now could be the time.”

  Peta swallowed. What was it that Garrett was going to tell her that would make her feel like the ground had shifted beneath her feet?

  Ivy stood and typed something in her phone. After Garrett placed the drinks he carried on the table, she handed him her cell. He briefly looked at the screen, and nodded as Ivy positioned herself in front of the table. Ivy then motioned for Rhett to stand beside her. Between the two of them, they blocked the seat Peta sat in, and the one beside her, from prying eyes.

  Garrett settled himself into the empty seat next to Peta and sat Ivy’s phone face down in front of him.

  His gaze met Peta’s. “I was planning on telling you all this later, when we were alone, but circumstances have changed.” He hesitated and for the first time she saw a vulnerability beneath his confidence. “When the bank took Hal’s ranch, he lost everything. He came to work for you and I went to work on a ranch in Nevada. Hal had given me so much and I was determined to repay him and give him a home again. I worked hard, had some luck, and scraped together enough money for a small rundown ranch. I then sold it for a profit.” Garrett rubbed the back of his neck. “I then bought another ranch… and another… and eventually ended up on… this list.”

  He reached for Ivy’s phone and flipped it over to display the web page Ivy had typed in.

  Peta’s mouth dried. A single headline read, The Top One Hundred Land Owners in America.

  Garrett cleared his throat. “And because of this, I can sometimes find myself pictured… here.”

  He typed his name into the screen search engine. Photos of him with a series of beautiful women flooded the small space. Some images included headlines and were the covers from a gossip magazine or pictures from a website. Other images were to do with his failed engagement and who he dated next.

  Knees unsteady, Peta came to her feet. She’d been right to suspect there was more to Garrett than he let on. No wonder he wore a suit with such ease. No wonder he could waltz with such grace.

  The noisy and crowded room suddenly closed in on her. She was just a simple, no-frills cowgirl who, until six weeks ago, had never worn heels or makeup. She hated being in the spotlight and wasn’t glamorous, polished, or self-assured like the other women clinging to his arm in the paparazzi shots.

  She could no more fit in Garrett’s world than a pair of dusty cowgirl boots could be worn on the red carpet.

  *

  Garrett’s heart clenched. The woman he loved wasn’t overjoyed he had money. Instead, in a room of movement and life, Peta stood immobile and silent. Shock dulled the blue of her eyes and the only color in her white face was the red hue of her lipstick.

  He had to protect her. If there was one rogue photographer, there’d be more. There always was. While he’d been at the bar scouting the room, a man, who didn’t appear to be here with friends, had given him a long look as he’d walked past.

  He touched her wrist. Her skin felt ice cold. She didn’t slide her hand into his like she usually did.

  “Peta… please sit.”

  She hesitated and then sat, staring at him as though seeing him for the first time.

  “You should have trusted me with the truth earlier.”

  He wasn’t sure if hurt or anger underpinned her stiff words. “I should have… but I didn’t want to lose you.”

  Her chin lifted. “Why? Because you know I wouldn’t fit into your world?”

  He flinched. This time he had no trouble hearing the pain in her voice. “No, because you wouldn’t see the real me, just dollar signs like Jeanie did. As for you fitting into my so-called world… I’d never ask you to.” He paused as a couple walked close by. “I booked a suite here tonight because I wanted to tell you who I was and to show you that our worlds can meet. Luxury does exist in small-town Marietta and I hope… that there will be a part of my world that feels familiar to you.”

  Peta didn’t reply. Instead she tugged at the neck of her dress. “I need some air.”

  “I’ll come with you. I’ll leave by a different door, so we’re not seen walking out together.”

  She came to her feet, her chin angled. “No, please don’t. I need some space to breathe and to… think.”

  He stood and slid his hands deep into his trouser pockets. “Okay, I understand. I’ll be here waiting for you when you come back.”

  She didn’t look at him as she walked past. Throat aching, he watched her weave her way through the tables toward the lobby. Too late he noticed the man he’d seen earlier duck through the tables to get ahead of her. He’d only taken two quick strides to reach Peta, when the man produced a camera and the flash went off. A succession of bright lights glanced off Peta. She briefly froze and then continued to walk.

  From somewhere to his left, Ivy said, “It’s okay, Garrett, Rhett will go after the photographer.” Garrett nodded but didn’t slow his steps. He had to get to Peta. Ivy grabbed his arm. “Garrett, stop. On your left there’s another camera. You can’t go after her.”

  He stilled, his attention on the direction Peta had walked. Ivy was right. He couldn’t follow her. The photographer who’d snapped Peta’s photo could remain close by waiting for Garrett to appear. He couldn’t give the media anymore
fodder for their rumors.

  Ivy spoke again. “Come… dance with me and look like you’re having fun. Peta will be fine. Payton’s gone to check on her.”

  On autopilot, Garrett twirled Ivy around the dance floor. He’d learned his life lessons well. On the outside, his expression would appear relaxed but on the inside, frustration coiled within his stomach. As desperate as he was to go after Peta, he’d now have to implement damage control. If the paparazzi had done their homework, his name would have already been linked to hers thanks to the town grapevine. If he even had a hope of Peta thinking about a future with him, he had to make things right. He wasn’t losing her.

  Even for a hardened socialite, it was difficult seeing a photograph of oneself upset and emotional, splashed across gossip magazines and websites. For Peta, who’d hated having her own town dissecting her life, it would be devastating. His jaw set. He had to give the paparazzi something juicer that a supposed tiff with a supposedly new lover.

  “So what’s your plan,” Ivy asked. She’d sensed he’d come to a decision.

  “Nothing pretty.”

  “That’s okay. I’m on board. Tell me what I can do.”

  Her crisp and decisive tone left him in no doubt why she was so efficient at streamlining companies.

  “Reassure Peta I’ll be back before Christmas and tell her not to believe anything she’ll see, or hear, in the next week.”

  “Done.”

  On the edge of the dance floor, they turned to see Rhett. He shook his head.

  Ivy sighed. “Rhett must not have had any luck either finding the guy or convincing him not to publish Peta’s photo.”

  The song ended and after a final twirl, he and Ivy laughed as though the evening hadn’t become a nightmare. Anyone watching him would have no idea that the space where his heart lay had now gone cold and dark.

  Payton came to stand beside Rhett, her expression grim.

  “Sorry, Garrett,” the Beargrass Hills cowgirl said, as he approached. “Peta didn’t just go outside for some air; she’s taken my truck and gone home.”

  “That’s okay. Thanks for lending her your pickup.” He glanced around the packed ballroom. It was too early for him to leave. He had to pretend everything was all right even though the woman he loved was no longer by his side. “I’ve booked a room upstairs, so will give her a call in private from there.”

  The door to the room of the plush suite hadn’t fully swung closed behind him, when he’d dialed her number.

  His grip tightened on his phone as the dial tone continued to ring and then finally he heard her voice.

  “Hi, Garrett.”

  From her clear tone he knew she’d pulled over and turned off Payton’s truck before answering her cell. The action gave him hope she was at least prepared to talk to him.

  “Hi. I’m sorry about the paparazzi blindsiding you. Are you okay?”

  Unspoken words and emotion lay heavy between them.

  “Yes… I am. I’m sorry too… that I had to leave early.”

  He sighed. “You have nothing to be sorry about. I should have told you earlier that there’s more to me than just being a ranch foreman.”

  “Garrett…”

  “Yeah.”

  “Finding out who you were wasn’t the reason I left. I understand why you kept quiet about how much you’re worth. I wouldn’t have, but others could have, looked at you differently.” She paused. “I had to leave because of the paparazzi. I didn’t want there to be anymore pictures or to do something foolish they could write about. I’ve never been good at playing social games… and I don’t do well being under a microscope.”

  In her low words he could hear her strain and anguish.

  “And I’d never want you to be any other way. Unfortunately, I’ve become good at social games.” Bitterness tensed his words. “So I have to show the media there wasn’t anything real between us and that I’ve moved on.”

  Silence.

  “Peta?”

  “Yes, I’m still here. I’m just trying to get my head around what you said. You’re moving on… will be an act or… for real.”

  He closed his eyes at the huskiness of her voice and the fact she had to ask if his moving on was an act. He’d left so many things unsaid. But he couldn’t tell her he loved her down a phone line where there was a chance she might continue to doubt his words.

  “It will be an act and a smokescreen. I’m leaving for Wyoming from here tonight and I promise I’ll be back by Christmas Eve.”

  “Garrett…”

  The strength and resolve in her voice made his blood run cold. Maybe she’d already made the decision she didn’t want to be with him. He couldn’t blame her after being ambushed by the paparazzi. For all its luxury and glamour, the world he inhabited could be both cruel and callous. And if she had made such a decision, no amount of money would fill the void she’d leave in his life.

  He spoke quickly. “Promise me, you won’t make any hasty decisions about us. No matter what you might read, or see, in the gossip pages or on websites. We need to talk this through face-to-face.”

  The long pause before her reply chilled him to the bone. “Okay. I promise… no hasty decisions… only well thought out ones.”

  Chapter Twelve

  ‡

  “I think it’s a good picture of you,” Ivy said, as she walked alongside Peta at Carson’s Christmas tree farm. On either side of them ran neat rows of snow-dusted pine trees.

  Ivy held up her phone for Rhett to also take a look at the screen. The paparazzi photo of Peta looking like a wide-eyed deer in truck lights had made its way onto the internet.

  He glanced at Peta before commenting. “All I’ll say is, I wish the photographer had hung around. There are a few things I’d like to have said to him… starting with this is not how we do things in Marietta.”

  Ivy examined the photo again. “Peta, you know you really are very photogenic. That red lipstick looks so good. Lisa also has had more orders for your dress. It seems you’ve become quite the local celebrity.”

  Peta shuddered. “And you wonder why I haven’t been in town since the ball.”

  She leaned over Ivy’s shoulder to take another look at the photo and the headline that read, Garrett Ross’ Mystery Blonde Leaves Ball Early. “I can’t believe they call me Petronella in the article. What type of name is that?”

  Ivy smiled. “See, Rhett, I tell you all the time, don’t believe everything you read on the net.”

  Mischief lightened Rhett’s blue eyes before his face settled into bemused lines. “You mean Santa hasn’t already started his journey from the North Pole?”

  Ivy laughed. “No.” She bent to scoop up a handful of snow and threw it at his chest. Within minutes, they were all embroiled in a snow fight.

  Cheeks sore from laughing, and with snow melting inside the collar of her jacket, Peta stopped to draw breath.

  She held up her gloved hands that were soaked from the wet snow. “Truce. That was too much fun but I’m exhausted. I must be getting old.”

  When Ivy and Rhett exchanged pleased glances she realized they’d dragged her off the ranch to have some fun as well as to choose a Christmas tree.

  “You’re not the only one feeling old.” Rhett rubbed his right knee. “But you’re right, it was fun. Even though next time I’m having another cowboy on my side, so I’m not out snowballed.”

  Peta dusted the snow off her jacket to hide her expression. In a perfect world, Garrett would be with them and helping Rhett out in the snowball fight. She pressed her lips together. But it wasn’t a perfect world. It was a world in which their lives couldn’t be more opposite or more separate. Here she was covered in snow and choosing a Christmas tree and there Garrett was arriving at glittering social functions by private jet.

  She squared her shoulders and headed over to a nearby tall pine tree with a symmetrical tear drop shape. She wasn’t going to let her deep sense of loss spoil a family tradition she always enjoyed.

&n
bsp; She touched the branches, feathered with long pine needles, and breathed in the fresh, fragrant scent. “This one looks about the right height for my dining room.”

  Ivy inspected the tree. “It does.” She walked two trees down to an even taller one. “And this one will be perfect for us.”

  Peta smiled and made her way over to the tree Ivy had chosen. Ivy loved Christmas and the Rose Crown ranch house was decorated in all its Yuletide glory. Rhett already complained he had nowhere to sit because of all the Christmas cushions. “Ivy, it’s huge.”

  She grinned. “I know. It’s perfect. I’ll have to buy more ornaments to fill it.”

  Rhett shook his head. “That’s one shopping trip you can go on, Peta, because I’m never setting foot inside a Christmas shop again. Last time I didn’t think I’d ever make it out, we were there so long.”

  Both trees were cut and then loaded into the back of their trucks. While Rhett checked the trees were secure, Ivy gave Peta a tight hug.

  “How are you doing?” Her serious hazel eyes searched Peta’s face.

  “I’m okay. Ivy… was I the only one who didn’t know about Garrett?”

  “No, no one knew… except Hal. I suspect Cordell and Ethan may have worked it out from the questions they asked in Grey’s the night they met. I only know because I once worked on one of his Wyoming companies. I never met him but I remembered his name.”

  Peta withheld a sigh. Hal had said Garrett had been many things, and he had. Garrett didn’t just own land. He also owned companies. And not just any companies, Ivy only worked with those that could afford her expertise.

  Ivy touched her arm. “Don’t let this change anything. Garrett is still the man you’ve fallen for… and who’s fallen for you. Money has always defined who he is and, with you, he can just be himself. Garrett’s smart enough to know his wealth would come between you… that’s why he would have waited until now to tell you.”

  Peta nodded. She’d had a long talk to Hal about Garrett not telling her who he was. She understood even more now how much his wealth defined who he was. To come to Marietta and just be Garrett Ross, temporary ranch foreman, would have been both a relief and a respite.