His Christmas Cowgirl

by Alissa Callen

  Ivy spoke again. “You know Garrett said he’d be back before Christmas and also to not believe anything you read, or see, about him.”

  “I know. But he sure did look to be having a good time with that curvy brunette at whatever Christmas party he was photographed at. What was it the headline said? Garrett Ross Rekindles Old Romance…”

  “It’s just smoke and mirrors and part of his damage control. If you could only see the way he looks at you when you aren’t watching, all your doubts would be put to rest.” Worry tensed Ivy’s mouth. “You haven’t made a decision about the two of you without talking to him, have you?”

  “No… but things seem pretty clear at the moment.”

  This time Ivy gripped her arm. “Don’t do anything hasty. Follow your heart, remember?”

  “I will.”

  But, as Peta drove home, the voices in her head spoke louder than the yearnings of her heart. As many long rides as she took on Cloud while Scout healed, she couldn’t see a way through the differences between them. Garrett said he wouldn’t want her to fit into his world but she couldn’t see how he’d fit into hers.

  As picturesque and as special as Bluebells Falls was, Paradise Valley was a long way from city boardrooms and business meetings. Ivy too inhabited such a corporate world and had regularly flown interstate from Bozeman. But, in the lead up to the wedding, she’d cut back her consultancy hours. She’d confessed the frequent travel had taken its toll and she’d missed Rhett too much.

  Peta pulled up at the ranch house and weathered a jolt of longing when she saw Garrett’s black truck. Payton had driven his truck over the day after the ball and had swapped it for the pickup Peta had borrowed to get home. Garrett’s truck had then sat there ever since. Tomorrow was the day Garrett said he’d return. Peta’s attention lingered on his pickup. By Christmas Eve would his truck even still be here?

  Apart from his phone call from the Graff, he’d only texted and she’d texted in reply. It was as though he understood if she heard his voice all the emotions she’d wrangled over the past days would break free and overwhelm her.

  She dragged her loose hair from off her face and left her truck. Rod and Troy appeared from the barn and soon the tall pine tree had been installed in the corner of the large dining room.

  Hal walked into the room, free of his crutches. “Now that’s what I call a proper Christmas tree.”

  Peta stood back to admire the towering pine. “You think this is a tree? Wait until you see the one Ivy chose. It’s so big I hope it fits through their front door.”

  Hal chuckled and took a swallow of coffee from the mug he held. “When Ivy puts her mind to it, there isn’t any problem she can’t solve.” Hal’s eyes briefly met Peta’s. “Just like someone else I know.”

  Peta swallowed. Hal had faith that when she and Garrett had their face-to-face talk, it would end with them living happily ever after. She wasn’t so confident there was a workable solution to bridging the gulf that lay between who they were and the lives that they lived.

  Hal put down his mug and opened one of the large boxes Peta had earlier fetched from the attic. “So I guess it’s up to me to help you decorate this monster?”

  “Yes, it’s just the two of us. Rod and Troy left as quickly as they could so they wouldn’t be roped into helping. Their excuse was their calloused cowboy hands weren’t made to hang tinsel.”

  Hal grinned. “Well, it’s their loss and all the more of Ivy’s sugar cookies for us.”

  Peta smiled and opened another box. Ivy had sent a plate of her delicious sugar cookies to eat after the tree had been decorated. Peta took out a small box and soon lost herself in happy memories as she sorted through Christmas decorations her grandmother and mother had made. Hal reminisced about his past Christmases, his face softening whenever he mentioned his wife.

  When he left to make Peta a hot tea and to refill his coffee mug, Peta collected a handful of red, green, and gold round balls and climbed the ladder. When she heard Hal behind her, she didn’t look down. Instead she concentrated on sliding a reluctant hook over the long pine needles.

  “Hal, can you please pass me another three balls. You’re right, this tree is a monster. There’s so much room, even up here close to the top.”

  “The ones in the red box?”

  The plastic bauble slipped from Peta’s fingers and bounced on the floorboards. She looked down and swayed as she lost her balance. A pair of warm and strong hands grasped her waist to steady her. Her pulse drummed and stomach fluttered. She knew such a touch. And such a voice.

  Garrett lowered her to the floor, his hands remaining on her waist as he stared at her. The drawn planes of his face and the dark intensity of his gaze said a part of him too had slowly died with every day they’d remained apart.

  She trembled. There was no decision to be made. All she had to do was to follow her heart. The answers to every question she held, and the solution to any problem they might face, were in Garrett’s eyes. He gazed at her with such love, such focus, such passion, she was left in no doubt he’d do whatever it took for them to be together.

  Her hands swept up to grip his shoulders and she pressed her mouth to his. Her kiss let him know that the happily-ever-after Hal wanted for them would be their reality. She couldn’t spend another day not being in his life.

  Garrett’s arms anchored her to him. The shudder that ripped through him and the tenderness of his lips told her he understood her perfectly.

  When they drew apart, Garrett rested his forehead on hers. “I’m not having any camera flashes, or any other interruptions, stopping me from telling you how I feel. I love you, Peta Dixon.”

  “Just as well you love me, Garrett Ross, because it just so happens…” She took a deep breath as her emotions threatened to steal her words. “I love you, too.”

  Garrett’s unsteady fingers caressed her cheek, before his lips again found hers. She entwined her hands around his neck and molded herself against him. In Garrett’s arms was where she belonged.

  The faint click of a door opening and closing sounded. Garrett’s head lifted as he glanced toward the kitchen doorway. Peta smiled. She had no doubt, behind the door, Hal’s grin would be as wide as Paradise Valley.

  Garrett’s lips touched her hair. “I’m sorry I didn’t make it back sooner.”

  She ran her fingertips along his jaw. She loved how his stubble rasped beneath her sensitive fingertips. “You’re here now, that’s what matters. Besides, you’ve had a busy week.”

  He groaned. “Tell me about it. If I have to attend another Christmas party or make shallow small talk, my head will explode. But the picture of you is buried and the paparazzi are now camped outside Kristy’s door waiting for the next photo of our rekindled romance.” Garrett’s arms tightened around her. “Of which there is no truth to, either now or back then. Kristy’s an actress I met through Jeanie, who was happy to again have her name in the spotlight.” He paused. “I’m not proud of the type of women I used to date, but I know now why I chose them. They were women I was safe with. I’d never fall for them like I fell for you.”

  Peta rewarded his heartfelt words with a loving kiss. When it ended, she pulled back within the circle of his arms. There was still one major issue they needed to discuss.

  “Garrett… Bluebell Falls is in safe hands with Hal… I can’t be apart from you… so if I can at least wear my cowgirl boots sometimes, wherever you are, will be my home. I’ll work on not worrying about what people say about me and how to walk properly in heels.”

  Emotion darkened Garrett’s eyes to almost black. “I’d never ask you to change who you are or to give up your home. This ranch is who you are. It’s where Hal will bounce the next generation of Dixons on his knee and sneak them candy when we’re not watching. I too have people I trust to run things… and, if you’ll have me, Bluebell Falls is the only place I want to be.”

  She smiled through happy tears. Everything she’d ever wanted would be here, on the land her f
orefathers had settled. “Bluebell Falls will only ever be a home with you in it.”

  Garrett turned. With one hand still around her waist, his other hand reach into a small bag he’d bought with him. He passed her a glittering bauble with an intricate gold design. “Now, how about we keep decorating this tree before Hal eats all those sugar cookies sitting on the kitchen bench?”

  Peta examined the gold ball. It was very light and when she moved it something rattled inside. “Okay. But I think this beautiful ball could be broken.”

  “I don’t think so. If you pull gently, it should come apart.”

  Peta did as she was instructed and the ball broke open in her hands. Her breath caught. Garrett was right… it wasn’t broken. Instead, a diamond ring lay hidden inside the ball. Beautifully crafted, the huge solitaire was both simple and practical. Alongside the ring nestled a note written in small gold print that said, Will You Marry Me?

  She stared at Garrett.

  His lips curved and his eyes smiled, crinkling at the corners. “I do believe…” He took the ring and slipped it onto her ring finger. “You’re speechless.”

  Still she stared at him. Her heart pounded so loudly it rang in her ears. She shook her head.

  The light fled from Garrett’s eyes and the smile from his lips. “No? You won’t be my Christmas cowgirl.”

  She forced air into her lungs. “No, I’m not speechless. I can speak.”

  She laid her hand on the chest of the man she loved and she’d never thought she’d find. Beneath her palm she could feel the strong beat of his heart. “Yes, I will marry you. And yes, I’ll be your cowgirl for this Christmas and every other Christmas to come.”

  Epilogue

  ‡

  Christmas Day dawned with a flutter of snowflakes. By Christmas lunch, Bluebell Falls was covered in a fresh blanket of snow. The large wreath on the barn was now white and the red bows around the porch, snow-dusted. But as cold as it was outside, within the ranch house the log fire blazed.

  The long table in the dining room had been extended and extra chairs located. Places were set and platters of food positioned in the center of the gleaming wood. Soft Christmas music filled the room. It was a full house again for Christmas lunch.

  Little Finn ran through the kitchen, Milly, the Jack Russell, close on his heels. Finn held a stream of silver tinsel that he’d rescued from Milly’s mouth.

  “I don’t know where they get their energy from,” Ivy said, with a sigh as she stood at the bench, sectioning off small squares of feta cheese.

  Kendall smiled as she filled a jug with ice. “I suspect it’s from one of your sugar cookies that Hal, Finn, and Milly ate earlier.”

  Payton stopped chopping a tomato on the bench beside where Trinity poured ranch dressing onto a leafy salad. “Make that two sugar cookies, I saw them eat one, too.”

  Peta smiled. “Make that three.”

  She joined in with everyone’s laughter before picking up a potato salad and carrying it into the dining room.

  A tiny, dark-haired woman sat next to Brent’s mother, Ruth, and Zane’s mother, Clara. All three women chatted and smiled. Garrett had been able to fly his mother down in time for Christmas. Her rancher partner had stayed to spend time with his adult children. Even though life’s troubles had stolen the glow from her skin, Louisa remained a very beautiful woman. Garrett had inherited the grey of her thick-lashed eyes.

  For now, the rest of the table seats were empty. Garrett, Hal, old Henry, Mike, a friend of Garrett’s, and the boys had headed into the barn for whatever secret men’s business they did whenever food was being prepared. It would be the girls’ turn after lunch to take it easy, as the boys would clean up. Even her father would have a dishcloth in his hand.

  Peta returned to the kitchen and removed the cover from off the large oval platter that held a succulent glazed ham. Garrett might have returned a day earlier than expected but he’d still had time to see her father in town before he’d reached the ranch.

  When Garrett had asked for permission to marry her, Stewart Dixon had shaken Garrett’s hand and said, “See, I told you, you’ll do.” He’d also said Garrett hadn’t fooled him. No cowboy he knew wore such expensive hand-tooled boots, even if they were worn and dusty.

  She held up a piece of red velvet ribbon to check its length before wrapping it around the end of the ham. The light caught in the brilliance of her diamond ring.

  “You’re blinding me over here,” Trinity said, with a laugh. “That’s one big and gorgeous rock. I can only imagine what your wedding will be like.”

  Peta smiled but didn’t make any comment. Her attention focused on Ivy, who’d stopped cutting the feta cheese and whose hand now hovered over her mouth.

  “You okay, Ivy,” she asked.

  “Yes, thanks. It’s just this cheese, it stinks. It doesn’t usually bother me.”

  Silence settled over the kitchen as knives ceased cutting and ice stopped clinking. All eyes turned to Ivy.

  “Here”—Kendall pulled out a kitchen chair—“You’ve gone white,”

  Ivy slid into the chair with a weary smile. “Thanks. I feel dreadful. I must stop eating my Christmas baking. My body’s telling me I’ve over indulged and I haven’t even eaten Christmas lunch yet.”

  Payton and Peta exchanged looks.

  Peta sat across from Ivy and took her hand. “Ivy, you’re one of the smartest people I know… you must have thought of another reason why you’re tired and feeling unwell.”

  Color flooded Ivy’s cheeks. “I have but I couldn’t be… expecting. We’ve only been married a month. We’ve been hoping… it seems too soon.”

  She gazed at everyone’s faces before a wide smile erased the tiredness from her face. “Really? I could be?” She leapt to her feet. “I have to find Rhett. I don’t want to get his hopes up, but I also want him to stop worrying about me skipping breakfast.”

  Bridie chuckled as Ivy left the kitchen. “I won’t tell her just yet that my friend in Australia who had twins had morning sickness this early, too.”

  Soon the ham was decorated and the last of the dishes were on the table. The men returned from the barn and all the empty seats quickly filled. Peta took off her Christmas apron and noticed a large splash of sauce on her pink shirt sleeve. She stuck her head through the dining room doorway. Only hers and Garrett’s seats remained empty.

  “I’m just going to change my shirt. We’ll start lunch soon.”

  But when Peta reached her room it wasn’t just her shirt she discarded. She also slipped out of her jeans before reaching for her best cowgirl boots with the red stitching. She ran a hand through her freshly washed hair to make sure it remained off her face. She then reapplied her kiss-proof red lipstick before turning toward the dress hanging behind her door.

  She took a deep breath to still the swirls in her stomach. She’d worked hard all morning to hide her excitement and happiness. Garrett had thought of the perfect way to make sure there’d be no paparazzi at their wedding day.

  She touched the delicate fabric that was designed into an elegant, fuss-free wedding dress. As soon as she’d seen the gown hanging in Married in Marietta late yesterday afternoon, when Lisa had opened the store especially for her, she’d known it was the one. She slipped on the dress and breathed in the faint lily scent that clung to the fabric. Then with a last look in the mirror she headed downstairs.

  Secure in the low heels of her cowgirl boots, she lifted the skirt of her dress. Garrett stood, still and silent, at the base of the staircase. Dressed in a dark suit and cowboy boots, he held a large bouquet of cream and white roses. She slowed her steps so she wouldn’t trip. Garrett still had the power to steal her breath.

  When her boots touched the floor, his eyes darkened and he held out his hand. She stepped into his arms.

  “I know I’m not supposed to see you before we say our vows,” he said, voice deep with raw emotion, “but this isn’t a traditional wedding and I just wanted to tell you how much
I love you.”

  She pulled away a little so she could look into his handsome face. “I love you, too.”

  His lips brushed hers with a tender promise of a lifetime of happiness before he linked his fingers with hers and they headed to the dining room doorway.

  The door was open a crack, allowing Peta a clear view of the dining room table. Smiles adorned faces and laughter merged with conversation as the descendants of the original Wildflower Ranch pioneers celebrated Christmas together like they would have over a century ago.

  Happiness again swirled in her midriff. Just like the Montana wildflowers that could endure fire, drought, snow, and flood, all their forefathers had needed to find a way to survive in a sometimes unforgiving land.

  Generations later, the fight for survival had continued. For some of the descendants it had been overcoming a deep loneliness, grief, a broken heart, or the need to find someone to stand shoulder to shoulder with through life. Her gaze skimmed over Payton and Cordell, Ethan and Bridie, Trinity and Zane, and Kendall and Brent. But all had found someone to heal their pain and to spend forever with.

  She looked over to where Rhett and Ivy sat close together, his hand on her stomach. While for others, the next generation of Wildflower ranchers already brought immense joy. She glanced at where her fingers were entwined with Garrett’s. And now she too had found the love and happiness she’d yearned for.

  Garrett’s friend, Mike, checked his watch and then stood.

  “Hello, everyone. For those I haven’t met yet, I’m Mike, Garrett’s friend from Wyoming. But that’s not all I am. I’m also… an ordained minister.”

  Peta trembled as a hush cloaked the room. Garrett pressed a tender kiss to her temple.

  Mike continued to speak. “And this lunch isn’t only to celebrate Christmas… it’s also to celebrate a… wedding.”

  Peta saw Kendall already brush away a happy tear.

  Garrett lifted Peta’s fingers to his mouth before pushing open the door. Her hand secure in his, she stepped into a room filled with the warmth of family and friendship.