by Amanda Renee
Emma may be relatively new to town, but she knew her way around. The way they were heading home was definitely the most direct route and not to see any Christmas lights.
“Okay, Scrooge. Do you mind telling me what happened back there? You were fine when we arrived and then you weren’t.”
“Is there something you want to tell me?” he asked.
“Like what?”
“Like, I don’t know, maybe how you went into town today and pulled the plats on my ranch and Barnaby Holcomb’s. I can understand you pulling the plats on my land, although you should have them already. At least your office should. But Barnaby’s? I’m sure he’ll find out about that. This is a small town and news like that spreads faster than green grass through a goose.”
Emma didn’t know what to say. She clasped her hands on her belly and faced forward. If he could get this judgmental without discussing it with her then they had a problem.
“I guess it’s true, then.”
“You tell me. You seem to have already made up your mind.”
“I had told you I wasn’t going to sell. So why would you do that? It puts me in a really bad position.”
“Because it’s my job, Dylan. I spoke to Charlie earlier and he asked me to pull the plats on the Holcomb ranch so he could see the land survey. It doesn’t matter if you were planning to sell or not. I’m not just answering to Charlie. I have to answer to a group of investors. If it goes south, I have to detail the reasons why and what I did to prevent it. Just be glad I’m the one here from my firm. They are already clamoring to take my place. You thought I pressured you? They would’ve swarmed like vultures around you.”
“No, they wouldn’t have. I would’ve thrown them off my ranch. Just like I—”
Emma snapped her head in his direction. “Just like you what? Should’ve done with me?”
“No. I was going to say just like I had tried to do with you.” He tugged off his gloves and adjusted the heat. “I feel like a damned fool taking you to my brother’s house and then hearing that.”
Emma began to feel lightheaded. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying her best not to raise her voice. “How do you think I feel knowing I sat at your brother’s table and neither one of you trusted me?” The thought alone made her feel sick. “You both made me feel about as welcome as a skunk in church.”
“How can we have a relationship if there isn’t any trust?”
“We can’t. So let’s put it all out there.” Emma fought against her seat belt in an attempt to gain more air. “You’re only mad at me because if Barnaby Holcomb hears I pulled the plats on both lands he’ll think I did it for you. And you don’t want anything to jeopardize that offer, do you? Why didn’t you tell me you received another bid on the ranch?”
“I knew it. How did you find out?” Dylan pulled into the supermarket parking lot and shifted the Wagoneer into Park. “I haven’t even discussed that with anyone.”
She unbuckled the blasted restraint and turned to him. “I overheard you and that man talking when I snowshoed out to the stables yesterday. Seriously, Dylan, if you don’t want people listening in, I suggest you hold your meetings in a more private place like...oh, I don’t know...maybe your house or your office. I waited over twenty-four hours for you to tell me about that offer and you haven’t said a word. You probably still wouldn’t have unless I brought it up.”
“I didn’t tell you because I haven’t made a decision. It’s a nice offer to fall back on, but it’s not exactly what I had in mind. I would have preferred a partnership with Barnaby instead of relinquishing control of Silver Bells, but it was an all-or-nothing deal. I still have so many ideas for the ranch. I’m not ready to give it up.”
“What if I said you could have your dream ranch?”
His icy laugh crackled between them. “Did I suddenly win a lottery I don’t remember entering?”
“My firm has increased their offer by $100,000 and will guarantee employment for all current employees. While it won’t be immediate employment at Silver Bells, we are willing to pay relocation fees if they want to work at one of our other investment groups resorts anywhere in the world.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.” Emma couldn’t see how he could refuse the offer when it gave him the freedom to build whatever he wanted. “It would be a great opportunity for them. And you could buy your dream guest ranch here or elsewhere. You don’t have to split the money with anyone and with the extra hundred grand, your options just increased exponentially. Imagine the possibilities.”
“How can you preach to me about honesty? When were you planning to tell me this? After I told you about my offer?”
“My boss had asked me to tell you last night and get back to him today with your answer.”
“So why didn’t you?” Dylan rubbed the sleeve of his jacket against the fogged window.
“Because you invited me over for dinner and to decorate the Christmas tree in your uncle’s memory. I wanted to honor him as well without ruining the moment with business.”
Dylan’s shoulders sagged and Emma believed she was finally getting through to him. “Fair enough. But I still don’t understand why you pulled the plats. Oh, my God, they want Barnaby’s ranch, too, don’t they? Or was his a consolation prize in case I didn’t sell?”
“It was a combination of both. If you don’t sell and we present the investors with equally suitable land, the deal will remain intact. Just with different owners. And if you sold to us, we would try to purchase his land and expand the original design.”
“And you would get your promotion.”
“Yes, I would, but it wasn’t about that.”
“Whose idea was it to go after Barnaby’s land? Yours or your boss’s?” Dylan asked.
“I presented the idea and Charlie gave the go-ahead to pursue it.” Emma swallowed and patted her belly. The butter bean was beginning to rock and roll inside her and Emma wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand the pressure. “You should be happy. In the end, you’re getting what you want. You never wanted to sell in the first place.”
“This is about you being honest with me, Emma. At least now we know neither one of us has been completely honest with the other.”
Emma waved her fingers at the car keys. “Hey, the butter bean’s not too fond of our conversation. We need to get back to the ranch.”
“Are you all right?” Dylan started the engine and shifted into gear before taking her hand. “Do you need me to drive you to the hospital?”
“No.” She continued to breathe. “It’s just Braxton-Hicks again. I know what it feels like this time around.”
“If you’re sure?”
“Just drive, Dylan.” Why did men always have to argue when you needed them to do something? “You still haven’t answered me. What about my offer? It’s pretty substantial.”
“You seriously want to talk about this now?”
“As long as we both stay calm, we might as well get this over with once and for all. You’ve heard my final offer. What’s your final answer?”
“It was never about the money,” Dylan said under his breath.
“No, I thought it was about your employees. We’re offering them a tremendous opportunity, and you’re refusing to give them the chance to even consider it. I could understand if after you had sat down with them, put it on the table and they said no. But for you to make that decision for them...” Emma shook her head. “That tells me this was about your stubborn pride from the beginning.”
* * *
DYLAN PARKED AS close to the lodge’s entrance as he possibly could. Before he could get out of the Wagoneer, Emma had opened her door and was testing her ability to stand.
“Here, let me help you to your room.” Dylan gripped her firmly by the elbow.
“I’m fine.” She shrugged out of his grasp. “Please just go home and leave me alone. You bring out the contractions in me. I’ve had enough for one night.”
“I’ll let Sandy know what’s going on so she can check on you.”
Emma swatted goodbye over her shoulder as if he were a mosquito she was trying to kill. “Don’t call me, I’ll call you.”
He understood Emma’s annoyance, considering he was once again the reason she was in this condition. Nonetheless, he watched her through the glass doors as she made her way up the stairs and to her room. He tugged his phone from his jacket pocket and punched in Sandy’s number. He knew she was busy with her wedding plans, but he needed someone to check in on Emma during the night and there was no way she’d allow him anywhere near her. Which was fine by him. They needed some distance.
After speaking with Sandy, he called Melinda for good measure. And then he called Harlan to fill him in on the details. He loved his brother dearly, but Harlan may have overreacted a tad to the situation, which in turn had damaged Dylan’s relationship with Emma. He couldn’t blame his brother for being suspicious. It was his nature as an officer of the law to question everything, but neither one of them had had the facts. He couldn’t fault Emma for doing her job. He may not like it, but it was her job and he had known that before they got involved. He couldn’t expect her to put her livelihood behind his.
He’d been an ass. And a first-class one at that. He needed to make it up to her, and there was only one way he knew how. He unlocked the front door of the house, flicked on the lights and tore through the stacks of paperwork on the kitchen table until he found it. The drawing he had sketched of the rocking horse for Emma’s baby. And on the back, a cradle. He may never have the opportunity to see the butter bean use them, but he wanted her to have something special that he had made with his own two hands.
Dylan ran back down the front porch stairs, almost wiping out in the process. He drove the Wagoneer farther down the road to his log cabin, and pulled around back near the woodshop. Christmas was in four days, technically three once midnight rolled around. Both were fairly basic designs, but he needed to start now, if he planned to have them finished by then. That is, if she didn’t pack up and leave in the morning. There weren’t many hotel-type places to stay in town. But Whitefish and Kalispell weren’t far and he was sure they’d have vacancies available. Then he ran the risk of never seeing her again. And he couldn’t bear the thought.
Dylan ran his hands over a couple pieces of mahogany he had set aside for a special project. He didn’t know what could be more special than Emma’s baby. He already missed the butter bean and they hadn’t even met yet. Hopefully he’d still have that chance.
Chapter Twelve
Christmas Eve morning rolled around and Emma had managed to evade Dylan since their argument. He hadn’t seen a single sign of her around the lodge and had even questioned Sandy if she was still staying there. Her rental hadn’t moved from where she’d last parked it days ago. After Luke told him Emma had been avoiding the dining room because of him, he began eating at home so she could freely mingle with everyone else.
He understood and respected her reasons, but it was Christmas Eve. Nobody should be alone on Christmas Eve. His brother Garrett and his two children would be arriving soon. Harlan, Belle and Ivy were joining them for dinner and even Wes agreed to make an appearance. It was as close to complete as their family could get with Ryder being in jail and his mom in California with her new husband.
Bracing himself for an onslaught, he knocked lightly on Emma’s door. When she didn’t answer, he knocked again. Still no answer. He figured either she wasn’t there or she had seen him through the peephole and refused to acknowledge him.
Unwilling to give up that easily, Dylan thought of the one thing that would get her to open the door. He took a few steps back and started to sing at the top of his lungs, “Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!”
He heard Emma fumble with the lock before swinging the door wide. “Are you crazy? Keep your voice down. The situation is bad enough. I don’t need you telling everyone what we did.”
“You mean that we made love on a sleigh under a moonlit sky. Sounds pretty romantic to me.” Dylan scanned the length of her body, reassuring himself she was okay.
“Hey, cowboy, my eyes are up here.”
“Can I come in?”
Emma stepped aside. “Why not? You own the place.”
For someone who hadn’t been out of the hotel for days, she’d certainly been busy. Neatly wrapped packages lined the wall next to the bed. Numerous pink and blue bags sat next to the bed along with new soft pink luggage.
“Where did you get all of this stuff?”
“I picked up a few things here and in Kalispell.”
“But your car hasn’t moved.”
Emma’s left brow rose. “What did you do, draw a chalk outline around it? I haven’t been driving. I don’t trust myself in case I get one of those Braxton-Hicks contractions again.”
“Who’s been your chauffeur?”
“Well, if you must know, yesterday I went into town with Melinda and Rhonda, and other days I called for car service. What is the big deal?”
Here, Dylan thought she’d been cooped up in a room avoiding him and she’d been out having a good time. Which was great for her, it just made him feel like a complete and total idiot.
“I didn’t realize you were going out. I thought you were staying in your room because of me.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. No man is ever worth locking yourself in a room and pining over.”
Emma certainly didn’t keep her feelings to herself.
“I know you are still mad at me and I can’t blame you. It’s Christmas Eve, and I would like to invite you to celebrate with my family. They will all be here tonight and despite what happened with Harlan, who feels bad about the situation, I think you would have a good time with us. We are loud and fun, a little quirky, but most importantly we all believe there’s always room for one more at the table. Besides, I have another reason for asking you.”
Emma sat on the edge of the bed, looking as uncomfortable as the day was long. “What is your reason?”
“Jax used to play Santa for all the kids on the ranch. Since he’s no longer here, I’m playing Santa, and I was hoping you would be my Mrs. Claus. I asked Sandy, but she’s too busy getting ready for the wedding. Unless you’re not up to it.”
Emma seemed more pregnant than she had a few days ago. He’d always heard about women popping in the weeks leading up to the delivery, and he wondered if this was what they meant.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m just tired. I overdid it yesterday. What time do you need me to play Mrs. Claus?”
“Not until after dinner. I’m honoring the tradition and hosting it at Jax’s house. We have more than enough food, especially since I didn’t make it. The chefs here did. It’s very casual and I would love to see you there.”
Emma studied him for a second or two, making him think she’d say no. “Where am I supposed to find a Mrs. Claus costume?”
“Oh, we have one. The woman who used to play Mrs. Claus quit over the summer.” Dylan held up his hands. “And before you ask, yes, you will fit into it. It’s very loose fitting.”
“Okay.”
“Okay to which part?” Dylan wanted her to say yes to both, but his heart couldn’t afford to get his hopes up. Just being in the same room with her knowing she despised him was agony.
“Both, if someone’s willing to pick me up and drive me back.”
“And by someone I am assuming you mean someone other than me.”
Emma shifted on the bed so both of her legs were outstretched in front of her. “I will ride with you, providing you behave yourself.”
It was a
start, and he was thrilled to have the chance to try and set things right between them.
“I will pick you up out front around 4:30, if that’s okay.”
“Good, then I can nap until three.” Emma rolled on to her side, and he longed to spoon her as he had the night of their sleigh ride. “Can you lock the door behind you, please?”
The sound of her breathing had changed from normal to deep before his hand reached the knob. She was already asleep. He allowed himself the pleasure of watching her for a few seconds before leaving. She was beautifully strong and fragile in the same breath, and he already missed her more than he should.
* * *
EMMA AWOKE TO the sound of her text message tone. It was Sunday so nobody from work should be bothering her. She reached for her phone and saw Dylan’s name on the screen. Wasn’t it enough that she had agreed to spend the evening with him and his family? She just hoped this time went better than the last. Besides, she’d already met three of the Slade men, she might as well make it an even four. She tapped the screen to display his message.
Just a friendly wake-up text since you hadn’t set your alarm before you fell asleep.
Had she really fallen asleep while he was there? She replayed his visit in her mind, unable to remember him leaving. Well, that had been incredibly rude of her. Even Dylan didn’t deserve that.
Dylan didn’t deserve most of what she’d been dishing out. She hadn’t been avoiding him because she was mad. A bit miffed, but not mad. She had kept her distance to maintain her sanity and protect her heart. She couldn’t believe some of the things she’d done. Namely sleeping with a virtual stranger. But even more so, she couldn’t believe some of the things she’d almost done. Like contemplating partnering with him on the ranch. She needed to have her head examined for all of the above. If she had been one of her friends, she’d be extremely worried about them. Which was why she hadn’t filled Jennie in on any of the juicier Dylan details. Her recklessness embarrassed her, but dammit if she didn’t miss him.
