“I think…Silas’s idea isn’t unsound. It’s cruel, but it isn’t unsound.”
“And when did we get in the business of being nice?” Silas leaned back in his chair, arm outstretched as he relaxed. A relaxed Silas was a Silas who thought he’d won.
Lana was beside herself, barely able to focus on the screen in front of her. She was seeing red. “I can’t believe any of you are considering this. You’re talking about letting people get hurt, letting them lose their livelihoods for a profit we don’t even need.”
“You’re the one who made the investment, Lana,” Silas said. “Without consult from the rest of us. We’re trying to make the best of the mess you made.”
“I need to think on this,” Jessica finally decided. “Lana, Silas, put your positions on this in writing and send them to me by the end of the day.”
For the first time, Lana ended a conference call without the normal pleasantries. When her mother called back, she didn’t answer. Instead, Lana sat in an overly plush chair, the backdrop of the Chugach Mountains behind her.
If Silas had his way, too many people in this town would never make it. People like Rick would lose everything. And it was all her fault. There wasn’t much she could do. The Montgomery Group wasn’t hers to control. However…
Picking up her phone, Lana dialed the number of a man who really didn’t want to talk to her.
“Hey, Jonah? It’s Lana. I need a favor.”
* * *
She was sitting alone at the bar when a voice behind her said, “Can I buy you a drink?”
A lot of men had tried to buy Lana a drink over the years. In her world, it was a power play, a game she wasn’t interested in participating in. So Lana bought drinks for others and always for herself. But when she twisted around and saw Rick standing there, his work boots and button-up shirt not quite fitting the cocktail bar, Lana found her first smile all day.
“That would be lovely. How’s Peyton?”
“He’s already convinced Roger that he’s evil and Diego that he’s perfect. Although Quinn is so in love with that kitten, he might end up with her.”
That thought made Lana perk up. At least finding Peyton a good home had been something she’d done right. He settled into the chair next to her, his broad shoulders softening as he slouched a little in his seat. Rick was looking right at her, never wavering in his attention. For some reason, that gave her hope this day could end better than it had started.
“What would you like?” he asked.
“Double martini on the rocks,” Lana said honestly. “But I probably should have a coffee. I called a town hall tonight and need my full wits about me.”
“You called a town hall?” Rick raised an eyebrow. “Can you do that?”
“Technically, Jonah called it. I promised him it would be worth his while to indulge me this one time. I figured you would already know.”
“Are we okay?” The way he said it was quiet, those hazel eyes more brown than normal. If greener meant passion, what did brown mean? He sounded worried, hesitant and uncertain of what he was trying to say.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t we be?”
“I know last night, things went further than I’d expected. I tried to call you. I didn’t want you to think…” Rick trailed off uncomfortably. “But when you didn’t reply, I didn’t know if I was bothering you.”
Reaching over to hug him was as instinctive as it was badly needed. “I would never think that. I couldn’t imagine you ever ignoring me after—”
This time, Lana hesitated, a slight heat in her cheeks.
“Swing-time activities?” Rick offered with a wry smile.
“Porch swing-time activities,” Lana replied, flashing him a quick grin. “And I wanted to pick up, but I was busy ruining lives.”
He shook his head as if he didn’t believe that for one second. Lana wanted to tell him how badly she had screwed up, but the bartender came over. Rick ordered them both coffees, then twisted in his seat.
“Lana? What’s wrong?”
“Am I so easy for you to read?” she asked softly.
He picked up her hand, frowning down at her fingers. “These are like a little window into your head. You can be smiling and cheerful, like everything is okay. But your hands always give you away.”
She didn’t reply, because she refused to let everyone in this bar know she was rattled.
“Do you want to take a walk?” Rick’s voice was quiet so no one could overhear.
Yes. Lana desperately wanted to get out of this bar. And for the first time in a long time, she wanted to get out of this town. Guilt pressed in on her, making it hard for her to breathe.
Getting their coffees in to-go cups, they found a quiet hallway no one was using. It wasn’t scenic, but it was private. Decorative stone facing on the walls was punctuated by hand-formed metal artwork. Fish jumping in a stream. Elk grazing in a meadow. A solitary, majestic moose.
What would happen to the wildlife in Moose Springs if Silas got his way?
“I know this is just a holiday fling,” Rick said in a low, gruff voice. “But you can talk to me. If you’re upset, you can always talk to me.”
Realizing she had been abnormally silent, Lana paused by an unmarked door. Probably a supply closet, if the light scent of bleach reaching her nostrils was a tell. She took a deep, steadying breath. They were so close, the thick, scratchy fabric of his faded Carhartt jacket brushed the butter-soft leather of her own coat. Slowly, almost as if he was unsure of his reception, Rick slipped his free hand around hers, their fingers entwining.
Wrapping her arm around his neck, Lana made sure not to spill coffee on the back of Rick’s coat as she went up on her toes, kissing him. His reaction was immediate. Deepening the kiss, he released her hand, pulling her flush against his body.
“I had some bad news at work. I think I messed up.”
Rick leaned back against the wall, drawing her with him. “Everyone makes mistakes, sweetheart.”
“It was a big mistake.” Lana inhaled the scent of him. “The kind that wrecks people’s lives. It came out of left field, and now I’ve got to fight with the board of directors to make a case not to let it happen.”
“Is it a fight you can win?”
“It’s a fight I’m going to win,” she said determinedly. When people like Rick would get caught in the middle, it was a fight she absolutely had to win.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Rick asked with a quiet sincerity far rarer than he knew.
This sweet man had no idea how much his kindness meant to her. Lana wasn’t sure of how to verbalize it, so she tried to show him instead. The coffee cups kept getting in the way until they abandoned them on the floor. It was much better having two free hands. One to slide through his hair, boyishly messy, and another to press against his muscled torso, hard and strong beneath his shirt.
“Rick?” Lana whispered. “You know those porch swing activities? I could use some distracting.”
He took her hand, murmuring in her ear in a low, husky voice. “That’s definitely something I can do.”
* * *
Rick was a grown-ass man. He was not a teenager on prom night with a borrowed credit card.
There was no reason why walking into a hotel room should make him uncomfortable, not when he’d been there twice before.
Her suite had been decorated for the holidays with subtle touches of red and green in the bedspread and the blanket on her couch. The hand towel by the microwave was festive, as were the holly berries and frosted evergreen branches atop the mantel. The tree they had decorated together looked perfect next to the fireplace.
“Would you like a water or—” Lana began to say, but Rick caught her hands.
He lifted them, pressing a kiss to the inside of her left wrist first, then her right. The low tremor was something
he’d noticed more often. When she was agitated, it seemed to be worse. The fact that her hands were shaking this badly meant that she was trying very hard to hide how upset she was.
Beneath the breezy exterior was a woman who could be hurt. Then and there, Rick vowed to never, ever forget it. Sitting on the couch, he continued to hold her hands as she stood in front of him.
“Lana.”
“Holiday flings are supposed to be lighthearted and fun, not me word vomiting my bad day all over you.”
“Maybe I like a little vomit.” The words were out of his mouth before Rick could reconsider. Her nose wrinkled, then she giggled.
Lana sat on the coffee table across from him. “I guess I’m not used to having someone who wants my vomit.”
“Maybe we should change metaphors,” he said, chuckling. Rick ran a thumb across her skin, an invitation. “You’re too far away.”
Lana scooted forward an inch on the coffee table. “Better?”
He wanted to reach over and scoop her up, haul her into his arms, and kiss her senseless. But Lana wasn’t a woman to be hauled around. She was fine wine. A woman to be appreciated and waited for. Rick had as much patience as she needed.
“You can trust me,” he said quietly. “I know trust is earned, but I’m hoping you give me a chance to prove you can.”
She slipped over to the couch. This was what he needed, having her resting against him, her curves pressed to his chest.
“I do trust you, Rick. It’s just…this is new for me. I’ve been running solo for a long time.”
“I know the feeling.” Rick ran a soothing hand down her back.
“I think I was promised porch swing activities.”
Rick had always been a man of his word.
When she leaned in and pressed her mouth to his, Rick felt the tension inside him settle. With Jen, even when things were good, the tension never truly settled… No. He didn’t want to think about the things he’d done wrong or the things he’d tried to do right. Rick wanted to be here, with Lana. Appreciating every moment of whatever this was between them.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, Rick lifted her up and turned, laying her back on the couch gently. Bracing his weight on his knee and his elbow, he waited for her to wriggle into the cushions to make herself comfortable.
“You’re still too far away.” She gave him a cute, hopeful look. He let the slender arms wrapping around his waist pull him closer. Wanting more but in the best way, not the desperate, painful way.
Rick settled against her, drinking in how good it felt to finally not be alone.
* * *
Lana could have stayed in his arms forever.
As the sun set in the early afternoon sky, the soft glow of holiday lights outside the window and inside the hotel room set the kind of ambience completely perfect for being with Rick.
Whatever this was, it was happening slowly, as if he wanted to memorize each touch, each sound she made when he held her just right. She’d never had slow leave her feeling so hungry for more.
They hadn’t even taken anything off, and Lana was close to losing her mind beneath his skilled hands.
“You’re killing me,” he groaned as she broke first, fisting his shirt and pulling it up to his ribs.
“You’re wearing too much. I may die from sheer curiosity.” Another sound escaped her throat unbidden. He was far too good at far too many things.
Lana’s phone beeped. If it had been for anything else, she would have ignored it, but Moose Springs was too important.
“I’m sorry,” she said, still rucking his shirt up higher. “I have to check this.”
If he minded, he didn’t let her know. Instead, Rick rolled onto his back, drawing her across his chest and giving her the perfect spot to reach for her phone on the coffee table, where she’d abandoned it forever ago.
“If it’s an evil moose attacking my Christmas decorations, ignore it. We’re busy.” Rick inhaled deeply to catch his breath. Lana knew the feeling. She wasn’t much of an exercise girl, and she was definitely winded.
“I’m going to have to start doing more cardio to keep up with you,” she said.
The pleased look on his face was so endearing, Lana made a mental note to repeat it as often as possible. He deserved to feel good. Rick certainly made her feel more than good and more than once. Had she ever had a hand stroke lazily down her back like this, finding the perfect places on her spine to make her toes curl? Lana could barely read the words in front of her face.
“Be less attractive for a minute.”
Rick’s hand settled on her hip. “You’re ruining me, gorgeous. Absolutely ruining me.”
“If I’m killing you and ruining you, then I had better make amends. But right after I send this text.”
Hazel eyes watched her, distracting her even as she read the message.
Pleased, Lana patted Rick’s chest. “Good news. Something very positive just happened. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to cut this short because we have someplace to be. The emergency town hall meeting I asked for was just officially called.”
“I have it on good authority that town hall meetings have terrible cookies and mediocre coffee.”
“Yes, but this one will have something very important I need.” She headed to the hallway mirror. “Oh dear. You’ve mussed me good, and there’s no time to fix it.”
“You look great.” Coming up behind her, Rick wrapped an arm around her, pressing a soft kiss to her neck before looking at their reflection in the mirror.
Lana wasn’t at her best by far. Her makeup was smudged, and her hair was in desperate need of a combing. But Rick had never looked so relaxed. Lana turned, then kissed him, unable to help herself. A sound of masculine approval met her action, and Rick in turn pressed her back into the wall, hands roaming.
“I wish otherwise, but I really do have to get to the town hall. It’s for the good of the town.”
“The town is perfectly good,” he said even as he stepped back. “The town has never been better.”
Lana patted his muscled arm. “The town is fabulous. But trust me, this is one meeting I absolutely cannot reschedule.”
Lana did her best to fix what two hours with Rick had mussed up, then she gave up and called it as it was. She had make-out face. There was no getting past it.
“I’ll call for my car,” she told him as Rick drew on his jacket.
Rick pulled his keys out of his pocket, jangling them. “No need.”
“You’re coming with me?” When he tilted his head as if confused, Lana clarified. “I’m not…popular at the moment. I don’t want to cause you problems.”
Understanding dawned, followed by a frown. “You think I’d mess around with you but pretend we’re not together?”
Lana’s voice was soft. “I don’t want you to lose any friends because of me.”
“If I lose a friend because of who I love, then they weren’t a friend to begin with.”
Who he loved?
The words must have slipped out, because Rick’s face went all kinds of shades of red. “I didn’t…” Immediately, Rick clamped his mouth shut. Of course he didn’t. Who fell in love with someone so quickly? Especially when this was just a holiday fling, meant to help two people get through Christmas. This wasn’t a love story to last.
This wasn’t a love story at all. Just a holiday-themed coping mechanism.
So why was she so crushed?
“Lana.” Rick’s tone softened. Nope. She knew what was coming next, and this had been a rough enough day. She didn’t need to hear him explain that his blunder was just that: a mistake.
“It’s okay, dearest. We all slip up.”
She hustled around, finishing getting ready and not meeting his eye. Of course he didn’t love her. Rick was a smart man, too smart for that. It was the season of ch
eer, not the season of bad choices. Then she steeled her spine, because she would not let this hurt her. Turning, Lana smiled breezily at Rick.
“Okay, how do I look?”
“Lana.” Rick’s voice was quiet. “Just because there’s an elephant in the room doesn’t mean we have to pretend it isn’t there. I don’t know how I feel. But when I do, you’ll be the first to know. If I’m slipping up, it’s because I do care about you.”
Lana’s phone beeped again, and if a beep could sound more urgent, this one managed to pull it off. They really did have to go.
Resting her palm on his cheek, Lana said softly, “It never occurred to me otherwise.”
* * *
She’d let him off the hook far easier than she should have. Telling someone you loved them and then retracting it was the kind of screwup that should have resulted in a yelling match or at least some well-deserved tears. Instead, Lana had stood straighter, plastered that smile he was starting to hate on her face, and promised him everything was okay.
Everything wasn’t okay, not by a long shot, but Rick was determined to make it up to her. Lana was too used to having to stuff her feelings down deep, to ignore when she wasn’t being treated well, to the point that she was oblivious to what she deserved from a partner. Honestly, up until today, it hadn’t occurred to Rick that she’d never had a partner she could trust to have her back.
She hadn’t even thought he’d want to go with her to the meeting.
They’d driven all the way to the town hall when Rick realized he hadn’t said two words to her, so lost in thought as he was.
“I’m not ashamed of you.”
Lana had been scrolling through her phone, frowning at what she read in her email. Before she could respond, Rick added tightly, “If anyone has a problem with you, they have a problem with me too.”
“I can handle this,” she said softly, resting her hand on his arm. Then she shook her head. “We’re late, and I’m going to be in trouble if we don’t get in there.”
As they got out of the car and headed across the parking lot, Rick wondered at this feeling in his chest. Tightness, the kind he wasn’t used to. Not quite anger…more like he was ready to fight. Rick didn’t like the feeling, and it bothered him to think that Lana must feel this way all the time.
Mistletoe and Mr. Right Page 23
