by Marin Thomas
“The judges liked Michael Foster’s ride. He earned an eighty-two! Congratulations, cowboy!”
After the applause died down, the announcer introduced Hannah’s brother. “Up next is Luke Buck, another contender from the Juan Alvarez Ranch for Boys. This is also Luke’s first official go-round.”
Hannah crossed her fingers when Luke climbed on top of his bronc.
“Luke will try to tame Midnight Express this afternoon. This is the bronc’s first rodeo, too.”
The gate opened and Midnight Express jumped out, bucked once, then froze.
“Folks, it looks as if our bronc might be shy today. Let’s make a little noise and see if we can rile him.” The fans jumped up and down on the aluminum bleachers, creating a deafening din. All of a sudden Midnight Express reared and Luke slid off, landing on his butt in the dirt.
“Well, now, that wasn’t fair, was it?” the announcer said. The fans booed the horse.
“Looks as though the judges are going to give Luke and Midnight Express another chance.” The rodeo helpers walked the horse back to the chute and Luke climbed the rails and slid onto the horse’s back. This time when the gate opened, the bronc bucked.
Hannah held her breath as Luke flopped from side to side. He hung on until the buzzer, then jumped for safety. His landing wasn’t much better than Michael’s. She mumbled a silent prayer of thanks when Luke waved his hat to the crowd and walked back to the cowboy ready area.
“Not bad,” Alonso said.
“Luke Buck earned an eighty-one for his efforts and sits in second place!”
“I have no idea why men believe getting whiplash is exciting,” Hannah said.
“Let’s congratulate him.” Alonso took her hand and they left the stands before the other boys finished riding.
When they arrived behind the chutes, Luke and Michael were high-fiving each other and laughing.
Luke noticed her and Alonso and raced over to them. “Did you see me?”
“We did!” She hugged Luke. “Congratulations on making the buzzer.”
“It wasn’t a great ride, but it was fun.”
“Let’s hope you get a better draw next time,” Alonso said.
Luke exchanged a private look with Michael, then lowered his voice. “Can Michael come to the ranch for Christmas? All the boys are leaving for the week but Michael has nowhere to go.”
“What do you mean he has nowhere to go?” she asked.
“His dad’s in prison and no one knows where his mom is.”
Hannah felt bad for the teen. And relieved. If Michael kept Luke occupied during the winter break, her brother wouldn’t be tempted to get into trouble. “Sure, Michael can stay with us.”
“You don’t have to buy us any presents. We don’t care about that stuff.”
Hannah suspected Luke had already invited Michael to join them for the holiday. Luke brought his friend over and introduced him, then Hannah said, “We’d love for you to spend Christmas with us, Michael. I’m sure Alonso will appreciate the extra help with chores.”
Luke groaned, and Alonso grasped both boys’ shoulders. “I’ll keep you busy day and night.”
“Maria said you can pick us up next Thursday.”
“Okay,” she said.
“Thanks, Hannah.” Luke and Michael went back to the chute to cheer their friends on.
“I have my doctor’s appointment that Thursday,” Hannah said.
“I’ll get the boys.” He nodded to the arena. “You want to stick around for the rest of the rodeo or head back?”
Hannah’s gaze swung to Luke and Michael goofing off with the other teens. She wanted Luke to have fun and not worry that he had to spend more time with her. “We can leave.”
When they reached the pickup, Alonso said, “How about we look for a Christmas tree today?”
Hannah hadn’t planned on spending money on a tree, but now that Luke was bringing a friend home she should at least try to fake a little holiday cheer. “Okay.” Hannah squirmed into a comfortable position on the seat. All she’d done today was sit on her keister, but keeping her eyes open any longer was impossible.
Chapter Eleven
Alonso glanced between Hannah and the road. She’d fallen asleep minutes after leaving the rodeo in Los Alamos. He attributed her sleepiness not only to her pregnancy but to worry. He wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be okay, but it wasn’t.
The Blue Bison was struggling financially. Hannah was about to become a single mother. In two years there was a good chance Luke would hit the rodeo circuit and leave all the responsibility for the ranch on Hannah’s shoulders. And then there was him—the father of her baby was scared senseless.
No matter which way he twisted his thinking, there was no getting over the fact that they were bringing a baby into a world full of hatred and tragedy. He’d seen too much bad to believe their child could escape every evil. What if something happened to the baby that was beyond their control—an illness or accident?
Granted, he’d seen more bad than good because of his chosen career and time spent in the military. But there was bad everywhere—even Hannah couldn’t escape it two hours outside of Albuquerque. Her ranch had been the target of vandals. And no matter where you lived, whether it was a major metropolitan area or a small town like Paradise, people were people and not all of them were good. Their child might be able to avoid inner-city gangs and violence in school but there were rural thugs who preyed on people, too.
As a trauma surgeon he could save victims of violence and tragic accidents, but he couldn’t prevent them. There was no running away from life, no matter how far he walked. He had a lot of thinking to do when he returned to the hospital after the holidays. Maybe a break from Hannah would help him see things in a different light.
When he drove into Paradise, he parked next to the Christmas-tree lot adjacent to the gas station. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
Hannah’s lashes fluttered open and their gazes clashed. In that unguarded moment she smiled, and his heart melted when he got a taste of what it would be like to see her smile every day. “Sorry.” She yawned. “I was more tired than I thought.”
“Ready to find a tree?”
She unbuckled her belt and peered through the windshield. “None of them looks very good.”
He chuckled. “We can’t be picky. We’re late getting into the Christmas game.” He walked around the pickup and opened her door.
An older man with a grizzled face greeted them. “Howdy, folks. I’ll take ten bucks off the price if you buy one today.”
Alonso studied the evergreens and said, “They look like something Charlie Brown would drag home.” Hannah’s belly laugh lightened the mood. It was amazing how her smiling eyes could improve his outlook. “What about that one?” He walked over to a tree with a gaping hole on one side. “You can face this side toward the living room corner. No one would know half the tree is missing.”
“What about the gun closet?”
“I’ll move it.”
“Seems like a lot of work for half a tree.”
“It will look better once it’s decorated. And if you have outdoor lights, I’ll string them across the porch.”
“How much is the tree?”
“I’m buying it,” he said.
“You don’t have—”
“It’s only fair that I pay, because you’ll be stuck taking down the decorations.”
“Fine. You buy the tree.” This time when Hannah smiled her eyes didn’t sparkle. “I’ll wait in the truck.”
Alonso paid for the sickly evergreen, then used the twine the salesman provided to secure it in the truck bed. As soon as they arrived at the ranch, he set the tree on the porch.
“I need to check the herd before it gets dark,” Hanna
h said.
“Want me to tag along?”
“No, I’ll be fine. There’s a tree stand in the attic.”
Alonso watched Hannah drive off, wishing he hadn’t mentioned her being stuck taking down the tree. His leaving was going to put a damper on Christmas.
What did you expect? She knows she can’t count on you for the long haul.
Maybe so, but he had to find a way to make the holiday special because he wanted to see a smile on Hannah’s face when he left her.
And he would leave.
Maybe if he told himself that over and over he’d finally believe it.
* * *
HANNAH BREATHED A sigh of relief when Alonso’s image grew smaller in the rearview mirror. After he’d unloaded the tree, she’d got behind the wheel and driven off to check on the bison.
Alonso reminded her at every opportunity that he was leaving, but he couldn’t hide the truth from her. It was there in his eyes each time he looked at her. He felt obligated to stay—for the baby’s sake. When push came to shove, the man was not going to abandon her. As much as she appreciated his sense of duty toward her and the baby, she didn’t want to hold him back from being what he needed to be—a trauma surgeon.
She was doing exactly what she wanted to do with her life and it wouldn’t be fair if Alonso had to sacrifice his calling because they’d messed up and she’d ended up pregnant. Besides, they’d only been together a month and a half—they hardly knew each other.
You know the important things about Alonso—that’s enough to build a relationship on. Maybe so, but staying together because of the baby would only carry the relationship so far—then what? Things would grow awkward between them and Hannah would eventually have to insist that he leave.
Hannah checked all the pastures, relieved when she found no signs of property damage. When she returned to the house she saw Alonso standing on a ladder stringing lights across the overhang. As she drove past the tractor behind the barn she noticed it sat at an odd angle. She parked by the porch, then admired Alonso’s handiwork.
“That looks nice,” she said.
“I found the lights in the attic when I was looking for the tree stand.”
“Is the tree in the living room?”
“Yep, and so are the bins with the ornaments.”
“Thanks.”
“Hannah?”
“What?”
“There’s a baby crib in the attic.”
“That’s Luke’s.”
“I can put it together if you want.”
“Luke can help me with that later.”
A long pause followed, then he said, “Sure.”
“Alonso, does the tractor look as though it’s sitting at an angle?” Maybe pregnancy hormones were affecting her vision, but she swore the machine leaned toward one side.
He climbed down the ladder and stared across the driveway. “Maybe. Let’s go take a look.”
When they reached the tractor they both gaped in disbelief. Two of the tires on one side were flat.
Alonso dropped to his knees and examined a wheel. “Looks as if someone shot out the tire.”
A new tire cost upward of a thousand dollars. And now with a two-thousand-dollar insurance deductible she was screwed. She didn’t have that kind of money lying around. She removed her cell phone from her jeans pocket and contacted the sheriff. He was out on a call so she left a message with Sandy.
“I’m sorry, Hannah.”
There was that look in his eyes again—the one that said he couldn’t leave her to face her troubles by herself. As much as she wanted to cry right now at this latest turn of events, she had to remain strong. “I wish I knew why I’m being targeted. Good grief, I don’t have any enemies.”
“You sure Seth Markham and his father aren’t behind this? They want your ranch. Maybe they think you’ll get fed up and sell out if they keep nickel-and-diming you.”
“They’d never do anything illegal and risk losing their own property.” As they walked back to the house, Hannah asked, “How would you like homemade hot chocolate while we decorate the tree?”
“I’ve never had homemade hot chocolate.”
“Then, it’s about time you tasted the real stuff.” They went into the house and he showed her the tree. “You’re right. The corner is the perfect spot for it.” Too bad she couldn’t stand in a corner and make the hole in her heart disappear.
* * *
ALONSO UNHITCHED THE flatbed trailer next to the barn, then parked the pickup by the house. It had been in the low forties when he’d left to feed the herd at dawn. Now the sun was out, but a brisk wind kept the temperature from climbing and made the ache in his back worse. Now that Luke was home from the boys’ ranch, he and Michael had set up camp in Luke’s bedroom and Alonso slept on the couch. Hannah had offered to clear out some of the junk in the third bedroom and bring in the cot from the barn but he didn’t want her to go to all that trouble for a few nights.
When he entered the kitchen, the aroma of fresh-baked cookies filled the air. For an instant he caught a glimpse of what future Christmases would be like for his child—with a single mother struggling to make the day special. Hannah would perform all the holiday duties—baking cookies, decorating the house and helping with school parties and plays. But she’d do it alone.
Didn’t he want better for his child than what he’d experienced growing up with a single mother? “I don’t think it’ll warm up much today,” he said, alerting Hannah to his presence.
“The weatherman on the radio said there’s a chance of snow flurries tonight.” She smiled—that same forced smile she’d given him the day they’d returned from the boys’ ranch at Thanksgiving. If he didn’t know better, he’d almost believe Hannah was too cheery, especially for a woman in her situation. Then again, maybe she was putting on a front for Luke and Michael because it was Christmas.
“I bet the boys would like it to snow.” He glanced down the hallway. “Are they up yet?”
“They’re out in the barn, feeding Buster and cleaning his stall.”
Alonso was relieved that the teens were following through with their promise to help out with chores. “I bought these for the guys yesterday when I went into town.” He removed the iTunes gift cards from his pocket. “Do you have a box for them or wrapping paper?”
“You didn’t have to get the boys a gift,” she said.
“I wanted to.” He suspected Christmas gifts weren’t in Hannah’s budget this year.
“I know they’ll appreciate them.” She went back to rolling out the cookie dough on a cutting board.
Today was Sunday—Christmas Eve. Hannah had gone to her medical appointment in Albuquerque three days ago and insisted everything was fine.
“You didn’t say much about your doctor visit on Thursday.”
“I told you. He said I’m healthy. And the baby’s healthy, too.”
He gave her a minute to elaborate. When she didn’t, he asked, “Did your blood work turn out okay?”
“All good. He wants me to come in for an ultrasound in February.”
“I’ll go with you if you want.”
She stopped rolling the dough. “You’ll be working at the hospital by then.”
He tried to read between the lines but couldn’t figure out if Hannah wanted him to go with her or if she was trying to give him an out. He didn’t have time to ask, because the back door opened and the boys joined them in the kitchen.
“It’s Christmas Eve,” Luke announced.
Hannah laughed. “That’s right. Santa Claus is coming tonight.”
“Can Michael and I go into town and rent some movies?”
“Sure. Pick out a Christmas movie we can watch later,” Hannah said.
Alonso caught the secret look the t
eens exchanged and worried they had more on their mind than renting movies. “I’ll drive you guys into Paradise.”
“That’s okay. I’m gonna take the Civic,” Luke said.
“Don’t stay out too long. I’m making a big pot of chili and corn bread for lunch.”
“Ms. Hannah, can I have a cookie before we leave?” Michael asked.
She waved the teen over to the counter. “Frosted or unfrosted?”
“Frosted.” He picked a snowman then bit its head off. “These are awesome, thanks.”
“Take a few for the road,” she said.
The boys loaded up on cookies and after they left, Alonso said, “I have an errand to run. Do you mind if I use the pickup?” Alonso wanted to make sure the boys really intended to drive into town. The last thing Hannah needed to deal with was Luke running into an old friend and getting into trouble with him.
“Sure. Take your time.”
Alonso gave the Civic a head start before he took off in the pickup. When he arrived in Paradise, he spotted the car at the convenience store. Relieved Luke had kept his word about renting movies, Alonso parked farther down the street in front of the drugstore—far enough away that Luke wouldn’t notice the truck when he and Michael got ready to leave town.
Alonso hadn’t bought Hannah a present when he’d picked out the gift cards for the boys because he didn’t know what to buy her. He stared at the flashing neon sign advertising an ATM inside. She could use extra cash but she’d never accept money from him—not even if he claimed it was for his room and board. He’d lived with her since the beginning of November yet he didn’t even know her favorite color.
But you know her dream.
And her dream of keeping the Blue Bison afloat was becoming more iffy with each passing day. As long as he remained on the job as a trauma surgeon he was confident he could help Hannah keep the ranch. He had a nice nest egg saved from his time in the military—she could use the money to pay a hired hand to help her with the herd. And he’d send her generous child-support checks each month. He wasn’t worried about her financial situation. And until now it hadn’t occurred to him that one day Hannah might meet another man who’d be more than willing to take care of her and his baby. What if she fell in love with the hired help? Did he want another man raising his child?
