Christmas with the Rancher

by Mary Leo

  The sleigh held not only Travis, which was bad enough, but Dusty, his pretty little wife, Dora, who couldn’t be more than five foot two inches tall in heels, bartender Milo Gump, a mountain of a man under a brown cattleman’s pinch-front hat, his pink-haired, pregnant wife, Amanda, and Jaycee, without her baby. Her husband, Fred, had stopped by to take little Bella home right after Jaycee had nursed her, thank you very much. They were all seated inside the covered sleigh, sharing thick wool blankets, looking warm and cozy despite the bitter cold, singing Christmas carols.

  Of all the things Bella did not want to do, sitting up front with Travis and sharing a blanket while those two magnificent, perfectly marked, bay-colored Clydesdales with their classic white socks and well-defined blaze faces pulled everyone home, was on the top of her list.

  “I can walk. I’ll be fine,” she told him in no uncertain terms and turned away from the sleigh, facing what had to be the snow challenge of her life.

  But Dusty had other ideas.

  Before Bella could take one step, he jumped down from the sleigh, picked her up by her waist and deposited her on the red leather coachman’s seat next to Travis.

  “This is for your own good, darlin’,” Dusty said, and a moment later the sleigh was gliding over the snow-laden street heading in the opposite direction from the inn with Bella trying to stay as far away from Travis as possible.

  “Come on and move in closer. I won’t bite,” Travis said while a raucous version of “Sleigh Ride” echoed from the group sitting inside the sleigh.

  “No...thanks,” she told him, her jaw quivering.

  He glanced over at her. “Your stubbornness is going to give you frostbite. You look like you’re shaking.”

  She turned to face him. “You had this planned, didn’t you?”

  “Sure did.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I thought so.”

  “Don’t be so dang smug. This has nothing to do with you. I always take them home when I bring my sleigh to town. Just makes sense, especially in all this snow. Nothing personal. Now, slide on over here and get under this blanket before I have to take you to the E.R. for hypothermia.”

  He moved the reins to one hand and with the other held the blanket up for her to slide under. A fiercely cold breeze slapped her face with snow and her hesitation at once dissipated. She slid over as close as possible without touching him, tucked the blanket over her legs and at once felt warmer.

  “Now, isn’t that better?”

  “It’ll do.”

  The sleigh hit a small drift and suddenly her hips and legs rested against his, the warmth of his body permeating hers.

  “Mmm, I like that,” he said. “Reminds me of when we used to sit together up in the attic at your place.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s only because we hit a bump in the road.”

  “I’d say we’ve hit more than a bump.”

  She threw him a look, but didn’t respond. Her thoughts weren’t quite clear at the moment, and she didn’t want to say anything that she’d regret later. Instead, she slid away from him until he hit yet another drift and she slid into him once again.

  “Give it up, Bella. You’re too cold and this seat is way too small for you to act as if we barely know each other. Snuggle up and make yourself comfortable. It’s going to be a long ride.”

  She relented and allowed herself to find comfort in the warmth of his body, and in so doing she caught herself silently singing a rousing rendition of “Jingle Bells.”

  Being that close to him generated enough heat to instantly do away with her shivers. She hated the undeniable fact she still had feelings for him despite all the hours she’d cried herself to sleep when she was a teen. Living so far away had purged the childhood hurt, and had transformed her into a take-charge, hard-as-nails businesswoman who prided herself on being completely in control of her emotions. Very little fazed her or made her cry anymore. In some business circles she was even referred to as cold, uncaring and even downright heartless.

  Yet here she was getting all torn up over her close proximity to Travis Granger, so much so that her eyes welled up.

  And she’d been certain she’d gotten over him years ago.

  Yeah, right.

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING, Travis awakened early, unable to sleep. All he could think of was Bella Biondi’s body rubbing up against his under that blanket in the sleigh. And that smile...get outta town. Way too much emotion had been surging through his veins for a sound sleep, especially since he’d spent the night at the inn, only steps away from Bella’s room. He’d boarded his horses and stowed his sleigh in the stable behind the inn. It was easier for him to stay in town during the week before Christmas, where Nick always provided a free room.

  He’d gotten offers to go home with two childhood classmates who he’d once hung around with after Bella and her mom had left town, but he wasn’t interested in lighting a fire under those relationships. Truth be told, he’d never been interested in either one of those women other than as friends, but to this day, they never seemed to get the message.

  Until last night when he told each of them flat out, and even then there was the whole “benefits” conversation. A waste of time, he told them.

  With Bella back in town, his entire focus had shifted, especially since he’d caught something in her eyes last night while they were riding inside the sleigh: a genuine, unfiltered happiness. More than once he’d spotted her pretty lips mouthing the words to a Christmas carol, as if she had no control over the surge of joy that overtook her. It was that surge he wanted to appeal to. That playfulness he thought he might tap into and keep her right there in Briggs, at least until he could get her to let her guard down and enjoy the holiday he now knew she secretly still loved. No one who truly disliked Christmas would sing along with the group, no matter how cool she acted or what she said.

  Sometime around dawn, he’d gotten up, showered, dressed and took off for the only place in this entire town where he might find something that would help bring out that playfulness: the attic inside Dream Weaver Inn. He thought if he could locate the tiara he’d overheard her talking about with Jaycee that maybe he’d be able to help her find Christmas in her heart. He knew she hadn’t taken it because he’d wandered into her bedroom right after she’d left and found it lying on the floor next to her bed. At the time, even though Nick had told him she and her mom had moved away, he hadn’t believed it. Instead, he assumed they’d be returning one day soon, so he’d picked it up and placed it on her pillow.

  Regrettably, she had never returned and her bedroom had later been converted into a guest room. Knowing Nick never threw anything away, Travis hoped the tiara would be somewhere up in the attic and he intended to find it.

  * * *

  A LOUD THUMP awoke Bella much later than she had planned. She’d set the alarm on her phone to go off at precisely seven-fifteen, but unfortunately she’d left her phone in her purse and hadn’t heard it go off. The antique metal clock on the nightstand told her it was now almost twelve-thirty in the afternoon. Luckily, she and her dad still had enough time to catch the flight she’d booked if they hustled.

  She rolled onto her back and sighed. So far nothing had gone as planned. She reflected on the red sleigh Travis had brought her home in last night.

  Did she dream it?

  What single guy owned a horse-drawn sleigh?

  There was something not quite right about that, and definitely not something she wanted any part of, even though she had to admit Travis had made the experience more fun than she’d expected it to be. Once she’d warmed up and relaxed, she could have ridden next to Travis all night long...of course, she could never admit that to anyone. Especially not to her dad who would rip up the paperwork and sabotage the entire deal.

  Besides, that feeling she had last nig
ht was merely a moment in time. Not something she could base her future on. She was a city girl now who would soon be achieving her professional dreams. The country part of her had long since been replaced with high-rise buildings, trendy wine bars and corporate meetings. She wanted nothing to do with anyone or anything country and that included Travis Granger and this darn inn.

  Another thump and this time she knew it was coming from the attic. She guessed her dad must be up there packing. Not that he had time to pack anything other than his clothes at this point.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  She felt the noise down to her toes and wondered what the other guests were thinking. It had to stop if only for her own selfish reasons.

  Bella slipped out of her cozy four-poster bed and peeked out the windows expecting to see that most of the snow had been plowed off the roads, but instead nothing was moving. The roads were still thick with snow and not a car or plow in sight.

  This was a catastrophe. She’d never get out of this darn town.

  She checked her phone for messages. She had six text messages from her assistant, several emails marked urgent and, along with voice mail from a few of her friends who were undoubtedly inviting her out for a drink, there was one voice mail from her dad.

  She rarely listened to voice mail and instead simply returned the call. But since her dad seemed to be up in the attic, calling him was a waste of time.

  Instead, she washed up, answered her other messages, combed her hair, patted on some thick concealer to soften the dark circles under her eyes and smeared on a bit of lip gloss to make herself look somewhat decent in the tiny well-appointed bathroom.

  She had always loved this room when she was a kid. It was now the biggest guest room at the inn, but it had served as their living room when she was growing up. It had always been decorated in bright shades of green and gold and it still held that same tradition. The wood was mostly walnut, along with the dark wood floor. Still, because the drapes were a lighter floral and the high ceiling had been purposely kept white, the room gave off a cozy Victorian ambiance. Add to that the gas fireplace which she’d kept going all night long, and the room was positively heaven.

  Too bad every stitch of furniture in it would have to be sold. TransGlobal had their own style for their guest rooms and it certainly didn’t include antiques. They prided themselves on uniformity and consistency in both service and comfort. Their furniture was identical in every room, along with the bedding, carpeting, drapes and anything else that went into a TransGlobal Inn.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  She slid on the provided white terry robe and slippers and stomped out into the hallway in the direction of the private stairway that led to the attic, ready to confront her dad for his persistent noise.

  “Dad! Dad! You’re making too much noise.” She tried to keep her voice down as she stood at the bottom of the wooden stairs, gazing up at the open doorway to the attic.

  “Then maybe you should come on up here and help me move some of this stuff,” Travis said as he walked into view.

  The man seemed to be everywhere. Was he stalking her?

  “What are you doing up there?”

  “Looking for this,” he said and held out the tiara he’d been holding behind his back.

  Without hesitation, Bella took the stairs two at a time. When she arrived at the top Travis handed her the treasure.

  “Where did you find it?”

  Bella carefully cradled the delicate tiara in her hands.

  “Hanging on a nail behind some old pictures. I overheard you talking to Jaycee last night and thought you might like to have it again. It was pretty dusty, but it cleaned up easy.”

  “It looks beautiful. Thanks.”

  The rhinestones sparkled against its silver frame. It looked exactly as it had when she first won it, maybe better.

  “Your trunk is up here, as well. That’s what was making all the noise. Your dad must’ve moved it up on the rafters and when I brought it down it kind of got away from me.”

  Bella had all but forgotten about her trunk. Her childhood memories would be tucked inside, even some of her journals. Her stomach tightened just thinking about what she might find in there.

  He walked over to the trunk and opened the lid. She hadn’t had time to lock it before she left Briggs with her mom. At once she saw her grandmother’s white lace suit and a rush of memories flooded her thoughts.

  The trunk now sat open in front of the only window in the attic. The window she used to hang out of to see the entire town and the window she and Travis climbed out of at night during the summer so they could stare up at the stars from the roof and talk about their dreams. She had thought those nights would never end.

  Silly girl.

  Not that she was complaining. Her life in Chicago was great, but she really didn’t need constant reminders of all that she’d left behind. What good did it do, anyway? She could never live in Briggs even if she wanted to. Her future was in Chicago where she could flourish. Briggs would only stifle her ambitions.

  Besides, there was only one person she cared about in Briggs and that was her dad. No one else mattered. Especially not a bearded Travis Granger who apparently thought so little of himself he didn’t even shave in the morning. Why on earth he persisted in that silly beard was beyond her, but it went along with the entire town. No one really cared about fashion or trend.

  She wondered why she sometimes still pined over this place.

  A total waste of time.

  Anger replaced the tightness in her stomach, anger at her parents, but mostly at Travis for finding the stupid tiara and stirring up forgotten memories.

  “You should’ve left it up in the rafters. It’s all junk that can be thrown out.”

  “Don’t you want to look at what’s inside first?”

  “Not particularly.” She tossed the tiara inside the trunk, then wandered away without looking at anything else. If she’d lived without the trunk and its contents for all these years, she certainly didn’t want anything now. “I need to talk to my dad. I presume he’s in the lobby?”

  “He told me he called you and left a message on your phone. His staff will cover for him today.”

  She flashed on her phone messages. “I haven’t listened to it yet.”

  “Well, then, you don’t know he drove over to Jackson yesterday before the roads closed. He won’t be able to get back until they open again.”

  The back of her neck ached.

  “Any idea when that might happen?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe sometime later today, if it doesn’t snow again.”

  The thought of spending yet another night in Briggs caused her stomach to reel, especially if she had to spend it around Travis.

  “I need to get home.”

  “You are home.”

  “I live hundreds of miles away or didn’t you notice?”

  “I know where you live, but Briggs will always be your home.”

  “I was scheduled to leave this so-called ‘home’ today. I’m not prepared to hang around for any length of time. This isn’t how I planned it.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest hoping the tension she was feeling would dissipate.

  It didn’t.

  He shrugged and grinned, flashing that sexy smile of his, but she was in no mood to be wooed by his charms. “As the saying goes, life is what happens...”

  “That might be true, but I don’t have time for this.”

  “Look,” he continued. “You might be stuck here for a couple more days. Why not relax and enjoy it? There’s a wagon-load of fun events planned. You might actually get a kick out of some of them.”

  She took a step closer to him, staring right into those sexy gray eyes of his. He smelled clean, masculine. She swallowed and took a deep br
eath, concentrating on what she wanted to say.

  “Let me straighten you out,” she told him. “I am not here to have fun. I’m here to work and put this sale behind me. Nothing and no one is going to stop that from happening.”

  He stepped in even closer so they were only inches away from each other. “Do you even know how sexy you look when you’re giving out ultimatums?”

  She refused to give in to his flattery. “Does this work on other women?”

  “Never had the need to use that line before.”

  “A word of advice—it doesn’t work. I’m not the least bit intrigued. Matter of fact, I find you annoying.”

  “That’s a good start.”

  She could feel his breath on her face, soft and warm.

  “Believe me, there is no beginning. Just the end.”

  “Was it a good story?”

  “What story?”

  “Ours.”

  She couldn’t help the smirk that snuck up on her. “We have no story.”

  “This is our story. These moments. This encounter. Last night when you clung to me for the entire ride home.”

  “I had no choice.”

  “There was plenty of room inside the sleigh. You were free to go on back there whenever you wanted to, but you didn’t.”

  It had never occurred to Bella to move to the back. What could she have been thinking?

  That was the problem; she hadn’t been. Between the beer, the cold and seeing all her old friends she had operated in some sort of fog.

  She could feel her resolve disappearing. She needed to get away from him.

  Taking a couple steps back she said, “I didn’t like all the singing. But that’s beside the point. If I’m stuck here for a few days, I’ll need to buy some clothes.”

  “We can walk to town. I’m sure the shops are open.”

  “I can do it on my own, thanks.”

  “I need to go to town, anyway, and besides, you might fall again in those city boots and need someone to give you a lift up.”