The Cowboy's Christmas Bride

by Patricia Johns

  This county—this road—was as much a part of her as her own blood, and seeing it torn apart hurt on a gut level. Andy had seemed properly surprised at the impact his choice had had on their ranch, but it didn’t change where the blame lay. He’d had one foot out of town for as long as she’d known him. Again, a lot like Nina Harpe—the woman engaged to her brother, Brody...whom her brother still believed he’d marry. Except, Nina had up and married Brody’s best friend while he was stationed overseas with the army. Nina was more than beautiful—she was voluptuous and sexy, a Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday to the president. Apparently, one of her virtues wasn’t patience.

  Dakota wasn’t given to petty grudges. She believed in second chances and people’s ability to grow, unless that person had singlehandedly impoverished her family’s land or broken her brother’s heart. Her benevolence had a limit. To be fair, Brody’s heart wasn’t broken yet...but that clock was ticking.

  And yet, in one small corner of her own heart, she found herself pitying Andy. He deserved what he got—there was no ambivalence there—yet the softer side of her still hated to see someone suffer. Even Andy Granger.

  A few miles farther led to her own drive and she slowed to make the turn. As her tires crunched over the gravel, her phone chirped on the seat beside her. It was an incoming email. She glanced down and saw that it was from Brody. It was always a treat to hear from him, except lately, when he was asking more persistently about Nina. There was more to that story and she couldn’t be the one to tell him.

  Dakota and Brody always had been close as kids. She’d been fiercely protective of her quiet big brother, and he’d never really treated her like a little kid. Before he’d left, they’d discussed the future of the ranch in depth together, and it felt weird to have him so far away. But this was what Brody had always dreamed of, joining the army and protecting his country.

  A brown, floppy-eared mutt raced after the truck as she pulled to a stop next to the single-level ranch house. Shelby bounced excitedly, planting several muddy footprints into Dakota’s jeans when she opened the door.

  “Hi, girl,” she said, scratching the dog behind the ears.

  “That you, Dakota?” Her mother’s voice came from the house and then she appeared at the screen door. Her sweater was rolled up to the elbows, her front covered in a floral print apron and her hands—held up like a surgeon’s—were covered in flour.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Where were you?”

  “I was just lining things up with the Grangers for their cattle drive.” Dakota gave Shelby another rub and then headed toward the house. She kicked her boots against the step on her way in.

  She glanced down at her phone and skimmed her brother’s email as she came in past the screen door.

  “What are you reading?” her mother asked, glancing over her shoulder. She was working on some cinnamon buns, rolling out the fluffy dough with a heavy, wooden rolling pin.

  “Email from Brody.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  They all missed Brody. He’d been gone a full year now, and anyone who heard from him was honor-bound to share with the rest of the family. He was serving the country, and Dakota was so proud of him it almost hurt sometimes, but that only made their secret here at home all the heavier.

  “He’s asking about Nina again,” Dakota said as she came into the kitchen, and she and her mother exchanged a look.

  “What did you say?” her mother asked, reaching for the butter plate.

  “I haven’t answered him.” Dakota sighed. “I really don’t like lying to him, Mom. He’s going to hate us for this.”

  Brody was the big, burly kind of guy who kept his thoughts to himself, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel things deeply. Dakota had often thought the girl who ended up with her brother would be lucky, indeed, which was why his choice of Nina Harpe had been such a disappointment. But he’d asked Nina to marry him and she’d accepted. What could they do?

  “I don’t want him distracted over that little idiot when he’s dodging bullets,” she retorted. That little idiot was what her mother had called Nina since she’d sheepishly announced she was marrying Brian Dickerson eight months after Brody had been deployed. She’d followed through with that—a tiny wedding she’d agreed to keep secret—and then promptly moved to the city with her new husband. To add insult to injury, Brian had been Brody’s best friend since elementary school. They both were going to have some explaining to do when Brody got back home. As was Dakota when she’d have to tell her brother why she’d kept the secret, and she wasn’t looking forward to coming clean. Brody was going to be crushed.

  Brody was better off without Nina, though. She was flighty and more preoccupied with material objects and celebrity gossip than she was anything worthwhile. She had perfectly coiffed red hair, swaying hips and breasts like melons. She left a cloud of perfume in her wake, and a string of gaping men.

  Nina was a self-involved flirt, much like Andy Granger, but having Nina take up with Brian behind her brother’s back was worse. Brody’s taste might be a little lacking, but he deserved better than that while he fought for his country. Apparently, Nina hadn’t been able to wait long before she got sidetracked by the next available guy. They’d all agreed to keep the secret until he got back. Then Nina could rip his heart out at her leisure, when he was safely home again.

  “Don’t worry, I have plenty to distract Brody with,” Dakota said with a wry smile. “Did you know that Chet and Mackenzie are at the city hospital right now?”

  “I just heard that from Audrey,” her mother said with a frown. “Apparently the babies are low in amniotic fluid and she needs to be under medical supervision. Who’s taking care of the ranch while they’re gone?”

  “Andy.”

  “What?” Her mother looked back. “Seriously? So the prodigal son has come back, has he?”

  “As a favor to Chet, he claims,” she replied, her mind flashing to the meeting at the Granger ranch. “So he’ll be the one leading the cattle drive. I don’t think Andy knows enough to lead one on his own, but apparently he’s going to try.”

  Her mother fell silent and they exchanged a tired look. Andy Granger was old news. They’d talked about him on a regular basis, and he’d grown bigger and badder with each mention.

  Dakota remembered coming back late one night after the construction had started and the water had dried up, and could recall overhearing her parents talking in the kitchen, their voices filtering through the open window. Her father had sounded so gutted, so deeply sad, that his deep voice trembled.

  “Millie, we might lose this place...” There had been a pause so long Dakota’s leg had almost cramped as she’d tried to stay still. “That Granger kid... He did this. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him.”

  Dakota had never forgotten those words or the quivering sadness in his voice. Because of Andy, her father stood to lose the land that fueled his heart, and she was determined to do whatever it took to keep them ranching.

  Hence looking for side work and extra income. She’d taken anything she could get for the last several years, but it had never quite added up to enough.

  “The cattle drive starts Monday,” Dakota said. “So, like I said, I’ll have plenty to update Brody about without having to say much of anything about Nina.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” her mother asked. “You agreed to work with Chet, not Andy.”

  “There aren’t that many jobs posted right now, Mom.” Dakota picked up an apple from the fruit bowl and polished it on her shirt. “And the Grangers are paying pretty well. Don’t worry. I can deal with Andy Granger for a few days.” Dakota shot her mother a grin. “I’m pretty sure he’s more afraid of me than I am of him.”

  Her bravado was only partially sincere, though. She wasn’t looking forward in the least to doing a cattle d
rive with Andy, but the last thing her mother needed was to shoulder more guilt about the family finances. It wasn’t her fault that she’d gotten sick or that the insurance company had fallen through when they’d needed them most. What mattered was that she’d gotten the hysterectomy she’d so desperately needed and was back to full strength.

  “As for Nina...” her mother added. “We only have to keep the secret until your brother gets home in February. Just a few months longer. I’d rather have him find out when he has family support.”

  It was an old conversation—one they’d had a hundred times before—and Dakota stared down at the polished apple in her hands.

  “What about Dad?” she asked cautiously. “I know how he feels about Andy and all—”

  “He’ll be fine. A paycheck is a paycheck.” She smiled wanly. “As long as you think you can handle it.”

  Dakota took a bite of the crisp apple and chewed thoughtfully. Times like these she missed her brother the most. Brody would have some wisecrack to make them laugh and he’d manage to cut Andy down to size in no time.

  “I’m going to go fill the feeders before it gets too late,” Dakota said. They’d done their own cattle drive last month and the whole herd was back in the nearby fields. The cows wouldn’t wait, and she still had to sort out how they’d manage the work while she was gone for a few days. There was one thing she wanted more than anything else, and that was to ranch this very land she was raised on, if only she could get her father to let go of his hopes for Brody taking it over. She glanced down at her brother’s email.

  Is Nina okay? She seems distant, but I guess I’m a bit distant, too. I want to do the right thing and marry her when I get back. I know you don’t like frilly stuff, but any chance you’d pitch in and help to put together a wedding?

  This family was in tatters; their finances were shaky. Right about now, doing a cattle drive with the man who’d dried up their land didn’t seem half bad compared to facing the rest of their problems.

  She needed a paycheck. She’d start with that.

  * * *

  HARLEY WEBB ARRIVED on time with a cigarette behind his ear and a worn New Testament tucked into the front pocket of his fleece-lined jean jacket. He looked young—too young for this job. He’d barely grown a mustache and the rest of his face looked smooth as a boy’s. A cowboy hat sat firmly on his head and his hands looked too big for his wiry physique, like an overgrown puppy. So this was the bottom of the barrel, apparently.

  “Harley, I take it?” Andy asked, shaking the kid’s calloused hand—at least he’d done some hard work in his life.

  “That’s right,” Harley replied. “Good to meet you.”

  While Dakota had the unpleasant surprise of seeing Andy instead of Chet, Andy had been the one to call Harley for an interview, and it was mildly relieving not to have to explain his presence to someone. That being said, he didn’t know this kid from Adam, and he was used to having some sort of personal association with the men who worked the ranch—either they’d worked on a neighboring ranch in the past or were related to someone from the county. Harley, however, seemed to have dropped down from above—a gangly, questionable gift.

  “So where are you from?” Andy asked, leading the way into the house.

  “Idaho,” he replied.

  “And what brings you here?” Andy stood back while Harley came inside. He gestured to a kitchen chair and both men sat. Harley took off his hat, his thin, brown hair flattened against his forehead.

  “I came out here to visit some family,” Harley said. He fiddled with the edge of his hat. “Decided to stay a bit longer, and I need to make some money.”

  Andy nodded. It sounded plausible. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-two.” Harley laughed self-consciously. “Trust me, I get carded a lot.”

  “You have some ID?” Andy asked, and Harley shrugged, leaned the side and pried a wallet out of his back pocket. His Idaho driver’s license confirmed his age.

  Andy handed it back. “All right. So let’s talk experience, then.”

  “I was raised on a ranch,” Harley said. “I’ve done it all. I can rope, herd, brand—you name it. I’ve done cattle drives before.”

  He sounded confident enough—and today was Saturday. There wasn’t much time to find another drover if he didn’t take Harley.

  “You know anyone around here who can vouch for you?” Andy asked. “You said you’re visiting family. Who are they?”

  “My sister—her name is Holly Webb. She lives in town here.”

  That didn’t help. He’d never heard of her. “Anyone else?”

  “Sorry.” Harley shook his head. “But I’ll work hard. You can count on that. I’m honest and I’ll earn my keep.”

  Andy paused, considering. Hiring someone at the car dealership was different, since he had a human resources official to check into work histories and the like. He had no way of checking out Harley’s story on such short notice. This one was left up to his gut. The way he saw it right now, they could ride with Harley or without him. Even if he wasn’t much of a drover, he’d be an extra body for night watches. That was something. On the bright side, he might be as good as he claimed. Besides, he’d showed up on time and, despite Andy’s teasing of Dakota earlier, he did value punctuality in his employees; it showed the kid wanted the job.

  “Okay, well, this is what we offer.” Andy wrote a number on a slip of paper and slid it across the table. “That’s not negotiable.”

  “Looks fair, sir,” Harley replied with a nod.

  “If you want the job, you’re hired,” Andy said. “We start out Monday at sunup. Be here an hour early and we’ll get you fitted with a horse. I’ll need a copy of your ID...”

  The next few minutes were filled with legalities and forms. There was something about Harley that Andy liked. Maybe it was that Harley was oblivious to Andy’s past and only seemed to relate to him as a boss and source of a potential paycheck. Call it vanity, but it felt good to be called “sir” again instead of the other, less flattering descriptions he’d overheard. Ordinarily he’d be more cautious about an unknown ranch hand, but lately he was a little more sympathetic toward people wanting a fresh start. They weren’t so easy to achieve and he envied those who managed it.

  Plus, with Christmas coming up, he was more sentimental than usual. Christmas was hard—it had been ever since his mother had passed away right around the holiday when he was thirteen. Christmases were never the same without her. It wasn’t anything concrete like her cookies or the way she always found the perfect gift for the people she loved...it was her. Without Mom, it was like the sun dimmed and the moon went out. Those were some of the memories he hoped to escape when he left Hope after this cattle drive. Christmas needed to be in Billings this year—in his modern apartment with his new life. He couldn’t face another Christmas in Hope.

  After Harley left, Andy took the paperwork into the office. He pulled out a fresh file folder and grabbed a ballpoint to write out the newest employee’s name. Andy wasn’t quite the lackadaisical jokester that Dakota took him for, but her assumptions weren’t her fault. He’d worked for that reputation out of a deep sense of hurt and betrayal. He wasn’t a guy who liked to advertise his vulnerability because, ironically enough, even though he’d put his teenage energy into proving he didn’t care, the thing he’d wanted most from the people in his community was their respect. Maybe even a “sir” now and again.

  But that was long gone.

  When he was a kid, his brother and his dad would go out to check on the cattle. Andy used to go with them, but he felt the inequality in how they were treated. Chet was his dad’s favorite, the one he talked to when he was explaining how something worked. Andy was just along for the ride—or that was how it felt. He was treated like a little kid, even though he was only two years younger than Chet, and when he told jo
kes, his dad would say, “Enough,” and the growl in his voice said it all. Mom wasn’t like that, though. When Andy told her a joke, she’d throw back her head and laugh.

  She also made an amazing blueberry pie.

  He’d never be like his stoic father, but he wanted a woman like his mom—full of love and laughter, who stood by her man through thick and thin. If there was one thing about Mom, she was loyal. Even when the laughter stopped and her eyes turned sad, she was still loyal.

  He tucked the photocopies of Harley’s ID and his signed contract into the file folder. He dropped it in the back of the employee section of the file cabinet the way Chet had organized it.

  Andy turned off the light on his way out of the office. For some reason an image of Dakota kept rising in his mind when he thought about what he wanted in life, and it was like his subconscious was taunting him. Dakota was the one woman who never would fall for his charms. She never had. In fact, she was the woman with the biggest grudge against him.

  And yet there was something about the way her eyes snapped fire when she’d stood there in the driveway, cheeks pink from the chilly wind and a thumb hooked in her belt loop... If you want to know why people are so ticked with you, this is it.

  Apparently he was a sucker for punishment. He’d come back to help out Chet in his time of need, and that was where it was supposed to stop. He’d known full well it would be hard. He’d known he’d have to deal with some painful memories. He’d even known he’d be resented. He just hadn’t counted on feeling this attracted to the one woman who resented him most.

  Andy pushed the thought aside and grabbed his hat off the table where he’d tossed it. There were chores to be done, animals to check on... He had enough to worry about for the next week or so. Keeping his mind on his job was the best solution he could think of.

  Chapter Three

  Monday morning, the sun was just peeping over the horizon as Andy cinched the girth on his saddle tighter. Early rays of sunlight, pink as a grapefruit, flooded the fields, sparkling on the frost that clung to every blade of grass. Dawn made the ranch cozier somehow. It was the rose-splashed sky and the long, dusty shadows—a moment in time that hadn’t changed over the years. He could remember this exact moment of the day when he was a kid holding a bucket of chicken feed, staring at the sky.