Harlequin Superromance December 2013 - Bundle 1 of 2: Caught Up in YouThe Ranch She Left BehindA Valley Ridge Christmas

by Beth Andrews

  Abbey had on a red-and-white striped shirt with a green jumper over it. A jumper with a giant candy cane on it. It looked more appropriate for school than for a wedding, but looking at Abbey’s pleasure, Maeve knew she’d have had the same response as Lily. “You look absolutely beautiful. It’s a very festive dress.”

  “Yeah, I know.” The little redhead nodded so hard she whacked her head on Maeve’s cheek. “Sorry,” she said. “But I told Aunt Mattie it was a good wedding dress.”

  Maeve rubbed her cheek as she laughed. “I’m sure you did.”

  “And who is this beautiful lady?” Aaron asked.

  Abbey turned her attention to Aaron. “I’m Abbey Langley. And I got a new dress for the wedding.”

  “I can see that,” Aaron said. “You look stunning.”

  Abbey’s eyes narrowed. “Is that a good thing or not?” she asked Maeve.

  “A very good thing. It means you look princess beautiful.”

  Abbey threw herself from Maeve’s arms toward Aaron.

  Maeve couldn’t help but wonder if it meant something about Aaron that even though Abbey didn’t know him, she trusted him to catch her. He stepped out of the receiving line, still holding the little girl as she imparted a long story. Aaron gave her his complete and utter attention.

  “Sophie, you look beautiful,” Maeve said.

  “I look like a house, but thank you for lying,” Sophie said.

  Her husband kissed her cheek. “I like houses.”

  Maeve laughed. “That was the wrong response, Colton. You’re supposed to tell her she’s beautiful and not the least bit houselike.”

  “She is beautiful,” he said.

  Maeve stepped out of the reception line. Tori, Sophie’s daughter, was at the back of the church. “You came with a date,” she said. “I’ll have to call off the troops.”

  “What troops?” When Tori didn’t respond, Maeve sighed. “I thought we had a discussion about fixing me up. Don’t. I’m totally happy with my life. I don’t need a man messing it up.”

  “Yeah, men do make life messier, but when you see those three guys—” Tori pointed to Colton, Finn and Sebastian “—with their wives, you’ve got to admit, sometimes messy is worth it. I’m the daughter of two wonderful parents who are still in love. Even my grandparents are still crazy about each other. You could say they’ve all corrupted me.”

  Maeve looked at the three couples Tori was pointing to. “They do look happy,” Maeve admitted. “But I’m happy, too.”

  Tori pointed at Aaron, apparently engrossed in whatever Abbey was saying. “He seems very nice.”

  “He...” She hesitated. If she’d been asked the first day she met him, she’d have assured Tori that he wasn’t nice, that he was annoying as all get-out. But looking at him today, she didn’t feel even mildly annoyed, despite the fact that he’d called her Red again and accused her of being a romantic. “He’s okay. He’s been helping me with something big.”

  “Oh, the house for those people in your driveway. Yeah, I heard. Mom and Dad said we can stay late tomorrow so we can help. You lost a whole day of work today because of the wedding.”

  That wasn’t quite the truth. Maeve had gotten those few hours of painting in. But after Aaron’s reaction, she thought it was better not to mention that. She was silent and let Tori continue.

  “We figured you could use the help. And Dad, he can do anything. He said we’d come up the next weekend, too, and bring Papa.”

  “How did you hear already?” Maeve asked.

  Tori laughed. “Maeve, you know this is Valley Ridge, right? We stopped at the bed-and-breakfast, and JoAnn told us all about it before we unpacked. We were going to stay at Sophie’s, but we figured she’d be busy with wedding stuff, and with my new brother on the way, we didn’t want to wear her out.”

  “Oh.” Of course. The Valley Ridge grapevine was stronger than the grapevines in the vineyards that surrounded the town.

  Tori waved at her parents. “I’ll see you at the reception. Dad’s motioning for me to hurry up.” She flew out the door.

  Aaron came back over, sans child attached to his hip. “I got thrown over for a younger man.” He pointed to Abbey who was standing with Joe and his sisters.

  “Women are fickle creatures,” Maeve teased.

  “Are you ready to head over to the reception?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  After they’d retrieved their coats, Aaron wrapped her arm through his.

  It felt nice.

  They walked across the church’s parking lot to the reception hall. It was the largest gathering place in Valley Ridge. Not quite as big as Colton’s barn, but more than ample enough for a reception.

  The hall was beautifully decorated, too. Lily had strung garland, woven with small twinkly lights, across the ceiling. At each point that the garland swagged up to the ceiling, there was mistletoe. Poinsettias were placed on the serving table and gift tables.

  The dining tables were covered with red table clothes. Candles in hurricane lamps were surrounded with evergreen branches.

  “Beautiful.” She hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud until she caught Aaron grinning at her. “I’m not a romantic,” she said, even though he hadn’t said a word. He still smirked. “Oh, let’s go drop off our gift and find our seats.”

  “We got a gift?” he asked.

  “We came as a couple, so yes, we did.”

  “What did we buy them?” he asked. She handed him the package and he hefted it.

  “A book?”

  “Not just any book. We got them a beautifully bound album called, Our First Year. There’s room for pictures and for notes on things they did. There’s a section for them to write in their history as a couple. The wedding. The honeymoon. Their first holidays.”

  “That sounds very...romantic,” he teased.

  “And we got them a weekend at a winery in the Finger Lakes,” she continued.

  “Wow,” he said. “We are generous. I wrote them a check. You gave their gifts a lot of thought.”

  “I’ve given the book at every wedding I’ve gone to. As for the weekend, I know the owner and he gave me a deal,” she said, trying to downplay the gift.

  “Still, that’s a lovely gift because you obviously gave it a lot of thought.”

  She felt uncomfortable with Aaron’s praise. “I wanted to do something special for them.”

  “Maeve, from what I can see, you spend a lot of time doing special things for other people. When do you do anything for yourself, or better yet, let someone else do something for you?”

  He studied her as if she was a lab experiment gone wonky, but at least this time he didn’t mutter anything about not understanding her. She didn’t want this to turn into some serious conversation where he tried to discover everything there was to know about her while telling her nothing about himself, so she teased, “There was that bubble bath, and I’m letting you and half of Valley Ridge help with the house.”

  “The bubble bath was fine, but I think you know that’s not what I meant. And the house isn’t for you so I don’t think it counts.”

  “I don’t know what your problem is today. Suffice it to say I do exactly what I want when I want. I’m happy with my life. Now, let’s find where we’re sitting for dinner.”

  * * *

  AARON WASN’T SURE what was up with him, either. He’d officially annoyed Maeve twice today by worrying she was doing too much.

  Maybe that was fair, because her innocent comment about a bubble bath had conjured up images that would be haunting his dreams tonight.

  He took a long breath and watched her as she listened to Finn give a toast to the bride and groom. “...Sebastian told me that his grandfather once compared Mattie, Sophie and Lily to wines. Sophie was champagne, a
ll bubbly and effervescent. Mattie was red wine, earthy and comfortable with herself. And Sebastian’s Lily was Riesling, slightly sweet, with a bit of a bite. I have to say, as someone who managed to marry one of these three ladies, I count myself lucky. And Colton and Sebastian feel the same way.”

  Someone in the audience made a mocking sound.

  Finn glared in the direction of the noise, then went on, “Yes, these three women mean everything to me and to my friends. Our lives have changed up fundamentally. Sebastian is a better man because of Lily.

  “I wish them both nothing but happiness. To Lily and Sebastian.”

  Maeve had tears in her eyes as she raised her glass and tapped it against Aaron’s. “To Lily and Sebastian.”

  Aaron looked at Maeve, her red hair cascading down the back of her green dress. She smiled up at him.

  “They’ll be happy together,” she said. “They just fit. All three couples. Watching them fall in love over the past year has been a lesson in what love should be.”

  She got very quiet and watched as the bride and groom danced together. After the first song, other couples joined them on the dance floor.

  “Look, that’s Lily’s mom dancing with Hank, Sebastian’s grandfather. They both look so happy. Did you hear the bells as Lily walked up the aisle? She put them in her bouquet for Hank. Bells and chimes remind him of his wedding. They seem to have become a Valley Ridge tradition.”

  Aaron had noticed the bells tinkling as Lily walked up the aisle. “I thought it was just something to do with the season.”

  “That, too. I love the sound they make—it’s so hopeful. When your doorbell rings, or the phone, you never know who it’s going to be. There’s a sense that anything is possible.”

  “Sometimes it’s bad news,” he pointed out, thinking of the envelope he’d signed for last week. The unopened envelope that still sat on his desk.

  “Sometimes, I guess. But I’d rather hope that it’s something good.”

  “So, when you get married, you’ll have bells, too?”

  “Maybe.” She looked up at him and grinned. “You know, most men get nervous bringing a woman to a wedding, much less mentioning that woman’s future wedding.”

  “I’m not most men,” he assured her.

  She tilted her head to one side, as if she’d see him more clearly from a different angle. She studied him for a moment longer than was comfortable, then finally agreed. “No, you’re not.”

  He couldn’t decide if she meant it as a compliment or not.

  As if she could read his mind, she laughed and said, “So now you’re trying to figure out how I meant that, because you’re a man who needs to understand things. So, this once, I’m going to help you along and say it was a compliment.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. So, now that I’ve been so very complimentary, you have to ask me to dance.”

  “I’m an awful dancer. I mean, really bad.”

  She took his hand and pulled him to his feet. “I’m feeling brave and fearless. I’m going to take my life into my hands and dance with you.”

  A few years ago, he’d walked into his parents’ living room and found them dancing, although there had been no music playing. He’d stood in the doorway and watched them. His mother pressed up close against his father’s chest, holding on as they turned circles. Instantly, he’d known that was what he wanted.

  Hell, that’s what he thought he had.

  He didn’t mention the memory to Maeve. After all his teasing about her being a helpless romantic, it didn’t seem wise. But the song was perfect, he admitted to himself as he took Maeve in his arms for the first time. She fit. She fit perfectly. And he could almost imagine holding her like this beyond this one dance.

  For the past two years, he’d been so angry. Hurt, too. Confused. But those feelings felt like a distant memory as he danced with Maeve in his arms.

  The rest of the world melted away.

  They were surrounded by other couples, dancing to the same song, but all he could focus on was Maeve Buchanan. As the song ended she took his hand as if to move off the dance floor. But Aaron didn’t want to go back. He didn’t want the moment to end.

  As he had that thought, Maeve reached up and gave him a chaste kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

  And suddenly, Aaron wanted more than a friendly peck on his cheek.

  Without thinking about it, or weighing his action, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. A kiss that told her without words that he thought she was anything but most women. A kiss he hoped told her how much he was growing to care about her. A kiss that said...

  He suddenly remembered that envelope at home on his desk and realized what he was doing. He pulled back. “Maeve, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

  She laughed and started toward the table. “Relax, Aaron. Believe it or not, I’ve been kissed before, and I didn’t mistake it for anything more than it was. Even though we’re at a wedding, and you mentioned my potential future wedding, I promise, I won’t be picking out a china pattern tomorrow. Someday, I plan to fall deeply in love, but I’m not in a rush.”

  Aaron thought about the big envelope sitting on his desk at home. He realized that he was cheating. He pulled back and stopped short of the table. “That should never have happened.”

  Maeve’s smile faded. “Aaron?”

  “I want to, but I can’t.”

  “Why not?” she asked. “You’re free. I’m free. I know you’re only here until Jerry comes back. I know that if we start something, it will hurt when you go, but I’m not asking for forever. I told you I wasn’t ready to pick out china patterns.”

  He didn’t respond because he didn’t know what to say.

  Maeve started to look concerned. “You’re not a priest, are you?”

  He shook his head.

  Her eyes locked onto his as she slowly asked, “You’re not seeing someone back home are you?”

  He shook his head again.

  “And you’re not married...?” She must have seen the truth in his eyes because she let her open-ended question hang there.

  There was no way to ignore it. No way to misunderstand it. “I’m not precisely married.”

  Her teasing expression disappeared in the blink of an eye. “I know that I’m from a small town, but I do know there are some issues that are black-and-white with absolutely no shades of gray. You can’t be not precisely pregnant. You can’t be not precisely married.”

  Aaron had heard all the generalities about redheads’ tempers. He’d seen Maeve annoyed, but not truly upset until now. Her fury was palpable. “I want to explain.”

  “Are you married to someone?” she asked.

  “Legally, yes, but—”

  She nodded. “Legally is what counts. At least as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think we should see each other again.”

  He felt a sense of desperation at her declaration. He couldn’t imagine never seeing Maeve again. He still didn’t understand her. And he didn’t want to let her go.

  “What about the house?” he asked. “You’re going to throw that away because of this? If you’d let me explain—”

  She stopped in her tracks and turned around. “If the house was for me, I’d tell you exactly where to shove it. But it’s not, so I’ll be there in the morning, like we planned. I know you said you didn’t understand me, and you’ve told me that you need to understand things, so here you go, in order to help you understand me...

  “I. Do. Not. Date. Married. Men. Ever. I respect myself too much to do something like that, and I...” She hesitated and added softly, “And I don’t respect you at all for putting me in this situation.”

  “Maeve, I forgot...” He wanted to explain that he’d forgotten he was married until after he’d kissed her. Th
at when he was with her, all he could seem to think about was her. Not his ex. Not the anger and the humiliation of their breakup. But anything he could tell her sounded lame and like an excuse. He was legally married until he signed those papers in that envelope on his desk.

  Some men might think that a two-year separation was enough, but he wasn’t some men. He hadn’t dated, or looked at, another woman until Maeve.

  He told himself he wanted to understand her. He wanted to figure out what made her tick. But if he was honest with himself, he simply wanted to be with her.

  He’d been so angry and hurt the past two years.

  Well, maybe not so much the past year. He’d simply fallen into the habit of thinking he was still angry and hurt. Because right now, he could hardly remember his ex’s name. He couldn’t even picture her. All he could see or think about was Maeve Buchanan.

  And he’d done her a terrible disservice. “Never mind. I’ll see you in the morning, and don’t worry, that will never happen again.”

  “You can be sure of that.” She turned and walked away from him.

  * * *

  HOW THE HECK did you forget you were married?

  For half a moment, as he kissed her, Maeve had thought...

  Well, never mind what she’d thought. She glanced at the wedding party dancing in the center of the floor.

  She looked over at the table where her mom was sitting nestled close to Herm.

  She saw Tori and her parents. Yeah, they had it, too.

  That’s what she wanted.

  And that would never be with Aaron I-forgot-I’m-married Holder. He might be generous and funny, too.

  He might even be cute.

  But that wasn’t enough.

  She was surrounded by loving couples. She knew what love should look like. She’d even seen what lost love looked like. When her mom lost her dad it was there. When Hank talked about his wife, it was there.

  She wasn’t sure she could describe what it was, but Maeve knew that she wanted it.