His Christmas Bride

by Lara Van Hulzen

  “That was fun.” Vanessa’s face was flushed as if she’d loped across the meadow instead of ambling slow.

  Erin had to give her credit for trying. At least today her head wasn’t buried in her phone.

  “You sure you got what you came for?” McKenna looked up at Lucas who sat atop Eight.

  He wore cowboy boots that were old and formed to fit him alone. Erin could say the same for his jeans. His plaid buttoned-down shirt was tucked in and his belt buckle glimmered in the sunshine. His leather jacket was a designer one, Erin knew, but on him it looked far from pretentious. It was as if he was born in the saddle, not a boardroom.

  “It was a nice ride.”

  Vanessa had climbed down from Hemingway and was dusting off her jeans.

  “But did you get what you came for…” McKenna lowered her voice, teasing her brother once more.

  He laughed.

  “What? What am I missing?” Vanessa looked between Lucas and McKenna.

  “My money is on Erin.” McKenna ignored Vanessa and winked at Erin.

  As much as she wanted to stay on the outskirts of this family event, Erin couldn’t deny the itch to live up to McKenna’s bet.

  “Oh really? Where’s the family loyalty?” Lucas put a hand on his hip, the other resting on his leg with the reins loose in his hands.

  McKenna crossed her arms in front of her. “Family-shmamily. Erin can kick your butt and you know it. So… my money is on Erin.”

  Lucas looked at her. “What do you say, Tanner? You in?”

  Lord, help her. She was so in. With one foot in a stirrup, she hopped on Hemingway’s back, reins in hand and had turned him toward the meadow before Lucas could blink.

  Vanessa stared, still not catching on.

  Without a word, Lucas and Erin guided the horses to the starting point they’d chosen as kids. From there, they could race straight across the meadow. Erin’s heart pounded in her chest, from excitement or the rush of memories she wasn’t sure. All she knew was she hadn’t felt that alive in a long time.

  “You ready?” McKenna hollered.

  “Ready!” They both yelled back.

  “On the count of three. One! Two! Three!”

  Erin clicked her tongue and gave Hemingway a kick. His front legs bolted out in front of him, his back ones launching them forward. Lucas did the same, but a second behind her. He’d be rusty at this, for sure, but she be damned if she’d let him get away with that excuse.

  The sound of hooves pounding the earth beat through Erin’s blood. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Eight’s nose. Lucas was only a few steps behind. She leaned forward, letting the reins loose so Hemingway could have all the room he needed to run. Finding their groove, her body moved with the horse’s, as the wind in her hair and against her face washed away all her cares.

  She crossed the finish line not more than a second before Lucas, McKenna’s whooping and hollering accompanying her.

  The horses slowed and came to a stop beside one another.

  “That was definitely what I came for.” All the tension in Lucas she’d seen earlier was gone. Loose in the saddle, a huge grin on his face, he almost glowed.

  “Even though I didn’t let you win?” she teased.

  He put a hand to his heart. “Ouch. That hurts.”

  She laughed. “Don’t tell me you thought all those times you won when we were kids was for real?”

  “Are you telling me I’ve gone through life thinking I was that good but it was all a farce?”

  “Yes, that’s what I’m telling you.” She patted Hemingway’s neck and turned him toward home.

  The two horses walked side by side, their nostrils flared as they caught their breath. Lucas’s laughter rang through the air. They rode up to where McKenna was standing, but Vanessa was nowhere in sight.

  “Cough it up, big brother. You owe me money.” McKenna wiggled her fingers at him.

  “Geez. Can’t I get down from the horse first?” He hopped down off 8 as Erin did the same from Hemingway. “Where’s Vanessa?”

  “Took a phone call.” McKenna waved a thumb over her shoulder toward the stable.

  Lucas nodded.

  “I’ll put the horses away. Why don’t you two go inside. I’m pretty sure Dad made lunch for everyone.”

  “Are you sure? I can help,” Lucas offered.

  “I got it. I think my dad might need more help with Annalise than I need with the horses.”

  Lucas and McKenna both made a face. “That’s true.”

  Their laughter rang through the air as Lucas and McKenna headed for the house and Erin led the horses into the stable.

  She moved around the animals, slipping their bridles off. As she went into the tack room to hang them up, she heard Vanessa just outside. By the sound of it, she wasn’t happy.

  Erin stood still. She didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but could hear every word Vanessa was saying.

  “I know, Dad. I’m trying. I can’t move the wedding up any more. Christmas is as good as it gets.”

  The hair on Erin’s neck stood on end.

  “Just keep the press away a little longer. We absolutely can’t have anyone knowing about the bankruptcy before the wedding.”

  Her heart raced in her chest. Common sense told her to move, to stop listening, but her feet wouldn’t budge.

  “Look, Dad. In less than two weeks, I will be Mrs. Lucas St. Claire and our money worries will be over.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  I will be Mrs. Lucas St. Claire and our money worries will be over.

  The words had played over and over again in Erin’s mind as Vanessa ended the call with her dad and left. Erin waited until she couldn’t hear footsteps any longer before she moved. She was in the tack room. It wasn’t as if Vanessa would have seen her or known she was there, but still. Shock kept her motionless.

  Had she imagined it? The moment was almost surreal. No. She’d heard every word. Vanessa was in it for the money. Erin didn’t know anything about Vanessa. No clue of her background or family situation. But it didn’t take a genius to see she came from the same social circles as Lucas.

  Erin put away the saddles and got the horses settled in their stalls. Her heart raced in her chest. What was she supposed to do? What could she do? It wasn’t her place to tell Lucas something like this. And it would come down to Vanessa’s word against hers. She could be accused of fabricating a story just to break them up.

  She shook her head. No. She’d stay out of this one. But how could she? Watching Lucas marry another woman because he was in love broke Erin’s heart, but watching him marry someone who didn’t love him in return tore at her insides.

  With her mind in a raging battle over what to do, she made her way back to the house. The rest of the group was inside having lunch. She hung her coat on the rack and washed her hands then leaned against the kitchen counter. Vanessa, McKenna, Annalise, and her dad were all sitting at the kitchen table. Lucas stood behind Vanessa. With only four chairs, the space was a bit cramped, but the scene was cozy. Well, it would be cozy if Erin didn’t have playing in her head all that Vanessa had said to her dad.

  Erin watched Vanessa talk to McKenna. They were discussing the color of bridesmaid dresses. Annalise was swinging her feet and telling Erin’s dad about what a great horseback rider she was and how she would ride in the rodeo someday the way he had. They munched on sandwiches and chips. Lucas must have already finished, a glass of water in his hand that he sipped as if he had not a care in the world.

  He’d shown up tense, but wasn’t now. Being on horseback calmed him the way it did Erin. Whatever worries had been the cause of his furrowed brow when he’d arrived were now gone. Erin’s stomach turned. They’d be back if she told him what she’d heard.

  He came around the table and leaned against the counter near her. “You okay?”

  “Sure. Why?”

  “You look, well, frustrated.”

  She had to laugh. He could read her like a book. She
crossed her arms in front of her. “I’m fine. Really.”

  “What about you?”

  He took a sip of his water then set the glass on the counter. “All good.”

  “Liar.”

  He gave her the smirk he always did when she called him on his crap. “I’ll work it out.”

  Erin couldn’t help but wonder if what he was working out had anything to do with knowing the truth about Vanessa, but she doubted it. If Lucas had any idea the reason Vanessa was marrying him, he’d cut and run. No looking back.

  And, boy, was that a tempting thought. If she let him in on what she’d heard, he would cancel the wedding so fast, Vanessa’s head would spin. But then what? It would only look as if Erin did so because of her feelings for Lucas.

  She stole a glance at Vanessa. The woman could win an Oscar for her performance. Acting as if everything was perfect, going on and on with McKenna about dresses and colors and everything being flown in from all over the country because Marietta had nothing to offer. Sheesh. She was a piece of work, making it look as if she had the money for a wedding like this. When in reality, she was trying to save her own hide by marrying Lucas.

  Anger burned in Erin, not just because she was in love with Lucas, but because he was her friend. He deserved better. There was so much more to him than his wealth. And she’d give every dime she had to be with him. She’d live without money every moment of her life if she had Lucas by her side.

  “Excuse me.” She pushed away from the kitchen counter and made her way to the back deck. She stood at the railing and looked out over the property. All the work that had been done had made a difference. Tanner Ranch was looking better. Much better. But Erin would give back all of it if it meant Lucas was happy. Truly happy.

  An awareness for when he was near told her it was Lucas’s boots that echoed behind her as he walked across the wood deck. Even after all this time, the connection between them was as strong as ever. She wrapped her arms around her middle, to guard against the cold both inside and outside her body.

  “It’s so beautiful out here.” He’d come up beside her.

  They looked out at the landscape in silence. The ground still had snow cover, but it had been an unusually warm December so there wasn’t near as much white as usual. Before, it had seemed as if Mother Nature was smiling upon Lucas’s wedding. That sure as heck wasn’t Erin’s belief now. A cow mooed in the distance. The leaves of a nearby tree rustled in the breeze.

  A shiver ran though her.

  Lucas took off his coat and wrapped it around her.

  “Thanks.”

  He nodded.

  Erin pulled the coat around her. It was warm from his body heat and it smelled like him. She allowed herself to breathe it in, soaking up all that was Lucas. Tears tickled the back of her eyelids, threatening to fall. Why did everything about him feel so right, while all the circumstances around them were so wrong?

  “You sure you’re okay?”

  “No.” She blurted out the truth before she could stop herself.

  But with Lucas it had always been easy to be honest. He never judged her, but rather listened. Gave advice when it was asked for, gave a shoulder to cry on when it was needed.

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  Yes. He could grasp the truth about Vanessa, realize what a huge mistake he was making, and see how much Erin loved him. She looked up at him and repeated his words from earlier. “No. I’ll work it out.”

  As easy as it was to be honest with Lucas, now was not the time. The details of what was bothering her would ruin his world.

  He smiled down at her, the look in his eye the same as right before he’d kissed her by the barn the other day. It took every ounce of strength in her to blink and look away. Oh, how she wanted to lean in, let him kiss her as long and as hard as he wanted to. To say yes and not give a damn about the consequences.

  She swiped a stray tear from her cheek. The situation was enough of a mess already. Keeping things light between them was the best course of action for now.

  “Lucas? Honey, we need to get going.” Vanessa’s voice behind them brought them both back to reality.

  “Sure thing.” Lucas answered her, but didn’t take his eyes off Erin.

  “I have a meeting with Cynthia I need to get to.”

  Erin took Lucas’s coat from her shoulders and handed it to him. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. And thanks for letting us ride today, even though you didn’t let me win.” The wink he gave her was so fast she might have she’d imagined it. But the gleam in his eyes was real.

  “Yes. Thank you so much.” Vanessa had come up beside him, her possessive arm linked in his now.

  “Anytime.” Erin looked at Vanessa as she spoke but then turned to go inside. She couldn’t face the woman knowing the truth.

  After they’d put on jackets and piled into cars, Erin waved as they drove away, her mind reeling and her heart aching.

  *

  Lucas paced behind the desk in his office. He’d dropped Vanessa off to meet with Cynthia then had come home to try to get some work done. Anything to get his mind off the wedding, Vanessa, but most of all, Erin.

  No matter how hard he tried, though, Erin was foremost in his mind. That had to make him a first-class jerk. His mind should be on his fiancée and their wedding, now a mere twelve days away. Where things had been going well in New York, his decision to marry Vanessa one hundred percent sure in his mind, they were all a jumble now in Marietta.

  Being back, seeing Erin, being reminded of how much he loved country life had him second-guessing everything. But he was so far down the road on this wedding. Not keeping with their original agreement, Vanessa had all but shouted it from the rooftops instead of staying on the down low. Lucas shook his head. It was becoming an overwhelming nightmare. An hour before, he’d blown off a call from a reporter at Vanity Fair who wanted an exclusive with him about the wedding. Lucas hadn’t told Vanessa. She’d be livid with him for not doing it.

  But this wasn’t just a big party to throw. This was marriage. A huge decision. And one he questioned whether or not he’d put enough thought into as well. His family’s sentiments rang through his ears. Man, he hated admitting they were right. He couldn’t fault Vanessa with treating it as nothing more than a social event. If he were honest with himself, he’d treated it like a business deal.

  Deep down, he did care about Vanessa. He liked her. But he didn’t love her. Not the way he wanted to love the woman he was marrying. Once again, Erin’s face came to mind. He’d wanted to kiss her again while they were on her back deck. Take away whatever it was that was eating at her. Take care of her.

  He’d done some research since seeing her with Eric at the diner. Something he should have done to begin with. Tanner Ranch had never been a booming cattle ranch, but it was a decent living for Clayton. His accident had thrown a major wrench into things, one of them being lots of debt tossed into Erin’s lap. If Lucas had known, he would have stepped in to help.

  But she’d made it clear she didn’t want him to swoop in and save the day. Independent as always, she didn’t want his money. He was surprised she’d even said yes to having the wedding there. His money was paying for the fix ups around the ranch. Erin wouldn’t see it the same as a handout though. It was an event held on their property, and he and Vanessa had offered to make it look the way they wanted. In all, Erin was smart to allow the wedding to be there. With all the responsibility that had been dumped in her lap, from what he could tell, she was doing a damn fine job of managing it.

  “Hey, Luc. You got a minute?” McKenna stuck her head in the door of his office.

  “Sure. Come on in.”

  His sister sat in a chair across from his desk. He came around and claimed the one beside it. “What’s up?”

  “Just wanted to see if you needed to talk.”

  He leaned back in his chair. McKenna wasn’t one to beat around the bush. Why she wasn’t just blurting out what was on her mi
nd made Lucas cautious. “What I would I want to talk about?”

  “Oh, maybe about how you’re marrying this woman who is completely wrong for you while you’re in love with another woman.”

  And there was the blunt, in-his-face woman he knew and loved. He laughed and shook his head.

  “You know I’m right, Lucas. I’ve tried to get to know Vanessa a bit since she got back to Marietta, give her a chance.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “But I don’t see it.”

  As close as he was to his brothers, Lucas had a special connection with McKenna. While Wes and Mike were driven, focused on work and careers, Lucas and McKenna were more prone to be relaxed and, in his sister’s case, adventurous. He never took her advice lightly, and she gave it more than he cared to have it. She knew him better than anyone though and, as much as he hated to admit it, she was right more than she was wrong when it came to him.

  “I know you worry about living up to the family name. Having to live in Wes and Mike’s shadows. But you really don’t. And neither do I.”

  “Of course you don’t. You’re the only girl.”

  “Don’t give me that crap.” She leaned forward in her chair. “Dad and Mom always had high expectations for us. All of us. But they would never want us to be unhappy or to choose a path only because it’s what we think they want for us.”

  “What about Wes?”

  “What about Wes?”

  “He thinks there’s something off about Vanessa.”

  “He said that to you?” She leaned back in her chair again.

  “Basically. He looked her up the minute I told him we were getting married.”

  McKenna nodded. “That sounds like Wes. But he’s the protector of the family, Lucas. He deals with stuff none of us even want to imagine.”

  “I know. And I’m grateful to him for it. I am.”

  “And you don’t believe him?”

  “That there’s something off about Vanessa?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you think there is?” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

  When Wes had first talked to him about Vanessa, he’d been pissed. Defensive. He couldn’t fathom his own brother not trusting him. But now, he wasn’t so sure. He’d chalked his own doubts up to his feelings for Erin, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he trusted Wes and his instincts about people. Should he have listed more to what Wes had said?