Sam sauntered in, carrying a box of wreaths. He’d offered to take over the Christmas decorations, claiming he had the experience since he’d worked on the Lake’s Christmas tree farm rather than a ranch when growing up. “Where do you want me to hang the mistletoe?” he asked.
Josh’s gut warmed. He wanted it in the kitchen where Paisley would have to kiss him. He didn’t want it in the barn where she could be kissing someone else. “Don’t ask me.”
“Thought you could use the help, bro.”
Josh gritted his teeth in a fake smile. He’d never needed help in this department before. “Thanks, Sam.”
Sam set the box down in front of a wood support beam and went to work, wrapping it like the red stripe on a candy cane. “I heard what you said last night about helping her plan the ball again next year.”
What could Josh say to that? The words had slipped out before he’d realized how it sounded. And then when she looked at him . . . “Maybe I’ll come back for Christmas.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t leave.”
Was Sam right? He didn’t want to leave, but if Marcus was able to prove him innocent of idea theft, and he still had the opportunity to sign the contract with the computer company, he’d have to be there to do the work. It would be the biggest sale Synergy ever made.
“Do you think Paisley would consider moving to Chicago?”
Sam shot him a dirty look.
Was it really that bad a thought? “We could keep the ranch and hire somebody to run it. We’d come back for the holidays.”
Sam pulled a wreath out of the box. “Paisley would be miserable.”
Would she? He liked to think she’d be miserable without him. Or would she have Sam there to dry her tears? “Well, since you know her so well, why don’t you stay here with her?”
Sam dropped his head back to stare toward heaven in prayer. “God, why do my brothers have to be so stupid when it comes to love?”
Josh jolted at the word, knocking the ladder sideways. He wrapped his arms and legs around the rafter to hang like a wreath, as the ladder tipped in slow motion before slamming into stacks of hay.
“Love?” he asked. Because even with his thighs and pecs burning from the position and wooden splinters digging into his skin, he still had to correct his brother’s misconception. “I’m not in love.”
Sam sighed and kicked up dust on his way to right the ladder and rescue him. “Well, she is. So stop trying to get me to take your place.”
Pin pricks traveled from his heart out his limbs. Paisley was in love with him? How would Sam know? Had she told him? “Why do you think she loves me? She wouldn’t even kiss me last night.”
Sam held the ladder steady. “I’m supposed to play chaperone so you don’t break her heart.”
Josh squeezed the rafter tighter, unable to move. Paisley wasn’t attracted to Sam after all? She was using him as a buffer between the two of them? Josh was stupid when it came to love. “So that’s why the whole thing with you marching into the kitchen and ranting about ice cream?”
Sam shot him a puzzled expression. “No. I really needed ice cream.”
Josh closed his eyes in frustration. This was why Paisley never told him what she wanted on the sleigh ride. She believed a relationship with him to be impossible. And maybe it was. He still didn’t know what he wanted. Except . . . “I don’t want to break her heart.”
“Then don’t.” Sam made it sound so simple. “Are you moving or not?”
Move to Montana? Live on a ranch for the rest of his life? That’s what he’d wanted as a little kid. But now he was an adult. Which was something Sam wouldn’t understand. “It’s not that easy. I’d be letting down my whole company. I’d be giving up everything I’d worked for. I’d be—”
“Dude.” Sam patted a rung, causing the metal to clang and echo through the open space. “I’m talking about climbing down from the rafters. I can’t stand here all day. We’ve got a ball to prepare for.”
Yeah, they did. But now Josh was even more unprepared.
Chapter Nineteen
Paisley scrambled the egg mixture to pour into the pan still sizzling with hearty-smelling bacon fat. They’d worked hard all week since the tickets went on sale, and they still had a lot to do before the ball that evening, but making time for a big breakfast would give them the energy to do it. “Grandpa used to try to feed me fish for breakfast when I came to visit. That’s one Norwegian custom I never got used to.”
Josh set down a mug of coffee for her and sipped his own. “I have to say, your breakfasts sure beat my standard morning latte.”
Paisley stopped and waited for the next line, holding the measuring cup over the frying pan.
“What?” he asked, mug halfway to his lips.
Dare she say what she’d been expecting him to say? It would be considered flirting, but flirting was only playing at love. It was a safe sidestep from the real thing. She couldn’t keep from smiling. “I was waiting for you to say,” she lowered her voice to use the coffee pun in a pickup line, “‘I like you a latte.’”
Josh’s eyes lit up at her impersonation. “Is that how I sound to you?”
She laughed and went back to cooking. She couldn’t look into his eyes for too long, or she’d be in his arms again. Better to keep things light. “Yes.”
His grin had to be the most charming thing she’d ever seen. If he’d been the one eating breakfast with her and Dad, instead of Nick, Dad would have never stopped clearing his throat. She was glad Dad wasn’t there to control her anymore, but she’d keep her spatula between the two of them. Just in case.
Sam charged past in stocking feet. “They’re here.”
Her heart thumped. Emily Van Arsdale Lake was at her ranch. To help promote her camp. The two of them would be getting ready for the ball together. Like sisters.
Paisley glanced hesitantly toward the windows. Did the couple need help unloading? She couldn’t go out and see or the eggs would burn. “She won’t be offended if I don’t greet her out there, will she?”
Josh snorted. “She puts up with my brother, which means she’s hard to offend.”
Paisley wasn’t sure what he was saying about Tracen, but it sounded like Emily was a little less snooty than some of the other celebs who’d vacationed in Sun Valley.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs leading to the deck. Maybe the couple was going to bring in their stuff later.
“Here.” Josh reached for the spatula. “I’ll watch the eggs if you want to go introduce yourself.”
Paisley didn’t let go fast enough. His fingers brushed hers and jolted her awake more than a latte ever could. She sucked in a breath of his mossy scent and stared up into his dark, watching eyes. The mood wasn’t light anymore. So much for keeping the utensil between them.
A throat cleared. Paisley jumped the way she used to at Dad’s admonishment. Only it wasn’t Dad this time. It was Sam. Along with a really tall guy and a tiny woman with dark, chin-length curls and eyes as blue as the Montana sky.
“Wanna introduce us to your friend, Josh?” Emily said, her voice low and teasing. She obviously wasn’t offended, but she might have gotten the wrong idea about her friendship with Josh.
Josh let go of the spatula. Paisley used it to scramble the eggs so they wouldn’t become an omelet . . . and so she had time for her blush to fade before facing Josh’s family.
“This is Paisley Sheridan. I used to work on her family ranch in high school. Now she runs Bright Star.”
“So nice to meet you,” Emily maneuvered around the island for a hug. The woman might have been tiny, but her hug was strong. “This place is beautiful. Thank you for inviting us up for the ball, though we will have to return tomorrow for Christmas with my mom.”
Paisley hugged back. She’d had nothing to be worried about. “Thank you for making time in your schedule. Did Josh tell you all the ball tickets sold out? And I’m sure it’s because you’re here.”
Emily let her go to wave a hand. �
�Ack. Maybe they’ll come for me, but they’ll stay because you have so much to offer. Was that a skating rink I saw outside?”
“Yes. I let people use it on a donation basis, and I’m actually surprised with how much money people have left in the donation box since it opened a week ago.” Paisley smiled past the little woman at Josh. He’d helped her get that going, as well. “You should see Josh’s moves on ice. Pretty impressive.”
Sam hooted. Josh smirked.
Tracen stepped into her line of sight and extended his hand. “I’m Tracen. I think we met once before when Josh was riding one of your dad’s broncos at a rodeo.”
“Yes.” She took Tracen’s hand. He was taller than his brothers and a little more rugged. “Nice to see you again. Do you guys want some breakfast?”
Emily waved her hand. “Oh, you don’t have to serve us. We’re here to help you.”
Really? Paisley stared. Practically their whole family was here to help her. She’d never imagined such a Christmas. She thought she’d be watching The Grinch all by herself. Too bad this couldn’t last forever.
Josh came around and put a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s eat and show them around. Then the rental company will be arriving with the dance floor and stage and tables and heaters.”
Paisley nodded, not trusting her voice to speak. It had all started with Josh. He’d showed up at The Coffee Cottage and turned her world upside down. Life would get really lonely after he left.
She fed the clan then ushered them down to the barn to explain how the place would be set up for dinner and dancing. They let the horses out into the field and cleaned out the stalls to use each one as a private booth with tables for dinner. They set bales of hay around for ambiance as well as additional seating. Linens and candles transformed the place. The band arrived to warm up. Dot and Annabel brought tangy-scented pulled pork and tri-tip. There wasn’t much more Paisley could do other than head back to the lodge to get herself ready. And that would be the toughest part.
She debated on the way back up to the lodge—maybe she shouldn’t wear the gown Annabel lent her. The last time she’d dressed up around Josh, he’d kissed her. The idea gave her a thrill, but at the same time it twisted her insides like that kitchen towel Sam was trying to snap at Tracen.
Paisley separated herself from the group in the kitchen. She wrapped her hands around a hot mug to thaw her fingers, while she watched the brothers wrestle and toss things around.
Emily slid down the bench at the table to sit closer. “It was a little overwhelming for me at first, too,” she said. “But you’ll get used to it.”
No. Paisley wouldn’t. The warmth of the moment shattered like an icicle in her soul. Why was she doing this to herself? Why was she letting herself get close to a bunch of people who’d soon be gone? Why was she letting herself fall in love with the idea of family when she could never have one? What do I do, Lord?
A window rattled by the balcony. The sun was already setting, but a couple of teen girls in pink jackets and beanies were highlighted by the light through the glass. They weren’t dressed for a ball. Skaters.
The men all turned to stare in surprise. Paisley rose and breezed past them to answer the door.
The girls didn’t even look at her. They peered inside the house, eyes squinting.
Paisley frowned. “Everything all right?”
The brunette with braces pointed. “Is that Emily Van Arsdale?”
The blonde shrieked. “It is. She’s so little.”
Paisley scratched her head. Was there anything wrong? Or were they only there to stalk a celebrity?
Emily glided over. “Hi, girls. Are you skating? Because if not, you’re trespassing, and we’ll have to ask you to leave.”
Small, but forceful. A nice combination.
Shame washed over both faces in front of them. The blonde held up a palm to reveal her mitten torn with a pink scrape underneath. “We were skating. Honest. But there’s a crack in the ice, and I tripped. Do you have a Band-Aid?” Her grin returned. “And can Emily autograph it?”
A crack? Paisley looked out at the pond.
“I’ll get a bandage,” Sam volunteered.
“And I’ll sign it,” Emily agreed. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”
The teens giggled.
Josh appeared next to her. “I read about cracks. They can be fixed, but we’ll have to shut down the rink.”
Paisley ran a hand through her hair. This could be her answer to prayer. If she went out and fixed the crack, she wouldn’t have to worry about putting on the dress. She wouldn’t have to debate with herself about whether she was going to stand under the mistletoe or not. She’d seen it out there. Right at the entrance to the barn. It would be hard to avoid.
“I’ll go ask the skaters to leave. Then I’ll flood the ice again. I’ve got this,” she said.
Josh pulled her to the side so they wouldn’t be in the way, as Sam and Emily took care of the teenagers. “First of all, if you’d read all the info your grandpa compiled for starting an ice skating rink, you’d know water will go right through the crack. You’d have to make a paste to fill it in. Once it’s dried, you scrape off the top to make it even again. Then you can flood it.” Josh lowered his eyebrows. “Second of all, I’m going to do it. You’re getting ready for your fund-raiser.”
She shook her head. “No, you planned this fund-raiser.”
Josh met her gaze. “For you.”
Maybe this would work, too. Maybe now she’d be able to enjoy the ball without worrying about Josh. Of course she didn’t want him to have to be out on the pond when she was having all the fun, but it was safer this way.
“Go get ready, hon.” He looked at his watch. “It’s after five already. People will start arriving by six. And as cute as you look in your jeans and plaid flannel . . .” He tilted his head and let his half smile say the rest.
Her heart hammered. God may have provided the escape she needed with the cracked pond, but He’d have to do better than that, because if Josh was able to finish in time to make it to the ball, there wouldn’t be any need for mistletoe.
Josh Scraped The Last of the dried paste from the ice with a shovel and grabbed a bucket to flood the top. Music and laughter drifted through the dark night from the barn. Light spilled out whenever a new vanload of guests arrived. None had left, so it had to be going well. He wanted to be in there with Paisley, but more importantly, he wanted her to shine.
He splashed another bucket of water. There. Done. Now to race to the bunk house and change for the ball. It was a good thing he’d packed a suit. At the time, he’d been hoping to receive a phone call from work and hop a first-class flight to Illinois, prepared to sign his hard-earned contract. But this was better.
He paired the suit jacket with Paisley’s grandpa’s buffalo checkered shirt and jeans then topped it off with a black cowboy hat. He barely recognized his reflection in the mirror. Actually . . . he peered closer . . . the guy reminded him of the kid he used to be in high school. Back before he left Idaho looking for bigger, better things.
Maybe the Montana sky was the bigger thing. Paisley was certainly better than any other woman he’d met. Was he really going to leave her? After the way she’d teased him that morning?
She was so hot and cold. Melting into him one minute, running away the next. But if Sam was right about her being in love with him and being afraid of getting hurt when he left, it made sense. What if he told her he’d stay?
A little bubble of joy floated through his chest. He’d do it. He’d stay. He had to get out there and tell her right away. He knew what he wanted.
He barely felt the snow wetting the hem of his pants, as he ran toward the noisy barn. He grabbed the door handle and slid it sideways, blinking as the light blinded him. Where was Paisley?
Couples danced and chatted among the twinkle lights. The scent of pine mixed with hay. The result was more charming than any dinner party he’d ever attended in the city.
Pais
ley’s laughter floated his way from the dance floor. There she was. In Sam’s arms. Though he could see now they were just friends. For St. Nick’s sake, the kid was wearing red suspenders and some long, knit version of a Santa Claus hat over the crown of his Stetson. Neither would mind if Josh cut in.
He paused on the side. Not because the dance moves were too complex. He could swing with the best of them. But he wanted to watch her.
She wore a soft, gold dress that revealed curves she usually kept hidden. Her glossy hair had been twisted back, making her look fancy. And her face beamed—radiance more than skin deep. The guests filling the barn may all be enamored with Emily Van Arsdale Lake, but Paisley was the real star.
The music died down. Sam spun her one last time. Her smile flashed Josh’s direction. Her eyes caught his and continued to focus on him even as her body turned back around. Her laughter died.
Sam let her go to clap along with the other dancers.
Josh stepped forward. He held out his hand. “May I have the next dance?”
Her lips parted. Her chest rose and fell. “Yes.”
Sam noticed him. Lifted his eyebrows in approval . . . until Charlie showed up and pulled him away. But that wasn’t Josh’s problem.
Pastor Taylor strummed his guitar and crooned the first notes of a love song about God using a broken road to bring a couple together. Josh wrapped her hand in his and slid his other arm around her back. “I got the pond all taken care of,” he said.
“Thank you.” Her eyes studied his. They even had golden flecks in them as if she’d been born to wear that dress. Born to help refine him with her fire. “I saved you a plate of food. It was so good I was worried there wouldn’t be any—”
“I don’t care about dinner.”
Finding Love In Big Sky, Montana (Resort to Love--Finding Love line Book 2) Page 19
