He sighed. "That's not the reason I want to use to get her to the ranch."
"Joking." Ty shook his head. The bell at the tip of his hat jingled. "Man, I hope this works out or you are going to be one helluva pain in the ass."
"That's no way to talk to your partner."
"No, but if you actually pull this off and one day become my brother-in-law..."
"I have your permission?"
"Damn straight you do. But if you blow this—"
"I won't." He couldn't. Not now.
Rachel was all Nate wanted for Christmas. He would never ask for anything else. "You know what to do."
"Committed to memory." Ty tapped his forehead. "But I have a backup copy in my pocket in case I forget."
"Don't forget."
"Again. Joking."
"Sorry." Nate had no sense of humor this morning when his future happiness depended on the outcome.
"Let me know when you're on the way home," Ty said.
Nate nodded, feeling anything but confident.
Ty slapped his shoulder. "No worries. This will be the best Christmas ever. I promised Rachel, and I always keep my promises to her."
I want that job.
Nate wanted to be the guy who kept promises to Rachel. To earn her trust. To take care of her. And much, much more.
To do that, he needed to nail the most important, and most unusual presentation he'd ever given. But this wasn't for a job or an investment. This was for something much more important. His future, his life. Not to mention his heart.
Nate adjusted the belt on his Santa suit. "You do your part, and I'll do mine."
That was all he could do.
The rest would be up to Rachel.
Ten minutes later, Rachel walked out of the bedroom. She looked around the apartment. Things were missing, including her brother. "Where's Ty?"
"On his way to the Bar V5."
Yearning struck, a pang at her heart. She ignored the feeling. "Did he take the presents and stockings or did the Grinch stop by and clean us out while you had your head up the chimney?"
"Your brother has everything with him."
"We're spending Christmas here at the apartment, not the ranch."
Sweat beaded on Nate's forehead. She'd never seen him look so nervous.
"You can bring the presents back when we're finished," he said finally.
"Let's get this over with then." Rachel didn't care about the impatience in her tone. Nate might be dressed up like Santa in a red suit and a fake beard, but he was still capable of unleashing butterflies in her stomach. Getting over a guy like Nate would take a long time, but she couldn't be with a man she didn't trust. Her body would have to deal with it for however long this took.
He led her downstairs to the street. His horse, Arrow, was tied to a bike rack.
That was odd. She knew how much the animal meant to him. "You brought your horse to town."
"I don't have any magical powers or flying reindeer to wow you with, so I figured Arrow would have to do."
He'd gone to a lot of trouble. She didn't want to be touched, but she was. A little excited, too. Anticipation thrummed. She tamped it, not wanting to get carried away. "What are we going to do?"
"You're going to ride." Nate steadied Arrow with one hand and helped her up into the saddle with the other. "I'll lead you to our first stop to show you..."
"What could be," she finished for him, remembering when they'd watched A Christmas Carol together, and how he'd claimed to be optimistic. Did he feel that way about her? About...them?
Not that how he felt mattered. Not much anyway.
He walked west, toward the shops on Main Street. The street was deserted. Everyone was at home with family.
Except for her.
Her stomach clenched. Ty was at the ranch. That might as well be Alaska at the moment.
Nate stopped in front of the space he'd leased for her. Arrow stopped, his eyes intent on his master. But Nate was looking at her with such intensity she couldn't breathe.
"I know you don't want this place, but I signed the lease. I'd rather not sublease it, but will if you don't want the space. The decision is yours."
"I already decided."
"Yesterday. You made the right decision then. I hope once we're finished here, you'll reconsider."
What did that mean?
He continued walking. "Our next stop is a place you know well, but will know better and love as much as the rest of us living in Marietta...the Main Street Diner. It's the perfect place for dates and special occasions, birthdays and anniversaries. You, Paige, and Annie will become friends. Share recipes and girls’ nights out. Start a book club. Be godmothers and honorary aunts for each other's children. You need more friends in town than your brother and Nate. Not that Nate isn't a good boy, but he has ulterior motives, as you know."
His words implied so much more. Her heart beat rapidly, agitating the butterflies. Maybe she should skip the tour and just go home. "Nate..."
"There is no Nate here. Only Santa."
Next came City Hall for any and all her licensing needs, whatever he meant by that.
The church, adorned with a festive wreath on the door and a large Nativity set out front, was their third stop because, as Nate explained it, this was where much of life happened when you lived in a small town. "You'll attend weddings and christenings here."
Rachel didn't know what Nate was up to, but she didn't like it. Especially when she was imagining their wedding taking place inside this church and baptizing their six babies, too. "I know what happens at churches."
"One day you'll walk up these steps in a beautiful white gown with a veil on your head, a bouquet in your hands, and your brother complaining he looks like a penguin at your side. When you walk out, you'll be on the arm of the man who loves you."
The picture he painted with his words was one she'd dreamed about, with him playing a starring role. She swallowed around the lump of longing in her throat. "I see Marietta's appeal, but I'd like to get back to the apartment so Ty can come home and we can celebrate Christmas."
"Only a couple more stops." Arrow's hoofs clomped, all the way to the Graff Hotel. "Some people choose to have their wedding receptions here. Others prefer the casualness of a barn."
The look in his eyes, making her feel like the only woman on this planet, sent her heart hammering. "I, um, I'm not planning to get married anytime soon. I'm not even dating anyone."
And she wouldn't for a while. Her heart needed time to get over him.
"Remember I'm the Santa of What Could Be," he said. "Someday you will get married and have a family."
She should have known where they were heading when he led Arrow across the railroad tracks—the Marietta Hospital. "Let me guess, this is where I'll have my babies."
His fake beard didn't hide his satisfied grin. "You're catching on."
Tears threatened. Rachel yearned for the life he talked about, the life that could be if she stayed, but she knew it wasn't possible. He was doing this to keep Ty at the Bar V5, not for her. "Nate—"
"Santa." He led Arrow back over the train tracks and down Front Avenue.
She inhaled then exhaled slowly. "Okay, Santa, this is sweet of you. You've put a lot of thought into this...tour, but—"
"One more stop." His pleading tone matched the look in his eyes.
"Fine."
She wanted to get this over with because knowing he'd gone to so much trouble for her was messing with her resolve to put him behind her. She'd never wanted to see him again, yet here she was spending Christmas morning with him. At this rate she'd be trying on wedding dresses at the shop they were passing before ringing in the New Year. She grimaced.
When would she ever learn?
Nate continued up Fourth Street and stopped at the elementary school. He helped her dismount.
"This is where you'll take your kids on the first day of kindergarten. You'll attend years of choir and band concerts, drama productions, science co
mpetitions, and sporting events. And one day, while you're sitting at the promotion ceremony sending the oldest off to middle school, you'll have tears in your eyes and wonder where the years went. But Nate will be right next to you, handing you a tissue. Maybe even a linen handkerchief like his dad used to carry."
Her eyes stung. She looked up. Blinked. Her heart couldn't take much more of this. "Nate..."
"I'm sorry, Rachel. I can apologize a million times and it won't be enough." He held her hand so tenderly she didn't dare pull away. "I can never take back hurting you, but I'll spend the rest of my life making sure it never happens again. I love you."
Love?
The air plunged from her lungs, leaving her gasping for a breath. She'd never hyperventilated before, but thought she might be close. She covered her pounding heart with her hand. His words tilted her world, turned her life upside down.
He loved her.
She opened her mouth then closed it, unable to speak.
"I spoke to Ty," Nate continued. "He's given us his approval, if you'll have me. Can you give me another chance? I don't care if you want to live in Marietta or Maine. I'll go wherever you want to go. The choice is yours. I just want to be with you."
Nothing was standing in their way. Nothing but...
Her.
Rachel didn't know what to say or do. She didn't trust others, but she didn't trust herself, either. That was her real problem, why she relied on her brother so much. Why she had wanted help from Pamela and Grayson in the first place. Why she accepted help from Nate.
Rachel rubbed her face, full of uncertainty and fear.
Nate had shown her what she could do on her own, but could she do this?
"I've always put the Bar V5 ahead of everything." Emotion sounded in his voice. "Not any more. You're first, Rachel. You'll always be first."
The decision was hers to make. Was she willing to trust herself, her heart?
Rachel thought about her brother, who was overprotective to the point of holding her back. He'd punched an ex-boyfriend. He'd done so many other things. Ty wasn't perfect, but he made sure she felt perfectly loved. Why was it easy for her to offer understanding and forgiveness to her brother but not the good man she'd fallen in love with?
Because she did love Nate. Loved him like family and nothing she'd ever known.
Why wouldn't she offer him another chance when the alternative was a life without Nate who believed in her, who made her believe in herself?
Live without him? No way.
Not without one more try.
Rachel heaved in a cold breath, enjoyed the way Santa's gaze flew to the way her parka hugged her chest.
Bad Santa.
Not really, but she found the courage she needed.
She took his hands and used them to steady her. "I love you, but I'm scared. Ty's always been straight with me. When our parents died, he didn't say they were gone or had passed. He told me a tractor-trailer driver who'd fallen asleep killed them. Said they'd died instantly, hadn't suffered, and our lives would never be the same. He was only eighteen at the time, but that kind of honesty gave me peace. Still does. I don't like guessing what you're up to, or if you've got a hidden agenda. That makes me nervous. Afraid to take a chance and jump. Doubt you."
"I get that, sweetheart. I truly do. I've never been in love, I know that now, and I didn't understand how badly the business model applies. Never again. I promise."
She laughed, cupped his face, pulled away the silly white beard. "Okay. That was a good one. I forgive you. And you've set the bar high for future apologies."
He kissed her, a kiss full of hope and love and possibility.
She tingled everywhere. The warmth of his lips set her on fire.
Nate caressed her cheek with his finger. "As long as there's a future for us, I'll make apologies my new best skill."
"Best skill?"
It was his turn to laugh. "Second best, then. After making you feel happy and loved in every way I can imagine. And I'm an innovative guy."
"Wouldn't that be innovative cowboy given the hat you're wearing?"
"Just wait until you see this cowboy in action for real." He kissed her hard. "Ty's waiting for us at the Bar V5. He's got your Swedish Tea Ring ready to go in the oven. We'll save our private celebration for later."
Her spirit's soared. "You thought of everything."
"I want this to be a Christmas you'll remember."
She stared up at him, her heart overflowing with love. "Trust me, I'll never forget."
"Come on." He laced his fingers with hers and held onto the horse's reins. "Let's get Arrow into the trailer and go home."
"Home." She leaned against him, remembering the first time she'd driven down the world's longest driveway only a few weeks ago. "There's no place else I'd rather be."
For Christmas.
Forever.
THE END
You won’t want to miss more by Melissa McClone...
Mistletoe Wedding
Event planner at the Bar V5 Dude Ranch, Meg Redstone is dreaming of a white Christmas with twinkling lights, sparkly decorations and strategically placed mistletoe. She loves making dreams come true for others, whether planning a holiday wedding or giving her young daughter the best Christmas ever.
Ranch foreman Tyler Murphy loves the holidays, but his newest employee has taken over his barn with her over-the-top decorations. He admires Meg’s desire to give her daughter the perfect Christmas while planning a winter wonderland wedding, but he wants to show her that a Montana Christmas is more than glitter and lights.
After raising his younger sister, an instant family is not on Ty's Christmas wish list. But he finds himself falling hard for the single mom and her little girl. Meg, however, is not interested in a romance with a cowboy like Ty, or any man. Getting her under the mistletoe is going to take a Christmas miracle . . . or a little help from Santa.
Available now!
Copper Mountain Christmas Collection
If you enjoyed Home for Christmas, you’ll love the other Copper Mountain Christmas stories!
A Cowboy for Christmas by Katherine Garbera
Buy now!
Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter
Buy now!
Mistletoe Magic by Melissa McClone
Free!
About the Author
Melissa McClone’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University led her to a job with a major airline where she travelled the globe and met her husband. But analyzing jet engine performance couldn’t compete with her love of writing happily ever afters. Her first full-time writing endeavor was her first sale when she was pregnant with her first child! Since then, she has published over twenty-five romance novels with Harlequin and been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s RITA award. When she isn’t writing, she’s usually driving her minivan to/from her children’s swim and soccer practices, 4-H meetings and dog shows. She also supports deployed service members by sending care packages and fosters cats through a local non-kill rescue shelter. Melissa lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three school-aged children, two spoiled Norwegian Elkhounds and cats who think they rule the house.
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