Christmas in Three Rivers: Three Rivers Ranch Romance Novella Collection

by Isaacson, Liz

  She doesn’t want you, a voice whispered in his head. The same one that hissed things like, You almost let that family die. You shouldn’t fly anymore.

  He tried to push out the poisonous voice, but it only seemed to get louder. By the time he arrived at Three Rivers Ranch, Tad was sure every person he met would be able to read his failures as if they were printed on his forehead.

  Pete Marshall and Squire Ackerman stood near the edge of the barn, engaged in deep conversation with Brynn Bowman. A part of Tad died with every second that passed. Though his presentation had gone well, his walk-through had been thorough, and he’d managed to obliterate his insecurities before he came face-to-face with anyone, the serious set of Squire’s mouth didn’t look promising.

  Pete had been more open to Tad’s business proposal. He’d even said, “And any horses that you can’t train, Brynn, or that you can’t sell, Tad, we could absorb into Courage Reins.”

  Tad had been impressed with the equine therapy program Pete ran. It seemed to operate without a hitch, and their facilities were top-notch. Every cowhand could answer any of Tad’s questions, and after spending an hour with Pete, he knew why his men obeyed him.

  Tad’s biggest opponent turned out to be Garth Ahlstrom, the foreman at the ranch, who’d followed him around wearing a look the color of a winter storm. And he’d put a bug in Squire’s ear. Something about having more people out on the ranch, more buildings, less land, more distractions, less peace.

  Tad wasn’t sure how any more peace could possibly exist out here. Every cell in his body found joy in the whispering breeze, the gentle sound of horses nickering and cattle lowing. The smell of straw and chickens and someone slow roasting meat reminded him of home, of happier times, of the kind of life he craved.

  And his anxiety skyrocketed again. His muscles would surely snap from the constant tension. His teeth certainly ached.

  Finally, Squire glanced his way, and Tad found the softening he’d hoped for. Squire nodded, and Pete turned toward Tad. The men came forward as a single unit, and Tad wondered at their history, at what could create such unity between them, even when they clearly disagreed. Brynn trailed in their wake, and Tad remembered that she’d just moved to town recently.

  “We’d love to have you out at Three Rivers,” Pete said, extending his hand for Tad to shake. “Isn’t that right, Major?”

  “Yeah,” Squire said, spearing Pete with a look that said otherwise. “But we can’t build any more buildings. My foreman says he’ll quit if I allow more construction, and I can’t lose him.”

  “More like you can’t lose Juliette’s cinnamon rolls on Sunday morning.” Pete grinned at Squire and then Tad. “I’ll save you one. They’re amazing.”

  Squire grunted. “So Brynn’s agreed to rent you stable space for your boarding program. She’ll really only have a few horses here at a time as she trains them.”

  Tad nodded at Brynn, hoping his smile and eyes conveyed his gratitude.

  “There should be plenty of room,” Brynn said, offering him a friendly smile.

  “And Pete’s gonna let you use his barn for breeding. Brynn has contacts in that field, as does Pete. You can use his indoor arena if you need to.” He glanced at Pete and Brynn. “Did I cover it all?”

  “You’ll have to live in town and commute,” Pete said. “Squire’s cowboy cabins are full.”

  “No problem,” Tad said, thinking of enlisting Sandy’s help to find somewhere to live. “I won’t be ready to start until after the New Year anyway. Even then, it’ll be slow at first.”

  “Not as slow as you think,” Brynn said. “I had two guys contact me this morning about boarding. I told them you’d call them back this afternoon.” She extracted a piece of paper from her pocket and gave it to him. “So I’d call them back this afternoon.”

  “And those calls are what pushed Squire over the edge,” Pete added. “So be nice to them.” He clapped Tad on the shoulder. “I’m glad to have you. My granddaddy had a boarding stable, and I loved going there.”

  Sudden emotion gripped Tad’s throat, so he nodded and managed to squeeze out a “Thank you,” before the trio stepped away to continue their work.

  His only thought was to get back to Sandy and share his good news. With every mile he drove, though, his excitement fizzled. Would she be happy for him? She’d argued with him considerably when he’d spoken of quitting flying, of moving here and opening a boarding stable.

  But then she’d given him the cowboy hat.

  Tad couldn’t make sense of her actions, but he really wanted to. Before, he might have let her pull back, hide in her bedroom, and then drift away from him completely. He’d never needed a woman in his life, at least not for long. But since the incident where he’d barely made it back to safety, he yearned to have someone to come home to. Someone to share his innermost feelings with. Someone to trust and confide in.

  Coming home to his empty apartment had added to his anxiety, and he often found himself going out to eat and staying until the restaurant closed, just so he didn’t have to be truly alone.

  “I don’t want to be alone anymore,” he said out loud to make it stick. He just hoped he could find the right words to say to Sandy.

  Sandy paced in her kitchen, the peace offering she’d made sitting on the counter, mocking her. She reached for a cookie and practically stuffed the whole thing in her mouth. Tad should be getting back any minute. She had spies out at the ranch, and Chelsea had texted forty-five minutes ago.

  He just left.

  So he should be back any minute.

  Any minute.

  Plagued by her conversation with Hank, and worried that her gift had been given too soon, she’d retreated that morning, unwilling to have a hard conversation or allow herself to get hurt.

  Truth was, she expected to be hurt. To be broken up with. To be kissed and then abandoned. And while she’d known Tad for a few years now, before this weekend, they’d been nothing more than acquaintances. She had no idea how he normally treated women, or if he’d had long-term relationships, or anything.

  What she did know scared her. She knew she’d started to fall for him, only four days in. She knew she pictured him by her side next Christmas. She knew she thought of him constantly and—

  “Hey.”

  She spun at the sound of his voice, surprised she’d let her thoughts run so rampant that she hadn’t heard him enter her condo.

  “More cookies?” he asked, eyeing them with appreciation.

  “I’m sorry about this morning.” She picked up a cookie and thrust it toward him.

  He took it and bit into it, his eyes drifting closed for a moment. “You’ll notice I wore the hat all day.”

  “It looks good on you.” She wrapped her arms around herself as if cold, but the smoldering look he gave her warmed her from top to bottom.

  “Thank you.” He finished his cookie and moved into her personal space. “I’m sorry about this morning too. I wasn’t sure of the protocol. And I didn’t have a gift for you, and I was worried about how things would go at the ranch, and….” He took her in his arms. “I’ve been wantin’ to kiss you all day to say thank you.”

  “That’s not necessary.” Sandy enjoyed the heat of his hands on her back, the delicious scent of fresh air and chocolate that surrounded him.

  “Kissing you isn’t necessary?” He grinned. “I think you’re totally wrong about that. I’m dying a slow death here.” He leaned down to kiss her, but the brim of his hat bumped into her forehead.

  “Hat,” she said, giggling.

  He took the hat off and set it on the table. “I need more practice, obviously.”

  “I’d prefer you don’t kiss anyone else.” Sandy ran her fingers through his somewhat matted hair.

  “Wasn’t planning to.” He leaned down and touched his lips to hers, hesitant at first. Sandy knew they had a lot more to talk about—including his future at the ranch—but for now, she just wanted to enjoy kissing him.

 
; So she did.

  “Turn left up there,” Sandy directed. They’d escaped Three Rivers to go to dinner, and Tad drove her car into Wellington and turned left.

  “Oh, I see it.”

  The diner ahead on the left wasn’t hard to spot. With only a movie theater and a dark office building to make up downtown Wellington, Sandy suddenly appreciated the bustle of downtown Three Rivers.

  She pulled out her phone and texted Andy, who had sent a message a few hours earlier, invited Sandy over for dinner at her loft. And though Sandy loved her friend and normally would’ve gone, Andy had just gotten back together with her boyfriend, Lawrence, and Sandy didn’t enjoy feeling like a third wheel.

  Bring Tad , Andy had said.

  Sorry, Sandy texted now. We decided to go to dinner in Wellington. Rain check?

  She sent the messages as Tad flipped a U-turn and parked in front of the diner. “I gotta say, this place doesn’t look open.”

  “It is,” Sandy said. “It’s just Monday night, so it’s not going to be busy or anything.”

  He shifted toward her. “Is Monday usually slow?”

  “Tuesday night is the slowest night for me,” she said. “It’s why we have family specials, kids eat free, that kind of thing.” She grinned at him, glad everything between them felt so comfortable. “Let’s go eat.”

  They became the second table in the diner, and Sandy settled into a booth with Tad across from her. “So tell me how things went at the ranch.” Though the thought of him becoming a full-fledged cowboy made her heart fill with cement, she wanted him to be happy.

  “It’s going to work out,” he said. “I won’t have my own facilities, but I’m going to rent stable space from Brynn and partner with the ranch and Courage Reins to use their barns and arenas.” Excitement sparked in his voice and brightened his eyes, causing a smile to pull at Sandy’s lips.

  He continued to speak about all the things he needed to line up before he could really start, but he was planning to spend most of tomorrow talking to his father, who owned a boarding stable in Wyoming.

  Sandy nodded and smiled and “mm-hmm”’ed in all the right places. She ate her anxiety away with a cheeseburger and sweet potato fries, unable to identify why Tad’s new career made her skin seem like someone had turned it inside out.

  “You seem happier,” she finally said.

  “I feel happier.” Tad wiped his fingers on a napkin and set it down. “Just knowing I don’t have to go back to Vegas is a huge relief.”

  “How will you get all your stuff here?” Sandy leaned her elbows on the table and tried to see his eyes under that blasted cowboy hat. As much as it increased his good looks, she’d forgotten that she hated not being able to see a man’s eyes when he wore a cowboy hat.

  “I’ll hire someone,” he said. “I’m not going back.”

  She cocked her head and gave him a teasing smile. “So you’re going to live out of my office?”

  He reached across the table and took her hands in his. “Yeah, that has to change, even if I like being so close to you.” He ducked his head as a smile enhanced his handsomeness. “Will you help me find somewhere to rent? I can look to buy something later.”

  Curiosity burned through Sandy. How much money did Tad have? If he could afford to hire someone to pack up his life in Vegas and move it Three Rivers, he certainly had enough to buy something now.

  “I’m lookin’ to go cheap for now,” he said, and the cowboy twang in his speech sent a spike of annoyance through Sandy. She couldn’t believe she was on a date with another cowboy!

  “Oh?” she said. “Maybe you should get back to Vegas and pack yourself. Save some money.” She didn’t mean for her tone to be quite so sharp.

  Tad watched her, the light in his eyes now more cautious than flirty. “I have an appointment with the loan manager at the bank on Wednesday. Though I don’t have any construction costs, I’m going to need to pay Brynn rent, and I need supplies, and funds to pay stud fees.” His face reddened, and Sandy wasn’t sure if it was from talk about stud fees or because he needed money to start his business.

  “But I’m not goin’ back to Vegas. I have a severance package I can use to pay for the move and for a cheap apartment.” His voice darkened with every word. By the time he finished, Sandy’s annoyance had faded and regret had taken its place.

  She sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine.” He graced her with a quick grin that didn’t hold the luster it sometimes did. “You still hung up on me whisking you away from Three Rivers?” The teasing quality of his words told her he wasn’t upset.

  “Yeah, something like that,” she said.

  “And this wasn’t good enough?” He gestured to the haphazard décor of the diner. “I’m shocked by that.”

  Sandy laughed along with Tad, the release a welcome change. She needed to get over her fantasy of leaving Three Rivers and living an exotic life on a white-sand beach. It wasn’t the life she wanted anyway.

  “This was fun,” she said as he threw some cash on the table and stood.

  “Good.” He slid his arm around her waist. “When I’m with you, I don’t much care where I am.”

  Warmth and peace infused Sandy’s dark and cold areas. She didn’t need to leave Three Rivers to be happy. Maybe Tad moving to town would be exactly what she needed. She snuggled into his side, afraid to speak of such long-term things so soon into their relationship.

  Hank’s salty attitude toward Tad kissing her revolved through her mind. She needed to ask Tad about Hank, about why her brother wouldn’t want them to be together. But after Tad’s declaration that he just liked being with her, she decided to clamp her lips shut and save her questions for another day.

  She reached for the radio and turned up the volume. “Okay, let’s hear your singing voice.”

  He gave her an incredulous look. “Yeah, right.”

  “Come on,” she begged, glad for the excuse for lighter conversation. “I want to hear you sing.”

  His grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Okay, but I’m terrible.”

  “Can’t be that bad.”

  He opened his mouth and sang the next line in the chorus. Sandy gaped at him, sure what was coming from his mouth wasn’t even English. She burst out laughing, and he cut off the noise.

  “See?” He hunched down in the seat, pulling his cowboy hat lower and hiding under it. “You don’t have to laugh so hard.”

  “I thought you were kidding.”

  “I rarely joke about my flaws.”

  Sandy reached over and took his hand in hers. “I thought it was…special.” But secretly, she was glad Tad had flaws. They made her more comfortable about him, made him more human, and though she still thought him to be nearly perfect, she could always fall back on his terrible singing when her ideals about him grew too large.

  He lifted her fingers to his mouth and kissed them. “So no more singing?”

  “No,” she said. “We’ll leave that to the professionals.”

  By Tuesday evening, Tad’s brain felt like it had been taken out of his skull, run over and bruised, and then reinserted. He’d spent most of the day in Sandy’s office, his own notes now littering the desk.

  His father had been more than generous, giving him advice and emailing him a list of supplies to start his boarding program. He’d called the two men Brynn had referred him to regarding breeding and they were coming on Monday.

  Monday!

  Tad groaned and rubbed the kink out of the back of his neck. He could be ready by Saturday. He’d have to be.

  While he’d only planned to stay in town for several days, everything had changed once he’d actually arrived. He still hadn’t done anything about his apartment in Las Vegas, but the thought of making another phone call made a stabbing pain materialize behind his eyes.

  Tomorrow, he told himself as he emerged from the office. Sandy’s living room and kitchen sat empty. Not surprising, since darkness loomed beyond the windows as well. She
’d probably gone out to eat, Tad thought, as his own stomach roared.

  His phone rang, and he wanted to flush it down the toilet. Though it had been a good day, full of needed information, he didn’t want to talk to anyone else.

  “Hey, Sandy,” he said, trying to make his voice brighter than he felt.

  “Are you coming to my mom’s for dinner? We’re waiting.”

  A rush of adrenaline seemed to wake his brain. She’d left her car for him and gone with Hank earlier that day. She’d spent hours with Willow, and she hadn’t been looking forward to it. And now he was late.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I’m on my way now. Sorry I’m running a bit behind. Go ahead and start without me.”

  She sighed. “You don’t sound like you’re driving.” Her lowered voice could only mean she’d called him right from the dinner table. He didn’t want to embarrass her in front of her family. In fact, she’d told him on the way home from Wellington last night that she felt like she didn’t fit in her family. He’d wanted to provide a refuge for her, a place she did belong. He still did, and he mentally kicked himself for losing track of time, for forgetting Sandy needed him.

  “I’m on my way out the door.” He searched for his shoes, wishing he had time to change and make himself more presentable for her family.

  “Okay, well, get here fast.”

  He promised he would and then hung up. He grabbed her keys from the counter, slid on his athletic shoes, and flew out the door. He shouldn’t have to doctor himself up for dinner at his best friend’s house. But for his girlfriend’s parents….

  Tad didn’t quite know how to act anymore. He’d eaten and slept at Hank’s many times. But he hadn’t eaten and slept at Sandy’s. The territory suddenly felt a lot more treacherous.

  Thankfully, he made it across town in record time, and they’d started without him. He slid into a seat next to Sandy, wanting to lean over and press a kiss to her temple, maybe murmur a heartfelt apology.