The Maverick's Snowbound Christmas

by Karen Rose Smith

  She hadn’t even had time to wrap her head around the idea when Derek spotted her. All smug smile and twinkling eyes, he strode toward their table, his arm in a sling.

  Greg raised a questioning brow as he watched the cowboy approach.

  Derek stopped at their table. “Hi, Hadley. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “Hi, Derek. Just having dinner with a friend. Derek Dalton meet Greg Fordham.”

  Derek eyed Greg suspiciously. Maybe it was the cut of Greg’s suit or the glimmer of his gold watch that caused that wary look in Derek’s eyes. “I’m meeting Eli here for drinks.”

  Hadley could have groaned. She’d really never expected that, or this...to have to give some sort of explanation. On the other hand, she didn’t owe anybody an explanation. This was her life, and she was going to live it as she saw fit. Eli hadn’t asked her if she wanted to get together again tonight. Obviously he’d had plans with Derek.

  She didn’t have to involve Derek in conversation because at that moment Eli walked into the Ace in the Hole. He saw the three of them, frowned and came over to the table.

  “This town is full of cowboys,” Greg said, loud enough for Derek and Eli to hear.

  Hadley did have the right to live her own life, but what she and Eli had shared did mean something. She didn’t want him to think she had taken it lightly.

  So she went through introductions again, ending with, “Greg and I went to veterinary school together.”

  Derek rolled his eyes. “I can see the three of you are probably going to be talking about horses. I think I’ll just mosey over to the bar.”

  When Eli looked at Hadley and said politely, “Enjoy your dinner,” she couldn’t let him walk away. Impulsively she asked, “Won’t you join us? You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

  He waved at their burgers. “You’ve already been served.”

  “That doesn’t matter. You know they’ll bring another burger out here quick. Please join us.”

  Eli slung a chair around from one of the other tables and positioned it between Hadley and Greg. “Where are you from?” Eli asked, because it was obvious Greg wasn’t from here.

  “At present, St. Louis,” Greg said formally.

  Eli shed his suede jacket onto the back of his chair, revealing a plaid flannel shirt and jeans.

  “So you and your brother handle steers?” Greg asked, looking as if he really wanted to know.

  “We handle steers, feed horses, see to everyday workings of a ranch.”

  “Do you have a big spread?” Greg asked.

  “It’s a family spread,” Eli answered truthfully, then signaled to the waitress and pointed to the burger at Hadley’s place. She got the idea and nodded.

  “So you all live in one big ranch house?”

  Now Hadley spoke up. She didn’t like Greg’s tone or his questioning attitude. Eli wasn’t someone to put under a microscope, even though he showed no signs of being bothered by Greg’s questions. Still, she sensed the squaring of his shoulders and the straightening of his spine that said he was on guard.

  “Eli and his brothers and sisters each received a parcel of land. Eli built his house on his. It’s beautiful,” she said. “The finest workmanship I’ve seen.”

  Greg looked from Eli to Hadley then back at Eli. “That sounds as if you worked on it yourself.”

  “I did. My brother’s an architect, so I consulted with him.”

  “An architect,” Greg said with a nod, as if that was something he could understand. “And where did you go to school?”

  Hadley shifted in her seat as a look crossed Eli’s face that was much like a shadow. She didn’t understand it.

  “I decided against a formal college education,” Eli told Greg.

  “I see,” Greg said, obviously not seeing at all. “Hadley and I attended one of the best veterinary schools there is. That’s why I was so surprised when she decided to practice in Bozeman.”

  Eli shrugged. “It seems logical she’d want to be close to home.”

  “After an education, home is where life takes you,” Greg protested. “I’ve just invited her to join me in a practice in St. Louis. It would be a wonderful life experience for her. She’d be able to break out of the constraints of small-town life.”

  Hadley was totally surprised by that comment. “I never said I was constrained by small-town life,” she said.

  “You don’t have to say it. It’s obvious. Your mind has a much greater reach than you give yourself credit for. Once you’re in a setting with culture, amenities and a more eclectic lifestyle, your horizons will broaden tremendously.”

  Was it true? Would her horizons broaden? Maybe. Would she be gaining rather than giving up? Or would she be losing connections she found dear and miss them so much that no experience would be worth that? Hard to know without thinking on it, without discussing it with Claire and Tessa, and maybe even her mother and grandmother.

  Eli was giving her an odd look, as if Greg were unveiling a side of her that he’d never seen. Would she change if she moved to St. Louis? Did she want to change?

  Greg kept talking about St. Louis as she picked at her burger. She seemed to have lost her appetite. Eli ate his with a distracted look, but every once in a while he glanced from her to Greg as if he were puzzled. She had the sudden urge to touch him, to put her hand on his forearm, to have a conversation just with him. But Greg was rattling on, and she could see Derek sitting over at the bar, watching all.

  Finally, Greg wiped his mouth with his napkin and then set it on the table. “I know you need time to think about this, and also to see if you can come up with money for the investment. I wanted to present this to you before the new year. I’ll email you the details.” He stood. “I’d better be getting back to Kalispell. I have an early flight in the morning.” He nodded to Eli. “It was nice meeting you.”

  Then Greg gave Hadley a cursory hug. “I’ll give you a call after Christmas and we can talk about this further. If need be, maybe you could fly to St. Louis and see what I’m planning.”

  “I’ll think about all of it,” she said because she would. She sat down again slowly as Greg left the Ace in the Hole. She felt a little bit shell-shocked by the whole evening.

  She hardly had a chance to catch her breath when Eli moved his chair closer to hers.

  He asked, “Did you and that guy once have something going?”

  “No,” she protested. “At least not in the way you mean. Greg and I had classes together. We have the same philosophy about veterinary medicine. But the closest we got was the same study group.”

  “You’ve been in touch since college?”

  “Sure. Emails, catching up on what the other’s doing. We’re friends, Eli. Not close friends, but friends.”

  Eli looked as if he wanted to say something but seemed to think better of it.

  “What?”

  “Maybe he has a torch for you and that’s why he wants you to come to St. Louis.”

  “You don’t think this is a purely professional reason he came to see me?”

  “I don’t know. You tell me.”

  “I’m telling you. It’s purely professional.” Could Eli be jealous? Was that what his questions were about?

  “You said you weren’t serious about anyone since that Justin.”

  “I haven’t dated since Justin,” she said a bit defensively.

  “For some reason Greg thinks you’d want to move to St. Louis. Is that the kind of life you want? A big city, traffic, noise?”

  “A broader experience, theater, a different lifestyle?” she countered.

  “A partner who thinks he knows best about everything?”

  Eli had that right. But for the moment, her concentration wasn’t on Greg. It was on Eli, and she didn’t like where this w
as going. “He’s given me much to think about, maybe even an opportunity. I’ve always wanted to have my own practice or be a partner in a practice.”

  “You can do that anywhere.”

  “Yes, I could. But why shouldn’t I want more than what I have? Don’t you want more than what you have?”

  “I’m satisfied.”

  “Are you? Is that why you don’t travel anymore? Is that why you don’t rock climb? Would you even give a different kind of life a chance?”

  Eli’s face was stony with resolve. She wanted to shake him or get a rise out of him. She wanted to see him as other than dependable, reliable and stoic. “Maybe I want a chance to change my life. Didn’t you break off your engagement because you couldn’t change yours?”

  As soon as she said the words, she wished she hadn’t. But the harm was done. Eli’s expression told her that. He was closed down to her.

  She reached for his arm. “Eli, I’m sorry.”

  Apparently Eli didn’t want to hear any apologies from her. He didn’t brush her off, but he easily broke her grasp and stood. “I’ll pay for my burger at the bar. I can’t criticize you because you want to experience something new. But don’t tell me how I should live my life.”

  Hadley thought about going after him as he strode toward the bar, but that would be just too humiliating. She wouldn’t be humiliated by a man again. However, as Eli left the Ace in the Hole and Derek followed him out, she wondered exactly what she had just done.

  And if she’d ever see Eli Dalton again.

  * * *

  Eli wanted to ram his fist into something, but he knew that wouldn’t do any good. Besides, his brother was close on his heels. They were on the street now, headed toward Eli’s truck.

  Eli called over his shoulder, “See you back at the ranch.”

  But Derek didn’t stop. He kept coming. “What was that about?” his brother asked.

  “None of your concern.”

  “It looked like it should be somebody’s concern. Did you two have a fight?”

  “Hadley received an offer to join a friend in a practice in St. Louis.”

  Derek whistled low. Then he muttered, “I can only imagine how much that guy’s suit cost.”

  Eli suddenly rounded on his brother and asked, “Do you think I’m inflexible?”

  Derek’s mouth opened in surprise. Then he studied Eli. “Inflexible? You mean because you know what you want?”

  “Yeah, something like that. Was I being inflexible because I wouldn’t move to Chicago to be with Elaine?”

  Derek shrugged. “I don’t think that whole situation was about moving.”

  “No? Then what was it about?” Eli demanded to know, feeling frustrated and unsettled.

  “I don’t think you loved her enough to change your life.”

  Derek’s observation hit home. As Eli thought about what he’d felt for Elaine, he said absently, “I used to enjoy rock climbing.”

  “Yeah. So?” Then a lightbulb seemed to go off in Derek’s head. He held up a finger. “Oh. So you don’t do it anymore because you did it with her?”

  Eli felt shaken by that thought. “Something like that.”

  “And you didn’t find a new hobby.”

  “Maybe I didn’t need a hobby anymore. I had the ranch.”

  “And is that all you have?” Derek wanted to know.

  Up until Eli had met Hadley, he’d thought the ranch was enough. Oh, sure. He’d thought about the future sometimes and having a wife and kids to share it. Maybe even buying his own place. Or maybe starting up a breeding business on the Circle D. Yet he hadn’t felt in any hurry to decide.

  “Do you think she’s going to move to St. Louis?” Derek asked. “Her family probably won’t be too fond of that idea.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t care what her family thinks. Sometimes I get the feeling she wants to get away from them.” Yet he wasn’t sure exactly why.

  After a few beats of silence, Eli asked, “Do you think you’ll ever get married?”

  Derek pointed to his chest and flashed Eli a wide grin. “Me? Why should I get married when I’m having so much fun?” But then his younger brother turned serious. “You, on the other hand... You’d make a good husband and dad.”

  At this moment, Eli wasn’t sure whether he would or wouldn’t. But he did know one thing. He now had to entertain the idea that he couldn’t find a life partner because maybe he was too rigid!

  Chapter Twelve

  The following Saturday, Brooks stepped into the exam room that one of his patients had just vacated. Hadley was cleaning up.

  “How did the yearly physical go with Nancy’s cat?” he asked. “She can be a handful.”

  “Just fine. Treats are a great distraction.”

  He smiled. “Not only for cats. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your being here, mostly because it takes the worry from Dad that we’re not overbooked.”

  “We’re good for the next hour or so. I told Anne I’d help her decorate the office this afternoon.”

  “I’m sure you don’t want my help with that. I’ll be at the computer for a while.”

  Brooks had just left the exam room when Hadley’s phone buzzed. Her heart skipped when she saw the number. Eli.

  She’d been debating with herself all week about calling him. She’d wanted to call him. But on the other hand, with her life in such a state of flux, was there a point?

  After she answered, Eli asked, “Are you speaking to me?”

  “If you’re speaking to me.”

  “I shouldn’t have left like I did on Monday night.”

  “And I shouldn’t have said what I did,” she admitted.

  “You were feeling defensive because I was at you about St. Louis. And maybe, just maybe, you hit the mark with me.”

  A man who could admit to something and apologize, too. She hadn’t run into many of those.

  “Are you free? Can we meet for lunch?” he asked.

  She hesitated for one reason. She was falling hard for Eli. She said, “I probably shouldn’t. I promised Brooks’s receptionist I’d help decorate the office.”

  “I see,” he said thoughtfully. He obviously suspected she was putting him off, and she was.

  “Maybe we can coordinate our schedules another time,” he suggested.

  “Another time,” she agreed. After goodbyes, she ended the call, feeling deeply disappointed and even sad.

  A half hour later she was helping Anne Lattimore attach a garland around the reception counter when the front door to the clinic opened. To Hadley’s surprise, Eli strode in.

  “Need help decorating?” he asked with a smile, taking off his Stetson and hanging it on a hat peg.

  Just looking at Eli made Hadley feel as if she’d received an early Christmas present. His gaze swept over her violet sweater, leggings and her practical boots. She suddenly wished she’d taken care with makeup this morning.

  They were still gazing each other’s way when Brooks came into the reception area. “Hi, Eli. I don’t have you on my schedule.”

  “I came to see if Hadley would put me on her schedule,” Eli teased. “Face-to-face seems to work better with her.”

  Hadley felt herself blushing. They’d been more than face-to-face, and he was referencing that.

  “She doesn’t have to stay,” Brooks said. “Anne and I can finish up. Our appointments are done for the day unless I get an emergency call.”

  In a glance, Eli took in the boxes of garland and the ornaments ready for hanging wherever a critter couldn’t reach them.

  “I’ll help,” he said. “Then you’ll all get done faster.”

  Hadley wasn’t sure what to say to that. Anne was looking back and forth between them, her eyebrows quirked. She
said, “I’ll go fetch the twinkle lights.”

  Brooks disappeared, too, and Hadley was left with Eli. He took a hammer and a tack from the counter and tapped it into the door frame. “Can you spare some time if we get this finished?”

  “What did you have in mind?” she asked, her heart beating way too fast.

  “How about drinks at Maverick Manor? We can talk uninterrupted.”

  Just what were they going to talk about? But she didn’t ask that question.

  He took a step closer to her. “Are you running away from me?”

  “Not right now,” she said with certainty. “And, yes, I’ll go to Maverick Manor with you and have drinks.”

  He came even closer. “Ever since the other night, all I want to do is touch you.”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Eli,” she warned.

  “I think Anne and Brooks left us alone on purpose. They seem pretty savvy about those kinds of things.”

  Maybe they were, but Hadley wasn’t sure she was. She knew exactly what Eli meant. She wanted to touch him, too. After all, they’d made love. They’d been naked with each other. They’d spoken in low whispers and called each other’s name at the height of passion.

  Eli reached out and ran his thumb over her cheek. “I remember everything, Hadley, don’t you?”

  She nodded because she couldn’t speak, not with Eli looking at her like that, not with him touching her this way. The brush of his thumb went deeper than skin. It went to her heart. When he bent his head and gently nibbled on her lower lip, she wrapped her arms around his neck. His kiss was prolonged and deep, and she responded to it with all of her being. She didn’t know how long they kissed. She just knew all of it was romantic and heart-melting and just what she needed.

  Finally, they both came up for air. He said in a husky voice, “So you have to decorate in here, huh?”

  She smiled. “I do.”

  “Then let’s get to it,” he said with determination. “The faster we get done, the faster I get you to myself.”

  * * *

  An hour later, when they left the veterinary clinic, Eli suggested they drive their own cars. It made sense to him since Hadley seemed to be in a skittish mood. She hadn’t been in a skittish mood during that kiss, but other than that, he could see she felt almost awkward with him. How could that be when they’d made love so passionately?