Bailey believed wholeheartedly in the work of Presents for Patriots. He had the greatest respect for the sacrifices made by enlisted men and women and was proud to participate in the community’s efforts to let the troops know they were valued and appreciated. Maybe sending Christmas gifts was a small thing, but at least it was something, and Bailey was pleased to be part of it.
He was less convinced of the value of this dinner and dance. Sure, it was a fund-raiser for a good cause, but Bailey suspected that most of the guests would be couples, and—as the only single one of his siblings currently living in Rust Creek Falls—he was already tired of feeling like a third wheel.
Not that he wanted to change his status. No, he’d learned the hard way that he was better off on his own. No one to depend on and no one depending on him. But it was still awkward to be a single man in a social gathering that was primarily made up of couples.
He looked around the crowd gathered at Sawmill Station, hoping to see Serena in attendance. She’d said that she had a ticket for the event, but considering the abruptness with which she’d left the restaurant after lunch, he had to wonder if she’d changed her mind about coming.
Her plans shouldn’t matter to him. After all, he barely knew her. But he couldn’t deny there was something about her—even when she was admonishing him for his admittedly inappropriate behavior—that appealed to him.
In fact, while she’d been scolding him, he’d had trouble understanding her words because his attention had been focused on the movements of her mouth. And he’d found himself wondering if those sweetly curved lips would stop moving if he covered them with his own—or if they’d respond with a matching passion.
Yeah, he barely knew the woman, but he knew that he wanted to kiss her—and that realization made him wary. It had been a lot of years since he’d felt such an immediate and instinctive attraction to a woman, and he would have happily lived out the rest of his days without experiencing that feeling again. Because he knew now that the euphoric feeling didn’t last—and when it was gone, his heart might suffer more dings and dents.
So it was probably for the best that she’d walked out of the diner before he’d had a chance to ask her to be his date tonight. Because while he wasn’t entirely comfortable being a single man surrounded by couples, at least he didn’t have to worry about the stirring of unexpected desires—and the even more dangerous yearnings of his heart.
Just when he’d managed to convince himself that was true, he turned away from the bar with a drink in hand and saw her. And his foolish heart actually skipped a beat.
The silky blond hair that had spilled over her shoulders when she’d removed the Mrs. Claus wig was gathered up on top of her head now. Not in a tight knot or a formal twist, but a messy—and very sexy—arrangement of curls. Several loose strands escaped the knot to frame her face.
She was wearing a dress. The color was richer and deeper than red, and the fabric clung to her mouthwatering curves. The skirt of the dress ended just above her knees, and she wore pointy-toed high-heeled shoes on her feet.
He took a few steps toward her and noticed that there were sparkles in her hair. Crystal snowflakes, he realized, as he drew nearer. She’d made up her face, too. Not that she needed any artificial enhancement, but the long lashes that surrounded her deep blue eyes were now thicker and darker, and her temptingly curved lips were slicked with pink gloss.
“You look... Wow,” he said, because he couldn’t find any other words that seemed adequate.
Her cheeks flushed prettily. “Back atcha.”
He knew his basic suit and bolero tie were nothing special, particularly in this crowd, but he smiled, grateful that she didn’t seem to be holding a grudge. “I wasn’t sure you were going to come.”
“Neither was I,” she admitted.
“I’m glad you did,” he told her. “And I hope you brought your checkbook—there’s a lot of great stuff on the auction table.”
“As soon as I figure out where I’m sitting for dinner, I’ll take a look,” she promised.
“You can sit with me,” he invited.
“I think I’m supposed to be at Dr. Smith’s table.”
He shook his head. “There are no assigned tables.”
She looked toward the dining area, where long wooden tables were set in rows on either side of the dance floor.
The decor was festive but simple. Of course, Brendan and Bailey had left all those details in the hands of the event planners, who had adorned the tables with evergreen branches and holly berries, with tea lights in clear glass bowls at the center of each grouping of four place settings. The result was both festive and rustic, perfect for the venue and the occasion.
“I’ve never been here before,” Serena confided. “But this place is fabulous. You and Brendan did a great job.”
Bailey immediately shook his head. “This was all Caroline Ruth and her crew. The only thing me and Brendan can take credit for is putting her in charge,” he said. “And picking the food.”
“What will we be eating tonight?” she asked.
He plucked a menu off a nearby table and read aloud: “Country biscuits with whipped butter, mixed greens with poached pears, candied walnuts and a honey vinaigrette, grilled hand-carved flat iron steak, red-skin mashed potatoes and blackened corn, with huckleberry pie or chocolate mousse for dessert.”
“And that’s why I had salad for lunch,” she told him.
He chuckled as he steered her toward the table where Luke and Eva were already seated, along with Brendan Tanner and his fiancée, Fiona O’Reilly, and Fiona’s sister Brenna and her husband, Travis Dalton.
Conversation during dinner covered many and various topics—Presents for Patriots, of course, including the upcoming gift-wrapping at the community center—but Brendan and Fiona’s recent engagement was also a subject of much interest and discussion.
“So how long have you and Serena been dating?” Brenna asked, as she dipped her spoon into her chocolate mousse.
Bailey looked up, startled by the question. “What?”
Serena paused with her wineglass halfway to her lips, obviously taken aback, as well.
“I asked how long you’ve been dating,” Brenna repeated.
“They’re not dating,” Eva responded to the question first. “But they’re married.”
“Really?” Brenna sounded delighted and intrigued by this revelation.
“Not really,” Serena said firmly.
“I don’t know.” Eva spoke up again, winking at Bailey and Serena to let them know she was teasing. “There were a lot of people at the community center today who believe you are.”
Serena rolled her eyes. “Only because we were dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Claus.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a little role-playing to spice things up in the bedroom,” Brenna asserted.
Serena shook her head, her cheeks redder than the dress she’d worn during their role-playing that afternoon. “I should have stayed home tonight.”
“I’m just teasing you,” Brenna said, immediately contrite. “Although Travis and I fell in love for real while we were only pretending to be engaged.”
“I cheered for both of you on The Great Roundup,” Serena admitted.
“Then you saw me win the grand prize,” Travis chimed in.
Bailey frowned. Though reality shows weren’t his thing, it would have been impossible to be in Rust Creek Falls the previous year and not follow the events that played out when two local residents were vying for the big money on the television show. “It was Brenna who won the million dollars.”
“That’s true,” Travis confirmed, sliding an arm across his wife’s shoulders and drawing her into his embrace. “But I won Brenna.”
She smiled up at him. “And I won you.”
“And I need some air,” Bailey decided.
&
nbsp; “Me, too,” Serena said, pushing back her chair.
They exited the main reception area but didn’t venture much farther than that. Leaving the building would require collecting their coats and bundling up against the frigid Montana night.
“They don’t mean to be obnoxious,” Bailey said when he and Serena were alone. “At least, I don’t think they do.”
She laughed softly. “I didn’t think they were obnoxious. I thought they were adorable.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I mean, I watched The Great Roundup, but you never know how much of those reality shows is real, how much is staged, how much is selectively edited. It’s nice to see that they truly are head over heels in love with one another.”
“For now,” Bailey remarked.
Serena frowned. “You don’t think they’ll last?”
He shrugged. “I don’t think the odds are in their favor.”
“Love isn’t about odds,” she said. “It’s a leap of faith.”
“A leap that frequently ends with one or both parties hitting the ground with a splat.”
“Spoken like someone who has some experience with the splat,” she noted.
He nodded. “Because I do.”
“Of course, most people don’t make it through life without a few bumps and bruises.”
“Bumps and bruises usually heal pretty easily,” he said.
Bailey’s matter-of-fact statement told Serena that the heartbreak he’d experienced had left some pretty significant scars. She also suspected that the romance gone wrong had reopened wounds caused by the loss of his parents and the separation from his family when he was barely more than a teenager.
“Usually,” she agreed.
“I’m sorry,” he said, after another moment had passed.
The spontaneous and unexpected apology surprised her. “Why are you sorry?”
“Because I obviously said something that upset you at lunch today.”
“I can be overly sensitive at times,” she admitted.
“Does that mean I’m forgiven?” he asked hopefully.
She nodded. “You’re forgiven.”
“That’s a relief,” he told her. “We wouldn’t want the kids of Rust Creek Falls Elementary School to worry about any obvious tension between Santa and Mrs. Claus.”
“I’m not sure they care about Santa’s marital status so long as he delivers their presents on Christmas Eve.”
“Which he wouldn’t be able to do if the missus got possession of the sleigh and custody of the reindeer in the divorce,” Bailey pointed out.
“Then he better do everything he can to keep her happy,” she suggested.
“If Santa had a secret formula for keeping a woman happy, it would top every man’s Christmas list,” he said.
“Ha ha.”
“I’m not joking,” he assured her. “But in the interests of keeping you happy, can I buy you a drink?”
“No, thanks. I had a glass of wine with dinner and that’s my limit.”
“One glass?”
She nodded.
“Okay, how about a dance?”
“The words sound like an invitation,” she remarked. “But the tone suggests that you’re hoping the offer will be declined.”
“Maybe, for your sake, I’m hoping it will,” he said. “Because I’m not a very good dancer.”
“Then why did you ask?”
He shrugged. “Because it might seem like everyone else is paired off, but I have noticed that there are a few single guys in attendance and I know they’re just waiting for me to turn my back for a second so they can move in on you.”
“Should I be flattered? Or should I get out my pepper spray?”
“Maybe you should just dance with me,” he suggested.
So Serena took the hand he proffered and let him lead her to the dance floor. But the minute he took her in his arms, she knew that her acquiescence had been a mistake. Being close to him, she felt those unwanted feelings stir again.
She’d had a few boyfriends in her twenty-five years, and even a couple of lovers, but she’d never really been in love. And though she didn’t know much about Bailey, the intensity of the attraction she felt for him warned her that he might be the man she finally and completely fell for.
But she also knew that he didn’t want to be that man, and his brief and blunt comments about his marriage gone wrong should serve as a warning to her. Which was too bad, because she really liked being in his arms. And notwithstanding his claim that he wasn’t a good dancer, he moved well.
As the last notes of the song trailed away, she tipped her head back to look at him.
The heels she wore added three inches to her height, so that if he lowered his head just a little, his mouth would brush against hers.
She really wanted him to kiss her.
But they were barely more than strangers and in a very public setting. And yet, in that moment, everyone and everything else faded into the background so that there was only the two of them.
Then he did tip his head, so that his mouth hovered a fraction of an inch above hers. And she held her breath, waiting...
A guitar riff blasted through the air—an abrupt change of tempo for the couples on the dance floor—and the moment was lost.
Serena stepped back. “I—I’m going to check out the auction items.”
* * *
So Bailey returned to the table without her.
“Watching you and Serena on the dance floor, I could see why Brenna thought that you guys were together,” Luke commented.
“Why were you watching us instead of dancing with your wife?” Bailey asked his brother.
“Because I was working at Daisy’s at 4:00 a.m.,” Eva responded to the question. “And my feet are very happy to not be dancing right now. But he’s right,” she continued. “You and Serena look good together.”
“Except that we’re not together,” he reminded his brother and sister-in-law.
They exchanged a glance.
“Denial,” Eva said.
Luke nodded.
“Look, it’s great that the two of you found one another and happiness together, but not everyone else in the world wants the same thing,” Bailey told them.
“You mean they’re not ready to admit that they want the same thing,” Eva said.
Bailey just shook his head.
“A year ago, I was a skeptic, too,” Luke said. “And then I met Eva.”
The smile she gave her husband was filled with love and affection. And maybe it did warm Bailey’s heart to see Luke and Eva so happy. And Danny and Annie. And Jamie and Fallon. And his sister Bella and Hudson. And maybe he was just the tiniest bit envious.
But only the tiniest bit—not nearly enough to be willing to risk putting his own heart on the line again.
Thankfully, he was saved from responding by the sound of—
“Is that dogs barking the tune of ‘Jingle Bells’?” Eva asked.
“That’s gotta be Serena’s phone,” Bailey noted.
Luke picked it up from the table, his brows lifting when he looked at the case. Then he turned it around so Eva and Bailey could see the image of a bulldog wearing a Santa hat.
Bailey wasn’t going to judge her for loving Christmas as much as she loved her dog, especially when the call had provided a timely interruption to an increasingly awkward conversation. He took the phone from his brother and went to find Serena.
“This would send Marvin into a frenzy of joy,” she told him, gesturing with the pen in her hand to a Canine Christmas basket filled with toys and treats that had been donated by Brooks Smith and his wife, Jazzy.
Bailey glanced at the bid sheet. “Looks like there’s already a bidding war between Paige Traub and Lissa Christensen.”
“And now m
e, too,” she said, as she scrawled her offer on the page.
He lifted his brows at the number she’d written. “You doubled the last bid.”
“It’s for a good cause,” she reminded him.
“So it is,” he agreed.
“Is there anything here that’s caught your eye?” she asked.
He knew she was referring to the auction table, but the truth was, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her since she’d arrived.
“I’m still looking,” he told her. But as he’d very recently reminded his brother and sister-in-law, he wasn’t looking for happily-ever-after.
“There’s a lot to look at,” she said. “Everything from kids’ toys and knitted baskets to a weekend getaway at Maverick Manor.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, the bids on that are already out of my price range.”
And yet she was willing to overpay for some dog toys to support a good cause and make Marvin happy.
“Is this Marvin?” he asked, holding up her phone.
She smiled. “No, it’s a stock photo, but I bought the case because it looks a lot like him.”
“Well, you might want to check your messages,” he said. “Because you missed a call.”
Serena finished writing her contact information on the bid sheet, then took her phone from him. “I can’t imagine who might be calling me. Almost everyone I know is here tonight,” she told him, as she unlocked the screen with her thumbprint.
He was surprised to see her expression change as she scanned the message. The light in her eyes dimmed, her lips thinned. She texted a quick response, then said, “I have to go.”
“Now? Why?”
“My mom’s at the Ace in the Hole.”
“And?”
She just shook her head. “Long story.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked.
She seemed surprised that he would offer. “No,” she said, but softened the rejection with a smile. “I appreciate the offer, but it’s not necessary.”
Bring Me A Maverick For Christmas! (Montana Mavericks: The Lonelyhearts Ranch Book 6) Page 4