“Just...be careful,” Luke urged.
“I always am,” he said.
But their words and warnings continued to niggle at the back of his mind throughout the rest of the day. And even when he met Serena after work, as they’d planned, to take a reluctant Marvin for a walk, followed by dinner together again.
So maybe it wasn’t surprising that Serena sensed his preoccupation. Or maybe he didn’t do a very good job hiding it, because when she took his hand to lead him into the living room after the dishes had been cleared up, he balked.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’m wondering if I should go,” he admitted.
“Oh.” She immediately released his hand. “If that’s what you want.”
“It’s not,” he assured her.
“Then why are you wondering about it?”
“Because people are already talking about the fact that my truck was parked outside your apartment last night,” he said. “And the night before.”
“Really?” She seemed surprised by this revelation—then surprised him by smiling again. “Good.”
“Why is that good?”
“Because I’ve always been a good girl, never giving anyone reason to speculate or gossip.”
“Well, they’re speculating now,” he told her.
“Grams will be so proud.”
“Please tell me you’re not going to tell your grandmother.”
“I won’t have to. She’ll most likely hear it from Melba Strickland—if she hasn’t already.”
He winced at the thought. “And then she’ll wonder, along with everyone else, what a nice girl like Serena Langley is doing with an aimless boy like Bailey Stockton?”
She lifted her arms and linked her hands behind his neck, her fingertips playing with the hair that curled over the collar of his shirt. “I don’t think you’re aimless,” she said. “You’re just taking some time to figure things out.”
“So what are you doing with me?” he asked her.
“I know what I want to do.” She rose up onto her toes to whisper her idea in his ear.
“Your wish is my command,” he said, and scooped her into his arms to carry her to the bedroom.
* * *
After that first night with Bailey, Serena knew that she was well on her way to falling in love with him. When he’d invited her to cut down a Christmas tree at Sunshine Farm, where he’d undoubtedly participated in the same ritual with his parents and siblings for the first twenty years of his life, she felt the first glimmer of hope that maybe he was starting to feel the same way.
But she didn’t want to get too far ahead of herself, because she knew that he’d put shields up around his badly damaged heart, and that he might never let them down enough to fall in love again. In the meantime, she tried to enjoy just being with him and making new memories with him as they participated in all the usual holiday rituals.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t spend every minute of every day with him, because they both had jobs and responsibilities. In fact, she was clipping the nails of a Great Dane Wednesday afternoon when a knock sounded on the door, then Bailey stepped into the exam room.
“Annie said it was okay for me to come in,” he explained.
“Sure,” she agreed. “Tiny is always happy to meet new people.” The Great Dane’s tail thumped noisily against the surface of the metal table, but otherwise, the animal didn’t move as she continued to work.
Bailey made a show of looking around the room. “Where’s Tiny?”
She smiled. “This is Tiny.”
“I doubt that animal was ever tiny, even as a puppy,” he remarked.
“Norma Wilson has a fondness for irony,” Serena explained. “Her other dog is a Chihuahua named Monster.” She clipped the last nail. “All done.”
Tiny nimbly hopped down off the table. Standing, his head was level with Serena’s midriff. Then he dropped to his butt on the floor, sitting patiently, expectantly.
She retrieved a treat from the pocket of her lab coat and fed it to him. “Good boy,” she said, and rubbed the top of his head.
“Do I get a treat?” Bailey asked.
She offered him a doggy cookie.
He lowered his head and kissed her instead.
“That’s what I wanted,” he told her.
“That was nice,” she agreed. “But I suspect you didn’t come into town just for a kiss.”
“No,” he agreed. “Not that one of your kisses wouldn’t make the trip worthwhile, but Luke asked me to pick up some stuff at the feed store. And since I was here, I thought I’d check in to see if you wanted to reschedule the dinner and a movie that we missed last week. How’s Friday night?”
“Actually, I already have plans for Friday night,” she confided.
“Oh.” He frowned. “What kind of plans?”
“The Candlelight Walk.”
He looked at her blankly.
“Maybe you weren’t back in town yet when it happened last year,” she acknowledged. “It’s exactly what the name implies—residents carry lit candles in a processional down Main Street.”
“Yeah, I guess I missed that,” he said.
“You don’t sound too sorry,” she noted.
He shrugged. “You know all that Christmassy stuff isn’t really my thing.”
“Which is why I didn’t ask you to go with me.”
“But if my only options are a Candlelight Walk with you or spending Friday night alone... Well, there’s no contest.”
“Really? You want to go with me?”
“I really want to go with you,” he said.
* * *
She was used to feeling butterflies in her tummy.
The first time she’d ever met Bailey Stockton, a brief and impromptu introduction at the clinic one day when he’d stopped by to see Annie, Serena had felt flutters in her belly. And again, a few months later, when she’d crossed paths with him at Crawford’s. And of course, the day that they’d played Santa and Mrs. Claus at the community center.
They’d spent a lot of time together since then, and yet, all it took was a look, a smile or a touch to have those butterflies swooping and spinning again.
As she got ready for the Candlelight Walk, she felt as if those familiar butterflies had multiplied tenfold—and then OD’d on caffeine. Because Serena knew that showing up at tonight’s event with Bailey would make a statement about their relationship that would carry as much weight as a headline in the Gazette.
Even as she added a spritz of her favorite perfume, she wondered if this was a bad idea. If she was making their relationship into more than it really was. When she was with him, she was usually having too much fun to worry that she might be the only one emotionally invested in the relationship. It was only when she was on her own, with the holidays looming, that the doubts and insecurities raised their ugly heads.
Because each day that passed was a day closer to December 25, and Bailey had said nothing about his plans for Christmas—or asked about hers.
Not that she had any plans. While many residents of Rust Creek Falls were busy running here or there to spend time with family or friends, Serena was accustomed to being on her own with her pets. And that was okay. It was her own tradition—a day of quiet reflection and counting her blessings.
It was another tradition to spend the day after Christmas with her mother, if Amanda felt up to it. But her mother was spending the holidays with Mark this year, and although they were keeping their celebrations low-key, they’d invited Serena to join them. Of course, she’d declined. Not only because she didn’t want to intrude on their first Christmas together, but because she was—perhaps foolishly—optimistic that she might be celebrating her own first Christmas with Bailey.
But she had accepted an invitation to Mark’s house for lunch on Sunday, just two days before
Christmas, and she’d ordered a Dutch apple pie—her mother’s favorite—from Daisy’s as her contribution to the meal. She’d told Bailey of her plans, emphasizing the fact that she didn’t celebrate Christmas Day with her mom, but he hadn’t taken the hint.
Of course, he’d only reunited with his family the previous year, so it was understandable that they’d be the focus of his plans. It was also possible that he planned to invite her to celebrate with him but hadn’t yet done so.
Maybe tonight, she thought—fingers crossed—as she retrieved her hat and mittens from the closet. Then she reached for her boots, and Marvin immediately went to hide.
She laughed, then winced a little as she tightened the lace of her right boot. She’d had a little mishap at the clinic the day before and twisted her ankle. Although she’d iced and wrapped the joint, it was still a little sore—but not sore enough to keep her from participating in one of her favorite holiday events.
She’d just finished buttoning her coat when Bailey knocked at the door. He kissed her lightly, then looked at the floor by her feet. “Where’s Marvin?”
“Hiding,” she said.
“Why?”
“Because these are my w-a-l-k-i-n-g boots,” she explained. “And not even the promise of a belly rub would entice him out for a second w-a-l-k in one day.”
“That dog has issues,” he told her.
“And his exercise phobia is only the tip of the iceberg,” she admitted, as she closed and locked the door behind her. “He’s also afraid of horses, cows and pigs.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” She shook her head as she descended the stairs beside him, trying not to put her full weight on her right foot. “One day when we were out, there were a couple of young girls riding horses on a trail, and he darted between my legs and would not move.”
“Then that might be another reason he’s hiding,” Bailey suggested, as he led her around to the front of the building.
She halted in midstep. “What’s this?”
“What does it look like?”
“It looks like a horse-drawn sleigh.”
“Got it in one,” he told her. “More specifically, it’s a two-seat Albany sleigh.”
And it was gorgeous, with gleaming bronze accents and tufted velvet seats and ribbon-wrapped pine boughs adding a festive touch.
“Where did you get it?” she asked him now.
“I borrowed it from Dallas Traub. And Trina—” he gestured to the gorgeous horse harnessed to the sleigh “—from his stables.”
“Okay,” she said. “But why did you borrow a horse-drawn sleigh for the Candlelight Walk?”
“Because Annie told me that you sprained your ankle at work—which you didn’t mention to me,” he said pointedly.
“Because it’s fine,” she assured him.
He just lifted a brow.
“And it’s wrapped.”
“But I don’t imagine it will feel very good tomorrow if you’re on it all night tonight.”
“Probably not,” she acknowledged. “But I didn’t want to miss the walk.”
“And now you don’t have to,” he said, taking her hand to help her climb into the seat.
“This is so...thoughtful.”
“And romantic?” he suggested.
“Unbelievably romantic,” she assured him.
And it was.
The walk started at the high end of Main Street, where volunteers from the city council handed out lighted candles in tall glass jars. Bailey left her in the sleigh while he went to get a candle for her, then they took their position at the rear of the crowd. Of course, night fell early in December, but the flicker of so many candles created a beautiful golden glow as the processional made its way slowly toward the park, where the bonfire would be lit.
Bailey held the reins in one gloved hand and Serena’s free hand with his other.
“People are going to talk,” she warned.
“People are already talking,” he reminded her.
“And you just added fresh fuel to the fire.”
“With this?” he scoffed, lifting their joined hands. “I doubt it. But maybe—” he tipped her chin up and brushed his lips over hers “—that will do the trick.”
“If the trick is making me want to skip the bonfire and take you home to have my way with you, then yes.”
“Participating in tonight’s festivities was your idea,” he reminded her.
“So it was,” she confirmed.
And she was glad he’d agreed to come. Not only because he’d so thoughtfully provided transportation that allowed her to rest her sore ankle, but because she always enjoyed being with him.
At the end of the route, after the bonfire had been lit, eliciting gasps and cheers from the crowd, they caught sight of his brother Jamie with Fallon and the triplets, Henry, Jared and Katie.
The kids were excited to see “ho-zees,” and after checking with Serena first, Bailey offered the reins to his brother so that he and his wife could take their kids for a little ride.
While they were gone, Bailey and Serena mingled with the crowd. And it was a crowd. The O’Reillys were in attendance en masse: Paddy and Maureen, their sons, Ronan and Keegan, and their daughters, Fallon, Fiona and Brenna, along with their respective partners. There were several representatives of each of the Crawford and Traub families, and even more Daltons.
They stopped to chat for a minute with Old Gene and Melba Strickland, the latter asking about Serena’s grandmother. And though Serena was tempted to point out that Melba probably talked to Janet Carswell more than her granddaughter did, she managed to bite back the cheeky retort and simply assure the older woman that Janet was doing well.
Shortly after that, Jamie and Fallon returned and they traded places again, then Bailey directed Trina to take them back to Serena’s place.
“Tonight was...amazing,” Serena said, after he’d carried her up the stairs to her back door.
“I’m glad you had a good time.”
“I suppose you have to get the horse and sleigh back to the Triple T,” she said, naming the Traub ranch where Dallas and Nina lived with their four children.
“I do,” Bailey confirmed.
“Do you want to come back here after you’ve done that?” she asked him.
He tightened his arms around her. “What horse and sleigh?”
She laughed softly. “I’m flattered. I know you wouldn’t really neglect Trina after she dutifully escorted us around town all night, but I’m flattered.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised.
“I’ll be here,” she assured him.
He kept his promise.
And when he made love to her that night, it was beautiful and magical and Serena finally acknowledged a truth she’d been trying to deny: she was in love with Bailey Stockton.
The realization filled her heart with joy—and her belly with trepidation. Because she knew that Bailey wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. He’d been honest about that from the very beginning. But she’d fallen in love with him anyway.
She’d never felt like this before, and she was torn between wanting to tell him and worrying that if she did, the confession of her feelings would act as a wedge rather than a bridge between them. So for now, she resolved to keep the words to herself.
But as their bodies merged together in the darkness of the night, she knew that the truth and depth of her feelings were evident in every touch of her lips, pass of her hands and press of her body.
“You know, the first pie I ever made for Luke was an apple,” Eva said conversationally, as she boxed up the dessert Serena had ordered.
“Proving that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?” Serena guessed.
“Well, I can’t argue with the results.” The other woman
grinned as she fluttered the fingers of her left hand, where a glittery diamond nestled against the wedding band on the third finger.
Serena smiled back as she passed her money across the counter.
“So are you going to tell me what this pie is for?” Eva prompted. “Or are you going to make me guess?”
“I’m going to lunch at my mother’s boyfriend’s house.” It felt strange to say those words—mother’s boyfriend—but Amanda and Mark seemed to have clearly defined their relationship, while Serena and Bailey had not.
“I would have guessed wrong,” the baker said. “Is Bailey going with you?”
Serena shook her head. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I didn’t invite him.”
“Why not?” Eva asked again.
“Because I’m not even sure I want to go,” Serena admitted. “I certainly wouldn’t drag anyone else into the center of my family drama.”
“Every family has drama,” Eva assured her. “And nothing shines twinkling lights on it like the holidays.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” she agreed.
“So...what are your plans for Christmas Eve?”
“Oh, the usual,” Serena said, deliberately vague.
“What’s the usual?”
“Hanging out with Marvin, Molly and Max,” she confided.
The other woman’s eyes narrowed. “Isn’t Marvin your dog?”
Serena nodded. “My dog, my cat and my bunny.”
“You don’t spend Christmas Eve with your mom?”
“That would be too much drama even for me.”
“In that case, you should come out to Sunshine Farm,” Eva said.
“Oh.” Serena was taken aback by the other woman’s impulsive offer—and undeniably touched by the invitation. “Thanks, but I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family celebrations.”
“Don’t be silly,” the baker chided. “Everyone will be happy to see you.”
“I don’t know,” she hedged. “Bailey hasn’t said anything to me about his plans for the holidays.” He certainly hadn’t given any indication that he wanted to spend them with her.
“Because he’s a man. He doesn’t know how to make plans any more than twenty-four hours in advance of an event.”
Bring Me A Maverick For Christmas! (Montana Mavericks: The Lonelyhearts Ranch Book 6) Page 15