Hot Holiday Rancher

by Catherine Mann

  A somewhat nervous laugh trembled from Angela’s lips. That’s when Esme knew something serious had happened. Top of the list of her guesses? “Are you and Ryder okay?”

  If that man had hurt her sister again, Esme would never forgive him.

  “Well...that’s a million-dollar question. I’m still reeling. Prepare yourself. Turns out Maya, Ryder’s adopted daughter, is actually Tatiana’s daughter. Tatiana. My best friend. And Tatiana never told me.” Angela’s voice shook. “She never even hinted she gave up a baby. And Ryder... I just... I just can’t believe he didn’t tell me before now. I’m trying not to feel betrayed. But it’s just...a lot of information to digest.”

  Esme blinked. Then she immediately scanned the room for Ryder Currin, who was deep in conversation with a group of people down the hall. That bastard had actually once been engaged to Angela and hadn’t opened up about his life—about something that would have a deep impact on his fiancée. Sure, his children were all adults now, but they would have been Angela’s stepchildren, an important connection. He’d expected Angela to give her all to a relationship, yet he’d held back about this tie to her best friend.

  And where did that leave them now?

  Her sister’s breakup with Ryder had been rough. That was no secret. They’d fought for their relationship, though, made it back to a promising forever. But she imagined information like this didn’t do a lot in the way of bolstering trust in a relationship that still needed healing.

  Esme schooled her features into PR neutrality. The last thing Angela needed was Esme’s anger piled on top of all the turmoil she must be feeling. Esme just wanted to be here for her sister. “Are you having second thoughts about being with Ryder?”

  Angela wrung her hands until her knuckles turned pale, nerves clearly rising hard and fast. “I know that I love him.”

  Esme pulled her gaze from her distraught sister to Ryder Currin again. Did the man love Angela as much? Was he the man Angela deserved? He inclined his head to the rancher he chatted with, his black Stetson obscuring his face.

  Esme wished she had the answers and assurance. Love was a risky prospect. Even thinking about a future with Jesse was scary—and exciting. There was so much potential for heartbreak and failure. And opportunity for happiness.

  She turned back to her sister. “What can I do for you?”

  Her sister let out a breath. “Just be here for me. Be my sister.” She pressed a trembling hand to her chest, the absence of her engagement ring so very sad. The tan line even remained. Faint, but there, if one looked close enough. “I can’t say this hasn’t thrown me. I feel like I barely know him.”

  Throat bobbing, Angela’s voice trailed off.

  Esme struggled for the right words. Just being there somehow didn’t seem like enough. “I realize this is unbelievably hard. I’m here whenever you need to talk.”

  Never had she been more grateful for her siblings to support one another, to continue the family bond. They needed one another.

  Jesse was right that family was everything. And if he moved here, he could share in all of hers.

  Esme squeezed Angela’s hand in more unspoken support.

  “I’ll be okay. I’m glad you’re home.” Angela squeezed back in understanding, the sibling connection never more tangible. Esme felt like finally she and her sister had related without any barrier, no more being an outsider to Angela and Melinda’s twin bond.

  She wasn’t going to let that go and hoped the same progress could be made with Melinda.

  Esme made a mental note to talk to her sister more about this later, and they made their way into the conference room. Esme was drawn into a conversation about the press releases she needed to send out while someone tapped Angela with a question about the order of events. Giving her sister one last glance before they parted ways, Esme had to admire Angela’s strength through so much adversity.

  Then, turning her attention from the influx of people on-site for the meeting, Esme took a moment to admire the renovations. There was still some work to complete before the holiday party a couple of days before Christmas, much less in time for the official opening at the huge New Year’s Eve blowout gala.

  But it was still already an impressive conference room, from the lengthy wooden table to the massive chairs all around. Crystal pitchers of water were placed strategically, but she was too nervous.

  She was actually listening to her first Texas Cattleman’s Club business meeting, with all the influential players on hand, including the current Royal chapter president and board members. Familiar faces, new friends even, after her time at Jesse’s. Cord and Sheriff Battle sat on either side of her father. Ryder Currin scowled from the other side of the table where he sat with Angela. It saddened Esme that her sister seemed a gulf away, but they would mend that with time. Angela had to understand Esme’s reasons for rooting for their father.

  Then the gavel sounded, startling Esme and pulling her upright just as the meeting was called to order.

  Ten

  Echoes of Houston traffic pierced the walls of the historic site of the new Texas Cattleman’s Club. One of the many reasons Jesse avoided Houston. Too much traffic. Too many people. Too many buildings.

  Not enough sounds of crickets and birdsong. Not enough roaming horses and cattle. Not enough intentional living. He wouldn’t even know it was Christmastime here, the only nod to the season the massive tree in the lobby.

  He couldn’t wait to get Esme back to Royal where they could celebrate the holiday together, under the spruce he’d cut down himself. The one they’d decorated together in front of the fireplace, sharing memories from their childhoods as they did so.

  The sooner he finished this meeting, the sooner he could hit the road with her. Jesse hung back in the meeting room, the rest of the board from the Royal chapter seated around the conference table listening to pitches for leadership positions. Leaning against the wall, he studied the players. There were more contenders than just Sterling Perry and Ryder Currin to consider for the role. Venture capitalist Camden McNeal. Or Lucas Ford, an investigator and security mogul. Plus there was a wild card in the mix with Cord Galicia moving from Royal to Houston. He could well be a strong candidate to see the club through the start-up, since he had firsthand experience with the inner workings of the Royal chapter.

  Jesse couldn’t quite comprehend how his neighbor was going to make big-city life work. Even living on the outskirts of Houston. The hum, bustle and lights of the urban area radiated outward in palpable bands.

  Jesse was already feeling claustrophobic, ready to get back home. To take Esme to that Christmas play and continue his campaign to persuade her to move.

  Settling his weight onto the heels of his best pair of boots—a thoughtful gift from his sister three Christmases ago—Jesse scanned the crowd. He attempted to read the reactions of his fellow members. It seemed he was not the only one keeping a tight rein on his emotions during the candidates’ speeches. Members listened attentively, doing their part to hear the unique plans each potential president would do his best to execute.

  As Ryder Currin finished his pitch to run the new club and returned to his seat beside Angela, Esme took the floor. Apparently, Sterling intended to let his daughter put her PR skills to work and do the talking for him. Jesse worked to keep his face neutral, which was tough to do with Esme using all of her job savvy to lobby for her father. She was poised. Articulate. Convincing.

  Damn. This woman enchanted him. Seeing her here today was more proof of her sexy-smart charm. He couldn’t even detect a trace of nerves as she adjusted the microphone at the lectern to make herself better heard. Of all the places he’d seen her, she looked like she was born to be in the spotlight.

  Crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the back wall, he focused on Esme in action. She looked stunning in her sleek black power suit. Her sky-high heels reminded him of
meeting her for the first time, her broken shoes sinking into the mud, her beautiful blond hair soaked. She’d been a drowned rat, but somehow managed to keep her composure.

  That charisma was in full wattage today, and not just her poise, but her keen mind. Her father watched her with unmistakable pride. Jesse took the measure of the man from a different perspective now, as Esme’s dad, rather than just an infamous figure in the news.

  Sterling had aged well, his brown hair graying at the temples. His blue eyes were the same shade as Esme’s, and he also seemed to share her appreciation of style. His suit had a custom cut, his cowboy boots expensive without even a scuff. He may have worked as foreman of the ranch to prove himself to his father-in-law decades ago, but Jesse doubted Sterling was much of a hands-on ranch owner these days.

  He looked 100 percent a powerhouse Texas businessman. And that’s how Esme was pitching her dad to the Royal chapter board. As a successful, ambitious entrepreneur who’d expanded beyond just the ranch. Always striving for perfection, her father didn’t know the meaning of the word “enough.” Perry Holdings included real estate as well as banking, property management and construction.

  In fact, Perry Holdings was responsible for the stunning renovations of this very building, with the help of Ethan Barringer, CEO of Perry Construction. Originally from Royal, Ethan made for a nice connection between the two worlds in tackling this project.

  Esme painted her father as a visionary who knew how to put together a winning team, this historic building a symbol of his plan to grow the Houston branch of the Texas Cattleman’s Club into the future.

  In total Perry Holdings PR mode, Esme had them eating out of the palm of her hand.

  Jesse realized this was the essence of who Esme really was. A city woman. A businesswoman. And no matter how sweet it had been to have her in his bed, in his house—in his life—he couldn’t escape the deep-seated sense that eventually she would be miserable out on his ranch, far from the work she obviously did so well.

  She completed her presentation and returned to sit beside her father. His smile of appreciation and pride brought a light to Esme’s eyes. Even her sister nodded approval during the applause from across the room.

  Esme blinked fast, a sheen of tears in her eyes. She was clearly choked up. Emotional.

  She’d warned him about that, about her romantic side. She had a heart that was easily touched, and he’d grown to appreciate that about her. But how could he justify taking Esme from these people she loved? He recognized how selfish it would be. From a job she was born to perform. His freshly formed dreams of building a life with her at his side faded. He cared for her too much. His heart ached already at the thought of saying goodbye. But he wanted her to have the life that would make her happy.

  Unable to take another moment of this meeting, Jesse ducked out into the hall, his focus homed in on the exit, on getting away from there as quickly as possible. Just as he reached the door, he heard the sound of fast-clicking high heels on the floor, growing closer.

  “Jesse,” Esme called. “Jesse, where are you going?”

  He turned in the lobby—empty save for a towering Christmas tree—and the sight of her glowing smile poleaxed him. He swallowed down a lump in his throat, unable to push past the emotion.

  She reached him and rested her palm on his chest. “What did you think of my presentation? I really think it went well, but I don’t want to be overly optimistic. Still, I think a celebration is in order. Dinner out at my favorite Houston hot spot. My treat.”

  She looked so happy. So hopeful. The knowledge ate away at him.

  “Esme.” He clasped her hand and removed it from his chest. “I have something to tell you.”

  Her smile faded as she glanced down at the way their hands were suspended in air. “You look serious. Is something wrong?”

  Everything. He’d made a huge mistake thinking he could change her, that he could transplant her to his world and mold her into the kind of woman he’d always imagined at his side. To do that would be a disservice to the bright, beautiful, smart woman she was.

  So even though it hurt like hell, he forced himself to say the words that would send her out of his life for good. The quicker the better. Rip that bandage right off. He did his best to take a page out of her book. Keep his tone neutral. Final. Definitive. Sure. “I’ve made my decision about a wife candidate. And I’m sorry, but it’s not you.”

  Her gasp of surprise cut through the silence between them. Shock froze her features, followed by a wash of pain in her eyes at his rejection of all they’d shared over the past couple of weeks. That glimpse into her heart damn near broke his, but he told himself she would be happier this way.

  Living her own dreams instead of his.

  Then her shoulders went back, her chin tipped with pride. A feral smile brushed over her lips though pain shone in her pretty blue eyes. “Congratulations,” she said bitterly. “I’m glad you got exactly what you wanted.”

  She adjusted her jacket, sweeping her blond locks over her shoulders. Without another word, she brushed past him, striding past the towering Christmas tree and out the door.

  And out of his life.

  * * *

  Weary, physically and emotionally, Angela punched in the code to her condominium. Latches releasing, she pushed inside, ready to put the events of the last twenty-four hours behind her. Far, far behind her. She needed space and a moment to breathe and process. Once inside, she dropped her purse on the floor and reached to turn on the lights.

  She startled in surprise, the shock followed by a twinge of fear. Someone was huddled on her sofa. Fear slammed into her chest and constricted her breathing. She’d seen enough crime shows to know victims usually had a small, narrow window of escape. She reached for the doorknob behind her, quietly...

  Then recognized the female curled up on her couch among the holiday throw pillows and sighed in relief. Her jagged heartbeat returning to normal, she laid a hand on her chest, her linen dress rough against her fingertips. “Esme, you scared me for a moment.”

  Her youngest sister looked up, her eyes red from crying as she hugged a red velvet throw pillow with a silver embroidered reindeer. “I hope you don’t mind that I used your spare key. I couldn’t bear to be alone.”

  Fresh sobs rolled out of Esme. Her normally perfect makeup was smeared across her face. She looked so different from the woman who had just delivered a fiery and impassioned speech on behalf of her father. Something was seriously wrong for Esme to display such unfettered emotion.

  Worry filling her, Angela crossed into the living room and nudged aside the ceramic snowman to reach the box of tissues on the coffee table. “What’s wrong?”

  Esme drew in a ragged breath, gripping the velvet pillow tassels. “It’s over between Jesse and me.”

  Angela’s eyebrows raised in surprise. But then she pushed aside her thousand questions to be there for her sister. Reaching a protective arm around her sister, she gripped Esme in a side hug. “Oh, sis, I’m so sorry.”

  “We haven’t even known each other long.” Her face was lined with pain. “It shouldn’t hurt this much.”

  “Our hearts aren’t tied to time.” She understood too well about love and heartbreak because of her rocky relationship with Ryder. Angela stroked her sister’s shoulder, attempting to soothe her as much as she could.

  Wishing she could take her pain away.

  Losing their mother early on had forced them to be close. And Angela was grateful for that closeness. But at times like this, her heart ached for their mother. What would Tamara have said to soothe Esme? To soothe Angela, even? She tipped her head closer to Esme’s, doing her best to comfort.

  Clutching a tissue, Esme blew her nose. Tears still leaked down her face. In a cracked tone, she continued.

  “Thank you for understanding, for not writing me off as histrionic.”

&nbs
p; “Of course not. I’m glad you reached out to me. You shouldn’t be alone.” She plucked another tissue from the box and passed it over.

  Her cell phone rang from her purse back at the door. She glanced at it, but looked away fast, not wanting her sister to feel like she had anything other than Angela’s full attention. It was rare that Esme showed vulnerability to her. She had always seemed a bit jealous of Angela and Melinda’s bond.

  Esme dabbed at her eyes. “Please take the call. It’ll give me a chance to pull myself together.”

  “If you’re sure...” Angela hesitated.

  “Absolutely.” She nodded, standing and grabbing her purse.

  “Okay, then, but I’ll make it quick. Don’t go anywhere.” She retrieved her own purse and fished out her phone. Her eyes scanned the screen. Tatiana? Angela still hadn’t quite wrapped her brain around the fact that her friend had given up a baby for adoption and never told her about it. She would have wanted to help, even if just to listen. Maybe that’s what this call was about.

  She answered. “Hello, Tatiana, what can I do for you?”

  “Angela, I need you.” Tatiana sobbed hard on the other end of the phone.

  She bit the bullet and plunged right in, her gut telling her the timing of Tatiana being this upset couldn’t be a coincidence after Ryder’s conversation with his youngest child. “Is this about Maya Currin...about your daughter?”

  “Yes,” Tatiana whispered. “That’s exactly what this is about. And I really need to talk to you. Everything is so out of control. My half brother’s in prison and he’s clearly mentally unstable. He’s been threatening to say all sorts of awful things about me.”

  “I’m so sorry you’re going through that. Let’s meet for breakfast in the morning.”

  Tatiana hiccuped on another sob. “I need to talk to you now. In person.”

  Angela glanced to her still-hurting sister standing at the kitchen counter wiping her tears around her eyeliner. Shaking her head, she answered her friend. “I’m afraid I—”