A Coulter’s Christmas Proposal

by Lois Faye Dyer

  Notes from the desk of Amanda Blake

  It’s been more than a month since Eli Coulter has allowed me access to his mother’s journals. Melanie Coulter was an amazing, talented woman, and I’m learning more about her every day. Eli, however, remains a mystery. Why won’t he trust me? And why is it so important to me that he does? He has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t want me around. But I know I can’t be the only one who feels the sparks between us….

  Dear Reader,

  My parents nurtured and encouraged my love of writing and reading, so it’s no surprise to me that I grew up to become an author. But what would have happened if they had not? I’ve always wondered how I would have coped, and in Eli’s story, I had a chance to explore some possible alternatives.

  A gifted artist like his mother, Eli Coulter had to deal with his widowed father’s attempts to ban art from Eli’s life. Despite the overwhelming obstacles, Eli succeeded by limiting his deeper emotional connections and focusing fiercely on his work. But when his father dies and Eli is called home to the Montana ranch where he grew up, he meets a beautiful reporter named Amanda Blake. It isn’t long before he realizes happiness requires more than fulfilling work—he needs Amanda.

  I hope you enjoy Eli and Amanda’s story and that you’ll return with me soon to the Triple C Ranch for Brodie Coulter’s story.

  Best,

  ~Lois

  A COULTER’S CHRISTMAS PROPOSAL

  LOIS FAYE DYER

  Books by Lois Faye Dyer

  Harlequin Special Edition

  ‡The Virgin and Zach Coulter #2116

  ‡A Coulter’s Christmas Proposal #2152

  Silhouette Special Edition

  He’s Got His Daddy’s Eyes #1129

  The Cowboy Takes a Wife #1198

  The Only Cowboy for Caitlin #1253

  Cattleman’s Courtship #1306

  Cattleman’s Bride-to-Be #1457

  Practice Makes Pregnant #1569

  Cattleman’s Heart #1605

  The Prince’s Bride #1640

  *Luke’s Proposal #1745

  *Jesse’s Child #1776

  *Chase’s Promise #1791

  *Trey’s Secret #1823

  **The Princess and the Cowboy #1865

  †Triple Trouble #1957

  *Quinn McCloud’s Christmas Bride #2007

  ††Cinderella and the Playboy #2036

  ‡Cade Coulter’s Return #2074

  LOIS FAYE DYER

  lives in a small town on the shore of beautiful Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest with her two eccentric and lovable cats, Chloe and Evie. She loves to hear from readers. You can write to her c/o Paperbacks Plus, 1618 Bay Street, Port Orchard, WA 98366. Visit her on the web at www.LoisDyer.com.

  Huge thanks to the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club—

  you keep me sane…

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Prologue

  Mid-July

  San Luis, Spain

  The hot Spanish sunshine poured over the little town square of San Luis. Eli Coulter left the relative comfort of a shaded seat, weaving his way around diners breakfasting at other umbrella-topped tables clustered outside the café doorway. His mind reeled as he processed the information an American investigator had relayed only moments earlier.

  Zach and Cade are back on the Triple C. Does that mean something happened to Dad? Even if Joseph was dead, Eli couldn’t help but wonder why his brothers were at the ranch. There was no possibility their father had left them anything in his will.

  Joseph Coulter hated all four of his sons with equal animosity.

  Eli strode swiftly up the cobblestone street to the sprawling stucco home of his host, reclusive sculptor Lucan Montoya. For the past year, the elderly Spaniard had been Eli’s mentor. The apprenticeship had proven invaluable; only two weeks remained of their time together and Eli was reluctant to see it end.

  He’d considered staying on in San Luis once his apprenticeship had ended. But if his brothers needed him, that changed everything.

  Given the remoteness of the small Spanish village and its lack of cell phone service, it took nearly an hour to reach his brother Zach.

  “What?”

  Eli grinned at Zach’s impatient demand. “The least you could do is say ‘hello, how are you?’” he commented mildly.

  “Eli?” Zach’s deep voice held surprise and relief. “Damn, it’s about time you called. Where are you?”

  “I’m in Spain,” Eli told him. “I’ve been here for months. I’ve been meaning to check in but my cell phone doesn’t get service here. A detective showed up today and told me I needed to call you.”

  “We’ve been looking for you, Eli.” Zach’s voice turned grim. “The old man died.”

  Eli hadn’t seen his father in thirteen years but hearing Zach confirm what he’d suspected had the power to stun him. Shock held him silent.

  “Dad left the Triple C and nearly everything else he owned to the four of us,” Zach went on.

  “That’s impossible,” Eli said flatly, finding his voice. “He hated our guts. Why would he leave us the ranch?”

  “Apparently he sobered up and had a change of heart after we left,” Zach told him.

  “I’ll be damned.” Eli didn’t know what to make of the news. “I never thought he’d stop drinking—or stop hating us.”

  “Me either,” Zach admitted.

  “So.” Eli tried to focus on the here and now, and not on the memories pushing to get out of the box he’d locked them in years ago. “When did he die?”

  “Last December. It took the attorney several months to find Cade, and then he found me through my office. Cade’s running the ranch and I’ve almost got the Lodge ready to open again. Dad left the Triple C to all four of us but he left specific pieces to each of us. He left you Mom’s studio, Eli.”

  Again, Eli was stunned into silence. Melanie Coulter had been a sculptor on the brink of becoming world-famous when a tragic accident while swimming with her four sons in the creek near her studio had taken her life. The day of her funeral, Joseph Coulter had sealed her studio and forbidden his sons to enter.

  “The inheritance taxes on the ranch are huge and there aren’t any cash assets. We need you to come home,” Zach continued. “The only way we’re going to save the place is if we all stick together and find a way to make this work.”

  “I’ll come,” Eli said slowly, shaking off the shock that held him and considering the logistics. “I have two more weeks here to finalize a commission but maybe I can complete it faster.” He frowned, thinking with lightning speed. “Where’s Brodie?” he asked. “Is he there with you?”

  Zach’s slight pause filled Eli with foreboding.

  “He’s in California,” Zach said finally.

  “Why isn’t he with you and Cade at the ranch?”

  “He was hurt, got thrown by a bull and shattered his leg.” Zach’s voice was serious. “He’s done riding rodeo.”

  “Damn,” Eli muttered. He’d talked to Brodie just before he’d left for Spain and his brother had been fine. Brodie was a year older than him, and rodeo had been his life since he was old enough to climb on a horse. He had been named all-around champion three times and, after years of hard work, was at the top of his career. Eli couldn’t imagine a life for Brodie that
didn’t include rodeo.

  “Cade and I went to see him…. He’s in a hospital recovery center in Ukiah, north of San Francisco.”

  “Is he coming to the ranch when they release him?”

  “He said he wouldn’t, but Cade and I hope he will.”

  Eli drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “All right. Have you got a pen? Here’s my landline phone number if you need to reach me.” Eli quickly recited Lucan’s number. “If you don’t hear from me again, don’t worry. I’m going to be working flat out to finish here. Then I’ll head back to Montana.”

  “Great. I’ll tell Cade. And, Eli…”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m glad you’re coming home.” Zach’s voice rasped, roughened with feeling.

  “See you soon.” Eli had mixed feelings. He’d be glad to see his brothers. But returning to the Triple C and all the bad memories the ranch would surely hold?

  He wasn’t at all sure he was looking forward to that part of the trip.

  Chapter One

  August

  Montana

  Two weeks later the jet airplane carrying Eli began its descent in preparation for landing in Billings.

  He yawned, scrubbed his hand over his face and rubbed his eyes. He’d left Spain nearly three days ago, and the long drive from San Luis to Madrid, followed by an endless round of waiting in airports and hours spent sitting on planes, had left his eyes feeling gritty, burning from lack of sleep.

  He blinked to clear his vision and gazed out the window. Far below, the distinctive rise of tall buttes stood out amid rolling miles of sage prairie that stretched from horizon to horizon.

  I should be at the Triple C in another four hours, give or take, he thought. He’d rent a vehicle to drive the last three hours north from Billings to reach Indian Springs. There were no planes, trains or buses that could take him on the last stage of his journey home to rural Montana.

  And that was one of the things he’d always loved about the Triple C. Homesteaded by his Coulter ancestors in the late eighteen hundreds, the huge ranch sprawled over thousands of acres. Eli remembered his mother telling him the Triple C was one of the biggest spreads in Montana, second only to the slightly larger McCloud Ranch to the north.

  He still had trouble believing the Triple C now belonged to him and his brothers. Thirteen years ago, driving away from the land he loved had been gut-wrenching. Nevertheless, he’d been determined to leave the chaos of life with his alcoholic father and his increasingly frequent explosions of rage and violence.

  He’d wanted peace and the ability to control his own destiny. Most of all, he’d wanted the freedom to focus on becoming a better artist. He’d traveled the world since then, never putting down roots, and, over time, he’d convinced himself he no longer missed Montana and the sprawling Triple C.

  But with the landscape of prairie spread out below him, beneath Montana’s cloudless blue sky, he had to wonder if he’d been kidding himself.

  The pilot’s voice sounded in the cabin, pulling Eli’s brooding gaze and attention away from the view outside his window.

  An hour later he had landed, rented a pickup truck, and was driving north on the highway toward Indian Springs. Neither Cade nor Zach had answered their phones when he’d called to tell them he’d landed, so he’d left messages saying he was on his way home. He wasn’t surprised when they didn’t return his calls. During summer, ranchers worked long hours and were often out of range of cell reception. He figured he’d reach the ranch before they even got his messages.

  The late-afternoon sun slanted into the cab, heating the interior. Eli left the window rolled down, his arm resting on the sill, the breeze filling the cab with the scent of sage and clean, clear air unclogged by smog and exhaust.

  The digital clock on the dashboard told him it was just after 9:00 p.m. when he slowed, turning off the highway to drive beneath a high arch of wrought iron that spelled out Coulter Cattle Company. The formal name had long ago been shortened to the Triple C by family and locals.

  The gravel ranch road was smooth beneath the truck’s wheels. Eli’s lips curved in a faint smile.

  I can tell Cade’s home, he thought. His oldest brother’s attention to detail was thorough and Cade had never put up with potholes for long. Each of the boys had become adept at using the blade on the big John Deere tractor to grade the gravel road and keep it in good condition. But Cade had been the best at moving snow in winter and smoothing out ridges in spring and summer.

  Eli crested a rise and he caught his first look at his childhood home. Across the valley below him, beyond the creek and its bridge, was the cluster of buildings that made up the headquarters of the Triple C.

  Something soothed, settled inside Eli. Surprised, he absentmindedly rubbed his hand over the left side of his chest.

  What the hell? He hadn’t expected to feel anything good. He hadn’t wanted to come back to Montana, and if Zach hadn’t told him he was needed, he would have gone back to New Mexico when he left Spain.

  Lights winked on in the cluster of buildings across the valley and Eli realized that full dark wasn’t far away. Northeast Montana wasn’t quite far enough north to share Alaska’s midnight sun, but during the summer months, sunset was much later than he’d grown accustomed to in southern Spain. He remembered being a boy and spending summer evenings playing baseball outside until long after 9:00 p.m., before darkness finally prevented him and his brothers from seeing the ball.

  He took his foot off the brake, the truck picking up speed as he drove across the valley and rattled over the bridge before reaching the house and outbuildings. The muted sound of music floated in the open cab windows as he switched off the engine and pushed open the door.

  Eli paused as the music struck a chord with him. What was it Zach had said when Eli called to tell him he was on his way home?

  Oh, yeah, he thought. Zach said he’s having a party to reopen the Lodge.

  He frowned, trying to calculate days and failing. He didn’t remember what day it was exactly but figured there was a good chance the Lodge opening was tonight.

  He glanced at the house, dark except for the glowing light over the door on the front porch.

  His stomach chose that moment to rumble in loud protest.

  If Zach’s throwing a party, there has to be food, he thought.

  Eli pulled the pickup door closed again and switched on the engine once more, leaving the ranch yard to drive down the gravel lane that led from the house and barns and along the creek to the Lodge.

  He rounded a bend, and before him the Lodge and its grounds were ablaze with light. Couples strolled across the drive and onto the lawn that slanted down to the creek.

  Eli eased the truck around the circular drive, stopping to let guests pass in front of his bumper, and double-parked in front of the main entryway.

  Without giving a thought to his faded jeans, boots and travel-wrinkled shirt, he stepped out onto the drive and climbed the shallow steps to the long porch that nearly circled the Lodge.

  He stepped inside the lobby and halted, his gaze searching the crowd for Cade and Zach.

  Amanda Blake sipped champagne, the crystal flute cool in her hand, and tried to pay attention to the conversation. She stood with her friends, a married couple who were the delighted winners of opening-week reservations at the Lodge, and two other couples. Despite the interesting company, however, her focus wandered as she looked about the beautiful lobby of the Coulter Lodge. The expansive area was thronged with guests. Men in suits and women in cocktail dresses mingled with ranchers wearing pearl-snapped Western shirts, bolo ties and cowboy boots. Scattered through the crowd were several girls in pretty summer dresses casting glances at teenage boys in crisp shirts, slacks and boots.

  Clearly, she thought with approval, the Coulters had invited not only their guests and out-of-town media people, but also their neighbors and local friends, creating a vibrant mix. The high-ceilinged room was filled with chatter and laughter that occasi
onally drowned out the four musicians stationed at the far end of the room.

  She half turned from her small group, letting her gaze skim the room, taking in the huge stone fireplace at one end, the massive silver-and-copper sculpture of mustangs in full gallop mounted on the wall behind the reception desk. Amusement curved her mouth as she noted a small cluster of teenagers giggling in the corner before she shifted her attention to the main entry.

  Amanda made a mental note to thank her friends for inviting her tonight. This inside view of the newly renovated Coulter Lodge provided invaluable information for the biography she was writing on Melanie Coulter, the artist who had created the fabulous wall sculpture of horses.

  And if she was lucky, she thought, perhaps she would have another chance to speak to the artist’s sons Cade and Zach Coulter about granting her an interview. They hadn’t been cooperative when she’d approached them nearly a week ago, but she hadn’t given up hope of finding a way to convince them.

  She narrowed her eyes, wondering idly how tall the custom entry door was since the carved piece over the top seemed much higher than normal.

  Her musings were abruptly interrupted by the man who stepped over the threshold and into the room, halting a few feet inside.

  Amanda caught her breath, feeling her eyes go wide as she stared.

  He was dressed in a rumpled white shirt, open at the neck, the sleeves rolled back over powerful forearms. Faded jeans covered his long legs and he wore dusty black cowboy boots.

  His attire was far more casual than any of the other guests’ but it wasn’t his clothing that riveted Amanda. He had coal-black hair that fell from a widow’s peak to brush against the collar of his shirt at his nape. The planes of his face were sharp and clear, with high, sculpted cheekbones and a strong jaw, his mouth sensual below a straight nose. But it was the eyes that held her the most. Below slashes of eyebrows as black as the glossy fall of his shaggy hair, his thick-lashed eyes were astonishingly, unbelievably green—so pale a green they seemed overlaid with ice.