Mistletoe In Montana: A Christmas Novella

by Belle Calhoune

  Mistletoe in Montana

  Belle Calhoune

  Brenna Santiago left Merry, Montana and her first love, Luke Templeton, in order to live out her dreams of becoming a Hollywood actress. Now, eight years later, Brenna has returned to Montana and the family ranch with her life in turmoil. Divorced, broke and dispirited, Brenna quickly discovers that her family is facing daunting challenges and the imminent sale of their beloved Half Moon Ranch. When she comes face-to-face with her ex, Luke, and discovers that he is poised to purchase the ranch, she can't help but question his motives. Nor can she help feeling stirrings of emotion for the only man she's ever loved.

  Luke Templeton isn't prepared for the return of his first love, Brenna Santiago, after so many years of separation. He still hasn't gotten over being dumped by Brenna for a mega-rich Hollywood producer. Nor has he ever been able to move on with his life and trust another woman with his heart. What's Brenna doing back in Merry, Montana? And why is she involving herself in his purchase of her family's ranch? Although he wishes he didn't feel a tug in her direction, Luke knows all too well the dangers that Brenna poses to his heart.

  As memories of their youthful love wash over Brenna and Luke, each wonders if their love story can be resurrected. Will the spirit of Christmas allow two wounded souls to mend the pain of the past?

  Dedication:

  To readers everywhere who love Christmas as much as I do.

  CHAPTER 1

  Merry, Montana

  As snow gently drifted down from the slate colored sky, Brenna Santiago pulled up to the gates leading to the Half Moon Ranch and let out a huge sigh. Home, sweet home. Just in time. From what she’d heard on the radio, a huge storm was rolling in. She had made the trip from California to Montana in three days, making sure to stop at decent intervals for food and sleep. Even though she was low on money, it had been important to take safety into consideration. She bit her lip as she contemplated what lay beyond the huge iron gates with the big S emblazoned in the center. As a huge burst of adrenaline coursed through her she pushed the gates wide open, then went back to her car so she could drive past them. Santiago. Her maiden name was stamped across half of the town of Merry thanks to her father and his numerous businesses. Or at least it had been until he had sold the five and dime store, the diner and the laundromats.

  She shook her head as she remembered the way Hector Santiago’s riches and status in town had influenced her behavior as a teenager. She had believed that the world was her oyster. A giggle burst from her lips as she recalled the way she and her “diamond posse” had sashayed around Merry as if they were the reigning Queens of the kingdom. They had truly been entitled idiots. Not a single person in town had ever told them no. The world had been their oyster. Or so they had thought.

  For the first time in years she wondered what had happened to her best friends—Janet Richmond, Melissa Stephens and Chante Willis? They had been as thick as thieves since they were knee-high to grasshoppers. The four of them had finished each other’s sentences, worn each other’s clothes and enjoyed sleepovers where they’d whispered secrets until dawn crept into being. Why hadn’t she made an effort to keep in touch? How had she lost her way so completely? An ache in her belly gnawed at her as memories from the past swirled over her. The moment she had announced her intention to pack up and move to Hollywood to pursue an acting career had been tantamount to a keg of dynamite going off in her world. No one had approved. Not her family. Not her three best friends. And especially not Luke Templeton. Sweet, handsome Luke.

  She shook her head to rid herself of thoughts about Luke. Why after all this time did it still hurt so badly? She couldn’t take that walk into the past. Not now. Not today. There would be plenty of time in the future to wallow in memories of the man who still owned a part of her heart.

  “Right now I need to focus on what’s lying right ahead of me,” she murmured as she parked her car in the gravel driveway in front of the Santiago homestead. Brenna popped the trunk of her car and got up from the driver’s seat, then pulled her suitcases out. She looked down at her fancy luggage with the L’s all over them. Once upon a time she’d believed that expensive belongings and upscale clothes could fill the deep hole inside of her. She had truly thought that her failed attempt at a career and her loveless marriage might not wound her so deeply if she lived in a huge mansion in the best part of town and traveled around the world on private jets. How wrong she’d been. It had slowly eaten up her soul.

  It was strange, she realized, how few things she’d ended up with after an eight year marriage and a life in California. Shame threatened to swallow her up at the realization that at the age of twenty-eight she felt washed up. Done. Hope—the very commodity that had led her away from Merry—seemed to have vanished from her life. Having reached rock bottom, returning home had seemed like her only option. But how was she going to face her family? They had no idea she was back in Merry, nor did they know that her life in California had crashed and burned.

  The sight of the green pine wreath with the bright red ribbons served as a reminder that Christmas was fast approaching. Instead of knocking on the door, she slowly turned the knob and entered her childhood home, waiting half a beat for their maid, Rosalia, to come and greet her. The sound of her cowboy boots echoed on the hardwood floors. Wearing them had been an act of nostalgia rather than practicality. They would forever remind her of growing up in Merry and riding horses at Half Moon Ranch with her sisters, Daphne and Lizette. Were they still living at home? Or had they moved away from the ranch in order to live their own independent lives? Daphne was a freshman in college now. It was possible that she was living on campus half an hour away. Sadly, she had no answers for the questions that rolled around in her head.

  How had she allowed herself to get so out of the loop with her own family? It had been months since she’d spoken to either one of them.

  She placed her luggage by the grand spiral staircase and looked around her. Art pieces by famous artists graced the wall. A huge, sparkling chandelier hung above her. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but the place looked slightly more understated than the last time she’d visited home. Granted it had been two years ago, and she’d only stayed for three days during which her ex-husband had complained the entire time about being “stuck in Montana.”

  Tears misted in her eyes as the essence of home washed over her. The smell of cinnamon hovered in the air, bringing to mind her mother’s wonderful recipes and the Christmas cookie exchange her family always participated in with their church family. She couldn’t wait to taste a piece of Rosalia’s buttermilk cornbread. It would melt right in her mouth.

  It was two weeks before Christmas! She’d walked right into the Christmas holiday without even realizing it. Her mind and her soul had been so wrapped up in her own despair that she hadn’t even allowed herself to focus on her favorite time of year. But where were all the festive decorations that usually adorned the family home and Half Moon Ranch? By this point in December the entire ranch and homestead were normally decked out in all the holiday trimmings.

  The sound of footsteps reverberated in the silence. Instead of Rosalia rounding the corner it was her mother walking toward her dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater.

  “Brenna!” her mother screamed as she came rushing toward her. Warm arms enveloped her. The sweet smell of jasmine hovered around her mother like a cloud. She let out a contented sigh as she relaxed into the embrace. Nothing in this world felt better than to be hugged by her mother. And nothing ever would, she realized.

  Her mother, Isabelle, was a beautiful woman. With her dark hair, mocha skin and hazel eyes, she had an exot
ic look about her. Her eyes reflected a warmth and kindness that was legendary in her hometown. Everyone adored Mama. Her father was a bit rougher around the edges. He had made his fortune the old fashioned way—with grit, pluck, determination, and never giving an inch to anyone. He was revered in her hometown, but not beloved like her mother.

  “What are you doing here?” her mother asked. Her brown eyes were wide with alarm.

  “I thought I’d come for a visit,” she said. “You said that Papa hasn’t been well. So I thought it might be a good time to come back home.”

  “Mi corazon. You haven’t been home in quite some time. And although I know you love your Papa, something else is going on. I can see it in your eyes.” Isabelle helped her off with her coat and led her into the great room.

  Brenna bit her lip. “T-things haven’t been going so well lately.”

  Isabelle frowned. “Is it Hank? Did he do something to hurt you?”

  She let out a ragged sigh and bowed her head. “He divorced me eight months ago.”

  Her mother’s eyes widened. “Eight months ago! Why didn’t you say anything?”

  Tears flooded her own eyes. “I didn’t want you to say I-told-you-so. I was ashamed.” Her shoulders began to heave as she sobbed. “I’ve made such a mess out of things.”

  “Oh my baby,” Isabelle said as she reached for Brenna and cradled her in her arms. “I knew he wasn’t the man for you. When you ended things with Luke and married Hank so quickly, my every instinct was telling me it wouldn’t last.”

  “Mama, please,” Brenna pleaded, her voice quivering. “I can’t go down that road today. Tomorrow I’ll tell you every last detail of what happened, but for now, I just want to soak up this feeling of being home. I just want to revel in it.”

  She sucked in a breath to steady herself at the reminder of her first love. Luke had been her everything…and she had been his. Until that terrible day when she had packed her suitcases and left for the sunny shores of California. Luke had been crushed at her departure, although he had promised to visit and they had made a solemn vow to stay together until Luke could relocate to California. They had even gotten engaged. Things hadn’t exactly worked out the way they had planned.

  Within six months she had married a very wealthy, older Hollywood producer, Hank Slade, who had promised her the sun, moon and the stars. It had all gone terribly wrong in the end. Her fairy tale had turned into a nightmare. Hank had done nothing to support her acting career and ended up treating her like a trophy wife. Her world had blown to smithereens when Hank cheated on her with an up and coming starlet and initiated divorce proceedings against her.

  She was back here in Merry with nothing to show for herself but an empty wallet and a broken spirit. And a big fat divorce decree with her name on it. Due to the pre-nup she had signed, Hank had kept his vast fortune and given her nothing but crumbs.

  No longer was she Mrs. Hank Slade, wife of a Hollywood mover and shaker. Now she was just another beautiful woman in a town filled with drop-dead gorgeous ladies. In the last few years Brenna had felt as if the very best parts of herself were fading away into nothingness. She had felt as if she was evaporating.

  Once upon a time she had wanted to get as far away as possible from everything the last name Santiago represented. Power. Privilege. Prestige. “The pampered princess of Half Moon Ranch.” She winced as she remembered the words that had been thrown at her by Luke. In leaving Montana she had desperately wanted to stand on her own two feet and become accomplished in her own right as an actress. It had truly been the only thing in her life she had ever been good at. Instead of achieving her goals she had allowed herself to get sucked up in the Hollywood machine. She had run straight into the arms of a man who had done nothing but control her.

  Strange how life shows us how foolish we were to believe that life would give us nothing but smooth sailing.

  If she had learned one thing during her years in California, it was that life was full of bumps and twisted roads.

  “Where’s Papa?” she asked.

  Isabelle frowned. “Brenna, there’s something I need to tell you.” For the first time Brenna noticed the gray at her mother’s temple and the worry lines etched around her forehead. Alarm radiated from her mother’s eyes.

  “Brenna!” Her father’s booming voice rang out just as he came into view, shattering the quiet reunion between Brenna and her mother. Hector Santiago stood in the doorway of the great room, shocking her with his gaunt appearance. Before she could even register her father’s ill health, another shock greeted her. She let out a gasp as she clapped eyes on his dark-haired, blue-eyed companion. Right beside her father stood Luke Templeton, looking every inch as gorgeous as he’d looked the last time she had laid eyes on him. It happened to have been the moment when she had broken his heart into a million little pieces.

  Luke Templeton felt as if he might topple over like one of the mighty trees at Three Bears Mountain. He sucked in a deep breath that scorched his lungs. His knees felt unsteady beneath him, which was an odd sensation for a man of his stature. Leave it to Brenna Santiago to have this crippling effect on him. Nope. He corrected himself. She was now Brenna Slade. She hadn’t used the Santiago name for quite some time.

  How long had it been since he’d feasted his eyes on the only woman he had ever loved? It had been eight long years since she’d pulled the rug out from underneath him. His eyes burned at the humiliating memory, one that was now seared to his soul.

  A few years ago he’d caught a glimpse of Brenna during one of her rare trips home. He had watched her from afar, knowing it might wreck him to have to see her coupled up with her famous husband, the man she’d dumped him for. Brenna had never known their paths had almost crossed. It had been better that way. Easier for both of them. Or at least that’s what he’d told himself at the time.

  But there was no escaping the fact that they were now within feet of each other, with no easy way out. Brenna, resembling a deer caught in the head lights, nodded her head in his direction. Did she have to look so stunning? He wouldn’t have minded if she had lost her looks or been ravaged by the California sunshine. Neither of those things had happened.

  “Luke. It’s good to see you,” Brenna said, the hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

  He tipped his cowboy hat at her. Words seemed hard to find at the moment. “Brenna.” All he could muster was her name, followed by a painful silence.

  “What are you doing here?” her father grunted.

  “Papa. I came for a visit. Just in time to celebrate the holidays with you,” Brenna said, quickly closing up the gap that remained between them. She wrapped her arms around him, resembling a little girl in her enthusiasm. Luke’s chest tightened at the scene unfolding before his eyes. He stuffed down his reaction, not wanting anyone to see that he still wore his heart on his sleeve. Isabelle also seemed overcome with emotion as she dabbed gently at her eyes.

  Although Hector seemed stiff at first, he soon relaxed into the embrace and hugged his daughter for all he was worth. For a long time now Hector had been angry about Brenna’s departure from Merry. It was no secret that she was his favorite child, and as such, he had always wanted her to take over the reins of Half Moon Ranch. But those plans had drastically changed once Brenna left Montana in search of fame and fortune. In his opinion, the old man had never been the same.

  And now, Half Moon Ranch was in financial trouble. Brenna was in for a surprise if she thought for one second that things at the ranch hadn’t changed in eight long years.

  Brenna released her father from the tight bear hug. She stood in front of him and looked him up and down. He was thin. As a man who had been overweight for most of his life, his new size didn’t bode well for his health. Although her mother had told her about her father’s kidney troubles, she hadn’t been told the extent of his illness. That was now crystal clear. He was a shadow of his former self.

  “Papa. Rosalia needs to fatten you up. I know how much y
ou love her cooking.” Her comment was a probing one. She was curious about her father’s weight loss and the fact that Rosalia hadn’t yet come to greet her.

  Her parents exchanged a furtive glance. She looked back and forth between them, then cast a quick glance in Luke’s direction. Something about his facial expression told her that he knew something she didn’t.

  “What is it?” she asked. “Is it something about Rosalia?” Please, Lord. Don’t let anything have happened to her. Rosalia was as dear to her as the members of her own family. She had been like a grandmother to Brenna growing up. Words couldn’t express how deeply she adored the older woman.

  “Rosalia doesn’t work for us anymore,” her mother explained in a soft voice.

  “What happened? Is she sick?” Her pulse began to race.

  “No, she’s not sick,” her father said in a gruff voice. “We couldn’t afford to keep her anymore. We’ve had to make some cutbacks at the ranch.”

  Brenna inhaled sharply. Shock roared through her. Cutbacks? Were things that bad financially that her parents had been forced to let Rosalia go? Why hadn’t she known this information? When the family businesses in town had been sold, she had been told it was due to the recession. But clearly the Santiago family fortunes had never rebounded.

  “Why am I just hearing this now?” she asked.

  “Because you haven’t exactly been present in the last eight years.” The sound of footsteps echoed on the floor as the familiar sounding voice washed over her like cold rain. Lizette. Her older sister. She looked past Luke to see her sister walking in the room with a scowl etched on her pretty face. Lizette looked as if she was as welcome in her own home as a storm cloud.

  “How would you know anything about what’s going on at Half Moon Ranch? The last time you came home was…what was it? Two years ago? And you breezed in like a member of the royal family, then left after three days.” With her hazel-green eyes and auburn hair, Lizette bore no resemblance to the other women in the Santiago family.