A Ranger For Christmas (Linda Lael Miller Presents; Men 0f The West Book 40)

by Stella Bagwell

  Bracing his hands on his thighs, he looked up at her and smiled. “You weren’t supposed to come outside until I finished. I wanted this to be a surprise.”

  She left the porch and moved across the barren yard until she was standing behind him. “I’m surprised right now. That’s as good as being surprised later.”

  “Yellow cannas and purple irises,” he said, pointing to the bulbs. “Think they’ll grow with a little fertilizer and water?”

  “They will if the chickens stay out of them,” she answered. “And with the new fence you built this morning around the chicken coop, you’ve made sure the hens won’t escape the backyard.”

  “The new fence will also make sure a coyote or stray dog doesn’t snatch one or two of them,” he said, flexing his shoulders to ease the growing fatigue in his muscles.

  Her probing gaze studied him for long moments. “You’ve been working hard all day. If I didn’t know better something is bothering you.”

  That something was five foot seven inches tall with chestnut-red hair and eyes the color of a cool, green meadow. All weekend long he’d tried to push her and that kiss in the cantina out of his mind. He’d tried not to imagine her driving her daughter and nephew to Red Bluff, or wonder who she might see once she arrived at the ranch. Maybe some cowboy there wanted to kiss her as much as Sawyer did. Maybe he was a man, who was much more suited for a ranching heiress than Sawyer could ever be.

  Damn it. He was going crazy and last night had definitely proved it.

  “What makes you think anything is wrong, Grandmother?”

  “You’re not acting like yourself. You didn’t go to church with me this morning. And you came home early last night from your date.”

  Sawyer had avoided going to church because he’d felt sure he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the minister’s sermon and having his grandmother catch him staring off in space would’ve been humiliating. As for his date last night—he could only describe the short outing as disastrous. Normally, on a Saturday night, he’d stay out until the wee hours of the morning. Especially when he had a pretty girl on his arm, who was willing to give him anything and everything he wanted.

  But that was just the problem. He’d not wanted anything from Sherry. In fact, he’d found an excuse to end the evening practically before it got started. Even worse, he’d realized there wasn’t a woman in the whole damned nightclub who’d looked attractive or interesting to him.

  “Nothing is wrong, Grandmother. I guess the incident at work Friday got to me more than I thought.”

  “You’ve seen troubling things before, Sawyer.”

  That much was true, he thought dismally. During the years he’d worked at Dead Horse Ranch, there had been a few serious accidents and altercations. All of them had been unpleasant to deal with, but Friday’s incident at Lake Pleasant had been different. Because of Vivian. Because seeing her struggling to hold on to her composure had touched him deeply.

  Out on the Javelina Trail, when Sawyer had taken her into his arms, he’d desperately wanted to carry her off to a quiet place and assure her that he’d give his very life to protect her and keep her safe. The feelings had been completely foreign to him and something he was still trying to decipher in his mind.

  “Yeah. It’s just a part of the job,” he finally responded to his grandmother. “And a ranger has to take the good with the bad.”

  Nashota placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It will take some time for you to get used to having a woman partner. But you will.”

  He didn’t know where his grandmother’s sixth sense came from, but somehow she always managed to put her finger on the very crux of the problem.

  “It’s an honor to be Vivian’s partner, Grandmother.”

  “Then you should smile and be happy.”

  How could he be happy? For the first time in his adult life, he was terrified. In the span of a few short days, Vivian had reached inside him and touched the places he’d always believed to be safely hidden. Now thoughts of her were squeezing his heart, changing things about him that he didn’t want changed.

  For Nashota’s sake, he forced himself to smile. “I’m always happy, Grandmother. How could I not be? I have you.”

  She didn’t return his smile. Instead, she gave his shoulder a pat. “Finish the little garden and come inside,” she told him. “I’m making coffee and fry bread.”

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes,” he promised.

  She walked back into the house, and as Sawyer began to bury the bulbs, he wished he could do the same to his feelings for Vivian. But like the bulbs, he figured they wouldn’t stay hidden for long. They’d soon take root and he could only wonder what would happen to him once his feelings reached full bloom.

  Chapter Seven

  Later that same night, Vivian had already changed into a nightgown and robe and was hanging out a uniform for work the next day when a light rap sounded on the bedroom door.

  “Come in,” she called, thinking her mother was going to stick her head around the door to say good-night.

  Instead, Vivian looked over her shoulder to see Hannah stepping into the room.

  Dressed in a pair of pink pajamas with the image of a fuzzy brown horse on the chest, her long blond hair was brushed loose against her back, while her face shined from a recent application of soap and water. She looked so sweet and innocent that Vivian almost wished she could freeze this moment in time and save her daughter from all the heartache of adulthood.

  “Mom, may I talk to you for a minute?” she asked.

  Vivian sat on one end of a padded vanity seat and gestured for her daughter to join her. “I always have more than a minute for you. Come sit beside me.”

  Hannah made herself comfortable next to her mother, then went so abnormally quiet that Vivian looked at her with concern.

  “What’s the matter? Are you getting sick?” She placed a hand over Hannah’s forehead and was grateful to find it cool. “You and Nick rarely got off your horses. I should’ve made you rest more.”

  “I’m fine, Mom. I’m not tired at all. Nick and I had lots of fun. With all the rocks and canyons, Red Bluff is a neat place to ride. And it was nice to see Aunt Camille.”

  Vivian smiled faintly at the mention of her younger sister. She’d been surprised to learn that Camille had started working part-time as a waitress for a bar and grill in Dragoon. For the past year or more, she’d lived practically as a recluse, rarely ever leaving Red Bluff for any reason. With this new development, Vivian could only hope her sister was finally getting brave enough to emerge from her safe place.

  “It was very nice spending time with Camille,” Vivian agreed. “And we had fun helping her decorate the ranch house for Christmas, didn’t we?”

  “That was really fun,” Hannah replied, then frowned with confusion. “I don’t understand, Mom. Everybody says Aunt Camille is sad, but I think they’re wrong. She smiled and laughed. You’re the one who’s been acting sad, Mom.”

  Taken aback by her daughter’s comment, Vivian stared at her. “Me? I’m not sad. What gave you that idea?”

  Hannah thoughtfully scrunched up her nose. “Oh, well, you’ve been going around with a worried look on your face. When you’re not doing that you stare into space like you’re thinking about something bad.”

  Oh, God, were her thoughts about Sawyer affecting her so much? All weekend she’d had to fight to keep the man and his kiss off her mind. But according to her daughter’s observations, she’d failed abysmally.

  “I’m not thinking about bad things. Work has been very busy here lately, that’s all.”

  Hannah persisted. “What kind of things?”

  She’d not mentioned to Hannah or the rest of the family about the assault that had occurred on Javelina Trail. Having Hannah or any of her relatives worry about her safety was something Vivian always tried to
avoid. Besides, the attack on the park guest was not the reason she’d been preoccupied. All weekend long she’d been mentally tormented by a dark, handsome face with a wicked smile and a kiss that had tilted her axis.

  “Oh, December is a very busy month at the park. The holidays always bring more guests and that means more work for us rangers. That’s all.” She gave her daughter the brightest smile she could manage. “So, see, there’s no need for you to be concerned about your mother.”

  Hannah released a dramatic sigh. “I’m glad. ’Cause I thought I was the one who’d made you sad. And I’m sorry for what I said to you the other night.”

  Not quite sure what Hannah was referring to, Vivian shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

  Grimacing, Hannah said, “When Uncle Blake and Aunt Katherine announced the news about the baby. I said you were getting too old to give me a brother or sister. That was bad of me, Mom. I shouldn’t have said that to you. Especially at the dinner table in front of the whole family.”

  Vivian had to admit that the remark had stung. Each year that passed with Hannah not having a father, much less brothers or sisters, caused Vivian’s guilt to grow heavier. But the last thing she wanted was for her daughter to be worrying about the situation.

  “It wasn’t exactly nice,” Vivian said bluntly, then relenting, she reached for Hannah’s hand and gave it a loving squeeze. “But you’re forgiven.”

  A smile of relief came over Hannah’s face. “Thanks, Mom. And don’t feel bad. It’s okay if I don’t ever have a brother or sister. I have Nick now and he’s more like a brother than a cousin. And Little Joe will grow up someday and so will Uncle Blake and Aunt Katherine’s baby. It’s not like I’m all by myself.”

  Vivian made a thoughtful study of her daughter’s face, while telling herself she wasn’t envious of her brothers. She’d had her chance at love and marriage and a houseful of children. It hadn’t worked out for her, but at least she had Hannah and that was a heck of a lot more than some women ever have in a lifetime.

  “You’re being very charitable about the whole matter,” Vivian said. “Especially when you’re always wishing out loud that the two of us had a family of our own.”

  Dropping her head in sheepish fashion, Hannah stared at the floor. “Well—Uncle Holt explained a lot of things to me and I understand better now.”

  Hannah’s sudden change of heart was beginning to make more sense. “Oh. You’ve been talking to Holt? About me?”

  Hannah continued to stare at the floor. “A little,” she confessed. “’Cause he’s your best bud and he knows what you’re thinking.”

  It was true that she and Holt had always been close. Not that she didn’t love her other siblings, but she and Holt had a special bond. No matter what occurred, or what sort of drama was playing out within the family, they always had each other’s back.

  However, this time Holt didn’t have a clue as to what she’d been thinking about Sawyer Whitehorse. So far, she’d not hinted to her brother about the unexpected connection she was feeling to her new partner. And she had a sneaky suspicion that if Holt was aware of her emotional turmoil over the man, he’d be more than a little concerned about his sister. “So what did Holt tell you that made you so magnanimous?”

  Shrugging both shoulders, Hannah lifted her head and looked at her mother. “He explained that my father broke your heart and it hasn’t healed. And that some people just don’t want to be married. Is that right, Mom? You don’t ever want to get married?”

  Ever. Never. For years she’d been telling herself she was perfectly satisfied living as a single mother. She was content to go on casual dates that meant nothing more than eating a nice meal or watching a movie. So why was Sawyer suddenly making her yearn for much more?

  Seeing Hannah was waiting on a response, Vivian cleared her throat and attempted to smile. “I’m not against getting married, Hannah. But that’s not something a woman does just because she wants to be a wife—or because people expect it of her. If I ever meet the right man and fall in love, then I might want to get married and have babies.”

  In a matter of seconds Hannah’s expression changed from dubious to hopeful. “Oh. Then that means we’re really going to get a whole family. Just like I’ve always wanted!”

  Bemused by her daughter’s sudden confidence, she asked, “What makes you so certain?”

  A bright smile lit Hannah’s face. “Mom, have you forgotten? Christmas will be here soon! And Santa will come through for me—I just know he will. I’m going to ask Santa to bring you a really neat guy. A tall, strong one, who’ll make you laugh and smile. Oh, and he’ll be a real hunk, too. In case you didn’t know, Mom, that means very handsome. You won’t be able to resist him.”

  Chuckling, Vivian leaned over and hugged her daughter close. “I love you, sweetie. But I’m not sure Santa delivers those kind of Christmas wishes.”

  Her eyes twinkling, Hannah said, “Christmas is a time for miracles. Anything can happen.”

  * * *

  By the middle of the week, most every building and campground in the park showed signs of the coming holiday. Unfortunately, a few park visitors had been a bit too enthusiastic with overloads of lights and decorations. And it was left up to Sawyer and Vivian to get them up to safety standards without squashing their Christmas spirit.

  Only minutes ago, they’d discovered an overzealous couple had strung dozens of extension cords and lights, not only on their travel trailer, but across the ground and around clumps of sage and agave plants. As if that hadn’t been more than enough to issue the pair a ticket, she and Sawyer had also found an overloaded electrical strip dangling precariously from the main power outlet.

  “Those folks were putting everyone in danger back there,” Vivian remarked as they climbed back into the SUV to resume their patrol through the busy campground. “If some of the cords or lights had shorted and caught something on fire, the whole campground would’ve gone up in smoke.”

  This week Sawyer had taken over driving duty and each time she glanced over at him, she couldn’t help but think how perfect he looked sitting in the driver’s seat of the SUV. But then, he looked perfect to her no matter what the two of them were doing. Darn it.

  “That’s true,” he said. “But come on, Viv. Park visitors are excited about Christmas coming. We don’t want to ruin their holidays by writing them a ticket—unless we had to. And I didn’t figure we had to this time. Did you?”

  She didn’t know where he’d gotten his charm, but it oozed from him like honey from a hot biscuit.

  Unable to stop herself, she grinned. “No. It was an unintentional mistake on the man’s part. And he was only trying to make his wife happy with all the extra lights. He won’t be guilty of repeating the same offense.”

  Six days had passed since he’d kissed her in the cantina. Or had it been more like her kissing him? Vivian supposed that little technicality was moot. Either way, she couldn’t get anything about the heated embrace out of her mind.

  He let out a short laugh. “Make her happy, heck. He was trying to impress her.”

  “You’re probably right. The woman told me they were newlyweds and this is their first Christmas together. I’m glad we didn’t ruin this special time for them. Or that they didn’t fry the whole campground with an electrical fire.”

  By now they had reached the end of the campground and he turned the vehicle onto the main road and headed north, to a group of primitive campsites they needed to check.

  “How would Louis have handled those two?” he asked thoughtfully.

  Surprised by his question, she looked at him. “The same way we handled it. Why?”

  He shrugged. “Just wondering.”

  “Look, Sawyer, you’re not Louis. While you’re here at Lake Pleasant you need to be yourself and do things the way you think they ought to be done.”

  He slanted h
er a sly grin. “So you think I can be trusted, do you?”

  Not with her heart, she thought. But that was a whole different matter. “You’re a trustworthy ranger.”

  He looked like he was about to press her on that point, when his cell suddenly rang. After pulling the vehicle safely to the side of the road, he pulled the phone from his shirt pocket and identified the caller.

  “It’s Mort,” he announced. “Something must be up.”

  Vivian watched earnestly as he swiped the phone and jammed it to his ear. It wasn’t customary for Mort to call any ranger while they were on patrol. Normally, if he needed or wanted them to change their schedule, he’d simply have the dispatcher convey the message.

  The conversation was brief, with Sawyer listening far more than talking. Which made it practically impossible for Vivian to pick up what they might be discussing.

  “Yes, I understand,” he said finally. “Thank you, sir. I’ll tell her.”

  His expression grim, he slipped the phone back into his shirt pocket and looked at her. “I hate to tell you this, but we’re in a bit of trouble, Viv.”

  She sat straight up in the seat, her spine ramrod stiff, and stared at him. “Trouble,” she repeated, dismay transforming her voice to a raspy murmur. “For what?”

  Resting his left arm on the steering wheel, he turned in the seat so that he was facing her. “I’m afraid someone saw us under the mistletoe and reported the scene to Mort.”

  She gasped and tried not to wilt. “Oh, hell.”

  “Oh, hell is right. He wasn’t happy—especially with you.”

  A thousand scenarios rushed through Vivian’s mind. None of them good. “Me!” Indignant, she stared at him. “And not you? Just what did Mort say about me?”

  “That he’s very disappointed you haven’t kissed me again.”

  Her eyes widened in total disbelief and then she saw his lips quivering with the effort to hold back a grin. Damn it, he was teasing and she’d fallen hook, line and sinker.