“Yeah. That’s something we all need to keep in mind.” Zoey studied her carefully. “It’s just that I can’t shake the feeling there’s something not the same about you.”
The only difference was working for Hunter and fighting the attraction that stubbornly refused to go away. But she was shocked to find out that it showed and hoped with every fiber of her being that Hunter wasn’t as observant as her friend. She had to sell the pretense that nothing about her had changed, starting now.
“Obviously I’m different,” she started. “My dad died and I sold the house.” She wrapped up four small custard dishes. “That would change anyone.”
“I understand that, honey.” Her friend looked sympathetic. “But what I see didn’t start until you began working at the ranch.”
“And don’t forget that I have another job. That makes two. So I’ve got a lot on my plate. No pun intended,” she said, handing over a platter.
Zoey grinned, then her expression faded into a thoughtful look. “You worked two jobs when you filled in as clerical staff for your dad, but I never saw you like this.”
“Exhausted?” Merry wished her friend would just drop the subject. Talking about her feelings was a waste of breath because it wouldn’t make Hunter return them. “So, what you’re really saying is that I look really bad.”
“Oh, honey, not at all. In fact, just the opposite. Every time you mention Hunter your eyes light up. There’s a sort of glow about you.”
“Just so you know,” she said wryly, “I’m not pregnant.”
“That never crossed my mind. But, trust me, I never saw you look like this before you started working at the Ambling A.” Then Zoey’s gaze narrowed. “Come to think of it, I noticed a difference when you came over to the house to try on dresses for the wedding. Right after you met Hunter for the first time.”
Love at first sight? Not if she could help it. But it was time to come clean. Zoey was her BFF and their relationship was based on honesty and support. The least Merry could do was be honest now.
“He impresses me, Zoey. I respect him a lot. He’s such a good father and it can’t have been easy. His wife died a few days after Wren was born. Complications from childbirth.”
“Oh, my God.” Her friend’s eyes widened. “That poor man. And sweet little Wren without a mom—”
“Yeah. I can’t even imagine what it was like to never know your mother.” She pulled the last couple of glasses out of the cupboard. “He had his father and brothers. They’re great. I spent time with them at the wedding and Thanksgiving. Four of them—”
“Are married. I know. So do all the single women in Rust Creek Falls. Trust me, we’re doing the math. We can subtract. There are only two eligible Crawford bachelors left. Three if you count their father.”
“Oh, brother.” Merry rolled her eyes. “But Hunter is a package deal, what with having a daughter. The thing is, you can’t help falling in love with that little girl.”
“Are you in love with Hunter, too?”
“That would be stupid,” she protested.
Her friend slid a half-filled box closer to where Merry was working by the stove. “But stupid doesn’t make it not true.”
“I don’t have time for that. And, seriously? You’re helping pack up my house. The one I just sold. My life is nothing but one big challenge. I don’t need more.” She turned away to empty out a cupboard. “I have two jobs and soon I’m going to be taking online classes again to finish up my teaching credentials.”
“Again, Mer, none of that means you’re not falling for him.”
“Well, I’m not.” Please, God, let that be true. “I admire him. I like him. But love? Hardly. If anything besides my boss, he’s a friend. And I’m grateful to him.”
“For?”
“After being dumped by a selfish jerk, he’s shown me that there are still good men around.”
“So...” Zoey was giving her the “I’m seeing hearts all around you” look. “Love is a possibility?”
“Not a chance.”
“Why do you say that?”
Merry hated to crush her friend’s romantic notions, but the BFF code of honesty was carved in stone. “In so many ways he’s shown he’s one of the good guys. With his brothers and his father. But mostly with his devotion to his daughter. He’s completely wrapped up in her. Unfortunately, he’s so focused on being one of the good guys, there’s no time or room in his life for anyone else.”
“That’s too bad.” Zoey nodded a little sadly.
Usually talking to her friend made her feel better. Not this time. Saying the words out loud was like a stone on her heart. But something else bothered her even more. If Zoey could see she felt something, it was possible Hunter could, too. And soon she had to go back to her job at the ranch and hope he didn’t notice her eyes light up when she looked at him.
* * *
After school the next day Merry was in the truck with Hunter and Wren, driving to Fall Mountain to cut down a fresh pine tree for Christmas. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and she was wearing dark glasses to protect her eyes from the sun’s glare. Or was it to have some protection against giving away her feelings?
She glanced at the man in the driver’s seat and actually felt her heart skip a beat. This stretch of road was flat and straight and he was in control of the truck with one hand on the steering wheel. What in the world made that such a sexy look? If she could figure that out, it could be the key to controlling her attraction.
He looked over and met her gaze. “Everything okay?”
“Fine.” She cleared her throat. “I just wanted to thank you for putting this off a day so that I can tag along.”
“Wren insisted you be here.” The subtext was that he was a no vote on her presence, but because he was devoted to his daughter she got what she wanted. “But it turned out to be a good thing because I got a chance to dig through a bunch of moving boxes that are still unpacked and find the stuff for the tree.”
“Then it’s a win-win.”
He nodded. “Speaking of moving boxes... Did you make progress on your packing?”
“Yes. My friend Zoey helped.” She could see they were going uphill now and there were more trees.
“Are we there yet, Daddy?” Wren piped up from the back seat.
He looked in the rearview mirror and smiled. “I thought you were asleep.”
“Nope. I can hardly wait to pick out my tree. A real tree.”
“We usually have an artificial one,” he explained. “This year she wore me down. Someone in town told me about a spot up here on the mountain where the sun hits just right to make the pines full and fragrant.”
“I sure hope we find it pretty soon.” Wren’s voice was just south of a whine.
“We’re getting there,” he said.
Halfway up the mountain they reached an unpaved road and he made a left onto it, then drove slowly until coming to a stop in front of a thick grove of trees. There were stumps scattered among them that looked freshly cut, as if they’d recently been chopped down by others who’d come before them. Patches of snow from the recent storm managed to survive in shady areas beneath thick branches where the sun didn’t touch them.
Hunter turned off the engine and announced, “We’re here.”
“Yay!” Wren quickly freed herself from her seat belt, opened her door and jumped out of the truck.
Before she could race off, Merry called out, “Stay where I can see you, sweetie.”
“Oh, man.” The little girl was impatient. “You guys are too slow.”
“It would be easy to get lost in all these trees,” she explained firmly. “I need to watch you.”
Hunter chuckled. “And that’s another reason why I didn’t mind waiting for you to be available. I’m glad you’re here to be the enforcer.”
“You’d handle it if
I wasn’t.”
“Yeah. But I’m glad you are.”
His voice was warm and smooth, two parts gravel, one part velvet. Her breath caught for a moment but she managed to say, “Two pairs of eyes are better than one.”
“Daddy, Merry, come on,” Wren said impatiently.
“We’re coming.”
They exited the truck and Hunter grabbed a long-handled ax from the bed. Merry stood beside Wren, wanting to take her hand. She’d seen too many news stories about people lost for days in the wilderness and surviving by eating bugs and drinking water from tree leaves. As far as she could tell, pine needles were not an especially good receptacle for liquid. But the need to give this child a little independence won out over her protective instinct.
“Do you see anything you like, honey?” Hunter asked his daughter.
“This one.” The girl pointed to the tree beside her.
He nodded. “Not bad. But don’t you want to look around?”
“Can we?”
“Of course,” he said.
They walked a short way, assessing the height, fullness and symmetry of different pines that caught their interest. Merry noticed Hunter was subtly guiding them in a pattern that always kept the truck in sight. That told her they were on the same wavelength about getting lost.
“What about this one, Wren?” Merry pointed out a pine tree that was a foot or two taller than Hunter. Using his height as a gauge, she judged that it would be prefect for the cabin’s living room.
The little girl walked around the perimeter, giving it a critical once-over. “Does it have holes?”
By “holes” she meant places that were less full than others. Merry walked around it. “I don’t see any.”
“Daddy, what do you think?”
He did the same circuit and nodded. “This could be the one, kiddo. Just say the word.”
She grinned happily. “I like it.”
“Okay, then. You stand out of the way with Merry and I’ll chop it down.” He pointed to a spot and the two of them obediently walked over and stood there. Then he took a whack at the trunk on the opposite side of the tree from them.
Merry just had to ask. “Have you ever done this before?”
The look he gave her was amused. “Nervous?”
“No. Yes. Maybe.”
“Here’s how it’s done.” He indicated the mark he’d made on the trunk and started cutting on a forty-five degree angle. “I’ll give it a thinner, less angled wedge, a few inches above the first cut. It will fall away from you. Trust me.”
Trust was hard for her, but that was emotionally speaking. He would never risk his daughter getting hurt. Watching his powerful swings, she was distracted and way more interested in the masculine display of manliness. He looked so hot in his Stetson and sheepskin jacket. If there was a better word to describe him, she didn’t know it. The man appealed to her in a very big way, on every level she could think of.
He came around and did his thing on the other side of the tree and it fell exactly where he’d said it would.
“Timber.” He grinned and his grin said, “I told you so.”
“Nice job, Daddy.” The little girl ran over and hugged him. “Can I carry the ax back to the truck? It’s not too heavy, I promise.”
There was no way she could know that since Merry was almost positive her father would not ever have let her touch the thing.
“No, honey. It’s really sharp,” he said, confirming her guess.
“I won’t touch that part.” She gave him puppy dog eyes.
On top of that look, Merry could see a lot of stubborn sliding into Wren’s expression. She decided a diversion would be good. “Is anyone else cold? I sure am. If we hurry home, I can make hot chocolate.” She looked at the little girl and asked, “With whipped cream or marshmallows?”
“Can I squirt the whipped cream right out of the can into my mouth?” Wren began the familiar negotiation. “Cuz you don’t usually let me.”
“Hmm. You drive a hard bargain. But since it’s tree cutting day, I think we can make an exception.”
“Okay.” Wren put her hand into Merry’s.
“That sounds like a plan.” Hunter gave her a thankful look, then rested the ax handle on his shoulder with one hand. He grabbed the trunk of the fallen tree with the other and dragged it back to the truck.
The sun was low in the sky and getting ready to disappear behind the mountain when they got back to the ranch. Another distraction was needed when the little girl wanted to jump right into decorating and was told the tree needed to be hosed off to get rid of bugs and any other critters lurking in the branches.
Then it had to dry because they couldn’t bring a wet tree into the house. Merry knew Wren was hungry and tired, which could easily cause a meltdown and spoil her holiday experience. For their first Christmas in Montana, in this cabin, Merry was determined not to let anything mar the memories.
“I have an idea,” she said.
“What?” Wren’s expression was part pout, part suspicion.
“While the tree is drying, we’ll have something to eat. I made chicken soup and we’ll have a little salad. You can have your hot chocolate—”
“With whipped cream?”
“Of course. That will give you energy for decorating and make the waiting go faster.”
Wren thought that over and finally nodded. “Okay.”
“I’ll go wash off the tree.” On his way out the kitchen door, Hunter stopped and said so only she could hear, “You’re the child whisperer. That was pure genius.”
“Thanks.”
The compliment made her feel warm and gooey inside, but their faces were inches apart. She could feel his breath on her cheek. With very little effort she could touch her lips to his. And she wanted that so badly, there was an ache inside her the size of Montana itself. Something hot flashed in his eyes, something that looked like regret, just before he moved away and out the door.
After dinner Merry fast-talked the little girl into a quick bath before decorating, while her dad brought in the tree and set it in the stand. The lights were strung by the time they came downstairs.
“Let the decorating begin,” Hunter said.
The three of them carefully placed brightly colored ornaments then draped a garland. He easily lifted his daughter up to set the angel on the top.
“Perfect,” he said, just before he put her down. “Just one more thing to do. I’m going to plug it in.”
When he did, the white lights went on and Wren’s look of wonder was priceless. “It’s the best Christmas tree ever,” she said reverently.
Hunter came over to stand beside them. “Looks pretty good. You picked out a winner, kiddo.”
“It smells wonderful,” Merry said. “Like a pine forest.”
“Best day ever.” Wren leaned against her and yawned.
It was the sign Merry had been waiting for. “Wow, look how late it is. We’ve been so busy I didn’t even notice that it’s past your bedtime, sweetie.”
“Okay.” The little girl headed for the stairs without being told.
Hunter met her gaze and his was full of surprise. “Wow. No pushback. That’s amazing.”
“Not really. Fresh air. Excitement. Activity. I’m surprised she held out this long.”
They tucked her into bed and Merry tiptoed downstairs to look at the tree again while Hunter read the nightly story. Five minutes later he joined her.
“How did you get away with skimming that book?” she asked.
“I didn’t have to. She fell asleep. Out cold in the first two minutes.”
“She’s a trooper, but it was obvious that she was worn out.”
“By the way,” he said. “Thank you for today. You’re so good with her. Things could have gone sideways so many times, but because of you they didn�
��t.”
“Happy to help.” She wanted to add that it was what he was paying her for, but she didn’t. This was a moment and she didn’t want to go there.
“The tree looks good.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Beautiful.” She was feeling wistful and just a little sorry for herself. When she was busy, it was easy to forget that she was facing a move and a lot of uncertainty about her future. But for now she had a roof over her head. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He sounded surprised.
“If I wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have a tree this year.”
“Because of the move,” he said.
She nodded. “I have to be out before Christmas. All my things are packed and will go into storage with the furniture. I have to figure out the logistics of making that happen.”
“You’re going to need help. Let me know when and I’ll give you a hand.”
“I couldn’t ask you—”
“You didn’t ask. I volunteered. I won’t take no for an answer. And I’ll bring Wilder. The two of us should be enough muscle to get the job done.”
“Really?” She stared up at him. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course. It’s the least I can do to thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty with Wren.”
Merry had worried so much about how she was going to pull off this move. She’d felt so alone since her dad died and even before that. Caring for him by herself when he was so ill had been isolating and scary. To have someone take half the load now was such an incredible relief.
“Oh, Hunter—”
Happiness bubbled up and she couldn’t stop herself. She threw her arms around him. “I can’t thank you enough.”
He went completely still and she instantly realized she’d made a huge mistake. Employees didn’t generally hug their boss. She’d just crossed the line and somehow she had to fix this.
She took a step back. “I’m so sorry—”
“Merry, I—”
His eyes went hot and dark just before he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her.
Chapter Twelve
Merry was completely swept away. She’d never expected to feel this way. Not ever. But wrapped in Hunter’s arms, the warmth of his body, the feel of his mouth on hers was more powerful than she’d imagined. And so was his kiss. It was real, solid and it was truly happening. She slid her arms around his neck, loving the sensation of his big hand moving gently up and down her back.
Maverick Holiday Magic (Montana Mavericks: Six Brides For Six Brothers Book 5) Page 14