A Maverick Under The Mistletoe

by Brenda Harlen

  “Haven’t seen much evidence of anything different,” Ben said.

  “You will,” he promised Paige’s father. “But there is one thing that hasn’t changed in all of the years that I was gone—and that’s how I feel about your daughter.”

  “How do you feel about her?” Lani demanded.

  “Jeez, Lani, could you butt out of my life for five minutes?” Paige demanded, stepping into the room.

  She was wearing one of those long skirts she seemed to favor, this one in a swirling pattern of cream and chocolate, with a cream-colored tunic-style sweater. Her cheeks were a little paler than usual and there were dark smudges beneath her eyes, and he wondered if they might be proof that she’d suffered as many sleepless nights as he had. But she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever known, and looking at her now, his heart actually ached with wanting.

  He shifted his gaze to her sister. “I don’t have a problem answering your question,” he told Lani. “Because I love Paige.”

  She looked unconvinced, but Lindsay sighed and pressed a hand to her heart. Mary worried her lip and Ben’s scowl deepened.

  But Sutter didn’t care about any of their responses. He turned to Paige again. “It’s true,” he told her. “I love you.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, but she said nothing and made no move toward him.

  So he stepped forward and took her hand. Her fingers were ice-cold and trembling. He squeezed gently. “I love you, Paige, with my whole heart. I always have and I always will.”

  A single tear trembled on the edge of her lashes, then tracked slowly down her cheek. His heart turned over in his chest. Whatever reaction he’d expected, it wasn’t that his declaration would make her cry.

  “I mean it, Paige.” He was speaking only to her now, oblivious to the fact that her parents and sisters were still in the room. He dropped to one knee beside her. “I’ve never stopped loving you, and I never want to leave you again. I want to build a life with you, here in Rust Creek Falls. I’m hoping that’s what you want, too, and that this time you’ll say yes, because I’m asking you to marry me.”

  * * *

  Paige hadn’t expected to see Sutter tonight. And she certainly hadn’t expected such a heartfelt declaration—or a proposal. Yes, she loved him, and yes, she’d been willing to go to Seattle to meet him on his turf to talk about the possibility of a future for them together—because that was what she wanted more than anything. But now that he was here, offering her everything she’d always wanted, she was almost too afraid to reach out and take it.

  “Okay, I can understand why you’d have some reservations,” Sutter said when she failed to respond. “Because I was still carrying a lot of baggage from what happened five years ago—not just with you, but with my family. And I know I wasted a lot of years feeling hurt and angry and guilty, but I’m not going to waste any more. I know I can’t do anything to give us back those five years, but I’m ready to move forward now, and I really want to do that with you by my side.”

  It was the sincerity in his gaze as much as the earnestness in his voice that finally propelled her to action. She lifted a trembling hand to his lips, halting the flow of words so that she could speak.

  “Yes,” she said softly.

  His lips curved, just a little. “Yes?”

  She nodded. “I love you, Sutter, I always have. And I want to move forward with you, too.”

  “Does that mean I can get off my knee?”

  “Don’t I get the ring first?”

  He dipped a hand into his pocket. “How did you know I had a ring?”

  “You got down on one knee.”

  He was smiling as he retrieved the ring and slid it onto the third finger of her left hand. The exquisite emerald-cut diamond at the center was flanked by slightly smaller but equally stunning tapered baguettes. “I wanted something with three stones,” he said. “To represent our past, our present and our future.”

  “It’s perfect,” she said. “But all I want—all I need—is you.”

  Finally he rose to his feet and kissed her. And in that touch of his mouth against hers, all the questions and doubts and loneliness of the past week faded away.

  It was only when she heard both Lani and Lindsay sigh that she remembered they weren’t alone. Reluctantly, she eased her lips from his and turned to face her parents.

  “It looks like we’re going to need that extra leaf in the table for Christmas,” Mary said to her husband.

  Ben nodded. “And for every holiday thereafter.”

  Their comments weren’t exactly an overwhelming endorsement of Paige and Sutter’s engagement, but they did represent a significant shift in her parents’ attitudes from Thanksgiving, and that was a good start. Then her father took a step forward.

  “You make my daughter happy and those mistakes of the past will be forgotten,” he said.

  And when he offered Sutter his hand, Paige saw her mother’s eyes fill with tears.

  “I will,” Sutter said, and shook to seal his promise.

  “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to say at the wedding?” Lindsay teased.

  Sutter grinned at her. “I’m practicing.”

  “About the wedding,” Mary began.

  “Later, Mom,” Paige said firmly. “Let me get used to being engaged first.”

  “All right,” her mother relented. “But planning a wedding takes time—there are so many details to take care of.”

  But the only detail Paige was thinking about right now was how to discreetly make a quick exit so that she and Sutter could celebrate their engagement in private.

  Her fiance, obviously on the same wavelength, said, “Before we start talking about wedding dates, I think my parents would like to know about this turn of events.”

  “Oh, right. Of course,” Mary agreed.

  So they said goodbye to her family and headed out to share the good news with his. But on the way, they decided to stop at Paige’s house.

  They did eventually get around to telling Sutter’s family about their engagement—but not until much later the following morning.

  Epilogue

  Three weeks later, with the now-familiar weight of her engagement ring on her finger, Paige escaped with Sutter to Seattle for the weekend. Since the publicity from Lissa’s writing had sent a mass of volunteers to Rust Creek Falls to help with the town’s restoration and the new school was almost complete, they were finally able to take some time for themselves without feeling guilty.

  Paige was excited to see Seattle, but mostly she was eager to get a glimpse of the life Sutter had built for himself in the city. Traub Stables was quite an impressive facility, including a thirty-stall barn, a breeding shed, an indoor riding arena, neatly fenced paddocks and even a spa to help rehabilitate injured horses. And all of the buildings were decked out for the holiday season with miles of pine garlands, enormous evergreen wreaths and countless twinkling white lights.

  Not only were the buildings and grounds well maintained, but the horses she saw were all in prime condition, a testament to the quality of care they received. On the tour she also got to meet Jenni and Reese, and found out that they weren’t just friends of Sutter’s and employees at the stables but also recently engaged.

  “You’ve done an incredible job here,” she told Sutter.

  “I didn’t have to do a lot,” he said. “The buildings were in pretty good shape when I bought the property, so they needed more hands-on attention than major construction. And I got lucky that I made so many contacts when I was working at Rolling Meadows.”

  “You’re being modest,” she chided. “This place is really impressive.”

  “I’m proud of it,” he admitted.

  “It makes me wonder how you could want to leave here—to give up something that you obviously poured so much of your heart and soul into.”

  He put his arms around her. “Don’t you know that my heart and soul are yours? Spending my life with you means that I’m not giving anythin
g up—I’m getting everything I ever wanted.”

  “But if I hadn’t been so insistent on staying in Rust Creek Falls, would you have chosen to live here?”

  “I want to be with you, Paige.”

  “Reese seems like he’s more than qualified to handle the day-to-day operations of the business.”

  “And has been since the summer,” Sutter agreed. “If he wanted it, I’d sell the place to him.”

  “He doesn’t want it?”

  “He claims he’s not ready for the responsibility of ownership—or the risks. He’s happy to do what he does and isn’t ready to take on the kind of mortgage he would need to take it off my hands.”

  “What if you were partners?” she suggested. “You could maintain an interest in the business but he’d continue to be responsible for the day-to-day operations.”

  It was an interesting suggestion and, in some ways, an obvious solution. But he was curious. “Why are you suddenly reluctant for me to sell?”

  She shrugged. “I just thought it might be nice to have a place where we could get away, and it would give our children the opportunity to experience both country life and city living.”

  Something in her deliberately casual tone triggered his radar, making him suspect that her comment wasn’t as offhand as she wanted him to think. “Children?”

  “We used to talk about having kids,” she reminded him. “Is that still what you want?”

  “Yeah, that’s still what I want.” He tipped her chin up. “Are you…pregnant?”

  “I don’t know, but I think…I might be.”

  Sutter whooped with joy and wrapped his arms around her.

  She laughed as he spun her around. “And to think I had some concerns about how you’d react to the news.”

  He set her back on her feet and tipped her chin up to brush his lips over hers. “Now can we set a date for the wedding?”

  She chuckled. “I guess we’d better.”

  “When?”

  “March,” she suggested. “Then we can go on our honeymoon during spring break.”

  “How about we have the wedding in January and the honeymoon in March?”

  “Afraid if we wait too long I might change my mind?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. I don’t have any doubts about anything anymore. I just want to start our life together as soon as possible.”

  She lifted her arms to link them behind his head, drawing his mouth down to hers. “Then I guess we’re getting married in January.”

  As Sutter kissed his bride to be under the mistletoe, he couldn’t help but marvel at all the things he had to be thankful for—because of the woman in his arms.

  * * * * *

  Don’t miss THE MAVERICK’S CHRISTMAS BABY

  by USA TODAY bestselling author Victoria Pade,

  the next installment in the new

  Special Edition continuity

  MONTANA MAVERICKS: RUST CREEK COWBOYS

  On sale December 2013,

  wherever Harlequin books are sold.

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE NANNY’S CHRISTMAS WISH by Ami Weaver

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  Chapter One

  Thirty-Eight Easton Street. Maggie Thelan double-checked the address on the big blue Victorian with the sticky note on the steering wheel. Her pulse kicked up a bit as she eased the car to the curb.

  She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm the butterflies in her belly. Cody, her nephew, lived here. Her half sister, Lucy, had lived here until her death. It would be Maggie’s home during her stint as Cody’s nanny.

  If she got the job.

  No way am I missing this chance. She grabbed her purse and keys and checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. Hair behaving, mascara not smeared, all good. She did a quick application of lip gloss and wondered for the millionth time if she shared her Black Irish coloring—dark hair, blue eyes, pale skin—with her half sister.

  With any luck there’d be a photo out for Maggie to see. Anticipation quivered through her as she threw open the car door.

  She’d gotten through the first interview just fine. Cody’s grandmother, Ellen Tanner, was a lovely woman, warm and friendly and concerned about her grandson’s welfare. This time, she’d meet Cody and his father and hopefully walk away with the job.

  She’d staked everything on it.

  Not wanting to think about that, Maggie hurried up the walk, her ponytail blowing over her shoulder in the wind. Being October in northern Michigan, the breeze had a bite to it but the sun still held some warmth. The maple trees on the front lawn blazed gold and flame.

  A couple of squat pumpkins sat on the front porch. Maggie stepped around them and up to the heavy front door.

  She pressed the doorbell and the door opened almost instantly, causing her to take a big step back and stumble over one of the pumpkins behind her. “Whoa,” said a deep voice, and he grabbed her elbow before she ended up smashing the pumpkin under her rear. She pitched forward and felt a firm, broad chest under her cheek. He smelled of clean laundry and soap. Warmth seeped through his blue oxford dress shirt.

  Or maybe that was her face, burning with embarrassment.

  Smooth, Maggie, real smooth. She stepped back, carefully this time, cleared her throat and promptly forgot what she’d been about to say as her gaze traveled up.

  Oh, he was tall, north of six feet and broad, with light brown hair that curled slightly at the nape. And his eyes. Damn if she hadn’t just lost her voice in those whiskey-colored eyes.

  “You all right?” His voice, laced with amusement and concern, snapped Maggie out of her trance.

  “Yes. Thanks for the help.” She thrust out her hand as she tried to recover her scattered wits. “Maggie Thelan. I’m here for a second interview for the nanny position.”

  He raised his eyebrows, arched over those incredible eyes. They weren’t the color of just any whiskey, but the good Scotch stuff her father had favored. Her heart pinged. The man grasped her hand, his palm warm and slightly rough on hers. She sucked in a breath at the unwelcome little shiver that zipped up her arm. “Dr. Josh Tanner. Nice to meet you,” he said as he released his grip.

  “You, too,” she replied. Dread seized her. This man was Cody’s dad. What if he thought she’d be a klutzy danger to his son? Good one, Maggie.

  He stepped back. “Come on in. Have a seat over there.” He indicated the sofa in a comfortable living room. Photos. Her pulse picked up a bit as she made her way to sit down.

  She cleared her throat and smiled as he sat down opposite her. She peeked around him at the pictures on the mantel. Shoot. Some of them were too small to see the subjects clearly. She snapped her focus back to find him studying her with a crease between his eyebrows.

  Her stomach clenched. “Is there a problem?”

  He hesitated a spilt second. “I have to say I was expecting someone older. I told my mom—” He broke off and the frown deepened.

  “What?” Her stomach tightened. “Why do you need someone older?”

  “I just thought, well, more experience, maybe.” He had the grace to look slightly embarrassed.

  Maggie’s eyebrows shot up and she straightened her spine, spearing him with the look that had sent plenty of fourth-graders scu
rrying back in line. “I’ve been a teacher for ten years, Dr. Tanner. I assure you, I have plenty of experience with kids.”

  He nodded, reluctance still etched on his face. “I saw that on your resume. You are by far the most highly qualified candidate. My mom thinks highly of you and I trust her judgment. Your background check is clean and the references are excellent, so as long as Cody likes you we’ll consider this a done deal.”

  Relief flooded Maggie even as she noted he didn’t look pleased about the whole thing. “Thank you. I hope he does, Doctor. I’m looking forward to meeting him.” More than you’ll ever know. The chance to know Cody, hopefully learn something about her half sister, meant everything to her. Her heart squeezed. Since her father’s death and learning he had kept his older daughter a secret, Maggie’s world had been in a tailspin.

  He glanced at his watch. “While we’re waiting, do you want to see where you’ll be staying?” he asked.

  “I’d love to,” she said.

  A quick perusal of the mantel on her way past revealed photos of Cody, either alone or with his dad or Grandma. Nothing of Lucy. She climbed the creaking stairs behind Dr. Tanner and since it felt wrong to look at the view of his rear she kept her eyes at his waist. His pants were frayed at the belt loops, a little detail at odds with the crisp pleats in the front.

  Upstairs, he walked past three rooms to the end of the hall and pushed open a door. “This be okay for you?”

  Maggie stepped around him, catching a whiff of his scent as she did so. The little jolt of awareness was almost drowned out by the pleasure that flooded her at the room.

  “This is beautiful!”

  The room was huge and she could see a balcony through French doors. A four-poster bed sat across from the fireplace, where a cozy little grouping of furniture had been arranged. She could picture herself reading to Cody there, snuggling by the fire on a cold and snowy night.

  A little shiver of joy ran through her. She couldn’t ask for a more perfect setting to get to know her nephew.

  “There are plenty of extra sheets if you want to use them, and comforters, too. Not sure what you’d like, but if you don’t find something that works just buy what you want and I’ll cover it. Bathroom’s in here.” Dr. Tanner stepped around her and pointed to the first of two doors. “Closet’s the next one.”