by Jill Kemerer
Forget it. Not happening.
In any scenario, with Clint or without him, did she want to return to Denver and continue planning weddings there?
No.
Hmm...the suddenness of the no surprised her. Looked like she could cross one option off her list. She’d call Natalie later and fax her the proposal the lawyer had drawn up.
I want it all. I want to buy the building and renovate it into an elegant reception hall and plan weddings here. I want Clint back. I want him to manage the ranch with me as his wife.
Despair weighed on her.
She’d questioned Clint’s feelings for her, but the past two months had said it all. Love was making a stranger soup when she was dead tired from grief over her father’s death. Love was fixing her faucet and checking her fireplace to make sure she was safe. Love was driving her to church and playing pretend wedding at the building she’d asked him to inspect.
Love didn’t have to be grand and sweeping.
Love had stared her in the face, taken care of her ranch, her employees, her horses and even her dog.
And what had she given him in return?
Maybe Clint couldn’t see his value, but she did. The Bible passage she’d read the other day came to mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
All her thoughts had been centering around her wants. What did Clint want? What did he need?
A ranch of his own.
An idea hit her so suddenly, she almost gasped.
Lord, I don’t know. This is extreme. Even for me.
When she thought of all she’d been given over the years, though—parents who loved her, this loving home, not one worry about money—the idea didn’t seem so extreme.
Maybe she was always meant to be the maker of grand gestures. No one deserved one more than Clint.
And she was going to give him one. No strings attached.
Really, Lord? I want to do Your will. Not my own.
Pulling up the Bible app on her phone, she typed in Philippians chapter two and read the entire thing. Then she came back to the fourth verse. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others. She jumped up and ran to her bedroom. Threw on jeans and a sweater. Then she hurried downstairs, pulled on a coat and jogged to the ranch office.
“Jerry?” She stopped short in the doorway, trying to catch her breath.
“Miss Lexi? Get in here. You look as spooked as the horses before a lightning storm. What happened?”
“I need some advice.”
His wide-eyed expression held fear. “I don’t know. I’m not the best person for that.”
“Clint left. He told me he was putting in his two weeks and he left.”
“I was wonderin’ where he went off to. Logan said his truck was gone.”
“I want him back.”
“Well, I reckon we all want him back. Why’d he quit? Those goings-on the other night?”
“I love him.”
Jerry just about fell off his stool.
“I scared him away, Jerry. And he had a terrible childhood, got swindled out of the only thing he ever wanted, and he has all this misplaced guilt about catching Jake drinking on the job.”
“Well, seems there’s a lot of suds in the bucket, missy.” Jerry rubbed his chin. “What makes you think you scared him off?”
“I... Well...” She hunched over like a truant schoolgirl. “I’m me. I’m too intense, and I pushed him into feelings he probably didn’t want, and—”
“He might not have wanted those feelings, but he had them, and it wasn’t due to you pushing or whatnot. He loves you. It was as clear as the signs a cow’s about to give birth.”
She grimaced. Love was similar to a cow going into labor? Ew. She shook her head. “I ruined it. I got pretty mad, and I yelled some things, and, well, I told him to get out.”
“Before or after he quit?” He appeared deep in thought.
“After. Why?”
“Okay. I think we can work with that. Yes, sirree, I think we can.”
Work with what?
“See here, Clint’s like the moose. He’s a loner, but strong, and sometimes moose—”
“Jerry, I’m sorry, but I don’t have the brains to figure out the moose analogy today.” She took a seat on the stool next to him. “Without Clint, what happens to this ranch?”
He frowned, shaking his head. “I don’t know, sweetheart. You’ll have to hire someone else, I guess.”
“What if I didn’t? I got this crazy idea, and I need to know your opinion.”
“Shoot.”
She explained it as best she could, and for the next twenty minutes she and Jerry volleyed questions and answers back and forth. Then Jerry grinned.
“If you go through with this and that boy doesn’t get on his knees and beg you to marry him, I’ll kick him straight in the keister, and you can count on that.”
“I’m not doing this to get a proposal, Jerry.” She hopped off the stool to leave. “I’m doing this because it’s right. For Clint. For the ranch. Do you think Daddy would have approved?”
“Yes. I do. He’d want to see the ranch taken care of, and he’d want you to be protected financially. You’re a smart ’un, Miss Lexi.”
She hugged him tightly. “Thanks, Jerry. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Chapter Fifteen
Christmas Eve morning arrived with a fresh fall of snow and gentle flakes floating in the air. Clint opened the sliding door to the old shed.
“Thanks for helping me, Jerry.” Clint clapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll have to move out the old hay wagon first.”
“Just glad to have you back.” His big grin looked like it held a secret. “Miss Lexi is going to like this.”
“Well, I’m glad you think so. I’ve got some apologies to make. I hope she’ll hear me out.”
“Something tells me she’ll be all ears.” They moved inside. “She’s like a filly. High-strung with a heart of gold. Spirit. And class...”
Clint tuned out the filly talk and dragged the tarp off the sleigh. All day yesterday he and Wade and Nash had planned, shopped and prepped for this. The first hurdle had been driving into Rock Step Ranch undetected this morning. Since he’d arrived at 5:00 a.m., he’d made it without seeing Lexi. He’d called Jerry last night and asked for his help this morning. Thankfully, the man agreed without giving Clint a lecture.
“I’ll be right back. Charger can pull these out faster than we can.” Jerry pivoted to leave. “In the meantime, you get the sleigh cleaned up. The missus sent some blankets for the ride.”
“Okay.” As Clint polished the sleigh, he reviewed the plan. He needed to shower and get dressed. The flowers were in his fridge. And the other item was safely tucked away in the cabin. His heartbeat had been tapping out Morse code distress signals for hours, but he figured that was his body resisting the threat of laying his soul bare.
He would lay his soul bare.
Soon.
It didn’t take long to get the sleigh cleaned up. He ran back to his cabin, his nerves still jittery. After showering, he was buttoning his dress shirt when he heard a knock on the door.
He answered it and stopped breathing. Lexi stood before him with her hair in waves down her shoulders. She wore a black jacket, revealing a red dress that hugged her body. Black heels made her seem taller, more sophisticated than he was used to, and her makeup accented her eyes.
“You’re beautiful.”
She blinked. “Thank you. Jerry told me you were here. Can I come in?”
She looked nervous, and the way she briefly touched her ear before nodding made him want to reassure her. “Let’s go to the living room.” He took h
er jacket and draped it over the back of a chair.
Banjo followed her inside, sat at Clint’s feet and let out a yowl.
“I missed you, too, buddy.” He patted his head.
Lexi handed him a slim folder. A slither of unease went down his spine. What was this?
“Go ahead. Open it.”
Warily, he obliged. He drew his eyebrows together as he realized it was a partnership agreement. His head swam. This couldn’t be what he thought it was. He’d read it wrong, or she’d been fooled by an attorney. It didn’t make sense.
“No way.” He snapped the folder shut, handing it back to her. How could she even think to give up her inheritance? After all he’d confessed...
“I want you to run this ranch, but not as my employee, as part owner. I’ll be a silent partner. Rock Step Ranch will be yours to run, to manage, to live on. I’ll take a portion of the profit. You would never have to see me.” Her brown eyes pleaded with him to understand, but he didn’t. He only knew one thing. The woman standing before him was better than anyone he’d ever met. He loved her with an intensity he’d never thought possible.
“I don’t want this ranch,” he said. “I can’t believe you’d even think to do this. This is your inheritance, your home. It belongs to you. I could never let you give it away.”
Her eyes filled with tears. He was messing this up. It wasn’t what he’d planned. He’d never imagined she would show up and blow him away with this incredible offer.
“I’m sorry, Lexi. The other night—you were right. About everything.” Her perfume drifted to him, and it was all he could do not to crush her to him. “I did push you away, and I was stuck in my past. I never thought someone like you would look twice at me. And from the moment you hired me, I was attracted to you. I knew it wasn’t smart, but I couldn’t help being drawn to you.”
“I didn’t help with that.” She looked at the floor. “I was so lonely. I pushed you into spending time with me.”
“You didn’t have to push hard. Those times we spent together are precious to me. No matter what happens, I will hold onto them forever.”
“What do you think is going to happen?” She wrapped her arms around her waist.
“I don’t know. But I know this. I love you. I think it’s the coolest thing that you plan weddings for a living. You bless so many people. I feel like you live to make people’s dreams come true. When you decorated my cabin for Christmas—I was blown away. You’re smart and kind and honest and true. I’m not the romantic guy you deserve, but I want to be your tiger. Do you know what I’m saying?”
* * *
Lexi couldn’t stop her lips from wobbling. Clint looked like he’d stepped out of a men’s magazine. She couldn’t stop staring. At first she thought he was turning down her offer because he was set on leaving, but...had he just said he loved her? “I know what you’re saying. I’m sorry, too, Clint. I pushed you. Expected you to be everything here—the manager, my confidant, even my handyman—”
“I wanted to be all those things.”
“But I never thought about how it affected you.”
“It affected me in the best way it could. You showed me what love looks like. Your friendship—you gave it to me freely without questions or strings.”
“I needed you.” Tears threatened again.
“I’ve never been needed. Not by anyone. Do you know how great it is to be needed?” He gently clasped her arms. “I’d been trapped in nothingness for years, and working here, meeting you, spending time with you was like breathing fresh air after being locked in prison. Thank you.”
“I still need you.” She touched his cheek.
His eyes darkened. “You do?”
“Yes. I love you, too, Clint.” She blinked. “But I don’t want to trap you. You gave me my life back, my smile, my joy. You helped me make peace with Daddy’s death. And you never asked for anything in return.”
“You’d already given me the world.”
“I love you, Clint, and that’s why I had these papers drawn up. You deserve your own ranch.”
“I don’t want any ranch unless you come with it.” He hurried to the kitchen, grabbed the roses and came back, handing them to her. “This wasn’t how I planned it, but these are for you.”
“Blush colored.” She inhaled their scent. “My favorite. How did you know?”
“Well, the silky squares in your office are all pink.” Clint took her hand in his and dropped to one knee. “Alexandra Harrington, I love you. I don’t deserve you, will never deserve you, but I’ll do my best to make you happy every day of your life. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
He reached into his pocket, took out a square jeweler’s box and opened it. The diamond engagement ring she’d swooned over in Sweet Dreams Jewelers winked at her. She covered her mouth with her hand, shaking her head in wonder. “How did you know? It’s the exact one I picked out, but I never told anyone.”
“I saw it and knew. It was you.” He still looked up at her. “Well?”
“Yes!” She drew him to his feet. “A million times, yes!”
He tenderly slipped the ring on her finger and tugged her into his arms. Then he bent his head and claimed her lips. Her knees wobbled as she sank into his kiss.
When he broke away, he smiled, pressing his forehead to hers. Her cell phone rang. Lexi checked it and grinned. She had to take this call.
“I’m at your house with the puppy,” Dan Smith said. “Should I come back later?”
“No. Drive to the cabins. I’ll meet you out front.” She ended the call and spun to face Clint. “I have a surprise for you, too. Come on.” She opened the door and stood on his porch.
He followed, a questioning look on his face.
Dan parked his truck and approached them with a border collie puppy in his hands. “Hope I didn’t come too early. Lola’s got a ham in the oven, and she’ll have my head if I don’t deliver this before our guests arrive for supper.”
“Thank you so much, Dan. Please tell Lola merry Christmas for me.”
“Will do. Merry Christmas, Lexi. Sure is nice to have you back.”
Lexi held the wiggly black-and-white fluff ball and turned, almost crashing into Clint.
“This is for you, tiger.” She grinned, holding the puppy out to him. “Your first puppy. All yours. Merry Christmas.”
To her surprise, his eyes welled up. He took the dog in his arms and cradled it. “I can’t believe you got me a dog. My own dog. No one has ever gotten me a gift like this.”
“You needed a dog.”
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” He drew her into his embrace, the puppy between them, and kissed her. “I love you, sugar.”
“I couldn’t love you more, tiger.”
He looked like he was going to kiss her again, but he checked his watch. “Wait here. Get your jacket on. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He handed her the dog, yanked a coat out of the closet and ran up the drive.
What was that all about? Not knowing what to think, she set the puppy down. He and Banjo sniffed each other as she eased into her jacket. The sound of bells reached her ears, and she peeked out the window.
Clint drove the horse-drawn sleigh. She scooped up the puppy and raced outside. He stopped the horses, jumped down and kissed her. Thoroughly.
“Your ride, my lady.” He gestured to the sleigh.
“Oh, Clint, I used to love riding around with Daddy and Mama.”
“You don’t mind riding around with me? I don’t want you to be sad.” He helped her onto the bench next to him and covered her, Banjo and the puppy with blankets.
“I want nothing more than to ride around with you.” She stared into his eyes. “Thank you, Clint.”
He grinned. “That’s tiger to you.”
S
he laughed. “Well, the tiger I know would have some mistletoe ready for this moment.”
Clint lifted a sprig of mistletoe above her head.
“Way ahead of you, sugar.”
Epilogue
He’d been engaged just shy of a year, but married life beckoned. Clint reached for Lexi’s hand, squeezed it and reached for the handle of the church door.
“We’re married.” His gaze swept from the white veil and tiara on top of her shiny dark hair down her beautiful wedding gown until stopping at their joined hands, two rings sparkling on their fingers.
“We are. We’re finally married.” She looked up at him with a massive smile. He opened the door and helped her down the church steps.
Fat snowflakes drifted to the ground, and at the end of the sidewalk, Coco and Charger stamped their feet, waiting to pull the sleigh with the Just Married sign attached to the back. Wedding guests congratulated them as they hurried down the sidewalk.
He helped her up, still in shock that she was actually his. Jerry had done the honors of escorting her down the aisle. Thank You, Lord. I lost a run-down piece of property, but I gained a wife and the best ranch in Wyoming. My wildest dreams couldn’t have come up with this.
Clint drove the sleigh past snow-covered pines on the country lane that led into town.
“When we get back from our honeymoon,” Lexi said, settling under the blankets, “we’ll have to call the ranch in Idaho and tell them we have the hay they need for their horses.”
“No ranch business today, Mrs. Romine.” He grinned at her. “We agreed.”
“But Daddy’s dream—we did it.” She hooked her arm under his and leaned against his shoulder.
“He’d be proud of you.” Clint smiled at her. “For the ranch and for moving your business here.”
Lexi had bought the building downtown earlier this year. She insisted on keeping the name of the building the Department Store, but she had a Weddings by Alexandra sign made for the door. Their wedding reception would be the debut of the Department Store’s new role as the go-to reception hall in Sweet Dreams. Together, he and Lexi had hired contractors and planned the space. All the construction and refinishing had been worth it.