by Amanda Renee
“’Tis the season.” Tess beamed. “Everyone’s upstairs. The men haven’t arrived yet, but my husband tells me they should be here shortly. Kylie, isn’t Aaron coming?”
“He said he had something to do beforehand. I hope he shows up.”
Kylie and Aaron had stopped by Nola’s condo a few times over the years, and Nola always had the impression that Kylie was much more into him than he was into her. It had probably been a good eight months since she’d last seen them together so she wasn’t certain where the relationship stood, but based on the subject of her cousin’s endless chatter this evening, she was ready to settle down and get married.
Upstairs, Kylie dragged Nola toward Miranda and a woman she’d seen over the years but had never met. “Nola, I’d like you to meet the baby I helped deliver a few years ago.”
“You helped deliver?” Miranda laughed. “If memory serves me correctly, you stood in the corner shrieking while I caught that baby on the way out.”
Kylie shot Miranda a look she had intended to be evil, only Kylie didn’t have a mean bone in her body. “Anyway, this is Vicki Slater, Ella’s sister-in-law. You know Ella from Bridle Dance, right?” Kylie didn’t wait for Nola to respond before crouching down. “And this is her daughter, little Randi Lynn.”
“I’m not little. I’m three and a half.” She was a miniature version of her mother, all blond hair and blue eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you, Randi Lynn.” Nola held out her hand and the girl shook it enthusiastically. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you, Vicki. I know I’ve seen you at various events, but we’ve never had a chance to talk. I had dinner with your sister-in-law last night at the Langtrys’.”
“I heard.” Vicki leaned closer. “I also heard Chase has a bit of a thing for you. Good for you. It’s about time someone took that man off the market.”
Off the market! Nola felt her stomach drop.
“You’d better not go off and get married before I do.” Kylie stood with her hands on her hips. “I’ll be furious.”
“Oh, jeez.” Miranda wrapped a protective arm around Nola’s shoulders and steered her toward another crowd of women. “Don’t pay any attention to them. It’s a small town and rumors spread like wildfire.”
Another round of introductions just about wore Nola out. She hadn’t expected there to be so many people, and this was only half of them. She was even more surprised when her aunt and uncle arrived to partake in the fun.
Looking around the room, she was glad she’d taken the time to change into a pair of jeans and a vintage long-sleeved blouse. The suit she’d had on earlier was far too dressy for holiday baking with the girls.
Now, this was something Nola never thought she’d do in a million years. Holiday baking with the girls. The thought may not flow naturally in her brain, but she felt relaxed around everyone, especially when they stopped the marriage talk and began singing horribly off-key Christmas carols. Between bursts of laughter and botched lyrics, Nola didn’t think a single song had survived unscathed.
After their first round of cookies went into the industrial ovens, the men finally appeared, Aaron included, looking as though they may have had a drink or two before their arrival. All of them, walking in with their arms draped around each other’s shoulders, had very peculiar grins plastered across their faces.
Chase walked over to Nola and unabashedly gave her a kiss on the cheek. She looked around to see if anyone had noticed the kiss only to find Kay watching them from across the room. With a wink and a smile, she appeared to give her approval.
“What are you guys up to?” Nola asked, playfully pulling away from him.
“Me? I’m up to nothing. I am innocent in all of this.” Chase removed his Stetson and replaced it with a green elf hat complete with a bell on the end.
“All of this?” Now Nola definitely knew something was going on.
She turned to the sound of a pair of hands clapping loudly behind them. Maggie Dalton was trying to get the men’s attention so she could put them to work.
“I think you guys need to do something that doesn’t involve frosting. By the looks of things, you’re already a little frosted. Tonight you’re going to learn how to make red and green fortune cookies.”
Nola had to hand it to the Langtry women. The way almost everyone was paired up, she wondered if she was on Noah’s ark. Amazingly enough, the men didn’t seem to mind too much that they were there. Although their cookies lacked some aesthetic appeal, the few she tasted were pretty good. The best part was making them alongside Chase, who was determined to out-bake her even though she’d had a head start.
“Okay, ladies.” Maggie once again attempted to gain some semblance of control. “For anyone who doesn’t know how to flood a cookie with royal icing, come over here and I will show you how to decorate the perfect sugary creation.”
Between her four cups of hot chocolate and all the confectioners sugar, food coloring and festive sprinkles, Nola had a feeling she would look and smell like a Christmas cookie long after New Year’s Day. By the time they had finished, all the freestanding racks were filled.
“I think we should have a taste test,” Aaron announced once they’d cleaned up the kitchen. “Men against the women. Starting with my cookie versus Kylie’s.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Maggie said. “Why don’t you each choose one for the other to taste?”
“We’re judging each other’s cookies?” Kylie asked. “Piece of cake. Mine wins.”
“That’s not fair.” Aaron pouted in jest. “You haven’t even tasted mine yet.”
Nola felt Chase’s hand touch the small of her back, guiding her in Kylie’s direction. She noticed he had his cell phone in hand, then realized the rest of the men did, as well. Silently questioning Chase, she received only a chin nod toward Aaron and Kylie in response.
“Taste mine first.” Kylie handed Aaron an elaborately decorated chocolate reindeer with nuts and coconut resembling fur. “Then you’ll see what true cookie perfection is.”
Aaron took a bite, nodding as he chewed. “This is good. This is really good. But I’m not quite sure it stands up to mine.”
Aaron handed Kylie a red fortune cookie with white-chocolate-dipped ends. “Try it.”
Kylie picked it up and turned it over, trying to hide her “it’s a fortune cookie how good can it be” face. She cracked it open, and a diamond ring dropped onto the stainless-steel counter. A collective gasp echoed throughout the room while the men all held up their cell phones, taking photos and video.
Aaron retrieved the ring and held it in front of him. “I know I haven’t been the easiest man to put up with for the past three years. I had planned on asking you this on Christmas Day, but with Maggie’s help I decided to do it tonight, in front of all of our friends and family.”
Aaron knelt on one knee, taking her hand in his, and slid the ring onto her finger. “Kylie West, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Kylie jumped up and down, almost knocking Aaron over, screaming, “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
Nola looked at Chase. “You knew about this all along, didn’t you? That’s why you guys all came in together, after a celebratory drink.”
“More like a drink of courage for Aaron. And yes, I knew he was going to propose to your cousin tonight.” Chase laughed. “The only other people who knew were your aunt Jean and Maggie.”
Before Nola could congratulate her cousin, Kylie pulled her into a suffocating hug. “Promise me you’ll be my maid of honor.”
“What?” Nola pushed Kylie’s big hair and Santa hat out of the way so she could breathe.
“My maid of honor.” Kylie held her at arm’s length. “You have to say yes. There’s no one else I would want.”
“But what about your friends?” At the same time, Nola overheard Aaron asking Miranda’s husband, Jesse, to be his best man.
“They’ll be my bridesmaids, just like I was at their weddings. This honor is reserved f
or family.”
“Okay, yes. I’d love to.”
Kylie gave her another squeeze. Nola had to tame her own excitement. Not only was she surprised her cousin had asked, but it was also the first time she’d ever been in a wedding party, and that thought alone thrilled her. Too bad Chase wouldn’t be the best man because she would love to walk down the aisle with him.
Where the heck did that come from? One night with a room full of giggling females and she had already succumbed to wedding fever. Without warning, an unwelcome thought pushed its way into her consciousness: no matter how much she enjoyed spending time with Chase, his family and his friends, once they learned the truth about her, they may not want her around anymore.
Chapter Six
With the rodeo school and taking Nola around to interview various people for the Mistletoe Rodeo, Chase had successfully kept his mind off his Vegas loss. The more time he spent with Nola, the more attracted he became to the woman she was, and not just the smoking body that had originally caught his attention.
Chase had accompanied Nola and George on a few live-coverage news stories. Her composure was constantly resolute, even when they arrived on the scene of an accident along the interstate before the paramedics. Nola’s willingness to jump in and help the victims, not caring if she ruined her clothes in the process, had surprised him, although it shouldn’t have knowing her military background.
George had remarked on her preparedness for any situation, explaining how Nola kept the back of the news van stocked with trauma-related items in case she needed them. Even though it wasn’t part of her job description to do anything other than report the news, George said that on many occasions he’d taken over as reporter and videographer while Nola lent a helping hand.
Now Chase was supervising his students as they completed their required morning workout in the onsite fitness center. Training at Ride ’em High! included a comprehensive regimen that helped build the muscles a competitor needed to succeed in the arena.
His shoulder felt better this morning, making him want to climb onto the back of a one-ton bull and ride out his frustrations. But as much as he’d love to demonstrate dismount techniques today, Chase knew the risk was too great and had handed control of the class off to one of his instructors.
“Happy birthday, bro.” Cole slapped Chase on the back.
“Don’t remind me,” Chase grumbled. Turning thirty wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, especially when facing retirement with a body that had seen more injuries than most people experienced in a lifetime. Thirty may not sound old, but it certainly felt it lately.
“Don’t go getting all girly on me and pulling this I’m-over-the-hill crap, because I have five and a half years on you and I can still kick your butt. It’s just a number.”
“You’re married with a seven-year-old daughter. You and Tess are actively trying to have another kid. Jesse and Shane have their families, too. Not for nothing, I’m a little jealous of what you have.”
After Chase dismissed his students so they could clean up and grab breakfast, he and his brother started walking to the main house.
“You make it sound as if you’re a troll living under a bridge,” Cole said. “You have plenty of time. None of us were married at your age.”
“Maybe you weren’t, old man.” Chase elbowed his brother. “But Jesse and Shane were close enough.”
“You’re just starting a relationship with Nola, whether you want to admit it to all of us or not. Give it some time to grow and see where it goes.”
“I don’t really see things with Nola going anywhere. You’ve heard her talk. She’s made it clear that KWTT is just a stop along the way. She’s not going to quit until she’s sitting behind the anchor desk of one of the large news networks. Say this did work out—I can’t ask Nola to give up her dreams to live in a little Podunk town. I wouldn’t have given up my dreams for anyone, so why should I expect her to?”
“Because dreams change,” Cole said. “You’re a prime example of it.”
“No, I’m not.” Chase’s frustration grew. “That’s what you and Mom don’t understand. It was never my dream, it was Shane’s, and now I want more involvement on the Bridle Dance side of things. Would this have been the year I retired if it weren’t for my injury? Probably, but I’ll never know for sure.”
“Okay.” Cole held up his hands in defeat. “But I think you should tell Shane when he gets in before Mom lets it slip. Enough about that for now. It’s your birthday. Jesse, Shane and I want to take you out tonight to cut loose a bit and have some fun.”
Chase swallowed hard. “I didn’t think Shane was flying home until tomorrow.”
“He was able to catch an earlier flight.” Cole stopped at the fence behind the house. “I have to head back to the office. What do you say about tonight?”
“Sure, sounds great.” Chase unlatched the gate and a big black canine nose greeted him in the crotch. “Easy, Barney. I’d like to have the opportunity to have children before you castrate me.”
Chase hadn’t told Nola it was his birthday, but it didn’t seem like much of a celebration without inviting her. Not that he felt like celebrating.
Christmas music immediately assaulted him when he entered the house through the back door. As far as he knew, his mother wasn’t even home. She was usually bustling elsewhere about the ranch somewhere by now. He didn’t really mind the music, though. The first year after his father’s death, his mother had had zero interest in Christmas. It wasn’t until Cole and Tess adopted their daughter, Ever, that Kay had begun to celebrate the holiday again. With the addition of his other nephews, Christmas became what it once was in the Langtry household: a celebration of family.
Chase wondered how Nola felt about children. Judging by the way she interacted with the kids on the ranch, he assumed she’d one day want her own. Wasn’t that what all women wanted?
He removed his phone from his pocket and called her.
“Hey, I can only talk for a minute because I have meetings all day and two assignments tonight,” she answered briskly.
Nola’s immediate dismissal, before he’d even said hello, crushed Chase’s spirits.
“And here I was going to invite you out tonight.”
Chase noted Nola’s hesitation on the other end of the line. “I can’t promise anything, but if I wrap up these interviews early, I’ll give you a call. Where did you have in mind?”
Had he misread the situation between them? The lack of enthusiasm in her tone made Chase wish he hadn’t bothered calling.
“Slater’s Mill. My brothers and I are going, and if you can make it that would be great. I won’t keep you from your work.” Chase ended the call and turned his attention to making himself a cup of coffee. Spinning the K-cup dispenser, he found several flavored coffees—peppermint, eggnog and cinnamon—along with a variety of hot chocolates. Not a single regular dark roast in the house.
Chase enjoyed a flavored coffee every now and then, but a man needed a strong brew in the morning. He was willing to bet his mother had stocked his students’ coffeemaker with the same flavors.
Chase had a little over an hour before he needed to be back at the rodeo school. It was enough time to run into town and get a real cup of joe. He went to grab his keys off the hook by the back door, but they weren’t there. Neither were any of the other keys. Chase walked outside and checked the side parking area where they normally kept their vehicles, and with the exception of his truck, every one of them was gone. Including his mother’s Mercedes, which rarely went anywhere.
Chase quickly dialed Cole. “Okay, what’s going on?”
“What are you talking about?” Cole asked.
“My keys—all the keys to every vehicle—are gone. There isn’t a single car here. I can’t drive to The Magpie to get a cup of coffee without some form of transportation.”
“Isn’t there coffee in the house?”
He paced the kitchen floor. “Cole, where are my keys?”
“How the hell would I know? I don’t drive your truck. You never let anyone touch it. I’m surprised you even allow Nola to ride in it.”
“Then, where is everyone else?” Chase demanded.
“I saw Mom head out early this morning. Shane’s Jeep is at the airport, two of the Navigators went in for service and I loaned Nicolino the other one because his truck broke down this morning. Sorry, Chase, but you’re either going to have to find your keys or ride Bocephus into town. Hate to cut you short, but I need to get going.”
Cole hung up before Chase could argue. He searched the whole house for his keys, even checking the ignition of his truck in case he’d left them there. It was his own fault for not having a duplicate set made. It had been on his to-do list for years and he’d never gotten around to it. So much for that cup of real coffee. Back inside, Chase popped an eggnog-flavored K-cup into the Keurig.
“Happy birthday to me.”
* * *
“I HATED LYING to him like that.” Nola looked up at Miranda, Lexi and Tess, standing shoulder to shoulder on the other side of her desk.
“Trust us—by the end of the night he’ll be feeling much better. Especially with you by his side.”
Nola still couldn’t believe the “brides of Bridle Dance,” as Chase affectionately called them, had shown up at her office first thing this morning and asked her to be a part of Chase’s surprise party. She’d had no idea it was even his birthday, a fact she wondered if he had intentionally left out.
“Are you sure he wants me there?” The little voice in Nola’s head told her Chase hadn’t mentioned it for a reason.
All three women laughed—some might even say cackled—in unison. It was cute but becoming somewhat frightening. The interest they’d taken in Nola’s relationship with Chase was a tad intense at times and Nola wasn’t sure whether to believe they were telling the truth, or whether it was all just wishful thinking on their part.
“He just called and asked you out for tonight,” Tess said. “I’d take that as a definitive yes.”