“Yes I can,” Hannah said stubbornly. “All I have to do is focus on what I really want. If I let myself get sidetracked, I’ll never achieve anything.”
“You’ve already achieved so much.” Claire sighed. “I know you don’t want to stage events for the rest of your life. That’s why you applied for the residency. But sometimes, other things come along that are more important. If you don’t want to go to Vancouver, that’s your decision. But make sure you know exactly why you’re turning it down.”
Hannah looked at her sister. “I don’t know what I want anymore. I enjoy working with you.”
“I know you do.”
“And I like creating beautiful events for our clients.”
Claire wrapped her arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “It’s okay. Starting an event staging company was never part of your plans. Just like Brett was never part of your plans.”
“He still isn’t. Brett is my friend.”
“I’m not blind. You were practically stuck like glue to each other at the carol competition. And each time I call the ranch, you tell me about what you’ve been doing together.”
The heat of a blush crept up Hannah’s face. “He’s helped me measure and photograph the paintings, that’s all.”
“Hannah Marie Williams, I do believe you’re a little smitten. Unless you’re only interested in his body, because let’s face it, Brett Forster is one handsome cowboy.”
“I can’t believe you just said that,” Hannah spluttered. “I thought you were happy being single?”
“I am, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a gorgeous male when I see one. So, while you’re wrapping another painting, tell me all you know about Mr. Hot, Sexy and Handsome.”
“Brett has a sister called Mary-Beth. She lives in Bozeman, but might be moving to Vancouver.”
“I take it that’s the reason Vancouver isn’t one of his favorite cities?”
Hannah nodded. “Mary-Beth and Brett are close. Their childhood was as bad as ours.”
“Hmm. What else do you have in common?”
“We both like sitting in front of open fires and eating cheesecake. Brett is quiet, but not shy. He cares about Ida and Pat as if they were his own parents. And he helps other kids who have had a rough start in life.”
Claire smiled. “He sounds like a great person.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Hannah said quickly. “I’ve seen that look before. Whatever you think you know is wrong. Besides, I’m avoiding him at the moment.”
“Why?”
Hannah picked up another painting. Telling Claire why she was keeping away from Brett would only lead to more questions. And questions needed answers—answers she wasn’t ready to think about. “If you want to make yourself useful, you can wrap this painting in tissue paper.”
“You can’t ignore Brett forever.”
Hannah glanced at her sister. “I’m not ready to share my life with someone. There’s so much I want to do.”
“Just because you like someone, it doesn’t mean you have to give up your dreams. Talk to him. He might surprise you.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“Then at least you’ll know how he feels.”
Maybe Claire was right. Some day, she needed to explain why she was afraid of falling in love. “I’ll talk to him when the time is right.”
“Cheer up. It’s not like you’re in a life-and-death situation. Whatever happens, you’ll still have me.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better. Brett doesn’t like talking about how he feels.”
Claire sighed. “I know someone else who has the same problem. I might have to find Brett’s sister and commiserate with her.”
Unfortunately, Hannah had a feeling that Mary-Beth and Claire would get along too well. “Concentrate on wrapping tissue around these paintings. Christmas is only two days away. If we get this done tonight, I might have time to buy some presents.”
“You haven’t finished your Christmas shopping?”
If Hannah wanted to distract her sister, all she had to do was mention the ‘S’ word. Shopping was as important to Claire as breathing.
With a flick of her wrist, Hannah opened another sheet of tissue paper. “I’ve only driven into town once since I’ve been here.”
Claire pushed her hair behind her ears. “Say no more. Before you know it, you’ll be in Bozeman, racing between stores.”
Hannah knew she shouldn’t feel relieved, but she was. Looking for Christmas presents sounded so much better than talking to Brett.
***
Later that night, Hannah stumbled through Pat’s front door. Her shopping bags banged against the doorframe, upsetting the boxes she was carrying. She hugged the presents to her chest, hoping she made it to the living room before she dropped everything.
She’d had a great time in town. After she’d wrapped the paintings that would stay in the attic, she’d followed Claire into Bozeman. Convincing her sister that she didn’t need help with her Christmas shopping had taken more than a few minutes. But in the end, Claire had gone home and Hannah had walked from store to store, enjoying every moment of her shopping extravaganza.
She heard voices coming from somewhere in the house. Thomas and Dave must still be here.
“Do you need a hand?”
She turned around. Brett was standing behind her in the kitchen doorway. “I’m okay at the moment. Everything’s balanced against each other.”
He didn’t move. “Are you sure?”
Hannah changed her grip, hoping the boxes didn’t prove her wrong by tumbling to the ground. “I’m fine.” She stepped toward the living room, aiming for the center of the doorway.
“Careful,” Brett’s hands grabbed hold of her shoulders, turning her slightly to the right. “You nearly hit the hall table.”
She sighed. “Thanks. Can I change my mind and ask for help?”
Brett took the boxes out of her hands. “Did you want all the boxes in the living room?”
She nodded. “I was going to take my shopping home, but Claire will squeeze each gift until she knows exactly what’s inside.”
“These are all for Claire?”
“Some of them.” She followed Brett into the living room and stared at the pine tree beside the fireplace. “I didn’t think Pat was going to have a Christmas tree. It’s lovely.”
Brett placed the parcels on the table. “We still need to finish the decorations, but it’s getting there.”
Thomas and Dave walked into the room carrying two plastic crates.
“We’ve got more decorations, boss,” Thomas said. “Mr. McConachie is bringing the garlands for the fireplace.”
“Did anyone find the lights?”
Pat grinned as he came into the dining room. “I’ve got them, too. Good evening, Hannah.” He looked at the bags in her hands. “Is there anything left in the stores?”
She left her bags on the table and smiled. “Bozeman was busy, but I managed to find one or two things.”
“Ida used to spend a lot of time in town each Christmas.” Pat’s gentle smile brought tears to Hannah’s eyes. “She loved listening to the carols and seeing her friends.”
Thomas took the Christmas tree lights out of Pat’s hand. “My grandma said they’ve had people singing carols at the retirement village each day. Has Mrs. McConachie heard them?”
“She has. Be careful of the lights, Thomas. They’ve been in our family for a long time.”
“Okay, boss.”
Dave placed his crate on the floor. “We should put the lights on the tree before adding any more decorations.”
While Thomas and Dave concentrated on the tree, Brett started hanging the garlands.
Pat moved across to the sound system and turned on some Christmas music.
Hannah smiled. I believe in Santa Claus was one of her favorite songs. As she helped Thomas and Dave with the lights, she hummed along with Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.
“Nice dance moves, Miss W
illiams.” Brett’s deep voice was full of amusement.
Hannah grinned and stopped swaying. “I couldn’t help myself. I love this song.” She sighed when she heard the next carol. “This is one of my favorite Christmas albums.”
Pat nodded to Brett. “I know someone who can two-step his way around a dance floor better than most.”
Brett looked at Hannah.
She grinned back. While she’d been shopping in Bozeman, she’d decided to stop worrying so much. Brett had kissed her and she’d kissed him. It wasn’t as if they’d decided to spend the rest of their lives together. A kiss was a kiss. Even if it did feel incredibly good.
Thomas took the Christmas lights out of her hands. “Show Brett how a real cowgirl dances, Hannah.”
She laughed at the mischievous gleam in his eyes. “I’m not a cowgirl.”
“You could be an honorary cowgirl,” Dave said. “Just for tonight.”
Hannah smiled at Brett. “What do you say, boss?”
The wariness in his gaze disappeared. He smiled and Hannah’s heart pounded.
He held out his hand. “I learned from the best two-stepper this side of the Rockies.”
“Really?” Hannah looked over her shoulder at Pat. “Was he a quick learner?”
Pat’s eyes gleamed. “The quickest I’ve ever met.”
Brett’s hand wrapped around hers. “You wouldn’t be stalling, would you?”
She held onto his waist and smiled. “No, but I am waiting to be impressed.”
The first notes of, I’ll be home with bells on, filled the living room.
Brett looked into her eyes and grinned. “Hold on tight, Miss Williams.”
And before she’d taken another breath, they were two-stepping their way around the room. When the song came to an end, Brett held her even closer and dipped her backward.
Hannah laughed, then bowed when Thomas, Dave, and Pat started clapping. She hadn’t been this happy in a long time.
“Are you impressed?” Brett asked.
When she looked into his eyes, her smile disappeared. Her gaze dropped to his mouth and a deep, dangerous longing rushed through her body.
Brett’s soft groan sent goose bumps skittering along her skin.
His hand tightened on her waist. “We need to talk.”
Talking was the last thing she wanted to do, but if it meant spending time alone with him, she’d spend all night talking.
He held her hand and looked at Pat. “We’re getting the rest of the decorations. We’ll be back soon.”
“Don’t rush,” he said. “I’ll help the boys.”
Hannah took a deep breath. There was only one thing she was worried about—if Pat was helping Thomas and Dave, who would help her?
***
As soon as he closed the living room doors, Brett pulled Hannah into his arms. He needed to kiss her as much as he needed to breathe. In his entire life, he’d never felt this way about anyone, and it terrified him.
When her lips opened under his, he pulled her closer, groaning as her hands tangled in his hair. It was so good to be close to her, to show her what she meant to him. But it wasn’t enough. He needed to find out if Hannah felt the same way or if he was a temporary distraction before she left for Vancouver.
Her mouth left his. If he thought kissing her was crazy, the hot little kisses she left on his neck made him crazier. He wanted to carry her back to his cottage and never let her go.
“Hannah…”
She murmured something against his neck.
He held her hands, gently pulling them away from his chest. “We need to talk.”
She leaned against him and sighed. “Now?”
He wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her one last time before letting go. “Come with me.”
She held his hand as they climbed the stairs.
“Where are we going?”
“To Pat’s office. The rest of the Christmas decorations are there.”
“We really left the living room to get the decorations?”
“Someone needs to get them, so it might as well be us.”
“And our kiss?”
He glanced at her and frowned. “That’s what we need to talk about.”
They walked into Pat’s office. Brett looked at the sturdy wooden desk, the rug that had belonged to Pat’s father. Photographs of the ranch and the McConachie family lined the walls. Mixed up in the haphazard arrangement of images were photos of Stevie and Brett, and a few of Mary-Beth. Everything in this office reminded him of what it meant to be part of a family.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to Hannah. “I want to talk about us. About where we go to from here.”
She looked worried.
Brett took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he wanted to say. “I’ve been thinking about you. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the night we met at Charlie’s Bar and Grill.”
Hannah stared at him with the same serious expression that always confused him.
He tried for the more direct approach. “I like you. A lot. Do you like me?”
“Yes, but—”
“Why does there always have to be a ‘but’?”
“Because nothing is ever straightforward.”
“What can be more straightforward than two people being attracted to each other?”
“Because attraction leads to other things. And before you know it, you’re not the same person any more.”
He was getting even more confused. “Your life always changes when you meet someone you like.”
Hannah crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I don’t want to change. Deciding to move to Bozeman was the best thing Claire and I ever did. When I applied for the residency in Vancouver, it felt just as right. And then I met you, and everything…”
“Changed?”
Hannah nodded. “I don’t know what to do.”
Brett’s heart sank. If Hannah went to Vancouver, the twelve-month program might as well be a lifetime. Neither of them would be the same when she came back. If she came back. She might decide to move somewhere else, follow more of the dreams she’d pushed to one side for everyone else.
He looked through the window at the pitch-black night. “You need to do what’s right for you.”
She rubbed her hand across her forehead. “That’s the problem. I don’t know what’s right for me. I like you, Brett. More than like you. It’s just that I’ve always wanted to be a full-time artist. If I stay here, I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because I need to help Claire. We borrowed money from the bank to start our business. The residency was the only way I could help pay our bills and keep painting.”
“Is there a program closer to Bozeman?”
“None with the same opportunities.”
Brett looked down at Pat’s desk. He could have told Hannah that, before he met her, he never thought he’d fall in love. After watching his parents’ lives fall apart, the only person he had loved was his sister. Then Pat, Ida, and Stevie had become part of his life. He’d grown to love them, to rely on them for more than he thought he needed. Meeting Hannah had opened his heart to even more possibilities. She made him want to believe that there was something more waiting for him. That something good could happen in his life.
But if he told her how he felt, she might stay in Bozeman and never live her dream. He wanted the very best for her and, right now, the very best might not include him.
Hannah looked around the office. “We should find the decorations. Pat will be wondering where we are.”
Brett studied the stubborn tilt of her jaw, the wariness in her gaze. “It’s all right, Hannah. Whatever you decide to do will be okay.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t promise you anything. I don’t know how to make this work for everyone.”
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “It doesn’t have to work for everyone. Your decision needs to work for you.”
She nod
ded and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” She stepped away and wiped her eyes.
With a heavy heart, he walked across the room and opened a cupboard. “You take this box of decorations. I’ll take the other one.” He handed her the smallest of the two boxes.
She looked inside the plastic crate. “There are Christmas toys in here. They’re old.”
Brett left his box on Pat’s desk and walked over to Hannah. The toy train she was holding was one of Stevie’s favorite Christmas decorations. “When Stevie was young, Pat would lay the tracks around the tree. They’d watch the train winding through boxes and any other obstacles they could find. Pat still sets everything up each Christmas.”
“Because it reminds him of his son?”
“I think so. They had a lot of happy times together.”
Hannah gently ran her hand along the metal carriage. “How old were you when you first met Stevie?”
“Fifteen. He was so much like Pat it was scary.” Brett smiled as he remembered the trouble they’d gotten into. “Pat and Ida must have thought Stevie would be a stabilizing influence on me, but it didn’t work out that way. He used to get into trouble and blame me.”
“Did you mind?”
He shook his head. “No. I would have done anything for him. Stevie was like the older brother I always wished I’d had. We had a lot of fun together, especially at Christmas. Pat would take us onto the ranch to find the perfect tree. It was a family tradition.”
“Was that what you were doing this morning?”
“Only for about an hour. It’s the first time Thomas and Dave have found their own Christmas tree.”
Hannah returned the train to the box. “That must have felt good.”
“It did, but it would have been better with Pat. But between his arthritis and not being able to walk through the deep snow, it wouldn’t have been a good idea.”
“Has he said anything about living in the retirement village?”
“Not yet. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he suddenly packs his bags and moves in with Ida.” Brett looked at Hannah and sighed. “We’re as bad as each other.”
“In what way?”
“We both talk in circles instead of dealing with what’s on our minds.”
The Gift (The Protectors Book 6) Page 10