A Christmas Homecoming (Bar V5 Ranch)

by Melissa McClone

  “Oh, for a minute I thought it was some eccentric rich person thing.”

  Her long legs appeared from under the tree. Her butt wiggled out. He enjoyed the view so much he would let her eccentric rich person comment slide. The worn-in-all-the-right-places denim gave him an appreciation for Wranglers. One he’d forgotten over the years.

  The apron ties made her backside look like a present tied with a red bow. Whose name would be on the gift tag? Not his. Hooking up with the sister of a dead friend wasn’t on his things to do in Montana list, but he appreciated the cutesy, country scenery.

  As she backed out, her ponytail caught on a branch. “Ouch.”

  He kneeled. “Let me help.”

  If he happened to touch her hair and feel if the strands were as soft as they looked and smelled like vanilla, so what?

  “I’ve got this.” She sounded like she was smiling. “The tree has attacked before.”

  Josiah stood, but stayed close in case she needed help.

  “I’m sure this won’t be the last since I check the water level most days.” Ellie tugged on her ponytail.

  He would have been gentler. “Dry needles must be a mess to pick up.”

  “That’s what overtime is for.” She stood, a plastic pitcher in her right hand. Her bell necklace jingled. “This year, we’re putting artificial trees in guest rooms. The pine needles were everywhere last year. I had nightmares for weeks.”

  Nightmares would ensue if a Christmas tree, artificial or real, ended up in his room. “Save yourself the work. Have guests enjoy this tree and don’t put them in rooms.”

  “It’s Christmas.” She sounded like he’d suggested taking toilet paper out of bathrooms. “Everyone needs a tree.”

  His jaw tensed. No, everyone didn’t. Damn if he’d let this Christmas elf put one in his room.

  “Are you getting settled?” she asked.

  “Trying.” He’d unpacked out of boredom. Feeling settled wasn’t going to happen.

  “If you need anything to make your stay more comfortable, please ask.”

  He could think of a few things. A kiss would be nice. The mistletoe wasn’t that far away. He’d also like to see what curves the apron was hiding underneath. And how her hair might look spread across a pillowcase.

  Sexy images filled his mind. Nothing was going to happen, but this was the most action he’d had in weeks.

  She walked away from him, her hips swaying slightly and her bell ringing. Josiah liked that view, too, though he noticed something in her hair. A piece of pine stuck out of Ellie’s ponytail like Alfalfa’s cowlick from The Little Rascals. Josiah and Buck had watched the old black and white serial a few times.

  Josiah followed her. “You took part of the tree with you.”

  She touched her hair, but missed the spot where the pine was. “Where?”

  “Here.” He pulled out the twig. “I got it.”

  She straightened her ponytail. “If I were dressed for a rustic, country Christmas, this would be the perfect accessory.”

  Sparkly candy canes graced her earlobes. With the red and green colors she wore and the jingle bell around her neck, he half-expected to see pointy ears and shoes that curled at the toes magically appear. “So you don’t always dress like an elf?”

  “From Black Friday until December 25th, I wear Christmas attire.” Amusement lit her eyes. Or maybe that was the reflection from the decorations. “Consider yourself warned.”

  “I’ll take the necessary precautions.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not kidding.”

  “Excuse me.”

  Her lips formed a perfect “O.” Pink, soft lips looked like they were puckering for a mistletoe kiss. “You hate Christmas.”

  It wasn’t a question, and Josiah felt strangely exposed. He rocked back on his heels. “I never said that.”

  “You didn’t have to. But it makes sense now.”

  He didn’t like her know-it-all tone. “What makes sense?”

  “Earlier you said ‘Christmas cookies’ as if they smelled like sulfur and were poisonous.”

  Okay, busted. No sense hiding the obvious.

  “You’re correct. I hate Christmas.” And everything to do with the holiday, including this fifteen-foot tall tree, the personalized stockings, the strands of twinkling lights, the wreaths, other decorations, and the nonstop Christmas carols playing. “It’s my least favorite time of the year, but I’m not a Scrooge or a Grinch who wants to ruin the season for anyone.”

  “What are you?”

  “A CEO.” Albeit an absent one. “Christmas is a difficult time when you’re trying to run a business. Employees want to take extended lunch hours or leave early. Everyone wants the same days off. Implementing a shutdown between Christmas and New Year’s was the only way to make the holiday work for Whit Tech.”

  She placed the pitcher on the table and then lit the candles on the mantel. “That’s...”

  “What?”

  Ellie straightened one of the candles. “Maybe if you embraced the holiday, focused on the positives and the meaning behind Christmas, you’d feel differently.”

  “I like some parts.” Her lips looked as tasty as the cookies she’d delivered. He looked up at the green bunches hanging from the ceiling. Too bad none were closer. “Mistletoe has a function.”

  She gave him an are-you-kidding look. “You can’t pick and choose Christmas. You’re either all-in or you’re out.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Well, if not, it should be the case.”

  Passion filled her voice and lit her eyes. A definite turn-on, even if she acted this way over something he hated. He sat on one of the leather couches. “Why is that?”

  “There’s a deeper meaning to the holiday. The traditions, customs, and other things we do to celebrate add up to make a whole Christmas.”

  “So the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”

  “That sounds like math.”

  “Aristotle.”

  “Smart guy, and the answer’s yes.”

  She was too tall to be one of Santa’s elves, but her love of the holiday radiated from her. The only thing he felt that way about was Whit Tech. “Then I’m out.”

  “Just like that?”

  “I haven’t liked Christmas for a while.” Josiah leaned back against the couch. Maybe she’d take the hint and sit next to him.

  “That’s because you haven’t had a Montana Christmas in so long.” She patted the top of his hand. Her fingers were rougher than he expected, but her skin was warm. “Now that you’re back, this year will be different. You’ll see.”

  “See what?”

  She smiled bright like the multicolored tree lights. “How wonderful the holiday can be.”

  Josiah nearly laughed, but he realized she was serious. Her optimism was cute, though misguided. “Not sure that’ll happen. Being here might send me completely over the edge when it comes to Christmas. This room with all the holiday decorations is my worst nightmare.”

  “The great room is Christmas at its finest.” She tapped the rope strung across the front of the fireplace. “These personalized stockings are a Bar V5 tradition started by Nate’s parents. They’re hung in the order of who’s been at the ranch the longest.”

  Josiah studied the names on the stockings. “Why is Ty’s first, not Nate’s?”

  “They’re co-owners of the Bar V5.”

  “Nate grew up here.”

  “Yes, but Ty was hired after Nate moved to California. If not for Ty when Nate’s dad got ill, there wouldn’t be a Bar V5. Rachel is also Ty’s younger sister. He’s the reason Nate met her, so he said Ty deserved the first spot.”

  “All in the family.”

  She nodded. “Marietta is like that.”

  Josiah had tried to forget most everything about his hometown and wanted to keep it that way. “I’m in the last spot because I just arrived.”

  “Yes, but when new guests check in you’ll move up. Excitin
g, huh?”

  Her sarcasm was unexpected. He liked seeing a side of her that wasn’t all sunshine and sweet treats. “You have no idea.”

  She laughed. “How about we find you a quiet place to relax that’s not so Christmassy?”

  “You read my mind.”

  “No, your face.” Smiling, Ellie picked up the pitcher. “Follow me.”

  He did, until he stood in front of two wood double doors. “What’s this?”

  “The Bar V5’s study,” she said. “Thanks to soundproofing and shelves of books, this is the quietest room at the ranch. You’ll find a few decorations, but nothing too nightmarish.”

  She opened the doors to a warm and welcoming room with exposed wood beams on the ceiling and bookcases lining three of the walls. Wildlife photographs sat on shelves and hung on the fourth wall. Several pieces of lodge pole pine furniture filled the center of the room—tables and chairs, sofa, a coffee table covered with a half-completed jigsaw puzzle, a chair and ottoman, and...a desk with a computer and printer on top.

  Hello there.

  His heart sang. Well, if a heart could sing. His fingers itched to touch the keyboard. This was as close to heaven as he was likely to find at the Bar V5.

  Next to the desk stood a life-sized wooden carved bear. Easy enough to ignore. A small nativity sat on a bookcase shelf. A medium-sized Christmas tree decorated with white lights and a gingham red ribbon garland was tucked into a corner. “I can live with these decorations.”

  “That’s a step in the right direction.”

  “More like relief finding a place that hasn’t been decked to the nth-degree.” And had a computer. The desktop beckoned like the Holy Grail. Drooling would be bad form. He forced himself not to stare. “This is where I’ll be spending most of my time.”

  “For now.” She shelved a book. “Once you’re feeling better, you’ll want to do more around the ranch and in town.”

  A weight pressed down on his shoulders. “Nate told you I was sick?”

  “Your illness was reported in the Copper Mountain Courier and trended on Facebook.”

  No wonder the board was freaking out. “The press likely exaggerated my demise.”

  “No doubt,” she agreed. “The reports sounded like you were playing ding-dong ditch with death. Glad you never came face-to-face with the grim reaper.”

  Ding-dong ditch. Classic. Josiah pictured himself playing a game with death. Laughter built inside him, burst out.

  She touched his back. Her hand felt warm though his shirt fabric separated her skin from his. “Need help?”

  “No.” He wiped the corners of his eyes. “I needed to laugh. It’s been a while. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. I think.”

  “Everything’s fine.” Great, actually. “I may not be into Christmas, but you bringing me here is the best gift I could have received. Thanks.”

  She beamed. “We aim to please.”

  So far Ellie had. Maybe this wouldn’t be the worst Christmas on record. Toss in some mistletoe and WiFi, and he might survive December at the Bar V5.

  Chapter Three

  In the kitchen, Ellie transferred the brisket to a large serving platter. The tender slices fell apart. The smell tantalized her taste buds. She hoped Josiah reacted the same way. Protein would be good for him. His face looked paler this evening, though seeing the study’s computer had made him smile.

  Rachel checked the greens steaming on the stove. “How does the brisket look?”

  “You outdid yourself again.” Ellie added more slices to the platter. “The boys are going to love this.”

  “Eli and Dustin would be happy with burgers and potato chips.” Rachel turned the dial to the off position. “Zack, however, is becoming a foodie so he’ll appreciate the effort.”

  The three men worked as full-time wranglers at the Bar V5. They devoured meals, whether Rachel or the ranch’s new chef, Britt, was cooking.

  “Now Josiah...” Rachel pushed up the sleeves of her lavender maternity shirt. “I keep worrying he’s gone vegan, but didn’t tell anyone.”

  Her voice trembled slightly as if nervous, a way she’d never sounded, not even when a famous food critic dropped by unannounced for a night.

  “Josiah loved your cookies. Said they were amazing. And those aren’t vegan.” Ellie understood Rachel’s concern. A recommendation from someone like Josiah could bring another level of cachet to the Bar V5. A criticism would bring the opposite. “He’ll love dinner.”

  Nate walked in, kissed his wife’s cheek, and touched her round stomach. “Who’s loving what?”

  “Josiah is going to love Rachel’s dinner,” Ellie said.

  “That’s right, but if he doesn’t pour on the praise don’t take it personally.” Nate eyed the brisket like a man who hadn’t eaten for a week, though she’d seen him going back for seconds at lunch. “Josiah needs time to adjust.”

  Rachel wiped her hands on a towel. “I’ll try to remember that.”

  “Josiah seems to be adjusting.” His eyes had filled with kid-in-a-candy-store excitement when he walked into the study. His fingers had wiggled as if in anticipation of typing on the keyboard. Josiah Whittaker may have gone from geek to gorgeous, but once a nerd, always a nerd. “He loved seeing the computer in the study.”

  Nate took a small piece of brisket. “Figured he would.”

  Ellie rinsed off the pots in the sink. “Any rules about him using it?”

  “The WiFi is password protected. Not much he can do until I give him that,” Nate said.

  “Will you give Josiah the password?” Rachel asked.

  “Eventually.” Nate reached for more brisket, but Rachel shooed him away. “Otherwise, it’s going to be a hellish month that we’ll want to speed by.”

  “I’d prefer December to be molasses slow.” Rachel used her forearm to brush a strand of blonde hair from her face. “I have so much work to do on the nursery. And then there’s the bakery. I need to get Jen and Britt up to speed and hire someone else to work when Britt needs to cook here.”

  “We have three months.” Nate’s voice was calm and patient. “Plenty of time to do everything.”

  “Three months.” Rachel added tongs to the salad bowl. “I’ll be as big as the old, red barn by then.”

  “And more beautiful than the first time I saw you standing in this kitchen wearing mismatched socks and baking gingerbread.”

  Nate and Rachel’s love-filled glances made Ellie ache with longing. She’d taken a break from dating, a combo of needing her heart to heal and learning to trust her instincts about the opposite sex. But now she wanted someone special in her life. Someone special to share a glance with. Someone special to kiss under the mistletoe.

  Mistletoe has a function.

  Maybe she’d been too quick making Josiah decide if he was all-in for Christmas or not. A mistletoe kiss wasn’t a big deal.

  “The kitchen needs mistletoe,” Ellie said.

  Rachel nodded. “Good idea.”

  “Have someone you want to kiss, Ellie?” Nate asked.

  Josiah. A simple kiss, a quick peck or a brush on the lips wouldn’t be bad, even if he were a guest.

  On second thought... “No. The mistletoe would be for you two.”

  “Add that to your honey-do list please, Nate.” Rachel checked the corn casserole in the oven. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

  “Are you joining us tonight?” Nate asked Ellie.

  She was tempted, until she visualized her to-do list. “I wish, but I’m volunteering at the hospital tomorrow afternoon and have to get everything ready.”

  Nate’s brows furrowed. “You need to eat.”

  “Stop playing big brother. That’s Ty’s job around here,” Rachel said to Nate. “Ellie will make herself a plate when she’s hungry.”

  He held up his hands. “I know when to surrender.”

  “Smart man.” Rachel removed a pan from the oven. “That’s why I married you.”

  “I thought it was
my good looks.” He gave his wife a quick kiss.

  “I’ll take the brisket to the dining room.” The couple’s banter helped Ellie see what was possible in a long-term relationship. Hers had been short-lived, sometimes her fault, other times not.

  She headed out of the kitchen, carrying the platter of beef.

  Nate followed with the salad bowl. “What time are you heading to the hospital tomorrow?”

  “Around one-thirty.”

  “Josiah has appointments with Dr. Gallagher and a physical therapist at the medical center,” Nate said. “Ty or Meg can handle the pickup, but everyone is busy before that. Can Josiah ride to town with you?”

  “Sure, that’s fine.” Ellie’s stomach knotted. She’d learned from an early age not to ask her brother if he was tired or feeling well. She hadn’t asked Josiah any of those questions earlier. Maybe she should have. “Is he...okay?”

  “Yes, but his doctor back home wants a local physician to track his recovery and have him do physical therapy while he’s here.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.”

  “We might think so, but Josiah will disagree. For such an intelligent man, he sure can be stubborn.”

  She grinned. “There’s a pot and kettle analogy that could be applied here, but since you’re my boss, and a good one, I won’t.”

  Nate laughed. “You’ve been working hard. Be sure you have a little fun tonight.”

  “I will.” Ellie enjoyed spending time with her bunkmates—Siena and Britt. The other housekeeper, Lyne, preferred living at home. “We girls are going to watch a Christmas movie while we string a popcorn and cranberry garland.”

  “Is the garland for Meg?” Nate asked.

  Ty’s wife ran guest services and loved decorating the ranch for the holidays. “Of course.”

  Nate set the bowl on the large table set for nine. “The number of decorations has doubled from last year, but Meg knows what she’s doing. We’re getting calls from the press and others who want to come out. Meg’s organizing horse barn tours and sleigh rides along with refreshment options.”

  “The stall wreaths are better than last year’s.” Spending the holidays at the Bar V5 was a dream come true for Ellie. No one pushed aside Christmas or put off celebrating until there was a better time. That had happened when she was growing up. “And the ranch looks like a winter wonderland.”