Christmas with the Rancher

by Mary Leo

  A couple of weeks ago, the deal would have sent her spinning with euphoria.

  But not today.

  What sent a jolt through her, what sent her pulse into the stratosphere, and gave her goose bumps was the thought that Travis Granger might actually have followed her to Chicago.

  That notion sent her heart reeling. She could only hope it was true.

  She’d already changed out of her heels and into the boots she’d bought in Briggs, pulled out her knit hat to slip on her head, and a warm scarf for her neck. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to find her leather gloves in her apartment so her hands had been cold ever since she’d stepped off the plane. Chicago was running well below zero with a wind chill that could freeze your lungs if you stayed outside for more than fifteen minutes, or at least that was how it felt.

  “Yes, Travis Granger, the cowboy with the strange white beard, left a few minutes ago.”

  Bella’s heart beat hard against her chest. She was so excited she could hardly stand still for another second.

  “I can’t believe he’s here. Did he say where he was going?” Bella headed for the bank of elevators right outside the lobby.

  “Not exactly, but he did leave these for you. He said he thought you might need them.”

  Bella couldn’t make out what she was holding at first. Then as she approached the desk, Bella realized the new, absolutely amazing and wonderfully gifted receptionist who deserved a raise and a promotion, was holding exactly what Bella needed more than her next breath.

  “My puppet gloves! He found my puppet gloves! I thought I’d lost them, but he had them all along.”

  Bella glided the gloves on her hands, making sure the little faces were facing the right direction. Then she held up all ten fingers and wiggled them around.

  The receptionist giggled. “They’re different, I’ll say that much for them.”

  “I truly need these gloves. They’re the absolute most perfect gloves I’ve ever worn.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  “Did he tell you where he was going? A hotel? A restaurant? Anything?”

  “He said he was returning himself to Idaho.” She enunciated each word as if she was trying to repeat what Travis had said exactly.

  “You, my dear, are brilliant! Thank you. Take the rest of the day off. Matter of fact, take the rest of the year off. Merry Christmas!”

  “Thank you,” the girl mumbled, but Bella was already out of the lobby.

  She just wanted to find Travis, as quickly as she could.

  * * *

  TRAVIS HAD SPENT most of Christmas Eve day wandering around O’Hare airport waiting to get on a flight home. He’d missed the earlier flight because he had to return to the hotel first to pick up his bag, and by the time he finally arrived at the airport, the flight was just taking off.

  The next one didn’t get him in until almost eight o’clock, and by then he would miss dinner with his family, but at least he’d be home in time to open presents. His mom had always liked to open the adults’ presents on Christmas Eve and the kids would open theirs on Christmas morning. At least that had always been the plan, but it never quite worked once he and his brothers were past the age of believing in Santa. In the end, everyone opened their presents on Christmas Eve and it was now a set Granger tradition, one that Travis was not about to miss.

  Travis plowed through the busy airport to his gate. On the one hand he was happy to be getting out of Chicago, but on the other, he was torn up over leaving Bella behind. He thought they could work something out, meet half way, come to some sort of agreement, but when he’d seen her in her element he knew there was no happy medium. She was all about the city and he was all about the country. It’d be impossible for them to meet in the middle.

  Not now.

  Not ever.

  He somehow knew it right from the start, on that first day when he saw her strutting her city boots up the front stairs of Dream Weaver Inn, but he simply couldn’t accept the reality...a shortcoming on his part, no doubt.

  Now as he leaned against a pillar waiting for his flight to board in the crowded gate area, and stared at the faces of all the people going home for Christmas, he felt about as out of place as a mule surrounded by thoroughbreds.

  As he searched the faces, he couldn’t help but make up little stories in his head about where they were all going and who they were meeting.

  College students trying to make it home in time for Christmas, aunts and uncles eager to see their family, a soldier going home for the first time in months surprising his family and a teenage boy flying across the country to be with his dad or mom on Christmas.

  Everyone flying into love.

  Everyone except Travis who was flying away from his true love, his soul mate, his one and only.

  When he boarded the plane, the sadness he felt in his heart was almost too much. He knew he would never be the same now that Bella was out of his life for good this time.

  The flight home was almost empty, so no one sat next to Travis. He slept for most of it and when he awoke it was time to deplane.

  His brother Colt picked him up at the airport in his SUV.

  “Everybody’s waiting for you before they open their presents,” Colt said once he and Travis were on the road back to Briggs from the airport in Jackson. The weather wasn’t right for flying so this time Colt drove. “I take it things didn’t work out like you hoped they would.”

  “Didn’t even get to talk to her,” Travis said feeling worn out by the entire experience. “Taught me a big lesson though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That childhood-sweetheart stuff is a nice memory, nothing else. I’ve been carrying around a torch for a girl who doesn’t exist. Well, I’m done with all that. It’s time for me to move on.”

  “You might want to wait a spell before you make up your mind on Bella.”

  “Nothing to wait for. She’s citified and there isn’t anything this tired ole cowboy can do to change it. Plus, I learned that me and a big city don’t get along. Not my style. Wait until I tell you about a kid I met who thought his dad kept real live horses under the hood of his Mustang.”

  Colt chuckled. “You can tell me all about it later. Right now we have to stop in town.”

  Travis yawned. “I’m really beat. You mind if we go straight to the ranch?”

  “Can’t. I made a promise to some people.”

  “Fine, but I hope it’s nothing I have to participate in.”

  “You just lie back, little brother, and I’ll wake you when we get there.”

  Travis did just that. He slid down and rested his head on the back of the headrest, covering his face with his hat and immediately drifted off. The last two days had worn out his spirit and sleep was the only solution to get it spruced up again.

  “Come on, Travis, wake up. We’re here,” Colt said from somewhere off in a distance.

  Travis pushed himself up in the seat. “I thought you said you had to stop in town.”

  “We are in town. Now shake off that sleep and get your tired body up and out of the car.”

  When Travis finally looked around Colt had parked in front of Dream Weaver Inn. Travis took one look at the inn and had to shake his head to get the cobwebs out, either that or he was dreaming.

  The place was awash in Christmas. Lights and garland adorned the exterior, and even those dang N-O-E-L letters sat in the front yard. Travis could see his family and friends milling around inside through the windows.

  “What’s going on, big brother? Is this some kind of joke? Am I dreaming?”

  “Let’s go inside and you tell me.”

  Travis followed Colt up the walkway as the sound of Nick’s voice echoed with a verse of “Jingle Bells.”

  “This can’t be happening,
” Travis yelled to Colt, but Colt ignored him and kept crunching through the icy snow to get to the front door.

  When Colt opened the door, everyone stopped what they were doing and yelled, “Merry Christmas!”

  It was all Travis could do to keep his eyes from watering, especially when he spotted Bella in the back of the room, waving those crazy, puppet-gloved hands at him wearing the prettiest little smile he’d ever seen. Janet and the rest of the staff were there along with Dusty and his cute wife, Dora, who wore a grin so big Travis thought her cheeks might hurt. Jaycee, her husband and all her children, including little Georgie, who looked about as happy as a peacock showing off its feathers, surrounded best friend Bella, while baby Bella pulled on her mama’s blue shirt, wanting to be fed, no doubt.

  Milo stood in the back next to his wife, Amanda, and even Harry B. Truman sat on the sofa, a pink scarf around his neck and his little shaggy dog with the pink bows sat curled up on his lap.

  Most of the furniture was back in place and an even bigger decorated tree sat in the corner of the room.

  Nick threw him the biggest grin he’d seen on him in years as Audrey toasted Travis with her eggnog mug. All the kids were yelling and clapping, even tiny Loran was in on the game.

  Travis wanted to burst with joy, but instead he walked right over to Bella, wrapped her in his arms and kissed her with all the force of a hurricane. Her lips felt hot on his mouth as her body melded into his. He kept pulling her in tighter as the chaos of voices mixed with clatter in the room and reached a fever pitch.

  Then he momentarily pulled away. “Is it really you?”

  Tears filled her eyes as she nodded. “Yes.”

  “But what about your job? Chicago? And...”

  “If you would’ve hung around I would have told you I swapped out Audrey’s inn for my dad’s and TransGlobal went for it. As far as my job goes. I quit, or at least I quit working from Chicago. Maggie’s agreed to teach me all about working from a remote site, and my boss thinks it’s a great idea. But right now, I really need to celebrate Christmas with you, my friends and family.”

  Travis grinned, knowing that was exactly what she’d needed all along.

  “It’s time to open presents,” Dodge announced, getting everyone to calm down.

  Travis felt a pull on his coattail. “Yeah, Uncle Travis, you’ve got forever to kiss Bella, but we only get one Christmas Eve a year and it’s fading mighty fast,” Colt’s son, Joey said, looking up at him with those big, innocent eyes.

  “It sure is,” he told Joey, and within moments the room had quieted down, and one by one the pile of presents stacked under and around the newly decorated tree were handed out by Scout, Joey and little Georgie, each now wearing Santa hats.

  “This is the best Christmas ever,” Bella said.

  Travis leaned over and gently brushed her lips with his. “Only because we get to celebrate it together.”

  “Forever,” Bella said, and at once Travis knew she had finally come home to stay.

  Epilogue

  Bella hadn’t been up on a horse in more than fifteen years, and it was about time she tackled her fears.

  “You can do this,” Travis said as he held the horse steady.

  It was a beautiful spring day in the Teton Valley. One of those days when the temperature was perfect, a warm breeze tickled her face, and the entire Granger clan watched from the porch on the main ranch house.

  “You can do it, Aunt Bella,” Joey yelled.

  “Just get on up there,” Buddy encouraged.

  “He won’t bite,” Scout said.

  Bella hadn’t meant for this moment to turn into a family tough-love situation. They’d been getting ready to sit down to their weekly Sunday dinner when Travis had asked her, “So, isn’t it about time we went for a ride?”

  She knew he hadn’t meant in a car.

  She’d thought about tackling her fears each time she visited Helen’s riding school, but for some reason, she’d never screwed up enough courage to actually ride.

  Today, however, all full of herself, she’d boasted how she had no fear of riding if the opportunity presented itself.

  “Got Tater all saddled up for you,” Travis had said. “He’s real gentle.”

  Tater was Helen’s well-trained gelding from her time as a cowboy mounted shooter—a honey-colored Nokota—that Bella had seen Helen ride several times. The animal was like a fine-tuned car that reacted to Helen’s every move. If there was ever a horse that was perfect for Bella’s first ride, it was Tater.

  “You brought over your horse?” Bella had asked Helen.

  “Rode him here this morning,” Helen answered.

  There was no getting out of it this time, so there she was trying to act completely fearless, when her insides were slowly churning.

  Travis said, “Where’s the fight? If you can’t muster up any grit, you’ll have to sit on the porch and wait for me, ’cause I’m going for a ride.”

  He let go of Tater, walked over to a chestnut-colored horse and in less time than it took for Bella to blink he was in the saddle and headed for the trail that ran behind the house.

  Without thinking, Bella held on to the reins, making sure the inside one was shorter. Then she grabbed the horn on the saddle with her forward hand, stuck a booted foot in the stirrup, and in one smooth move, she pulled herself up and swung her other leg over Tater’s rear end. Cautiously she slowly lowered herself in the saddle. After she made sure the stirrups fit her height, which they did, she gave Tater a gentle nudge and just like that, she had conquered her fear.

  Everyone on the porch cheered as she eased Tater into a gentle canter to catch up with Travis. Being horseback after so much time had passed sent a rush of emotion through Bella. The gentle sway of the animal, combined with the open sky, the lush landscape and the breathtaking view of the Teton Mountain Range only made her realize just how blessed she was to once again be living in this beautiful valley.

  So much had happened since Christmas that Bella could hardly believe it was real. There were mornings when she’d wake up next to Travis and have to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

  They’d gotten married in late April at the inn, with the big shindig reception afterward on the Granger ranch. She and Travis lived at his ranch house now, while her dad and Audrey, who were planning their October wedding, lived at the inn.

  Bella helped them out whenever she could, but for the most part, she had decided to take a break from the business world for a while. She wanted to learn how to live at a slower pace, and enjoy the ranch, her hometown, her new family and especially her new husband.

  “You look good in the saddle,” Travis said once she rode up next to him.

  “Did you ever doubt I wouldn’t?” she teased.

  “Nope. Just took a while.”

  “I tend to do things at my own speed.”

  “Fifteen years is a long time to wait.”

  “But I’m so worth it.”

  They kissed, sending a shiver through her body. When Travis kissed her no matter where they were or how quickly the kiss ended, he always managed to excite her.

  He chuckled as he pulled away. “Darlin’, that’s for dang sure.”

  He removed his hat, leaned forward in the saddle, let out a loud yee-ha, and took off like the wind. She wasn’t quite sure she could catch up to him, but from where she had come from, nothing would ever get in her way again.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from LONE STAR CHRISTMAS by Cathy Gillen Thacker

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  Chapter One

  Nash Echols dropped a fresh-cut Christmas tree onto the bed of a flatbed truck. Watched, as a luxuriously outfitted red SUV tore through the late November gloom and slammed to an abrupt stop on the old logging trail.

  “Well, here comes trouble,” he murmured, when the driver door opened and two equally fancy peacock-blue boots hit the running board, then the ground.

  His glance moved upward, taking in every elegant inch of the cowgirl marching toward him. He guessed the sassy spitfire to be in her early thirties, like him. She glared while she moved, her hands clapped over her ears to shut out the concurrent whine of a dozen power saws.

  Nash lifted a leather-gloved hand.

  One by one his crew stopped, until the Texas mountainside was eerily quiet, and only the smell of fresh-cut pine hung in the air. And still the determined woman advanced, chin-length dark brown curls framing her even lovelier face.

  He eased off his hard hat and ear protectors.

  Indignant color highlighting her delicately sculpted cheeks, she stopped just short of him and propped her hands on her slender denim-clad hips. “You’re killing me, using all those chain saws at once!” Her aqua-blue eyes narrowed. “You know that, don’t you?”

  Actually, Nash hadn’t. And given the fact his crew had only been at this a few hours...

  Her chin lifted another notch. “You have to stop!”

  At that, he couldn’t help but laugh. It was one thing for this little lady to pay him an unannounced visit, another for her to try to shut him down. “Says who?” he challenged right back.