Champagne and Cowboys

by Donna Michaels

  “Hey, there’s a sign.” Spike drew his head in. His cheeks were red, wind burned from keeping watch. He slapped his hands together for warmth. “I think it said Telluride, seven miles.”

  Cole was desperate for a shot of Jack Daniels, a hot shower, and Anna—not necessarily in that order. Right now, he wanted to be home. And it seemed right that when he thought of Anna, he thought of home. “We’re almost to the turnoff, then. Watch for a stop sign. We’ll take a right there and we’ll be on the road to the ranch, it’s not too much further. Let’s hope Stephan has got the road cleared.” He squinted, blinking against weariness. His eyes were sore, and he tried not to let the hypnotizing snow affect him.

  “Hey, I think that’s a stop sign. What do you think?” Spike pointed ahead.

  The truck had anti-lock brakes, but he tapped them carefully to bring the truck to a slower speed in order to make the turn. “Just another mile or so, Sergeant Daniels.”

  Spike rubbed his hands together to generate circulation. “Jesus, I can’t wait to see Eva. “He grinned. “I feel like a damn school boy on his first date.”

  Clay glanced at his co-pilot on this treacherous journey. “Hey, isn’t it bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?”

  Spike grinned. “I believe you’re referring to the old adage that it’s bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding.” He glanced at Cole. “You going to try and stop me?”

  Cole chuckled, easing the truck slowly toward the intersection that dumped them on S-145. His brakes, however, didn’t catch, and as though in slow motion, the truck slid past the stop sign, hitting a patch of ice and doing a one-eighty in the middle of the intersection. Cole released a sigh as the truck came to a stop facing the direction they needed to go. Bonus, there was no oncoming traffic about to hit them. He glanced in the rearview mirror just as the headlights barreled down on them. “Oh, Jesus, hang on,” he yelled just as the snowplow rammed the back of the truck, pushing them forward. Cole could do little else but hang on and try to keep them on the road until the plow could stop. The sickening sound of metal on metal echoed through the cab. Ahead, Cole saw the glow of headlights just before he saw the giant rig coming around the curve ahead. Having no choice, he cranked the wheel, aiming for the ditch, but the plow blade clung to Cole’s tailgate. His eyes darted to the rearview mirror, hoping the guy saw the rig coming toward them. And as though reading his thoughts, the truck jerked to the right, headed straight for a ditch and a small grove of trees. The movement jarred the plow loose, but Cole was unable to regain control of the truck. It bounced down the embankment, rolled once, and landed upside down in the snow. He remembered seeing Spike working at his seat belt and the sound of airbrakes screeching. He prayed it wouldn’t hit them. He needed to see Anna again. Make things right.

  Then his world went black.

  He thought he heard the word concussion. Cole fought through a murky void trying to determine where he was. He pried open one eye, and then slowly the other.

  “There he is.”

  That might have been his mother. Maybe Maria.

  “Spike?” He managed to get out through the cotton-ball feeling in his throat. How long had he been out?

  “Right here, buddy. Thanks to you.” Spike and Eva appeared at the side of the bed. He realized then that he was in his room at the ranch.

  “Spike called and pulled you out, and the guy in the snowplow brought you on to the house. They said you were mumbling gibberish—something about skinny-dipping in the ocean?” His mother stood at the end of the bed, her arms crossed, trying her best to look in control. Cole knew better, and he knew damn well where the skinny-dipping thoughts had come from.

  “Where’s Anna?” he blurted out in a rush of sudden clarity.

  “I’m here, Cole.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, and he grabbed her hand. “We’ve been waiting to see if it was worth the risk of getting back out in this mess to drive you to the Telluride hospital. Thankfully, Doctor Sanders was already here and, with what he carried in his car, was able to access your condition.”

  A man’s hand appeared over Anna’s shoulder. “Good to see you awake, son. I wouldn’t recommend back flips, but I didn’t see anything to make me think there were internal injuries. Might be a good idea to stop in after the storm for a thorough check-up, though. Might just take one more check, if you don’t mind. Excuse me, young lady.”

  Anna made room for the older man to lean down and flash his penlight over Cole’s eyes. While there was a dull ache in his head and he was bone weary, he counted himself damn lucky. He slowly pushed himself to an upright position in bed. It was then that he realized how many people were packed into his room. “Hey, guys, sorry I wasn’t here sooner. What’d I miss?”

  “Not as many guests are here as were invited, but there were enough rooms to accommodate everyone,” his mother said.

  Eva sat down beside him. “And we’ve been waiting to see how you were doing. We can have the ceremony tomorrow. The important thing is that you two are safe.”

  Cole glanced at Spike, then looked at Stephan. “Clergy?”

  “Chief Running Deer is ready to officiate.”

  “I say we do this,” Cole said, glancing at the doctor. “If you think I’m not pushing it.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe stay off the dance floor tonight.”

  “If you all will clear the room. I’ll get myself ready to get this wedding underway.”

  Eva hugged his neck, followed by a handshake from Spike, Stephan, and a kiss on the forehead from Maria.

  “I’ll have a hot toddy waiting for you,” she whispered with a wink.

  His mother stood at his bedside as Anna waited for the procession to leave.

  “Anna?” Cole held out his hand to her. “Can you come here for a minute?”

  He held her hand. “Anna, this is my mom, Jane. Mom, this is Anna.” There, he’d finally gotten the two most important women in his life properly introduced.

  “Oh, darling, Anna and I have spent the entire afternoon together. Had a wonderful chat. She’s great at five card stud. She’s a gem, this one.” She smiled at Anna. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few things to prepare for. Oh.” She stopped at the door. “I left you a little something in your nightstand, sweetheart. Just in case.”

  Anna sat on the edge of the bed and assisted Cole in getting a cap off the aspirin. He sipped from a water glass and searched her eyes. Thank God he had another shot at this. He had no intention of wasting any more time. “Did she break out the baby pictures yet?”

  “No, but she did show me pictures of her wedding in Vegas. That explains why you had to leave so quickly that morning, I suppose.” She regarded him. “But it doesn’t really explain why you never tried to contact me after that.”

  “Did you try to contact me?” he asked. Maybe they were both to blame; maybe neither of them was to blame. “What I mean is, we were young. Your parents wanted things for you. I was taking care of my mom. It may sound stupid, but at the time, I didn’t feel I had anything to offer a girl with a goal of becoming a hotshot Chicago lawyer.” He took her hand, and she sat on the edge of the bed, facing him. “I didn’t believe in love at first sight. Lust, hell, yeah. But love? By the time I joined my mom and new family in Vegas, I’d pretty much decided that it was better this way. A clean break. I figured by the end of spring break, you would’ve met someone else, forgotten all about me.”

  She studied him. “You’re right, that does sound like something a stupid college boy would think.” She sighed. “But given our circumstances back then, I can see why you did.”

  He grinned. “For the record, I’m not the one marrying Eva.”

  “Yes, your mother straightened me out on that one, as well.” She smiled, making Cole’s heart beat a little faster.

  “I think she kind of likes me.”

  “I think I kind of like you, too, Anna.” He drew her closer, meeting her halfway in a soft kiss. This was the
woman he wanted to see every morning for the next ninety or so years of his life. He wanted to shut the door, draw her under the covers, and make the world go away. He nuzzled her beneath her ear, wondering how fast he could get ready, quickly realizing that once he got started with her, he wasn’t going to want to leave her for a good, long while.

  “She offered me a job.” Anna tilted her head, threading her fingers through his hair, encouraging his mouth’s exploration.

  “Really? What kind of job?” God, her skin smelled so sweet. He pulled her onto the bed, determined to remove each article of clothing and leave a kiss in its place.

  “Assistant Manager.”

  He paused and looked down at her. “Of the resort?” He had a mom who, though annoyingly intrusive at times, had a few stellar ideas up her sleeve. He grinned. “That would naturally be the position directly beneath the manager.”

  She pushed him to his back and straddled his legs. “So he’d like to think.”

  Cole pulled her head down, meeting her mouth in a kiss that definitely meant a longer delay for the wedding.

  Anna broke the kiss. “You have a wicked effect on me.” She looked down at him.

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “It’s not enough.”

  The woman wanted more. That was fine—he did, too. He held her face in his hands. “Anna, now that we’ve found each other again, I don’t intend to lose you. Just tell me what you want, and it’s yours.”

  “Your bachelorhood.”

  Exactly what he’d hoped the lady would say. “Then I guess we can agree to the terms of your new employment. On one condition.” He sat up and opened the drawer of the nightstand. There, as he suspected it would be, was the little blue velvet box his mother had been saving for just such an occasion. Cole flipped off the covers and, in his jockey knit briefs, got down on one knee. “We do this right. Tonight. Marry me, Anna. I loved the girl on spring break, and I love the woman she’s become. I don’t want to waste another day without you.”

  “But this isn’t Vegas. We can’t just get married.”

  “You’re right. But I happen to know the city clerk is one of our guests and there is no waiting in this state. God knows we have enough witnesses.”

  “Eva wouldn’t mind? This is her day.”

  “She’ll love it. My mother will cry. It’ll be great.” He studied her. “Do you mind sharing it with others? We can wait. Have our own wedding, if you want.”

  Anna shook her head. “Oh, no. I’ve waited ten years, so many times imagining this very moment. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

  She covered her hand with her mouth as he slid the pear-shaped diamond ring on her finger. “This was my mother’s ring from when she was married to my dad. She wanted me to give it to the woman I wanted to laugh with for the rest of my days.”

  Tears welled in her beautiful eyes. “I-I….” She trailed off, looking at him. “I’ve never had a man propose to me in his underwear.” She laughed through her tears.

  “See, we’re already starting off on the right track,” he answered with a grin and then kissed her.

  “Cole?” His mother’s voice startled them both.

  Anna stood, her hand firmly ensconced in Cole’s as they both looked at her standing in the doorway.

  “Hey, mom,” he grinned. “You’ll be happy to know she said yes.”

  Jane Diamond’s smile appeared nervous rather than jubilant. “That’s wonderful—Cole, there’s something you need to know.”

  Anna glanced at Cole.

  “What is it, mom?” he asked sitting up straighter in the bed.

  A man—older with silvery hair and matching handlebar moustache—appeared in the doorway then. His mother’s face looked ashen.

  “Mom, what is it? Everything is going to work out fine for Spike and Eva. This is a happy day.” He glanced at the man, nervously holding his brown Stetson between his hands. “Are you a friend of my mom’s?” he asked.

  The older man’s mouth lifted to one side and he looked at the floor, seemingly embarrassed. He glanced at Jane, who looked away, then walked over to Cole and held out his hand in greeting. “The name is Sam…Sam Tanner. I’m your father, Cole.”

  The End

  Dear Readers,

  I loved writing Cole and Anna’s story.

  This story encompasses some of my favorite writing plots—holidays, second chances, and cowboys. Here we have two very different people who share a passionate night during a college spring break, and with the help of fate, get a second chance to make things right.

  There is something magical about the holidays. Romance seems to be in its element. Fate prompts us to give a little more, take a few more risks, be kinder, more aware. I hope as this year ends, and the New Year begins, that you will experience this special holiday magic first hand.

  And speaking of second chances…. watch for Sam and Jane’s story coming up in the future as I write more stories from the Last Hope Ranch as well as my new small-town spin off series-END OF THE LINE, featuring the folks of the town you’ve come to know and love through the Kinnison Legacy books!

  Read on to catch a sneak peek at the latest to the End of the Line series—GEORGIA ON MY MIND.

  ~Blessings, cowboy dreams, & remember, kindness matters~

  Amanda

  Georgia On My Mind

  An End of the Line novella

  by

  Amanda McIntyre

  Chapter One

  Justin didn’t feel ten years older. Then again, there were days when, after wrangling more than one hundred students, he felt ninety. But even that didn’t compare to how he felt as he stared at the tiny four-by-six postcard and debated his decision…whether to attend his class reunion in Atlanta.

  Justin sighed. The old desk chair squawked as he leaned back, eyeing the invitation. Answering it had been the single most thought on his mind this past week—that, and the memories of the past he’d been fighting to forget.

  He’d found sanctuary, if only for a few moments, hidden in the tiny office in the boys’ locker room. He was closing in on the end of his third year in the once-booming mining town of End of the Line, Montana, where he taught history and coached the End of the Line Eagles football team.

  He propped the invitation against his Eagle’s coffee mug—a gift from the team on his birthday. He’d meant to answer the R.S.V.P over the past couple of months, but had conveniently found a number of reasons to procrastinate. A phone call from his mom last night had pushed him a little closer to making a decision, one way or another.

  “You get that gray mare settled down?” his mom asked. She was a master at addressing major issues by sliding them through the backdoor of a conversation.

  “We did,” Justin answered. He sat on the porch swing on his small acreage looking at the late spring sunset. It was a view he would never tire of, but one that he longed to share with someone. And not just anyone—someone by the name of Georgia. He brushed away the thought as he’d done a million times that day. “Michael Greyfeather is an amazing man. He seems to have an instinct when it comes to animals. We’re already looking for a forever home for her.”

  “That’s wonderful.” There was a pause. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we all possessed such a skill when it came to each other?”

  Justin chuckled, knowing the reference was pointed to the tense relationship between him and his twin brother, Jake. “I suppose it’d work if you’re dealing with an ass.”

  His mom issued a soft but stern warning. “Justin.”

  He headed off the question he knew was coming next. “And before you ask, no, I haven’t spoken to him.”

  “Who?” she asked.

  “Mom, please. There are few times you call me on a Thursday night. Sundays are your day.”

  “Fine. I had a call from Jake earlier today and he might have asked whether I’d heard from you.”

  “Yeah? Why doesn’t he just call me?” Justin took a sip of his Jack Daniels. It wasn’t someth
ing he often chose at the end of the day, but tonight he needed it. Too many nights had been tormented by images of a dark-haired, green-eyed woman he’d thought was out of his system. Damn his photographic memory.

  “You know, I can tell you that life’s too short.”

  “Yes, Mom, you can and I’d agree. Too short to dwell on the past. Am I right?” Justin frowned as the whiskey slid down his throat in a slow burn.

  “On what you have no power to do anything about, certainly.” His mother rivaled Mr. Spock in the logic department. “But this thing between you and your brother…”

  “Thing?” Justin straightened, leaning forward as though braced for a fight. “He went behind my back—” Justin paused, forcing himself to bottle his anger. “The point is, maybe things didn’t work out between me and Georgia, but Jake—Jake’s never mentioned a thing about what he did, much less apologized.” He understood how this division between her sons hurt his mom. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t want to get into this.”

  “I know, honey.” There was a soft sigh from the other end of the phone. “I don’t think it was done as maliciously as you’ve painted it.”

  Justin pressed his fingers to his forehead, massaging the dull ache that had started. “Jake rarely does anything, Mom, that doesn’t somehow benefit Jake.”

  “In that regard, he’s more like your father just before he died. But understand, Justin, your Dad wasn’t always that way. I think the company rooted itself inside your dad and it finally took him.”

  Justin bit his lip. Georgia had been the one to break things off with him, even before he’d found out what Jake had done.

  “I just don’t want the same thing to happen to your brother. Faith is a sweet girl. But you, Justin, have always been able to get your brother to balance his perspective.”