Shrugging, he said, “A pair of really nice spurs. Funny, because my horse really is my true love at this point.” He laughed, clearly amused by the whole Christmas scavenger hunt scenario. “What are you going to do about the gown?”
“Give it back.” She frowned. “Why would I need it? Even if it felt like it was made just for me.” She went back to fixing the gifts for her folks, but a moment later looked over at Gage again. “You’re right. I would never have gone gaga over a wedding gown before.”
“You would have run from it.” Gage nodded. “Something happened to you. Like, about six foot four or so of something.”
Making love with Johnny seemed to have changed her in some way she hadn’t been expecting. But then the louse hadn’t bothered to show up—which convinced her that she’d have been better off spending her Christmas planning Raj’s next show. “Drat him,” she muttered. “I bet that darn Wendy’s gone over to Rancho Diablo for Christmas dinner.”
“No.” Gage shook his head. “Don’t let yourself drive a wedge between the two of you. Something came up. Didn’t you say he was a committed marriage-phobe?”
She nodded. “Just like me.”
“He’s probably gotten a little nervous. What guy wouldn’t be after he’s kissed a beautiful girl?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “How long do male nerves last?”
“Could be days.” He shrugged. “How would I know? I’ve never spent the night with a beautiful woman.”
She laughed. “Whatever.”
“Okay, so I have.” He shrugged again.
“So then what? What happened after you did?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“What do you mean, nothing?” She looked at her cousin with annoyance. “Something had to have happened.”
“What should happen?”
“Gage, you dope. I can’t believe you…I mean, are you saying you never called a girl back after you made love to her?” Jess was surprised.
“What would have been the point? I’m rarely in the same place two nights in a row.”
Jess slowly returned to decorating her gifts. “Johnny’s not going anywhere, though.”
“So he’ll come around. Like he said, the roads are bad. And all his family is over there.”
But I want to be part of his family, too.
“Oh, no,” Jess murmured, and Gage said, “What?”
“You’re right. I think I’ve fallen for that big man from Wyoming.”
“Of course you have,” her cousin said. “You wouldn’t have been with him if you hadn’t. Beer?” He got up to get a bottle of brew from her kitchen, as if they were talking about anything normal—but Jess stayed frozen in place, staring at the silvery ornaments on her tree.
WHAT DISTRESSED JESS the most was that she thought she heard the wedding dress calling her. It was dumb, really. Dresses didn’t call people, didn’t lure them. A wedding gown was a wedding gown, and this one was no more special than any other.
After Gage and her parents left, she went into her room and got the dress out again. It was so beautiful, but she was pretty certain the beauty was a trap. It was like Jackie and Darla. They’d gone into business as wedding shop owners, and the next thing they knew—zap!—they were married.
“If you stand around and let yourself be tempted, you’re going to fall,” Jess muttered, zipping the dress back into the bag. “I never wanted to be married before I met Johnny, and I don’t know what’s come over me now, other than Christmas sentimentality.”
She didn’t care if it was Christmas evening. The Callahans would be done with Mass and family dinner and present opening. From what Fiona had said, it seemed as if she needed the dress back, to give to its rightful owner.
“Therefore, there is no reason to let it molder in my closet.” Jess carried it to her truck, laying it carefully across the seat. After checking on Raj to make certain he was resting comfortably and not bothering the bandage the vet had applied, she got in her truck and drove toward the Callahans.
She wasn’t going because she hoped she’d see Johnny. In fact, far from it. The reason she was heading there now was because she knew it was chore time, the last round at nightfall before the men went to their families or bunks or whatever. She was going to hang the wedding dress on the front door so Fiona could see it first thing, and give it to the proper recipient.
“And then I won’t have to know you’re in my closet,” Jess told the dress, “because I’m pretty certain you’re singing to me. Since dresses don’t sing, and you’re not the magic wedding dress, I can only assume I’m going mad. So back you go, and best wishes to your next owner.”
Pulling in at the Callahans, she switched off the engine. She got out of the truck and crept to the door, hanging the gown in its garment bag from a light on the porch, where it was absolutely safe.
Then she got back in her truck and drove away, completely aware that the roads weren’t bad at all, despite what Johnny Donovan had claimed.
“HOLY CHRISTMAS!” Fiona exclaimed when she opened the door. “I thought I heard someone on the porch. For a second, I thought this was a ghost,” she told the Callahans assembled in the living room. “Scared two years off of me, probably.”
Rafe glanced at the garment bag. “That would look like a ghost in the dark.” He shuddered at the sight of the wedding gown through the clear plastic. “You shouldn’t go to the door at night, Fiona. Let us do it.”
“Oh, faugh,” Fiona said impatiently. “I’m not old and feeble.” She gazed at the dress with a sad expression. “Johnny, you won’t have to get this from Jess, after all.”
He perked up. “Is that Jess’s dress?”
“Mmm.” Fiona hung it in the hall closet. “Or was.”
“Guess she didn’t have any trouble returning it,” Johnny said, somewhat surprised that Jess hadn’t asked to see him. “I thought you said she might not want to give it up.”
“Seems like I worried for nothing.” Fiona gave him a bright look. “You never know about women and their taste in wedding gowns.”
Johnny blinked. Jess had come to Rancho Diablo, as he’d hoped she would—only she hadn’t so much as waved at him. This was worse than he’d thought.
“Uh, something wrong, Johnny?” Sam asked.
“No.” He shook his head.
“Strange that she wouldn’t pop in,” Fiona said, passing around a tray of Christmas cookies.
“It is Christmas evening,” Aberdeen said. She glanced fondly at all the toddlers playing on the carpet at their parents’ feet. “Maybe she felt she’d be imposing.”
Johnny thought that was likely. At least he hoped so.
“And she probably didn’t want to spend too much time away from Raj,” Jonas said.
“True,” Jackie said. “I’m sure she’d have loved to see you, Johnny, except that it’s late, and she’s always in bed early.”
Belatedly, he realized everyone was trying to comfort him. Which meant they felt as if something had gone wrong between him and Jess. Even worse, their kind solicitations probably meant Jess was acting out of her normal routine, which spelled trouble for him.
“Jess has always been an independent lass,” Rafe said, and Johnny jumped to his feet.
“It’s all right,” he said to everyone in the room. “Jess and I don’t have any kind of special relationship. There’s nothing going on between us.”
They all stared at him. He sat down again.
“Darn,” Sam said, “that’s too bad.”
And then they all went on talking as if he hadn’t just made a first-class fool of himself. Johnny sank back in his chair. If Jess had wanted to see him, she would have called before she’d dropped the dress off.
So she didn’t want to see him.
And he was trying to give her space, so if there ever was something between them, it would be natural and real, and not forged by busybodies—no matter how well-intentioned his new family and friends were.
As if Jess was
the type to be sentimental over a gown. He stared into the fireplace, then pulled one of his nieces into his lap for comfort. “No woman just casually hangs a wedding gown on a porch,” he muttered, and when the room went silent, he realized he’d spoken his thoughts aloud.
His sisters stared at him.
“Johnny, are you all right?” Aberdeen asked.
“Is there something you want to talk about?” Diane added. “Sidney can watch the girls, and we can take a walk or something.”
“No, I’m fine. Thanks.” He clung to the toddler in his arms a little more tightly. The thing was, he was nervous. Real nervous. He and Aberdeen and Diane had grown up with parents who had basically ignored them. They’d been their own family. Now their relationship with their parents was much better—in fact, Rafe was flying up next week to bring them back for a short visit, which he did frequently, saying it was a great excuse to practice his piloting—but still, those years of raising themselves had made all of them very independent. And Johnny had never wanted his own family.
He preferred to live here, enjoying his sisters’ kids. But maybe that wasn’t all life was about.
“How about some brandy?” Fiona asked, jumping to her feet. “A Christmas toddy?”
Everyone said they’d love one, except Aberdeen, who went to hug her brother. Diane came over to pat his knee.
“If you like Jess, then don’t sit there so unhappy,” Aberdeen told him.
“The fact that she dropped off some silly wedding dress doesn’t mean a thing,” Diane said. “When Sidney and I got married, we just did a whirlwind thing. Wedding gowns were the last thing on my mind.”
“I know,” Johnny said, enjoying their coddling. He could use the sisterly advice. “The thing is, I want her to be happy about it, and she always said she was a hard-baked bachelorette.”
“Like you?” Aberdeen asked. “Hard-baked bachelor?”
“Yeah, but what woman doesn’t want to be married?” he asked. “Wendy throws herself at me. I know she likes me.”
“Wendy doesn’t like you,” Diane said. “Trust me, I know a little something about ladies like that. She would break your heart.”
“I don’t mean I like Wendy, because I certainly don’t.” Johnny suppressed a shiver. “What I mean is that when a woman likes a man, she usually sends out signals.”
“Like a homing pigeon? Smoke signals?” Aberdeen hugged him again. “Who would have ever thought my big bear of a brother would have such a faint heart?”
“I did,” Johnny said. “I’ve been standing behind a bar for years observing my patrons. I knew love was a rocky road. I knew I didn’t want to be like those poor slobbering schmucks.”
“Like me,” Creed said happily. “Slobbering all over your bar. And yet I was falling for Aberdeen like a rock over a cliff. I’m still falling for you, my turtle-dove.” He kissed her and handed her a cup of mulled cider.
Aberdeen smiled at Johnny as Creed wandered off to watch the little girls around the Christmas tree. “If we can figure out love, you certainly can, big brother.”
“Yes,” Diane said, “if Sidney and I managed, it should be a snap for you. Because you’re my brother who could always do everything.”
The three of them hugged each other, remembering the hard years, celebrating the bonds that had only grown closer despite the hardships.
“Anyway,” Aberdeen said, “what does it hurt to go talk to Jess? Wish her a Merry Christmas?”
“I didn’t want to rush her,” Johnny said. “We’ve been moving pretty fast as it is. I want her to want it.”
Aberdeen whispered, “How could she not want my big brother? Jess is far too practical to let the best guy in the world go.”
The Callahans were ignoring the three Donovans, who stayed locked together, but Johnny knew their antennae had to be quivering. “Fiona,” he said gruffly, and Fiona quickly said, “Yes, Johnny?”
“I was wondering if you would sell me that wedding gown.”
She blinked. “Sell it to you?”
He nodded. “I think I know a lady who really took a shine to it. And I don’t have a Christmas present for her.”
Fiona beamed. “I can’t sell it to you, because it’s not mine to give. It can only be borrowed. But I can let you have the necklace I meant for Jess to have—”
He shook his head. “I think her heart is set on the dress.”
Diane gave him a big hug. “Johnny, you are the best brother a girl could have.”
“Hey!” Sam said, overhearing as he walked by their group. “Oh, wait, never mind. We don’t have any sisters, so there’s no need to debate that statement. Carry on.”
“You see what you get here at Rancho Diablo?” Fiona said with a big smile. “Lots of interference.”
“It’s okay,” Johnny said. “In fact, it’s great.”
“Here’s the dress,” she added. “Remember, it’s not a gift, just a little loan of magic.”
He nodded. “Thanks, Fiona.”
She smiled and patted his arm. Aberdeen said, “Good luck, Johnny.”
“This is the best Christmas ever because all our dreams have come true this year,” Diane said. And suddenly, Johnny knew the magic of Christmas had stolen his heart and given it to one very special woman.
“Merry Christmas, all,” he said to the room at large as he left, and the Callahans called back, “Merry Christmas, Johnny! May the mistletoe be with you!”
The Callahans were the greatest bunch he’d ever met, and they were also the most loving, and if he had his way tonight, he was going to fall in with their plan, the plan they’d had all along.
Which had turned out to be a great big dose of Christmas magic.
JESS DIDN’T WANT TO turn off the Christmas tree lights. She hadn’t thought she’d be spending this night alone, but it was like any other Christmas, so why had she thought it might be different?
She was just a little down, and it wasn’t because she’d had to give up the beautiful gown. There was always another dress, she told herself, even if that one had seemed made for her. It was that she had no groom—and without the groom, the gown was a big fat zero. Useless.
She was afraid she very much wanted the groom. To be precise, she wanted Johnny Donovan.
She wasn’t like Wendy, who knew how to go after what she wanted—who she wanted. She was a little shy and not skilled with flirting, and Johnny was much more than she’d ever imagined. It was like thinking you might wind up with the nerd in your class, only to find out you’d fallen for the prince who had everything, and still wanted only you.
It had all been too good to be true.
Jess thought she heard bells ringing, then dismissed that possibility. “Past time to check on Raj and go to bed, if I’m hearing bells.”
Then she realized she actually was hearing bells—sleigh bells, jingling on her front porch. Since she’d never had sleigh bells ringing at her door, she went to get a can of Mace.
One could never be too certain. Santa had done all his deliveries the night before, so the fact that it was very late on Christmas Day made her a little uneasy.
“Who is it?” she demanded.
“Santa,” said a man’s voice—and then she realized it was Johnny.
She jerked the door open.
“Merry Christmas,” he said. “Is that for me?”
She glanced down at the Mace can in her hand. “Not exactly,” she said. “Sorry about that. Merry Christmas to you, too.”
He came inside. “I meant to stop by and make you pancakes this morning, and I got cold feet.”
She nodded, gazing at him. He looked so big and strong and handsome, not like a man with cold feet at all, and she didn’t care, as long as he came inside and stayed with her. “I wasn’t hungry, anyway.”
“Then I thought,” Johnny said, “I’d wait for you to come by, make sure that you were okay with what was going on with us. But then I realized, after you dropped the wedding gown off, that maybe you didn’t want to se
e me.”
“Oh,” Jess said, a little breathlessly, “I thought you might not want to see me.”
Johnny nodded. “But I did.”
She looked at him for a long minute, then jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. He laughed out loud, and she kissed him to make him stop.
“I’m not good at this,” she said. “You’ll have to teach me how to be a good girlfriend.”
“Nah,” Johnny said, “I’m pretty sure you’ll do just fine, especially if you keep kissing me like this.”
She smiled, a little shyly. “I’m so glad you came over. But I don’t have a Christmas present for you.”
“Oh, yes, you do,” Johnny said, giving her a long kiss full of meaning, and Jess laughed, delighted, as her man from Wyoming carried her to bed.
THREE HOURS LATER, Jess woke in Johnny’s arms. She propped herself on an elbow to smile down at him.
“That was different,” she said. “Much better than last time.”
He smiled at her. “You’re a great teacher.”
“I think I’ve become the student.” Jess kissed him. “Do you know it’s Christmas for another hour?”
He nibbled at her fingertips, lightly kissing them. “And do you know I’m not waiting till midnight to tell you that I love you?”
She drew in a breath. “That’s funny, Mr. Donovan, because I happen to love you, as well. I guess you could say I fell in love with a caveman, huh?”
He caressed her bottom, drawing a squeal from her as she shifted on top of him, straddling him.
“I knew you were the one when you pulled off your blouse to dry off Raj,” Johnny said. “Naked, you will get me every time.” He tweaked her bottom, his face lit with mischief.
“Maybe if you’re very nice, Santa,” she whispered against his lips, “I’ll see if I can find something else in my Christmas stocking for you.”
“Speaking of stockings,” Johnny said, “I have something for you.”
“I know…” she moved on top of him with sexy intent “…and I thank you very much.”
Heck, when she put it like that, Johnny thought, there was nothing a man could do but please the lady. Holding Jess was just about the best thing on earth, as far as he was concerned, and making her Christmas as merry as possible was all any red-blooded Santa should do.
Holiday in a Stetson: The Sheriff Who Found ChristmasA Rancho Diablo Christmas Page 15