She grinned to herself as she tried to imagine Cole’s expression when she’d tell him that she was coming back to Lulu once and for all.
But then a flicker of doubt shot through her, threatening to mar this joyous feeling. It wasn’t like they’d ever talked about having a long-term commitment. They’d always known it wouldn’t last, and maybe that had been part of the appeal.
She bit her lip and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. She was being ridiculous and she knew it. Cole loved her… well, he hadn’t said the words but she had to believe that he felt the same way about her as she felt for him.
That was the only possibility. What she felt wasn’t infatuation and it wasn’t some mere crush.
This was love. She’d never felt it before but that made her no less positive. If anything, it made her even more certain. This was the kind of all-consuming passion and perfect rightness she’d only dreamt of.
Now she just had to make him see that, if he didn’t already. She looked up at the ceiling again, this time casting her sights a bit higher as she said a silent prayer for help. If he hadn’t figured it out yet on his own, then she’d need all the help she could get convincing him to give them a shot for the long haul.
* * *
In the end, she decided to make it a surprise. She talked to James about finding her replacement—there was no shortage of up-and-coming dancers eager for the opportunity to hob knob at the academy so there was no problem there. In no time, it seemed, she’d packed back up her meager belongings and was on her way back to Montana.
She got a flight to Salt Lake City but everything going in and out of Bozeman was booked. Of course they were, the holidays were fast approaching and she was among many who wanted to make it home in time for Christmas Eve.
She couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to spend the holidays than with the man of her dreams, embarking on their new life together. But that meant getting there, which meant relying on luck, prayers, and the kindness of her fellow man. Which, at airports during the holidays, was asking a bit much on all counts. But she was determined. She finally knew what she wanted to do with the rest of her life and there was no time to dally.
If there was one thing everyone knew about Claire it was that she was determined. And she’d never in her life been more determined than she was right at this moment. Her need to see Cole was a physical ache. She missed him more than she could say, and his absence felt like a physical hole. A gaping, open, jarring pit in her life where there once had been hope and faith and love.
Her prayers must have worked because the travel day went smoother than she could have hoped. After a brief layover in Salt Lake City, she’d managed to talk her way onto a charter flight that had been booked to head to Snowbank, the little town near Lulu where ski tourists with a lot of money flew in and out.
She made a mental note to tell her mother how much she finally appreciated tourists. Without them, she might never have gone home. She grinned to herself as she watched the rich ski bunnies and their dashing, well-dressed escorts.
Maybe she should drop a hint that they should stop by The Flaming Hog on their way to their fancy schmancy ski resorts. Ooh. Or she could talk to them about the Twilight Guest Ranch, maybe drop a few hints about how it’s the new, up-and-coming getaway destination for those in the know. She sat up straight and smoothed her hair back so she didn’t look as crazy as she felt.
And she did feel crazy. For a woman who’d lived her entire life following plans and adhering to rules, setting goals and meeting them, flying back on a whim like this felt like the craziest thing she’d ever done.
And maybe it was. Excitement was matched by nerves the closer she got to Lulu. She had to trust that Cole loved her like she loved him, with every inch of her soul. But what if he wasn’t ready for the kind of commitment she needed? He’d been open and honest about the fact that this whole commitment thing was new for him. What if her coming back pushed him or pressured him in some way? What if she drove him away?
But that was fear talking, not faith.
And she’d meant everything she’d said to Cole when they’d talked openly in the barn about her fears regarding him. She didn’t doubt his ability to be there for those he loved. He was a good man, a solid man. A strong man.
He had more love and joy in his heart than anyone she knew.
She clung to that knowledge as fear threatened to swamp her. He deserved her faith and she’d give it to him, even if she had to fight past her own old baggage and the fears that came with it.
She eyed a pretty brunette with a perfect blowout who’d sat across the aisle, clearly waiting for friends to join her.
Claire plastered on her friendliest smile and leaned over. “Excuse me, can I ask where you’re heading?”
By the time they touched down at the tiny Snowbank airport, Claire was fairly certain she’d made converts of her new friends. The hour and half flight had been spent making small talk about resorts in Montana—they’d been all too happy to chat with a local who had the inside scoop. A common refrain from the group seemed to be how overcrowded the resorts had become and how touristy the market.
Which was funny, she noted, coming from tourists, but their complaints were exactly what she needed to pitch the guest ranch. And pitch it she did. By the time they all disembarked, she was feeling quite proud of herself.
She couldn’t wait to tell Alice about her progress. And who knew? If her new job as a local dance teacher didn’t pan out, maybe she could go into sales or something.
She was still grinning at the thought when she followed the tourists across the windy, snowy tarmac and into the tiny airport waiting area.
“What do you mean they canceled the flight?”
Her heart stopped as a familiar voice hit her ears, making her freeze in place as the tourists filtered around her to get their luggage that was being hauled inside.
Her mouth opened as she struggled for air. It couldn’t be. Clearly she was so excited to see Cole that she was starting to hear his voice now.
“Come on, Bridgette, help a guy out here.”
She let out a silent laugh of disbelief. She couldn’t see him through the crowd of people but that was him, she’d know that voice anywhere and he was laying the charm on thick. Heaven help this Bridgette woman, whoever she may be.
Without pausing to think of what she would say or why he could be here, her feet led her in the direction of his voice, following the sound like a homing pigeon. In no time, she was at his side but he was focused on the heavyset middle-aged woman with big cat-eye glasses staring at him from across the counter.
“I’m sorry, Cole, I really am,” the woman said. And she did look sorry, albeit slightly amused. Apparently it wasn’t every day that this woman was face to face with a grown man begging.
His hands were clenched in front of his chest. “Please, Bridget. Please.”
Bridget rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Cole Deckland, it’s almost impossible to say no to you. And trust me, if I had any control over the weather, I’d have you out on the next flight in a jiffy.”
Cole leaned over further and Claire dragged herself out of her shocked state long enough to intercede. “Leave the poor woman be, Cole.” She said the first thing she could think of, just needing to get his attention, see his eyes.
Sure enough, he spun around to face her and his look of shock was comical…and sweet. Beyond sweet. It was heart achingly, life affirmingingly, mind-numbingly wonderful. Once his shock subsided, the love and happiness she saw there nearly made her weep.
Tears hovered at the edge of her eyelids and she tried to blink them back. This was no time for tears. The nerves were back in full force as she gave him a smile, her chin wobbling at the effort to control the surge of emotions. “Hi,” she managed to whisper.
It was enough to jar him out of his shock and he moved quickly, his arms reaching out for her and pulling her close before she could take another breath.
He buried his fa
ce in her hair, against her neck, his embrace so tight, she thought he might never let go.
And that would have been just fine by her. Nestled in his arms, her eyes squeezed tight as she breathed in his familiar scent, she would have been happy to stay that way forever. She didn’t notice Bridget or the tourists, she didn’t hear anything but the sound of his heart beating beneath her ear.
This. This was what she’d been craving, what she’d been missing.
This was home.
It was Cole who eventually woke her from her blissful reprieve. He pulled back just far enough that he could cup her cheeks in his hands, his gaze moving over her face hungrily like he was trying to drink her in.
She did the same to him, her eyes cataloguing everything from the five o’clock shadow to the circles under his eyes. Her hands were trapped between them, otherwise she would have been tempted to trace the fine lines around his eyes that crinkled when he smiled or the lips that curved up now in that devilish grin she loved so much.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Are you just home for Christmas? Does Ruby know you’re coming? How long are you staying? Can I give you a ride to—”
She cut him off with a kiss that left her breathless and him effectively silenced. A warm tingle spread down her spine and all the way to her toes. His arms crushed her closer as he groaned against her lips. “I’ve missed you,” he growled when she came up for air.
Her smile felt brilliant at hearing those words. “I’ve missed you too.”
She saw the moment his brain began to function again, and knew it was just a matter of seconds before he launched back in to his list of questions. She had so much to tell him, so much to ask…none of which she particularly wanted to do in front of Bridget or the crowd of tourists who were laughing and whistling at their PDA.
She pulled back and reached for his hand. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?” he asked, as he walked beside her to the exit.
Excellent question. She glanced up at him. “I assumed you drove yourself here?”
He nodded, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I did.”
She eyed the snow coming down outside the glass doors. “Please say you didn’t ride your motorcycle.”
His grin knocked her breathless. How had she gotten so lucky?
He leaned down, wrapping a warm arm around her shoulders. “I drove the truck.”
She let out a sigh of relief at not having to brave it on the back of his bike in this weather. He grinned and tucked her under his arm once more as he led the way to the makeshift baggage carousel.
They seemed to enter an unspoken agreement that all their questions would wait until they were alone so they were largely silent—quiet but watchful—as they gathered her luggage and made their way to the truck.
For as many questions as he had, she had one pressing question of her own. She spit it out the moment they were alone in the cab of the truck with the heat blasting. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “Were you going somewhere?”
His grin was unusually sheepish. Chagrined, almost. Kind of like he’d been caught. Her heart leapt into her throat. “You weren’t…. um, you know….”
“Running away?” he asked.
She nodded and his laugh trickled through her like maple syrup, making her limbs warm and weak.
“Not exactly.” He cleared his throat and looked down at her hands, taking them in his as he lifted his gaze.
He was nervous, she realized with a start. That realization did nothing to help her own butterflies which were having a raucous party in her belly.
“I wasn’t running away,” he said slowly. “I was running to something. To someone.”
She blinked at him, not quite sure she was hearing him correctly and, if she was, she was definitely not comprehending.
He took pity on her silence. “I was coming to find you, Clarabelle.”
The old nickname made her heart clench. His gentle, tender tone combined with the nickname that reminded her that this man had known her forever was almost more than she could bear. She blinked back those darn tears which seemed determined to pour over and make her a blubbering mess before this night was through.
“Why were you coming to find me?” Her own voice was breathless with excitement and nerves and something she couldn’t yet name.
His lopsided grin made her heart rate quicken. “I realized that Lulu wasn’t home without you.” He leaned forward until his forehead rested against hers. “I talked to Dax about it, and Alice, and they both agreed that I didn’t need to be at the ranch full time in order to be a supportive family member.”
She was at a loss. “So, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying…” He cleared his throat and his obvious vulnerability nearly slayed her. “I’d like to follow you to New York, if you’ll have me.”
She was speechless. Utterly and completely at a loss for words.
“If I’m rushing things, just say so,” he added quickly. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot, I just… well, once I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, I couldn’t wait to tell you and to….” He pulled back, his gaze moving over her face. “And to see if you might feel the same.”
Her mouth parted but she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move, or talk, or do anything more than smile. It was an involuntary smile that spread across her face as joy rendered her temporarily deaf, blind, and dumb.
His hands clenched hers. “Is that…. Claire, is that a yes?”
She shook her head quickly and then instantly regretted it when his face fell, disappointment and hurt clear as day in his eyes. “I suppose I am moving quickly. I should have given you warning or—”
“No!” When she finally got her voice it came back loud and insistent. “No, I mean, yes. I mean….” She shook her head and let out a laugh as her excitement bubbled over, impossible to contain. “I’m making a mess of this. You do this to me, Cole Deckland. You turn me into a silly teen girl again.”
His smile held a hint of hope. “What are you trying to say, Claire?”
She took a deep breath and squeezed his hands like he’d squeezed hers. “I’m saying, I’m not just here in Lulu for the holidays. I came back for good.”
Cole’s eyes widened before he crushed her to him, his mouth hot and insistent as he kissed her with abandon. “You’re back?” he muttered between kisses.
She nodded. “I’m back.”
He pulled away a bit and met her gaze. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Oh, Cole, I’ve been an idiot. It took going away for me to see just how narrow-minded I’ve been.”
He shook his head. “Sweetheart, you have no idea. I’ve been so focused on redeeming myself in the eyes of my family that I never stopped to ask them what they needed from me or what they wanted.”
She tilted her head to the side. “So what is it they want?”
His grin melted away the last urge to cry. Who could cry when they were this happy? “Both of my siblings and James made it clear that what they need is to know that I’ll always come back if they need me.” He shrugged with all humility. “Dax said I proved that I would by coming back here when times got tough. As for what they want… they want me to be happy. Which is exactly what I want for them, too.”
Claire wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. “I’ll do my best to make you happy, Cole, every second of every day.”
“You don’t have to do anything,” he said, dropping a kiss on top of her head as she burrowed into him. “You make me happy just being by my side.”
“What about you?” he asked, his voice a rumble through his chest. “What happened in New York to make you change your mind?” He tugged her back gently so he could see her face. “And are you sure? If you don’t want to come back to Lulu—”
She shook her head. “It took going back to New York to realize that the world I’d left behind there was part of another life, another dream.” She shrug
ged, struggling to put all her emotions into words. “But life changes people, and my accident definitely changed me. For the better, I hope.”
He squeezed her arms and gave her a grin that told her what he thought.
“I realized that I’m ready for new dreams, and new opportunities,” she said. “I want all of that...with you.”
His look was one of awe and it spoke more eloquently than any words. He tugged her back against him and held her tight. “I don’t know how I ever got so lucky.”
She grinned against his leather jacket. Funny, she’d been thinking the exact same thing.
He surprised her by pulling back and giving her that grin she loved so much. “We’d better get going or we’ll be late.”
“Late?” she echoed.
“There’s a barn full of giggling girls getting ready to go on stage for their first ever live performance in front of all their friends and family,” he said, laughter clear in his voice. “I can’t imagine their favorite dance teacher would want to miss that.”
Her heart leapt with joy and excitement and so much gratitude she didn’t know how she could contain it. Life might not have gone as she’d planned, but she couldn’t have dreamed of a better life if she’d tried.
Tears of happiness choked her throat as she shook her head. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Epilogue
By the time the snow melted, nothing in Cole’s life was the same as when he’d first come back to Lulu. It was as though his life had blossomed along with the grass in the meadows and the leaves on the trees. Who knew what other surprises would be in store by the time the flowers started to bloom?
He sure didn’t know, and he was starting to realize that not knowing what was coming next was what gave his life the excitement he’d always craved. Who needed to travel non-stop when every day was an adventure?
There had been more joy at the Twilight Ranch that Christmas than he could ever remember seeing since his parents passed. And he and his siblings had reason to celebrate. Their first guest ranch clients had been booked, Alice was about to finish up her senior year at college, and Dax could breathe a little easier. Even though he still clearly hated the idea of his ranch being overrun by “city folk and addle-brained tourists,” he couldn’t deny that the incoming money wasn’t a relief. For the moment, at least, the Twilight Ranch and their home looked to be safe.
Dancing Queens & Biker Kings: Sweet & Rugged in Montana Page 20