Those small crinkles gave her face character and charm. More than that, they added maturity he didn’t recognize and strength he hadn’t expected. Both would make it harder to get close to her.
But he had been trained to handle tough situations.
Chapter Six
During a busy morning spent with Tina and Jane, Andi had managed to keep her thoughts away from Mitch.
After lunch, Tina closed herself in her office to take care of the hotel bookkeeping. Jane took Robbie and Trey over to Pete’s house to visit his kids and Sharon, their nanny.
Alone, Andi went into the quiet banquet hall hoping to distract herself with preparations for the wedding. She wasn’t there long before she heard heavy footsteps she recognized. The sound instantly made her heart beat faster.
Groaning, she shook her head and bent over one of the cardboard cartons she had set on a folding table.
As foolish as it was, she had been almost disappointed yesterday when her path hadn’t crossed with Mitch’s again after he had gotten together with Pete. At dinner, Jed had mentioned seeing Mitch driving away from the ranch.
By this morning, though, she had come to her senses and acknowledged the best thing for them both would be never to see each other again.
She should have known that wouldn’t happen.
She shouldn’t feel this excited right now.
As Mitch strode through the doorway, she crossed her arms, rested her hips against the table and gave in to the pleasure of seeing him. In tight black T-shirt, jeans and black biker boots, he looked taller and tougher and sexier than ever before. That T-shirt and his black hair made his eyes startling blue.
“Jed and Paz told me I would find you here.”
She frowned. “Is everything okay? Do they need me to take Missy off their hands?”
“No, they’re feeding her Paz’s Christmas cookies, and they said that’s keeping her out of trouble. They also said your kids won’t ever want to go home.”
Just what Jed was hoping for, she knew.
“What can I do for you?” she asked. When he grinned, she crossed her arms more tightly. “I’m very busy.”
“That’s why I’m here. Jed figured he’d keep me out of trouble by giving me a job.”
She stood straighter. “I don’t need a helper, thank you.”
“Too late. I’m on board. What do you want me to do?”
She turned away and rummaged through a carton of ornaments. “Nothing. I’ve got everything under control.” The words made her think again of her reaction to his kiss. Of her loss of control.
“Andi, walking away yesterday didn’t make me go away. Pretending to be busy here doesn’t mean I’ll disappear. Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”
“At the moment, you are.”
“Well, that’s a start.”
She shot a look over her shoulder and found him smiling down at her. He was so close, she could have taken a step back and found herself in his arms. Instead, she shifted aside. “Really, Mitch, I don’t need your assistance.”
“Jed seems to think you do. You and Tina and Jane. And I made a promise. So that’s that.”
She sighed. He had made a promise. And once Grandpa made up his mind about something, that was that. As she had no choice in the matter, she might as well give in gracefully. “Fine. And I’m not pretending to be busy.” She pointed to one carton. “That’s what I’ve got on my mind right now. Decorations for the wedding. Our client requested Christmas lights. You can get started with those.”
She had hoped having him work at a distance would keep him from distracting her, but she could still hear everything he said to her. Worse...or maybe better...she could see every move he made. Who knew hanging a string of lights required so much physical activity? His shoulders flexed, his biceps bulged, and she didn’t even want to think about what happened to the strong muscles in his thighs as he climbed up and down the ladder.
Good thing she had acquired a helper, because she wasn’t getting much work done herself.
It was a relief to hear sneakered feet pounding down the hallway. Robbie and Trey ran into the room. Naturally, Trey, who loved to climb, headed straight toward the ladder.
“Me, too! Me, too!” He reached out to Mitch, who climbed down and swung him onto his shoulder.
He wouldn’t... “That’s not a good—” Before she could finish her sentence, Mitch had plopped Trey onto a chair.
“You, too, Robbie,” he said. “Come and watch.”
Jane entered the room and came to stand beside Andi.
When both boys were seated, Mitch waved his hand in front of the window. “Okay, ready for some magic?” He inserted a plug in the nearby socket. All over the room, white fairy lights sparkled to life.
“Like stars, Mitch!” Robbie exclaimed.
“Mitch!” Trey echoed.
“Not bad at all,” Jane called. In a lower voice she said to Andi, “You really ought to give that man a chance, cuz. Every woman can use a little magic in her life.”
* * *
“WELL, HERE YOU ARE,” Jed said from the head of the dining room table. “Just in time to join us for supper.”
Andi finished settling Trey in his booster seat and reached for her utensils. As she turned to smile at the guest who had entered the room, her fingers froze around the napkin-wrapped bundle of tableware. Her smile froze, too.
Who said history didn’t repeat itself?
Mitch strode through the doorway.
She had spent a very long afternoon with him in that banquet hall. Jane and the boys had stayed, and Tina had eventually joined them. Mitch had talked easily with her cousins, had given Robbie and Trey “important work” to do, and had never missed an opportunity to chat with her every time she stood still.
The last thing she needed was to deal with him again, especially in front of all her family at the dinner table.
Unfortunately, she had no say in this matter, either. Worse, when Jed directed Mitch to the empty chair beside hers, she had nowhere else to go.
He eased into his seat, then greeted her with a cool, brisk nod that made her think yet again of yesterday’s anything-but-cool kiss.
“I couldn’t turn down an invitation for one of Paz’s home-cooked meals,” he told Jed. “But don’t let my mom know I said that.”
“No worries, son. Your secret’s safe with us.”
“You have a secret?” Robbie asked.
“A secret?” Trey echoed.
“Don’t we all,” Mitch said.
He didn’t look her way, but she felt certain he had meant the comment for her.
Rattled, she turned to the boys. “Grandpa was only teasing. There are no secrets.”
“No secrets?” Robbie’s eyes widened in alarm. “But Trey—”
“Not now, sweetie,” Tina said quickly. “We’ll talk about that later.”
The Hitching Post served supper family-style, and as bowls and platters were passed, conversation turned to “have some vegetables” and “please pass the rolls.”
Everyone had jumped into action to cover the slip Robbie almost made about her son’s upcoming birthday parties. A slip that would have been her fault because she had been so distracted by Mitch.
As if he’d read her mind, he suddenly leaned closer. She tensed, until she realized he only intended to hold the heavy meat platter for her. Under cover of the voices and clanking cutlery around them, he murmured, “I wasn’t teasing.”
“About your mom?” she asked, pretending not to understand.
“About people keeping secrets.”
“I guess you’re in a good place to know.” She nodded her thanks, and silently, he passed the platter along.
“It’s nice to have you back here at the ranch again, Mitch,” Tina said.
“It’s great to be here, though I don’t want to feel I’m wearing out my welcome.”
This time, she refused to check whether or not he had glanced in her direction.
“No way that’ll happen,” Jed said. “We appreciate you giving us a hand.”
Some of us appreciate it.
“And once the girls get this wedding stuff squared away,” he added, “we need to start decorating around the hotel.”
“We’ll have lots of work for you to do,” Tina said with a smile.
“No problem. As long as you leave me time to catch up with Jed.”
“Hey, what about the rest of us?” Cole asked. “Including your best friend? I hear you talked to Pete yesterday, then forgot about tracking me down.”
“We’ll get together. And just to set the record straight, I don’t forget people.”
That sounded like a threat.
Swallowing a sigh, Andi concentrated on feeding Missy. If she insisted on reading hidden meanings into everything he said, this would be one never-ending, uncomfortable meal.
“How long are you staying in town?” Jane asked.
Andi didn’t miss the way her cousin’s gaze flickered from Mitch to her and back again. She also couldn’t miss the fact that he sat there without saying a word. As much as she wanted to know the answer herself, she didn’t like seeing him put on the spot. “I’ll bet he’ll stay at least long enough for the guys to have a reunion at the Cantina,” she said with a laugh.
He looked at her gravely. “A reunion that’s long overdue.”
“I’ll say,” Cole agreed. “I’m holding you to it. In fact, I’ll check and see if Pete and some of the other boys can make it this week. At least that way, we’ll know for sure you’ll be around.”
“What about our open house?” Tina asked. “You’ll be here through the holidays, won’t you?”
“Don’t know yet,” Mitch said simply.
“Your daddy would like you to make this visit permanent,” Jed said.
“And your mama,” Paz said.
Mitch laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure they would. But my...life’s in LA.”
“You have a sweetheart there?” Paz asked, sounding almost dismayed.
Heart thudding, Andi kept her gaze on her plate. This time, she wouldn’t jump in to save him. Yet she wasn’t at all sure she wanted to know his answer.
A ridiculous reaction altogether. Considering how eager he’d been to kiss her, he couldn’t have a girlfriend in LA...could he?
“No,” he said. “No sweetheart.”
Just the answer she wanted.
“No plans in that direction yet, either,” he continued. “As I’ve already told Jed, there’s no point in trying to get me to book the hall for a wedding. You might say I’m already married. To my job.”
Just the answer she needed.
No matter how much she hated hearing him say it.
* * *
FROM HIS YEARS working on the ranch, Mitch knew the routines at the Hitching Post. After supper, the Garland family would move to the sitting room to spend time with their guests.
Preferring not to make a spectacle of himself limping along, he waited till most of the crowd left the dining room. He was just as interested in hanging back to let Andi take her seat first so he could grab one right beside her.
She sure hadn’t liked seeing him walk into the room tonight or take the chair at her side. Her refusal to look his way during supper confirmed it. Her constant fiddling with knife and fork and water glass proved how nervous she felt. All those reactions had only made him more determined to get her to feel comfortable with him again.
He had thought she might grab the chance to wander away.
Instead, in the sitting room, she settled herself and Missy in an overstuffed chair close to the fireplace.
So much for sitting beside her. He took a seat on a nearby couch. “Looks like you haven’t done much renovation in this room.”
“We didn’t change anything,” she said, “besides some fresh paint. It’s always cozy and welcoming in here.”
That it was, from the overstuffed chairs and couches covered with Paz’s bright handmade afghans to the old rocker pulled up close to the hearth. On the wall across from him, a clock gave a slow, steady tick-tock. Over in one corner of the room, Robbie and Trey galloped toy horses across a low wooden table.
Trey must have caught his glance. He waved. “Look! Horse. Bi-i-ig horse, Mitch.”
“I see that. Just like the one you ride.”
“Yeah.” Trey laughed, then turned back to Robbie.
Jed came to take Andi’s daughter from her. Mitch saw the smile she gave her grandfather. It lit her face, reminding him of the smiles she’d once sent his way.
Holding the baby in one arm, the older man took a seat beside him on the couch.
“Later on, Jed, when your hands aren’t so full, maybe you and I could get together about what else I can do for you around here.”
Jed waved his free hand. “Aw, relax. You’re a guest here tonight. Besides, this is family time.” He turned slightly to show off the baby. “Cute little thing, isn’t she?”
“She is. I remember Laurie being that small. Heck, I can remember all my brothers and sisters at that stage.”
“And I bet you never let ’em forget it.”
He laughed. “I do like to remind them, the boys especially, of all the times I saw them running around in diapers.”
“Changed those diapers, too, I’d reckon, knowing Lyle.”
“Yeah, that was one of the drawbacks of being the oldest. Dad put me through my paces, no matter how much I protested.”
“Good training for you. You’ll make a good daddy, then. Won’t he, Andi?”
She started, as if her thoughts had been far away from the sitting room. Still, she didn’t miss a beat. “As you said, Grandpa, we know his father. I’d imagine Sheriff Weston has Mitch well-trained for almost anything.”
She’d stressed those final two words. Why, he couldn’t tell. When she raised her chin, he couldn’t read that, either. Defiance? Determination? Challenge?
Was she thinking about yesterday, when he had kissed her?
He had told her the kiss was to show her neither of them had forgotten their past. Yeah, right. That had been the handiest excuse he could grab on to to explain his heat-of-the-moment response.
The truth was, after seeing the pity in her eyes, he had acted out of pure gut instinct, kissing her to prove he was well on the way to being himself again. And he had succeeded.
Just in case she had started to think he was hinting about the future, at supper tonight, he had made it clear he didn’t have any plans to settle down. But at this point, he couldn’t swear whether he’d meant the announcement as a caution to her or reassurance for himself.
All he knew was, he’d need to try like heck to avoid any potentially hot moments.
Chapter Seven
“Nice hideaway.”
Startled by the familiar voice, Andi jumped. Her sharp scissors almost punctured the package she was attempting to open. She set aside the order of candy-covered almonds destined for wedding favors. Mitch stood there leaning against the door frame. She glared at him. “This isn’t a hideaway. And was it necessary for you to sneak up on me like that?”
“I didn’t sneak. You should be more aware of what’s going on around you.”
He had a point, considering she had sat there so deep in contemplation, she hadn’t heard his approach. Worse, though she had left the sitting room intending to put space between them, she hadn’t been able to escape her thoughts.
“I didn’t read you as someone antisocial enough to go off and leave her family,” he said.
“I didn’t leave them. They’re in good hands. Literally, in my daughter’s case.”
When he and Grandpa had gotten involved in conversation, she had checked to make sure Grandpa hadn’t wanted to turn Missy over to her. Not much chance of that. Experience had taught her Jed wouldn’t give up any opportunity to cuddle his only great-granddaughter.
A quick look across the room had shown Trey engrossed in playing with Robbie and his toy horses.
It was safe for her to slip quietly from the sitting room without anyone noticing. Or so she had thought.
When Mitch closed the door to the suite, she felt both a rush of annoyance and a shiver of anticipation. She didn’t know which upset her more. But she shouldn’t have any feelings when it came to him.
“Speaking of your family,” he said, “what was all that at the supper table about secrets?”
“Robbie almost spilled the beans about Trey’s surprise birthday parties.”
“Parties, as in more than one?”
“Yes. The kids and I are going back home to celebrate with my mother-in-law and the rest of her family on Trey’s actual birthday. After that, we’ll have my family party here at the hotel. But that can’t be why you’re up here now. What can I do for you?” she asked as levelly as she could.
He glanced around him. “I also didn’t read you as someone who’d hide away in a hotel bridal suite. Unless, of course, you were waiting for your groom.”
The thought of Mitch playing that role made her entire body overheat. Flustered, she snapped, “I told you, this isn’t a hideaway. Jane and Tina and I are organizing for the wedding, and we decided we needed a better temporary workstation than Tina’s small office downstairs. Besides, we figured one of the suites would give us more privacy.”
“It does that.”
“Obviously not as much as we thought. How did you know where to find me?”
“I’m a cop, remember?”
“How could I forget? But that doesn’t answer my question.”
“Tina gave me the heads-up you might have come here.”
“Tina?” It was bad enough Jane had already begun pushing her in a direction she didn’t want to go. But why would her quiet younger cousin have gotten involved? Tina didn’t know anything about her summer with Mitch. “Is she on her way up here?”
“No. And it sounded like she and Jane were finished working for the night. I guess you’re an overachiever.”
“Officially, I’m the hotel’s interim wedding planner while they look for someone to hire permanently. Grandpa’s already upset we had our first wedding party cancel a couple of months ago. And it was a wedding I’d booked. So I’ve got to make sure this one’s a big success.”
The Lawman's Christmas Proposal Page 6