A Cowboy's Christmas Proposal

by Cathy McDavid

  At a magical time of year...

  Can a cowboy help falling in love?

  For single dad Owen Caufield, living and working at Sweetheart Ranch for a month is the perfect change of pace. While the cowboy turned wedding officiant can now spend more time with his children, Molly O’Malley, his new boss, is less thrilled. A wedding ranch isn’t the best place for three rambunctious youngsters. But amid the chaos—and the coming holidays—it may be the best place to fall in love...

  “Goodnight, Owen.” She started to leave.

  He reached for her. “Wait.”

  “What?”

  Placing his hands on her shoulders, he tilted her toward the porch light. “You have some soot on your face.”

  “Do I?” She dabbed at her cheeks, smearing rather than removing the soot.

  “Here. Let me.”

  He removed a kerchief from his coat pocket and gently wiped her face. While pretending to scrutinize his work, he studied her eyes, which never veered from his.

  Molly might have trouble expressing her innermost feelings but they were clearly telegraphed in the tiny nuances of her expression. What Owen saw made his heart bounce wildly inside his chest. She didn’t entirely object to his touch. Even enjoyed it.

  He took a leap, not caring about the consequences. “I’m going to kiss you, Molly.”

  “You are?” she breathed.

  “Unless you object.”

  He waited for her to say she did. When one moment stretched into two, he dipped his head and brushed his lips slowly across hers.

  Dear Reader,

  It’s true, change is inevitable—and I say that with a big smile on my face. A Cowboy’s Christmas Proposal represents two big changes for me, ones I’m really excited about. After thirty books for Harlequin Western Romance, I’m now writing for Harlequin Heartwarming and couldn’t be happier. I’ve been a huge fan of the line for years. I love the longer length that allows me to more fully explore the main characters’ relationship. Also, several of my close friends write for Heartwarming, and I couldn’t be in better company.

  The other big change is that A Cowboy’s Christmas Proposal is the first of four books in a brand-new series, The Sweetheart Ranch. The idea came to me not long ago when I was researching wedding venues online for my own wedding—yes, I’m still a bit of a newlywed. I thought what fun it would be to create a Western-themed honeymoon bed-and-breakfast complete with a wedding chapel. It was an “aha” moment that just felt right!

  I hope you enjoy Molly and Owen’s story. They are a perfectly mismatched couple who are, of course, perfect for each other. They just need to figure that out.

  Warmest wishes,

  Cathy McDavid

  PS: I love connecting with readers. Find me at Facebook.com/cathymcdavidbooks, on Twitter, @cathymcdavid, and at cathymcdavid.com.

  A Cowboy’s Christmas Proposal

  New York Times Bestselling Author

  Cathy McDavid

  Since 2006, New York Times bestselling author Cathy McDavid has been happily penning contemporary Westerns for Harlequin. Every day, she gets to write about handsome cowboys riding the range or busting a bronc. It’s a tough job, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice. Cathy shares her Arizona home with her own real-life sweetheart and a trio of odd pets. Her grown twins have left to embark on lives of their own, and she couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments.

  Books by Cathy McDavid

  Harlequin Western Romance

  Mustang Valley

  Last Chance Cowboy

  Her Cowboy’s Christmas Wish

  Baby’s First Homecoming

  Cowboy for Keeps

  Her Holiday Rancher

  Come Home, Cowboy

  Having the Rancher’s Baby

  Rescuing the Cowboy

  A Baby for the Deputy

  The Cowboy’s Twin Surprise

  The Bull Rider’s Valentine

  Visit the Author Profile page at www.Harlequin.com for more titles.

  Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!

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  To Kathleen. You’ve given me so many incredible opportunities during my career with Harlequin, including this one. Thank you for the chance to continue writing the kinds of books I love and to find brand-new readers.

  You are the best.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  EPILOGUE

  EXCERPT FROM RESCUED BY THE FIREFIGHTER BY CATHERINE LANIGAN

  CHAPTER ONE

  HEARING WHAT SOUNDED like a hammer banging against metal, Molly O’Malley tossed the covers aside and sat bolt upright. Her sister had beaten her to the shower. Again. Now she’d be late getting downstairs—the last thing she wanted today of all days. After endless planning, preparation and backbreaking labor, Sweetheart Ranch was finally opening for business.

  Molly pushed herself out of bed, excitement and nervousness replacing the fog of sleep. Grabbing her flannel robe hanging from the bedpost, she padded to the closet, every third floorboard creaking in angry protest. A single tug on the antique glass knob and the closet door glided open. Thank goodness. It just as often stuck and refused to budge.

  Like the faulty water pressure in the pipes and the creaking floorboards, no amount of tinkering had remedied the finicky closet door. Molly’s grandmother, Emily, claimed the many quirks only added to the old house’s charm.

  Molly did agree the house possessed a certain appeal. People raved over the quaint and rustic decor inspired by local history, nearby cattle ranches and the herd of wild mustangs that had once roamed the valley. At least, those were the comments Molly had received from guests who’d viewed their website and booked a wedding, or a honeymoon stay in one of the six cabins.

  Five weddings were scheduled these last four days of November and a dozen so far in December. Understandably, the holidays were a popular time to get married. What better than to combine two joyous occasions?

  Only 50 percent of the ranch’s cabins, however, had been booked. As head of guest relations, Molly worried. Grandma Em, their resident wedding coordinator, had assured her the situation was temporary. Lately, she’d issued the statement with a twinkle in her eye.

  That, too, worried Molly. Grandma Em had poured almost her entire savings into the ranch, converting her country home on ten acres into what would hopefully be the most popular, and most unique, wedding venue and bed-and-breakfast in Arizona. She should be fretting and pacing and biting her nails to the quick. Or, like Molly, racing around in a constant state of agitation. She certainly shouldn’t be dismissing valid concerns with a casual shrug.

  Molly contemplated the three O’Malley women as she chose an outfit. They were a study in contrast, each of them dealing with stress differently. While Molly planned for every conceivable catastrophe, her older sister, Bridget, stayed up late testing recipes and developing menus. Grandma Em, perha
ps the smartest of them, took things in stride.

  Both sisters had worked in the hospitality industry since graduating college—Bridget as a pastry chef and Molly in hotel administration. When their grandmother had called last summer and invited them to share in her long-held dream of owning and operating a Western-themed wedding ranch, they’d jumped at the chance—for entirely different reasons.

  Hurrying down the hall, Molly stopped at the bathroom door and knocked loudly.

  “You almost done?”

  “Give me two minutes,” Bridget hollered above another pipe-banging symphony.

  Molly groaned in frustration, more annoyed with herself for oversleeping than at her sister for dawdling. She’d stayed up late last night, too, envisioning every detail of their grand opening and mentally reviewing her lengthy to-do list.

  While she waited, her glance traveled the hall to Grandma Em’s bedroom. She’d apparently risen some time ago, for the door sat ajar and not a single peep came from inside the room.

  Likely, she was downstairs, making coffee and toasting homemade bagels for breakfast. Molly was straining her ears for any hint of activity when Bridget flung open the bathroom door and emerged from behind a cloud of steam.

  “Thanks for hogging the entire hot water supply.”

  “Get up earlier next time.”

  Molly huffed as she shouldered past her sister. Being adults didn’t stop them from squabbling like they had when they were young.

  “Whatever.” Bridget darted to her room, tucking in the tail of the bath towel she wore on her head like a turban. Several red tendrils had escaped and lay plastered against her neck, forming a row of inverted question marks. Molly’s own wavy hair would look the same when she stepped from the shower.

  It was one of many similarities between them. They shared freckled cheeks, a cleft in their chins, a love of sweets and an unwavering determination to marry a man just like their late father.

  They also had their differences. Big ones. While Bridget was an open book, messy to a fault, and tended to easily trust people, Molly kept her thoughts and feelings to herself, preferred her surroundings and every aspect of her life to be neat and tidy, and exercised caution in all situations.

  She had good reason. Her twice-wounded heart needed protecting. Grandma Em’s invitation, issued on the heels of Molly’s latest breakup, had provided the perfect opportunity. She’d packed her car and bid Southern California goodbye without a single regret.

  Molly showered in record time before the hot water really did run out—another quirk of the old house—then returned to her room. After throwing on her clothes, she ran a brush through her wet hair. She’d style it and apply makeup later, before the open house started at noon. There was simply too much to accomplish before then.

  Of course Bridget had beaten her downstairs. Molly made straight for the kitchen, expecting to be assaulted by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and toasting bagels. Instead, Bridget stood at the counter, dropping clumps of thick, chocolatey batter onto a cookie sheet. The coffeepot sat untouched.

  “Where’s Grandma?” Molly asked, mildly irritated. She desperately needed to fuel up on caffeine.

  “I haven’t seen her yet.”

  How odd. Maybe she was on an emergency run to the market for some last-minute item. Though, on second thought, the town’s one small grocery store didn’t open until nine.

  “Did you call her?” Molly asked.

  “Been too busy.”

  Fishing her cell phone from her jeans pocket, she dialed Grandma Em. The call went straight to voice mail.

  “She must have forgotten to charge her phone.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time.” Bridget slid the cookie sheet into the oven.

  Ignoring the twinge of anxiety winding through her, Molly set down her phone and filled the coffeepot with water. They did have a brand-new individual cup brewing system in the dining room, but that was reserved for guests.

  “Do you think we were wrong to plan our grand opening in the middle of the holiday season?” she asked. “It’s still technically Thanksgiving weekend. People are going to be out shopping or putting up Christmas decorations.”

  “We can’t afford to wait.”

  “True.” Expenses were mounting while revenues wouldn’t pick up until after they officially opened. Molly knew that for a fact as she handled the ranch books.

  It was then she spotted the small piece of notepaper taped to the refrigerator. Grandma Em’s familiar handwriting jumped out at her.

  “What’s this?” With her free hand, Molly tore off the note and started reading. The next instant, her fingers went slack, and she nearly dropped the pot. “I don’t believe it!”

  “What’s wrong?” Bridget glanced up from sprinkling flour onto a rolling mat.

  “Grandma’s gone.” The words fell from Molly’s mouth in a shocked whisper.

  “Where? The café?”

  “Try the Grand Canyon and then Nevada. In Homer’s RV.” Molly gaped at her sister, alarm battling with disbelief. “They’ve eloped. They’re getting married in Reno and then taking a monthlong road trip.”

  “No way!” Bridget wiped her hands on a towel and charged across the kitchen. She snatched the note from Molly and quickly scanned the paper.

  “She must be kidding,” Molly said. “Grandma wouldn’t leave on the day of our open house for anything. Right?”

  “I don’t know. She might.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Bridget thrust the note back at her. “She made a comment the other day about really liking Homer.”

  That was news to Molly. Yes, Grandma and Homer were friends and went out to lunch sometimes. But eloping? Surely Molly would have noticed her grandmother falling in love. She wasn’t entirely self-absorbed.

  “You should have told me.”

  “Honestly,” Bridget said, “I didn’t think a lot about it other than if Grandma had a boyfriend, then good for her. At least one of us was dating.”

  “Apparently, he’s a lot more than a boyfriend. They’re getting married!” Without Molly and her sister and their family in attendance. She tried to ignore the sharp stab of hurt. “What about the grand opening? Grandma’s our hostess. And who’s going to marry people?”

  Grandma Em had originally suggested they hire Homer to wed those couples without their own officiant. It had seemed like a sensible solution at the time. The O’Malleys were in need, and Homer was available since retiring from his position as minister at Valley Community Church.

  “Grandma says in her note replacements for her and Homer are on the way. That everything’s been handled.”

  “What kind of replacements?” Molly fought for control. She didn’t fare well with blows from left field.

  “Guess we’ll find out.” Bridget returned to the counter. “Look, I need to start the bread or it won’t rise in time.”

  “Bread? Really? We’re in crisis.”

  Molly dug her fingers into her forehead where an ache had started to throb. Grandma leaving hours before their grand opening and marrying a man no one had had any idea she was even serious about was nothing short of insane.

  Setting down the coffeepot, she grabbed her phone and dialed her grandmother’s number again, only to disconnect when the recorded greeting kicked in.

  “They must be out of range.” Bridget dumped an oblong of bread dough onto the mat and began kneading. “You should have left a message.”

  “And said what? The two of you had better get yourselves back home right now? We have a business to run. Guests to accommodate. Couples to unite in wedded bliss.”

  Photographers. Live video streaming. Floral arrangements. Music. Decorations. Molly realized with some dismay she wasn’t as familiar with her grandmother’s job at Sweetheart Ranch as she should be. In addition to the books, Mol
ly oversaw cabin reservations, customer service, housekeeping, marketing and the various amenities they offered. That left her too busy to participate much in the wedding planning.

  “Give her a chance to explain,” Bridget advised. “Love makes people do crazy things.”

  “I think we should cancel the open house.”

  “Absolutely not! Our first guests arrive this afternoon, and our first wedding is at seven tonight.”

  “Assuming we have a minister.”

  “Relax. Take a deep breath.” Bridget followed her own advice. “Panicking will only make matters worse.”

  How could her sister not panic? Their world was collapsing around them. Worst of all, Molly was about to fail at the fourth job she’d held in seven years. And this time she wasn’t to blame.

  “I’m serious. We should cancel.”

  “Grandma has too much money invested.” Bridget rhythmically worked the dough. “And are you willing to tell the happy couple their wedding’s off? They’re expecting to honeymoon tonight as man and wife.”

  “But what if—”

  “Have some faith. Grandma won’t let us down. If we haven’t heard from her by midafternoon, we’ll hire Reverend Crosby.”

  “He charges a fortune.”

  “Better than turning the couple away on our first day of business.”

  Molly made a decision. “I’m calling Mom.”

  “What’s she going to do?”

  Nothing, as it turned out. She didn’t know about Grandma Em’s elopement, either, and had no advice for Molly other than to move forward as best as she and Bridget could.

  “I’d love to help you,” she said. “But Doug has a touch of the flu and can’t fend for himself.”

  “Thanks anyway, Mom. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Left with little choice, Molly buried herself in work, her usual coping mechanism. While Bridget continued baking delicacies for the open house and a cake for that night’s reception, Molly arranged champagne flutes, crystal punch glasses, china plates and silver flatware in the parlor.