The Maverick's Snowbound Christmas

by Karen Rose Smith

  She nodded. “Melba and Old Gene will be in their glory having everybody. It will be noisy with lots of food and lots of teasing.”

  “You don’t like the teasing part?”

  Apparently Eli was beginning to know her, the nuances in her voice. She supposed her expression gave her away, too. “Maybe I’m just not a crowd person. Give me a litter of puppies and I’m fine. But give me a crowd of people, and I’d rather be holed up with one person, talking.”

  “I can relate to that,” he said, with a smile in his voice. “Especially if that one person is the pretty lady in the truck with me.”

  He leaned over to give her another kiss, but she braced her hands on his chest. “I think I’d better go in.” She unfastened her seat belt and moved over to the door.

  “If I don’t see you before you leave, Hadley, well—” He paused a moment before he added, “I have your phone number and you have mine.”

  She had it. But when she went back to Bozeman, she wouldn’t use it, would she?

  She nodded, murmured, “Yes, I have your number,” then opened her door and left the truck. She already felt as if she missed Eli. That was a sensation she was just going to have to get over.

  * * *

  On Thanksgiving Day, Hadley felt a bit nervous about the announcement she was going to make. Brooks Smith was complicating her life, and she was letting him. But the real complication could be her family’s reaction to all of it.

  Her parents had arrived from Bozeman last night along with her uncle and aunt Jerry and Barbara Strickland. Her mom, Melba and Barbara had had their heads together going over recipes since then. The smells emanating from the kitchen today were worth all of their planning. The boardinghouse was practically bursting at the seams. Somehow they’d all managed to sit in one room for dinner.

  There was her grandmother and grandfather, of course, along with her sister Claire, her husband, Levi, and daughter Bekka. Her sister Tessa, her husband, Carson, and their twins, Declan and Charlotte. Jerry and Barbara and their son Trey and his wife, Kayla, and little Gil, too. All Hadley had to do was look at Kayla and she saw her brother Eli’s features, the sparkling eyes and the wide smile. Around the table were also Jerry and Barbara’s four unmarried sons, Drew, Benjamin, Luke and Billy.

  The male cousins talked sports, while the females shared gossip and Old Gene joked with Carson and the twins. The conversation was lively and loud, but it didn’t stop Hadley from hearing the question that she dreaded. The one that was always bound to come up when a group like this gathered.

  “And who’s going to get married next?” her sister Tessa asked.

  Old Gene shook his finger at Tessa. “The bigger question is—who’s going to produce the next grandchild?”

  Luke gave Benjamin a shove in the ribs, but Benjamin just shook his head. Everyone seemed to take the ribbing in stride until Drew said, “Miss All-Business Hadley is more likely to give us grand dogs than grandbabies, don’t you think?”

  Hadley flashed back to a time when she’d planned to announce her Las Vegas wedding to the whole family. She had been so happy. But her dreams and her hopes had all been a terrible delusion.

  Now smiling at everyone, she said, “Grand dogs or grand kitties I can produce. I can probably find one of each for all of you to adopt.”

  There were groans around the table. Billy said, “As if there’s room for an animal in this house.”

  “There’s always room for a pet,” Hadley insisted.

  Kayla nodded and backed her up. She held up her hand and said, “Even my brother has adopted a cat and a kitten. Who would have thought? That was all Hadley’s doing.”

  “She can be persuasive when she wants to be,” Old Gene said with a wink at her.

  Before her family entered territory where she and Eli were lumped together, or before anyone else mused about her romantic life, she passed the serving dish of mashed potatoes to Drew and said, “I have an announcement to make.”

  “You’re engaged,” Carson joked.

  “Nothing like that,” she was quick to assure them all. Then she thought of something. Maybe she should have talked to Old Gene and her grandmother before she announced this to everybody. But it was too late now.

  To Melba she said, “I probably should have asked you about this first. Do you mind if I stay a little longer?”

  Her mother gave her a look. “Longer? Why would you do that?” Donna Strickland asked her.

  Melba, on her other side, patted her hand. “Of course we don’t mind if you stay. If there’s a good reason,” she added.

  “I think it’s a good reason, but you can judge. I think you know Brooks Smith’s dad is recovering from knee-replacement surgery. After Dr. Wellington left, Brooks thought he could handle the practices on his own, but it’s become overwhelming at times. So he asked me if I’d stay on the next couple of weeks to help him out. His dad’s recovering slowly, and he doesn’t want him to rush it.”

  “But what about your job at the clinic in Bozeman?” her dad asked.

  “I spoke with them last night. They tell me as long as I’m back there mid-December, they’re fine with me staying here and helping. They brought on a new vet tech, and she’s working out well.”

  “She can’t replace you,” Hadley’s mother insisted.

  “True, but it will do me good to get more experience here with horses and cattle. So, Grandmother, if you don’t mind my staying—”

  Old Gene cut in. “We don’t mind at all. It’s a shame you can’t stay for Christmas.”

  “Oh, but we’ll be glad to have her back in Bozeman,” Hadley’s mother assured them. “We have to share her, you know.”

  Everyone around the table laughed. On her other side, Drew leaned close to her and said in a low voice, “I was talking to Derek Dalton at the Ace in the Hole.”

  “And?” Hadley asked, with a lift of her brow.

  “And he said you and Eli Dalton got cozy. You stayed overnight there, and you two were alone in the barn.”

  “In a cold barn in a blizzard,” she reminded him. “We were practically strangers, Drew. Nothing was going to happen overnight. Derek’s imagination is too vivid.”

  “And maybe you’re protesting a little too much.”

  Maybe she was protesting because she could still remember the feel of her head on Eli’s shoulder as they cuddled together for warmth. Maybe she was protesting too much because the touch of Eli’s lips on hers was more than a memory.

  Drew gave her a curious look, then shrugged. “Did Derek ask you on a date and you turned him down?”

  “No, we never quite got to that. He approached me at Kayla’s wedding and tried to charm me.”

  “But you can’t be charmed?” Drew asked.

  “Not by Derek.”

  “Ah. Could that leave an opening for his older brother?”

  She elbowed Drew in the ribs. “Fill your face with that turkey and stop making up scenarios about my life.”

  Drew behaved for the most part after that, and the conversations jumped around to other things besides marriage and grandchildren.

  As she was helping Melba clear the table, Melba said, “You know you’re welcome here whenever you want to stay, especially in the winter when we don’t have many guests.”

  Hadley was still smiling at that when the phone on her belt buzzed. In Bozeman she was used to it buzzing all the time—either a client calling or one of the other vets or one of her friends. But here, her phone had mostly been quiet except for texts between her and her sisters.

  When she checked the screen now, her heart sped up. It was Eli.

  “Hey,” she said when she answered, trying to sound casual.

  “Hey, yourself. Happy Thanksgiving.”

  “Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.” After she said it,
she mentally groaned. How lame could she get?

  “You probably have a houseful there at Strickland’s.”

  “We do,” she said, sounding a little weary of it.

  He chuckled. “A little too much family?”

  “I love them all,” she reminded him.

  He chuckled again. “How would you like to drive over here and have dessert with me in my cabin?”

  “I’d like that,” she said. “Believe me, nobody here will miss me.”

  “I doubt that. About half an hour?”

  “See you soon.” After she ended the call, Hadley wondered what she’d just done. Agreed to a date of sorts?

  Tessa was passing by her on the way to the kitchen when Hadley snagged her arm. “I’m going out for a while.”

  “Out where?” Tessa asked.

  “To the Dalton ranch.”

  “Checking on that foal?” Tessa asked with a twinkle in her eye.

  “Sure am,” Hadley said with a straight face.

  “I’ll cover for you,” Tessa agreed, then added, “Say hello to Eli for me,” and disappeared into the kitchen.

  As Hadley went to fetch her coat, she wondered if Eli would be glad she was staying longer in Rust Creek Falls.

  She’d soon find out.

  Chapter Nine

  Eli watched for Hadley’s SUV. When she drove up and parked near the cabin, he opened his door. He’d debated about calling her. Should he or shouldn’t he? He’d asked himself more than once if he wanted more than a casual relationship with her. Hadley was different from any woman he’d dated. She was natural, no fake airs. Animals were more important to her than makeup. Not that she needed makeup. She had a natural beauty that drew him to her. Yes, she’d be returning to Bozeman, but did that really matter if they wanted to see each other?

  He’d thought again about Elaine...about her leaving. Was he really going to let that affect his relationships for the rest of his life? The failure of his first serious relationship had kept him from becoming involved for years.

  He’d told himself that today could be the last chance to see Hadley before she left Rust Creek Falls. That conclusion had led him to pick up his phone and call her.

  Now Hadley hurried up the walk, saying, “Aren’t you afraid the cats will run out?”

  “They’re sleeping up in the loft,” he said, pointing in that direction. “I just got back from the barn checking on Amber and the foal. Come on in.”

  After Hadley stepped inside, he closed the door. “Are you interested in dessert or sitting in front of the fire?”

  “Both sound nice,” she admitted.

  He went to the fireplace, where he’d laid kindling. Pulling a log from the carrier on the hearth, he placed it in position. “Did you have a nice Thanksgiving with your family?” he asked as she shrugged out of her jacket.

  He went to her, and as he took her jacket from her, his fingers brushed hers. When both of them stopped and gazed into each other’s eyes, Eli felt the world spin a bit. To find his bearings again, he carried her coat into the kitchen and hung it over one of the chairs. Returning to her, he waited for her answer.

  “It was nice,” she said, not giving any further explanation.

  He never knew how much to prod her, so he said casually, “That doesn’t sound like an endorsement for a big family gathering.”

  With a sigh, Hadley sank down onto the sofa. “The truth is, I needed an excuse to get away.”

  He could take that as an insult, but he chose not to. If she felt he was a haven of sorts, so be it.

  She must have realized what she said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make that sound—I mean, I wanted to come here and have dessert with you.”

  If he went to her now, he might just take her in his arms and kiss her. That could send her driving back to her family. Instead he put another log on the fire, then he took the can of long matches from the mantel and plucked one out.

  “So tell me why you needed an excuse to leave.”

  “When I’m sitting there with everyone, I feel the pressure of family expectations,” she explained.

  Eli glanced at her over his shoulder and saw the serious expression on her face. Whatever was bothering her seemed like more than just the typical irritation of family poking into private lives. He kept quiet to see if she’d tell him more.

  By the time he’d lit the fire, she’d started talking again.

  “I’m aware that my grandmother and my mother think I should settle down and start a family. And maybe that is on my mind, too. But that doesn’t mean I should want to date every eligible bachelor. That doesn’t mean I should jump at the chance of marriage.”

  A quaver in Hadley’s voice alerted Eli, but there was hurt behind her words. He wished she’d confide more in him. However, he saw her lips set perfectly now, and he sensed she was already regretting she’d said too much. He was glad when the cats chose that moment to descend the stairs from the loft. Both of them came running over to Hadley and wrapped around her legs.

  Her smile was back as she picked up Winks. “You are such a cutie.” She snuggled her until the kitten started squirming.

  When she put her down, Winks scrambled over to Eli and, as before, started climbing up his jean-clad leg.

  He caught her at his knee and lifted her into his arms. “She’s a character. It’s a good thing I don’t have curtains on the windows or she’d be climbing them.” There was just a Western-patterned valance over each window that had been Kristen’s idea. Now he was glad of it.

  “You’ll have to get them a scratching post and train them to use it, then they won’t bother your furniture.”

  “I’ll do that,” he said. “So tell me what kind of dessert you’d like. Mom didn’t take it all along to Uncle Ben’s.”

  “Why are you here when they’re all over there?”

  “I just came back to check on the horses and the cats. Believe me, there are enough people there that they won’t miss me. Anyway I have apple and pumpkin pies.”

  “Your mom made you two pies?”

  “My cousins drop in. Besides, she knows I like late-night snacks.”

  Hadley looked up at him and then at the table in the kitchen. “Do you want me to come to the kitchen?”

  “No need. We can sit here and enjoy the fire.”

  She peered into the fire as if she was looking for answers to a question. But then she nodded to him. “I’d like a slice of apple.”

  “Coming right up. Coffee with that?”

  “Sounds good.”

  From the kitchen, Eli watched her. She was dressed in a green sweater with a black turtleneck underneath. Her slim-cut black jeans showed off her legs above her shoe boots. He saw that she busied herself with the cats while he cut two slices of pie and poured coffee into mugs. He brought it all to the coffee table.

  When he sat beside her, they ate. He noticed their silence was companionable and not at all awkward.

  After Hadley was finished, she set her dish on the coffee table and let out a sigh. “You know, this is the first I’ve really relaxed since I got here. The boardinghouse is more like a dorm with everybody in and out of each other’s rooms. There’s lots of company for meals, and generally speaking I like that.”

  “Except, sometimes you want private time,” Eli guessed.

  “Exactly. Private time with no one butting into my business or asking where I’m going or what I’m going to be doing. You’d think I’d be used to it with two sisters. But somehow I thought once we were adults on our own, that would change.”

  “That’s why I built this house,” Eli said with complete understanding. “It was time. My mother gives me the same lecture that your grandmother gives you. That look and a wink that says she wants grandkids from me. And I tell her that will
happen when it’s supposed to happen.”

  Somehow while eating their pie and drinking their coffee and talking about family issues they both understood, they had leaned closer to each other. Eli was reading the signals from Hadley that she was glad to be here and glad to be close to him. Yet he sensed her reserve also and wondered if he could break through it.

  So instead of wondering, he asked, “Are you going to run if I kiss you again? Or will you stay for a second cup of coffee?”

  He thought she swallowed hard. He thought the color in her cheeks pinkened. She hesitated only a moment before she answered him. “I’ll stay for the coffee.”

  He didn’t rush and he didn’t move too quickly. He realized in some ways he was treating Hadley like a skittish colt. But what other way was there to gentle somebody you wanted to care for? He laid his hand on her shoulder, then he leaned in and rubbed his cheek against hers.

  It must have been the right thing to do because she turned her face up to him. When he took her lips, they were soft and welcoming, and he felt as if they’d been building to this since the first moment she’d stepped into his barn. Their other kisses had been impulsive and maybe even considered mistakes by Hadley. But this one was fully consensual.

  In no time at all, with his arm wrapped around her, he’d brought her over onto his lap, where kissing was easier. She seemed as lost in him as he was in her. She ran her fingers in his hair and along his jawline. He’d learned restraint in his thirty-plus years, but Hadley’s response made him want to break free of all restraints. He’d moved his hand to her breast and was about to take them a little farther when suddenly Whisper jumped up to the back of the sofa.

  Eli could tell Hadley was aware of it. Her hand suddenly went to his chest, and she leaned away from him.

  In a husky voice, he asked, “Too much?”

  “Too fast. I’m not going to let attraction sweep me away into regret.”