Naughty or Nice?: Mistletoe, Montana Book 13

by L. Wilder

  “Yeah, you know...The button to start the fire.”

  “You’re in Montana, darlin’. We don’t do buttons here.” Colton took off his hat and placed it on the table, then walked over and picked up several logs of wood. He was arranging them in the fireplace when my phone chimed in my back pocket. I knew it was probably just Natalie again, so I ignored it. When I heard a second chime, I shifted my rear deeper into the cushions, hoping to muffle the sound. I prayed that would be the end of it as I watched Colton use several pages from an old newspaper to light the fire. Once he had the blaze rolling, he stood and wiped the dust off his hands. “That should warm things up in here.”

  “Thank you, Colton. I really appreciate all your help.”

  When my phone chimed with yet another text message, my entire body tensed. I let out a frustrated sigh as I pulled it out of my pocket and quickly turned it to silent, then tossed it on the coffee table with a huff. An amused expression crossed his face as he glanced down at my phone and saw the stream of messages. “Your friend?”

  “Yes. She’s back at it. Just can’t seem to help herself.”

  Since my divorce, I hadn’t dated much, and when I had, it hadn’t gone well. Over the past year, I’d all but given up on finding my Mr. Right and put all of my focus on my kids and my writing. Natalie hadn’t tried to hide that she thought I should get out and have a little fun. If she found out I was alone with a hot, Montana cowboy nearby, she’d tell me to cut loose and be a little naughty. As I sat there looking at Colton’s handsome face, I was beginning to wonder if should. It wasn’t like anyone would ever know. I was hundreds of miles from home in a place where I didn’t know a soul. I could have a playful, little fling with him and return to my mundane life knowing I’d taken a chance. It was a thought that resonated within me as I listened to him say, “Always good to have a friend who looks out for you.”

  “Yes. That’s very true.” I could feel my insecurities and doubt building by the second. I knew if I waited a second longer I’d chicken out, so I blurted out, “I really do appreciate you helping me after my fall and for getting the fire started, and I wondered if I could repay you for your kindness?”

  “Oh, really?” His attention was suddenly drawn down to the coffee table where my phone was sitting. He studied the screen for a moment, then cocked his eyebrow. “What do you have in mind?”

  The hot cowboy was actually flirting with me. It was that realization that gave me the courage to ask, “How about dinner?”

  “Okay.” A mischievous smirk crossed his face as he snickered, “You thinking about some kind of meat?”

  “What?”

  “Sorry.” He motioned his hand towards the coffee table. “I couldn’t help but notice your last message from Nat.”

  “Oh God.” Panicked, I quickly reached over to the table and grabbed my phone. As I scanned through the messages, I could feel the warmth of my embarrassment burning my cheeks.

  Natalie:

  Woman! You have to tell me something!

  Natalie:

  This is your chance, Les. Save a horse and ride a cowboy.

  Natalie:

  If he’s all hot and sexy, you should tell him you want the meat!

  Natalie:

  You know what? Tell him you want the meat even if he isn’t all hot and

  sexy!

  Horrified, I quickly closed the messages and slipped my phone under the blanket. It took me a moment to get the nerve to look back up at Colton. When I finally did, I found him smiling at me like the Cheshire cat. “The meat, huh?”

  “Umm...ahh...she was talking about the pork chops I just bought,” I lied.

  “Is that right?”

  “I could fix them for dinner tonight. That is, if you are interested.”

  His eyes never left mine as he answered, “Oh, I’m definitely interested.”

  “Okay.” I got the feeling he was interested in more than just pork chops, which was probably a good thing—since I didn’t actually have any. In fact, I didn’t have much of anything. I wasn’t expecting company, so I’d only bought enough food for one. I knew I’d never make it to town and back before dinner so I had no other choice but to admit, “There’s just one thing. I don’t actually have any pork chops here. I wasn’t really planning on having anyone over for dinner.”

  “How about this? You keep the fire going, and I’ll bring the meat.”

  Unable to hold back my laughter, I giggled as I told him, “Well played, sir. Very well played.”

  “Glad you think so.” He gave me a wink as he asked, “What time would you like to eat?”

  “Whenever is good for you.”

  “How about six? I need to finish my rounds and get Daisy back to the stables.”

  “Six would be great.”

  He grabbed his hat off the table and slipped it back on his head as he said, “Alright then. I’ll be back at six.”

  “Great.” Being careful with my ankle, I lowered my feet to the floor and stood. As I tried not to put too much weight on my ankle, I followed him over to the back door. He was about to step outside when I looked over to him and said, “I never asked. What were you doing out this way anyway?”

  “Just doing my rounds. Checking for stray cattle and making sure the cabins have enough firewood.”

  “Oh well, I bet you’re glad you stopped by here,” I replied sarcastically.

  “I am, actually.” He gave me a warm smile, then said, “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  With that, he disappeared out onto the deck. I stood at the window and watched as he got back on his horse. As soon as he was gone, I rushed over to the sofa and grabbed my phone. I had some exciting news to share with my dear, exasperating friend Natalie.

  Colton

  After living on a ranch for as long as I had, there wasn’t much in the world that surprised me. I’d learned to expect the unexpected, but coming across Leslie in the snow got me. Hell, I’d never been more pleasantly surprised. As we stood there talking, her deep brown eyes pierced straight through me and held me prisoner as she spoke. It was all I could do to respond without sounding like a blubbering idiot. Her long, dark hair flowed down her delicate shoulders framing her soft skin, and I wanted to reach out and touch her. I’d never been so completely captivated by a woman. She was beautiful and had curves that begged to be explored. When I lifted her from the snow and cradled her against my chest, I felt an immediate connection to her, and from the look on her face, she felt it, too.

  I couldn’t remember a time when I felt so at ease, so myself with another human being, and I didn’t want the moment to end. Needless to say, I was beyond pleased when she’d invited me to dinner. Hell, I couldn’t wait to get back there. So much so, I finished my rounds in record time. When I got back to the house, I took Daisy back to the barn. I was leading her into her stall when I heard my oldest son, Dalton, ask, “What’s up with you? You win the lottery or something?”

  “No idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t give me that shit,” he complained. “I haven’t seen you smile like that since the night Daisy delivered her first colt.”

  “Just had a good day is all,” I lied.

  I could’ve told him about my encounter with Leslie and how being in the same room with her made me feel things I hadn’t felt in years, but I decided to keep it to myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t think he’d understand. I knew he would. He got me better than anyone. Hell, he’d been after me for years to get back out there and start dating again, but I just didn’t have it in me. Besides, there weren’t any women in Mistletoe, Montana I was even remotely interested in—until now. Dalton gave me one of his looks, then shook his head. “Okay, Pops. Keep your little secret. It’s not like I won’t find out sooner or later.”

  “You and Jacey going out tonight?”

  “Maybe.” He tossed a bale of hay into one of the stalls as he continued, “She’s got some big paper she’s been working on or something. We might grab
a bite after she’s done. What about you? You have any big plans for the night, or are you going to spend another night falling asleep in your recliner?”

  “I might be going out for a bit.”

  “Oh, really?” he asked, sounding surprised. “I’d ask if you had a hot date, but I know better than that.”

  I didn’t bother setting him straight. Instead, I motioned my hand over to the next stall and said, “Just finish feeding the horses, smart ass.”

  “On it.”

  I’d just put my saddle away when Drake, my youngest son, came barreling into the barn, and it was clear from his expression something was wrong. “We got a fence post down by the pond. You got time to give me a hand with it?”

  It was already after four, but it was a job we’d done a million times. I knew with Drake and Dalton there to help, it wouldn’t take long. “Yeah. We got time.”

  The boys helped me gather our tools, and once we had everything we needed, we headed over to the pond. I was relieved to see there were only a few posts down, so I was right in thinking it wouldn’t take long. We jumped out of the truck and got to work. As I’d hoped, we were able to get the fence back up without any issues. Knowing I only had a couple of hours before I was supposed to meet up with Leslie, I glanced down at my watch to check the time. I groaned under my breath when I saw it was almost six. Drake gave me a nudge as he teased, “What’s with you today?”

  “What?”

  “That’s the fifth time you’ve checked your watch.”

  “I’m just ready to call it a fucking day. Something wrong with that?” I snapped.

  “No,” Drake answered with sarcasm. “Nothing’s wrong with that.”

  “Oh, don’t mind him,” Dalton grumbled. “He’s been in a mood since he came back from his rounds.”

  Drake’s eyes narrowed with concern. “Something happen?”

  “No idea. He won’t tell me nothing.”

  “Damn. You two are worse than your sister.” Claire was usually the one with all the questions. She got her curiosity from her mother, and I had no doubt she’d also wonder what was going on with me. To be completely honest, I was pretty curious about it myself. I couldn’t remember the last time I was this wound up. Seemed I was even more eager than I thought to get back to that cabin to see Leslie again. Hell, just thinking about her gorgeous, dark eyes; her warm, innocent smile; and her sexy, voluptuous figure had my heart racing and my palms sweating. Damn. I’d only been with her for a few minutes, and she had me all kinds of tangled up. I could only imagine how I’d be after spending an entire evening with her. I shook my head as I told the boys, “Why don’t you both drop it and let’s get this shit back in the truck?”

  Dalton held up his hands in surrender. “Far be it for us to hold you up.”

  They both exchanged side glances, then started gathering up our things. As soon as we got back to the house, I went inside and took a shower. I threw on some jeans and a button-down shirt, then checked my watch once again. Damn. I’d thought about grilling pork chops, but there simply wasn’t time. Having no other choice, I went to town to grab us some dinner, and since I was going to be a few minutes late, I decided to grab a couple of bottles of wine. My heart was practically beating out of my chest as I got out of the truck and started up to the cabin. I’d barely knocked when the door opened, and Leslie appeared looking absolutely beautiful in her dark, denim jeans and red, flannel shirt. A warm smile crossed her face as she said, “I was starting to think you weren’t going to show.”

  “Sorry about that. I had some things to tend to before I could head over.”

  “Did you get everything taken care of?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. Everything’s good.”

  “Great.” She stepped back as she opened the door wider and motioned me inside. “Well, come on in where it’s warm.”

  “So, you managed to keep the fire going?” I asked as I stepped inside.

  “You ask that like you had your doubts.”

  “Well, you are the one who was looking for a button to start it.”

  “Touché’.” Her brows furrowed as she looked down at the two large bags in my hands. “What’s all this?”

  “This is dinner.”

  “It smells great.”

  “Good. I hope you like it.”

  I placed everything on the counter and started to unpack the bags. I’d just pulled out the wine I’d brought when I noticed a half-empty bottle sitting on the table. When I looked over to Leslie, she lifted her empty glass with a slight shrug. “It was Natalie’s idea.”

  “Oh really? What other ideas did Natalie have?”

  “Probably should save that conversation for later.” I watched as she walked over to the cabinet and took out a glass. After filling it up to the top with wine, she brought it over to me and said, “You have some catching up to do.”

  “Alright then.” I took a big sip, then smiled. “Are you ready to eat or do you want to wait a bit?”

  “I could eat.”

  “Great.” I motioned my hand over to the living room as I asked, “How about we have dinner in front of the fireplace?”

  “Perfect.”

  I went over to the sofa and grabbed one of the blankets, placing it on the ground in front of the fireplace. Leslie helped me gather some plates and all the food, and moments later, we had everything laid out in front of the fire. Leslie’s eyes met mine as she said, “I feel a little guilty about you bringing dinner when I was the one who invited you over.”

  “As I recall, I offered to bring it. Besides, this will give you a chance to try some of Mistletoe’s finest.” I opened one of the takeout boxes and offered it to her. “Our bison burgers are legendary.”

  “Wow. This looks incredible.”

  “Well, take a bite and tell me what you think.”

  Doing as I’d asked, she lifted the burger to her mouth and took a small bite. Her eyes lit up as she replied, “They taste even better than they look.”

  “Glad you like them. I wouldn’t want Natalie to get upset with me for not bringing the meat.”

  “Oh, you certainly brought it.”

  “You’ll have to put in a good word for me.”

  A playful smirk crossed her face as she admitted, “I already have.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Well, I had to call her and let her know I was okay.”

  “Um-hmm. I get the feeling there was a little more to your conversation than that, especially after getting a peek at the messages she sent.”

  “Yeah. Let’s just say Natalie is hopeful that we have a good night.”

  “I have no doubt we will.”

  Silence fell over us as we continued to eat, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. It was the kind shared between two people who felt comfortable together and didn’t feel the need to fill the air with unnecessary idle conversation. Leslie had only eaten half of her burger when she closed her takeout box and said, “Oh man. I’m stuffed.”

  “No room for dessert?”

  “You brought dessert, too?”

  “Just a couple slices of cheesecake, but we can save them for later.”

  “Yes. Later would be good.”

  I nodded as I got up and carried our leftovers into the kitchen. After I put them in the fridge with the cheesecake, I grabbed another bottle of wine and carried it back into the living room. As I refilled our glasses, I asked, “So, what brings you to Mistletoe, Montana?”

  “I actually came here to finish a book I’ve been writing.”

  I sat back down next to her as I asked, “You’re an author?”

  “I am.”

  “What kind of books do you write?”

  A light blush crossed her face as she answered, “I’ll tell you, but you have to promise no judgements.”

  “You’re an author. What’s there to be judgmental about?”

  “More than you might think.” Her smile faded as she continued, “I write romance novels, and some people seem to have
preconceived notions about that, especially my ex-husband. He hated it and made sure to remind me of the fact constantly. I, on the other hand, like what I write. In my mind, there’s nothing better than a happy ending.”

  “Well, I personally think it’s awesome that you write romance, and you’re right. Happy endings are always a good thing.” I gave her a playful wink as I told her, “Maybe we’ll get a happy ending of our own.”

  “I’d be good with that.”

  I lifted my glass for a toast. “Here’s to your new book.”

  “Thanks.” She bumped her glass against mine and then took another sip. “What about you? What is involved in owning your own ranch?”

  “Not sure where to start.”

  “I know nothing about it, so start wherever you want.”

  I leaned my back against the coffee table as I told about some of the basic things we did around the ranch—at least they seemed basic to me. When I told her about the twelve hundred head of cattle we raised and sold, her eyes widened with surprise. That look of surprise continued as I told her about how my boys helped me maintain the property and the stables, along with the cabins. “The cabins were my wife’s idea. Whitney wanted something that was hers to manage, and when she passed, I kept them going. I figured she deserved that much.”

  “Wait, your wife passed away?”

  “Yeah. Cancer.” She inhaled a deep breath, and I immediately regretted bringing it up. I didn’t want something that had happened so long ago to put a damper on our night, so I quickly explained, “It was ten years ago. It was rough in the beginning, but the kids and I have come to terms with it...each in our own way.”

  “I’m really sorry. I know that must’ve been hard for all of you.”

  “Yeah, it was. Just like I’m sure getting a divorce wasn’t easy for you, but we got through it. That’s all that matters.”

  “So, you have three kids?”

  “They’re not kids anymore. Dalton is twenty-five, Drake’s twenty-four, and Claire’s twenty-two. Like I mentioned earlier, the boys work with me on the ranch, but Claire decided to venture out on her own and has a small bakery in town.”