Christmas with the Rancher

She pulled in a deep breath and slowly let it out trying with everything that was in her not to simply walk out to her truck, start it up and never look back. She should get someone else to handle her dad. That would be the smart thing to do...the prudent thing...the best thing for everyone concerned.

But she knew she couldn’t do that.

“All right! Have it your way. I’ll stay overnight. In the meantime, I have no idea if we can get on another flight out of here tomorrow, but I’ll try.”

“I’m sure you will. And if you can’t, we’ll fly out the next day or the next. I’m in no hurry.”

“I have to meet with TransGlobal on Christmas Eve at my office in Chicago with all the paperwork signed. Nothing can get in the way of that.”

He gave her a dismissive hand wave. “Not a problem. We have an entire week. Seven full days.” And he walked out the door leaving her to doubt herself for agreeing to spend the night in Briggs...where just about anything could happen.

* * *

TRAVIS BUSIED HIMSELF with securing a life-size reindeer to the bed of his pickup as Nick approached. He had hoped to get out of there without having to speak to Nick again, fearing he might say something to him he’d regret later. If only that darn reindeer had cooperated and Colt hadn’t partially secured it to the front lawn. When Colt did something, he made sure it was done right the first time.

Dang him!

“I’ve got nothing to say to you, Nick. So you might as well turn right around and head back inside and pack.”

“Now hold on there, son. It’s not how you think.”

Travis stopped pulling on the rope he was using to secure the reindeer and looked across the truck bed at Nick. “No matter what I think, it’s none of my business. Bella made that crystal clear.”

“You can’t take what that girl says to heart.”

“All I can go on is what she says, and so far it’s been nothing but grief.”

“We need to give her time to readjust to Briggs, to me and to you. Right now she’s still running on big-city time. It’s all she’s known for the past fifteen years. It’s going to take a few days for all that citified haughtiness to disappear.”

“And how does that work if you two are leaving today?”

Nick smirked, and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. “That’s been put off.”

Travis picked up his toolbox from the snowy ground and placed it inside the truck bed next to the reindeer’s head along with the now coiled rope and harness from the roof. He was ready to leave, but he knew Nick had other plans for him, plans he didn’t want anything to do with.

“How’d you manage that? Tie her to the tree or something? She seemed pretty hell bent on leaving.”

“Told her I had to read the paperwork before I’d sign anything.”

Travis opened the door on the driver’s side of his truck. “Great, so that takes a couple hours.”

“No, you’re not understanding.”

“I think I understand everything just fine. You agreed to sell your inn to make your daughter happy even if it means you’ll be miserable. I get it. A parent will sacrifice everything for their kids. The thing I don’t get is why you didn’t tell me before I enlisted my family and half the town to help save your inn when you knew all along you were getting ready to sell it. That’s not like you, Nick.”

“That’s not why you’ve got your spurs in a knot. You’re mad ’cause you had your heart set on spending this Christmas with Bella, like you did when you two were kids. And she can’t get out of here fast enough.”

Travis always wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to Bella and anyone with half a brain could see it...except maybe Bella. Well, this time he wasn’t going to admit to those emotions. This time he wasn’t going to be made the fool.

“There’s where you’re wrong. I couldn’t care less if Bella stays or goes. It’s the inn I’m upset over.”

Travis made himself comfortable behind the wheel of his silver pickup, turned over the ignition, ready to blow this mess. He’d had enough.

Nick came around to his side. “That’s just it. I’m trying to save my inn, and show my daughter what she’s been missing here in Briggs. I thought a little welcome-home party at Belly Up might help.”

“The state she’s in, she’d never agree to it.”

“No need to tell her every detail.”

“And when are you planning on hosting this little shindig?”

“Tonight, around eight. It would mean a lot to me if you could be there to sort of help her transition along.”

“What kind of transition are you talking about?”

“The kind where she decides to hang around for a spell, rekindle her love for Briggs and realizes this here inn is part of her heritage and can’t be sold...at least not now.”

“And how am I supposed to accomplish this miracle when she’s so bound and determined to get her way?”

“Show her what she’s been missing. Country’s part of her soul no matter how citified she might be on the outside. All you have to do is help bubble it up to the surface.”

“Like that’s even possible.”

“I have complete faith in you. Besides, you’re my only hope.”

Travis saw the desperation in Nick’s eyes. The man was like a second dad to Travis and he hated to see him in this pickle with his daughter.

“I’m not saying I’ll do it or that I’ll show up tonight, but if I do, don’t expect miracles. She’s not the girl who left Briggs fifteen years ago. That girl’s been replaced with someone I don’t recognize. And frankly, I don’t much like.”

“All you have to do is help me delay her a bit. Remind her of all the good things she loved about Briggs. Get her to lighten up a little. Maybe that’ll change her mind.”

“There ain’t nothin’ gonna change her mind. She always did have a strong will. Just like her mama.”

“But she’s got her daddy’s heart. I know it. Give her a chance, Travis. She might surprise you.”

“She already has,” he said and drove away thinking how he had no intention of showing up at any welcome-home party for Bella Biondi, no matter how sexy she looked in her tight jeans or how much he wanted to kiss those full lips of hers or run his hands... He couldn’t get that woman out of his head no matter what she did or said. She’d made a mark on his soul and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He simply had to bide his time until she left, and stay as far away from her as possible.

And that included her darn welcome-home party...at Belly Up...at eight.

“Dang it all,” Travis said, slapping the steering wheel, knowing perfectly well he could no more stay away from her than a bronc rider could stop himself from riding an ornery, bucking horse.

* * *

THE SNOW HADN’T let up for two hours straight and Bella’s high-heeled boots were no match for what had accumulated on the ground. She knew better, but hadn’t brought any other shoes with her, never thinking she’d have to walk more than a few feet from her rental to the inn.

Now, as she made her way through town, she focused on the delightful fact that she had been successful at changing their flight reservations. Takeoff was scheduled for 4:45 tomorrow afternoon and it couldn’t come fast enough for Bella.

The shops were still open, and Christmas music filled the air as people hustled from one store to another. Moo Creamery still had the life-size heifer standing near the front door. The sparkly wreath around its neck seemed bigger than she remembered with a lot more lights. She preferred the smaller one. It seemed a lot less garish. Inside, every seat was taken with adults and kids enjoying sweet creamy treats. She hesitated for a moment, thinking of how luscious Moo’s ice cream had tasted, and thought about going inside and buying a cone until reason stopped her. She didn’t eat whole-milk products...way too much fat.

She turned away from the window and continued on toward the tavern. If there was any type of retail slowdown going on in other parts of the country, it certainly wasn’t apparent in Briggs, Idaho. Everyone in town appeared to be spending money freely.

The four long blocks to Belly Up not only seemed like ten, but she’d nearly fallen on her butt several times. Then there was the inordinate amount of white lights wrapped around every tree, railing and light post. More lights decorated each shop window and doorway, along with wreaths, mechanical Santas, snowmen and reindeer. When she passed the town square, she noted there was a decorated gazebo that hadn’t been there while she was growing up, and the Douglas fir in the middle of the square had grown substantially and now not only sparkled with colored lights and a bright star that adorned the very top, but fist-size brightly colored ornaments hung on almost every branch. She wondered how the town had managed to pay for all of this. It seemed like a complete waste of taxpayers’ money that could be better spent on something practical like snow removal.

As that reasonable thought zipped through her head, her feet went out from under her and this time she landed hard, right on her butt. She sat there for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Fortunately, there hadn’t been anyone around to catch the embarrassing moment.

“You might try the appropriate footwear next time,” Travis said as he offered his gloved hand to help her up. He had startled her and her embarrassment only increased now that she stared up at him.

“My boots are fine. I tripped,” she said, knowing perfectly well she’d slipped.

When she couldn’t get up on her own, he said, “Are you okay?”

He looked genuinely concerned...or was that amusement?

She gazed up at him as he stood under a streetlight looking all sexy hot in his black hat, red scarf and black wool parka. Snow had gathered on his shoulders and on the brim of his cowboy hat as if he’d been out in the elements for quite some time and Bella wondered what he’d been up to. Had he been following her?

“You might have announced yourself, or were you purposely trying to scare me?”

“Merely walking by and saw you take a tumble.”

The smirk never left his face as he leaned over and grabbed her arm.

For a second she felt that warm, sugary glow she’d felt when they’d shared their first kiss. How he always made her feel special, beautiful, as if she was the most important person in his life. Then the cold seeped in through her thin pants and that warm glow turned into the reality of her butt freezing as she sat on the ground.

“I’m fine.” She jerked her arm out of his grasp. “I can get up on my own, thank you. No broken bones. But why are you following me?”

He stood straight again, looking down at her. That sly smirk still caught on his lips. “That would assume you’re worth following, which you are not.”

“Then why are you here?”

“To help you up.”

“I don’t need help.”

“Suit yourself,” he said with a chuckle and strolled away, leaving her there to deal with the elements and her slippery boots.

“Of all the arrogant, ill-mannered...”

She sighed loud enough for him to hear her, but he didn’t turn around.

* * *

TEN MINUTES LATER, with her pride still stinging, Bella pulled open the heavy glass door to Belly Up Tavern. The one and only time she’d been inside, it was with her mom on the morning they’d driven out of town for good. It was Christmas Eve morning and Bella had had no idea they weren’t coming back.

Her mom had stopped in to pick up her final paycheck. Not only had she kept the books for their inn, but she’d also doubled as a bookkeeper for a few of the businesses in town. That extra work had served her well, considering she landed a CFO position at a top company in Chicago a mere six years later.

Dream Weaver Inn had been her dad’s dream, not her mom’s, and the inn always operated at a loss. Still did, thus the reason it was time to sell the place. Walking into the tavern now, with Christmas decorations hanging from every beam and light fixture only brought the memory full circle. She was finally going to be rid of that darn inn and all the memories that went along with it once and for all.

She longed to get this thing over with. She’d placate her dad by agreeing to share a meal with him for old times’ sake, maybe share a bottle of red wine, collect the signed offer and they’d be out of town in less than twenty-four hours. If her dad didn’t want to join her then so be it. He could fly out later, alone. She intended to be on that flight out of Idaho tomorrow afternoon, and there was absolutely nothing that would stop her.

“Surprise!”

At least fifty complete strangers stared at her seemingly waiting for her reply. At once she turned back to the door to check out who had stepped inside after her, but there was no one. The “surprise” had been for her. She stood staring at all the smiling, happy faces feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, too stunned to physically move.

Who are these people?

Then, slowly, as if the picture in front of her began to focus, she could pick out familiar faces and realized the strangers were some of her closest friends from childhood.

“Oh, my God! You guys,” she said completely dumbfounded by their exuberance.

She was going to kill her father, who was noticeably absent from the lively group. Probably a smart move on his part considering the anger she felt towards him knowing the “steak dinner” was simply a rouse.

And she fell for it....

At once the group bombarded her with questions and old jokes. She had a hard time keeping up as she tried to be polite. Unfortunately, she didn’t recognize anyone right off or remember their names. She had little desire to rekindle friendships or to get the dirt on any of her fellow classmates which seemed to be what most of the group wanted to share, along with their business cards and contact information.

She graciously took their cards, wrote down other pertinent info, and shared her own contact information knowing perfectly well from her past experience with these fair-weather friends that none of them would follow through. Once she drove out of town that would be the end of it, exactly how it had been when she and her mom drove out of town fifteen years ago.

For the next several hours Bella bounced from one parochial conversation to the next with people she’d all but forgotten. Even her childhood best friend, Jaycee Barnes, now mother to two boys and a girl, initially only stirred up a mild amount of nostalgia. Then, as if a switch had turned on inside Bella, the more they shared their lives the more she genuinely missed their friendship. She’d never bonded with another girlfriend like she had with Jaycee. They had been more than best friends; they had been sisters.

Jaycee looked tired. Gone was her waist-length chestnut-brown hair, replaced by a short cut that had lost all its bounce. She wore a plain blue Western-style shirt, black jeans and well-worn tan-colored cowgirl boots. She carried an alert baby girl on one hip, dressed in a red Santa outfit with a white stretchy headband around her little head that sported a spray of mini round ornaments that bounced every time the baby moved.

“You brought your baby to a bar?” Bella asked once the two women had settled on bar stools. They sat at the end of the long wooden bar, farthest away from the front door and the Christmas tree that dominated the picture window adjacent to it. Bella was working on her third longneck beer while Jaycee sipped a club soda with several limes. They had chatted about her children for a good ten minutes and now Bella wanted to move onto another subject. Children were fine, as long as Bella didn’t have to interact with them or listen to gloating parents... Jaycee was beyond gloating and well into exulting.

For one thing, Bella had a hard time believing anyone would want to bring their “cherished” baby to a bar let alone want to nurse said baby while sitting on a bar stool.

“It’s family owned,” Jaycee said, as she cradled her baby under a small pink coverlet with a strap that she’d slipped over her head that kept both baby and nursing mama hidden.

It wasn’t as if Jaycee had whipped out a breast to feed her baby or anything equally uncomfortable for everyone else...but still.

A bar!

“And that means...?”

“It’s not like it’s a regular bar-bar where singles troll for a pick up.”

“Didn’t you just tell me you met your husband in this bar?”

“That was different. Fred wasn’t trolling. He was here on business.”

“What kind of business could have brought him to Briggs?”

“Fred works for the National Potato Council.”

Bella nodded, and smirked. “Of course he does.”

She took a couple swigs of her beer while Jaycee droned on.

“It’s a good job, but raising three kids is costly. We’ve been trying to buy a bigger house ’cause we’ve outgrown the one we’re in, especially with another baby coming. I found the perfect one in town, but Fred’s been traveling so much it’s hard to pin him down long enough to get all the paperwork together to put in a proper offer.”

Bella nearly choked on her beer. “You’re having another baby?”

“Yes, isn’t it wonderful?” Her girl’s hand poked out from under the pink blanket and grabbed her mom’s chin.

“Wonderful,” Bella lied.

It was one thing to have three kids and be financially strapped, but to be happy about being pregnant with a fourth was simply irrational...at least in Bella’s way of thinking.

“Bella, baby, Mommy’s trying to have a conversation.”

Bella was about to take another pull on her beer when she focused on Jaycee’s words. “You named your baby Bella?”

Jaycee nodded, and a wide grin spread across her haggard-looking face. “You’re my best friend. Isn’t that what best friends do? I’m sure when you have your own baby girl you’ll name her Jaycee. You don’t have to if you really don’t want to. I won’t be offended, I promise, but that’s the promise we made to each other when we won the tiaras.”

Bella suddenly remembered they’d tied for Miss Junior Russet when they were eight years old, the same day they’d promised each other to name their first baby girl after each other. It was the first time in the history of the pageant that there’d been a tie and Jaycee thought they should do something special to commemorate the occasion. Bella had agreed and had treasured that tiara, always keeping it prominently displayed in her room.

But when it came time for her to leave with her mom, she could only bring two suitcases filled with her things and the tiara didn’t make the cut. At the time, she figured she’d be back for her things later, probably in a week or so. Had she known they wouldn’t be returning to Briggs anytime soon, she would’ve brought her tiara with her. It had been one of her favorite things. She had no idea what happened to it and hadn’t thought about it in years.

“That was a long time ago. We haven’t spoken to each other since we were kids. How can we possibly still be best friends?”

Jaycee threw Bella a look as if she didn’t understand the question. “Did you get another best friend?”

Not even close.

“No, but friends keep in touch.”

“I figured you were busy, is all. I forgave you for not answering my letters.”

“You forgave me? You sent me one letter telling me how Travis had started hanging around with the popular girls in school and when I asked you to be more specific you never wrote back.”

The news that Travis had moved on so quickly had devastated Bella and had taken her a long time to get over the hurt.

Jaycee took a sip of her drink. “I wrote back, but you’d already moved. The letter came back to me, unopened with no forwarding address. Besides, I was mad at you for leaving and not telling me first. I eventually forgave you and sent you another letter, but that one came back, as well. Now that I have kids of my own I know exactly how much they misinterpret situations they don’t understand. It was your mama’s decision to leave, not yours. I just couldn’t understand that when I was twelve.”

It was true. Bella knew that a twelve-year-old looked at friends and boys much differently than an adult did. And it was also true that she and her mom had moved a lot in the beginning, so she needed to cut Jaycee some slack for the absent letters. And just as a loving warm feeling washed over Bella and she leaned in to tell Jaycee how much she wanted to rekindle thier friendship, a male voice interrupted her.

“As I live and breathe. Little Bella Biondi. Now that’s a Christmas miracle.”

Bella turned to face a grown up Dusty Spenser, the one boy who could have given Travis a run for his money when they were kids. Dusty had grown into his big hands and feet. He had to be at least six-four with a shock of jet-black hair, the same chiseled nose and baby-blue eyes that used to make her swoon whenever she gazed into them.

Dusty marched right up to her, scooped her up in his strong arms and twirled her around like a cloth doll. As she twirled she spotted Travis, looking as gorgeous as ever in a dark green sweater and tight jeans. She thought she never wanted to see him again since he’d so rudely left her on the ground outside.

Until now.

Now she wanted to be in his arms and not Dusty’s, just as she had wanted to be his girlfriend when they were kids, but she knew darn well where that would lead as adults.

Nowhere.

Dusty finally stopped twirling her and plopped her down. Travis stood nearby the buffet table, which featured every combination of potatoes known to mankind. He was staring right at her as he looked up from a conversation he was having with several women Bella recognized as the more popular girls from school. What they were doing at her party, she didn’t know. She never liked them, and they never liked her.

Apparently, Travis had a much different relationship.

One of the women seemed to be tugging on his hand, while another pulled on his arm to go in the opposite direction. Bella couldn’t be sure if he was seriously trying to get away from them or simply flirting. Regardless, she wished he hadn’t come to her party.

Granted, seeing her childhood friends had been enjoyable, especially Jaycee who she would like to see again sometime, but that was as far as it went. This town was not her home and these people were no longer her people. She truly didn’t fit in anymore. If her dad thought seeing everyone would change her mind about the sale, it had accomplished the exact opposite.

For one thing, Travis seemed to have grown into the man that Jaycee had only mildly described in her letter. Now he seemed to be more of the town stud instead of the school flirt that Jaycee had noted.

Dusty yammered on about how glad he was to see her. How he was a Realtor now, with his own business out of Jackson, Wyoming. He even gave her a card, but all Bella wanted was to get the heck out of there, and not just the tavern, but the entire state.

And as soon as the world stopped spinning, she would do just that.

Chapter Three

“It’s the only way you’re going to get home without falling on your butt again. Them city boots of yours might look good, but they’re worthless in all this snow. Come on.” Travis held out his hand. “You don’t have to even talk to me if you don’t want to.”

It had taken Bella the better part of thirty minutes for her world to completely stop spinning after Dusty had given her that twirl. Three beers—or was it four or even five, she’d lost track—combined with no food had given her a buzz she wasn’t prepared for. And by the time she was ready to fight the elements, the snow had accumulated to an impossible level. Her only course back to the inn was to either walk, which seemed totally problematic, especially since she’d already fallen once, or she could ride up front with Travis in his red horse-drawn sleigh all lit up like a Christmas tree. Clearly he was taking the season to a whole new level.

The sleigh held not only Travis, which was bad enough, but Dusty, his pretty little wife, Dora, who couldn’t be more than five foot two inches tall in heels, bartender Milo Gump, a mountain of a man under a brown cattleman’s pinch-front hat, his pink-haired, pregnant wife, Amanda, and Jaycee, without her baby. Her husband, Fred, had stopped by to take little Bella home right after Jaycee had nursed her, thank you very much. They were all seated inside the covered sleigh, sharing thick wool blankets, looking warm and cozy despite the bitter cold, singing Christmas carols.