Christmas with the Mustang Man

Shoving the dismal thoughts aside, he carried the mugs over to the table, along with a bowl of sugar and a carton of half-and-half. After he’d fetched a spoon and napkin for her, he took a seat across from his guest.

Now that he could see the woman in the light of the kitchen, he decided she looked even prettier than she had in the falling dusk. She had a wide soft mouth the color of a pink seashell and her pale green eyes were veiled by thick, long lashes. A rosy tinge marked her cheeks and straight little nose, and added to the vibrancy of her face. Yet it was her smile and the cheeriness in her eyes that grabbed him the most. She seemed to radiate happiness and that intrigued him, surprised him. Were there actually people like her left in the world? he wondered. Or was she simply putting up a polite front?

“So, when did you decide to add mustangs to your herd?” he asked, while watching her stir a dollop of cream into the steaming coffee. She had long fingers with plain, short nails. There were no rings on her fingers, but there was a wide-cuffed band of silver set with a red coral stone circling her right wrist. That one piece of jewelry would probably buy two months of groceries for him and his daughter.

Thoroughbreds, a six-figure truck and horse van and a family-owned ranch. Those things, coupled with her appearance, made it clear this woman was hardly lacking in financial funds.

“Several months ago a friend purchased a stallion and I was impressed at his intelligence and manners. Seeing him prompted me to look into what the mustangs were all about. That’s when I discovered how many of them need homes. Have you been working with them very long?”

She seemed genuinely interested and Boone was beginning to see she wasn’t simply a rich woman playing at a hobby.

“Eight years. Before that I only had cattle and a few quarter horses on the ranch. When I got my first mustang I never planned on that one animal eventually turning into a business or a love affair for me.” He shrugged, while trying not to feel embarrassed for allowing this woman to see a softer part of him. “It was just something that happened.”

“I—”

She suddenly broke off and lifted her gaze beyond his shoulder. Boone turned his head just in time to see his twelve-year-old-daughter, Hayley, bound into the room. As soon as the girl spotted Dallas, she skidded to a halt and stared openmouthed at their visitor.

“Oh. I didn’t know you had company, Dad.” Keeping her eye on the two adults, she moved past a row of cabinets until she reached a gas range. “I’m cooking pizza—for our dinner. And I think it’s done.”

“Hurry up with that and come over here,” Boone told her. “I want you to meet our guest.”

From her seat at the table, Dallas studied the young girl. Like her father, she was tall and if not a teenager already, then very close to it. Her light brown hair was bobbed short and tucked behind her ears, while her clothing was a typical T-shirt and hip-riding jeans. She wasn’t a dazzling beauty by any stretch of the imagination, but she was pretty. Or at least she would be if she’d smile, Dallas decided. Apparently she took that lack of expression from her father, too.

At the stove, the girl deftly donned a pair of quilted mittens and lifted the pizza from the oven. After she placed the baked concoction on the stove top and switched the control knob to the off position, she walked over to the table and stood stiffly at her father’s shoulder.

“Dallas, this is my daughter, Hayley. And, Hayley, this is Dallas Donovan. She’s driven all the way from New Mexico to purchase a few of our horses.”

Dallas rose to her feet and offered her hand to the girl. Hayley seemed a bit surprised to be greeted in such an adult manner, but after a slight hesitation, she placed her small hand in Dallas’s.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Hayley,” Dallas said. “Do you help your father with the horses?”

The glance she slanted at her father said she wasn’t sure how to answer that question. “Sometimes.”

“With school going on I suppose you don’t have much spare time,” Dallas remarked.

“Not much,” the girl replied. “I’m in seventh grade now and the math is awful.”

Dallas chuckled. “I never did like math. My dad grounded me once because I made a D. After that I had to study or sit home for the whole school year.”

Hayley’s expression perked up as she seemingly decided that Dallas was human after all. “Do you have any kids, Ms. Donovan?”

“Please, call me Dallas,” she said with a smile for the girl. “And no. I’m sorry to say I don’t have any children.”

“Then you’re not married?”

“Hayley! Quit asking personal questions! It’s not polite and you know better,” Boone admonished.

Shaking her head, Dallas sank back into her seat at the table. “It’s all right. Your daughter is curious. There’s nothing wrong with that,” she told Boone, then looked directly at Hayley. “No. I’m not married. What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?”

Hayley giggled and Boone shot the child a strange look, which made Dallas wonder if the sound of his daughter laughing was a rare thing, or was it the idea of Hayley having a boyfriend that caught his attention? Either way, Dallas felt totally drawn to the girl.

“Noooo,” Hayley exclaimed, her cheeks a bright pink. “I’m only twelve! Well—I’ll be thirteen in four months. But Dad says that’s too young for a boyfriend.”

Glancing over at him, Dallas noticed that Boone Barnett’s expression had returned to resembling a piece of hard granite, which only proved that he didn’t quite understand a young girl’s dreams and feelings.

Ignoring him for the moment, Dallas said, “Oh. Well, I just thought there might be a boy at school that you liked. You know, like best friends.”

The girl’s gaze instantly dropped to the floor. “The middle school I go to only has about ninety students altogether. So there aren’t that many boys to pick from. But there is one that I like,” she mumbled, then looked directly up at Dallas. “His name is Jeffery. And the rest of the girls call him a nerd. But I like him ’cause he’s polite and smart, not dumb jerks like most of the other boys.”

Dallas tossed her a smile of approval. “He sounds like a winner to me.”

Hayley looked up, her eyes widened with surprise. “Really?”

“Sure. Manners and brains. That’s the combination I’d pick.”

Hayley cast her father a subtle look of triumph, but he said nothing on the subject. Instead, he told his daughter, “You’d better cut the pizza before it gets cold.”

The girl appeared as though she wanted to say more, but at the last moment decided not to press her luck.

As Dallas watched Hayley return to the gas range to deal with the pizza, Boone asked, “Would you like to join us, Dallas? There’s plenty.”

Surprised by the offer, Dallas turned her head to see he was looking at her with those dark brown eyes, surveying her in a way that left her feeling like a turtle without a shell.

“No, thanks. I’d like to get to my hotel room before it gets late.”

After quickly draining the last of her coffee, she rose to her feet. Boone was out of his seat almost at the same time and reached for her heavy jacket. Dallas’s heart beat fast as he held the garment for her to slip her arms into.

She was accustomed to men doing gentlemanly things for her. But she wasn’t expecting such caring manners from this one. Nor was she expecting to feel so breathless, so completely aware of his strong presence.

“I’ll walk you to your truck,” he said. He shouldered on his own jacket and reached for a flashlight that sat on the end of a cabinet counter.

“Goodbye, Hayley,” Dallas said to Boone’s daughter. “It was nice meeting you.”

The girl nodded shyly, then gave her a little wave before Boone opened the door and ushered Dallas out of the kitchen.

Outside, darkness had settled over the ranch and she appreciated the glow of Boone’s flashlight illuminating their path as the two of them moved across the barren yard.

“Is there a special time I need to be here tomorrow?” she asked as they walked briskly toward the truck. “If you have other appointments, I can match my schedule to yours. That’s the least I can do for arriving late today.”

“I don’t have anything pressing going on tomorrow,” he replied. “Come out whenever you’d like.”

As they moved along in the darkness, she realized he was close enough for her to reach over and touch, if she was so minded to. The idea titillated her senses and sent all sorts of questions hurtling through her mind. Mainly, where was Hayley’s mother? And was there some other woman in this man’s life?

Don’t be letting your thoughts stray in that direction, Dallas. The hurt that Allen laid on your heart would be a minor scratch compared to what this cowboy could do to you. Get your business done with the man and get the heck out of here.

“I’ll be out early,” she promised him as she jerked her thoughts back to the real issue.

Once they reached the truck, he closed a hand around her elbow and helped her into the tall cab. Determined not to linger any longer, she closed the door between them and reached to start the engine. To her dismay the truck gave one loud sputter, and then the starter whirled uselessly.

Boone knocked on the door panel to garner her attention and then made a motion for her to lower the window. Dallas did as he asked, then hung her head over the partially opened glass panel.

“Pop the hood,” he instructed. “I’ll have a look.”

She pulled the hood lever, then climbed to the ground while he poked and prodded at several things attached to the engine.

After a few minutes, he finally said, “I don’t see anything undone or broken. Which leads me to think you could be right about the problem being with the fuel.”

She was already half-frozen from being out in the icy wind. It was growing later by the minute and she was miles and miles from Pioche, the only town in the area large enough to have any sort of amenities for a traveler.

“Well,” she said decisively, “I’ll have to call a wrecker and have the truck towed to Pioche. Is there a service you’d recommend?”

The glance he flashed her was full of impatience. “By the time a wrecker drove out here and pulled you back to town it would be the wee hours of the morning. And I doubt you’d find a mechanic that would want to crawl out of bed and start repairing your truck at that hour.”

Not willing to give in to her dire predicament, she asked, “You don’t happen to have a spare vehicle that I could borrow? I’d be happy to pay you for its use.”

He slammed the hood shut on the pricey vehicle and walked back over to where she stood. “Just an old truck we use here on the ranch,” he explained. “It’s not even highway legal.”

“Oh. Well, it was just a thought,” she said, trying her best not to sound dejected.

“Look, Dallas, I’d offer to drive you in to Pioche, but I’m not about to leave Hayley on the ranch by herself and I’m not going to drag her about for three fourths of the night. Especially when tomorrow is a school day.”

She’d not even gotten as far as that solution, Dallas thought. But she could see how the idea of him driving her all the way to Pioche was just as problematic as calling for a wrecker.

She might as well face the fact that she was stranded in the middle of nowhere, without anyone to rely on for help, except this big stone-faced horseman.

“I would never ask you to do such a thing, anyway,” she told him, then released a short, helpless laugh. “But I am going to ask what you suggest I do now?”

A faint grimace tightened his lips. “The way I see it, you have one choice. And that’s to stay here tonight.”

Chapter Two

Stay here? With him? Oh, God, nothing about this trip was turning out the way she’d planned, Dallas thought desperately.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’d rather get back to Pioche. I’ve already interrupted your evening.” She couldn’t imagine spending the night under the same roof with this man. Even if several rooms separated her from this rancher, she’d still know he was close by. She doubted she’d get a wink of sleep.

“The way I see it, you don’t have a choice in the matter.”

Her spine stiffened. She didn’t like anyone, especially a man, telling her that she’d run out of options. She was a doer, a thinker and a fighter. She didn’t just give up on something because it seemed hopeless. Even as a child her parents had bemoaned the fact that Dallas would obstinately refuse to accept the word no. Now, years later, she was still slow to accept it.

“I certainly do have a choice,” she said primly. “I’ll call a wrecker and hitch a ride back into Pioche with him. It won’t kill me if it’s late in the night when I get there. And if my truck can’t be repaired by midmorning, I’ll rent one.”

His features tightened and Dallas realized it was the most emotion he’d shown since she arrived.

“Look, Dallas, I understand this place doesn’t have the luxuries you’re probably accustomed to. But it should be comfortable enough for you to bear up for a night or two.”

It wasn’t exactly sarcasm she heard in his voice, or accusation. He’d merely made a flat statement. As though he knew her inside and out and had already decided she was too soft for his type of life. The idea irked her, but she did her best to keep it hidden. She didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with the man. She’d not driven over a thousand miles to go back home with an empty horse trailer.

Trying not to let irritation show in her voice, she said, “That’s not the issue at all.”

He continued to look at her and Dallas suddenly realized that Boone was the first man in a long, long time who made her remember that she was every inch a woman, complete with desires and frustrations. The notion jolted her even more than being stranded on this remote ranch with him.

“Really? I get the impression that you’re not comfortable with the idea of staying here overnight.” He folded his arms against his chest as he studied her with a thoughtful eye. “If you’re worried about being alone—with me—forget it. I may not look like a gentleman, but I am.”

It was herself she couldn’t trust. Not him. Glad the darkness hid the heat blazing on her cheeks, she said, “I’m not worried about that, either.”

“Good. Then you should realize that getting back to Pioche tonight is senseless,” he stated. “Might as well stay here and deal with the horses in the morning while you wait for a tow truck.”

His suggestion did make sense, Dallas thought. And she supposed she could endure being under this man’s roof for one night. God only knew she was exhausted from the long drive and to think of rattling back over all those rough miles to Pioche tonight was enough to make her ache all over.

She shrugged with resignation. “That does sound less complicated. As long as you’re sure I won’t be a bother to you.”

His expression a smooth blank, he moved a step closer. “If you get to be a bother, I’ll let you know about it. Do you have any bags with you? Or did you leave them at the hotel?”

Seeing he considered the matter settled, she answered, “They’re in the backseat. I didn’t take time to unload them at the hotel. Guess that turned out to be a good thing.”

After fetching her two leather duffels from the truck, he walked off, leaving Dallas to follow on his heels. As they tromped toward the house, she tried not to think of the night ahead or the predicament she’d gotten herself into.

When they reentered the kitchen, Hayley had already disappeared. With his head, Boone motioned toward an arched doorway.

“Follow me and I’ll show you to the room you’ll be using,” he told her. “You might want to freshen up before we eat.”

“Sounds great,” she murmured.

The remainder of the house was larger than the impression Dallas had gotten from the outside view. After they passed through a long family room and into a narrow hallway, it seemed like they walked forever. Or perhaps it only felt that way to Dallas because the two of them were alone and she was having all sorts of trouble keeping her gaze off of Boone Barnett’s backside.

Good grief, the long drive from New Mexico had done something to her, Dallas thought. It wasn’t like she was starved for masculine company. A woman couldn’t be starved without first getting hungry. And Allen’s deception had practically killed her appetite for romance.

Practically, but not completely. Dallas still dated on occasion and she’d not given up entirely on finding the love of her life. Giving up on anything that was important to her just wasn’t in her nature. But men and marriage were things she now viewed in a guarded, practical way.

At one point in her life, she’d planned for her work with horses to only be a part-time career, until she began the full-time job of being a wife and mother. Having a husband and children were the things she really wanted and once she’d gotten engaged to Allen, she was certain her dreams were coming true. She’d been certain of him and his love for her.

Yet she couldn’t have been more wrong. Only days before the wedding Allen had come to her with a confession. His desire to marry her had been motivated by his wish to be a part of the Donovan wealth, not by love. He’d told her that his conscience had prevented him from going through with the marriage. And, Dallas supposed, once their engagement had ended, it had been that same “conscience” that had sent Allen running back to an old flame.

Since that humiliating heartbreak, no man had made her heart go pitter patter. That is, until tonight, when she’d met Boone Barnett.

“We keep this room ready,” Boone told her as he opened a door to their right, “just in case someone needs or wants to stay a few days here on the ranch. Believe it or not, I’ve had a few people suggest I turn the ranch into a resort, so that people can come and enjoy the quietness. They don’t stop to think that once it became a resort there wouldn’t be any quietness around here.”

Glad that his voice had interrupted her tumbling thoughts, she said, “Back home, the Diamond D is so busy that sometimes the place feels like a minimetropolis.”

He carried her bags over to a double bed covered with a white down comforter. The feather-filled blanket sank as he placed the bags on the edge of the mattress. Dallas longingly imagined her body sinking into the softness and sleep temporarily blotting out her problems.

“Are your riding stables located on the family ranch?” he asked.

Her gaze drifted up to his face and suddenly she was imagining him lying beside her, his big hands reaching for her.

Startled by the erotic image, she quickly glanced away from him and swallowed. “Yes. But there’s a ridge of mountain separating them from the main working area of the ranch. So I’m out of the way and the seclusion lets the children pretend they’re riding in the Wild West.”

“Well, there’s no pretending needed here,” he said dryly. “This is the Wild West.”

Dallas would certainly agree. Ever since she’d arrived on Boone’s ranch she’d been having all sorts of wild thoughts and feelings.

He gestured to a door in the far right corner of the room. “There’s a bathroom with a shower. And feel free to use the closet or whatever else you might need.”

She said, “Thanks, but I doubt I’ll be here long enough to hang up my clothes.”

His mouth slanted to a vague smile. “I wouldn’t be too quick to say that. Pioche isn’t exactly overrun with mechanics and parts-supply shops. In fact, I just know of one.”

Even so, she wasn’t going to let that keep her stranded. Christmas was less than a week away. Back on the Diamond D decorations would abound in every room of the house and even extend to the horse barns, where large stockings filled with peppermints and licorice and fresh fruit would hang by each stall door for the horses to enjoy during the holiday. Parties would be held for the house staff, ranch hands and office employees. Then later, family and friends would gather for rich food, warm drinks and lively dancing. Christmas was always the best of times on the Diamond D and Dallas had never missed being home for the holidays. Somehow, someway, she had to get back to New Mexico before all the merrymaking started.

Smiling with as much confidence as she could muster, she said, “Let’s hope the problem will be easy to fix.”

“With vehicles, you never know.”

Did she imagine it, or did his brown eyes momentarily slide from her face down the length of her body? Just the idea that he might be looking at her in that way sent heat crawling up her neck and onto her face.

You’re thirty-two years old, Dallas. Not eighteen. All sorts of men have looked at you “that” way. Boone isn’t any different from them. The difference is that you’re looking back.

“Uh…the room is lovely,” she said with a sudden rush. “I’m sure I’ll be quite comfortable.”

A quirk of a smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “Glad I could oblige,” he said. “So whenever you’re finished here, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

With that, Boone left the small bedroom and once he was out of sight a long breath whooshed from Dallas. Oh, dear, oh, dear, she silently moaned. The last thing she needed was to have a breakdown in the middle of nowhere and be forced to stay overnight in a stranger’s house, with a man who had enough sex appeal to curl her toes. And for all she knew, he was probably married!

But if her instincts were right, Boone Barnett wasn’t some woman’s husband. The house simply didn’t have that feminine feel about it. And he’d said that Hayley’s mother wasn’t around. That could only mean the woman had died or lived elsewhere.

Trying to ignore her tumbling thoughts, she slipped out of her jacket, grabbed a hairbrush from one of her bags and headed to the bathroom.

A few short minutes later, she entered the warm kitchen to see Boone placing plates and silverware on the table. As she walked toward him, he glanced up from the simple task to acknowledge her approach.

“I hope you can eat pizza,” he said. “We don’t always eat fast food, but today has been…hectic.”

“Don’t worry about me. I eat anything and everything,” she replied. She noticed only two plates on the table, and asked, “Won’t Hayley be joining us?”

“She mostly eats in her room. And I see three slices of the pizza are missing.”

So he and his young daughter didn’t usually gather around the table for an evening meal together, Dallas pondered. Was that what happened when there was no mother around to hold things together? Except for Boone, Hayley appeared to be alone. The idea bothered Dallas. During her childhood, she’d been swaddled in love and support from family. And over the years that hadn’t changed.

“Is your daughter the only child you have?” The question popped out of Dallas’s mouth before she could stop it.

“Yes. Her mother and I divorced when Hayley was only two.”

His statement brought Dallas up short. That meant he’d been alone for ten years or so! How had that happened? Even though the population in this area appeared to be scarce, surely there were young women around just waiting for a man to propose matrimony, especially a man that looked like Boone Barnett. But maybe one failed marriage had soured him, she decided. Just like Allen’s subterfuge had left her wary of men and doubting she’d ever find one who could really love her.

Trying to turn off her curiosity about this rancher, she watched him carry the pizza over to the table. “Is there anything I can help you with?” she offered.

“No, thanks. I can manage.” He pulled out a chair and gestured for her to take a seat. “Just relax. I’ll bring the rest over. Is soda okay for you? Or water?”

“Water, please.”

While he went to fetch the last of their meal, Dallas eased down in the wooden dining chair. While she’d been in her room, he’d used the short time to make a salad. Two bottles of dressing and a shaker of Parmesan cheese sat alongside the food. As Dallas looked at the simple meal, she couldn’t help thinking how different it was for her family.