Mistletoe Rodeo

The flight attendant quickly returned with fresh glasses of ice and tiny airline bottles. “What are you doing?” Nola asked.

Twisting off the tops of both, Chase poured the amber liquid into their glasses. He lifted his in the air. “Here’s to you, soldier. Thank you for your commitment and sacrifice for our country.”

“Thank you.” Nola touched her glass to his. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to get me drunk. This is my limit. I have to drive home once we land.”

“Maybe I just wanted to relax you enough that you’d stop thinking about the interview you’re not going to get.” Chase laughed. “In all seriousness, though, Nola, I applaud your bravery. When I was in high school I considered enlisting, but I chickened out. What division were you in?”

Chase’s admiration should have flattered Nola, and it would have if she had joined the Army willingly. But it had been either the Army or jail, and the military had seemed like a much better option.

“You mean what division am I in. I’m a public affairs broadcast specialist, and they can call me to active duty at any time.”

“Are you scared?”

Nola detected genuine concern in Chase’s voice, and the unexpected tug at her heart knocked her slightly off-balance.

“Believe me—I understand the definition of the word scared. When I was in the Middle East, I covered the most gruesome stories you could imagine. Aside from that, active duty would derail my career. By law, the studio has to hold my position, but that doesn’t mean they won’t find someone better in the meantime. I can receive new orders with only a couple of days’ notice to get my affairs in order and be ready to go. Yes, it makes me nervous, especially whenever I hear they’re sending more troops overseas. I’m sure I’ll remain that way until Thanksgiving Day next year.”

Once that day finally rolled around, Nola’s sentence would be complete. At least the physical one. She’d have to live with the reality of what she’d done—the life she’d taken—forever.

* * *

AN UNSETTLED FEELING washed over Chase when Nola mentioned that active duty was a real possibility. A softened, unsteady tone replaced the matter-of-fact, in-control voice she usually had. He felt like a moron.

“Are you smirking?” Nola asked, slightly defensive.

“I have a confession. When you sat down earlier, I thought how nice it would be to get you dirty and show you what real work was like. Now I’m thinking you could not only teach me a thing or two, but you could probably kick my ass.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Nola raised her glass. “And yes, I probably could.”

The more she told him about her army life, the more Chase forgot she was a reporter. She was easy to talk to.

“Is your family stateside?” Chase felt like a fool for not knowing more about Nola. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had the opportunity over the past year. She’d covered every local event he’d been in and she’d been out to his family’s ranch numerous times. But he’d always been the focus of the conversation. Chase cringed. Nola was right—he had only been thinking of himself.

“My parents are stationed in the Netherlands and my brother is in Germany with his family. I have nieces and nephews I’ve never met. We lived in Texas for a year when I was in high school. Of all the places we’d been stationed, it was my favorite. With the Army’s assistance, I completed my education and took a position at KWTT.”

There it was again. A touch of sadness, only this time it appeared when she spoke of her family. Chase couldn’t fathom not having his ever-multiplying and perpetually boisterous relatives nearby.

“I bet the holidays were exciting when you were growing up.” Chase attempted to lighten the mood. “With you living among different cultures and traditions and all.”

“They were anything but.” Nola shifted in her seat, seemingly a little uncomfortable with his line of questioning. Chase wondered if that was how he appeared when he was interviewed. “We didn’t see my father for months at a time, sometimes longer, and I can only remember a handful of Christmases where we were all together. Mom was usually depressed over the holidays, so they weren’t a big deal to us kids.”

Chase turned farther in his seat to face her. Despite her indifferent tone, he noticed a slight pulsation in her jaw. Christmas should be a happy occasion for every child. “Tell you what, I’ll grant you an interview if you focus on the Mistletoe Rodeo and the charity auction instead of me.”

Chase thought it was a cardinal sin that Nola hadn’t experienced an old-fashioned Texas Christmas. If he kept himself occupied with showing her some down-home holiday spirit, maybe he wouldn’t feel so lonely this year. Besides, who didn’t love a good Christmas story? Her viewers should eat it up.

“You want me to do a feature about a Christmas show?” Nola looked down at her hands. “No offense, but in the industry, we call that a puff piece.”

Not quite the response Chase had expected, but he was quickly learning that nothing with Nola was predictable.

Chase winced as pain crept into his shoulder again. At this rate, he doubted if he’d even be able to perform in the Mistletoe Rodeo in a couple of weeks. Although it was only an exhibition event, Chase needed to be in much better condition before he could even consider it. As it stood, he was potentially facing surgery.

“How bad is it?” Nola asked as Chase rubbed his shoulder.

“I pulled ligaments a few weeks ago and it still hasn’t fully healed.” Chase nonchalantly lowered his hand, afraid Nola would pick up too much from his discomfort. His doctor had prescribed pain relievers, but he wasn’t a big fan. He hated the side effects, preferring pain to the feeling of being out of sorts, especially when on top of a one-ton animal.

“You competed injured?” Nola asked. “Why would you take the risk?”

He ground his teeth. “Nola, we agreed not to discuss this.”

“This is strictly off the record,” Nola insisted. “Does your family know? Did your team and your sponsors think it was a good idea?”

“This wasn’t exactly my first rodeo,” Chase countered. “I’m also smart enough to know nothing is ever off the record when it comes to the media.”

They sat in silence for the next few minutes. Chase was tired of the constant scrutiny he received from the news outlets, but that was what the rodeo was about—someone was always judging your performance. Chase had made his decision the moment he’d hit the dirt facedown in the middle of the Thomas & Mack Center arena. It was time to retire and devote his attention to the rodeo school and his family’s ranch.

“Nola, I’m sorry. I’ve had a rough couple of days and I’m taking it out on you. You don’t deserve it.”

“No, I understand. I came after you like a barracuda. I didn’t mean to insult you with my puff piece comment, either.” Nola rested her hand on his. The warmth of her touch made him instantly grateful they weren’t alone. As luxurious as flying first class was, it was far from a romantic setting. “The station expects me to come back with a story and I don’t have one. Sugarplums and mistletoe won’t cut it, but if you let me tell them you fought through the pain and were determined not to let your hometown down, it would put you in a better light.”

Chase withdrew his hand and faced the darkened window. “Does it really look that bad?”

“It’s not that it looks bad. It just—it could be better if you let me spin it.”

Chase squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted nothing more than to find a way to ease the disappointment his hometown felt over his loss. “Why should I trust you?”

“Oh, Chase, why shouldn’t you? I’m not out to hurt you and this is the nightly news, not TMZ. I’ll tell you what.” Chase heard Nola’s nails click against her iPad screen. Curiosity got the better of him and he faced her again. “What if I agree to cover the Mistletoe Rodeo and you allow me to do a brief interview about how you were injured before the competition? And just to prove to you that we won’t take anything you say out of context, we’ll do an interview when we land. It will be a lead-in to the Mistletoe Rodeo story.”

When Chase had suggested the Mistletoe Rodeo and charity auction to Nola, he’d hoped to deflect the community’s attention away from his recent failure. But he knew that avoiding the subject wouldn’t make the town forget it happened. Spending time with Nola was either an unexpected bonus or a curse. He hadn’t quite made up his mind yet.

“I guess that’s fair enough, but no interviews when we land. How about you and George come out to the ranch tomorrow—well, later today, at this point—and Lord willing we’ll get an interview with my mother since she’s chairing the event. She seemed at ease with the other interviews you’ve conducted with her, so it shouldn’t take too much persuading, although she may shoot me for the short notice. Too bad school’s still in session or I’d tell George to bring his children along with him. Maybe I’ll even put you to work with the horses.”

“You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?” Nola’s laugh was contagious. Chase had to keep his head straight and remind himself this visit was for an interview and nothing more.

“For a military girl like you, a day at the ranch should be a cakewalk. I expect you to be in jeans tomorrow—not all perfectly coiffed.”

“Coiffed?” Nola snickered.

“Hey, my sisters-in-law have taught me a thing or two about the female persuasion.”

“You’ve got a deal, cowboy.” Nola offered her hand and they shook on it.

Chase held on longer than he probably should have, but he suddenly found himself looking forward to the holidays at home. He was aware that Nola had only agreed to cover the Mistletoe Rodeo, but in that moment, he had an incredible desire to show her a Christmas she’d never forget.

Chapter Two

Nola dreaded the holidays. They were lonely and depressing. One of the drawbacks of military life was that most of Nola’s friends were scattered throughout the world. Even though her cameraman, George, had said she was more than welcome to join them for the holidays, she didn’t want to intrude on his family time. His wife was cordial enough, but Nola got the distinct impression Betty would prefer her husband spend a little less time around his female colleague.

When their plane touched down, the reality of what she’d agreed to began to set in. More time with Chase Langtry meant having to endure an extended Hallmark moment at the Bridle Dance Ranch. His home life was sweet, touching and idyllic, and Nola wanted it for herself. In all her travels, she’d never met people like the Langtrys. No matter how many times she had interviewed them, she always walked away yearning for a place to call home and a family with which to share her celebrations.

It wasn’t only Christmas—it was birthdays and anniversaries, too. Being alone was hard, and while she had some family relatively nearby, they hadn’t been close when Nola was growing up. She felt like an outsider every time she visited.

After agreeing to meet George later for their interview at Bridle Dance, Nola said goodbye to him and Betty. Chase walked with her to the parking area but stopped abruptly and looked around.

“What’s wrong?” Nola asked. “Did you forget where you parked?”

“No.” Chase took off his ball cap and raked his hand through his hair before tugging his cell phone from his pocket. “I forgot that when I sent Shane and my mother home ahead of me, I told them to take the Navigator. I guess I’ll call car service.”

“Chase, you live more than an hour away from here. Let me give you a ride home.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.” Chase scrolled through his phone.

“Why not? I have to drive past Ramblewood anyway. Come on. I won’t take no for an answer.”

Nola continued walking toward her car, not bothering to wait for Chase. She figured he’d eventually follow. Waiting for car service was ridiculous when they were headed in the same direction.

“You have to let me pay for the gas, at least.” She heard the sound of Chase’s boots trudging after her.

“Deal.”

The sun rose over the interstate, creating what Nola deemed a romantic ambiance inside her vintage red Volkswagen Beetle. When Nola was a girl, she had fantasized about riding in an old pickup truck with a bench seat and a cowboy at the wheel, his arm draped across her shoulders. She didn’t need a knight in shining armor—her fairy tale was much simpler. Not that Chase could be a part of that fairy tale. He was definitely eye candy, and when he wasn’t grumpy from losing, he was generally pleasant to talk with. But he also came from a respectable family—one that wouldn’t want anything to do with her past.

“I’m sure you’re tired, but would you allow me to buy you breakfast as a thank-you?” Chase broke into her thoughts.

“I could eat,” Nola agreed. “Where did you have in mind?”

“The Magpie?”

Of course. Instead of somewhere less cozy like the Waffle House, it was just like Chase to choose the quintessential luncheonette in the heart of the quintessential town. She loved the quirky little place, but whenever she left it, she found herself yearning for something she didn’t have. Nola didn’t want to be that person who always wanted more. She was grateful for what she had in life—especially the second chance she’d been given.

“The Magpie sounds wonderful.”

Once they arrived and Chase had endured a couple rounds of “you’ll win it next year,” they slid into the booth farthest away from everyone’s stares.

“Are you sure you want to stay here?” Nola asked.

“I promised you breakfast, and I keep my promises.”

Nola glanced around, feeling as if they’d time-warped into a Christmas episode of Happy Days. The fifties-style luncheonette was draped from top to bottom in holiday kitsch. Festive songs played merrily in the background while glittery garlands danced above archways. Little Christmas trees were tucked wherever there was a free corner and snow globes decorated every table. The waitresses wore red dresses with white aprons and Santa hats, and Nola could swear she spotted the cook in an elf costume. She couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of the places in town looked like inside. Chase wasn’t kidding when he said everyone went all out.

Over a breakfast of gingerbread-flavored coffee and eggnog pancakes, Chase practically had Nola in tears as he described the previous Christmas morning when his mother’s dog, Barney, had attempted to climb the fully decorated tree.

“The poor thing must have thought it was one giant squeaky toy.” Chase laughed. “Everything toppled over, but luckily the presents cushioned the fall and very few ornaments broke. This year Mom said she’s anchoring the tree to the wall with fishing line.”

Nola couldn’t remember the last time she’d put up a tree. There was no sense in having one in her condo when no one else was there to enjoy it.

“I bet there’s never a dull moment in your house.” Nola’s family life had been just the opposite. Nola and her brother had never been allowed to play inside or make any noise. Children were to be seen and not heard in the West household. Having a lieutenant general for a father meant always having to be an example for other children on base.

“The Ramblewood Winter Festival is this weekend. You should come,” Chase said. “It would be a great opportunity to interview some people about the Mistletoe Rodeo.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” As much as she appreciated the invitation, Nola feared she’d feel out of place in what she considered a family event. “I don’t want to intrude. Thank you, but I’ll pass.”

“Nonsense.” Chase reached for her hands across the table and held them in his own. “It’s no intrusion. There’s no such thing as an outsider in Ramblewood. Everyone’s welcome. Promise me you’ll think about it.”

Nola stared down at their hands. His warmth was comforting, the invitation tempting. Between the flight and the drive from the airport, Chase had unexpectedly managed to charm his way through Nola’s outer shell, which was no small feat. When she had wormed her way beside him in first class, she’d had a completely different agenda in mind. Now she found herself more interested in the man than the story she was pursuing. She couldn’t afford to blur those lines.

The problem was, a Christmas piece wouldn’t help Nola secure the co-anchor position on the KWTT Evening News. It was between her and Dirk Stevens, another on-the-scene reporter. Dirk was good, but Nola was determined to be better, to make sure that it was her name they would announce for the position on New Year’s Day. It may not be the big leagues, but at twenty-five years old, it was a step in the right direction toward the ultimate victory: a job at CNN. She’d just have to focus on her work and dig elsewhere for an award-winning story. There was no time to daydream about Chase Langtry.

* * *

CHASE CAUGHT A ride home with his sister-in-law after he ran into her at The Magpie. It should have dawned on him earlier that she might be there since her mother owned the place. Even though he’d been tempted to spend a few extra minutes with Nola, he was relieved at Tess’s arrival.

As he entered the house, Chase heard humming and was surprised when he realized it was his own voice. Nola had succeeded in relieving his apprehension about facing everyone, if only for a little while. He was immediately ambushed by his mother’s black standard poodle and took a moment to give Barney some playful pets before making his way upstairs.

Chase closed his bedroom door, kicked off his clothes and jumped into the shower, eager to wash away the remains of the flight and quell his thoughts of Nola.

He was the last of his four siblings to remain in their childhood home. That wasn’t to say some of them hadn’t still been living there into their thirties, But Chase had become more conscious of it now that his birthday was looming.

After their father’s death a few years back, the brothers had collectively decided to remain on the ranch so their mother wouldn’t feel so alone in the stately house. As his brothers married, they left the house one by one, leaving only Chase and Kay. When his rodeo schedule kept him on the road, his brothers would arrange for the grandkids to sleep over. His mother knew what they were up to, but she didn’t complain. She welcomed the company. During the day, the brothers, their wives and their children filled the house with laughter, but the nights were deafeningly quiet once everyone left.

After a shower and change of clothes, Chase was surprisingly alert. He didn’t know if he was still amped up from his disastrous showing in Las Vegas, or if it was the anticipation of Nola coming to the ranch that afternoon.

“I thought I heard you come in.” His mother greeted him as he entered the kitchen. “We weren’t sure when you’d return. How are you doing?”

“I’m surviving. Sore more than anything.” Chase gave his mother a hug. “But I still don’t want to talk about it. I do have something to ask you, though.”

“Whenever one of you boys begins a sentence that way, I know I’m in trouble.” Kay pulled out a kitchen chair and sat with her hands folded in her lap, waiting for a bomb to drop.

“Mom, it’s not bad.” Chase eased into a chair across from her. “Nola West is coming here this afternoon to ask you a few questions about the Mistletoe Rodeo and charity auction. Are you willing to do an on-camera interview?”

Kay’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “When did you and Nola have a conversation? The last I saw, you couldn’t get away from her fast enough.”

“We ended up sitting next to each other on the flight home.”

“Uh-huh.” Kay continued to scrutinize him. “I think there’s more to the story than you’re telling me, but I’ll agree to an interview. I’ve always liked Nola. And I’ve always liked her for you.”

Chase rolled his eyes. “Mom, please don’t play matchmaker.”

“Why not? You could use some romance in your life.” Kay rose and pushed in her chair. “Well, I guess I should find something to wear.”

Chase shook his head and stood. “Nola’s not coming until later this afternoon. You have plenty of time.” He helped himself to a freshly baked apple-pecan muffin from a plate on the counter. “Please promise me you won’t try to push Nola and me together.” Chase thought his mother was about to argue with him when he caught a glint in her eyes. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing, dear. Let me go get myself camera ready. It takes me longer these days, you know.”

As his mom headed upstairs, Chase headed outside. Not willing to face any of the rodeo school students just yet, Chase bypassed the indoor arena and made his way to the ranch’s main office in the stables. Every time he walked through the entrance of what his father had affectionately called the horse mansion, Chase swore he could still hear the man’s laughter. This would be their fourth Christmas without Joe Langtry. People said it would get better with time, but it hadn’t. You learned to deal with the pain and move on, but it never seems to get any better.

The Bridle Dance offices were on the second level of the arts-and-crafts style building. Halfway up the open staircase, Chase stopped and looked around. The building had four quadrants, and from his vantage point he could survey each corridor of his father’s masterpiece. The ranch, originally only a handful of acres, had been a wedding gift from his great-grandfather to his great-grandmother. Chase’s eldest brother, Cole, and his wife, Tess, lived in the original cottage. Over the decades, the Langtrys had expanded the property into a quarter-of-a-million-acre estate. Today, Bridle Dance was one of the state’s largest paint and quarter cutting horse ranches.

His father had retired from the rodeo the day before Cole was born. Now the time had come for Chase to make that decision—the hardest of his life. He felt he owed it to his family to devote more time to the business. Hopefully everything else would fall into place soon after.

Chase climbed the remainder of the stairs and was relieved to find Cole alone. He cleared his throat.

“Hey.”

Cole spun around in his chair. “I didn’t expect to see you until much later. I’m surprised you’re still awake.” He rose and gave Chase a manly, back-patting hug.

“So am I.” Chase walked over to one of the windows overlooking the ranch. “Do you have a minute?”

“Sure.” Cole fixed two cups of coffee in the office’s minikitchen and handed one to his younger brother. Chase appreciated not being drilled about Las Vegas. A former rodeo rider himself, Cole was familiar with the disappointment of not winning.

Being the eldest of the four Langtry brothers, Cole had become the patriarch of the family since their father’s death, and Chase wanted to discuss his decision with him before he told anyone else. He took a seat across from Cole.

“That was my last competitive ride.” The relief of actually saying the words was greater than he had anticipated. “The doctors warned me a few weeks ago that I wouldn’t be able to recover from too many more injuries. I’d rather walk away than be told I can’t compete anymore. I already know there’s a good chance I’ll need surgery on my shoulder if the physical therapy doesn’t help this time.”

“I can’t say I blame you for wanting to make the decision yourself,” Cole said. “Do you know what you want to do next?”

“I’m going to continue with the school, of course. Shane could use a break after carrying my weight all this time. But I also want to put in more time here at the ranch. I haven’t been able to do it before and it’s important to me to be a part of Dad’s legacy.”

“There’s certainly plenty of work to go around.” Cole sipped his coffee. “Have you spoken to your agent or your sponsors about this yet?”

“No. I wanted to talk to you first. I don’t even know where to begin.”

Chase wasn’t just walking away from the rodeo—he was walking away from multiple paychecks from the various companies sponsoring him. Luckily, his agent was firm on only signing year-to-year contracts. This being the end of the rodeo season, Chase was free and clear to walk away.