Holding Out for Christmas (The Christmas Tree Ranch 3)

Megan had searched online for any special requirements that a driver with Down syndrome might have to meet. She hadn’t found much specific information. Evidently

, any person who could pass the written test would be eligible to get a learner’s permit and take driving lessons from a professional instructor—in Daniel’s case, an instructor trained to work with disabilities. To get a license, he would have to prove that he could safely manage a vehicle on the road. The bottom line—if Daniel really wanted to drive, he would have a long, hard road ahead of him, with the chance of failure lurking all along the way.

But Daniel had never been short on determination.

By now, they’d been working most of the morning. Megan could tell that her brother was getting tired. So was she. She was about to suggest a break for lunch, but her cell phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, she took a deep breath before answering. She’d told herself she was immune to Conner’s charm. But she couldn’t stop her pulse from skipping a beat.

“Hi.” She kept her voice neutral.

“Hi.” He sounded almost bashful. But no—she couldn’t imagine that Conner, the small-town Romeo, had ever had a bashful moment in his life.

“You called,” she said.

“I said I would. And I’m a man of my word.” He paused, as if waiting for her to speak. When she didn’t, he continued. “It’s a nice day out, and I’ve been getting our sleigh spruced up for the holidays. We need to take it for a trial run with the horses. I was wondering if you’d like to come along.”

“With you?”

“Yup. With me. On an old-fashioned sleigh ride. You know, horses, sleigh bells, dashing through the snow, just like the song. It wouldn’t be like a date, just getting together for some fun. And I can promise you some hot chocolate after we’re done.”

A sleigh ride does sound like harmless fun, Megan thought. But she’d be playing right into his hands. This morning, in the cold, sensible light of dawn, she’d made up her mind not to give in to the man’s charm. Now it was time to stick to her guns.

“Thanks for the invitation,” she said, “but I came to Branding Iron to spend time with my family. Today I’m busy helping my brother study for his written driver’s test.”

“Hey, good for Daniel,” Conner said. “I’ll be cheering him on. But I’m betting you’re ready for a break. Why not come and bring him along? You know he’d love it.”

By now, Daniel had caught enough of the conversation to realize that it involved him. He was watching Megan, listening intently. “What’s going on?” he asked.

With no way to back out, Megan surrendered. She moved the phone aside for a moment. “Conner’s invited us on a sleigh ride, Daniel. Do you want to go?”

“Wow!” Daniel’s face lit in a happy grin. “You bet I do!”

“You heard him,” she said to Conner. “What time?”

“I’ll pick you up in an hour,” Conner said. “If Daniel wants to invite his girlfriend, we can make room.”

Megan passed the message to her brother, who shook his head. “Katy’s working today.”

“Too bad,” Conner said. “But maybe we can take her later. Bundle up. The sleigh will have blankets, but it’s still going to be cold.”

By the time Conner’s Jeep pulled into the driveway, Megan and Daniel had eaten a quick lunch and were dressed in layers of warm clothes, including woolen caps, gloves, and extra socks in their boots. Their mother was napping. Not wanting to disturb her, they’d come out on the porch to wait for Conner’s arrival.

Megan watched as he climbed out of the Jeep and walked toward them, his face wearing a two-hundred-candlepower smile, his eyes bluer than the sunlit sky overhead. Conner Branch was a man who could melt a woman’s heart with a glance—and the rascal knew it.

“Take a chance.” His seductive message came back to her, almost as if he’d whispered the words in her ear. But she was wise to him. A romantic fling with Conner would be a roller-coaster ride of thrills and bumps, going nowhere, ending with a stop and an abrupt exit at the bottom. It would be nothing more than a distraction, the last thing she needed.

“Let’s go!” He opened the passenger door and helped Megan into the seat. Daniel climbed into the back, to be greeted by wags and licks from Bucket.

Daniel laughed as he scratched the dog’s scruffy ears.

“Hey, he’s the Santa dog, isn’t he? The one who rides in the parade. Where’s his Santa suit?”

“He only wears it for the parade. But he loves sleigh rides. He’ll be coming with us today.” Conner started the Jeep and backed out of the driveway. “Have you ever been on a sleigh ride, Daniel?”

“No. It’ll be fun. But I want to know other things. Was it scary, riding bulls? What’s the meanest bull you ever rode?”

Daniel peppered his idol with questions, keeping the talk lively as they drove to the ranch. Megan was grateful to be spared an awkward conversation with Conner. The man was too smooth and confident, too capable of turning her insides to quivering jelly. Whatever had prompted him to invite her on a sleigh ride, it wasn’t going to work. At the end of the ride, she would thank him for a nice time and break off the budding relationship.