Holding Out for Christmas (The Christmas Tree Ranch 3)

Around the yard, everyone was busy. Travis was hauling trees to vehicles. Rush, seated at a table on the porch, was handling the cash and credit card payments. Conner was off driving the sleigh, but the distant jingle of sleigh bells told Megan he would soon be pulling up alongside the driveway to unload and load passengers. His gaze would find hers across the crowded yard, and he would give her a quick smile before turning his attention back to his work.

Did he mean anything by those smiles? Was he flirting, or just being Conner? She’d be a fool to read anything into his actions. Conner was a player. Charming every woman he met—including her—was second nature to him.

Daniel and Clara stood at the corner of the house, smiling and welcoming the visitors. Bucket, wearing his own doggy-style Santa hat, stood at Clara’s side, enjoying his share of pats and attention.

The ranch seemed like a happy place, Megan observed as she mixed more cocoa and set the pan on the portable stove to heat. As she’d learned, until last summer, all three partners had lived here. But Rush now lived in town with Tracy, and soon, after their wedding, Travis would be moving in with Maggie. That would leave Conner here alone.

What would it be like to live here? The old house could use some fixing up, inside and out, but the view of the pastures and the hills beyond was beautiful. The location was good, too—close enough to town to get there for work or for helping her family. And waking up next to Conner every morning wouldn’t be all bad, either . . .

The cocoa, she suddenly realized, was about to boil over. Megan grabbed the pan and shifted it off the burner. The metal handle seared her fingers, shocking her back to reality. She thrust her hand into a nearby snowbank. Fighting tears, she forced herself to hold it there for several minutes while the cold eased the pain.

What kind of temporary insanity had driven her to imagine living here with Conner? The whole idea was ridiculous. Even if she’d wanted him, which she most certainly didn’t, Conner would only have her if she put on her wig and makeup and became full-time Lacy!

“Megan, what happened?” Conner’s voice startled her. She hadn’t heard the sleigh arrive, but now he was here, standing right behind her.

“It’s nothing,” she said. “Just burned my fingers a little. I should’ve used a pot holder on that darned pan.”

“Let’s see.” He lifted her hand and studied the red streak across her fingers. “Nasty little burn, but it doesn’t seem to have blistered. It could be worse. I’ve got some first-aid spray in the house that’ll numb the pain.”

“Shouldn’t you be loading the sleigh?” she asked.

“Break time. We ordered some pizzas and smuggled them in through the back door. The kids are already inside, chowing down. You must be hungry, too.”

Megan looked across the yard. Daniel, Clara, and the dog were gone. “Don’t worry, they’re fine,” Conner said. “You must be ready for a break, too. Come on. Warren’s already grabbed his share of pizza, and Rush will be staying out here. They can look after the customers. Right now, we need to take care of that burn.”

He took her arm to balance her on the slippery steps, keeping his clasp light as they crossed the porch and entered the house. “Wait here,” he said, leaving her to warm herself by the potbellied stove. “I’ll get that spray.”

Megan had

n’t been inside the ranch house until now. The interior bordered on shabby, but there was a cozy feeling about the place—the worn, overstuffed furniture, the maps and rodeo posters on the walls, the threadbare Native American rug on the living-room floor.

In the kitchen, Travis, Daniel, and Clara sat around a scarred wooden table on mismatched chairs, the three of them laughing, talking, and wolfing down generous helpings of pepperoni pizza.

“Here we are.” Conner appeared from the hallway with a small aerosol canister. “Hold out your hand. This should make you feel better.” When Megan opened her hand, he sprayed the burn with a mist that left a cold tingle. “How’s that? Will you be okay to work? I don’t want you hurting.”

Megan wiggled her fingers. “It feels better already. I should be fine.”

“Good. Let me know if the pain gets worse.” He set the canister on the kitchen counter. “Now let’s have some pizza before this crew finishes it all off.” There were two empty chairs. He pulled one out for Megan and took the other for himself. “Eat your fill. We’ve got a long, busy afternoon ahead of us.”

“What time do you usually close?” Megan asked, reaching for a slice of pizza.

“If the weather holds and the customers keep coming, we stay open until nine,” Conner said. “But you’re a volunteer. You can leave anytime you feel like you’ve had enough.”

“This isn’t about me,” Megan said. “I’m having a good time, and I don’t mind staying. But Daniel will be tired. I might need to take him home early.”

“Rush will be taking Clara home around five,” Travis said. “If you want to stay and help out, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind dropping Daniel off.”

“We’ll see how it goes.” Megan glanced at her brother. “All right, Daniel? Are you getting tired yet?”

“Nope. Not a bit.” Daniel reached under the table to give Bucket a slice of pepperoni. He was having a good time, but Megan could tell her brother was flagging. His eyelids were drooping and he was fidgeting with his sling, a sign his shoulder was hurting. She would need to watch him and make sure he made it home before he got too cold or tired. Otherwise, he could end up sick tomorrow.

Clara had finished her pizza. “Let’s go back outside, Daniel,” she said, getting up.

“Okay.” Daniel stuffed the last of his pizza in his mouth and followed her out the door.

“He’s a great kid, Megan,” Travis said. “I’ve seen how hard he works to do a good job. And Clara’s really taken to him.”

“I know,” Megan said, “but Daniel’s hardly a kid. He’s twenty-four. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that—especially when he tries to be a man. He wants to drive and get a car so he can be independent. And he wants to marry his sweet little girlfriend.”