My Kind of Christmas (The Christmas Tree Ranch 1)

She almost turned around and left. But then she mustered her courage and walked over to their table. Both men looked up as she cleared her throat.

“Hello, gentlemen. Please don’t get up,” she said.

“Hello, Maggie.” What do you think you’re doing here? Travis’s expression seemed to say.

“I won’t keep you,” she said. “I just need a moment. It’s business.”

Sure it is. It’s always business with you. His look made her feel about two feet tall.

“Well, you can sit down, at least!” Conner grinned and scooted over to make room for her next to him. “Join us. We’ve ordered an extra-large combo pizza. There’ll be more than enough for everybody. We can make a party of it!”

Travis looked pained. “Maggie, this is my friend and partner, Conner Branch. Conner, it’s my pleasure to present the honorable Mayor Maggie Delaney.” His voice dripped sarcasm.

“Pleased to meet you, ma’am.” Conner was a blue-eyed charmer. “Come on, sit down. What’ll you have to drink?”

Maggie hesitated, about to decline. But this friendly, handsome cowboy was a potential ally. She couldn’t afford to turn him down. She sat, giving him a smile. “Thanks. I’ll just have a small Coke.”

“Coming up!” He caught the waitress’s attention—which hadn’t wandered far from him—and gave her the order before turning back to Maggie. “You’re really the mayor?”

“I am,” Maggie said. “My father was mayor of Branding Iron for years. When he got sick, I came home to take care of him. After he passed away, I was elected in his place.”

“You said you had some business, Maggie.” Travis looked dour.

“Yes. I’ll get right to it,” she said. “Since you won’t be playing Santa, there’s no reason for you to keep the costume. I hope you won’t mind my coming by to pick it up. That way I can get it cleaned and ready for the next Santa—whoever that might be.”

“Feel free. The box is still in the sleigh. Anything else?”

“Well, maybe. I did some checking. If you don’t want to store the sleigh, there’s room for it in the city equipment shed. We’d just need to tow it into town on the flatbed. Unfortunately, you’re still stuck with the horses. Nobody I’ve talked to is willing to take them.”

Travis shrugged. “Whatever. If you’ve got room for the sleigh, you might as well—”

“Wait!” Conner shot forward in his seat, almost spilling his beer. “We’ve got a sleigh?”

“I mentioned it on the phone,” Travis said. “It’s in the shed, next to where we parked your ATV.”

“Who owns the sleigh, Maggie? The city?”

“No,” Maggie said. “Abner built it years ago. It was his.”

“So now it belongs to Travis, right?”

“I suppo

se so.” Maggie could imagine wheels turning inside Conner’s head.

“So, if you don’t mind, we’ll keep it for now. All right, Travis?”

“Fine.”

“But we can still use it in the parade?” Maggie asked.

“I suppose so,” Travis said. “As long as the city picks it up.”

“And brings it back right after the parade,” Conner added.

Just then the waitress, a plain-looking girl who looked barely old enough to be out of high school, appeared with their pizza and Maggie’s Coke. When Conner thanked her with a smile and a wink, her thin face flushed a becoming pink. The man was a natural-born flirt, Maggie observed. Heaven help the female population of Branding Iron if he stuck around.

But she was immune, she realized. Her eyes were only for the sad, angry ex-cop.