A Cowboy's Christmas Promise (19 page)

“My very own muffin tin!” Hayley laughed as she opened a present from Ma on Christmas afternoon. “With recipes, even!”

Ma poked at the fire in the great room fireplace, nodded gruffly as she smiled. “And you'll notice none of them have Betty Crocker anything on the ingredients list.”

“Thanks, Ma. Do these recipes come with cooking lessons?”

“You betcha. In fact, I've got you on KP duty all week!”

Cole and Decker groaned in unison, making Hayley lob wrapping paper balls their way. “Enough out of the peanut gallery. It is never too late to learn how to cook, right?”

Decker squeezed Kyla, who was sitting on his lap in a recliner, looking all Christmas-morning sleepy even though it was one o'clock in the afternoon. “Kyla, honey? Don't you need help somewhere besides the kitchen?”

Hayley looked around the great room, soaking up the Christmas décor and the warm crowd of people gathered around the fireplace and Christmas tree. She'd only been here for twenty-four hours, but just like last summer, could swear her blood pressure had plummeted to an all-time low.

Except every time she looked at Daniel, when it spiked again. Right now he was sitting on a couch with his mother Annie on one side and his older sister Megan on the other. Hayley'd only met both of them when they'd arrived an hour ago, and as she watched them, she couldn't help but smile at their ease with one another as Megan told stories about her Peace Corps exploits, and Daniel shared some of his crazier animal tales.

Jess had folded her yoga-stretchy legs into a Papasan chair close to the fire, sipping tea as everyone exchanged gifts, and as Hayley looked around, she was struck by a strange realization. She'd grown up in Vermont and now lived in Boston. She had family and friends in both places, and yet when push had come to shove, the only place she'd wanted to spend Christmas was all the way across the country on a ranch with a family she'd discovered quite by accident a year and a half ago.

Gracie peered up from her spot on Hayley's lap. “Is there a cupcake recipe in your book?”

“I sure hope so. Want to help me make some this week?”

Daniel looked up and laughed. “Not in
my
kitchen.”

“Hey.” Hayley lobbed another wrapping paper ball. “Let's be supportive, shall we? I can learn. Right, Gracie?”

She nodded solemnly, then grinned. “You just have to use the big sprinkles. And sing.”

Hayley cocked her head. “Singing helps?”

“Singing helps
everything.
”

Cole looked over and grimaced. “No. It really doesn't.”

Just then, Gracie yelled, “Switch!” and popped up. She raced to Megan and tapped Bryn, who hopped down and skipped over to take her place on Hayley's lap.

Hayley laughed as Bryn snuggled in. “Are you guys going to do this all afternoon?”

“Yup. We miss you both so much that this is the best way.”

Hayley looked at Megan, expecting to exchange tolerant, affectionate smiles. Instead, though, she caught an expression on Megan's face that looked a lot more like hurt. Megan covered it quickly by adjusting Gracie's braid, but Hayley couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was treading on sacred Megan ground here with the girls..

Bryn squeezed Hayley's hands. “Are you going to come see our room later? Daddy said he's going to ask you to come have dinner with us.”

Hayley glanced up at Daniel, but he was focused on his sister. “I think I would love to come have dinner with you.”

“Yay! And you'll come upstairs and see our room?”

“Of course.” Hayley gulped, thinking of another bedroom that was probably in close proximity to the girls'.

“You can stay overnight if you want. Daddy has a super-big bed you can fit in.”

Hayley's gulp became a quick cough, which made Daniel glance her way. He cocked his head, probably noticing the flames Hayley could feel licking up her cheeks.

“Bryn, honey? Are you torturing Hayley over there?”

“Nope!”

And in one of those classic moments where the dull roar of a room suddenly goes silent, Bryn shrugged her shoulders and said, “I just said she can sleep with you tonight if she wants.”

An hour later, Hayley came out of the bathroom and headed back to the great room, only to stop when she heard hushed voices in the kitchen. She knew she shouldn't peek, shouldn't be nosy, but she couldn't help it.

Especially when she heard her name.

She peered around the corner and saw Megan and Annie leaning on the counter. Megan looked completely perturbed while her mother looked like she was trying to smooth something over.

Great.
What had Hayley missed? She ducked back around the corner, but kept listening.

“I just don't get it, Mom. Who
is
this woman? She flies out here for Christmas and suddenly the girls are all gaga? They barely know her.”

“Well, they've kind of known her since last summer, which means they know her better than the two of us do, right? Maybe we should trust their judgment a little?”

“They're seven.”

There was a pause, and Hayley could imagine Annie maybe smoothing Megan's hair or doing something else she considered comforting.

“They're wise little girls, Meg. Just like you were at that age. I don't know this Hayley any more than you do, but I do know the girls adore her, and I also know that Daniel's face lights up when he talks about her.”

“It does?”

It does?

Hayley held her chest, as a buzzing warmth spread outward from her ribs.

“It does. I'm sure he doesn't know that, and I'm definitely not going to point it out, but yes. A little spark has come back over these past couple of months, and I have to think it has something to do with her.”

“But really? Is he really ready to be thinking about someone else this soon after Katie?”

“Two years is a long time in some ways,” Annie said. “I guess we can't ever know when someone new might walk into our lives.”

“I don't know. I don't like it. It's too…fast. She barely knows him, and here she is spending Christmas out here? Where's her own family? What do we even know about her?”

Hayley frowned.
Really, Megan?

“I think you have to trust your brother, honey. And if anyone deserves a new lease on life, don't you think it's him?”

“I just don't want him to get hurt, that's all. He's vulnerable.”

“He's okay, Meg.”

“I don't want the girls to get hurt, either. Did you see them in there just now? They're already attached. What if things don't work out?”

“I don't think even Hayley and Daniel know how they feel about each other yet. They certainly haven't involved the girls in that discussion, and I imagine they wouldn't unless they were dead sure. No one's building false expectations, as far as I can see. He isn't even admitting she's anything more than a friend.”

“I don't know.” Hayley could picture Megan shaking her head. “I just don't know.”

“Give her a chance, Meg. Daniel really likes her. Let's just get to know her and
then
we can decide whether to worry, okay?”

Hayley slunk back to the bathroom, closing the door and sitting on the toilet lid. She wasn't sure what she'd done to inspire Megan's distrust, but the woman clearly wasn't ready to welcome her with open arms.

Did Megan sense something about Hayley that had her sisterly antennae up? Could she tell Hayley had never made anything stick for longer than three months? Did she somehow assume that in the end, Hayley would bring nothing but heartbreak to town?

That was depressing.

She stood up and looked in the mirror, attempting to be objective. Did she look like some kind of siren destined to stir up trouble and leave a path of destruction in her wake? No, she didn't think so. The same plain face stared back at her that always had. She still had too many curls, too many freckles, and the Angelina Jolie smile she'd never quite understood the allure of.

Had she stirred up some protective instinct in Megan? Some desire to make sure no one else could hurt her brother like Katie had ended up doing? That made sense. Who
could
watch someone endure that kind of pain and then feel confident he was ready to risk it again?

Hayley sighed, frowning at her reflection.

Nobody, that's who.

That evening, Hayley was settled in front of the fireplace in Daniel's living room. Despite a strong sense of trepidation about how Megan, and maybe even Annie, might be perceiving her motives, Hayley had accepted Daniel's invitation to come back to his house for dinner.

She'd almost backed out, but Jess and Kyla had practically pushed her out the door. Jess had spent the past week urging her to take off her armor, so here she was, sitting on his cozy couch in his cozy living room, but feeling suddenly way too naked without it.

While he'd cooked his secret-recipe spaghetti and meatballs, the girls had dragged Hayley on a tour of the house, and with every nook and cranny they showed her, she'd fallen more in love with the place. Her apartment in Boston had been completely modernized before she'd moved in, so it boasted granite countertops, ceramic tile floors, and big windows to try to counteract the claustrophobic reality of its size. It was very clean, very modern, very—not Hayley. But it was in the right location, the right price range, and it had been available when she was looking.

Daniel's house, on the other hand, was probably fifty years old, but those years had only added layers of charm, from the wide pine moldings around the doorways to the creaky hardwood floors, from the sloping upstairs ceilings to the mudroom with its built-in cubbies. She'd always thought of Cape Cod—style homes as pretty generic, but somehow the log construction turned this one into a charming, warm, inviting home.

The girls' room boasted every shade of pink and purple known to man, from their comforters to the scatter rugs to the curtains, and Hayley felt like a princess just walking into it. As they'd tried to show her every last toy and game they owned, her chest had felt that funny combination of sad and warm that she'd been feeling since they'd picked her up at the airport.

She recognized some of the toys on their shelves, and she'd picked a few of them up, struck by memories of Celia and Izzy splayed on their bedroom floor playing with the same things.

But now the four of them were gathered around the tree in the corner, where a few presents still remained. Daniel reached under the tree and handed Hayley one of them.

She laughed out loud as she opened the brightly-wrapped package and found a How to Whistle book. “No way.”

Daniel grinned. “Well, we never got around to lessons.”

“You don't know how to whistle?” Gracie clambered onto her lap.

“Nope. Your daddy promised to teach me, but we never—never got around to it.”

He caught her eye, raising his eyebrows, and she knew her face was turning red as she remembered their first kiss in the stable that morning…and just
why
they hadn't gotten around to it.

Daniel smiled. “I still think it's a wonder that you work with dogs and have never learned to whistle.”

“Mysteries of the universe abound.” Hayley reached under the tree and handed him a present. “Your turn.”

“It feels like a book.”

“Not just any book.”

Gracie slid into his lap. “Can I help open it?”

“Me, too?” Bryn found her way onto his free knee, and the three of them ripped off the paper.

“You didn't.” Daniel smiled reluctantly.

“I so did.”

Gracie pointed at the title. “Owning Your Hum—what does this say, Daddy?”

“Owning Your Human: A Himalayan's Guide to Training.”
He squeezed the girls. “Apparently Miss Hayley here thinks Olaf is in charge of this house.”

“You said he already is!” Bryn laughed.

“That was not supposed to be repeated in public.
I'm
in charge around here, remember?” Daniel smiled as they shook their heads.

Hayley reached under the tree again. “Bryn, here's one for you, and Gracie, one for you.” She handed the girls presents she'd wrapped back in Boston, and sat back against the couch to watch them open what she hoped would be a hit.

Gracie screeched first. “It's an Elsa doll!”

Bryn's matching one came three seconds later. “I got Anna! Daddy! Look!!”

While Daniel marveled over the ten-inch dolls Hayley had brought, she found herself watching the three of them gathered together. His dark hair contrasted with their blond tresses as he sat cross-legged on the floor with them, but she noticed for the first time that they had the same smile. The girls' blond hair and bright blue eyes must have come by way of Katie, but their wide smiles matched their father's to a
T.

She heard Daniel whisper something to the girls, and as one, they turned around and leaped into her arms and hugged her. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

“I hope you like them. I thought they looked like fun.”

“They're awesome!”

“Okay, girls. Let's have Hayley open another one.” Daniel reached under the tree and came up with a small, flat package.

Hayley slid open the paper and pulled out two tickets to a symphony concert on Sunday, only a few miles from the airport.

“Oh, my goodness. Wow! This is great! I didn't know you had—”

“Culture?” His eyes were playful as he handed her another flat, floppy package. “Oh, and this goes with it.”

“It's a menu.” Hayley laughed as she opened it. “From Jumpin' Jim's Thai.”

“I held off on getting a gift card in case we walk in and it's scary. But Thai food! Even out here!”

She smiled. “Thank you. It's awesome.”

“Just trying to prove we have more than cows and horses.”

“I never doubted it for a second, though I've heard your television-watching habits leave a little to be desired.” She reached under the tree. “And absolutely unrelated to that, here's another present for you.”

He weighed the box for a second, then slid the paper open.

“Oh, no. No, no, no.” Daniel laughed out loud as he pulled the wrapping paper off. “
Nashville's Next Idol,
seasons one through four.”

“Hey, an addict needs to catch up. You've missed some good stuff.”

He smiled at her. “Excellent. Thank you.” He shook his head as he reached under the tree and handed her a present that looked suspiciously like the one he'd just opened. “For you.”

Gracie peered over her shoulder as she opened it, then squawked in laughter. “It's the same thing! You got each other the same present!”

“Guess we can continue our Thursday night tradition while we wait for the next season.” He made a playfully pained face as he set the box aside.

Hayley reached back under the tree.

“Okay, I got you a real present.”

“But this is priceless.” He held up the box of DVDs. “I couldn't possibly want for more.”

She handed him a package, clasping her hands in hopes that he would like it. She'd spent hours online over the past week, researching and reading reviews and calling Kyla and Ma for advice, and she hoped she'd scored.

He slid open the package, and his eyes went wide. “Seriously? Wow. Really?” Daniel looked at the brochure in his hands, his mouth open.

She nodded happily, hands still clenched. “Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding? I've always wanted to try whitewater rafting, and this outfit is the best one out here. How did you possibly know that?”

She waggled her eyebrows. “Research. And I remember you telling me it's something you always wanted to learn.”

He stood up and pulled her up into a hug. “This is awesome. I can't believe you remembered.”

“What is it, Daddy?” Bryn clambered to see the brochure.

“Hayley and I are going to try whitewater rafting!”

Hayley gulped. “No. No, no, no. It's a present for
you,
not me.”

“Oh no you don't. You have to come.”

“No. I really don't.”

“You bought the present.”

“I take it back.”

“Too late.” He laughed, hugging her again. “It's going to be a blast. Maybe we can book a few days this summer—if you can make it back out here.”

“You should totally take Decker or Cole. I'm sure they'd love to go. It can be a guys' weekend thing.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You afraid to tackle a raging river with me, Scampini?”

“Completely!”

Gracie tugged on his shirt. “Can we give her our presents now, Daddy?”

Grateful for the distraction, Hayley sat back down. “I can't wait!”

He pointed at her. “You're totally coming.”

“Totally not.”

The girls ducked under the tree and came out with two identically-shaped packages. “Open mine first!” Gracie plunked in her lap, holding the present. Bryn frowned slightly, but held hers to her chest and waited.

Hayley was learning quickly that this was her tendency, so she motioned to Bryn to sit in her lap as well. “Let's open them both at the exact same time. I can't wait to see what's inside!”

Bryn looked up shyly. “We made them for you.”

“And Daddy framed them.” Gracie tugged at the tape. “But we wrapped them ourselves!”

“I could barely tell.” Hayley looked over their little heads at Daniel, who had a thoughtful smile on his face as he sipped his mug of coffee and watched. Sitting as he was in front of the tree, Hayley couldn't help but envision him in flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt, hair a little mussed, gripping early morning coffee as these two little munchkins waited anxiously for presents.

Her chest hurt as she realized that was the scene Katie had probably enjoyed with him for years.

It hurt more when she realized that he might be sitting right there, remembering those years as well.