A Snowbound Cowboy Christmas

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” But he knew she wasn’t. His brother was a deputy sheriff and he would have heard the news directly from the Department of Transportation. “We’re snowed in?”

“And here I thought Montana laughed in the face of snow.” Emma stared at him with a confident smile and her arms folded above her baby bump. “The roads wouldn’t be an issue if we owned the property.”

Dylan set the water on the stainless-steel counter. “I have news for you. Saddle Ridge is a small town and we don’t have the equipment to plow roads as fast as Chicago or even Kalispell and Whitefish.”

“That’s why we planned on donating two new snowplows to the town, ensuring the roads leading to the resort would be kept clear.”

“It’s a ranch. Not a resort.” A fact she needed to get through her head. “And who is going to pay for the manpower to run those plows?”

“It’s only two plows, Dylan.” She toddled over to the counter and leaned against it, looking more tired than before. “We’re talking about two drivers, four if they are running two shifts. I doubt it will bankrupt the town. They’re getting new equipment and they are thrilled with the idea.”

“Thrilled? You’ve already spoken with them?” Of course she had. He didn’t think there was anything business-related she had overlooked, except the human side of the equation.

“Months ago. Your uncle even went with me to my Department of Transportation meeting. I assumed you knew.”

“No. No, I didn’t.” He wondered what else he didn’t know about the sale. “It doesn’t matter now. The deal is off.”

“Well, since it doesn’t appear I’m leaving anytime soon, why don’t we talk about that?”

“I hope you enjoy your stay, Ms. Sheridan, but I assure you, we will never have that conversation.” The last thing Dylan needed was to be snowbound with the woman determined to take his ranch. Hell would freeze over before he’d let that happen.

Chapter Two (#ud0189017-9a4d-50d9-b6a8-1ed4c615f2df)

Emma couldn’t believe her luck. If mother nature hadn’t intervened, she was certain Dylan would have tossed her off the ranch. The storm hadn’t been a surprise. She had been carefully watching the weather since last night, hoping the airline wouldn’t cancel her flight. As much as she needed a reason to stay on the ranch, the snowed-in part made her nervous. She hadn’t had any complications with her pregnancy, but she still wanted access to a hospital in case something did happen. Back home in Chicago, her apartment was six blocks from the hospital. The steady stream of sirens and medevac helicopters had become second nature to her. Most of the time she didn’t hear them.

She glanced around the small room. It had seen better decades, but it was clean and tidy. Leaving her bags by the door, she took her laptop case and purse to the small round table by the window. Despite the hardness of the chair, she was happy to sit down again. After prying off her shoes, she propped up her feet on the chair across from her and set up her computer. She wanted to get as much work done as possible in case the lodge lost power. And judging by the looks of the place, the possibility was very real.

She typed a quick text message to her boss.

Made it to Silver Bells. Bad storm. Having hard time getting cell service. Hope this message gets through. Will try calling again later.

Providing no one from her office called the lodge directly, which she doubted they would, her white lie would go unnoticed. She pressed send, shut off her phone and tossed it on the table. Between yesterday’s conference calls with their investors on the project and this morning’s call from her boss when she landed, she’d had all the pressure she could stand. She needed time to work on her strategy. The ranch was still grieving Jax’s death and there was a fine line between being aggressive and being obnoxious. Judging by Sandy’s reaction to her in the dining room, her presence wasn’t a welcome one. And she totally understood where they were coming from. Dylan wanted to protect his livelihood and she wanted to protect hers.

Her daughter thumped against her lower left rib. “Easy, butter bean. You’re going to leave your mommy black and blue before you’re born.” Emma rubbed her belly. “We’ll be home soon. Once I close this deal and get my promotion, your future will be secure and I can spend the rest of my pregnancy shopping for your arrival. I can’t wait to meet you.”

Despite the discomfort, her pregnancy had already gone faster than she had imagined. A little too fast, considering all she had to do. There were only eight weeks left and she hadn’t even started working on the nursery. She had no one to rely on except herself. Until this deal closed, she couldn’t afford to ease up. Raising a baby alone was hard enough. It was even harder in a big city, and she refused to let her daughter down.

She had managed to pick up a few outfits during her business trips. Traveling hadn’t given her much of a chance to shop, but she loved the idea of buying her daughter dresses from all over the world. It was something she wouldn’t be able to do once she got her promotion. She had mixed emotions about not traveling anymore. As much as she loved it, she found it exhausting.

Making plans with friends had become a rare luxury over the years. She’d lost touch with many of them and looked forward to reconnecting with them once she had a more normal schedule. Many had families of their own and play dates with her daughter beat traipsing across the globe any day. But unless she got to work now, none of that would happen. She focused her attention on her laptop screen and began reviewing her notes.

An hour later, Emma stood and stretched. Her skin felt grimy from the flight and she wanted to slip into something less bulky and hot. She peeked into the bathroom. It wasn’t lavish by any means, but it was spotless. And that suited her just fine.

Emma had just finished showering and dressing when she heard a knock on her room door. She opened it, startled to see Dylan holding a miniature decorated Christmas tree.

“This is a surprise.” Emma had heard of waving the white flag, but never waving a Christmas tree. Nonetheless, she appreciated the effort. “How sweet!”

“All of our guests get a tree during the holidays. Normally they are in the room before they arrive, but since we hadn’t booked this room before your unexpected visit, we hadn’t bothered. Everyone deserves a little Christmas cheer.”

Even her. He hadn’t said the words, but they were certainly implied. So much for assuming he had done something just for her. Not that it mattered.

“Thank you.” Emma took the tree from him and sat it on the worn oak dresser. “I’m hoping to be home by Christmas. You don’t really think we’ll still be snowed in then, do you? That’s a week away.” Not that she had any big plans. Her mother always said it was a kids’ holiday and once she became an adult, they didn’t do much to celebrate it. However, she still didn’t want to spend her rare day off stuck in No-Man’s-Land, Montana with the Grinch.

“I certainly hope not. But it has been unusually cold this year and this is our second snow storm of the season. Let’s not even think about the possibility. I’m sure you’ll be back home before you know it. Anyway, that thing lights up.” Dylan crossed the room like he owned the place—which he did—and eased between her and the tree. The slight brush of his body against hers caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end. Of course, he probably wouldn’t have touched her if her belly hadn’t been in the way. She had never felt more unattractive in her life. He wiggled the dresser from the wall to access the outlet and bent over, allowing her the perfect view of his backside. At least that brought a smile to her face.

“There you go.” He moved the dresser back into place and admired the tree as if he’d been the one to invent the electric light. “Now you’re all set.”

Dylan tilted back his hat. “I don’t know if anyone had the chance to tell you our meal schedule around here. Breakfast runs from six to eight, lunch is at noon and dinner at six. Breakfast and lunch are buffets and we serve dinner family-style, where everyone eats together. Although I’m sure you already know what our lodge has to offer. While it’s not sushi and escargot, I assure you it’s stick-to-your-ribs good food.”

“Great.” Emma had never been fond of the whole meat-and-potatoes thing. After wining and dining corporate clients in some of the finest restaurants in the world, her taste buds had been spoiled. She tried to muster some enthusiasm. “I look forward to it.” She was already hungry and at this point, she couldn’t afford to be picky.

“I notified the staff that you may have some extra needs.” Dylan jammed his hands into his pockets and glanced around the room. Was it possible that Mr. Surly was nervous being alone with a pregnant woman? Emma privately laughed at the thought. “We’re not a fancy resort with a twenty-four-hour kitchen, but our head chef said he’d make you some pre-prepared snacks that you will be able to heat up very quickly in the microwave down there. Just tell him your preferences. I know it’s not the greatest, but we haven’t had too many pregnant guests stay here. We’re a little unprepared. I’m sure pre-baby vacations were part of your luxury resort spa, weren’t they?”

“They were.” Emma would give anything for a little pampering. “I appreciate the extra effort you’re making on my behalf, but it’s not necessary. I don’t want to put anybody out.”

“You’re not putting us out.” There was no disguising Dylan’s double meaning. “The staff is good about keeping the walkways clear at all times, but I’ve asked them to be vigilant with the ice melt. So, if you do go outside, you won’t slip and fall. They will continually recheck it during the day, especially in the mornings.”

“Thank you.” Emma thought about her company’s plans for the ranch. It included heated walkways, ensuring guests could safely walk from one area of the resort to the other.

He tugged his hat down low, shielding his eyes. “I’m just being hospitable. After all, this is a guest ranch and you’re a guest.” He turned his back to her and strode to the open door. “Let my staff know if you need anything.”

Before she could respond further, he was gone. Despite his gruffness, she found his gesture endearing. Not that he’d ever admit to it being more than his job. Because they both knew he could have sent anyone up with a tree or forgotten about it altogether. Either way, she was there to convince him to sell the ranch, not make friends.

* * *

DYLAN KICKED HIMSELF for going to her room. The only reason he had was because she’d looked exhausted earlier and he wanted to make sure she was all right. That was his job as the ranch owner. He could’ve insisted an employee drop off the tree and report back to him. The thought had crossed his mind, but he vetoed it because Emma had managed to make quite a few enemies on the ranch. It was hard enough adjusting to life without Jax. Everyone had begun to breathe again when he told them he wasn’t selling Silver Bells. Now her presence brought up myriad speculations. He’d spent the better part of an hour reassuring everyone he hadn’t changed his mind. He didn’t have extra time for that, but he’d had to make the time. Instead, he needed to focus on finding another investor in the ranch if he wanted to keep rooves over his employees’ heads. It irked him that Emma was there. Now he felt responsible for her while they were snowed in and she was one more aggravation he didn’t need.

It was almost noon when Dylan hopped on one of the ranch’s snowmobiles and headed toward the stables. Nothing cured a man’s worries like honest hard work. He shut the engine off in front of the first building. With almost a hundred horses in residence, they had four separate stables in a row with the last building reserved mostly for maintenance. The weathered barn siding had faded to a light gray over the years. They needed updating along with the rest of the ranch. Dylan had tried to allocate money equally between the horses and the lodge, but there just wasn’t enough to go around.

When you didn’t have a whole lot of money, it meant you always had work to do. Considering they were short-staffed after many of their employees had decided to leave when Jax announced the ranch’s imminent closing, Dylan had been pulling double duty. But he needed the distraction of extra work now more than anything.

One of the stables still hadn’t been mucked thanks to Wes once again skipping out on work. In hindsight, he should’ve fired his brother a long time ago, but Dylan and Jax had been the only ranch around willing to put up with his extensive bull-riding schedule. He’d thought after the World Finals that Wes would have returned to work full-time again. He’d been mistaken. At least his brother had the courtesy to send him a text message and say he wasn’t coming in. He didn’t even know where the man was sleeping anymore. He had a cabin on the ranch, but he rarely stayed in it.

He couldn’t blame Wes for not wanting to stick around. Their family had fractured the moment their father had died. Correction, had been killed. His brother, Ryder, had confessed to running over their father after a drunken argument. Four and a half years later and it still didn’t make sense to him. Ryder and their father had always had a great relationship. He had never seen them argue let alone get into a drunken brawl. It didn’t matter now. Dylan had been forced to accept it. He just wished it hadn’t destroyed the rest of his family. He still couldn’t bring himself to visit his brother in prison.

His mother had sold the family ranch and moved to California shortly after the funeral. She’d remarried a year ago and had no plans of returning. His other brother, Garrett, had moved to Wyoming with his wife years earlier and Wes devoted ninety-nine percent of his time to bull riding. That left only Dylan and Harlan in Saddle Ridge. Jax had become a second father to them both. And now he was gone, too.

Dylan reached into his back pocket for his work gloves and realized he’d left them in his truck. He grabbed a spare pair from the tack room and set off in search of the wheelbarrow. He’d already fed the horses that morning. Normally the stalls were empty this time of day, but he’d kept the horses inside when he’d seen the weather report. Mucking stalls when you had to continually move horses around was a pain in the ass. Between that, repairing some tack, ordering supplies and a second attempt at fixing one of their ranch trucks, it would be well past sunset before he finished for the day. Good. That’s what he wanted. No—it’s what he needed.

Over the past six months, Dylan felt like what was left of his family had splintered even further. After Harlan and his ex-wife had split up, whenever he was on late-night patrol as deputy sheriff, Dylan used to babysit his daughter, Ivy. Now that Harlan had married Belle, she watched Ivy when he wasn’t home. There were still rare instances when they both had work or were in desperate need of a date night, but it wasn’t like it used to be. He missed spending time with his niece. Combined with many of his friends leaving the ranch and Jax’s death, he had never felt more alone.

Dylan snatched a shovel from the wall bracket and swung open a stall door. He jammed it into the soiled hay and tossed it into the wheelbarrow. By the time he reached the last stall in the first stable, he no longer felt the cold. Hay and manure replaced the sweet scent of Emma’s hair. A blister had begun to form between his thumb and index finger and he welcomed the ache. If only it would replace the one that had settled deep within his heart.

Five years ago, he had been a man-with-a-plan. He had bought into Silver Bells with the best of intentions. Jax had owned the ranch for three decades and it made a solid income. But he’d had plans to make it better. Together, they were going to create the biggest and best family guest ranch in the state of Montana. His ex, Lauren, had told him repeatedly that she didn’t want to live on a ranch. She wanted to stay in her modern home with sheetrock walls, not rough-hewn cedar logs. She wanted neighbors and a two-car garage, not hundreds of acres for a backyard. And the horses... She’d warned him she wasn’t an animal person, yet he had pushed and pushed until finally she’d pushed back and left.

In hindsight, they couldn’t have been more opposites of each other. It’s what had attracted him to her in the first place. She wasn’t a big city girl like Emma, but she was definitely suburbia. Dylan had made a name for himself training horses and he had set aside every penny he’d made, earning interest. When he’d met Lauren, she’d been divorced for a solid two years already. She had two kids—a boy and a girl, ages three and five. Sweet as the day was long. He loved those kids as if they were his own. And they loved him enough to call him dad. It made her leaving that much harder.

Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if their marriage had started on a ranch. If he had let her know from the beginning that this was the life he wanted. Instead, he had moved into her traditional four-bedroom home in Bozeman. The city was touristy, rugged and quaint all in the same breath. He had found work but felt suffocated living in their cookie-cutter housing development. The only time he had felt at home during their marriage was when he was working on someone else’s ranch. So, when Jax had presented him with the opportunity to partner in Silver Bells, he jumped on it.