Bring Me A Maverick For Christmas!

“Just try to remember what it was like when you were a kid yourself,” she suggested. “Remember the anticipation you felt in those days and weeks leading up to the holiday? All of it finally culminating in the thrill of Christmas morning and the discovery of what Santa left for you under the tree?”

But he didn’t want to think about the anticipation leading up to Christmas. He didn’t want to think about the holidays at all. Because thinking about the past inevitably brought to mind memories of his parents and all the ways that they’d made the holidays special for their family.

With seven kids to feed and clothe, Christmases were never extravagant, but there were always gifts under the tree—usually something that was needed, such as new work gloves or thermal underwear, and something that was wanted, such as a board game or favorite movie on DVD.

He was so lost in these thoughts—of what he was trying not to think about—that he almost forgot he wasn’t alone until Serena reached across the table to touch his hand.

The contact gave him a jolt, not just because it was unexpected but because it was somehow both gentle and strong—a woman’s touch. And it had been a long time since he’d been touched by a woman.

He deliberately drew his hand away to reach for his soda, sipped. “Remembering those Christmases only serves to remind me of everything I’ve lost,” he told her. “Not that I expect someone like you to understand.”

Serena sat back. “What do you mean...someone like me?”

There was a slight edge to her voice that he might have heard if he hadn’t been so caught up in his own misery. But because he was and he didn’t, he responded without thinking, “Someone who can’t know that happiness and joy can turn to grief and despair in an instant.”

She reached for her own glass, sipping her soda before she responded. “You should be careful about making assumptions about other people.” Then she meticulously folded her napkin and set it beside her plate. “Thanks for lunch, but I really do need to get home to my pets.”

And then, before he could figure out what he’d said or done to put her back up, she was gone.

Chapter Three (#u31fff2a1-3e53-5077-9653-c9aaa3edca57)

By the time she got home, Serena had decided to skip the Presents for Patriots Dinner, Dance & Silent Auction. Though it was barely four o’clock, she’d had a full day already and had no desire to get dressed up and go out. Or it could be that she was looking for an excuse to stay home and avoid seeing Bailey Stockton again.

As she climbed the stairs to her apartment above an accountant’s office, the urge to put on a pair of warm fuzzy pajamas and snuggle on the sofa with her pets was strong. And made even stronger when she opened the door and was greeted with so much affection and enthusiasm from Marvin that she couldn’t imagine leaving him again.

After giving Marvin lots of ear scratches and an enthusiastic belly rub, she made her way to the bedroom—and found Molly curled up in the center of the bed. She sighed, the exasperated sound alerting the calico to her presence. The cat blinked sleepily.

Serena tried to establish boundaries for her pets—the primary one being that they weren’t allowed on her bed unless and until specifically invited. Marvin mostly respected her rules; Max was usually content in his cardboard castle; but Molly roamed freely over the premises.

“Off,” she said firmly, gesturing from Molly to the floor.

The calico slowly uncurled herself, yawning as she stretched out, unashamed to have been caught breaking the rules and unwilling to be hurried.

Marvin, having followed Serena into the room, finally noticed Molly on the bed and barked. Molly hissed, as if chastising him for being a tattletale. The dog plopped onto his butt beside Serena and looked up at her with adoring eyes.

“Yes, you’re a good boy,” she told him.

His tongue fell out of his mouth and he panted happily.

“And you—” She wagged her finger at Molly, then let her hand drop to her side, acknowledging that there was no point in reprimanding an animal who wasn’t motivated to do anything but whatever she wanted. As much as the attitude frustrated Serena at times, she couldn’t deny that she admired Molly’s spirit.

The cat, having made her point, nimbly jumped down off the bed and sauntered toward the door. Marvin started to follow, then turned back to Serena again, obviously torn.

She chuckled softly. “You can go with Molly. I’ll be out as soon as I put my jammies on.”

But when she opened the closet to put her sweater in the hamper, her gaze was snagged by the dress hanging in front of her.

The dress she’d planned to wear to the Presents for Patriots Dinner, Dance & Silent Auction tonight had been hanging in her closet for eleven months. She’d bought it on sale early in the new year—an after-holiday bargain that she’d been unable to resist—and she’d been excited for the opportunity to finally wear it. Because as much as she usually preferred the company of her animals over that of people, she also enjoyed getting dressed up every once in a while.

She lifted a hand to stroke the crushed velvet fabric. It was the color of rich red wine with a scoop neck, long sleeves and short skirt. She sighed, silently acknowledging that if she skipped the dinner and dance tonight, it might be another year—or more—before she had the opportunity to wear the dress.

Not to mention that Dr. Brooks Smith’s table would already be short two people, as Annie, the clinic receptionist, was at home caring for her sick husband. Which meant that if Serena didn’t show, a third meal would go to waste.

But while Annie and Dan would miss the event, Dan’s brother would be there—and she wasn’t sure if Bailey’s attendance was a factor in favor of going or staying home.

When Bailey Stockton left Rust Creek Falls thirteen years ago, he’d thought it was forever. His life and family were gone—torn apart by his actions—and he hadn’t imagined he would ever want to return. He’d tried to move on with his own life—first in various parts of Wyoming, then in New Mexico—certain he could find a new path. After a few years, he’d even let himself hope that he might make a new family.

That hadn’t worked out so well. Though he’d had the best of intentions when he’d exchanged vows with Emily, it turned out that they were just too different—and too stubborn to compromise—which pretty much doomed their marriage from the start.

And then, last December, he’d heard that his brother Luke had made his way back to Rust Creek Falls, and he’d impulsively decided to head in the same direction. He’d arrived in town just in time to witness their brother Danny exchange vows with his high school sweetheart. At the wedding, Bailey had reconnected with most of his siblings, who had persuaded him to stay—at least for a while.

Eleven and a half months later, Bailey was still there. He was living in one of the cabins at Sunshine Farm now and filling most of his waking hours with chores around the ranch. Still, every few weeks he felt compelled to remind himself that he was going to head out again, but the truth was, he had nowhere else to go. And while he’d been certain that he wouldn’t ever want to return to the family ranch that held so many memories of the parents they’d lost and the siblings who’d scattered—he’d been wrong about that, too.

When Bailey, Luke and Dan left town, they’d believed the property would be sold by the bank to pay off the mortgages it secured. They’d been shocked to discover that Rob and Lauren Stockton had insurance that satisfied the debts upon their deaths—and even more so to discover that their maternal grandfather had kept up with the property taxes over the years. And while they would all have gladly given up the farm to have their parents back, they were now determined to hold on to the land that was their legacy.

Of course, holding on to the land required a lot of work—and his brothers had started with the barn, because that was the venue where Dan and Annie had promised to love, honor and cherish one another.

The simple but heartfelt ceremony Bailey had witnessed was very different from the formal church service and elaborate ballroom reception that had marked his own wedding day, but he was confident now that his brother’s marriage was destined for a happier fate.

On the day Dan and Annie exchanged their vows, though, Bailey had been much less optimistic about their prospects. Still smarting from the failure of his own union, he’d felt compelled to caution another brother when he saw the stars in Luke’s eyes as he’d looked at his date.

Luke and Eva had gone their separate ways for a short while after that. Bailey didn’t know if his advice had played a part in that temporary breakup, but he was glad that his brother and new sister-in-law had found their way back to one another. Luke and Eva had gotten engaged last New Year’s Eve and married seven months later.

In addition to being committed to one another, they were committed to using Sunshine Farm to spread happiness to others. In fact, Eva’s childhood friend Amy Wainwright had recently been reunited with her former—and future—husband, Derek Dalton, at the farm, resulting in the property gaining the nickname Lonelyhearts Ranch.

Bailey couldn’t deny that a lot of people were finding love in Rust Creek Falls, including four of his six siblings. But he had no illusions about happily-ever-after for himself. He’d already been there, done that and bought the T-shirt—then lost the T-shirt in his divorce.

But he was happy to help out with Presents for Patriots. He would even acknowledge that he enjoyed working with Brendan Tanner—because the retired marine didn’t try to get into his head or want to talk about his feelings, which was more than he could say about his siblings.

Bailey believed wholeheartedly in the work of Presents for Patriots. He had the greatest respect for the sacrifices made by enlisted men and women and was proud to participate in the community’s efforts to let the troops know they were valued and appreciated. Maybe sending Christmas gifts was a small thing, but at least it was something, and Bailey was pleased to be part of it.

He was less convinced of the value of this dinner and dance. Sure, it was a fund-raiser for a good cause, but Bailey suspected that most of the guests would be couples, and—as the only single one of his siblings currently living in Rust Creek Falls—he was already tired of feeling like a third wheel.

Not that he wanted to change his status. No, he’d learned the hard way that he was better off on his own. No one to depend on and no one depending on him. But it was still awkward to be a single man in a social gathering that was primarily made up of couples.

He looked around the crowd gathered at Sawmill Station, hoping to see Serena in attendance. She’d said that she had a ticket for the event, but considering the abruptness with which she’d left the restaurant after lunch, he had to wonder if she’d changed her mind about coming.

Her plans shouldn’t matter to him. After all, he barely knew her. But he couldn’t deny there was something about her—even when she was admonishing him for his admittedly inappropriate behavior—that appealed to him.

In fact, while she’d been scolding him, he’d had trouble understanding her words because his attention had been focused on the movements of her mouth. And he’d found himself wondering if those sweetly curved lips would stop moving if he covered them with his own—or if they’d respond with a matching passion.

Yeah, he barely knew the woman, but he knew that he wanted to kiss her—and that realization made him wary. It had been a lot of years since he’d felt such an immediate and instinctive attraction to a woman, and he would have happily lived out the rest of his days without experiencing that feeling again. Because he knew now that the euphoric feeling didn’t last—and when it was gone, his heart might suffer more dings and dents.

So it was probably for the best that she’d walked out of the diner before he’d had a chance to ask her to be his date tonight. Because while he wasn’t entirely comfortable being a single man surrounded by couples, at least he didn’t have to worry about the stirring of unexpected desires—and the even more dangerous yearnings of his heart.

Just when he’d managed to convince himself that was true, he turned away from the bar with a drink in hand and saw her. And his foolish heart actually skipped a beat.

The silky blond hair that had spilled over her shoulders when she’d removed the Mrs. Claus wig was gathered up on top of her head now. Not in a tight knot or a formal twist, but a messy—and very sexy—arrangement of curls. Several loose strands escaped the knot to frame her face.