A Mistletoe Vow: A Cold Creek Christmas Story / Falling for Mr December / A Husband for the Holidays

He moved away to join his daughter while she picked a few other books and the moment was gone.

* * *

He had to finish taking care of things at his grandmother’s house and get out of Pine Gulch.

As Flynn drove the short distance from Charlotte’s house to the Star N Ranch, he was aware of a low, insistent unease. This town was growing on him, sucking him in.

He had always enjoyed coming here as a kid to spend time with his grandmother. The setting was beautiful, nestled against the Tetons, with pine forests and crystal clear streams.

The pace here seemed so very different from his childhood home in Southern California, quieter, gentler somehow. Almost like a foreign country, without convertibles and palm trees and self-absorbed celebrities.

He always felt a sense of peace settle over him the moment he passed through the city limits into town.

He thought he loved it here because of Charlotte, because she was such a steady source of love and support despite the chaos of the rest of his world. When he came to Pine Gulch, there were no raging fights that could go on for days, no slamming doors, no screaming voices. Only his calm, funny, laughing grandmother, with her colorful aprons and her bright smile and her small, tidy house beside the Cold Creek.

She was gone now, but he was aware of that same peace seeping through him, so very welcome after the terrible past few months.

It didn’t make sense, he knew. He was only here to finish taking care of Charlotte’s house, not to find some kind of peace.

That was part of the reason he was so drawn to Celeste Nichols, he acknowledged as he neared her family’s ranch. She had a calming way about her that drew him to her.

He couldn’t imagine any two people more different than Celeste and Elise—the sweet children’s librarian and author and the passionate, flamboyant, ambitious actress.

His marriage had been a mistake from the beginning. After growing up with a mother in the entertainment business—and a father who had hated it—and seeing the neuroses and the superficiality of that way of life, he had wanted no part of it.

After high school and college, he had set his business degree aside and obtained a contractor’s license instead. After only a few years his construction company had established a reputation for quality and dependability. Then at one of his mother’s frequent parties, he had met a stunning—and hungry—young actress.

She had pursued him aggressively, and he—like probably most guys in their early twenties—had been too flattered to use his brain. In his lust-addled state, it had taken him several weeks to realize she was more interested in his connection to his mother and her powerful Hollywood circle than in him.

But by then Elise had become pregnant, despite the precautions they had taken. He had done what he thought was right and married her, but it had been the ultimate exercise in futility. Both of them had known from the beginning it would never last. The two years before she had filed for divorce had been among the toughest of his life, sweetened only by his complete adoration for his baby girl.

Everything he did, then and now, was for Olivia. That was the only reason he was driving to pick up Celeste Nichols right now, not because of this powerful attraction he hadn’t been able to shake since that first day in the library.

What was it about her? Yes, she was pretty in a calm, buttoned-down kind of way with those lovely dark-fringed green eyes and dark curls. She had an understated loveliness she seemed to be doing her best to hide from the world.

His entire life he had been surrounded by beautiful women who were empty shells once a guy broke through the surface to the person inside. Despite their short acquaintance, he was certain Celeste wasn’t like that.

Her kindness to Olivia touched him. He tried to tell himself that was the reason for this strange reaction to her. It was gratitude; that was all.

Somehow he wasn’t buying it as he passed the entrance to The Christmas Ranch on his way to the Star N.

“What is that place?” Olivia asked, gazing out the window at the colorful holiday display they could see from the road.

“It’s a place where people pay money to help find the Christmas spirit,” he explained. “They have different activities here like sledding, sleigh rides, that kind of thing.”

“Look, Dad! That sign says Home of the Real Sparkle,” she read. “That must be where he lives! Can we pay the money and see him and maybe do some of the other stuff? The sledding and stuff?”

Her request took him by surprise, especially considering how apathetic she had been about decorating their house for Christmas. She hadn’t summoned much energy at all for celebrating this year. He couldn’t blame her after what she had endured, but it was one more thing that broke his heart, especially considering how excited she had been about the holiday season in years past.

Maybe Celeste Nichols and her reindeer book were rubbing off on Olivia.

“We’ll have to see. I thought you weren’t very interested in Christmas this year.”

“I guess we could do a few Christmas things,” she said slowly. “Whether we do them or not, Christmas is coming anyway.”

“True enough.” For a girl who had just turned seven, she could be remarkably wise sometimes. She was tough and courageous, he told himself. Even if she was struggling now, she would make it through this eventually.

“Is this where Celeste lives?” Olivia asked when he pulled up in front of the little house not far from the bigger Star N ranch house.

“That’s what she said. The foreman’s house.”

“Look. She has a Christmas tree, too.”

Since her family ran The Christmas Ranch, he would have been more shocked if she didn’t have one.

“I wonder if I can see her cute little dog, Linus.”

“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised,” he told her.

Olivia opened the passenger door almost before he had the SUV in Park, and she raced up the driveway without him, only limping a little. While he was still unbuckling his seat belt, she was already at the doorbell, and by the time he reached the door, Celeste had opened it and was greeting his daughter.

“Of course,” she was saying. “You can absolutely come in and meet Lucy the cat. She loves new friends.”

Apparently his daughter had invited herself inside. He rolled his eyes but followed her when Celeste held open the door for both of them.

The house wasn’t large, perhaps only eight or nine hundred square feet. The living room was decorated in a casual, comfortable style, heavy on bright colors, with lots of plump pillows and books. The Christmas tree was about the only holiday decoration, he was surprised to see.

“Nice place,” he said.

“Thanks. I just moved over a few months ago from the main house, but so far I’ve been enjoying it. I’m close enough to help out with my niece and nephew when my sister Faith needs me. At the same time, I’m far enough away from the chaos that I can write. I’ve even got my own writing space in the second bedroom.”

“It’s comfortable.”

She smiled. “I like it.”

Her furry-faced little dog scampered in from the kitchen, followed by an elegant-looking black cat, who watched them carefully from the doorway as if trying to determine whether they were friends or foes.

“Hi, Linus.” Olivia sank to the floor to pet the dog. After a moment, the cat sidled over.

“That’s Lucy,” Celeste said. “She can be a little snooty at first, but once she warms up, she’ll be your best friend. Just give her a moment.”

Sure enough, while Olivia mostly paid attention to the small dog, the cat moved closer and closer until she rubbed her head against Olivia’s leg.

“I think she likes me,” she whispered.

“I’m sure of it,” Celeste said with a smile.

“Looks as if you need to pick up a pet or two,” she said to Flynn in an undertone.