Maverick Holiday Magic

“Well, I like him,” Merry said. “And don’t start. It’s not in a crush sort of way. He’s a concerned father or I wouldn’t have this job.”

“I talked to Vivienne Dalton who knows all of the Crawfords. Hunter is a widower and she said he’s just as good-looking as the other brothers. Did you get a sense that he’s looking to settle down like the others?” Zoey asked.

“No.” Merry got exactly the opposite feeling. The man didn’t even want to go to the wedding. And her instincts told her that wasn’t just about logistics with child care for Wren. “I think his daughter is the only female he’s interested in.”

“Too bad. Shame for all that hunk factor to go to waste.” Zoey sighed. “But I guess dating is hard when you have a child.”

“Dating is hard when you don’t.” Even Merry heard the bitterness in her voice.

“Oh, shoot. I didn’t mean to remind you of him.” Zoey handed her the shoes to try on.

“You mean Ken? The guy who dumped me when my dad was going through cancer treatment? The one who couldn’t say goodbye fast enough because he didn’t come first?”

“Yeah. Him.”

“You know my dad had very strong opinions on every guy I dated. Not like he hated them all, but he knew the good ones from the bad. And he didn’t like Ken Michaelson from the moment they met.”

“And he was right on the money. That jerk deserted you when you needed him most,” Zoey commented.

“Yet another example that men aren’t especially loyal. Even my brother, Jack.”

“He’s in the military,” Zoey reminded her.

“I know. The thing is he joined right after my mom died when I was just a little girl. Dad and I hardly ever saw him and he barely made it home for my father’s funeral. So he’s pretty much disappeared and that doesn’t meet my definition of loyal.” She stepped into the pale lavender shoes. “They’re a little big.”

“Stuff tissues in the toes. They’ll be fine,” Zoey said. “And I’ve got a strapless bra, so don’t worry about that. I think you’re good to go.”

“You are a life saver. Dependable and true blue.” Merry hugged her. “Unlike most men. Although Hunter’s devotion to his daughter is refreshing. I like that.”

“Oh, really?”

“Please. Don’t start. For crying out loud it’s just a weekend.”

And now that she had a wedding outfit, it was a weekend she was looking forward to.

Hunter slowed the SUV until he found the address Merry had given him and came to a stop in front of her small yellow house with white trim. There was an old truck in the driveway with Matthews Electrical written on the side of it. He’d promised to pick her up for the flight to Colorado that would take them to his brother’s wedding.

“Well,” he said to Wren, “this is the place.”

“Daddy, I’m going to get Miss Merry.” Wren was out of the car before he could stop her.

Hunter turned off the engine, jumped out of the vehicle and followed his daughter up the sidewalk to the porch. He noticed a for sale sign on a sturdy white post prominently displayed in the neatly trimmed front grass. That bothered him a little and it shouldn’t because he barely knew the woman. But Wren liked her and he wasn’t in favor of any changes that could potentially affect her happiness.

The door opened before he could knock and Merry was there, a smile on her face as bright as the cheery yellow paint on her house. Hunter felt a thump in his chest, one hard whack that seemed to jump-start his heart.

“Good morning, Wren. Hunter.”

“Hi, Miss Merry. We’re goin’ on Gramps’s jet. He’s taking the whole family on it. Have you ever been on a jet?”

“Yes. Once. But it was a commercial flight, not private. This is very exciting.”

“I can’t wait.” His daughter was practically quivering with anticipation.

“We’re running late,” Hunter said. “But if you need a little more time, I guarantee they’ll hold the plane for the flower girl. Maximilian Crawford will make sure of that.”

Merry smiled up at him. “I’m ready to go. My suitcase is right here by the door. My dress is in a garment bag. Is that okay?”

Before he could say it was fine, Wren jumped in.

“Daddy and me have that, too. My dress is so pretty. I’m gonna look like a princess. Right, Daddy?”

“Honey, you look like a princess to me no matter what you wear.”

Love expanded inside him when she smiled up at him like that, as if he was her hero. Then he looked at Merry and felt that whack in his chest again. Her blond hair was a mass of curls, and enthusiasm sparkled in her hazel eyes. There was a flush of pink on her cheeks that could be about the chill in the air or the beginning of an adventure. Whatever the cause, he was oddly reluctant to stop looking at her.

“Should we get going?” Merry asked.

That snapped him out of it. They were late. “I’ll get your suitcase.”

“Thanks.” She backed up and let him reach inside to grab the handle of the bag that had seen better days. “I’ll get my dress.”

“What can I carry?” Wren asked.

Merry thought for a moment. “Why don’t you hold my purse while I lock the door?”

“Okay.” The little girl took the big bag. “This is heavy.”

“It is. Set it on the porch, sweetie.” She locked up, then took her purse for the walk to the car.

Hunter hit a button on his key fob and the SUV hatch slowly lifted. He put her bag in the back with the other two, then took her dress and settled it on the rear passenger hook. “Okay, ladies. Let’s roll.”

“I have to sit in the back in my car seat, Miss Merry. Daddy says so.”

“It’s safer for you, sweetie.”

“That’s what he says, too.”

“Do you want me to sit back there with you?”

Wren thought for a moment then said, “No. It’s nice for him to have someone to talk to until I’m big enough to sit in the front with him.”

That settled that. They all got in and buckled up. It wasn’t often there was a woman—a beautiful woman—riding in his front passenger seat. This was different—not bad different, just enough for him to feel a little tongue-tied. Fortunately his daughter picked up the conversation slack.

“We’re goin’ to Billings. That’s where the airport is. I brought my princess bride doll with me.”

“That seems very appropriate for this occasion,” Merry said.

“My dress is prettier than hers. But she has a tiara. I asked Aunt Avery if I could wear one and she said she didn’t think it would go with my dress.”