Christmas with the Rancher

THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS

In the fifteen years she’s been gone, real estate mogul Bella Biondi forgot how sexy Travis Granger could be. And she can’t afford to remember! She’s back in Briggs to sell her dad’s inn, that’s all. No more tears or heartache, no reminiscing, definitely no kissing.

Travis has other ideas. He’s sure he can crack the hard shell tough-minded Bella’s built around herself. A sleigh ride, a snowball fight, some carols, and the real Bella will emerge. Not this Scrooge who’s out to dismantle a cherished part of the town’s history at all costs, but his childhood sweetheart. The cowgirl. The ice-skater. The girl who loves the holidays in ranch country even more than he does… Can Travis bring Bella back in time to save Christmas?

“Give it up, Bella…”

Travis continued, “You’re too cold, and this seat is way too small for you to act as if we barely know each other. Snuggle up and make yourself comfortable. It’s going to be a long ride.”

She relented and allowed herself to find comfort in the warmth of his body. Being that close to him generated enough heat to instantly do away with her shivers. She hated the undeniable fact she could feel emotions for him after all these years. Living so far away had purged the childhood hurt and had transformed her into a take-charge, hard-as-nails businesswoman who prided herself on being completely in control. Very little fazed her or made her cry anymore. In some circles she was referred to as cold, uncaring and even downright heartless.

Yet here she was on a sleigh, getting all torn up over her close proximity to Travis Granger, so much so that her eyes welled up.

Somehow the words bah humbug didn’t seem right on her lips anymore.

Dear Reader,

Christmas just happens to be my favorite holiday. Some of my fondest memories center around family, friends, amazing dinners and, of course, presents under the tree. It’s when the magic of Christmas heals all wounds and brings together those I cherish most. A year without celebrating Christmas is hard for me to imagine.

That’s what prompted me to write about Bella Biondi and Travis Granger, the youngest of the Granger men. What if these two childhood best friends were forced to deal with each other but came from opposite sides of the Christmas fence? Could they possibly ever find common ground, or would they simply dig in and never see the magic that’s all around them?

I wanted this book to be both poignant and funny, which brought up memories and emotions I thought I’d lost. Instead, I was able to share my memories with my adult children, which only brought us closer. In the rush of our daily lives, we tend to put off taking the time to tell someone we love our own Christmas story. There’s so much more to the holiday than buying someone a present or decorating a tree. It’s all those past Christmases that make up who we are and what brings us to this moment.

I hope you enjoy reading this story and that it prompts you to share some of your most cherished Christmas memories.

You can visit me at www.maryleo.com, where you’ll find some fun facts about Idaho’s Teton Valley and my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. You can also find me on Facebook, where I’ll keep you informed of my latest books.

Best,

Mary Leo

Christmas with

the Rancher

Mary Leo

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARY LEO grew up in south Chicago in the tangle of a big Italian family. She’s worked in Hollywood, Las Vegas and in Silicon Valley. Currently she lives in San Diego with her husband, author Terry Watkins, and their sweet kitty, Sophie. Visit her website at maryleo.com.

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This book is dedicated to everyone who rediscovers the magic of Christmas.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

“This is going to be the best Christmas ever,” Bella said as she and Travis leaned out of the small attic window trying to get a better look at downtown Briggs, Idaho.

“That’s because I get to spend it with you,” Travis whispered.

Bella nudged him, giggling at the absurdity of his statement, as if the magic of Christmas depended on whether or not she was with him.

“That’s just silly,” she told him.

He shrugged and continued staring out the window leaving Bella to wonder if he really meant it...if his Christmas depended on her.

She hoped not because there was no telling what would happen when they grew up and she’d hate to think that Travis wasn’t having a happy Christmas because she wasn’t with him.

The thought gave her a shudder.

Or maybe it was the cold seeping in under her shirt.

Twinkling lights decorated every tree and building in the town. Even the giant plaster russet potato perched on the roof of Spud Bank was awash in lights. The life-size heifer in front of Moo Creamery wore a sparkling wreath, and the twenty-foot pine tree in the town square served as a Christmas anchor for the entire festive event. It was Bella’s favorite time of the year, and she intended to spend every free minute of it surrounding herself with everything Christmas and that included Travis Granger, the one boy in the entire town who loved the magic of Christmas as much as she did.

“It’s beautiful from up here,” Travis said. “You’re so lucky to live so close to town. You can walk to all the events. I have to beg my dad or my brother Blake to drive me in. When I grow up I’m going to move off that old family ranch and live right here in the city.”

Bella slipped away from the window, walked over to her antique trunk, opened the lid and plopped down on the floor in front of it. The trunk had once been her maternal grandmother’s hope chest.

“No, you won’t. You’re a cowboy, and cowboys don’t belong in a crowded city. There’s no place to ride a horse. A cowboy belongs in the country on a ranch.”

Travis turned away from the window, closed it and walked over to her.

“Maybe I don’t want to be a cowboy all my life, especially on our ranch where most of the land is dedicated to growing potatoes. Maybe I don’t give one lick about potatoes. Maybe I want to be a carpenter or an astronaut or even a fireman.”

The very idea of Travis Granger wanting to be anything other than what he was born to be gave Bella a chuckle as she slipped a white lacy jacket over her long-sleeved red tee, then wrapped a black lace scarf that had once belonged to her mom’s mom around her neck. She’d never met her grandma, but she loved to dress up in her old clothes and loved to hear her mom tell stories of how her gram had married her grandpa when she was only fifteen because they were in love. Her grandpa was twenty-five.

Her grandma had her first baby while she was still fifteen, but it didn’t live more than a few days, her mama had told her. When Bella asked why, she’d told her he was born premature and his little lungs weren’t developed yet. Her grandma didn’t have another baby until she was almost forty-five. That baby was Bella’s mom.

It made Bella feel as though her grandma was still with her whenever she put on her old clothes.

“That’s just silly talk. Cowboy blood runs through your veins, just like it does with your dad and your two brothers. There ain’t nothin’ you can do about changing what’s already a fact.”

She grabbed her grandpa’s black felt cowboy hat that had seen better days and stuck it on Travis’s head. According to her dad, her grandpa had worn that hat to church every Sunday for as long as her dad could remember. It didn’t quite fit on Travis, falling over his ears, but when he went to pull it off he stopped and thought better of it, knowing darn well how much Bella loved playing dress-up.

He pulled out a piece of white paper from his pocket, unfolded it and showed Bella a sketch of a pretty little ranch-style house.

“Your dad and me have been working on this for a while. What d’ya think?”

“It’s pretty, but what is it?”

“It’s a house. Don’t you know anything?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course I know it’s a house. But whose is it?”

“It’s my house, or will be when I build it. Your dad is teaching me how to make things and as soon as he thinks I’m ready he’s going to help me build it. So will my dad and maybe those two cantankerous brothers of mine, if I let them. You can help, too. And you can live there if you want to. It’ll be big enough.”

“I might consider it if you build an extra room where it’s Christmas all year long, even in the summertime.”

He snorted and shook his head. “Nobody has a special room just for Christmas. It’s not practical.”

She stood holding her grandfather’s fringed jacket and motioned for him to put it on. It was way too big on him, but Bella still liked the way he looked, like a grown-up rancher going to town. She slipped on the tiara she’d won with her best friend, Jaycee, from when they were eight years old, then glided her feet into a pair of red suede heels her mom had discarded years ago, and pulled a long white skirt that matched her gram’s jacket up over her jeans.

Even though Bella was almost thirteen years old and knew other girls her age didn’t play dress-up anymore, Bella wasn’t ready to give it up. Now more than ever when her parents seemed to be arguing all the time. Sneaking up to the attic and dressing in her grandma’s clothes and making up stories about her gram and grandpa was exactly what she liked to do so she didn’t have to hear them fight.

“I’ll just have to build my own house so I can have a year-round Christmas room,” Bella announced.

Travis moved in closer to her. “You don’t know the first thing about building a house.”

“Then I’ll buy one already built with lots of rooms.”

He suddenly looked sad. “But I want you to live with me.”

“Not if I can’t have my Christmas room.”

He stepped in even closer. “You can have anything you want. I’ll build you two Christmas rooms if that’s what it takes.”

She leaned in and kissed him right on the lips and immediately felt all warm and sugary. The kiss didn’t last more than a few seconds, but she knew they’d be together forever, exactly like her grandma and grandpa.

“Okay, I’ll live in your house, Travis Granger, and you can be my boyfriend.”

A smile bigger than all of Idaho spread across his soft lips, he took his hat off, placed it over his chest, took her hand and kissed it.

Another sugary tingle zipped up her arm and this time goose bumps danced on her skin.

“I would be delighted, fair maiden.”

That’s when they heard her mom’s stern voice echo up the stairs. “Bella, I need you to come down here right this instant.”

Chapter One

Travis Granger stood on the snowy roof of Dream Weaver Inn, holding a string of colored lights in his right hand and a conundrum in his mind. The string of lights were easily dealt with using the hooks he’d installed on the chimney several years ago to accommodate the festive trimming, but the issue of Bella Biondi visiting Briggs after essentially a fifteen-year absence was something this ole cowboy couldn’t seem to wrangle his head around.

Despite the fact that he’d briefly seen her a couple of times in the first five years after she’d left with her mom, and never in the last ten, the memory of her had lingered like a habit he couldn’t break. None of the women he’d dated—and he’d dated quite a few—tugged on his heart like Bella did. Her dad, Nick Biondi, owner of the inn and close family friend, had kept him up to date with Bella’s accomplishments, and the occasional photograph had provided a visual record of how she’d changed from a twelve-year-old tomboy who could ride and rope better than most cowboys, into a twenty-eight-year-old real-estate mogul...a concept that tripped up his memory of her like two bulls living in the same pen.

His fondest recollection was her solid love for everything Christmas. When they were kids, Christmas and the days that led up to it had been elevated to more than just a religious holiday and a visit from the man in a red suit. It meant sleigh rides, ice-skating rinks, caroling in the park, buying or making gifts for just about everyone they knew and magical moments that captured both their imaginations like nothing else. Her family’s inn had been the focal point for the entire town during the month of December. Every event seemed to begin and end at Dream Weaver Inn. There had even been a time when Bella had Travis convinced that Santa himself began his long night of deliveries with a stop at the inn for a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of her dad’s chunky-fudgy cookies, the absolute best cookies ever.

He didn’t know much about her business life out there in Chicago. He’d heard she lived in some fancy condo on north Michigan Avenue, worked 24/7 and rarely took a vacation, probably due to the expense of that high-priced condo. Knowing sweet little Bella, he was dang sure she had to be missing Christmas in Briggs, Idaho. Or why else would she be coming home just days before the main event? He knew her mom had passed away within the last year, and he figured she must be returning to spend the holidays with her dad to soak up some family comfort.

Dream Weaver Inn had hit on some hard times in the past few years with occupancy going down to barely enough to keep the lights on. Travis and his family were trying to change all that, and so far the inn had been coming around with most of the rooms reserved for December and well into January. He was hoping that trend would continue after the holidays, especially now that Bella might be taking an interest. He wanted to try to keep her around for a while and get to know her again.

As soon as he’d heard about her return he dropped everything else going on in his life to complete the Christmas decorations for her homecoming. He wanted the inn to look exactly as it had before she’d left. It had to be perfect for her arrival that evening, and both he and Nick had worked extra hard to accomplish that goal. If she’d given her dad a few days warning instead of twenty-four hours he probably could have gotten all the repairs to the inn done in time. But as it was, the repairs had to be overlooked in favor of more important things—decorations. He’d even enlisted his dad, his brother Colt, plus his wife, Helen, and their four children, to help in the mad dash to make the inn glow like it had when Bella lived there.

“She’s on her way in,” Nick hollered up from somewhere below.

Travis couldn’t see him as he straddled the roof next to the chimney securing the string of lights around it. Earlier that morning he’d set up the life-size Santa sitting in his sleigh and holding the reins to his reindeer, and once he secured the chimney lights the roof would look exactly as it had when Bella lived there. All he needed were a few more hours and everything would be perfect.

“How close?” Travis called down, as he scratched his chin. He always grew a short beard this time of year, but he never seemed to get used to it. The dang thing itched whenever his nerves got the best of him, and at the moment he wanted nothing more than to shave the thing clean off.

“Said she can see the inn.”

Evidently, he didn’t have a few more hours.

Travis called back to Nick. “But she’s not supposed to arrive until late tonight.”

Nick now stood in the front yard out far enough for Travis to see him. He shielded his eyes with his hand as he looked up at Travis. Even though there was a thick layer of clouds hanging over Briggs, the sky, combined with the newly fallen snow, made everything glisten a pearly shade of white. “My girl never was one for clocks. I’m thinking that’s her headed our way.” He turned slightly and pointed out to the road heading into Briggs.

“Darn it all,” Travis cursed. “She always liked to show up early. Be the first one to arrive at a party or an event. I should’ve remembered that.”

His gaze shot across the roof and settled on the road, what he could see of it, and sure enough, a single blue, heavy-duty truck sped its way doing at least seventy-five, with no regard to road conditions or speed limits.

He figured it had to be Bella—she always liked to ride a fast horse. The girl he’d known had been addicted to speed, the acceleration type, not the drug.

A thick blanket of snow had recently covered the valley for as far as Travis could see, turning everything into a white wonderland, exactly the way Travis liked it. The Teton mountain range that spanned the eastern part of the town was shrouded with low-hanging clouds giving the impression they were hills rather than some of the highest peaks in the country. And the normally bustling business section was barely coming to life as a few shopkeepers shoveled the snow off their front sidewalks before their stores opened for business.

“Inn looks good,” his brother Colt shouted as he looked up to the roof from the six-foot high N-O-E-L letters on the massive front lawn. He’d secured them to the ground making sure they wouldn’t come tumbling down in the middle of the night, using stakes that Travis had crafted especially for the task. The inn sat at least seventy-five feet back from the street, so any decorations in the front yard had to be larger than life in order for anyone to see them. “Come on down here, little brother, and greet the girl you’ve been waitin’ on for most of your adult life.”

Travis hurried to finish up, then he plugged the end of the string into the rest of the lights that surrounded Santa’s sleigh. They instantly lit up, assuring him the roof was complete. Now all he had to do was figure out how to get down before she arrived without killing himself, a task that might take some time considering more snow had fallen since he’d first crawled up there. He’d worn a safety harness, and had secured a rope to the ring he’d attached to the roof several years ago, but he sure as heck didn’t want to make use of his precaution, especially now when Bella was only minutes away.

He wished he’d have listened to his dad an hour ago when he’d urged him to come on down before the snow got too thick.

But did he listen?

Not this cowboy.

He knew he had to take his time, but adrenaline shot through his veins as the truck quickly approached. Travis could no more slow down his actions than a young boy could stop himself from opening a gift on Christmas morning. Colt was right. Ever since Bella had moved away he’d been anxiously waiting for her permanent return. She was part of Briggs, Idaho, just like he was, and despite her long absence, he knew deep in her heart she could never settle anywhere else. Nothing could get him to admit any of this, at least not to his two older brothers who would have razzed him without mercy.

“She has her own life in Chicago and I have mine right here. I’m excited to see an old friend, is all,” he said, knowing darn well his brother knew the truth.

Travis took in a deep breath of the crisp air before he slid his butt down the front side of the roof, his tool belt skidding across the snowy gray shingles as he headed for his ladder at the far end. His hands were about frozen despite his wool gloves and if it wasn’t for his new black, genuine beaver cattleman’s hat he surely would have frozen into another roof ornament standing next to Santa.

“Whatever you say, little brother, but that old friend just pulled up to the front curb. You better get your hustle on or you’re going to miss the smile on her pretty little face when she sees the inn all decked out like it used to be.”

“I’m moving as fast as I can, considering all the snow that’s up here,” Travis yelled just as his foot slid out from under him and the only thing that kept him from falling right on his backside was his tight hold on that thick rope.

The sound of small feet running across the wooden porch floor below echoed up to Travis. “Maybe we should’ve brought that old trampoline, Uncle Travis,” Joey, Colt’s youngest boy, called up. He’d jumped off the homestead barn roof onto a trampoline on his fourth birthday. Fortunately, Travis had caught him in midair as he’d taken a leap of faith and the two of them had glided down together.

The trampoline might have been a good idea considering Travis couldn’t seem to keep his footing on the slick roof.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t the kind to admit his shortcomings.

“No need,” Travis yelled back. “I’ve got it all under control.” Then he slid another few inches, causing his heart to jump against his chest. His rubber-soled boots took hold on a dry spot on the roof and he let out the breath he’d been holding.

“You best be careful, son,” Dodge, his white-haired father, called up to him. “Or you’ll be sittin’ out Christmas in traction if you fall off that there roof. ’Sides, that girl’s been citified. No tellin’ how she’s gonna react to you, much less her old homestead. Now you get yourself down here in one piece, ya hear?”

“I will,” Travis hollered, as he oh-so-carefully tried to maneuver closer to his ladder at the edge of the roof. And darn it all, he was determined to make it down one rung at a time before she walked into the front door of the three-story inn.

* * *

DREAM WEAVER INN had loomed out in front of Bella for the last mile, giving her ample time to adjust to seeing it again. Despite the tightness she felt in her chest, the lump in her throat, and the tears she rapidly blinked away, she reminded herself the sight of the inn merely represented another business deal.

Nothing more.

At least that was the mantra she repeated in her head.

The inn sat like an anchor at the edge of town with its pitched roof, redbrick chimney, and three stories of Victorian elegance, the absolute perfect inn for TransGlobal Corporation to add to their string of historic inns across the country. She had brokered several inns for TransGlobal during the last year, and it only made sense that her father’s inn would be one of them. And if her father hadn’t insisted that she show up in person with the paperwork, she could’ve had the deal sewn up a month ago. Right now she would have been lying on a Florida beach spending some of her commission on fine hotels, expensive wine and gourmet meals, and celebrating her promotion instead of stuck in her old hometown for the next twenty-four hours.

A town she couldn’t seem to shake out of her memory.

A town that was holding her back from accepting the promotion at the company she worked for in Chicago.

And most of all, a town where the boy she’d crushed on when she was a kid still held a piece of her heart.

Before she’d left Chicago, she and her shrink had discussed how she would get through seeing the inn, her dad and old friends by concentrating on the task at hand: getting her dad’s signature on the bottom line. She’d started seeing a psychologist soon after her mom had died, to help her through the tough times. And recently she’d seen her a few more times to learn some coping skills to deal with seeing her hometown, a place that she still carried a torch for.

Not that she had any intention of acting on those burning feelings.

She knew exactly what she wanted: the corner office at Ewing Inc., which was all but hers. She only needed to complete this million-dollar sale and the CEO position would be hers. Bella was the best man for the job. The board of directors knew it. Her contemporaries knew it. And the retiring CEO knew it. All she had to do now was convince that pesky country heart of hers, a task she’d somewhat accomplished...at least eighty percent of the way. The other twenty percent dripped nostalgia and never wanted to leave Idaho.

She’d come to the conclusion that the less time she spent in Briggs, the better for everyone concerned, especially since it was a week before Christmas, a holiday she’d grown to dislike more than potatoes, and she absolutely loathed potatoes.

Catching an earlier flight into Idaho Falls had been her idea and a good one despite her shrink’s caution against it. That way, she could get the papers signed early in the day and drive out of town that evening before her dad had a chance to invite her to a Christmas gala of some kind, which she knew the town would have plenty.

Renting the four-by-four had been another sound decision, considering the weather. If there was one thing Bella understood after living in Chicago for the past fifteen years, it was how to deal with winter. When she’d looked up the predicted weather conditions in Briggs, she knew instantly that anything less would never give her the traction she needed for the frozen roads. Bella prided herself on always being prepared no matter what the situation.

Pulling her rig up to the curb, she immediately spotted her dad standing on the shoveled sidewalk in front of the hideously decorated inn. She couldn’t believe he still put up that old Santa and reindeer across the roof. She sighed. It would have to come down and be sold or disposed of before TransGlobal Corporation took ownership. If her father couldn’t manage it, well, she’d have to hire someone from town.

A cowboy stood next to giant N-O-E-L letters that she vaguely recognized from her childhood, with a young boy standing next to him, and another older cowboy who looked familiar standing up on the wraparound porch.

Taking a deep, calming breath and slowly letting it out she turned off the ignition, and slid out of the truck, grabbing her briefcase on the passenger seat. Her bag could stay in the truck. She most certainly wouldn’t be spending the night.

“You’re a mighty fine sight for these sore eyes,” her father said as she quickly walked toward him, careful not to slip on the snow in her new designer boots. She’d hate it if she did something stupid in such an awkward situation.

“Hi, Dad,” she said as she reached out and gave him a quick hug. He still looked ruggedly handsome in his fraying jeans, gray parka and black cowboy boots. He still had that familiar scent of musky spices that she’d always loved on him.

She pulled away almost as soon as her face touched his rough cheek, resisting the urge to linger in his embrace. She’d been video-conferencing him from time to time in the past few years, but she’d only seen him in person four times since she and her mom had left Briggs. Each time it had gotten more and more difficult for her to say goodbye.

“Honey, you remember Dodge Granger,” her dad told her once they parted. She immediately recognized him and memories of him, his ranch, his barn and his sons all came rushing back.

She quickly pushed them aside.

He went to hug her, but, afraid his bear hug would instantly rekindle their friendship she stuck out her leather-clad hand instead. His big, ungloved hand encircled hers and she instantly felt the warmth of his good nature. She missed men like Dodge, genuinely kind and always willing to help. She was certain hugging the man would melt her resolve, like icicles in sunshine.

“Nice to see you again, Mr. Granger,” she told him taking a step back, hoping some distance would help.

“No need to be gettin’ so formal, Bella,” he said. “Dodge is just fine.”

His gruff voice surrounded her memories like a warm blanket. She’d always liked being around Dodge. He’d taught her how to rope before she could ride a horse.

“Dodge it is.”

“I’m sure you remember his son Colt,” her dad said.

Colt tipped his hat, and held out a hand. He wore a friendly grin that she was sure could charm a girl right into his bed. He looked nothing like the tall, skinny boy she remembered, a boy who needed to grow into his big ears. He had that sexy cowboy look going on that worked on most women her age. Fortunately, not on her. She’d learned to prefer a man in a tailored suit rather than a man in jeans and cowboy boots.

“Hope the drive over wasn’t too bad,” he said, while standing next to a young boy.

“It was fine, thanks.”

He patted the boy’s head, mussing up his hair, and the child tried to move away from his touch. Colt grabbed him and the boy squealed with delight.

“This ornery little man is my son Joey.”

Joey sucked in his laughter and held out his hand for her. She’d never met a child with real manners. This was a first. She took his small hand in hers. His grip was firm and confidant, better than some executives she’d met.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Biondi,” Joey said while looking into her eyes.

“You, too,” she answered, giving him a quick smile.

Small talk had never been her forte.

She had hoped no one but a few guests would be at the inn. Why the Granger men were there stumped her. She had specifically asked her dad to make sure Travis Granger was nowhere near the inn. So why he thought it was okay for the other Grangers to show up was beyond her imagination.