Home For Christmas (A Copper Mountain Christmas) by Melissa Mcclone Page B
Authors: Melissa Mcclone
Ads: Link
ranch. Arrow wouldn't be happy.
Thanks to the thoughtful and tasty scones Rachel had baked and given to everyone at the cabins, well, today was the closest to heaven Nate had been in a while. A brief escape from his self-imposed friend purgatory.
Not that Nate minded much.
He enjoyed hanging out with Rachel. He hadn't needed to milk his ankle as an excuse with the storm keeping them inside. She liked to talk, ask questions, talk some more. One more day of snow and he'd thought she would pull out a bottle of sparkly polish and paint their fingernails.
Okay, not really.
But pretty damn close, and he wouldn't have minded painting her toenails. She treated him like a girlfriend, and he was taking her lead, being her friend, supporting her, being a decent guy. Something Ty needed to see him be.
Being Rachel's friend didn't suck.
Sure, Nate wanted to get physical. Wanted it more than his next breath on some days. But talking was underrated.
Still, being her bud wasn't easy. He felt closer to Rachel in two weeks than he had to Marissa in two years. Marissa would talk about work or a call from her mother, a dress she loved, or a friend who was dating a jerk. Nate was expected to listen—and he did, kind of—until she was finished and moved on to the next topic. She never asked him for more than to stop by her place on the way home from work so she could change before dinner.
Not that he'd offered more. He hadn't included her in his Montana past until he'd had to return to the ranch.
Maybe that was why Marissa couldn't understand the importance of the Bar V5, of keeping his family legacy, of making sure his parents could live out their final days in their house, the only home his dad had ever known. And why had Nate been so surprised to tell Rachel how he felt when he lost his first horse and when he learned of his father's dementia.
She'd asked, and he answered. It wasn't hard.
Cue the chick flick.
Nate drove the snowmobile over a slight rise, to take the scenic way back to the house. Rachel would get a mini tour of the Bar V5 and he'd enjoy having her arms around him for a few more minutes before stepping back into friend mode. If not for the riot that would ensue if she didn't cook lunch, he would keep her out here all day, wind on their faces, her body spooning his.
Not exactly friend-like motives.
So sue him.
He might not have this chance again. Ty hadn't seemed to mind. The guy had thanked Nate for bringing Rachel and her scones to the cabin and keeping his sister entertained. Nate would make the most of this opportunity.
Rachel pointed to the herd of horses in the pasture, coats thick from the cold and the breeze in their manes.
He stopped near the fence then turned off the ignition.
She climbed off, removed her helmet and made her way to the fence. The horses ran toward them, kicking up snow. "They look like they're having so much fun out there."
"With no guests at the ranch, winter is their season to play."
"So carefree." She sighed. "They don't worry, do they? Must be nice."
The wistful tone in Rachel's voice didn't surprise him. She'd told him more details about what happened in Phoenix with Pamela Darby and the television cook's husband. Nate wasn't big on using violence to solve problems, but if he ever game across Grayson Darby in person, the crook was going down. "They only worry if we're late bringing dinner. Like we'd forget them with all their clomping and whinnying."
"But they don't worry about their work."
"No, they love it."
She leaned against the fence, resting her arms on the top rail. "The way you love the Bar V5, the animals and the people here. Worries, hard work and all."
It wasn't a question, but he decided to answer anyway. "I love everything about this place, from the twisted iron sign hanging on the gate to the Bar V5 brand on the animals. There's no place like the ranch anywhere. Totally worth every gray hair she's given me."
Rachel peeked under his hat, brushing her fingers
Thanks to the thoughtful and tasty scones Rachel had baked and given to everyone at the cabins, well, today was the closest to heaven Nate had been in a while. A brief escape from his self-imposed friend purgatory.
Not that Nate minded much.
He enjoyed hanging out with Rachel. He hadn't needed to milk his ankle as an excuse with the storm keeping them inside. She liked to talk, ask questions, talk some more. One more day of snow and he'd thought she would pull out a bottle of sparkly polish and paint their fingernails.
Okay, not really.
But pretty damn close, and he wouldn't have minded painting her toenails. She treated him like a girlfriend, and he was taking her lead, being her friend, supporting her, being a decent guy. Something Ty needed to see him be.
Being Rachel's friend didn't suck.
Sure, Nate wanted to get physical. Wanted it more than his next breath on some days. But talking was underrated.
Still, being her bud wasn't easy. He felt closer to Rachel in two weeks than he had to Marissa in two years. Marissa would talk about work or a call from her mother, a dress she loved, or a friend who was dating a jerk. Nate was expected to listen—and he did, kind of—until she was finished and moved on to the next topic. She never asked him for more than to stop by her place on the way home from work so she could change before dinner.
Not that he'd offered more. He hadn't included her in his Montana past until he'd had to return to the ranch.
Maybe that was why Marissa couldn't understand the importance of the Bar V5, of keeping his family legacy, of making sure his parents could live out their final days in their house, the only home his dad had ever known. And why had Nate been so surprised to tell Rachel how he felt when he lost his first horse and when he learned of his father's dementia.
She'd asked, and he answered. It wasn't hard.
Cue the chick flick.
Nate drove the snowmobile over a slight rise, to take the scenic way back to the house. Rachel would get a mini tour of the Bar V5 and he'd enjoy having her arms around him for a few more minutes before stepping back into friend mode. If not for the riot that would ensue if she didn't cook lunch, he would keep her out here all day, wind on their faces, her body spooning his.
Not exactly friend-like motives.
So sue him.
He might not have this chance again. Ty hadn't seemed to mind. The guy had thanked Nate for bringing Rachel and her scones to the cabin and keeping his sister entertained. Nate would make the most of this opportunity.
Rachel pointed to the herd of horses in the pasture, coats thick from the cold and the breeze in their manes.
He stopped near the fence then turned off the ignition.
She climbed off, removed her helmet and made her way to the fence. The horses ran toward them, kicking up snow. "They look like they're having so much fun out there."
"With no guests at the ranch, winter is their season to play."
"So carefree." She sighed. "They don't worry, do they? Must be nice."
The wistful tone in Rachel's voice didn't surprise him. She'd told him more details about what happened in Phoenix with Pamela Darby and the television cook's husband. Nate wasn't big on using violence to solve problems, but if he ever game across Grayson Darby in person, the crook was going down. "They only worry if we're late bringing dinner. Like we'd forget them with all their clomping and whinnying."
"But they don't worry about their work."
"No, they love it."
She leaned against the fence, resting her arms on the top rail. "The way you love the Bar V5, the animals and the people here. Worries, hard work and all."
It wasn't a question, but he decided to answer anyway. "I love everything about this place, from the twisted iron sign hanging on the gate to the Bar V5 brand on the animals. There's no place like the ranch anywhere. Totally worth every gray hair she's given me."
Rachel peeked under his hat, brushing her fingers
Similar Books
