Mistletoe Rodeo (Welcome to Ramblewood) (3 page)

“Coiffed?” Nola snickered.

“Hey, my sisters-in-law have taught me a thing or two about the female persuasion.”

“You’ve got a deal, cowboy.” Nola offered her hand and they shook on it.

Chase held on longer than he probably should have, but he suddenly found himself looking forward to the holidays at home. He was aware that Nola had only agreed to cover the Mistletoe Rodeo, but in that moment, he had an incredible desire to show her a Christmas she’d never forget.

Chapter Two

Nola dreaded the holidays. They were lonely and depressing. One of the drawbacks of military life was that most of Nola’s friends were scattered throughout the world. Even though her cameraman, George, had said she was more than welcome to join them for the holidays, she didn’t want to intrude on his family time. His wife was cordial enough, but Nola got the distinct impression Betty would prefer her husband spend a little less time around his female colleague.

When their plane touched down, the reality of what she’d agreed to began to set in. More time with Chase Langtry meant having to endure an extended Hallmark moment at the Bridle Dance Ranch. His home life was sweet, touching and idyllic, and Nola wanted it for herself. In all her travels, she’d never met people like the Langtrys. No matter how many times she had interviewed them, she always walked away yearning for a place to call home and a family with which to share her celebrations.

It wasn’t only Christmas—it was birthdays and anniversaries, too. Being alone was hard, and while she had some family relatively nearby, they hadn’t been close when Nola was growing up. She felt like an outsider every time she visited.

After agreeing to meet George later for their interview at Bridle Dance, Nola said goodbye to him and Betty. Chase walked with her to the parking area but stopped abruptly and looked around.

“What’s wrong?” Nola asked. “Did you forget where you parked?”

“No.” Chase took off his ball cap and raked his hand through his hair before tugging his cell phone from his pocket. “I forgot that when I sent Shane and my mother home ahead of me, I told them to take the Navigator. I guess I’ll call car service.”

“Chase, you live more than an hour away from here. Let me give you a ride home.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.” Chase scrolled through his phone.

“Why not? I have to drive past Ramblewood anyway. Come on. I won’t take no for an answer.”

Nola continued walking toward her car, not bothering to wait for Chase. She figured he’d eventually follow. Waiting for car service was ridiculous when they were headed in the same direction.

“You have to let me pay for the gas, at least.” She heard the sound of Chase’s boots trudging after her.

“Deal.”

The sun rose over the interstate, creating what Nola deemed a romantic ambiance inside her vintage red Volkswagen Beetle. When Nola was a girl, she had fantasized about riding in an old pickup truck with a bench seat and a cowboy at the wheel, his arm draped across her shoulders. She didn’t need a knight in shining armor—her fairy tale was much simpler. Not that Chase could be a part of that fairy tale. He was definitely eye candy, and when he wasn’t grumpy from losing, he was generally pleasant to talk with. But he also came from a respectable family—one that wouldn’t want anything to do with her past.

“I’m sure you’re tired, but would you allow me to buy you breakfast as a thank-you?” Chase broke into her thoughts.

“I could eat,” Nola agreed. “Where did you have in mind?”

“The Magpie?”

Of course. Instead of somewhere less cozy like the Waffle House, it was just like Chase to choose the quintessential luncheonette in the heart of the quintessential town. She loved the quirky little place, but whenever she left it, she found herself yearning for something she didn’t have. Nola didn’t want to be that person who always wanted more. She was grateful for what she had in life—especially the second chance she’d been given.

“The Magpie sounds wonderful.”

Once they arrived and Chase had endured a couple rounds of “you’ll win it next year,” they slid into the booth farthest away from everyone’s stares.

“Are you sure you want to stay here?” Nola asked.

“I promised you breakfast, and I keep my promises.”

Nola glanced around, feeling as if they’d time-warped into a Christmas episode of
Happy Days
. The fifties-style luncheonette was draped from top to bottom in holiday kitsch. Festive songs played merrily in the background while glittery garlands danced above archways. Little Christmas trees were tucked wherever there was a free corner and snow globes decorated every table. The waitresses wore red dresses with white aprons and Santa hats, and Nola could swear she spotted the cook in an elf costume. She couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of the places in town looked like inside. Chase wasn’t kidding when he said everyone went all out.

Over a breakfast of gingerbread-flavored coffee and eggnog pancakes, Chase practically had Nola in tears as he described the previous Christmas morning when his mother’s dog, Barney, had attempted to climb the fully decorated tree.

“The poor thing must have thought it was one giant squeaky toy.” Chase laughed. “Everything toppled over, but luckily the presents cushioned the fall and very few ornaments broke. This year Mom said she’s anchoring the tree to the wall with fishing line.”

Nola couldn’t remember the last time she’d put up a tree. There was no sense in having one in her condo when no one else was there to enjoy it.

“I bet there’s never a dull moment in your house.” Nola’s family life had been just the opposite. Nola and her brother had never been allowed to play inside or make any noise. Children were to be seen and not heard in the West household. Having a lieutenant general for a father meant always having to be an example for other children on base.

“The Ramblewood Winter Festival is this weekend. You should come,” Chase said. “It would be a great opportunity to interview some people about the Mistletoe Rodeo.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” As much as she appreciated the invitation, Nola feared she’d feel out of place in what she considered a family event. “I don’t want to intrude. Thank you, but I’ll pass.”

“Nonsense.” Chase reached for her hands across the table and held them in his own. “It’s no intrusion. There’s no such thing as an outsider in Ramblewood. Everyone’s welcome. Promise me you’ll think about it.”

Nola stared down at their hands. His warmth was comforting, the invitation tempting. Between the flight and the drive from the airport, Chase had unexpectedly managed to charm his way through Nola’s outer shell, which was no small feat. When she had wormed her way beside him in first class, she’d had a completely different agenda in mind. Now she found herself more interested in the man than the story she was pursuing. She couldn’t afford to blur those lines.

The problem was, a Christmas piece wouldn’t help Nola secure the co-anchor position on the KWTT Evening News. It was between her and Dirk Stevens, another on-the-scene reporter. Dirk was good, but Nola was determined to be better, to make sure that it was her name they would announce for the position on New Year’s Day. It may not be the big leagues, but at twenty-five years old, it was a step in the right direction toward the ultimate victory: a job at CNN. She’d just have to focus on her work and dig elsewhere for an award-winning story. There was no time to daydream about Chase Langtry.

* * *

C
HASE
CAUGHT
A
ride home with his sister-in-law after he ran into her at The Magpie. It should have dawned on him earlier that she might be there since her mother owned the place. Even though he’d been tempted to spend a few extra minutes with Nola, he was relieved at Tess’s arrival.

As he entered the house, Chase heard humming and was surprised when he realized it was his own voice. Nola had succeeded in relieving his apprehension about facing everyone, if only for a little while. He was immediately ambushed by his mother’s black standard poodle and took a moment to give Barney some playful pets before making his way upstairs.

Chase closed his bedroom door, kicked off his clothes and jumped into the shower, eager to wash away the remains of the flight and quell his thoughts of Nola.

He was the last of his four siblings to remain in their childhood home. That wasn’t to say some of them hadn’t still been living there into their thirties, But Chase had become more conscious of it now that his birthday was looming.

After their father’s death a few years back, the brothers had collectively decided to remain on the ranch so their mother wouldn’t feel so alone in the stately house. As his brothers married, they left the house one by one, leaving only Chase and Kay. When his rodeo schedule kept him on the road, his brothers would arrange for the grandkids to sleep over. His mother knew what they were up to, but she didn’t complain. She welcomed the company. During the day, the brothers, their wives and their children filled the house with laughter, but the nights were deafeningly quiet once everyone left.

After a shower and change of clothes, Chase was surprisingly alert. He didn’t know if he was still amped up from his disastrous showing in Las Vegas, or if it was the anticipation of Nola coming to the ranch that afternoon.

“I thought I heard you come in.” His mother greeted him as he entered the kitchen. “We weren’t sure when you’d return. How are you doing?”

“I’m surviving. Sore more than anything.” Chase gave his mother a hug. “But I still don’t want to talk about it. I do have something to ask you, though.”

“Whenever one of you boys begins a sentence that way, I know I’m in trouble.” Kay pulled out a kitchen chair and sat with her hands folded in her lap, waiting for a bomb to drop.

“Mom, it’s not bad.” Chase eased into a chair across from her. “Nola West is coming here this afternoon to ask you a few questions about the Mistletoe Rodeo and charity auction. Are you willing to do an on-camera interview?”

Kay’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “When did you and Nola have a conversation? The last I saw, you couldn’t get away from her fast enough.”

“We ended up sitting next to each other on the flight home.”

“Uh-huh.” Kay continued to scrutinize him. “I think there’s more to the story than you’re telling me, but I’ll agree to an interview. I’ve always liked Nola. And I’ve always liked her for you.”

Chase rolled his eyes. “Mom, please don’t play matchmaker.”

“Why not? You could use some romance in your life.” Kay rose and pushed in her chair. “Well, I guess I should find something to wear.”

Chase shook his head and stood. “Nola’s not coming until later this afternoon. You have plenty of time.” He helped himself to a freshly baked apple-pecan muffin from a plate on the counter. “Please promise me you won’t try to push Nola and me together.” Chase thought his mother was about to argue with him when he caught a glint in her eyes. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing, dear. Let me go get myself camera ready. It takes me longer these days, you know.”

As his mom headed upstairs, Chase headed outside. Not willing to face any of the rodeo school students just yet, Chase bypassed the indoor arena and made his way to the ranch’s main office in the stables. Every time he walked through the entrance of what his father had affectionately called the horse mansion, Chase swore he could still hear the man’s laughter. This would be their fourth Christmas without Joe Langtry. People said it would get better with time, but it hadn’t. You learned to deal with the pain and move on, but it never seems to get any better.

The Bridle Dance offices were on the second level of the arts-and-crafts style building. Halfway up the open staircase, Chase stopped and looked around. The building had four quadrants, and from his vantage point he could survey each corridor of his father’s masterpiece. The ranch, originally only a handful of acres, had been a wedding gift from his great-grandfather to his great-grandmother. Chase’s eldest brother, Cole, and his wife, Tess, lived in the original cottage. Over the decades, the Langtrys had expanded the property into a quarter-of-a-million-acre estate. Today, Bridle Dance was one of the state’s largest paint and quarter cutting horse ranches.

His father had retired from the rodeo the day before Cole was born. Now the time had come for Chase to make that decision—the hardest of his life. He felt he owed it to his family to devote more time to the business. Hopefully everything else would fall into place soon after.

Chase climbed the remainder of the stairs and was relieved to find Cole alone. He cleared his throat.

“Hey.”

Cole spun around in his chair. “I didn’t expect to see you until much later. I’m surprised you’re still awake.” He rose and gave Chase a manly, back-patting hug.

“So am I.” Chase walked over to one of the windows overlooking the ranch. “Do you have a minute?”

“Sure.” Cole fixed two cups of coffee in the office’s minikitchen and handed one to his younger brother. Chase appreciated not being drilled about Las Vegas. A former rodeo rider himself, Cole was familiar with the disappointment of not winning.

Being the eldest of the four Langtry brothers, Cole had become the patriarch of the family since their father’s death, and Chase wanted to discuss his decision with him before he told anyone else. He took a seat across from Cole.

“That was my last competitive ride.” The relief of actually saying the words was greater than he had anticipated. “The doctors warned me a few weeks ago that I wouldn’t be able to recover from too many more injuries. I’d rather walk away than be told I can’t compete anymore. I already know there’s a good chance I’ll need surgery on my shoulder if the physical therapy doesn’t help this time.”

“I can’t say I blame you for wanting to make the decision yourself,” Cole said. “Do you know what you want to do next?”

“I’m going to continue with the school, of course. Shane could use a break after carrying my weight all this time. But I also want to put in more time here at the ranch. I haven’t been able to do it before and it’s important to me to be a part of Dad’s legacy.”

“There’s certainly plenty of work to go around.” Cole sipped his coffee. “Have you spoken to your agent or your sponsors about this yet?”

“No. I wanted to talk to you first. I don’t even know where to begin.”

Chase wasn’t just walking away from the rodeo—he was walking away from multiple paychecks from the various companies sponsoring him. Luckily, his agent was firm on only signing year-to-year contracts. This being the end of the rodeo season, Chase was free and clear to walk away.