A Snowbound Cowboy Christmas Read online

“It’s not back there. It’s waiting for you someplace else.” Dylan took hold of the reins and clucked the horses forward.

  The majestic beauty of the wide-open spaces nestled between the Swan Range and Mission Mountains was enough to bring tears to her eyes. How could she have ever wanted to take this away from Dylan? Her heart ached knowing she had hurt the man she loved. And yes, she loved Dylan Slade. She felt it all the way down to the tips of her toes.

  Up ahead in the distance, Emma saw a large golden package shimmering against the pure white snowy backdrop. As they drew closer, the package appeared even larger. Dylan steered the sleigh alongside it and Emma couldn’t believe her eyes. It had to be at least a four-foot square box with a gigantic white bow on top.

  “How in the world did you get this out here?” Emma ran her hands across the gold foil paper, testing its rigidity.

  “I had a little help from Wes. I wanted to do something special and completely unexpected. I’m pretty sure this will be another first you can add to your list.” He slid out from under the blankets and walked around to her side of the sleigh. He offered her his hand as she stepped onto the snow. “I will need to help you with this.”

  Emma rested her hand on top of the package. “But I didn’t get you anything.”

  Dylan laughed at her distress. “Honey, I have what I want for Christmas. You. That’s enough for me. Now come on, let’s open your present.”

  He lifted the box, revealing the most adorable rocking horse and cradle. Emma covered her mouth. She had never seen anything more beautiful. She ran her hands over the smooth wood, admiring the craftsmanship.

  “I’ve never seen anything like these. They’re absolutely beautiful.” Emma wiped her eyes, unable to control her tears. “Where on earth—?”

  “I made them.”

  “You what?”

  “I made them for you and the butter bean. I would have liked to have given both of them more detail, but I only had a few days. They’re made from solid mahogany so they’ll last a lifetime and then some.”

  “But how?” Emma placed her hands on the seat of the horse, testing the perfectly arched rockers beneath it.

  “I have a woodshop behind what’s actually my house.”

  “They are impeccable.” Emma patted her chest. “I am touched and honored that you took the time and effort to make something like this for me and my daughter. It’s beyond generous.”

  Dylan closed the distance between them. “I wanted to give you both a part of me. I wanted you to know how special you both are. Every time you use the cradle, know that my hands once lay where your daughter’s head rests. When she rocks and laughs on the horse, know I was smiling when I made it. This is my gift to you, to your child, because you both have come to mean so much to me in a short amount of time. Even if we never have tomorrow, know how truly blessed I feel to have had you in my life.”

  Emma didn’t think it was possible to define true love, but Dylan had proved her wrong once again. His gift epitomized it. His words captured the very essence of the emotion. And Emma wanted nothing more than to share her child with somebody who truly loved her daughter as much as she did.

  * * *

  AFTER A PERFECT Christmas day, Emma agreed to be Dylan’s date for Luke and Sandy’s evening wedding ceremony. The soft touch of Emma’s hand in his as his friends recited their vows caused him to yearn for the same permanence. His next marriage would be forever. His next marriage would be to Emma if he had anything to say about it.

  Each time his plane had glided over the mahogany when he was creating the cradle, his love for Emma and her daughter had grown. He knew then, his life wouldn’t be complete without them. He wanted them to live with him in Jax’s house on the ranch. She had admittedly grown to love Saddle Ridge and he hoped it wouldn’t take too much more coaxing to convince her to run the ranch by his side. That is if his idea went according to plan. It was a big if, but after hearing his brother Garrett last night once again talk about wanting to move, he may have found the solution he’d been searching for.

  Emma joined him on the makeshift dance floor in the center of the lodge’s great room. He sincerely hoped it wasn’t the last wedding he’d witness on the ranch. He loved Emma’s idea of an open-air wedding chapel overlooking Saddle Ridge. He’d already begun sketching it in his mind and wanted to build it with his own two hands, so when he said, “I do” to Emma someday down the road, it would be even more special.

  “Penny for your thoughts.” Emma gazed up at him as they swayed to the music.

  “I was thinking about your chapel idea.”

  “Imagine that. We can actually agree on something.”

  “I think we have managed to find common ground on quite a few things once we talked them out and understood where the other was coming from. You were right about my stubbornness. I didn’t want to hear what you had to say.”

  “You don’t have to say that. I’m ashamed to admit how many times I disregarded your feelings about the ranch. I realize now it’s about much more than money. In my line of work, they teach us not to allow our emotions to interfere with the overall vision of a project. After six years of that, my humanity had all but disappeared. You helped me find it again.”

  Dylan felt a jolt against his lower abdomen. “What was that?” He froze, afraid to move.

  “That was the butter bean.” Emma smiled up at him.

  “You’re not going to tell me I bring out the contractions in you again, are you?”

  Emma shook her head and laughed. “No, I’m not. This is normal baby behavior.”

  “It was strong. If that’s what it felt like to me, I can only imagine what it does to your insides.” Dylan led her off the dance floor and to the couch.

  “Believe me when I tell you, the entire center of my body aches on a constant basis. I will be very happy when the next seven weeks are up.”

  He sat down beside her. “Would you mind?” He asked, pointing to her belly.

  “Go right ahead.”

  Emma closed her eyes as his hands cupped the curve of her abdomen. He felt the ever slight motion of her daughter moving beneath his palms. It truly was a miracle. A tiny human was living and growing under his hands. The baby shifted again, causing Emma to wince slightly. A more pronounced protrusion poked against him. He imagined it was the butter beans hand reaching out for his. Soon, little one. Regardless of where Emma had the baby, he’d find his way there.

  “Still no name?”

  “No. I read online that many mothers struggle finding the perfect name only to have it come to them the moment they see their child. I have resolved to wait at this point. If something comes to me before then, great. If not, I’m not going to stress over it.”

  “You’ve changed a lot over the past week.”

  “Has it only been a week? I feel like I’ve been here for an eternity. I don’t mean that in a negative way.” Emma rested her hand against his chest. “Between the year-long research and time I put into this ranch, I feel much more connected to it now than I had when I barged in here last week.”

  “I wouldn’t exactly say you barged in.”

  “You’re being too kind.” She yawned. “I hate to be a party pooper, but I think I’ve reached my limit tonight.”

  Dylan rose and helped her to her feet. “I’ll walk you to your room.” He entwined his fingers with hers as they wished the bride and groom well. Dylan unlocked her door, wanting desperately to follow her inside and hold her in his arms until the sun came up tomorrow morning. But he couldn’t. He had a week to save the ranch, and tonight he needed to talk to his brother before he left to go home to Wyoming tomorrow.

  “Thank you for making this the most magical Christmas ever.”

  “I have enjoyed every moment I spent with you today. A week ago, I never thought I’d say that. You are a tr
ue joy and inspiration in my life and I look forward to tomorrow. I look forward to every day I’m with you. Merry Christmas, Emma.”

  “Merry Christmas, Dylan.”

  He kissed her goodbye before tearing himself away from her door. He had seen Garrett hovering near the buffet line and wanted to catch him before he took the kids back to the house and put them to bed.

  Bryce and Kasey were dancing with Ivy and a few other ranch children in the center of the great room while his three brothers stood shoulder to shoulder watching them. Amazingly enough, Wes hadn’t absconded with a bridesmaid.

  “Got a minute for me to run something by you?” Dylan asked Garrett.

  “Sure. What’s on your mind?”

  “I have a proposition for you,” Dylan said.

  “Uh-oh, don’t do it, man. It’s a sinking ship,” Wes unnecessarily added.

  “Let’s talk in Jax’s office where we won’t be interrupted.” Dylan led Garrett down the hallway.

  “I have a feeling I know where this is going,” Garrett said from behind.

  “Before you form any opinions, hear me out. I have a few ideas you might really like, starting with a wedding chapel.”

  * * *

  THE LAUGHTER AND celebrating downstairs kept Emma awake. After an hour, she gave up. She had always hated going home too soon for fear she’d miss out on something good happening at a party. She slipped into her leggings and an oversized sweater. She was sure nobody would mind her rejoining them wearing more comfortable attire. Maybe Dylan would still be there. And maybe there would still be cake. Because she always had room for cake. And maybe they still had one or two of those cheesy puffed pastries. She had room for those, too.

  She wandered back toward the party and straight for the buffet. Jackpot. Cake and pastry. She fixed herself a plate and ate as she mingled, keeping an eye out for Dylan. When she spotted Harlan and Belle near the dance floor, she toe-tapped her way across the room. She felt a second wind coming on. Sometimes this happened at three o’clock in the morning. Tonight, it was a little earlier. She could handle earlier. It didn’t disrupt her sleep.

  “You didn’t happen to see if there was any fruit salad left, did you?” Belle asked when she saw her plate.

  Emma nodded as she took another mouthful and motioned to the buffet table with her fork.

  “Harlan, would you be a dear and—”

  “Big or little?”

  “Big or little what?” Belle looked up at him.

  “Do you want a big or a little bowl?”

  Belle tilted her head and stared at him incredulously. “Do you even have to ask?”

  “No, I sure didn’t. I’ll be right back.”

  “I thought you went to bed?” Belle said as Emma sat beside her on the couch.

  “I attempted to. I figured if Dylan was still here, we could hang out for a bit and maybe even watch a movie in my room.”

  “He’s still here. He’s with Garrett in Jax’s office. They’ve been in there ever since you left. Poke your head in and see how much longer they are going to be. Harlan and I want to get Ivy home and Garrett’s two are getting sleepy.”

  “Okay, I’ll nudge them along for you.” Emma and her cake leisurely strolled down the hallway toward Jax’s office. She had passed the black-and-white photos on the walls numerous times but had never taken a moment to look at them. The first few were from the early 1900s when they were building the lodge. Log structures had always fascinated her the way they notched and stacked each timber into position. By the time she reached the last photo, she had finished her cake.

  “So what do you think?” She heard Dylan say. “Would you consider becoming my partner on the ranch and seeing if we can make a go of it? You keep telling me how much you want to get out of Wyoming. And you know everybody here.”

  Emma saw Garrett’s reflection in the framed photo that hung on the wall opposite the office. “I think your ideas have some strong possibilities. The couples-only packages are a nice touch and I really like the chapel. Offering destination weddings would push Silver Bells into an entirely different category. We can keep it rugged and Western, but still offer some elegance.”

  Emma couldn’t believe it. Those were her ideas, some of which came from her buyout proposal. It shouldn’t surprise her, though. He had come right out and told her he wanted to steal her ideas and use them to his advantage. She just didn’t think he would, at least not without her.

  “I wanted to run it past you before I asked Harlan and Wes if they wanted to buy in. Which I doubt they will, but I have to at least offer. I had also considered offering some of the employees a chance to own a part of the ranch. I think if we band together, we’d have a strong chance of competing with our neighboring guest ranches without becoming an over-the-top exclusive resort.”

  “I agree. Let’s keep Silver Bells in the family.”

  “Congratulations. You found your solution. I’m glad you both liked my ideas.” Emma stood in the open doorway of the office.

  Garrett looked from Emma to Dylan. “These were your ideas?”

  Emma bobbed her head. “Most of them, some of which I worked a year on developing. Dylan can tell you all about it. I wish you guys luck on your venture.”

  Emma stormed down the hallway as fast as her pregnant waddle would allow. She had made a mistake. A huge mistake and she couldn’t get back home to Chicago quick enough.

  “Emma, wait,” Dylan called after her.

  “Wait for what?” She spun on him. “Wait for you to steal more of my ideas?”

  “You’re right, they were your ideas. While my original intentions were to steal them, I gave your proposal serious thought. But in the end, it didn’t make me want to sell. It made me want to hold on to the ranch even more.”

  “So you just decided to steal them?”

  “I didn’t realize they were copyrighted,” Dylan retorted. “What’s wrong with me implementing some of those ideas? They were good. You should feel flattered.”

  “Oh, sure. I feel really flattered. I’m the idiot who thought maybe, just maybe, I could run this ranch with you. I even—” Emma stomped down the hallway and back. “I even entertained the idea of becoming your partner. Because I believed in you. I saw how much this meant to you.” She twisted her hair off her neck and held it up, suddenly very hot. “What was all this talk about wanting to have me by your side.”

  “I do want you by my side. I want you to stay here, with me. I thought I made that clear today.”

  “As what?” Emma sighed when he didn’t answer. “I thought you wanted me as a partner.”

  “I did.”

  “Did?”

  “A few days ago I had planned to ask you to stay and be the new lodge manager.”

  That wasn’t quite the partner she had meant, but that had been part of it. “So why didn’t you?”

  “Because Barnaby presented me with his proposal a few hours later and I couldn’t offer you something not knowing what I was going to do. So, I decided to wait until I had made up my mind.”

  “Until you made up your mind about the ranch or me?” Emma gave him one more opportunity to tell her how he felt about her.

  “The ranch.”

  Emma waited for him to tell her he had already made up his mind about her, but he didn’t. “Then where do I fit into all of this?”

  “Honestly...” Dylan shrugged. “I don’t know, anymore. I owe it to my brothers to ask them if they want to join in the venture. Until I have their answers, I have nothing to offer you. I had no idea you wanted to be this deeply involved in the ranch. You had already told me your daughter would be born in Chicago regardless of what happened between us. Why would I assume otherwise?”

  Emma shook her head. “Because you asked me to stay this morning and I thought that meant somet
hing.” Like maybe he loved her. “Well, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. I will be out of your life soon enough.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re so upset.”

  “Because you left me with nothing. No promotion in Chicago and no job here in Montana. Yet, you and your brothers reap the benefits of my hard work. You cut me out of everything. And I’m still waiting for you to tell me you love me.”

  When Dylan didn’t respond, Emma stormed back to her room. She was a fool for ever believing they could have a perfect little Montana family.

  It was over.

  They were over.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Emma had a rough night. After hot sweats, minor contractions and a whole lot of pressure in new places, she phoned the doctor first thing in the morning. They told her to come in right away. Not wanting to bother anyone else on the ranch, she called for car service. On her way out the door, she saw Dylan and Garrett announce the ranch’s new plans to the Silver Bells employees. She walked into the cold mountain air as they applauded and celebrated the news. In the end, Dylan had made the right decision and she was happy for the jobs he had saved.

  Her exam left her craving the comforts of home. Chicago almost felt foreign to her and the lodge was nothing more than a room. When she said the actual word home aloud, Jax’s house had immediately come to mind. It would take a long time for her to shake Dylan from her system.

  “Emma?” Belle said from a chair in the waiting room. “Is everything all right?”

  “How did you know I was here?” Emma asked.

  “I didn’t. This is my doctor. She doesn’t have an office any place else. Just here.”

  “Oh.” Emma sat down beside her. “Where’s Harlan?”

  “At work.” Belle took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “What happened?”

  “My blood pressure is back up and I’m almost two centimeters dilated. The baby has already dropped. Here, I thought I’d been experiencing another round of Braxton-Hicks when I noticed I wasn’t carrying as high as I had been hours earlier. She gave me a round of steroid shots in preparation for an early delivery. Further travel is out, and I have been ordered to take it easy. Limited exercise, very short walks and no sex.”