Page 13 of Must Love Mistletoe

That was just how they rolled.

Only a couple of people had ever realized his feelings for her ran deeper than they should. Mason. His mother.

He’dneverworn his heart on his sleeve.

Red had never guessed.

Their meals arrived, and he ate his in silence. Beth nibbled on a bacon strip or two, her face a study in misery.

“I guess I could be flattered instead of offended,” he said finally. “I’ve never had a marriage proposal before.”

“Definitely be flattered.” She nodded quickly. “I’ve never proposed before. I wouldn’t have proposed at all if I hadn’t been sure you’d make a brilliant husband. Hand over heart.” She suited actions to words. “The woman youdomarry is going to be the luckiest woman in the world.”

“You’re laying it on too thick now, Beth Ann.”

“No I’m not, ’cause you’re smiling. I’m calling it a win.”

He thought back to her earlier conversation with Sam, and, even before that, her desire to set up a meeting with him to talk about her situation. “I don’t imagine your place is going to sit on the market for long—not if my brothers have any say in it—but if you need cashnow, I could take your herd off your hands in a separate deal. Fair market value for each and every one.”

The gratitude in her eyes was nearly his undoing.

She held out her hand for him to shake. “Done.”

*

Later, much later,after the day’s work was done, Cal let himself into the little mountain cabin he and his brothers had built, and that Cal had called home for nearly ten years. It wasn’t much—one of the doors never sat quite right and the floor in the wet room wasn’t level—but it had a lower level workshop area, two big bedrooms, a combined living and dining area with views clear across the valley, and Seth had crafted the counters in the kitchen with Cal’s extra height in mind.

Cal had furnished it over the years with furniture he’d made, or that Seth had made. More recently, his sister-in-law Madeline had gifted him a stack of bed linen and comforters she swore she didn’t need. The jewel-colored velvets and cashmeres had replaced the serviceable brown cotton bedding he’d had for years. It’d take holding his feet to a forest fire before he’d admit that he liked the softness of this new stuff against his skin, but he did. And Jett’s little daughter Claire had been fretful last time she’d visited, but she’d tucked right up in that petroleum-blue velvet rug and gone straight to sleep, so Cal wasn’t the only one enjoying the velvet, now was he?

But a family home thiswasn’t, and for the first time in forever, he stood staring out the kitchen window at the mountain range beyond and took stock of what he had to offer a woman. A cabin on a ranch he would never own outright—with his mother still in the main house and not looking to relocate to the heavens any time soon. A million or so saved and no real way of getting out from beneath the yoke of family ranch management and shared decision-making, and Mason, as firstborn son, having first claim on everything.

Any woman who hooked up with him would have a lifetime of knowing her husband had never made his own way, and their children would have no sure claim to a ranching life. And yet he couldn’t imagine striking out on his own someplace else, somewhere more affordable but completely his. He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving this valley his family had tended for so long.

Did that mean he was a man of limited imagination?

Maybe so.

Or did he simply know with gut-wrenching certainty that this was where he belonged?

He heard voices outside and moments later the wet-room door opened to reveal Madeline and Seth.

“Howdy,” he offered warily. Not that they weren’t welcome whenever they wanted to drop in. But the timing was suspicious.

“I come bearing gifts,” Maddie said, crossing the room and placing a canvas shopping bag on the table. Bottles clinked from somewhere within. “I thought we might need an icebreaker.”

She drew bourbon from the bag. Very old. Very famous. Mighty expensive. Another one joined it. His eyebrows rose.

“I’m well aware you’re the strong silent type,” she mused. “Good thing I brought backup.”

She darted out the door again without further explanation. If Seth had tried to follow her, Cal would have pinned him to the wall. Fortunately, his brother stayed put. “What’s going on?”

“Beth was sitting in mom’s kitchen earlier, having coffee, when me and Maddie dropped by.”

Cal crossed his arms defensively. “And?”

“And I have a proposal for you.” Seth’s eyes glinted with amusement.

Cal stood his ground, stone faced. “Had enough of those for today, thanks.”

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