Maverick Holiday Magic
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Teresa Southwick
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16
Chapter One
Ambling A RanchRust Creek Falls, Montana
Hunter Crawford knew what his father was up to.
It was common knowledge that Max had hired the local wedding planner to find wives for his six sons. Four of them were now off the marriage market and the target on Hunter’s back was getting bigger. That’s why he was suspicious of the old man pushing this big destination wedding for their brother Finn in Rustler’s Notch, Colorado. Hunter was pushing back. He’d much rather stay here on the Ambling A Ranch, where he was more insulated from his father’s meddling.
There were four cabins on this sprawling property—the big house, where his father and his brother Wilder lived, and three smaller places.
Hunter lived in one of them with his six-year-old daughter, Wren, and loved the two-story log house. It had four bedrooms, two baths, a great room and kitchen. The place wasn’t huge, but it had enough room for the two of them. The biggest selling point was that it had no bad memories from the past clinging to it. He was doing his best to keep the vibe pure of pain, for Wren’s sake. Although that could change.
His instinct was telling him that this wedding was somehow going to threaten his resolve to maintain his bachelor designation. The way he saw it, everyone had one great love in their life and he’d had his. Losing her had nearly destroyed him. He was determined not to put himself in a position where that could happen to him again. But his father and Wilder weren’t taking no for an answer and had come to give him a hard sell.
He’d reluctantly opened the door to them and they followed him into the kitchen. Might as well get this over with, he told himself as he took a breath and faced them. “I’m not going to the wedding.”
Maximilian Crawford stood beside the circular oak table and stared him down. He was a tall, handsome, distinguished man in his sixties. Tan and rugged looking, his lined face suggested a life spent outdoors—and it had been. Now he left the physically taxing ranch work to Hunter and his brothers. His hair had once been brown like his sons’ but now it was gray and earned him the nickname “Silver Fox.” He was accustomed to getting what he wanted by any legal means necessary, but Hunter had inherited his father’s stubborn streak. So neither of them blinked.
Finally, his father said, “Why?”
“I have my reasons.”
“It’s important to me that the whole family is there. Your brothers and their new wives are looking forward to a little vacation in Rustler’s Notch.” The older man looked at his youngest son, a “don’t just stand there” expression in his eyes.
“Yeah,” Wilder said. “You could use a vacation, bro.”
“I’m good,” Hunter said.
“It’s actually not you I’m worried about.” Wilder settled his hands on his lean hips. “The truth is, I could use your help. The two of us are the only single Crawford men left. It’s Colorado in November. Can you say ‘snow bunnies’? It pains me to say this, but I need a wingman.”
Hunter glared at him. “Did someone drop you on your head when you were a baby?”
“Maybe.” Wilder glanced at their father, then shrugged. “Why?”
“Just to make sure I’ve got this right...” He paused for dramatic effect. “At this family outing, your primary goal is to hit on every single woman between the ages of twenty and forty?”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t easy to get under his brother’s skin. Hunter wasn’t even sure why he tried. “Even if I was interested in partying, which I’m not, I have a six-year-old daughter. Wren and I would cramp your style.”
“I wasn’t suggesting we bring Wren.” Wilder stopped for a moment, clearly thinking that over. “Although, a single father with a kid could be a chick magnet.”
“Don’t even go there,” Hunter warned. “And no, you can’t borrow her.”
“That’s low,” his brother said. “I would never use my niece like that.”
“He was just kidding,” Max cut in.
“Yeah, lighten up, big brother. It would do you good to let off some steam.”
“How would you know?” Hunter asked. “All you think about is your next score. You have absolutely no responsibilities. And no idea what I’ve gone through.”
“That’s true,” Wilder acknowledged. “But it’s been six years since your wife died. Everyone else has been tiptoeing around the subject but I’m already in the doghouse with you so what the heck.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Lara wouldn’t want you to be like this. There’s no law against moving on. And your daughter should see you out and having fun.”
“He’s right, son.” Max’s expression was sympathetic.
Hunter shifted his glare to Max. “You don’t get a vote.”
Max’s wife, the brothers’ mother, had left the family without a word when Hunter was a little boy and Wilder was just a baby. Their father was on his own raising six boys. As a kid, Hunter didn’t know that his parents’ relationship was bitterly unhappy. All he knew was that his mother took off and he’d believed if he’d been a better kid, a better son, she would have stayed. Max had it rough but Sheila didn’t die. She’d made a choice. Unlike Hunter’s wife, who’d passed away suddenly. The woman he’d loved was gone forever and there was no one to blame but himself.
“It’s true,” Max said. “I can’t tell you what to do. But that doesn’t change the fact that I would really like to celebrate your brother’s marriage with my whole family in attendance.”
“Why is this wedding such a big deal to you, Dad?”
Max sighed and looked the way he always did when something should be clear as day but he still had to explain. “Sarah and Logan had a nontraditional ceremony at the local bar.”
“Nothing wrong with Ace in the Hole. I’ve met some nice women there,” Wilder said.
Max shook his head and continued. “Xander and Lily had their wedding at the Rust Creek Falls Community Center.”
“It was nice. My daughter had a great time there.” It was local and this town was a place where everyone watched out for neighbors. Hunter didn’t have to worry about keeping an eye on Wren every second.
“Knox and Genevieve were secretly married,” Max continued.
“So were Finn and Avery,” Hunter interjected. “I say again—what’s the big deal?”
“I think it’s about time we had a big splashy, formal family affair. We have a lot to celebrate, what with four of you boys settled down.” Max was known to be a master manipulator, but no one doubted his love for his sons. “Think about it. Five-star resort. Beautiful country. Love in the air.”
Maybe for his brothers, but Hunter wasn’t interested in love. Not again. “Look, Dad, how many ways do you want me to say this? I don’t want to meet anyone. Stop trying to fix me up and call off Vivienne Dalton.”
“Matchmaking is not what this is about.” Max didn’t look the least bit guilty about paying the local wedding planner a million dollars to find wives for his six sons. “And think of your daughter. Think about Wren.”
“She’s all I think about.” She was his world and everything he did was to keep her happy and safe.
“Why would you deny her the opportunity to be with her family? To make memories. And if you were to have a little fun, too, well...” Max let the words hang in the air between them.
“And Finn asked you to be a groomsman along with the rest of us brothers,” Wilder reminded him. “Come on, Hunter. You can’t let him down. And as far as watching Wren? You’ve got Logan, Knox, Xander.”
“And me,” Max said.
“And me,” Wilder chimed in.
“Yeah,” Hunter said, deliberately surrounding the single word with sarcasm. “Because nothing could go wrong with that scenario.”
“That’s low,” Wilder said. “If you can’t trust your family, then who can you trust?”
“A nanny.”
Hunter looked at his brother, then both of them stared at Max, who had made the suggestion. “What?”
“Hire a nanny for the wedding.” Max shrugged.
“Wedding? What wedding?” No one had seen Wren standing there. But now the little girl was clearly excited. “Can I be in it? The bride and groom are going to need a flower girl.”
“Oh, sugar. I’m in deep trouble now,” Hunter muttered to himself.
“Hi, Gramps.” The blonde, blue-eyed star of his world walked farther into the room and looked way up at the tall men surrounding her. “Hi, Uncle Wilder. I was upstairs playing with my princess dolls. I didn’t know you were here.”
Max went down on one knee to be on her level. “Hi, Wrennie. We came to talk to your dad about going to Uncle Finn’s wedding. I’m going to use my private plane to fly us all there and we’re going to stay in a very fancy hotel.”
“Oh, boy!” Her big eyes grew bigger. “For real?”
“Yup. And I’m pretty sure Avery is going to ask you to be her flower girl. But your dad isn’t sure he wants to go.”
She turned her gaze on him. “But why?”
Hunter hated when she looked at him like this. He lost every argument because stubborn was no match for those big blue eyes. “It’s a town that’s bigger than Rust Creek Falls. In a hotel like that there are lots of tourists—”
“Who?”
“Strangers visiting from everywhere. It will be harder for me to keep an eye on you all the time.”
“But the flower girl gets to wear a pretty dress. Not as pretty as Avery’s because she’s the bride and that’s like the wedding princess, but...”
“I suppose.” Hunter was at a loss when she talked dresses.
“And maybe Avery doesn’t know anyone else to be a flower girl,” Wren said earnestly. “I have to be there.”
“That’s a good point.” Wilder bent at the waist and rested his hands on his knees, making his gaze almost level with hers. “And there’s something else you should know. Your dad is supposed to be Uncle Finn’s groomsman.”
“Would you have to get all dressed up, too?” the little girl asked.
“That’s right, Wren,” Max said. “Your daddy is going to need a tuxedo.”
This was why his dad and Wilder had followed him here to the house to finish this discussion. Despite their words to the contrary, they knew Wren was home from school. The two of them were counting on her to overhear. With her on their side, he didn’t stand a chance. But he’d give it one more shot.
“If I’m in the wedding, honey, it means I can’t watch over you the way I want.”
Wren nodded thoughtfully, then her face brightened. “I heard Gramps say something about getting someone to take care of me.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think we can find anyone on such short notice.” Hunter was beginning to hope there was a way for him to make this situation work in his favor after all.
“I know someone,” his daughter said.
Well, dang it. “Who?”
“Miss Merry. She works at my school. She helps in the classroom and she’s a playground supervisor at recess and lunch.” She smiled. “She’s really nice, especially on my first day of school when I was new. She played with me and got the other kids to play, too. She’s my first best friend in Rust Creek Falls.”
“She sounds perfect,” Max approved. “You’re not going to disappoint my granddaughter, are you, Hunter?”
“Please, Daddy.”
The eyes, the pleading voice. The guilt that she didn’t have a mother. Hunter was toast and he knew it. “I’ll talk to Miss Merry and see what she says. But if it doesn’t work out, that’s it. Will you be okay with that?”
“Yes!” Wren threw herself into his arms. “Thank you, Daddy. You’re the best daddy in the whole world.”
If only. He wanted to be her hero and keep her safe. So he would meet Miss Merry, who sounded like someone’s elderly grandmother. In which case this could work.
“You’re younger than I thought you’d be.”
And you’re even more handsome than you sounded on the phone. For a split second Merry Matthews was afraid she’d said that out loud. When the wariness in his green eyes didn’t change to fear of the crazy woman, she figured the thought stayed in her head where it belonged.
She’d heard rumors in town about his exceptional good looks, but she had been woefully unprepared to see Hunter Crawford in the flesh. Then his deep voice had her nerve endings sparking and momentarily shorted out a commonsense answer. Now he was staring at her as if her hair was on fire. It was time to say something.
“I’m Meredith Matthews but everyone calls me Merry.” She was standing on the front porch of his log cabin house on the Ambling A Ranch. The man practically filled the doorway and she was looking up at him. “And I’m not sure how to respond to that remark about my age, Mr. Crawford.”
“Sorry. It’s just that my daughter talked about you and I just expected—” He shook his head and looked sheepish and, actually, pretty adorable. A dashing cowboy dressed in a snap-front shirt, worn jeans and boots. There was probably a Stetson around somewhere but he wasn’t wearing it. His short hair was light brown and there was the slightest indentation in his chin. “I apologize. That was rude.”
“Not really. If you think about it, there’s no way to go wrong when you judge a woman’s age on the younger side.”
“I suppose that’s true enough. But now I’ve kept you standing outside in the cold. Please come in.” He opened the heavy door wider and stepped back to let her enter.
Merry glanced at the interior and liked what she saw. There were wood floors with colorful braided rugs strategically scattered over the surface. A comfortable blue couch and a leather recliner were arranged in front of a flat screen TV housed in an entertainment center. On the opposite wall a fireplace held freshly chopped wood just waiting for a match to light it. The place had a woodsy feel and was very cozy.
When she looked at the man again, any hint of sheepishness had disappeared, and he was all business. Which he should be. After all, this was a job interview.
“Please have a seat.” He indicated the sofa and took the chair at a right angle to it. “As I said on the phone, Wren mentioned you for a child-care position that I need to fill.”
“I’m looking forward to hearing more about it.” She really needed the money and appreciated this chance.
What she made as an aide at Rust Creek Falls Elementary School didn’t go far enough now. Since her father’s death, she’d had to shut down his electrician business and there went her extra income. This could be the break she so badly needed.
She settled her purse beside her and rested the folder she’d brought on her knees. “How can I help you?”
“My brother is getting married in a couple of weeks. It’s a destination wedding, in Colorado. A place called Rustler’s Notch. Have you heard of it?”
She shook her head. “Sounds quaint and colorful. And interesting.”
Exasperation flashed in his eyes, a clue that there was a story here. “Mostly it’s inconvenient.”
“How so?”
“My father is sparing no expense and insists the whole family be there.”
“That’s very generous of him. And I can see how you’d think it’s incredibly unreasonable,” she teased. “Is there a problem?”
Irritation flashed in his eyes again but this time it was directed at her. “I have five brothers. Four of them are married. One has a baby. They’ve offered to help keep an eye on Wren and have the best of intentions, but all of them have distractions. The bottom line is that she’s my responsibility. My daughter is at that stage where she’s curious and likes to explore, and while I like to think I can keep up with her, sometimes one person isn’t enough.”
Merry had taken his daughter under her wing on her first day of school. Wren had been new to town and frightened and Merry understood how that felt because growing up she’d been the new kid a lot. Her father had moved around for work and she’d changed schools often. So it had become her mission to make Wren Crawford comfortable, introduce her to the other kids and facilitate friendships. The little girl had made passing comments about her life. Her mother was dead and her father was sad sometimes.
She folded her hands and set them on the file folder in her lap. “Wild guess here. You don’t want to go to the wedding.”
He grinned wryly. “And I thought I was being subtle. To be honest, I’d rather not. But I can’t let my daughter miss out on the chance to be a flower girl, which she wants more than another princess doll. Also I’m a groomsman, so...”
“You don’t feel you have much choice.”
“Yes. And—” His gaze narrowed.
Merry had the fleeting thought that his intensity brought out a dark, brooding and slightly dangerous side that made her insides quiver. And that reaction needed to stay inside if she was going to land this gig. “Is something wrong?”
“You’re judging,” he accused.
“I’m not,” she lied. “Just clarifying. Trying to determine your expectations for the child-care professional you’re looking to hire.”
He nodded. “Because of the commitments I have at the event, it will be impossible for me to keep an eye on Wren one hundred percent of the time, and while of course I want someone to watch her when I can’t, it would be great if that person could really relate to her.” His mouth pulled tight for a moment. “I want someone who is nurturing, caring and warm with my daughter.” Another slight grin ghosted across his face. “No self-defense training is required.”
“Your little girl is an angel. I think I can handle the above qualifications without breaking a sweat.”
“Wren really seems to like you. But she’s a kid. How do I know you’re the best person for this position?”
“I brought references.” Based on the few things his daughter had said, she’d had a feeling she might need more than just her sincere and friendly smile to get this job. She handed him the folder.
He opened it and glanced through the papers there. “What’s this?”
“My résumé. Also I’ve included business, personal and educational references.” They were all glowing declarations of her interaction with people in general and children in particular.
One by one he examined each testimonial. “You’re an aide at the school, taking early childhood education classes. And you work for your father’s electrical business.”
“Not anymore. He passed away recently.”
His gaze met hers and there was sincere sympathy in his eyes. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.” The words were quiet and polite, completely at odds with the pain and panic of insecurity trickling through her.
He nodded, then continued his inspection of her paperwork. “This all looks to be in order. Do you have anything else?”
Really? Apparently he was looking to hire Mother Teresa. She reached for her purse and pulled out her wallet. “Did you miss the part in the principal’s letter of recommendation where she mentioned my wings, halo and uncanny ability to walk on water? Here’s my current Montana driver’s license. Feel free to run a background check.”
Merry had kept her tone courteous and professional, though she wanted to be huffy and annoyed. Still, she prepared herself to be shown out of his house. Her recommendations were glowing. That wasn’t blowing her own horn, just a fact. If that wasn’t good enough for him, then maybe the extra money wasn’t worth the trouble. And good luck to him finding a weekend nanny in this town.
The man stared at her for several moments before the corners of his mouth curved up a little. He was fighting a smile. Hallelujah. The cowboy had a sense of humor.
“That won’t be necessary, Miss Matthews. The most important qualification for this job isn’t on here.”
“And that is?”
“Wren likes you. If you still want it, the position is yours.”
She looked at him for a moment, not sure she’d heard right. “You’re sure? As you probably guessed from what I said, I can sometimes be headstrong and a little outspoken.”
“I noticed. And you may have guessed that I am protective of my daughter. Maybe too much, but with her I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
“You love her,” Merry said simply. And it was quite possibly his most attractive quality.
“I do. Very much. Her mother died so she only has me.”
“She told me.” Merry remembered the conversation. She’d told Wren her own mom was gone, too, and that made them members of a club that no little girl wanted to join.
“Okay. That means you understand the situation.” He handed back her folder. “So, will you take the job?”
“Yes. I’d love to,” she said. “And I really wanted it. A chance to earn some extra money and the chance to get away for a couple of days at the same time. It’s been a rough year for me. So, yes. Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Crawford.”
“If you call me that, I’ll be looking around for my father. It’s Hunter.”
“Okay.”
“May I call you Merry?” he asked.
“Wren already does so that works for me.”
“All right, then. I’ll give you the details.”
Hunter explained that his father’s private jet would take them to Rustler’s Notch, where they’d stay in a three-bedroom suite at the hotel. He told her the salary and the amount was exceptionally generous. Now it was her turn to fight a smile. She would be expected to keep Wren in sight at all times, which meant attending the rehearsal dinner and wedding festivities the next day.
“Oh, this is probably relevant information for you since my daughter is over the moon about the fancy flower girl dress she will wear. The ceremony is formal.”
The scenario he described was like a fantasy, until he dropped that bombshell. She didn’t have anything to wear to a formal wedding and there was no money in her extremely limited budget for a new dress.
“Is something wrong?” He was frowning at her.
“No. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. Just a funny expression on your face. Are you okay?”
“Fine.” She gave him a bright smile. And without missing a beat said, “That won’t be a problem at all.”
Nowhere in her personal references had anyone said she was a habitual liar but that was the second whopper she’d told him. The first being that she wasn’t judging him. How she wished this was a fairy tale. Then she could count on her fairy godmother spinning her a gorgeous dress out of unicorn sighs.
How in the world was she going to pull this off?
