Christmas at Blue Moon Ranch (2 page)

“I can do that.”

“How do I know? How
do you know?”

Juan got to his
feet. “Willa, can I talk to you privately for a moment? Excuse us, Daniel.” He
walked to the door and opened it, waited for Willa to go through and then
followed her out into the narrow hallway. With the door shut again, he faced
her, his hands propped on his hips.

“What in the
world do you think you’re doing?”

Willa winced as
she heard the attorney’s urgent question.

He rushed on
before she could answer. “You’re throwing away this sale is what you’re doing. Why?”

“I can’t sell
the land, Juan. Especially not to someone who knows next to nothing about
ranching, or cattle.” She rubbed her eyes with her fingers. “I might as well
poison the water and set fire to the grass.”

“Do I have to
remind you of how much you’ll be making off this sale? Daniel Trent didn’t
argue with the price, didn’t try to talk you down. He paid top dollar and all
he wants to do is run a few head of beef and some horses. It’s not that big a
deal.”

“That land is
the Mercado legacy. I want to know it’s taken care of.”
I wanted some help!
She bit her lip to keep the words unsaid.

“So let me
remind you about the taxes you owe on that land. About the outstanding bills at
the feed store and the veterinarian, the payroll you’re behind on. Remember the
mortgage Jamie took out on the ranch, and the fact that you have kids who’ll be
wanting to go to college in just a few years. You need this cash, Willa. As
your attorney, I’m recommending you march in there, keep your mouth shut and
sign those papers.”

She stared at
him in the dim light of the hall, hating the truth, unable to decide. They both
jumped when the door to the conference room opened.

Daniel Trent
stood silhouetted by the fluorescent light behind him, his shoulders slanted
slightly, his hip cocked to the side by that stiff leg. “If you two want to
come back, I think I have a solution to this dilemma.”

B
Y THE TIME THEY’D
FINISHED
, Daniel’s leg
felt like a fallen tree with a host of termites chewing on it from the inside
out. The extra paperwork he’d suggested had extended the meeting by almost an
hour, which meant he was two hours past the time for his usual dose of pain
meds. He only took over-the-counter stuff these days, but the drugs still made
a difference.

As a
distraction, he let himself gaze at Willa Mercado while she finished reading
the agreement he’d proposed. She might have a heart of stone, but he found her
incredibly sexy—her thick black hair, tamed into a shiny braid hanging down her
back, her smooth olive skin, her wide, long-lashed dark eyes. Thin and
graceful, she reminded him of a gazelle, all legs and arms, with the potential
for great speed and endurance. Her mouth fascinated him, and he couldn’t seem
to look away from the sensual promise of those wide, full lips.

A promise likely
to remain unfilled, he told himself. She’d agreed to let him live on the
portion of the Blue Moon he’d wanted to buy, but she wasn’t happy about it. At
his suggestion, she’d put him on probation. After three months, if she didn’t
think he’d demonstrated an aptitude for ranching life, the sale contract would
be void and he’d be out on his ear while she kept his deposit as rent.

Willa finished
reading and, without a word, picked up a nearby pen to sign the last sheet. She
passed the page to Juan, who gave it to Daniel for his signature. After three
copies had been completed, the lawyer rubbed his hands together in
satisfaction.

“That’s great. I
think this is an excellent solution.” Stacking the papers together, he
practically beamed. “Daniel, you’ll have a chance to make sure this is what you
want, and Willa, you’ll be able to see that you’re doing the right thing in
selling Daniel this parcel of land. I’ll have Julie make an appointment for
three months from now, and we’ll all get back together to finalize the sale.”

He bustled out,
leaving the door open, but returned before Daniel had a chance to say anything
to the woman across the table. “I just looked at the calendar,” Juan said.
“Three months from today will be Christmas Eve. I thought I’d ask whether you
want to set something up after the New Year.” He gave an apologetic shrug. “Our
office is usually closed that last week of December.”

Willa opened her
mouth, but Daniel spoke first. “Set it up for December twenty-first,” he said. “I
plan to spend Christmas on the New Moon Ranch.”

He heard the
click of teeth as Willa snapped her jaws shut.

W
ITH THEIR BUSINESS
COMPLETED
—for good or
for ill, and Willa wasn’t sure which—Juan led them back to the front of the
office, where the sound of rain drumming on the roof resembled the thunder of
stampeding cattle. The storm had arrived with a vengeance.

“I’ve been listening
to the weather,” Julie volunteered. “They’re predicting flash floods for the
rest of today and tonight, plus the possibility of tornadoes.”

“A bad night to
travel.” Juan stood between Willa and Daniel as they stared out at the
downpour. “Willa, you should probably stay in town for the evening, go home
tomorrow after the storm passes. La Casa Motel, just down the road, is a pretty
nice place.”

“I’ve got a
spare umbrella.” Julie came to stand beside her. “You’re welcome to use it to
get to your car.”

“Thanks.” Willa
held the door open with her shoulder and opened the umbrella just outside. As
she started out into the deluge, Daniel Trent took her place in the doorway. Still
sheltered by the roof over the walk, Willa obeyed the prompting of her better
nature and waved at him to join her. “Come on—we can share.”

His sunny smile
seemed to brighten the weather. “I don’t mind if I do. I’m no fan of drowning.”
He joined her under the umbrella, automatically reaching for the curved handle.

But her hand was
already there, and for a moment his warm, dry palm closed over her fingers. Willa
gave a little gasp as the friction between his skin and hers set off tingles
that ran up her arm and into her chest. Standing so close to her, Daniel Trent
was much bigger than she’d realized, his frame more imposing. She felt
sheltered, having him between her and the storm.

“Your truck’s
closer,” he said, bending his head to speak into her ear, and another shiver
swept through her. “Let’s go that way.”

Willa nodded.
Three inches of water had pooled on the asphalt parking lot, soaking into her
one pair of good dress shoes with each step. Alone, she would have sprinted
through the rain to the truck but, thinking of Daniel’s leg, she matched her
speed to the one he set. By the time they reached her truck, her slacks were
soaked from the knees down.

“Thank God for
remote keys,” she said, pulling the door open as soon as she could touch the
handle. Daniel raised the umbrella to shelter her while she climbed in, then
backed away as soon as she got seated. With the cane in one hand and the
umbrella in the other, he gave her a nod before turning toward a shiny silver
pickup parked several rows over from hers. He’d bought himself a fancy new
truck to go with his new ranch.

Willa squeezed
her eyes shut. She intended to deny him his ranch…his dream. Guilt pounded in
her temples and throbbed at the back of her neck.

Or maybe that
was hunger. Breakfast had happened before sunrise and she’d skipped lunch to
finish up her chores prior to heading into town. Even if she didn’t stay the
night, she could check into La Casa Motel for a few hours, get a nap and a good
meal before the drive home. She’d have to deal with Daniel Trent as a neighbor
soon enough. Then she’d know whether she should feel guilty at the bargain
she’d struck…or relieved.

D
ANIEL HAD STAYED AT
L
A
C
ASA
the night before, so he bypassed the reception area for the side door
closest to the elevator. He’d bolted down some pain pills with the dregs of a
soda he’d left in the truck. Now he just needed to stretch out on a bed and
wait for them to take effect.

His stomach woke
him up an hour later, growling like a grizzly bear at the end of winter. As he
stripped off his damp shirt and jeans to take a shower, he kept his back to the
mirror. All his life, he’d taken his functional, unscarred body for granted,
and he still wasn’t adjusted to the new reality. The last woman he’d dated
hadn’t even wanted to try.

In the motel
dining room, he chose a table giving him a view of the thunderstorm still
raging outside and savored the tart flavor of a margarita as he watched rain
sheeting the windows. Willa Mercado just might be stubborn enough to believe
she could drive through this kind of weather, but Daniel hoped she was smarter
than that. He was tempted to try to reach her through the hotel switchboard,
just to see if she’d checked in. Otherwise, he’d probably spend the night
worrying about her.

Even as the
thought occurred to him, she appeared at the entrance to the restaurant. She
looked more relaxed than she had at the lawyer’s office, and the smile she gave
the hostess was downright friendly. Daniel thought he’d have to try to earn
himself a few of Willa Mercado’s smiles.

Thanks to the
pain medicine, he got to his feet fairly smoothly as she approached his table. “Good
evening,” he said, as she jerked to a stop upon seeing him. “I’d be happy to
have you join me.”

The hostess
assumed Willa would agree and disappeared. From the line between Willa’s arched
eyebrows, though, Daniel wasn’t so sure. “Please?” he said.

She took in a
deep breath and then blew it out. “Sure. Thanks.” Once seated, she folded her
arms on the table and stared straight at him. “You look better.”

Her perception
startled him. “I…um…got a nap. And some pills.”

“For the bum
leg.” The corner of her mouth quirked—nearly a smile.

“Right.”

“Were you in a
car accident?”

He shrugged.
“You could say that. My truck ran over an IED in Iraq. That’s an—”

She held up a
hand. “I know what it is. Improvised explosive device. My husband Jamie was
killed by one. In Iraq.”

Daniel swore
under his breath. “I’m sorry.” Grabbing his cane, he started to get up. “The
last thing I want to do is remind you of your loss. I’ll let you enjoy your
dinner in peace.”

Willa could have
let him go. She’d looked forward to dinner by herself, hadn’t wanted to share a
meal with this…this intruder.

Yet she found
herself on her feet, putting a hand on his arm to stop him before he moved
away.

“Don’t leave,
Daniel.” She met his troubled blue gaze with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry
I’ve been so rude. We can’t go anywhere else while this storm lasts, and we’re
going to be neighbors. Let’s get to know each other.”

By the time
their salads were served, Willa was no longer surprised to find herself
chuckling, even laughing aloud, at some of Daniel’s comments. He possessed a
wealth of stories about his travels with the Army, along with a charming,
humorous way of telling them.

She’d offered a
few details about her family—thirteen-year-old twins Robbie and Susannah,
ten-year-old Toby, plus Jamie’s aunts, Rosa and Lilianna, who lived with them
and took care of the house. The margarita she’d enjoyed with their tortilla
chips and salsa had helped her relax, of course. Now they were sharing a
pitcher of sangria, a temptation she hadn’t indulged in since before Jamie had
left. For the first time in more than two years, Willa allowed her worries to
slip to the back of her mind while she concentrated on the here and now.

“Here and now”
being an incredibly attractive man who seemed to be enjoying himself very much
indeed. She took a sip of the wine, then another, and voiced the question that
had been on her mind all afternoon. “What made you decide to take up ranching?
I mean…you don’t have the background, or a family connection. And it’s not
exactly a career the military trains you for, right?”

“Right.” He
watched the wine slosh gently as he rolled the stem of his goblet between two
fingers. “I guess it sounds pretty crazy. Everybody I’ve talked to thinks
so…including you.” His grin flashed. “It was about a year ago, I guess, I was
sitting in some doctor’s office for what seemed like appointment one thousand,
facing more surgery and time in a hospital bed. I picked up one of those
magazines about the West, and started looking at an article on some big actor’s
‘alternative lifestyle.’”

With a glance at
her face, he continued. “Gorgeous scenery, working outside in the fresh air and
sunshine with animals and nature—what’s not to like?”

Willa rolled her
eyes. “I could give you a list a mile long.”

He held up a
hand. “Leave me my illusions, for a few more days, at least. After twelve years
in the Army, I knew I wanted to be my own boss, make my own decisions. Ranching
seemed to me—still seems—like an independent, productive way to live.”