Read Online Home For Christmas (A Copper Mountain Christmas) by Melissa Mcclone - Free Book Online
Authors: Melissa Mcclone
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tone.
Nate choked, nearly spewed beer all over the table, but managed to force the beer down. He wiped his mouth with his napkin. "I thought you forgot about that."
"Memory like an elephant's." She tapped the side of her head. "So…"
He hated this story as much as he hated living it. But he wanted her confidences. He would have to cough up his own. "Four years ago, I was living in Palo Alto. I had a great job, worked crazy hours and spent any free time with my girlfriend Marissa."
"Sounds like a perfect life."
"I thought so, until I got a call from your brother."
Her nose crinkled. "Ty?"
"Yeah, my dad's health and mind had deteriorated more than I knew. He was making bad decisions, crazy ones no one who knew about ranching would make. Ty was doing all he could, buying livestock and hay with his own money, but then he learned my dad had taken out loans using the ranch as collateral. No one knew where the money went. Ty asked me if he should look for an assisted living apartment for my parents because the debt was too deep. The bank was going to foreclose."
Rachel inhaled sharply. The glass of Pinot Noir her hand wobbled. She steadied it with her other palm. "That's horrible."
"Yeah." Nate stared into his beer, remembering the guilt and frustration he'd felt waiting to board his flight to Bozeman. "I arrived the next morning. By afternoon, I knew I'd have to move back to Montana and take my dad's place, and even that might not be enough to save the Bar V5."
"Here you go." Annie placed a cutting board with slices of bread and a dish of whipped butter in the center of the table. "I'll be back with your salads."
"Thanks." Rachel watched Annie walk away then looked at Nate. "Did Marissa stay in California?"
"No, she came to Montana." An image of a diamond in a platinum setting popped into his mind. "I wanted her to know I was serious about our relationship, so I proposed. She said yes. But the ranch was too remote and rugged for her tastes. She was ready to leave after three days."
"The Bar V5 isn't rugged." Rachel made a face like the thought was ridiculous before she sipped her wine. Adorable. She might call herself a city girl and think she belonged in the desert oasis of Phoenix, but deep inside her was a mountain and plain. Rugged was reserved for a cabin deep in the woods without power and indoor plumbing. The idea of getting her into one and under a pile of quilts…"
Don't go there.
"This was four years ago." He grabbed a slice of bread, bypassing the butter. Adjusted in his seat, his body thinking about being under those quilts with her. Forced himself back to the grim story about Marissa. "I've done significant remodeling. Added guest cabins. The ranch house is almost brand new. All the rooms have private baths. The mini-suites have fireplaces and king-sized beds."
Beds. He shifted again.
This wasn't a date, but he was desperate to touch his dinner companion. Consume. The contrast to Marissa was remarkable. She hadn't asked one question about the ranch beyond, "How much longer do we have to stay?"
"Your fiancée couldn't see the potential?"
"Not really." A new SUV and a credit card he paid for bought him three more weeks. "She broke up with me and flew back to the Bay Area before a month had passed."
"Her loss."
"Nice of you to say."
Rachel set her glass on the table then took a piece of bread. "It's the truth."
"I was sorry to see her go, but there was so much work to do and panic about losing the place, I didn't miss the stress. A month later, she asked me to come back to California, but that was never going to happen. By then I loved the ranch more than her." If he'd even loved her at all. "Sorry if you were expecting sordid and all you got was boring."
Rachel lathered the piece with butter, not seeming to be worried about cholesterol or calories. He liked that.
"Boring is better sometimes."
"What about you?" Nate wanted to know more about her. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
She toyed with the
Nate choked, nearly spewed beer all over the table, but managed to force the beer down. He wiped his mouth with his napkin. "I thought you forgot about that."
"Memory like an elephant's." She tapped the side of her head. "So…"
He hated this story as much as he hated living it. But he wanted her confidences. He would have to cough up his own. "Four years ago, I was living in Palo Alto. I had a great job, worked crazy hours and spent any free time with my girlfriend Marissa."
"Sounds like a perfect life."
"I thought so, until I got a call from your brother."
Her nose crinkled. "Ty?"
"Yeah, my dad's health and mind had deteriorated more than I knew. He was making bad decisions, crazy ones no one who knew about ranching would make. Ty was doing all he could, buying livestock and hay with his own money, but then he learned my dad had taken out loans using the ranch as collateral. No one knew where the money went. Ty asked me if he should look for an assisted living apartment for my parents because the debt was too deep. The bank was going to foreclose."
Rachel inhaled sharply. The glass of Pinot Noir her hand wobbled. She steadied it with her other palm. "That's horrible."
"Yeah." Nate stared into his beer, remembering the guilt and frustration he'd felt waiting to board his flight to Bozeman. "I arrived the next morning. By afternoon, I knew I'd have to move back to Montana and take my dad's place, and even that might not be enough to save the Bar V5."
"Here you go." Annie placed a cutting board with slices of bread and a dish of whipped butter in the center of the table. "I'll be back with your salads."
"Thanks." Rachel watched Annie walk away then looked at Nate. "Did Marissa stay in California?"
"No, she came to Montana." An image of a diamond in a platinum setting popped into his mind. "I wanted her to know I was serious about our relationship, so I proposed. She said yes. But the ranch was too remote and rugged for her tastes. She was ready to leave after three days."
"The Bar V5 isn't rugged." Rachel made a face like the thought was ridiculous before she sipped her wine. Adorable. She might call herself a city girl and think she belonged in the desert oasis of Phoenix, but deep inside her was a mountain and plain. Rugged was reserved for a cabin deep in the woods without power and indoor plumbing. The idea of getting her into one and under a pile of quilts…"
Don't go there.
"This was four years ago." He grabbed a slice of bread, bypassing the butter. Adjusted in his seat, his body thinking about being under those quilts with her. Forced himself back to the grim story about Marissa. "I've done significant remodeling. Added guest cabins. The ranch house is almost brand new. All the rooms have private baths. The mini-suites have fireplaces and king-sized beds."
Beds. He shifted again.
This wasn't a date, but he was desperate to touch his dinner companion. Consume. The contrast to Marissa was remarkable. She hadn't asked one question about the ranch beyond, "How much longer do we have to stay?"
"Your fiancée couldn't see the potential?"
"Not really." A new SUV and a credit card he paid for bought him three more weeks. "She broke up with me and flew back to the Bay Area before a month had passed."
"Her loss."
"Nice of you to say."
Rachel set her glass on the table then took a piece of bread. "It's the truth."
"I was sorry to see her go, but there was so much work to do and panic about losing the place, I didn't miss the stress. A month later, she asked me to come back to California, but that was never going to happen. By then I loved the ranch more than her." If he'd even loved her at all. "Sorry if you were expecting sordid and all you got was boring."
Rachel lathered the piece with butter, not seeming to be worried about cholesterol or calories. He liked that.
"Boring is better sometimes."
"What about you?" Nate wanted to know more about her. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
She toyed with the
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