A Snow Country Christmas (The Carsons of Mustang Creek #4)(10)

“I always wanted a dog, but it never worked out.”

She only believed him—he was sure of it—because of his matter-of-fact tone. He wasn’t shallow enough to ever complain about a privileged childhood but his mother hadn’t approved of animals in the house, so they didn’t have any. End of story. He’d begged for a dog and the answer was no.

“That’s too bad. You missed out. But it’s not too late to get one now.”

“These days it’s a timing issue. Once I was out of college, I immediately joined a firm that sent me to Japan for three years. When I came back to California, I started my own company, and trust me, with the hours I kept I didn’t have the time for a dog and still don’t.”

“You need one.” Raine said it firmly as if the whole matter was decided. “Buy the land, build your house, and you’ll have no shortage of dog-sitters to pitch in if you’re out of town. I can be one of them. Daisy would be thrilled, and Samson is used to other dogs from being at the ranch so frequently. When it comes to the land, do you want real Wyoming?”

It was a generous offer about the dog, and an impulsive one, but he already had the impression that despite Raine’s wariness around him, she made a habit of following her instincts most of the time—not in an impractical way, but just acting from the heart. “Yes, that’s the plan. Real Wyoming. Solitude and a stunning view. A place where I can sit and read, maybe write something that isn’t a memo just for a change of pace, and relax on the front porch with a glass of wine or a cold beer and watch the sunset. I’m at a place in my life where I’m starting to realize that being driven has its perks, but working every second of the day isn’t necessarily good for you.”

“Write something? Like the great American novel?” She was looking at him like he’d sprouted a second head.

“Believe it or not, Ms. Artist, I do have some imagination.” He didn’t add that he could easily imagine her soft, warm and naked in his arms, but it was getting harder to banish those images from his mind.

“I have no trouble believing that, actually. Excuse me, Jangles, your new friend and I have someplace to go.” She gently scooted away from the cat and stood. “I’ll get your coat, Mr. Boardroom. Time for a scenic Christmas Eve jaunt.”

“Now?” He glanced at the clock, which had wands for hands and glass slippers in varying colors to represent the hours. Which made him think she’d designed it. It looked like, if he could read it correctly, it was nearly eleven o’clock.

“As good a time as any, right? Snow falling, the mountains in the backdrop and winter magic in the air... I want to show you something. No, now I need to show you something.”

He had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but was willing to play along. “Okay, I’m game.”

“You might be when you see what I’m going to show you. I’ll drive.”

“Drive? Where—”

“Let’s go.” She opened a hall closet and took out a coat, then disappeared to return with his, pulling on fluffy white mittens as he did up his buttons. “This is perfect.”

Mystified, he said, “I’ll take your word for it. Care to give me a hint where we’re going?”

“I’m a show-not-tell kind of girl. You’ll find out.”

Two minutes later they were in the car, driving toward a destination unknown.

*

The place looked as she remembered it the day she put it up for sale, but was also lit by the moon now that the snow had subsided to flurries, and she spotted the twinkle of a star or two as the clouds moved overhead in the brisk December wind.

Maybe fate had smiled on her twice this night.

Raine took in the weathered structure before them and tried to stifle a pang over the prospect of it being torn down. She warned herself that a man like Mick Branson probably wouldn’t want the dilapidated wreck, and she could hardly blame him for that, but the setting was incredible.

“If you want Wyoming, this is it,” she said as she parked the SUV. “There’s a small lake behind the house, fed by a spring. It’s so crystal clear, fishing should be a crime there because you can drop a hook right in front of a fish. I know it’s frozen over right now, but in the warmer weather it’s perfect for swimming in. And you have never seen anything so amazing in your life as the view from the back porch when you sit and watch the sun come up.”

He was diplomatic, but she expected that. “The cabin looks really old.”

“That’s the understatement of the century. The house is falling down.” She shut off the vehicle. “It was once just one room, but sections were added on here and there over the past century. Keep in mind the location. It isn’t a lot of land, just a hundred acres, but you don’t want to run cattle, correct? Just have a place to get away. Let me show you the inside.”

“One hundred acres in L.A. isn’t even a possibility. Neither is me running cattle, since I’d have no idea what to do. I do just need a place to get away... Raine, why do you have a key?”

“You can tear it all down as far as the buildings go, though I wish you wouldn’t, but this is really a nice piece of property.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

She sighed and turned to face him. “It belonged to my grandfather.”