A Snow Country Christmas (The Carsons of Mustang Creek #4)(31)
Mick had been, too, but he was spending the holiday right where he was. Those glitzy affairs had lost their gloss even before he’d become so involved with Raine.
“I was thinking New Year’s Eve is the perfect night to propose.”
“Not waiting around.”
“I thought you’d just intimated I’d waited around too much in my life already.”
“I’m just happy for you.” Ran sounded sincere. “Ingrid will find you the perfect ring and I’ll have it insured and overnighted.”
“That’s all I could ask for. Tell Ingrid thanks in advance from me.”
They ended the call and he settled back, amazingly content with his decision. He was used to such a fast-paced life he found he liked just sitting there and watching the ski runs. It was interesting to take time to contemplate the life-changing curve in the road of his future.
He’d have an instant daughter if Raine said yes. Maybe more children; a subject they would need to discuss later.
If she said yes.
It would certainly affect the plans for the house he was going to build.
If she said yes.
It was going to completely change his life.
If she said yes.
Not a given.
Suddenly restless, he got up to pace the length of the room. He’d always considered himself more a man of controlled contemplation than action, but right now he needed to walk off this unexpected insecurity. It was probably a good sign it meant so much to him, but he wasn’t enjoying the myriad emotions. He was nervous, a concept that was foreign to him. Usually, when awaiting the outcome of a deal he’d negotiated, he was confident and straightforward, and if it fell through—which happened now and then for various reasons—so it went.
He couldn’t shrug this off if Raine decided he wasn’t the one.
The break-up after the miscarriage had been painful, but they would probably have only stayed together for the baby, so that was something else he and Raine had in common. Like Slater, he would have offered marriage, but if his ex-girlfriend had said yes, he wasn’t sure at all it would have lasted. The experience did teach him something about himself and that was that he was much more traditional than he thought, but it also made him realize he valued relationships in a long-term way.
Double-whammy right there.
He wanted a wife, family, and roots.
Speaking of roots...if he was going to make good on his promise, he might as well get started on reading The Aspen Trail. What better way to spend a snowy morning, especially since he knew Raine was working, though she’d agreed to lunch. She’d already had plans to meet with friends for dinner. They sponsored a college scholarship at the local high school and between them formed a committee each year to review the applications and select a recipient. The Carson Ranch matched their contributions and people from all over the state applied for it, and Raine had said with a definite tinge of emotion in her voice that it was wonderful to support higher education. He agreed. Already it had occurred to him to maybe set up a college fund for Daisy in her grandfather’s name to offset the property gift.
So he sat back down, told himself to forget everything else for the moment, and he started to read.
Chapter One
The haze of the sun hit the leaves in a slanted light and cast shadows on the ground. The cowboy nudged his horse forward with his heel, the silent communication as natural as words between them. They understood each other without effort.
The cowboy wished it was half that easy with women.
His sweetheart was an independent sort with a mind of her own, and had little use for him unless she was so inclined.
He needed to win the lady but wasn’t sure how to go about it.
Mick laughed quietly and sat back, his feet propped up. That seemed all too appropriate to his current situation. He’d won his way into Raine’s bed, but he wasn’t sure about her heart.
That dark-haired beauty didn’t want his help, hadn’t asked for it, and was as dangerous as a loaded pistol ready to go off. Part of him admired her feisty spirit, but a bigger part wished she’d agree to lean on him just a little more. Maybe his days as a drifter were coming to an end, because he wasn’t going anywhere. This valley felt like home and whether she admitted it or not, she needed someone like him around.
There was a reason for the price on his head in Arkansas. He was damned handy with a gun. A man needed to be able to defend himself, and others if it came right down to it. Maybe someday he’d even tell her that story. But now there was trouble coming. He could smell it in the air and hear it in the whisper of the aspen leaves.
Could he write in a voice like Brighton’s, one that was all the more powerful for its simplicity? Mick wasn’t sure, but he was sure he was interested to find out what trouble was coming and how it worked out with the dark-haired beauty and the cowboy. What was the danger?
He was taking mental notes.
So he read on.
*
“We need more details.”
Hadleigh Galloway, Melody Hogan and Bex Calder all stared her down. They’d known each other since childhood, and the tight-knit threesome were the first people Raine had thought of when she’d come up with the idea of the scholarship. All successful businesswomen and mothers, they’d done what she hoped and, despite their busy schedules, embraced the idea. Bex’s wealthy in-laws had handed over a large sum of money as well.