Brenda Harlen - Merry Christmas, Baby Maverick!

“Which means I have to find myself a different cowboy,” Natalie decided.

“Do you have anyone specific in mind?” Kayla asked, happy to shift the conversation away from Trey—and especially talk of the two of them being together at the wedding.

“I’m willing to consider all possibilities,” Natalie said. “And since it’s still pretty early, why don’t we go to the Ace in the Hole to grab a drink?”

She shuddered at the thought. “Because that place on a Friday night is a bad idea.”

The local bar and grill was more than a little rough around the edges at the best of times—and a Friday night was never the best of times as the cowboys who worked so hard during the week on the local ranches believed in partying just as hard on the weekends. As a result, it wasn’t unusual for tempers to flare and fists to fly, and Kayla had no interest in that kind of drama tonight.

Natalie sighed. “You’re right—how about a hot chocolate instead?”

That offer was definitely more tempting. Though Kayla hadn’t experienced many cravings, and thankfully nothing too unusual, the baby had definitely shown signs in recent weeks of having a sweet tooth, and she knew that hot chocolate would satisfy that craving. But, “I thought you had to open up the store in the morning.”

Natalie waved a hand dismissively. “Morning is a long time away.”

“Hot chocolate sounds good,” she admitted.

“It tastes even better,” Trey said from behind her.

Kayla thought he’d left the gym after helping to stack the chairs, but apparently that had been wishful thinking on her part.

“But where can you get hot chocolate in town at this time of night?” he asked.

“Daisy’s,” Natalie told him. “It’s open late now, with an expanded beverage menu and pastries to encourage people to stay in town rather than heading to the city.”

“I always did like their hot chocolate,” Trey said. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“Of course not,” Natalie said, buttoning up her coat as they exited the gym.

They said “hello” to various townspeople as they passed them in the halls, stopping on the way to chat with some other friends from high school. A few guys invited Trey to go for a beer at the Ace in the Hole, but he told them that he already had plans. When they finally made their escape, Natalie pulled her phone out of her pocket and frowned at the time displayed on the screen. “I didn’t realize it was getting to be so late.”

Kayla narrowed her gaze on her friend, wondering how it had gone from “still pretty early” to “so late” in the space of ten minutes.

“I think I should skip the hot chocolate tonight,” Natalie decided. “I have to be up early to open the store in the morning.”

“You were the one who suggested it,” Kayla pointed out.

“I know,” her friend agreed. “And I hate to bail, but there’s no reason that you and Trey can’t go without me.”

Kayla glanced at Trey. “Wouldn’t you rather go to the Ace in the Hole with your friends than to Daisy’s with me?”

“Let me see—reminiscing about high school football with a bunch of washed-up jocks or making conversation with a pretty girl?” He winked at her. “It seems like a no-brainer to me.”

“Great,” Natalie said, a little too enthusiastically.

Then she leaned in to give Kayla a quick hug and whisper in her ear. “I’ll call you tomorrow to hear all of the juicy details, so make sure there are some juicy details.”

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