Brenda Harlen - Bring Me A Maverick For Christmas!

Luke and Eva had gone their separate ways for a short while after that. Bailey didn’t know if his advice had played a part in that temporary breakup, but he was glad that his brother and new sister-in-law had found their way back to one another. Luke and Eva had gotten engaged last New Year’s Eve and married seven months later.

In addition to being committed to one another, they were committed to using Sunshine Farm to spread happiness to others. In fact, Eva’s childhood friend Amy Wainwright had recently been reunited with her former—and future—husband, Derek Dalton, at the farm, resulting in the property gaining the nickname Lonelyhearts Ranch.

Bailey couldn’t deny that a lot of people were finding love in Rust Creek Falls, including four of his six siblings. But he had no illusions about happily-ever-after for himself. He’d already been there, done that and bought the T-shirt—then lost the T-shirt in his divorce.

But he was happy to help out with Presents for Patriots. He would even acknowledge that he enjoyed working with Brendan Tanner—because the retired marine didn’t try to get into his head or want to talk about his feelings, which was more than he could say about his siblings.

Bailey believed wholeheartedly in the work of Presents for Patriots. He had the greatest respect for the sacrifices made by enlisted men and women and was proud to participate in the community’s efforts to let the troops know they were valued and appreciated. Maybe sending Christmas gifts was a small thing, but at least it was something, and Bailey was pleased to be part of it.

He was less convinced of the value of this dinner and dance. Sure, it was a fund-raiser for a good cause, but Bailey suspected that most of the guests would be couples, and—as the only single one of his siblings currently living in Rust Creek Falls—he was already tired of feeling like a third wheel.

Not that he wanted to change his status. No, he’d learned the hard way that he was better off on his own. No one to depend on and no one depending on him. But it was still awkward to be a single man in a social gathering that was primarily made up of couples.

He looked around the crowd gathered at Sawmill Station, hoping to see Serena in attendance. She’d said that she had a ticket for the event, but considering the abruptness with which she’d left the restaurant after lunch, he had to wonder if she’d changed her mind about coming.

Her plans shouldn’t matter to him. After all, he barely knew her. But he couldn’t deny there was something about her—even when she was admonishing him for his admittedly inappropriate behavior—that appealed to him.

In fact, while she’d been scolding him, he’d had trouble understanding her words because his attention had been focused on the movements of her mouth. And he’d found himself wondering if those sweetly curved lips would stop moving if he covered them with his own—or if they’d respond with a matching passion.

Yeah, he barely knew the woman, but he knew that he wanted to kiss her—and that realization made him wary. It had been a lot of years since he’d felt such an immediate and instinctive attraction to a woman, and he would have happily lived out the rest of his days without experiencing that feeling again. Because he knew now that the euphoric feeling didn’t last—and when it was gone, his heart might suffer more dings and dents.

So it was probably for the best that she’d walked out of the diner before he’d had a chance to ask her to be his date tonight. Because while he wasn’t entirely comfortable being a single man surrounded by couples, at least he didn’t have to worry about the stirring of unexpected desires—and the even more dangerous yearnings of his heart.

Just when he’d managed to convince himself that was true, he turned away from the bar with a drink in hand and saw her. And his foolish heart actually skipped a beat.

The silky blond hair that had spilled over her shoulders when she’d removed the Mrs. Claus wig was gathered up on top of her head now. Not in a tight knot or a formal twist, but a messy—and very sexy—arrangement of curls. Several loose strands escaped the knot to frame her face.

She was wearing a dress. The color was richer and deeper than red, and the fabric clung to her mouthwatering curves. The skirt of the dress ended just above her knees, and she wore pointy-toed high-heeled shoes on her feet.

He took a few steps toward her and noticed that there were sparkles in her hair. Crystal snowflakes, he realized, as he drew nearer. She’d made up her face, too. Not that she needed any artificial enhancement, but the long lashes that surrounded her deep blue eyes were now thicker and darker, and her temptingly curved lips were slicked with pink gloss.

“You look... Wow,” he said, because he couldn’t find any other words that seemed adequate.

Her cheeks flushed prettily. “Back atcha.”

He knew his basic suit and bolero tie were nothing special, particularly in this crowd, but he smiled, grateful that she didn’t seem to be holding a grudge. “I wasn’t sure you were going to come.”

“Neither was I,” she admitted.

“I’m glad you did,” he told her. “And I hope you brought your checkbook—there’s a lot of great stuff on the auction table.”

“As soon as I figure out where I’m sitting for dinner, I’ll take a look,” she promised.

“You can sit with me,” he invited.

“I think I’m supposed to be at Dr. Smith’s table.”

He shook his head. “There are no assigned tables.”

She looked toward the dining area, where long wooden tables were set in rows on either side of the dance floor.

The decor was festive but simple. Of course, Brendan and Bailey had left all those details in the hands of the event planners, who had adorned the tables with evergreen branches and holly berries, with tea lights in clear glass bowls at the center of each grouping of four place settings. The result was both festive and rustic, perfect for the venue and the occasion.

“I’ve never been here before,” Serena confided. “But this place is fabulous. You and Brendan did a great job.”

Bailey immediately shook his head. “This was all Caroline Ruth and her crew. The only thing me and Brendan can take credit for is putting her in charge,” he said. “And picking the food.”

“What will we be eating tonight?” she asked.

He plucked a menu off a nearby table and read aloud: “Country biscuits with whipped butter, mixed greens with poached pears, candied walnuts and a honey vinaigrette, grilled hand-carved flat iron steak, red-skin mashed potatoes and blackened corn, with huckleberry pie or chocolate mousse for dessert.”

“And that’s why I had salad for lunch,” she told him.

He chuckled as he steered her toward the table where Luke and Eva were already seated, along with Brendan Tanner and his fiancée, Fiona O’Reilly, and Fiona’s sister Brenna and her husband, Travis Dalton.

Conversation during dinner covered many and various topics—Presents for Patriots, of course, including the upcoming gift-wrapping at the community center—but Brendan and Fiona’s recent engagement was also a subject of much interest and discussion.

“So how long have you and Serena been dating?” Brenna asked, as she dipped her spoon into her chocolate mousse.

Bailey looked up, startled by the question. “What?”

Serena paused with her wineglass halfway to her lips, obviously taken aback, as well.

“I asked how long you’ve been dating,” Brenna repeated.

“They’re not dating,” Eva responded to the question first. “But they’re married.”

“Really?” Brenna sounded delighted and intrigued by this revelation.

“Not really,” Serena said firmly.