Tanya Michaels - The Texan's Christmas

“Still, I’ve always respected your instincts. First impression?”

He has incredible green eyes. “I think he has a strong sense of justice, a desire for things to be fair. When Lizzie invited me to the ranch, he objected that they were ganging up on me.” Integrity was a good quality, but she wondered how he coped when life was so often unfair. She knew his mother had died when he was still relatively young. And now his rodeo career may be ending right when he was in his prime.

She also knew, from the way he talked about the Barons as “they,” that he felt a little like an outsider, but she kept that observation to herself. It was a feeling she’d experienced far too often in her own life. Her first real sense of belonging had come from her promotions at AB Windpower and the connection that had grown between her and Adele.

“I so appreciate the chances you’ve given me,” she said. “Obviously we still have tons of time before I’ll need maternity leave, but I want you to know I plan to come back as dedicated as ever.”

“First of all, I never gave you anything you didn’t earn. As for as the other part... Your job’s not going anywhere, and I hope you stay on in a full-time position for years to come. But having a child changes you.” Adele glanced out across the skaters, as if she were trying to hide the sadness in her expression. She couldn’t disguise the regret in her voice. “Sometimes in ways you never could have predicted or would have believed of yourself.”

* * *

THE LONGHORN SALOON was doing a thriving business on Friday night. Daniel stepped inside with his brother, wondering if they’d be able to find seats. Jacob waved to someone in the crowd then turned to tell Daniel, “Jet’s got us a table already.”

Daniel tried not to let his surprise show on his face. He hadn’t realized Jet would be joining them.

Jacob paused midstride. “You don’t mind that I invited him along, do you?”

Mind? No. But it was a sign of how things were changing, of Jacob’s growing ease with their stepsiblings. Good for him. Jacob was a hell of a big brother, and he’d fought hard to reach his current state of acceptance and happiness.

“I mentioned it to him before we left the exhibition,” Jacob said. They’d passed Jet at the rodeo fund-raiser earlier in the evening.

“It makes sense to get Jet’s input,” Daniel said casually. “Luke will be his brother-in-law, too.”

As the best man for Luke and Carly’s fast-approaching wedding, Jacob was supposed to plan the bachelor party. Carly had made laughing threats about what she would do to them if there were strippers involved. Jacob had been thinking in terms of an upscale gambling night with pretty card dealers at the poker and blackjack tables. They were here tonight to brainstorm specifics.

They passed the long bar, with its mirrored wall reflecting the usual crowd on the dance floor and people gathered around the mechanical bull in the corner. One of George Strait’s slower songs played on the jukebox, and Daniel found himself randomly wondering if Nicole Bennett liked to dance. It wasn’t the first time she’d drifted through his mind since their encounter yesterday.

In fact, he was finding it difficult not to think about her. The executive was beautiful in a different way than most of the women he knew—he couldn’t quite picture her in boots and jeans—but her allure went beyond physical. She was smart, sharp enough to work her way to an impressive position for a woman under thirty. Daniel knew that Jacob and Lizzie had busted their respective asses to get Brock to increase their responsibility at Baron Energies, but that kind of success had to be even more difficult when you didn’t have a powerful name or family business.

The table Jet had secured was tall and narrow. It was awkward for three men to try to fit around, but Daniel was grateful to have any spot on such a popular night. They ordered a pitcher of beer and chatted about the event they’d just left. From the curious looks both men cast in his direction, he guessed they were silently speculating on whether he’d be returning to rodeo. It was only part of how he made a living, of course. He had also invested in a friend’s stock contracting, breeding animals for rodeo, and Daniel stayed busy on the side training horses, although his injury had temporarily limited him to more of a consulting position. He liked everything he did well enough, but there was still a niggling sense of disquiet. As if he hadn’t yet found the right fit.

Eventually, the subject turned to Luke and Carly’s wedding. “Luke warned me from the start that there would be a lot of details,” Jacob said. “This is Carly’s big day, and she’s nothing if not strong-minded.”

Jet and Daniel both grinned at that. When the Burke boys had first moved to the ranch, Daniel had gone through an ill-advised period of getting into trouble. While Brock’s aloofness had made Jacob work all the harder to be the best at everything, Daniel had taken the juvenile approach that if the old man wasn’t going to like him anyway, Daniel might as well live down to his low expectations. Whereas Savannah was likely to shake her head at his transgressions and turn a blind eye—as long as he wasn’t physically endangering himself—and Lizzie, always more responsible than her years, would scold like a miniadult, Carly was busy getting into her own scrapes.

She was a different woman now. He wasn’t sure if it was solely the result of mellowing with age or the contentment that came from her relationship with Luke.

“I think all the wedding talk is making Mariana even more anxious for the spring,” Jacob added, looking eager himself. He and Mariana were planning a longer engagement than Luke and Carly, but no one could doubt that they were every bit as much in love. “Although, it’s hard for her, knowing Leah won’t be there to see it.”

Mariana’s sister—Cody’s mother—had died tragically young. Daniel thought his siblings were brave, rushing headlong into new commitments when family so often equaled loss. Who should know that better than the Barons, after they’d been abandoned by Delia and then lost their stepmother?

Jacob clapped Daniel on the back. “I know it wouldn’t be the same for me if you couldn’t be there.”

Naturally, Daniel had agreed to be the best man, but he felt like a bit of a fraud. Maybe the job should go to someone like Jet or Luke, someone who genuinely believed in marriage. Or maybe Daniel should warn Jacob that he was thinking of relocating. Obviously, Daniel would travel from any corner of the earth to be at his brother’s wedding, but it might be easier for someone local to handle the wedding-related tasks. Then again, nothing was definite yet, and when the time came to tell Jacob he might be leaving, it should be a one-on-one conversation, not something shared in a noisy bar.

They discussed where and when they could hold the bachelor party and the potential head count. The bride and groom definitely didn’t want the festivities to be the night before the wedding; Carly said she wanted guests to have plenty of time to recover from any hangovers. Jacob made some notes on his phone about equipment they’d need to rent and staff they’d need to hire and said he’d talk to Luke about getting a guest list on Sunday.

“About Sunday.” Jet tilted his cowboy hat back on his head. “I understand Lizzie and Carly invited Nicole Bennett to join us.”

“The woman who works for Adele?” Jacob asked.

“Right, the one who took Lizzie to the hospital that time,” Jet said. “Cute, from what I recall.” He said the words matter-of-factly with no personal interest. These days, he had eyes only for Jasmine Marks.

“Cute?” Daniel echoed in disbelief.