Mistletoe In Montana: A Christmas Novella Read online

  “Hello, Lizette. Nice to see you too,” she mumbled. It was downright embarrassing that this family drama was unfolding in front of Luke.

  “Lizette!” her mother scolded. “Brenna is a member of this family. She is always welcome in this house. It doesn’t matter whether she stays for an hour or for a month.”

  Lizette rolled her eyes. She folded her arms across her chest. “Something tells me it won’t be for a month,” she muttered.

  “I might just surprise you,” Brenna said. She felt Luke’s penetrating gaze focused on her like lasers. She cast a quick glance at him, surprised at the powerful feelings that rose up inside her as their gazes held and locked. He seemed to be studying her. She wondered what in the world he was thinking about her. She took that back. Something told her she didn’t want to know.

  “And where is your husband?” Lizette asked with a smirk. “You usually don’t make a move without him.”

  Silence filled the air as she grappled with how to answer Lizette’s question.

  “We’re not together anymore,” she said in a choked voice.

  Lizette’s face dropped. A look of surprise was etched on her face. “I-I’m sorry, Brenna. I had no idea.”

  “You are divorced?” her father asked in a thunderous voice. “Separated?”

  “Yes, Papa. Hank and I are divorced.” She let out a sigh. “And before you tell me that divorce is a sin, let me just tell you that it wasn’t my choice. Hank found someone else. While we were married, in fact. He left me for her. And even though I was willing to forgive him for running around with another woman, he didn’t want me anymore. So please spare me the lecture about being a good Christian woman, because I was a wonderful, faithful wife to him. In the end, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t enough for him.”

  “Then he’s a fool,” Luke said, his voice ringing out in the silence. All eyes in the room shifted toward him.

  Brenna looked at Luke, half wondering if she’d misheard him. For all intents and purposes, she’d been under the belief that Luke couldn’t stand her. After what she’d done to him…and their relationship…she wouldn’t have blamed him if he hated her forever.

  “That’s right,” her father chimed in. “A man who can’t honor his marriage vows is worthless in my eyes.” He reached out and caressed Brenna’s cheek. “And any man who can’t see that you are a jewel beyond measure is surely blind. I won’t lecture you, mi corazon. You have handled yourself with integrity in the face of betrayal.”

  Brenna sniffed back tears. She had hoped that her father wouldn’t be angry at her current situation, but knowing his tough stance on certain issues, she hadn’t been too certain. It felt wonderful to be supported.

  “So Luke, what brings you out to Half Moon Ranch? Are you two doing business together?” Brenna asked, curious about Luke’s presence at her father’s side.

  Luke’s jaw tightened and he glanced over at her father. Suddenly the room got awfully quiet. Luke coughed in the silence. He shifted from one foot to the other. “You could say that, Brenna. I’m here because I just made an offer to buy Half Moon Ranch…one your father told me he can’t afford to pass up.”

  “What?” Brenna’s question rang out like an explosion. Her expression was fierce. “You’re doing what?” she sputtered.

  “Calm down,” Hector warned. “This is purely a business decision, Brenna. We can’t make it personal.”

  Brenna swung her gaze between her father, her mother and Lizette. “Not personal? But Half Moon Ranch is personal. It’s our home.” Her voice trembled. Granted it hadn’t been her home in many years, but it was the place she’d grown up, where she’d learned to ride horses, where she’d said her prayers before bedtime and learned to ride a bike. It was the only real home she had ever known. Her voice became husky with emotion. “Home is a place you’re always supposed to be able to return to. Isn’t that what you taught us, Papa?”

  Tears gathered in her mother’s eyes and she watched as Lizette wiped away moisture from her cheeks.

  “It’s no use, Brenna. He’s made up his mind,” Lizette said, her voice quivering.

  Her father reached out and took her by the hand. “Brenna. I love this place almost as much as I love my family. But times have been hard lately. Being sick for the last two years hasn’t allowed me to develop the ranch as I should. I made some bad investments. And my kidneys are failing me. I can’t work the way I used to. It’s just not possible.” He let out a shudder. His shoulders sagged. “I really have no choice but to sell. And Luke here has made me a fine offer.”

  Brenna walked closer to Luke so that they were within inches of one another. She reached out and poked him in the chest with her finger. “So, Luke. Do you mind explaining why you’re swooping in like a vulture and stealing Half Moon Ranch from my family?”

  Luke wanted to groan with frustration and beat a fast path out of the Santiago household. He’d had no idea that Brenna would be at the ranch today. If he had known, he would never have shown up in the first place. Seeing Brenna again was like subjecting himself to sunlight after being locked in a dark dungeon for months. Brenna Santiago had always shined like the sun. And he had been blinded by her brilliance.

  “This is business, Brenna. And unless I missed something, I don’t have to explain anything to you,” Luke snarled.

  “I can’t help wondering if this is business or payback,” she spit out.

  Shocked gasps filled the air. “Brenna. You’re out of line,” Lizette scolded.

  “I think Brenna and I need to hash some things out,” Luke growled. He looked at Hector, who nodded his approval. Isabelle gave him an apologetic look. Brenna had a strained expression on her face. He could tell she was wondering what he might possibly have to say to her.

  “We need to talk. In private.” He grasped her by the arm and led her down the hall, stopping to wrench open the front door so they could head outside.

  “Luke! Where are you taking me?” she protested.

  “Somewhere private where we can talk.” He loosened his grip on her wrist. He hadn’t been holding her tightly, but he remembered how even the slightest thing used to bruise her skin. He didn’t need for Hector or her family to think he had crossed a line with Brenna. Not that he ever would!

  Once they were outside, Luke paced back and forth rather than deal with Brenna. This showdown had been years in the making. He counted to ten in his head, warning himself not to unload on her.

  Brenna folded her arms across her chest and shivered. She had a thin sweater on that seemed more suitable to California weather than December in Montana. With an exasperated sigh he shrugged out of his own warm coat and handed it over to Brenna. Her stunning brown eyes widened with surprise. Time had done nothing to diminish her exotic beauty. Her long black hair glimmered with vitality while her olive skin radiated a healthy glow. Long, sooty lashes framed her eyes. Brenna Santiago had always been beautiful. Problem was, she’d always known it. And she had used it to wrap the world around her finger. He had been wound so tightly that he couldn’t see straight. Falling in love with her hadn’t been a choice. If he had been able to choose, he would have run as fast as possible away from Brenna.

  He watched as she shrugged into his coat. Something about the sight of her wearing it brought to mind a treasure trove of memories. Brenna had always liked wearing his things. Coats. Sweatshirts. Baseball shirts. Luke had loved seeing Brenna wearing his clothes. Somehow it had made him feel as if she was a part of him. She had said it made her feel safe. Protected. He wondered if her husband had ever made her feel that way?

  “So, what did you bring me out here for?” Brenna snapped.

  “You can’t come riding back into town with a chip on your shoulder,” Luke said. “It’s not okay to challenge me about a business deal I have entered into with your father. Eight years is a long time to be out of the loop. I’m guessing you have no clue what’s been going on around here.”

  Brenna’s chin trembled. “No. I don’t. No one care
d enough to tell me.” Tears slid down her cheeks and a sob escaped her lips. “I almost started sobbing the minute I saw Papa. He’s lost so much weight.” Her shoulders heaved and she bowed her head. “Reality slapped me in the face.”

  Luke immediately felt a surge of sympathy for her. She looked so wounded and vulnerable. Her spirit bore no resemblance to the strong and brash Brenna who had left Merry to find fame and fortune. She still was stunning, but it seemed as if life had beaten her down a bit. And even though he never thought in a million years he would feel sorry for the woman who had broken his heart, he felt a strong need to wrap his arms around her and protect her from the harshness of life.

  On pure instinct, Luke reached out and placed his arm around Brenna. He pulled her in to his side. She looked up at him with overflowing eyes. “Y-you must be freezing without your coat.”

  “I’ve got this thick sweater on plus a long-sleeved T shirt on underneath it,” he said. “You needed it more than me.”

  “Are you really buying Half Moon Ranch?” She threw the question out like a pitcher might throw a curveball.

  He nodded. “Yes. And not out of revenge or pettiness. It’s a smart business decision. I’ve built up quite a realty business for myself while you’ve been away.”

  She frowned at him. “So you would be buying the ranch just to sell it?”

  “No,” he admitted. “That’s not the plan. This ranch is one of the most stunning in all of Montana. And with the right people running it, this place could be very profitable again. I’d like to see that happen. I’d like to make this my home.”

  Luke could see the questions shining forth from Brenna’s eyes. “Your home? You can really see yourself settling down at Half Moon Ranch. With a wife? And raising kids here?”

  He nodded, swallowing past the doubts that had increased by tenfold the moment he had seen Brenna. It felt strange to be discussing his romantic future with Brenna when they both knew that once upon a time their own futures had been mapped out as a couple.

  She wrinkled her nose. “That doesn’t seem odd to you after everything that happened between us here? Our first kiss? Riding out in the pasture until sunset? We were supposed to get married here, Luke.” Her voice cracked. She pointed in the direction of the side yard. “Our reception was supposed to take place right out there…white tents and all.”

  Luke clenched his teeth. Did Brenna think she was telling him something that he didn’t already know? That he hadn’t agonized over for years? It still tormented him. He still dreamt of Brenna walking toward him in a white wedding dress before stopping in her tracks midway down the aisle and running away from him. It hadn’t happened quite that way, but dreams were symbolic. This particular dream represented shattered hopes.

  A spurt of anger filled him at the memory of being dumped and dismissed by the princess of Half Moon Ranch. He’d been thrown over for a man that Brenna had known for only a few months. A rich and powerful man who had sauntered in and taken away the woman he loved.

  “I remember everything, Brenna,” he seethed. “Every kiss. Every touch. And all the plans we had for the future. Our engagement. Our dreams of a Christmas wedding. It was supposed to be the most magical moment of our lives…full of faith, family and promises of forever.”

  “Until I ruined everything. Right?” she choked the words out.

  “Yes! Until you wrecked everything,” he exploded. Brenna winced. Luke found himself breathing heavily. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t just let this go. “Just tell me one thing, Brenna. How could you have done it? How could you have dumped me in order to marry a man you barely knew?”

  Snow was falling all around them. Fat, perfect snowflakes landed on her lashes and blurred her vision. She swiped them away with her hand, wishing for one moment that she could grab Luke’s hand and flop down in the snow with him and make snow angels. She let out a sigh. Something told her he would think she was plum crazy. Just for a moment it would be nice to go back to the good old days.

  Brenna didn’t want to hash things out with Luke. She didn’t want to stare into his magnetic blue eyes. That had always been a surefire way to lose herself—by tumbling into those azure depths.

  The question he had just hurled at her was way too difficult to answer. How on earth did a person explain the worst decision they had ever made? How could she even justify the way she had tossed him aside? It still didn’t make sense—not even to herself.

  As a distraction from the matter at hand, her eyes kept wandering around her family’s property. How she had missed being here! The barn and the stables were right down the road and she could see them in the distance, as well as a few horses running wild in the field. All she wanted to do was make a break for the pasture, hop on Jalapeno and take off into the snowy afternoon.

  But Luke was gazing at her with questions in his eyes, ones she had been running from for the last eight years. She owed him the truth, if nothing else.

  She blew out a breath. “I don’t know how I can begin to answer that, Luke. But I promise you I’ll do the best I can. I was young. Way too immature to run off to find my fame and fortune in Hollywood. I was stubborn though. I didn’t listen to my family or you or anyone. I’d wanted to be a famous actress ever since I was little girl. The idea of it nestled itself inside of me and I couldn’t see that it was a pipe dream. When I met Hank he made me believe I could do anything…be anything.”

  “And I never did that?” Luke’s voice sounded strangled.

  “You never wanted me to leave Merry.”

  “Because I loved you and I wanted us to start a life together here in the place that I love.”

  “I wanted something more,” she said in a soft voice.

  “Did you get it?” Luke snarled.

  She held her chin up high even though she felt incredibly small. It was hard to acknowledge her mistakes. “No,” she admitted. “I didn’t. My life in California was nothing but a sham. As phony as a two dollar bill.” A tight feeling settled across her chest. She felt so much shame in admitting it, especially to Luke. But her new life motto was to be truthful about her life. The truth shall set you free. The Bible verse from John settled over her like a soothing rain. In order to move forward with a new life she was going to have to start getting real. With everything and everyone, warts and all.

  “That doesn’t make me happy to hear that,” Luke said. His eyes flickered with an emotion she couldn’t quite decipher. Pity? Disdain?

  “Doesn’t it?” she scoffed. “Not just a little? Payback for the spoiled princess who jilted you for another man?” As soon as the words slid out of her mouth she wanted to take them back. Luke’s reaction was instantaneous. His jaw dropped and he took a step away from her. His features creased in disbelief.

  “That’s not my style. It never was and it never will be,” he said, his voice sounding a bit ragged. “I just wanted to drum some sense into you about my arrangement with your father. The wheels have already been set in motion about Half Moon Ranch. One month from now I’ll be the proud owner of this spread. Stop and think for a moment about the predicament your family is in. Things have been bad for a while. And where have you been? Getting a divorce is tough, but so is dealing with a health crisis and suffering financial setbacks. Your family needs you. It’s my fervent hope that you’ve learned something valuable in the last eight years.” He tipped his hat at her. “Tell your father I had to go.”

  As he turned on his cowboy-booted heel and stalked off, Brenna considered running after him. Eight years ago she had been in the wrong. Despite having been in love with him she had thrown him away for an opportunity as an A list Hollywood actress. In many ways, she had sold her soul. And she wasn’t sure she had ever truly gotten it back.

  Just as he roared off in his truck she realized that she was still wearing his winter coat. Part of her wanted to rip it off her body. It was infused with Luke’s outdoorsy scent, serving as a reminder of everything she had tossed aside due to her youthful foolishness.
She wrapped her arms around herself, wondering why she still felt ice cold.

  CHAPTER 2

  Luke had to take calming breaths as he navigated his truck down the mountain road. The snow was coming down now fast and furiously. Although a winter storm had been predicted, it had arrived hours earlier than anticipated. If he had any sense left at all he would focus on the road ahead and not on Brenna Santiago. Hadn’t he already spent years agonizing over the woman who had turned his entire world upside down?

  It was two weeks until Christmas and he wasn’t about to let his ex-fiancée spoil the spirit of the season. Seeing her had been a total shock. Leave it to Brenna to show up at Half Moon Ranch without even a hint to her family about coming back home. Their surprise had been evident. There was something strange about her showing up out of the blue after being absent for such a long time. If there was one thing he knew like the back of his hand it was Brenna. Something wasn’t right. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it though.

  What had brought her back after all this time? And was she simply planning to drop in for Christmas and then pack up and leave? He let out a groan. Hadn’t she once said that life in Merry could never satisfy her? He had long ago realized that he, much like their hometown, didn’t hold much appeal as far as Brenna was concerned. She’d always craved the flash and the limelight.

  As irritated as he felt, there was another emotion coursing through him. Sympathy. It was clear that Brenna had been beaten down by life as of late. And although they hadn’t discussed it, he had a good idea that she had returned home out of sheer desperation.

  He prayed she hadn’t come home to borrow money from her parents. Hector would probably move heaven and earth to give her what she asked for, even if it placed him in an even more precarious financial state. But that wasn’t likely, considering her ex, Hank Stone, was a wealthy man. California was a community property state, so he imagined Brenna had received half of everything in the divorce.