Colorado Christmas (13 page)

She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with the backs of her hands and tried to smile. “I’m just happy. The tree’s pretty, isn’t it?”

Nicolas looked back at the tree, and Becky glanced at Will. His frown told her he suspected her tears weren’t only about the tree in her living room.

“Let’s have some eggnog, to celebrate,” she said and, without waiting for an answer, strode toward the kitchen, needing to escape Will’s assessing gaze.

N
ICK FOLLOWED,
leaving Will to ponder her tears. They’d been more than the tears of joy she claimed. Those were big, fat tears of sorrow coursing down her cheeks.

He studied the tree to see if it would reveal her secrets. It looked like every other Christmas tree that had graced his childhood home, brimming with color and light and the promise of Christmas. It said
Joy. Family. Home. Love.

He could see Becky in the kitchen, blowing her nose. Yup, they definitely weren’t tears of happiness. Something in her past had put them there. Something about Christmas…

The next evening, Will and Nick set off on a shopping trip. Becky was banned from it, since they were choosing her gift.

Two hours later, Nicolas bounded in the door, full of energy. “Will told off the bullies, Mom! They even shook my hand and said sorry.”

“What?”

Will perched on the sofa. “We ran into them at the store and had a little heart-to-heart. I don’t think Nick will have any more trouble from them.”

Becky wanted to weep with joy at the incredibly wonderful feeling of having a man around to stand up for her son and “tell off” bullies. The issue had been tearing at her guts since she’d heard Johnny Cooper was still terrorizing Nicolas.

She hadn’t spoken to Nicolas about why he was keeping secrets from her and mentally added that to her
to do
list.

“I’m on vacation tomorrow!” he cried, breaking into her thoughts. “Can we have pizza?”

Becky loved seeing his excitement. “Sure, sweetie.”

“Cool!” he said and dashed into the kitchen.

Becky noticed he was more stable on his feet and moved more fluidly. She smiled up at Will. “Thank you for doing that. I couldn’t get an appointment to see his teacher until after the holidays.”

“Nick told me.” Lowering his voice, he said, “Between you
and me, I don’t think this is over, but Nick’s going into the holidays feeling happy. I still don’t trust that Cooper kid an inch, but you should’ve seen the look on Nick’s face when Johnny shook his hand. He was so relieved.”

“But what about January, when he’s back at school? He might come after him again.”

Will placed a calming hand on her shoulder. “I’ll talk to Nick and help him with some strategies for dealing with bullies. But for now, I want him to relax and enjoy himself. I’ll be with him all the time, so he’ll be safe.”

Becky released her breath. Will was right; Nicolas should be allowed to enjoy his holidays without any fears. “Thank you for everything. You’ve exceeded my expectations of a caregiver in every possible way.”

“You’re welcome. It’s all part of the service.”

Becky knew it was much more than just “part of the service.” “I’ve set aside time to come to the pool tomorrow to watch him swim,” she said.

Will rewarded her with a grin so wide, her heart turned over.

N
ICOLAS KEPT GLANCING
at her to make sure she was watching as he did his therapy. Becky waved back enthusiastically and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Hi, boss,” Will said as he joined her, rubbing a towel through his wet hair. “The little guy sure loves the pool, doesn’t he?” He stretched out his long legs as he sat on the bench.

Becky concentrated on keeping her eyes trained on her son and not on Will’s half-naked body.

Nicolas became even more animated once Will arrived. He began to show off a little and she couldn’t help smiling at his obvious hero worship. Her son was thriving—and Will was responsible.

“Catch you later. I do my laps while the little guy does his therapy,” Will said and strode through to the pool.

Becky watched him leave, her throat dry.

A
FTER
N
ICOLAS’S THERAPY
session, it was time for his swimming lesson with Will. Tears sprang to Becky’s eyes. Her precious son could swim! Okay, he wasn’t going to be winning races anytime soon, but he had the basics. His breathing was good, his arms thrashed the water and propelled him along, while his legs trailed behind. He looked so proud of himself as Will towed him back to the pool’s edge.

“I’m really impressed with you, sweetie,” she said as Will lifted him out of the water to sit on the pool’s edge. “You’re doing
great.”

“Really, Mom?” His eyes shone with happiness.

She knelt down to hug his wet body, uncaring of what the chlorine might do to her clothes. “You’re a much better swimmer than me already.” She wrapped his towel around him.

“Wow! Did you hear that, Will? Maybe you can teach Mom to swim so she can keep up with me.”

Will hauled himself out of the pool in one easy movement to stand in front of her, his hair dripping wet. Lord, he was magnificent. All rippling muscles and sinewy strength. She’d have to get through her cases faster so she could make it to the pool more often.

Will grinned and Becky’s legs nearly gave out under her. “Sure,” he said, looking into her eyes. “I’m happy to teach your mom anything she wants.”

Heat suffused her face. It sounded as if Will intended to teach her something altogether different from swimming….

T
HAT EVENING, NURSING
a glass of wine as she rested on the sofa while Will and Nicolas cleaned up after dinner, Becky knew she’d made the right decision in employing Will. The difference in Nicolas was astounding. He seemed stronger every day, his appetite had improved and his complexion glowed with health. Instead of being shut up in her chambers after Jessie dropped him off following hydrotherapy, he now went with Will on a circuit of the town, Dugald in tow.

I could get used to this,
she thought and smiled at Dugald
having doggy dreams on his bed in front of the fire, his tiny legs making running motions in the air.

She could get very used to getting home to delicious aromas from the kitchen and the sound of her son horsing around with Will.

Although she’d come here reluctantly, she was beginning to feel a part of this community and regretted her initial attitude, which had clouded her opinion of Spruce Lake.

Many of the problems—drunk driving, drugs, traffic violations and so on—were perpetrated by outsiders, hence the reason court was so busy this time of year. Thankfully, the town’s number-one public nuisance, Louella Farquar, and her outrageous antics, were nearly a distant memory.

And the way the community had rallied behind the cause of saving the old buildings was impressive.

An ideal town to raise a family.
Now where had that come from? Probably Sarah O’Malley when she’d dropped by to take her to lunch that week.

Will’s mom had done a sales job on the town, and on her son, adding snippets praising the town as a safe place to live and raise a family….

“Hey, Mom!” Nicolas jolted Becky from her musings as he jumped onto her lap. Her wineglass tilted alarmingly but a large hand swooped in to wrap around hers and Will removed the glass from danger.

“Thanks.” Becky glanced up at him and smiled. Since taking over Nicolas’s care, he hadn’t made a single pass at her. Granted, she’d warned him to be on his best behavior, but since when did Will do as he was told? She’d half expected to be beating him off with a stick, yet he’d been the embodiment of professionalism and a gentleman to boot.

Will ruffled Nicolas’s hair and Becky’s heart warmed. He felt genuine affection for her son and wasn’t afraid to show it. They made an easy trio, lounging on her comfy old sofa with the fire blazing in the grate.
Like a family.

She worked at quashing that thought as soon as it entered her head.

“Will and I are going out for ice cream. Wanna come?”

She pulled a fleecy blanket over her legs. “No, sweetie, I’m enjoying myself right here. Why don’t you guys bring me some back?”

“Go put on some more layers before we head out, champ.”

“But you don’t wear big heavy jackets,” Nicolas protested.

“That’s ’cause I grew up here and I’m a tough mountain man,” Will told him in a deep voice that had Nicolas chuckling.

Becky shook her head. “You really will catch your death of cold one of these days,” she warned as Nicolas went to collect his gloves, hat and jacket.

Will leaned close. “Not while I have you to keep me warm,” he murmured, but Becky was the one who felt her face heat.

“Get up, Mom! Will’s got a surprise for us!” Nicolas jumped on her bed, followed by Dugald.

This was Saturday, so she’d been hoping to sleep in, but lately Nicolas was so full of energy, he was often up before her.

“I don’t think I could possibly eat another meal at Rusty’s,” she muttered.

“How does breakfast in bed sound?” Will was standing in her bedroom doorway, a tray in his hands.

“It sounds—and smells—wonderful,” she said. “But you don’t have to work weekends.”

Will set the tray on the bed beside her. “I’m not working, but I thought you might both enjoy a surprise.” He placed a bowl containing dry dog kibble on the floor for Dugald. With a bark of excitement he leaped off the bed and stuck his nose in his food.

Becky surveyed the tray. A mug of coffee for her and one of hot chocolate for Nicolas. Bagels, cream cheese, ham, two poached eggs, two bowls of diced fruit. “There’s only breakfast for two here.”

“Yup. Enjoy yourselves. I’m heading out to the ranch, then I’ll be back for the surprise.”

“I thought this was it.”

Will grinned. “Nope. Dress warmly and I’ll see you in forty-five minutes.” He whistled as he left the room.

“What do you suppose that’s about?” she asked.

Nicolas shrugged. “Beats me. He wouldn’t even tell
me
where we’re going. But knowing Will, it’s gonna be something really special.”

“Going to,” she corrected, bit into a piece of apple and wondered what this intriguing man was up to now.

“W
HERE’S YOUR VEHICLE?”
she asked as Will opened the passenger door of a battered old truck. Bales of hay were stacked in the truck bed. Nicolas scooted across and sat in the middle of the bench seat. Will put Dugald on his lap, then offered his hand to assist Becky into the truck.

“I don’t bite,” he said when she hesitated.

She settled onto the seat. “I just didn’t expect you to help me.”

“Get used to it, darlin’,” he said and closed the door firmly.

T
HE COUNTRYSIDE
they drove through was breathtaking. Overnight snow carpeted the landscape, and it was so pristine, so achingly beautiful, Becky sighed with pleasure.

“It does that to me, too, sometimes,” Will said from across the cab. “I think you’ll enjoy our destination.”

Twenty minutes later, they turned into a narrow valley and continued along it for several miles. The valley widened as they drove farther and as the panorama opened up, the effect was as if someone had unwrapped a beautiful gift. Snowcapped mountains rose on either side of the valley. A river, partly iced over, burbled beside the road. Sunlight bathed the valley floor, and the snow glistened like billions of tiny diamonds spread across the land.

“I’ve never seen anywhere so beautiful,” Becky breathed in wonder.

Will grinned at her as he turned off the road, then lowered the plow on the truck’s front end. The vehicle easily pushed the fluffy powder snow aside as they drove into an open field.

Becky spotted a large, brown mass in the distance. “What’s that?” she asked, squinting. Dugald’s ears pricked up and he
put his paws on the dashboard to steady himself while he sniffed at the air.

“It’s elk, Mom!” Nicolas shouted. “Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy!”

Realization dawned on her. “And the hay is for the elk?”

“Uh-huh.”

Will climbed out and helped Nicolas down from the truck. Dugald leaped out and raced toward the elk, but the snow was so deep he disappeared in a white clump. All they could hear was muffled barking as the clump moved of its own accord.

Becky laughed so hard at the antics of her pint-size dog she had tears running down her face.

“Oh, dear, that’s about the funniest thing I’ve ever seen!” she cried, while Nicolas dug Dugald out.

The little dog shook off the snow and started barking to warn the humans of imminent danger.

“Hey there, buddy.” Will scooped him up and placed him in the truck bed. “You can guard the pickup, but you’ve gotta keep quiet, okay? Those elk aren’t going to hurt us.” He petted the dog and talked to him in soothing tones and soon Dugald relaxed and jumped atop one of the hay bales, keeping his eyes on the elk. Will hauled off the rest of the bales and threw them on the ground several yards from the truck. The elk lifted their noses to the wind, looking interested. Once all the bales—except Dugald’s—were arranged on the snow, he clipped the wire surrounding them to release the hay.

Several elk wandered toward them but halted when Dugald began to bark again.

“Dugald! Hush!” Will commanded and the dog sat in silence as the elk edged closer.

Becky held her hand to her mouth to quell her emotions at the sight of these wild animals walking toward them, sniffing at the hay, then tearing chunks off the bales. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. What a perfect surprise,” she said, placing her hand in the crook of Will’s arm. “Thank you for bringing us here.”

He covered her hand and squeezed it. “You’re welcome.”

“Why are you feeding them?”

“Elk lose around thirty percent of their body weight during normal winters. If it’s particularly harsh or long, then their survival is severely compromised. We’re expecting a big storm tonight and a lot of snow for the next few weeks. I like to give them a helping hand.”

Becky’s admiration for him took another leap forward. Will was not only a wonderful friend to her son, he was a complete humanitarian.

“Who owns the land?” she asked, unable to take her eyes off the animals.

“I do.”

She glanced up at him and stepped away. “And now you’re pulling my leg.”

Will dug his hands into his pockets and grinned down at her. “No, I’m serious. I bought it over ten years ago with my first paycheck from the movies.”

“You really like turning my preconceived notions about you upside down, don’t you?”

“I’m not doing it on purpose. Your misconceptions are based solely on the fact that I appeared in your court.”

“You’re absolutely right and I apologize for not only prejudging you but also
mis
judging you.”

“Apology accepted. Now, will you agree to come out on a date with me?”

“You don’t give up, do you?”

“Nope. Not when I want something this badly.”

“But you’re my employee.”

“So marry me and I’ll look after Nick for free.”

She laughed at his outrageous suggestion. “Don’t tempt me.”

Will reached out and pulled her closer. “Seriously?”

She batted his chest. “No, of course I’m not serious!”

“Mom! Look! The elk are coming to me,” Nicolas interrupted just as things could’ve gotten interesting. “What’ll I do, Will?”

“Stand your ground, buddy. You can grab a bunch of hay and feed them if they’ll take it from you.”

“Is it safe?” Becky asked, unable to ignore her motherly concerns. “They
are
wild animals.”

“Wild, but friendly. Look.”

A calf approached and tugged gently at the hay Nicolas proffered. “I wish I had a camera,” she said in wonder.

Will produced a small digital camera. “Snap away.”

She spent the next few minutes taking shots of Nicolas with the baby elk. Then Will took photos of her and Nicolas with the calf. Then Nicolas took photos of Becky, Will and the elk. Becky finished the photo shoot, concentrating on the valley scenery. “I want to remember this forever and I’d love to get some of these enlarged,” she said, handing the camera back to Will.

“Good idea.” He produced a thermos of hot chocolate and a box of cookies. “Care for a picnic among the elk?”

“Yeah!” Nicolas grabbed a cookie.

Touched by Will’s thoughtfulness, she helped take lawn chairs from the truck’s tray and set them up so they could watch the elk feeding, with the snowy mountains as a backdrop.

Nicolas went off to throw a ball for Dugald in the plowed area, successfully distracting the little dog from the animals grazing so close to them.

Settled in the chairs, their hands wrapped around mugs of hot chocolate, she asked, “How much land do you own?”

“Only two hundred acres.”

Becky sputtered.
“Only?”
Although she was aware ranches were considerably larger than that in Colorado, two hundred acres sounded like an awful lot to her.

“What are you going to do with it?”

“I
had
planned on building a cabin and moving here. I love the serenity. And the views.”

“You’d raise cattle?”

“Nope. I planned to kick back on my porch and watch the wildlife roam. I get the occasional moose down by the river. Bears are hibernating in the hills, but they come out to forage for berries during the summer. There are foxes, lynx, lots of squirrels—all sorts of critters. Why spoil it with smelly old cows?”

“True!” She looked around at the vista again, taking in the river with steam rising off it into the chilled air. Away from the cleared flat bottom of the valley, pine, spruce and aspen stretched up the hillsides. And everywhere was the all-encompassing majesty of the mountains. “Oh, Will, how lucky you are to own a piece of paradise.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “But I might not own it for long.”

N
ICOLAS THREW THE BALL
to Dugald while keeping an eye on his mom and Will. Everything was working out just the way he wanted it to. It made him feel good seeing them together. He’d seen how they looked at each other….

He loved Will and would be thrilled to have him as his dad. Then Sash and Daisy would be his cousins and they could hang out together all the time. He could stay in Spruce Lake instead of going back to Denver and that school his mom kept raving about. Didn’t she understand it was better to have real friends instead of competitors? His mom was happy when he’d aced the entrance exam. So what? He hadn’t even tried and he’d still got top marks, so what could the school teach him? Nothing he couldn’t read in books or learn online. But Will taught him new things every day, important things you couldn’t learn anywhere else.

And Will’s family treated him as if he was
normal.
He liked that. His mom’s colleagues in Denver were so patronizing, either talking about him as if he wasn’t there or he was fragile or something.

He loved fooling around with Matt and Jack, and although he’d been a bit scared of Luke at first, he’d studied some Internet sites on horse breeding and they’d had a long conversation about it over dinner the other night. Luke liked talking horses and had offered to teach him to ride since Will was allergic to horses. He couldn’t wait!

He was gonna have to choose his moment to talk to his mom about staying in Spruce Lake. Maybe she could set up a law practice here or the judge she was standing in for would
decide she didn’t want to work now she had a little baby. Yeah, that would be perfect!

Except…his mom was frowning. That wasn’t good.

“W
HY WON’T YOU OWN IT
for much longer?” Becky asked and tightened her ponytail.

“Turns out this spread has increased in value over the years. Jack and Matt suggested I sell it and use the funds to buy back the old buildings.”

“It galls me that you’d have to give up this stunning piece of property. But realistically, do you think the development company would sell?”

He lifted a shoulder. “I’m hoping the strength of public opinion will make them rethink their plans. If they do pull out, then we need to have the funds available to step in and buy the property before another developer snaps it up. The way the town bylaws read at present, the buildings won’t be safe until someone who genuinely wants to preserve them actually owns them.”

“A noble idea, but the real estate they’re sitting on is worth a lot of money. I can’t see that leaving the old buildings as they are would be commercially viable.”

He tapped the side of his nose. “Jack and I have some ideas.”

“Want to share them with me?”

Will basked in her interest. “Okay. For starters, none of them have foundations. They’re just sitting on the ground they were built on. Lucky for us we don’t get tornadoes through here, otherwise half the town would’ve been over in another county long before now.”

Becky laughed and he savored the sound of it. “Now that’s an interesting visual!” she said.

“We plan on excavating new basements and moving the buildings onto them. They’re set out in a pretty haphazard way that doesn’t make the most of the site. By tidying it up and making access easier, we can build a small condo complex with a Victorian facade that complements the site. Once the old
buildings are on their new foundations, we’ll renovate the siding and interiors. The houses and condos would fetch good prices since they’re within easy walking distance of the ski lifts. The other buildings would have shops on the first floors and apartments on the upper floors, much like Mrs. C. has over her shop. That’ll bring both commercial and residential life back to that end of town.”

Becky clapped her hands. “Brilliant!”

Delighted by her response, he said, “I need to get this land properly valued and find an interested buyer.”

“I admire your determination to save those buildings, but it would be such a shame to give up this beautiful land.”

“It isn’t big enough for a viable ranch, but it’s the perfect size to carve up into what they call ranchettes—around five to ten acres each.”

“That’s an appalling idea! All this beautiful open space covered in houses!”

Will couldn’t help grinning at her heartfelt dismay. “It’s not as bad as you think. There’s a huge demand for people wanting homes within a ten-mile drive of the town and ski area but who also want the wide-open spaces of Colorado around them. Jack took me to see a similar development in the next county. With strict building covenants regarding the style of homes, setbacks, natural landscaping and the need to preserve as much of the natural environment as possible, it could work well.”

“But what’ll happen to the elk and the other animals?”

“I plan on keeping back a hundred acres for a wildlife corridor.” At least that would ensure the vacant land couldn’t be used for any activities that would threaten the wildlife.