Sleigh Bells In Crimson. Michelle Major

Maureen Renner descended on Sharpe Ranch.

      “Mom loves pink,” Lucy offered from where she stood just inside the room. Color was high on her cheeks. If Garrett didn’t know better, he would have guessed she was as put off by the whole display as he was.

      “It’s a vibrant color,” Maureen purred, nuzzling Garrett’s shoulder and tracing a manicured hand over his heart. “Bright and alive. This place needed some life breathed back into it.”

      Caden’s adoptive father chuckled as he grinned at Caden. “I suppose you and I have gotten set in our ways living the bachelor life out here. We need a little infusion of spark and color, right?”

      “Where the hell do you even find pink Christmas decorations?” Caden asked the room in general.

      Garrett laughed again and Maureen darted a dismissive glance toward Caden, then beamed at her daughter. “Remember all the years we decorated for Christmas? You loved putting the star on the tree.”

      Lucy made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a gag, then cleared her throat. “Sure, Mom. But you’re missing a tree.”

      Maureen opened her mouth but Caden spoke first. “Dad and I will cut one down next weekend.” No way in hell was he giving that woman a chance to bring in some fake tree covered in more gaudy lights.

      “About that, son.” Garrett smiled gently. “Maureen hasn’t had much luck finding a wedding dress around here, so I’m going to fly her to New York City for a few days to do some prewedding shopping.”

      “What?” Caden and Lucy spoke at the same time.

      “I need to put together my trousseau,” Maureen said, planting a smacking kiss on his father’s mouth, “and pick out something special for our honeymoon.”

      “It’s your fourth marriage. What the hell could you possibly need?” Caden pinned the overly made-up woman with a look that let her know exactly what he thought of her, not that it was any secret.

      “Caden.” Garrett’s voice was a warning growl. Caden had heard the tone enough growing up. He’d always been a button pusher and for years had more temper than sense. Tyson had been the one to soften his sharp edges. His brother was always good-natured and smiling. Up until the one fateful argument that had severed their bond.

      He wondered what Tyson would have thought about Maureen Renner and her tempting daughter. Well, he could guess what Tyson would have thought about Lucy. She was the type of woman to make a man melt into a puddle at her feet with one glance.

      It only made Caden dislike her more.

      “Lucy will help you,” Maureen offered, her typically brilliant smile tight. “The two of you can put up the tree. She loves Christmas. Traditions are so important to our family.”

      Another muffled snort from Lucy. “Mom, I came out here because you told me you needed help planning the wedding.” Lucy’s voice was calm and slightly amused, but Caden noticed her hand was clenched so tightly at her side that her knuckles had gone white. “I can’t stay here if you’re gone. I need to get back to my life.”

      Maureen’s glossy lips turned down at the corners. “I do need you, Lucy-Goose. Especially since we’ll be in New York.” She placed her fingers on Garrett’s cheek and gave him another deep kiss. “My teddy bear and I need a getaway.”

      “You’ve got a two-week honeymoon cruise planned,” Lucy muttered.

      “I’ve always wanted to see the Rockettes’ holiday show,” Maureen insisted. “Don’t ruin this for me, honey.”

      Caden saw Lucy’s chest rise and fall, as if she was struggling to keep from losing it. “I’ve got a life in Tampa. I can’t ignore it until the new year.”

      Maureen rolled her big green eyes. “Don’t be silly. You haven’t had a decent job since you got fired six months ago.”

      “And whose fault was that?” Lucy snapped.

      “It was a misunderstanding that got blown way out of proportion.” Maureen gave her daughter a quelling look. “I know you don’t blame me.”

      The air crackled with tension between the two women. “I blame myself,” Lucy said after a moment. “For so many reasons.”

      “I can put you to work,” Garrett offered, pulling Maureen even closer, if that was possible. “Maureen said you’re real good with finances.”

      Lucy gave a slight nod. “I have an accounting degree.”

      “I’ve been looking for someone to put the books to right on the ranch. Nothing’s been the same since Tyson...”

      His voice trailed off and Caden closed his eyes, unwilling to bear witness to the pain he knew he’d see etched in his father’s gaze.

      “Oh, my Lucy’s a whiz with numbers,” Maureen said, throwing her arms around Garrett’s neck. “That would be perfect.”

      “Not for me,” Lucy protested, and Caden felt a strange connection to this beautiful, prickly, unreadable woman. In the barn she’d been fiercely protective of her mother, but here it felt like she was as opposed to this whole charade as Caden.

      “I’m happy, Lucy-Goose.” Maureen stepped away from Garrett and walked toward Lucy. An image of a coyote approaching a defenseless and cornered jackrabbit sprang to Caden’s mind.

      He could almost feel Lucy shrink back, although she remained ramrod still. He had the strangest urge to step between the two women and shield Lucy from whatever invisible power her mother was aiming in her direction.

      “You want me to be happy. Right, sweetie?”

      There was a fraught moment when Caden wasn’t sure how Lucy would respond. He could feel the emotions swirling through her from where he stood. Then her shoulders slumped and she whispered, “I do.”

      Maureen wrapped Lucy in a tight hug and murmured something in her ear that Caden couldn’t quite make out. Then she bounced back to Garrett’s side.

      “I have a lasagna in the oven. Shall we have our first family dinner together?”

      “Sounds good to me,” Garrett said.

      “I have a headache after traveling all day,” Lucy told the group, all the spunk and sass he’d heard earlier in the barn gone from her voice. “I think I’m going to head up to bed.”

      “Take care to drink enough water,” his father told her, moving forward with Maureen at his side. “It’s easy to get dehydrated at this altitude, especially coming from sea level.”

      “I will,” she whispered. “Thank you, Mr. Sharpe.”

      “Call me Garrett,” his father said with another chuckle. “We’re family now.”

      Not yet, Caden thought. There was still time to turn around this sinking ship, and based on the exchange between Lucy and her mother, maybe an unexpected ally had just arrived on his doorstep.

      “You’ll join us, Caden,” his dad said.

      He wanted to refuse, but there was so much hope in his father’s eyes. He couldn’t disappoint the old man again. Not after everything Caden had put him through in the past and his secret determination to run off Maureen Renner.

      Guilt stabbed at his chest when he thought of how sad his father would be when his engagement ended. But Caden had to believe it was better to end things now, before Garrett made things legal. He knew what could happen when his father’s heart was truly broken, and he couldn’t allow that to happen again.

      “I just need to wash up,” he told Garrett and earned another wide smile.

      Maureen led Garrett out of the family room, toward the kitchen. Caden expected Lucy to move toward the stairs, but instead she walked forward and touched the tip of one finger to several