Saving the Cowboy’s Christmas (Rowdy Ranch #12)

Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

L ani didn’t sleep worth a damn and woke up in a foul mood. She desperately needed to share this fustercluck with the only one who wouldn’t freak out, but Sara was guiding a tour today. It was the last one before suspending them until after New Year’s.

She picked up her phone to check the time. Sara wouldn’t have left yet. She sent a quick text asking if she had time to talk when she got back.

Hey, there! I do, but why not go on the tour with me? I just had a cancellation. We can talk on the way into town and then you can find out what your little sis is up to. I’ll come get you in the van.

She sighed in relief. What a great distraction from her negative thoughts. She texted back an enthusiastic response and headed for the shower.

A couple of minutes before Sara was due, she bundled up and went out on the porch. She’d informed her parents about the plan and they were delighted she was doing it. They’d taken the tour weeks ago and said it was great fun even though they already knew everything Sara told the group.

Watching her little sister pilot a ten-person van up the narrow road was a kick. Yeah, this was a great idea. Thank goodness for Sara.

Taking the porch steps as fast as she dared, she hurried around to the passenger side and hauled herself in.

Sara grinned. “Some tour director I am. I didn’t put the steps out for you.”

“I would have been insulted if you had. Thanks for letting me come. I’ll be in charge of the steps.”

“Perfect.” She backed the van around with practiced ease. “I was gonna ask if you would. Sometimes a person will volunteer to sit in front and do that, which makes things go faster. Other times no one in the group is agile enough.”

“I think I can handle it.”

“Then you have the job. Unless Adam insists on taking over. I’m pretty sure he’s a cowboy and you know how they are.”

She certainly did. “Who’s Adam?”

“You didn’t hear the talk last night?”

“Must have missed it.”

“His name’s Adam Bridger. His family has a ranch over in Mustang Valley and evidently they’ve done very well for themselves. He’s an M.R. Morrison fan and is determined to have a branch of L’Amour and More in his town.”

“Wow. How exciting that people are coming to Lucky, now.”

“It really helped when Desiree uncloaked herself. The tour starts and ends at the bookstore and she’ll be there to sign her latest when I bring everyone back.”

“Does she always do that?”

“No. This is special, which is why Adam chose to come now. He’ll make his full pitch to Lucky afterward. He told me he wanted to do that in person. Angie and Kieran will come by this afternoon, too, and Kendall if she can swing it. Adam wants to hire them to refurbish the Victorian where he wants to locate the bookstore.”

“All this came up at the party last night?”

“Sure did.”

“Maybe that’s the conversation I interrupted when I went over to talk to Rance.”

“I’m sure it was. I saw you come over, and then you took off with Rance and Granny. What was that all about?”

“Funny you should ask.” Taking a deep breath, she laid out the complicated situation she’d landed herself in. They were halfway to town before she finished.

“Whoa, sis. I think you’ve made a bigger mess than I did when I fell for Kieran.”

“It feels like it. Have you had a chance to read any of his book?”

“Kieran read me the first chapter while I was getting ready. It sounded really good.”

“It is. Best first novel I’ve ever read. He has huge potential and he’s stuck on the idea I have to be his editor. That’s ridiculous.”

“That’s love.”

Lani groaned. “I don’t want to hear that.”

“Because you don’t love him?”

“I—”

“Don’t bother denying it. Everybody knows you’ve been crazy about him for months. We just figured it would have to burn itself out somehow because you were so resistant.”

“That’s what would have happened, but then he wrote this book.”

“You’re right that you can’t submit it to Square Glasses. If you’re gonna ditch him, you can’t be his editor.”

“But he doesn’t want anybody else.”

“He’ll have to get over that. I’m sure Desiree’s had more than one editor in forty years.”

“I’m sure she has, too. She might be able to talk some sense into him.”

“I take it she doesn’t know what’s going on.”

“She probably has some idea, but unless he’s told her, she doesn’t have the whole story. I don’t feel right telling her, either. He hadn’t admitted he wrote it for me until I made him angry enough to blurt it out. I can’t see him confessing it to his mom.”

“Well, you said he loved the process, and now he’s announced to his whole family that this is the first book in a series. It might take a while, but he’ll finally accept the idea of a different small press and a different editor.”

“Yeah. He has to, but I hate that this impacts his special moment.”

“Because you love him and want him to be happy.”

“God help me, I do. But if I sacrifice my career to give him his, that’s no good.”

“I gotta hand it to you, sis. You really know how to screw up a romance.”

“What do you think I should do?”

“Nothing.”

“You know I’m really bad at doing nothing.”

“If I had a brilliant suggestion I’d tell you, but it looks to me like anything you do will only make it worse. You’ve given him a solution — a different small publisher. You can even tell him which editor to send his book to.”

“I already have someone in mind. She’s excellent and she’d love his sense of humor.”

“He can’t ask for more than that.”

“Well, he can, but it’s the best I’ve come up with.”

“Then you need to leave him alone and hope that he eventually sees the wisdom of your suggestion. Also, for the record, I’m sorry. You two would have made a great couple, but you’re right. There’s nothing in Wagon Train for you.”

“Even if there was, if I give up my job at Square Glasses and move here, he loses his connection to the kind of small publisher he’s looking for. There’s just no way I can be the editor for his book. It was never going to work out.”

Sara pulled the van into a parking space in front of L’Amour and More and shut off the engine. “Again, I’m sorry, sis. This sucks for both of you.”

“You said it.” She held her sister’s gaze. “Thanks for listening. And for inviting me on the tour.”

“We’ll have fun, I promise.” She glanced past Lani’s shoulder. “I’ll bet that’s him.”

“Him?”

“Adam Bridger. Definitely not a tourist.”

Lani turned to peer out the window at a tall, broad-shouldered man standing outside the bookstore while he talked to a gray-haired woman in a navy parka. “That’s a Montana cowboy right there.”

“Imposing in an unassuming way.”

“Cowboys excel at that.” Adam’s black Stetson shaded his face except for the firm line of his jaw. His confident, slightly bow-legged stance marked him as someone who’d spent considerable time on the back of a horse.

“Let’s go meet him. I’m excited for Lucky. Adam looks like the kind of guy who makes things happen.”