Ally gestured dismissively. “Whatever the deal with Lulu is, I won’t accept it.”

Hank scowled. “I’ve spent days working on this,” he warned.

How well Ally knew that! “I don’t care. It’s pulling us apart, and you have other options.”

A muscle ticked in his cheek. He stared at her as if she were a stranger. “You’re not even going to give me a chance to lay out the proposal for you tomorrow at noon?” he asked incredulously.

“Not if the plan involves the participation of Lulu Sanderson or any of her money or ideas.” Because there was no way Ally was playing second fiddle to another woman, or being shut out by Hank and Lulu in the way she had been emotionally shut out by her folks. Especially over ranch business.

Hank studied her a long moment. His expression was grave. “You’re serious.”

“Dead serious,” Ally stated bluntly.

Anger flashed in his blue eyes. “I wish you’d made this clear a lot earlier.”

“Me, too,” Ally said bitterly, as the tears she’d been holding back spilled over and ran down her cheeks. “Because if I had,” she choked out, unable to hide the depth of her distress any longer, “you and I never would have made love. We never would have come here together tonight.”

“You can say that again.” Hurt and resentment scored his low tone.

With effort, Ally gathered her dignity. “But not to worry, Hank. We won’t be leaving together. Because whatever this was-” though it had felt like the love of a lifetime “-is over.”

Her heart breaking, Ally turned on her heel and walked inside. She got her purse, her coat, and walked back out, to call a cab. Looking every bit as disappointed and disillusioned as she felt, Hank made no move to stop her.


“I FIGURED YOU’D SHOW UP here sooner or later,” Jeb McCabe said.

If anyone could understand the mess he found himself in, Hank figured it was his oldest brother. “Can I bunk here tonight?”

Jeb beckoned him in. “Ally kick you out?”

“No.”

Jeb ambled into the kitchen and broke out the beer. “She sure left the open house in a huff.”

Hank removed the cap on his and took a long drink. He tensed at the memory. “You saw that, huh?”

“See, that’s why I’m married to my ranch.” Jeb rummaged around and brought out a hunk of summer sausage, too. “Women are just too much trouble.”

Hank pulled up a chair. “You wouldn’t believe that if you’d spent the last two weeks under the same roof with Ally Garrett.”

Jeb smirked. “While pursuing Lulu Sanderson on the side.”

Not his brother, too! “For the last time, there’s nothing romantic going on between me and Lulu!”

“Then why is Ally so jealous?” Jeb opened a can of nuts and tossed a handful in his mouth. “’Cause I saw the way Lulu was looking at you and the way Ally was looking at Lulu. Not good, little bro. Not good at all.”

Hank felt like a man who was fast coming to the end of his rope. “Lulu and I have a business deal in the works,” he explained for what felt like the millionth time. “One I’m not at liberty to discuss. And won’t be until the final details are set.”

Jeb shrugged. “So tell Ally that.”

Hank munched glumly on a slice of sausage. “I did… sort of. It didn’t help. She feels excluded.”

Jeb took another pull of beer. “Then call off the business deal.”

Hank rolled his eyes. “I can’t. Not if I want to buy Mesquite Ridge.” And he did.

Jeb smiled like the carefree bachelor he was. “Sure you can. Just accept Dad’s offer.”

Hank froze. Was there no end to his humiliation tonight? “You know about that?”

His brother sighed. “For the record, I told Dad not to do it. That you’d only be insulted.”

Obviously, their father had not listened. “As would you have been,” Hank muttered, still fuming over having been treated like a snot-nosed kid who couldn’t put a business deal together if he tried.

“True.” Jeb leaned forward in his chair. “Although maybe Mom and Dad wouldn’t hover over you so much if you talked to them more, let ’em know what’s on your mind. And the same goes for Ally. ’Cause you can’t be really close to someone unless you can confide in ’em.”

Enough with the greeting card sentiment! “You sound like Ally,” Hank grumbled, downing the rest of his beer.

“So?”

A goading silence fell. “It’s not that easy.” Hank returned his brother’s level gaze. Not for me anyway. I don’t like showing weakness. Don’t like being forced to open up.

“I know that.” Jeb stood and clapped a fraternal hand on Hank’s shoulder. “I also know if you want to feel understood by family and/or the woman in your life, you’re going to have to start disclosing one hell of a lot more than you have been.”


ALLY WAS ASTOUNDED TO SEE Hank’s little sister on her doorstep at nine the next morning, a gaily wrapped basket of baked goods in her hands.

“May I come in?” Emily asked.

Ally hesitated. “If you’re here to talk about Hank…” She’d already spent a sleepless night crying her eyes out. She didn’t want to start sobbing all over again, and she was fairly certain it wouldn’t take much to set her off. Perhaps the mere mention of the scoundrel’s name…

Emily walked in. “And Christmas.”

Ally blinked. Now that she and Hank were no longer hooking up, she did not expect to be included in the Mc-Cabes’ yuletide celebrations. Unable to help herself, Ally grumbled, “What does the holiday have to do with anything?”

“I know what Christmas means to Hank-celebrating the end of one chapter of your life and moving on to the next, with hope and joy in your heart.”

Ally had planned to do just that…before the dirt had hit the fan. When she’d overheard Hank’s argument with his father, she’d realized that Hank could have gotten the money to purchase the ranch from Shane all along-he just hadn’t wanted to do it that way. Even if it meant aligning his fortunes with another woman, and shutting out the woman he seemed to love…

“But to me,” Emily continued gently, “Christmas is all about giving-even when you feel you can’t. It’s about finding the courage to make that leap of faith that will transform your life.” She paused, letting her words sink in for a moment, then pleaded softly, “Don’t go back to Houston just yet. Stay another day or two and give your own Christmas miracle a chance to happen.”


ALLY THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT Emily had said for the rest of the morning.

By noon, she knew what she had to do.

She left the silent, lonely ranch house and drove to town.

Luck was with her. Lulu Sanderson was standing at the cash register at Sonny’s Barbecue, looking gorgeous as ever as she rang up preordered smoked hams and turkeys.

Lulu smiled at Ally. “If you’re looking for Hank…”

That, she thought nervously, would come later. She swallowed and looked the other woman in the eye. “I wanted to speak to you first.”

Lulu murmured something to her dad, and another employee, then stepped out from behind the counter. She escorted Ally through the restaurant and kitchen, then out the service entrance. The delicious scent of mesquite-smoked meat emanated from the giant iron smokers located behind the building.

Suddenly all business, Lulu said, “Look, I know the time I’ve been spending with Hank has caused some trouble between the two of you, but he’s been helping me on a really important business deal.”

“Just as you’ve been helping him.”

“Yes.” Lulu sobered. “I wanted to speak to you about what was going on, but Hank asked me not to. You see, there were reasons we had to keep everything between us quiet.”

Trust me, Hank had said… Believe I can find a way to purchase the ranch.

The only question was, did Ally still want to sell the ranch to Hank? Or anyone else?

Oblivious to the conflicted nature of Ally’s thoughts, Lulu paused. “As of nine this morning, that’s no longer the case.”

Here was her chance, Ally thought. She could get Lulu to tell her everything Hank wouldn’t, and stop feeling excluded. Or she could demonstrate the faith she had in Hank and his integrity…

Ally held up her palm. “That’s not going to be necessary.”

Lulu leaned forward anxiously. “Are you sure? Because in retrospect, especially after last night, I realize how this all must have looked…”

And still looked, in fact. The only thing different was Ally’s attitude.

“Hank will tell me what he wants me to know when he wants me to know it.” In the meantime, I’m going to draw on all the patience I possess and wait for that to happen.

She drew a deep breath and extended her hand in the age-old gesture of peace. “Right now, I just want to offer my sincere apology. I haven’t been very friendly to you and I’m sorry.”

Lulu shook her hand warmly. “Apology accepted, and one given in return.”

And just that quickly they were on their way to being what Ally had never dreamed they could be in a million years-friends.


HANK THOUGHT ABOUT THE things Ally and his brother Jeb had said all night. By morning, he knew they were right. Ally had every reason to be upset with him. So did his parents.

If there was ever going to be a change for the better, it had to start with him. He called his parents and asked to meet them at their ranch.

“I know you’ve been worried about me,” he began, as the three of them sat down to talk. “And a lot of it is my fault. In my efforts to be the kind of stand-up, I-can-handle-anything sort of guy I was raised to be, I haven’t been very forthcoming about a lot of things.” He paused, looking them both in the eye. “I realize that has to change.”

His parents welcomed his confession. “We’re at fault, too,” Greta said quietly, reaching out to take her husband’s hand. “In our efforts to protect and help you, your father and I realize we’ve been in your business a little too much.”