Caitlyn's Christmas Wish Read online

  Caitlyn’s Christmas Wish

  A Blue Ridge Valley Novella

  Sandra Owens

  Contents

  Newsletter Info

  Also by Sandra Owens

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Text copyright © 2019 Sandra Owens All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.

  Published by Sandra Owens

  ISBN: 978-1-7332254-0-3

  Editor: Ella Sheridan

  Printed in the United States of America

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  Also by Sandra Owens

  ~ Blue Ridge Valley Series ~

  Just Jenny

  All Autumn

  Still Savannah

  ~ Dark Falls Series ~

  Dark Terror

  Dark Memories

  ~ Aces & Eights Series ~

  Jack of Hearts

  King of Clubs

  Ace of Spades

  Queen of Diamonds

  ~ K2 Team Series ~

  Crazy for Her

  Someone Like Her

  Falling for Her

  Lost in Her

  Only Her

  ~ Regency Books ~

  The Dukes Obsession

  The Training of a Marquess

  The Letter

  1

  “Poor baby. You’re safe now. No one here is going to hurt you.”

  Dax Stockton propped a booted foot on the bottom rail and watched the woman he’d grown to love like a sister soothe the frightened pony with her soft touches and gentle words. He’d come to the conclusion within days of accepting a job as the manager of her rescue foundation that Savannah was an animal whisperer. Didn’t matter if they were equines, canines, felines, bovines, or whatever -ines, she had a magic touch with them. He’d grown up in communes where there were always animals of some sort, and he was knowledgeable in how to care for the creatures, but he had nothing on her when it came to winning their trust.

  Considering it hadn’t been that long ago when the woman known only as Savannah was gracing the covers of glamorous magazines as one of the world’s top models, he found it amusing to see her with a streak of dirt on her face, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, wearing jeans and a shirt that looked like she’d picked them up at a garage sale, and a pair of ugly pea-green rubber boots on her feet.

  He would be forever grateful that she’d brought him on board when she’d founded Savannah’s Animal Haven. He was finally content with his life, something he hadn’t been sure that long ago would ever happen.

  “What’s the story on this one?” Adam Hunter, Savannah’s husband, asked, leaning on the wooden rail next to Dax.

  “Owner got tired of it and tried to starve it to death. When that didn’t work as fast as he wanted, he shot it. Fortunately he was too drunk to aim straight and only nicked the shoulder. Neighbor saw it and called the police. Bastard’s sitting in a jail cell now, wishing he’d considered other alternatives to ridding himself of Petunia.”

  Adam grunted. “Hope they throw away the key.”

  Dax wholeheartedly agreed. When the pony arrived an hour ago, she’d been wide-eyed and shaking, fully expecting these new humans to be no different from what she was used to. Already Savannah had Petunia calmed down and eating grain from her hand.

  Their routine never varied. When they brought in a new animal—be it a dog, cat, horse, goat, cow, or something else—Savannah was the one who worked with them first. Sometimes it took an hour, sometimes a day or two, and in the worst abuse cases, even longer for her to win them over. Once she had their trust, she introduced Dax to them, and he would take over their primary care.

  At the sound of a car pulling in, he glanced over his shoulder. They got visitors to the farm from time to time, but as far as he knew they weren’t expecting anyone today. He recognized the silver Mercedes, though. It belonged to Senator Lucas Blanton, a friend of the Hunters. The passenger door opened, and out stepped the woman he’d spent too much time lately thinking about. Taren Blanton, Lucas’s sister, was a lady so far out of his league that a man like him wouldn’t even be a pin-size dot on her radar.

  After nodding at Blanton and his sister when they stopped a few feet away, Dax turned his attention back to Savannah and the pony. His attraction to the cultured woman with the soft southern accent puzzled him. There was nothing about Taren Blanton that was his type. Not the willowy figure, the luminous skin that was almost translucent, or the sleek cut of her ash-blonde hair. And the innocence that was there in those baby blues, the kind that said she’d never known a hard day in her life, was not his thing. He’d been to hell and back, and all he’d do if he touched her was sully her perfection. She was ethereal. He’d looked the word up to make sure he had that right. Delicate, fragile, and even otherworldly all fit her.

  She was too soft for the likes of him, so whenever she was around, he ignored her. It didn’t stop him from thinking about her, and that was damn irritating. Savannah glanced over at him and nodded. It was his cue to come meet Petunia. He snorted. Petunia. Hopefully Savannah would let him rename the pony since he’d never be able to call her that with a straight face.

  “Hey, girl,” he said, gentling his voice as he neared. “You have any idea how lucky you are to have found your way here?”

  The pony exhaled through her nose as she backed up, showing the whites of her eyes. He was big, his size threatening to an animal that had been abused by a sorry excuse for a man. Savannah handed him some grain, and he dropped to his knees, minimizing his size.

  “You still hungry, Willow?” He held out his hand, palm up.

  Savannah chuckled. “I knew you’d change her name.”

  “Come on.” He glanced up at her. “No one should be saddled with Petunia.”

  “Can’t argue with that.”

  Willow stretched her neck, daintily lipped up the grain, then looked at him as if asking if that was all there was. He inched closer, and when he scratched her muzzle, she nickered her pleasure.

  “She came around faster than I expected,” Savannah said.

  It was spooky how often that happened. “Through the magic of your horse whispering.” He looked over his shoulder to see Adam and the Blantons watching them. “I got this. Go hang with your husband and friends.”

  “I think I will.” She handed him the baggie filled with grain. “Have I mentioned how brilliant I am for hiring you?”

  She had. Many times. “I don’t recall. Maybe you should tell me again.”

  Truth, he would pay her to keep this job. When Farrant Security, the company he’d worked for in New York, had assigned him to protect Savannah from her bastard of an ex, given a million chances, he never would have guessed that he’d end up in Blue Ridge Valley, North Carolina, helping a famous model save animals.

  She laughed as she flicked her finger against the back of his head. “Nah, I don’t think I will. You’ll start asking for a raise. See you tomorrow.”

  What did he need more money for? His salary was more than generous, he lived rent free in the beautiful farm manager’s log cabin her husband had built on the property, and the animals helped calm his demons when they tried to get the best of him. As it was for the animals, it was his haven, too.

  He shifted enough to watch Savannah walk away with Adam and the Blantons. Out of the four people he could have paid attention to—and as hard as he tried not to—his eyes locked on Taren. She glanced back, catching him looking at her. When she frowned, he let his eyes go cold. That did the trick. She jerked her gaze away, then laughed at something her brother said.

  “Nothing there for me,” he told Willow. The pony snorted, agreeing with him.

  What had she ever done to the man to deserve that scowl? It annoyed Taren that she was fascinated by Dax Stockton. Granted he was a pleasure to look at. Who was she kidding? He was a girl’s naughty fantasy. All those muscles, the eyes that changed from gray to blue, depending on the color of his shirt, and the military-style haircut appealed to her, and wasn’t that a surprise?

  Her type had always been refined men, men who wore suits, who enjoyed museums and champagne brunches, or a lively discussion about a book. Like her Stewart. Only recently had she been able to think of her husband and baby daughter without crying. She’d spent the first year in a fog after Stewart and Chloe were killed in a car crash, had cried oceans of tears. And who was the first man she had to be attracted to after finding her way again? A moody, grouchy former military man. Other than how very nicely he filled ou
t a T-shirt, she couldn’t explain it.

  She’d tried talking to Dax at first, but after getting nothing more than grunts and growls, she’d ended up intimidated by him. Now she felt like a teenage, tongue-tied girl with her first crush whenever she was around him. Because of his size and growls she’d first thought him menacing and insolent. Then she’d watched the way he treated Savannah and the animals, surprised to learn he had a gentle side. The more she saw of that side of him, the more her fascination grew.

  “What do you know of Dax?” she asked her brother as they headed for his house.

  “Why?”

  She didn’t like that speculative look in Lucas’s eyes. “No reason. He’s big and gruff, yet he’s surprisingly gentle with the animals.”

  “True. All I know is that he’s a former SEAL, worked as a bodyguard until Savannah hired him, and that he’s almost as protective of her as Adam is.”

  “Do you think he’s secretly in love with her?” That hadn’t occurred to her until now, but what man wouldn’t love Savannah? She was gorgeous, and one of the kindest women Taren had ever met.

  “I don’t get that impression, so if he is, he hides it deep.” Lucas glanced at her. “Are you interested in him?”

  “No, of course not. He’s just such a puzzle is all.”

  “You’ve always liked puzzles. He’s not someone I’d have chosen for you, but I think he’s a good man. If you are interested, I hope you won’t let guilt get in the way of your happiness. It’s okay to love again, Taren.”

  “I’m not interested, and I’m certainly not looking to fall in love with him or any man.”

  When she’d first realized she was attracted to Dax, she had wrestled with guilt. The subject of falling in love again had come up with her grief therapist, and they’d talked about it in several of their sessions.

  “Life goes on, Taren, with its need for companionship, love, and intimacy,” her therapist had said. “You won’t be ready right away, but the day will come when you’ll find yourself attracted to a man.”

  That day had arrived in the form of a big, grouchy one.

  Taren knew in her heart that Stewart would be the first to want her to find happiness again, but attraction to Dax aside, she wasn’t sure she was ready yet.

  A day later and Taren was still thinking about Dax Stockton, still wondering why he seemed to have taken a dislike to her when they’d never exchanged more than a few words. It was annoying that she couldn’t get him out of her mind.

  “You look deep in thought,” Autumn Hunter said, dropping down on the sofa next to her.

  “Oh, nothing deep going on in here.” She tapped her head. “Just enjoying watching the kids play with Raleigh.” Named after the Blanton family’s home base, Lucas’s dog was lapping up all the attention coming his way.

  It had been hard at first being around the children, sometimes still was. She’d find herself thinking how much Chloe would have enjoyed playing with the brood of kids belonging to her friends.

  Autumn and her husband, Connor—Adam’s twin—had saved her life when a bear attacked her, and she’d formed a special bond with them. She liked all the friends. Savannah and Adam, Autumn and Connor, and Jenny and Dylan.

  They’d gathered in the log home that the Hunter brothers had built for Lucas. She privately thought of Adam and Connor as the Property Brothers, but even hotter than those twins. Connor handled the sales end, and Adam was the builder. Dylan Conrad was the Blue Ridge Valley chief of police. Savannah had her animal rescue, Autumn was an interior designer, and Jenny had quit her job as the manager of Vincennes Italian Restaurant to be a full-time mom after her second child was born.

  The guys were in the kitchen, getting a cooking lesson from Lucas. He was teaching them how to make his famous lasagna. The secret was all the cheese he used. It was deliciously gooey, so good that no one cared it was dripping in calories. Based on all the male laughter coming from the kitchen, they were having more fun than actually cooking.

  Savannah and Jenny were making a run to Mary’s Bread Company to pick up the desserts Mary had made for them, leaving Taren and Autumn to watch the kids.

  “You’re staying in the valley for a while, yeah?”

  Taren nodded. “I’ll be here, covering things until Lucas hires a new manager.” Her brother had opened his third dinner theater in Blue Ridge Valley. The first one was in Raleigh and the second in Charlotte. All three were doing great, and this one had a fun medieval castle theme designed by Autumn, featuring sword fights and jousting, jesters and jugglers. Kids loved it, which had been Lucas’s goal.

  Lucas hadn’t said anything, but she sensed that when his third term as a state senator was up, he didn’t plan to run again. He had dropped hints that he’d feel more useful running his charities full-time. His dinner theaters were an investment, and he hired people he could trust to manage them. Unless there was a problem, he was pretty much hands-off.

  “I think he hopes you’ll stay on as manager.”

  Taren sighed. “I know. I’m just not sure it’s what I want to do, though.”

  “Which, manage the dinner theater or stay in the valley?”

  “Both. My home is in Raleigh.” Where all her sad memories were and why she’d jumped on the chance to spend time in the valley. There was something about a small mountain town that was peaceful, and she needed that for a while. Raleigh was a big city with traffic and people who had expectations of her, friends who still wanted to do all the things she used to enjoy. But luncheons at the country club, galas, and keeping up with the latest gossip had lost their charm. She hoped to get that enjoyment back, but so far it wasn’t happening.

  “Raleigh’s okay, but it doesn’t have Crazy Mary and all her changes in hair color, or a famous moonshiner like Hamburger Harry, or me.” Autumn grinned. “Not to mention Lucas is letting you live in this gorgeous log home my husband and Adam built. How does all that not appeal?”

  “It does, actually. I just don’t know if I want to live here permanently.”

  “It’s not like Raleigh isn’t an easy drive for going back for visits.”

  “Not sure I’d call an almost six-hour drive all that easy. But who knows? I might decide to stay. We’ll see. What’s the story on Dax?” Oh sugar, that had slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. She had to quit asking people questions about him.

  “Dax?” An unholy glee lit Autumn’s eyes, making Taren wish she could take the question back. “You like him.”

  “I never said that.”

  “Don’t even try to deny it. Why else would you want to know about him?”

  “Curiosity. Nothing more than that.” And that was what she kept telling herself.

  “If you say so. I wish I could give you the lowdown on him, but all I know is that he was Savannah’s bodyguard when her ex was still playing his nasty games, and that he’s former military. He doesn’t talk about himself, so he’s a bit of a mystery. I’m sure Savannah ran a background check before hiring him, but she hasn’t shared. Why don’t we call and invite him over for dinner tonight?”

  “No! Please don’t.” She wouldn’t be able to enjoy Lucas’s amazing meal with Dax sitting at the same table.

  “You’re no fun,” Autumn grumbled.

  “Code Red,” Jenny said, running into the room. She raced to Autumn and grabbed her hand. “Dax needs us. Savannah’s in the car, waiting for us.” She glanced at Taren. “You can come, too.”

  “Ah, I’ll just stay here. Keep the guys company.” Her brain was mush whenever she was within ten feet of Dax, so she wasn’t about to go to his house. But was she ever curious as to why he needed the help of the three women.

  “Okay. Tell the guys to save us dinner,” Jenny said as she dragged Autumn away.

  “Right. Okay.” It wasn’t until the children’s shrieks registered that she realized she’d been left in charge of the kids. All eight of them.

  Heaven help her… and them.

  2

  It was a mistake. It had to be. Dax paced the lawn in front of his cabin, the letter from the attorney clutched in one hand, waiting for Savannah to arrive. She’d know what to do. Four of the dogs that were allowed to roam free followed in his wake. Picking up on his tension, they were taking turns whining.