Chapter 4 Surprise Invitation

One week later

"Good girl! I think…" Noelle stifled a yawn as she led Cookie from the indoor ring back to her stall. "Sometimes I have to wonder who's training who here."

With a nicker that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle, the filly pranced down the hallway with her head held high and her belly full of carrot stubs and apple slices.

Other horses leaned out of their stalls to watch their promenade toward the grooming station. Noelle patted a few noses as she passed by them.

"Yep, you sure know how to drive a hard bargain." She was pretty sure the glossy black-speckled horse had purposely emptied out the entire bag of treats before allowing Noelle to lure her into a halter for the first time. "Because of you, I'm going to have to make yet another trip to the grocery store this week."

"Want me to drive you?"

Noelle tensed at the sound of Nash's voice. Glancing down the hallway, she found her favorite ranch manager standing in the doorway separating the stalls from the front office area. She tossed her braid over her shoulder, trying to act normal. "Hey! Didn't see you there, boss man."

His mouth tightened at her words. Slapping a folder of papers against his thigh, he growled, "Can we talk?" He angled his head toward his office.

"Of course!" Though she kept her voice light, her heartbeat stuttered over his request. It felt a little like being summoned to the principal's office.

One of the grooms rushed forward to take Cookie off her hands.

"Thanks!" She gave him the brightest smile she could muster. "I owe you one."

He merely winked at her without responding. Everyone on staff knew she didn't normally hand stuff like that off to her coworkers. Brushing down the horses after their training sessions was an important part of the bonding process. The more rapport she established with them, the more cooperative they were in the ring the next day.

As she spun back in Nash's direction, she found him gone. The fact that he hadn't waited for her wasn't a good sign. She moved in the direction of his office with a heavy heart.

An entire week had passed since the rodeo that had put him back on the map. Reporters had been hounding him ever since. Most of them were fixated on the same question: After setting a new personal record, was Nash Carson truly back on the circuit? As far as Noelle could tell, he'd been avoiding giving anyone a straight answer. For that reason, she'd been avoiding him. She wasn't ready to hear that he was returning to full-time bronc riding.

When she reached his office, she found the door cracked open a few inches. She wasn't sure what that meant, so she paused and knocked.

"It's open, Noelle." His irritated voice felt like a slap.

Grimacing, she pushed the door wider. "Am I in trouble?"

He snorted. "What kind of question is that?" He was lounged back against his desk with his arms folded. As usual, his sleeves were rolled up. He was making no effort to hide his bionic arm, which had very quickly become touted on social media as his superhero arm. The public's response to it was mostly positive, though a few naysayers were speculating whether the technology built into it had given him an advantage over his competitors last Friday.

"It was kind of a joke." A humorless chuckle escaped her as she waved vaguely at him. "You know…getting called to the principal's office." She reached up to adjust her Stetson self-consciously, suddenly wishing there was less sawdust sticking to her boots and the cuffs of her jeans.

"I'm your employer, not some tyrant." He didn't look like he found anything funny. To his credit, he wasn't staring at her dusty boots. He was too busy studying her expression through narrowed lids.

She shifted from one foot to the other beneath his probing look. "You're still my boss." Like it or not.

"A week ago, we were friends," he returned coolly.

Her eyebrows flew upward. "I wasn't aware that had changed."

"Is that why you've been avoiding me?" He shot the question at her so quickly that it threw her even more off balance.

She shook her head mutely, still not ready to hear that he'd decided to return to the rodeo circuit.

He abruptly straightened and lowered his arms, looking stricken. "If I've offended you in any way, hurt your feelings, or crossed any lines…" He shook his head bleakly. "I know I got a little carried away after my ride. Didn't intend to manhandle you the way I did?—"

"It's not that," she cut in, feeling a miserable blush heating her face. She knew without asking that he was referring to all the paparazzi photos of their victory embrace. A few of the cameramen had made it look like they were about to kiss. She wasn't sure if the photos had been shopped or what.

"Then what is it?" He stalked determinedly in her direction. When he reached the door, he placed a hand on the knob. "Mind if I shut the door and give us a little privacy?"

"I don't mind." Her voice came out high-pitched and thready.

He shut the door and faced her. "Whatever it is, I want to make it right."

"You didn't do anything wrong." Though it was true, it didn't make what she had to say next any easier. "I'm the one who was being unrealistic when I begged you to stop riding broncs. It was, quite honestly, none of my business. I had no right to ask that of you, and I apologize for doing it." What she really wanted to do right now was run back to her apartment and boohoo a thousand tears over her own stupidity.

He stared blankly at her for a moment. Then his expression grew sad. "Who told you I was returning to the circuit?"

"Nobody." She shook her head at him. "I actually wasn't sure of it until this very second."

He reached up to slap a hand against the door.

She jumped at the sound but held her ground, lifting her chin and meeting his gaze squarely.

"I gave you my word," he grated out the words. "Isn't that worth something to you?"

She blinked in confusion. "You mean you're not going back?"

"That's exactly what I mean!" He glared at her for a moment before turning to pace the room. "Man, Noelle! You were the person who believed in me the most before this week. What changed that?" He swung in agitation back in her direction.

She spread her hands helplessly. "I follow the news. All your social media accounts." She shook her head, trying to make sense of what he'd just told her. "The rodeo world is raving about having you back, and you've done nothing to set them straight. What was I supposed to believe?"

"Oh, I don't know, Noelle." His voice grew sarcastic. "Maybe I was expecting you to believe me." He stabbed a callused finger against his chest.

Exhaustion swept through her. She hadn't been sleeping well. "I should have. I'm sorry I didn't." She sank back against the door, splaying her palms against it for support.

As his gaze raked over her, the anger seemed to seep out of him. "I'm sorry, too." With a heavy sigh, he lifted his hat and tossed it on his desk, running his left hand through his hair. "So, where did I go wrong? At what point did I lose your trust?"

"You didn't." She'd never before felt so exposed — like a tiny bug wiggling beneath a pin on a science project in middle school. "Clearly, I jumped to the wrong conclusion. I'm really, really, really sorry." Just forgive me already so we can move on!

Her apology didn't seem to phase him. He still looked utterly dejected. "Something made you doubt me. I'd like to know what it was."

"Or maybe I was just letting my own stupid fears about your safety get the best of me." She wrinkled her nose at him. "As your friend, it's not even my place to feel that way. I?—"

"Are you for real?" The words exploded from him as he advanced on her again. "What happened to our friendship pact? Our accountability partnership?"

A painful chuckle escaped her. It ended on a sobbing note. She had to swallow hard to collect her emotions. "I guess I let the media hype get to me."

He came to stand directly in front of her. "That's all it is, Noelle. Hype. I couldn't have prevented the news stations from blowing this up if I'd tried. They're gonna sensationalize everything, because it's what they do. It'll die down. Eventually." He spread his hands. "When something bigger hits the headlines."

She smiled wryly at him. "It's not going to be easy to come up with a bigger headline than what you did." Her gaze flickered to his bionic arm. "You and your superhero arm."

He made a scoffing sound, running his hand through his hair again, sending the sandy blond waves in all directions. "There's already an element out there claiming it may have given me an unfair advantage."

"They're so wrong!" Without thinking, she reached out to touch his mechanical wrist. "You were doing everything you could to avoid using your right arm, even when you jumped off the horse." She bit her lip at the memory. "For a moment there, I couldn't breathe. Only pray." Mostly inside her head, since she was having so much trouble breathing.

He turned his mechanical hand over to lace his fingers loosely through hers. "So, are we good now?"

Not really. She was still wallowing in shame. "I still had no right to try to inject myself with both elbows into your career decision. It really was just my fear talking." She forced a playful note into her voice. "I hereby release you from all previous oaths and pledges concerning bronc riding."

His mechanical fingers tightened around hers. "Even though you were right?"

Her lips parted in confusion.

His upper lip curled at her expression. "Yep. I talked to my brothers about it. Then we called my doctor. Seems like everyone is in agreement that riding broncs is a bad idea for an amputee. Sure, I could do it. I proved that the other night. But that doesn't mean it's wise to keep doing it for the long haul."

She tipped her face up to his. "So you're going to make ranch managing a permanent thing, huh?"

His expression brightened. "Yes and no." He walked backward, tugging her after him. Without turning around, he felt along his desktop for the open white envelope she'd seen lying there earlier. "We've been receiving invitations like this all week long. This one is, by far, the best one." He held the envelope out to her.

Mystified, she let go of his hand to accept it and remove the folded letter nestled inside. The address typed on it made her gasp, "Oh, my goodness! It's from the Castellanos!" What could they possibly want from Nash? Angel and Willa Castellano owned an enormous dinner theater in Pinetop that was quickly becoming one of the most sensational tourist traps in the west. People traveled from all over to attend their shows and sample their unique five-star dinner entrees. The most popular show yet was their new indoor rodeo. It had been running for a little over a year.

"Read it," Nash urged.

She scanned its contents. "No way!" It was an invitation for him and his brothers to participate in a month-long special rodeo performance.

We'll take whatever routine you and your brothers come up with, Angel and Willa wrote. Broncs, roping, trick riding, comedy improv… The main attraction will be you, of course, and your bionic arm. We'd love for you to add a short motivational speech to the beginning or end of each performance that showcases the challenges you've overcome in recent months. We believe with all of our hearts that your story is one that needs to be told.

"Oh, wow, Nash!" Noelle gazed in wonder at him. "I agree wholeheartedly. You should do it."

His gaze glinted warmly into hers. "I want to."

She refolded the letter and slid it back inside the envelope. "What do your brothers have to say about it?" She watched him raptly as she returned the envelope to him.

He tossed it on his desk. "Don't know. I haven't told them about the offer yet."

She gaped at him. "Why not?"

He reached for her hand again. "I wanted you to be the first to know, which wasn't easy with the way you've been avoiding me."

"I wasn't?—"

"You were," he interrupted with mock severity.

"Okay, maybe I was. A little." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Man!" He drew a deep breath and let it out. "It's good to have you back."

"I didn't go anywhere," she reminded, though she knew what he meant.

"Funny," he grumbled. "From my angle, it felt like you were a million miles away this week."

"Eh, well, it is a pretty long walk to the riding ring," she teased. "This is a big barn, and the principal's office is on the opposite end."

"Just stop," he groaned, glancing down as he toyed with her fingers.

She felt her insides melting like they always did when he was being super sweet like this.

"Do you mind when I do this?" He raised his head to lock gazes with her, looking worried again.

"You mean when you play This Little Piggy Went to the Market with my dusty horse trainer hands?" It took a little more effort this time to keep her voice light.

He snorted. "Yeah. That."

"No. Why should it?"

"Because we're in a friendship pact, and I hold your hand. A lot." Despite the concern in his voice, he didn't let her fingers go. "Don't want you to think I'm crossing any lines."

Her heart sank a little at the sensation of being body slammed back into the friend zone. To cover her inexplicable surge of disappointment, she tried to make a joke out of it. "Who am I to deprive you of the pleasure of holding my dusty digits?"

He gave her a crooked smile. "As long as you don't mind, I'd like to keep doing it. It makes this part of me feel more human." He gently raked his mechanical fingers first over her palm, then across the top of her hand. "It's never going to have the same sensation as my other hand, but it helps." He looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped.

"Helps with what?" she prodded gently.

"The pain." His voice was low.

She felt the color leave her face. "Nash, if you're in any pain, we should take you in for an x-ray," she declared breathlessly. Visions of hairline fractures from his bronc riding competition spilled like poison through her mind.

"Relax," he chided, lacing his fingers through hers again. "I was referring to the phantom pain. I've been told it's part of the healing process."

She worriedly scanned his features. "How bad is it?"

"It's non-existent when I hold your hand," he assured. "I don't know why. Maybe your touch is helping reprogram my brain or something."

It was a depressing reminder that he'd be departing Dallas and heading to Pinetop soon. She was going to miss him like crazy while he was gone.

"Let's hope the reprogramming happens quickly, preferably before you hit the road and turn your klutzy horse trainer into a distant memory." Though she offered him her brightest smile, her voice ended on a bitter note. Visions of him visiting with Adeline swept through her head. Would he relapse into wishing all over again that things had turned out differently between the two of them?

"A distant memory?" Nash gave her an incredulous look. "Not if you go with us!"

"Me?" She frowned at him. "Last time I checked, you were paying me to train horses." She glanced around his office. "Here."

He jutted his chin at her. "The Carson brothers always travel with an entourage. Get used to it!"

"Wow! Okay." She stared at him, a little dazed by the news that he wanted to bring her along.

"Why do you look so surprised?" He sounded irritated again. "You're still my accountability partner, aren't you?"

"Yes, but?—"

"Not to mention your mom would probably try to have me drawn and quartered if I arrived in town without her only daughter in tow."

I'm not sure she cares that much.

Even so, a giddy bubble of joy rose in her at how quickly she and Nash had fallen back into their normal brand of verbal sparring. Pretending to consider his request, she demanded, "Are you expecting the temptations in Pinetop to be that horrific for you, cowboy?" Adeline's face floated through Noelle's mind again.

"I didn't say that," he protested. "If I may remind you, our friendship pact was your idea. Maybe I just expect you to continue holding up your end of the bargain."

Her heart sank again at his reference to the fact that they were nothing more than friends. Friends who held hands. It should be enough that he found comfort in her touch, that it helped with his phantom pain. She wanted it to be enough.

But it wasn't.

Though she returned to the horse ring a few minutes later, she knew the exact moment Nash broke the news to his brothers about the invitation from Castellano's. Ames' and Flint's whoops of delight echoed off the rafters, filling the metal barn. Startled horses whinnied and stomped their hooves in response.

By nightfall, the Carsons had sketched out a proposal for a rodeo routine to run past Angel and Willa Castellano. It was a comedy script called Dude Ranch Central. They'd start by riding into the ring together, with Nash on the center horse waving his bionic arm at the crowd. Ames and Flint would be riding backwards, pretending to be green riders barely hanging on to their saddles. From there, Nash would attempt to whip the two "city boys" into proper cowboys before the end of their weekend getaway to the country — by mastering everything from riding fundamentals to throwing lariats. They debated the idea of setting up a mechanical bull ride in the center of the ring to add to the hilarity. Most importantly, Nash's bionic arm would not be over-taxed during any segment of the show. He was doing as much directing as acting.

They invited Noelle to join them in the dining room to pitch their ideas to Angel and Willa over a live video chat. The Castellanos' answer was immediate and profuse.

"It's going to be a hit!" The excitement in their voices was palpable.

Noelleand the Carson brothers packed and hit the road the next morning in Nash's truck. One of their longest horse trailers was hitched to it. Not only was it big enough to hold all three of their favorite mounts, the trailer had built-in living quarters with a separate compartment on one end that Noelle had to herself during their one stopover.

As excited as she was to be included on the trip, her trepidation grew with each mile that brought them closer to Pinetop. She wasn't looking forward to facing her mother again with all her intrusive questions. Noelle additionally feared that Triss Ward would be back to her less-than-subtle matchmaking shenanigans the moment she caught sight of Nash. On the upside, it would mean she'd given up pushing Noelle's ex or Brady down her throat.

Nash was taking a turn behind the wheel for the last stretch of their trip. Noelle was riding shotgun, while his brothers were glued to a cell phone app in the backseat. They'd signed up for some online contest that reminded her of fantasy football, except it was for rodeo riders. They were deeply engrossed in predicting all this season's winners.

She tried to focus on their humorous banter instead of thinking about how close they were getting to Pinetop. However, her gaze kept wandering back to the electronic display on the dashboard. The twenty-five remaining miles of their trip turned into twenty miles, then fifteen.

Nash glanced her way. "What's on your mind?"

She fiddled with one of the fashionably frayed spots on her jeans. "It feels a little weird returning to Pinetop after the way I left." She kept her voice low, hoping his brothers weren't listening too closely.

He raised a single eyebrow at her. "You'd have to go back eventually."

"Not this soon, though." She searched his features. "You said you were bringing an entourage. You failed to mention it was an entourage of one." She'd yet to figure out what he expected her role to be upon their arrival. It wasn't as if any of the seasoned horses he and his brothers had brought along would require training.

"Actually, we have a couple of ranch hands coming in another truck and trailer," he offered in a bland voice.

She squinted through her side-view mirror. There was no one behind them. "I don't see them."

"Because they're a full day behind us."

"Ah." She felt a little foolish for making such a big deal out of it.

"Relax." He reached over to lightly punch her arm. "You've been working like crazy for months. I think you've more than earned a few days off."

"Oh, yippee! A forced vacation!" She made a face at him, wanting to tell him just how wrong he was. Then again, he'd probably figure it out for himself after he finally met her parents.

He winked at her. "Why not? It's a town that celebrates Christmas year round. I'm sure you can find something to do to pass the time." He shrugged. "When you're not cheering us on at Castellano's, that is."

"Oo," she sighed. "I gained five pounds just thinking about all those one-of-a-kind, melt-in-your-mouth desserts they serve every evening."

"Thanks for the heads up." His expression warmed. "The next time I need you to accompany me on a trip, I'll just flash a dessert menu at you."

"Ha. Ha." Though she pretended to be offended, she was secretly thrilled by the possibility of going on more trips with him.

They passed the city limit sign and entered Pinetop. Though it was early May, gold-tinseled ornaments were still affixed to every light post lining Main Street. The shop windows were twinkling with countless strands of tiny lights. Beyond the glass, she caught glimpses of fudge, holiday tea towels, and festive paintings of snowy scapes.

"That's new!" She straightened and pointed at the old antique emporium. It had been vacant when she'd made her hasty flight out of town. That was no longer the case.

The old wooden sign that stretched across the top of the glassed-in display windows had been repainted Christmas red. Fat gold letters spelled out the words Santa's Toy Factory. The curved brick front of the building stretched upward two additional stories.

To Noelle's delight, life-sized wooden elves had been mounted to windowsills and balconies to make it look like they were hard at work painting and repairing the building. It was completely adorable.

Nash circled his truck and trailer around the building and pulled into the rear parking lot. "Brady's sister, Shelly, and her husband, Chad, bought the place. When they heard we were coming to town, they offered to let us stay in a couple of the apartments they're renovating upstairs." He gave her another wink. "Thanks to you, they're extending us the friend discount."

"Oh, wow! That's really sweet of them." By friend discount, she was assuming he meant free of charge.

"All I had to do was agree to a celebrity endorsement of their all-new Air BB."

Noelle burst out laughing. "That sounds like something Shelly would do."

"I don't mind. Helping them spread the word about their new Air BB feels like a win-win." He grinned at her. "The horses will be boarded at Castellano's, of course. We'll drop them off at their lower-level stables just as soon as we get checked in here."

She nodded, both nervous and excited about seeing Shelly again. Though they were good friends, they hadn't texted much since Noelle's rapid exodus from town. Shelly was probably going to demand a full explanation, plus some additional groveling. Since she was pregnant, Noelle intended to indulge her in whatever she asked for. On the flip side, she hoped that staying at Santa's Toy Factory didn't mean they'd be running into Brady too often. Or Adeline, for that matter.

Her hopes were instantly dashed to the ground by the sight of a red and green-painted rear entrance door. Shelly pushed it open and waddled out, looking so pregnant that she might burst. Brady was right behind her.

"Nice," Noelle murmured beneath her breath.

Nash parked, and his brothers piled out of the backseat. He hurried around to open the door for her. "Chin up, partner," he coaxed in a low voice. "I have your back. Always."

They were soon trading hugs and handshakes with Shelly and Brady.

Making a petulant face at her, Shelly grabbed Noelle in a sideways hug. "This way," she puffed. "It's the only way I can reach you around my enormous belly." She lowered her voice and moaned into Noelle's ear. "It's been stretched out so many times, I don't think there's a chance it'll ever pop back into place. I'm ruined," she concluded on a mournful note.

"Not even," Noelle hissed in disbelief. She glanced around her friend in search of her other two children. "Where are Suzy and Gentry?"

"With the elves. Where else?" Shelly gave a dramatic sigh, reaching up to smooth back a stray lock of hair that had slid from her messy bun. "They would seriously move in and stay on the showroom floor permanently if we'd let them."

"With the elves?" Noelle sensed there was more to the story.

"They call themselves the Merry Woodmakers," Shelly explained, as she walked arm-in-arm with Noelle into the building. "It's a whole family of certified furniture makers. A father, mother, and two daughters." Her mouth turned down at the corners again. "Two young, beautiful chickadees who dress like elves and have guys falling all over themselves to buy toys for every kid they know."

"Sounds good for business," Noelle mused with a chuckle. They entered a long, black-and-white tiled hallway. The doors on either side of them were labeled as various offices.

"It's good for everything but my self-confidence," her friend grumbled. "I feel like a lumbering water buffalo in comparison."

"Let me guess." Noelle playfully pressed a finger to her cheek, hoping to cheer her up. "They've convinced your kids to become official toy testers."

"Bingo. Excuse me. I'd better go pull Gentry off that bike before he knocks over a Christmas tree."

The last part of her answer was nearly drowned out by Noelle's gasp of wonder as the hallway opened to a glittering wonderland of toys. They were handcrafted from sturdy wood and painted in bright, cheerful colors. There were sleds, wagons, dollhouses, and sets of blocks. There were also jigsaw puzzles, trains, and automobiles. Some were small enough to fit in a child's hand. Others were big enough for that same child to climb inside. Woven in and around the toys were Christmas trees and garlands everywhere Noelle looked.

She spun in a full circle, trying to take it all in. "It makes you want to be a kid again," she sighed.

"It's pretty special, isn't it?" Brady's voice made Noelle grow still. She slowly finished turning in his direction, darting a quick look around for Nash, Ames, and Flint. She found all three Carson brothers clustered around two pert-looking elves, who were tapping the sides of a new dollhouse into place with their gilded hammers. Shelly hadn't been exaggerating about how pretty they were.

"Hi, Brady." On impulse, Noelle stuck out a hand. The air between them was awkward enough. There was no need to inject a note of rudeness into it.

Looking relieved, he pushed back his Stetson and shook her hand. "It's nice to see you again, Noelle."

"Thanks." She wasn't sure what to say to that, so she glanced around them again. "This place is amazing."

"It is." He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels. "It's a culmination of a lot of dreams on Chad's part. Not only is it a direct extension of his sawmill business, the extra hands on deck they've hired are going to allow him to spend more time with his growing family."

"I'm happy for them." Shelly and Chad deserved this. They were two of the hardest-working people Noelle knew. "Shelly's going to need the extra help. When baby number three makes his or her appearance, she and Chad will be officially outnumbered."

He made a scoffing sound. "She's been outnumbered since the day Gentry arrived. He has the energy of ten kids packed into one little boy's body."

Noelle's chuckle pealed across the showroom floor, making Nash turn and give her an odd look. He was probably as surprised as she was to find her conversing with Brady McGrath. It wasn't nearly as hard seeing him as she'd expected it to be.

Brady glanced quizzically between the two of them. "So, you and Nash Carson, eh?"

"What?" She blinked at him as the meaning of his question sank in. "Oh, we're not dating," she assured hastily.

His eyebrows remained raised. "That's not the rumor circulating on every major news network in the west."

She blushed and changed the subject. "How are things at Bear Mountain Ranch?" Had he even noticed her absence, or had Adeline's horse whispering abilities completely eclipsed her former service there?

"Busy." His lips thinned. "With Shelly about to go on maternity leave, we're about to become even more shorthanded."

Noelle glanced away guiltily at his mild dig in her direction.

"We'd take you back in a heartbeat," he added in a low voice. "Just saying."

Her gaze flew back to him. "Are you serious?"

"Why not?" He gave her an incredulous look. "You were a good employee, who gave a proper notice to accept another opportunity." He glanced Nash's way again. "I don't hold it against you. Much," he added in a dry voice as Nash pivoted and moved in their direction.

"That's very kind of you." Noelle's heart raced at the searing look Nash was giving her.

The moment Brady stepped away, Nash leaned closer to snipe in her ear. "The next time you're lonely enough to carry on a three-hour conversation with the man who broke your heart, feel free to give me that call we agreed on."

For a moment, she thought he was joking. "I don't think we've been here for more than ten minutes, cowboy."

The scorching look he gave her made her realize that he wasn't, in fact, joking.

She gave a quick glance around them to ensure no one was looking before stepping closer to touch his hand. It was the only way she could think of to reassure him.

He immediately curled his pinky finger around her pinky finger. Though they were partially shielded from view by a Christmas tree, anyone could walk around the tree at any moment and see that they were holding hands.

Again.

Somehow, she didn't think their just-friends story would stick if they were caught holding hands in Pinetop. It was too small of a town. A juicy piece of gossip like that would make its rounds in no time.