Chapter 8 Raising the Stakes

Nash dialed Angel Castellano as he headed for his truck.

"Hey, Nash!" Angel's deep voice boomed in his ear. "You're just the guy I was hoping to pin down this morning."

"Great!" That makes two of us. "You gotta minute?"

"I have as many minutes as you need. Plus coffee and our latest, made-from-scratch dessert, a triple-berry quiche drizzled in vanilla cream sauce."

Nash groaned. "You had me at coffee. And I wouldn't mind snagging a piece of that dessert for Noelle." Gotta keep my girl happy. It was so nice being able to finally call her that, at least inside his head.

"Consider it done. I'll have one of our chefs box it up before you leave my office. Where are you?"

"A hop, skip, and two jumps down the street. I can be there in five if that works for you."

"I'll have the coffee ready."

Nash parked by the rear entrance of the enormous dinner theater. It was a solid wood door painted red that led to their administrative offices.

Angel's office was a few doors down on the left. Stepping into the building never failed to make Nash's stomach rumble. It didn't matter if he was hungry or not. The most delicious scents were forever wafting from their commercial kitchen. He'd be permanently drooling if he worked at a place like this.

Angel stood as Nash entered his office. He was a tall Hispanic man who was rarely seen in anything less than a business suit, usually solid black with white shirtsleeves. If he was anything, he was impeccably professional. A first-time visitor would never guess he'd grown up on a poor farm staffed by immigrants and seasonal workers on the edge of town. From what Nash understood, Angel had broken the mold of poverty by attending college to become a five-star chef. He'd returned to town soon afterward, purchased an old warehouse, and turned it into a successful dinner theater that now employed half the town. Or so the locals claimed. Nash wasn't sure how accurate the number was, though Angel certainly maintained a sizable staff.

Castellano's had become a magnet for celebrities, which attracted a lot of tourist traffic for the town as a whole. Willa Morgan, a celebrated country western singer, had been the first. She was now his wife. Christie Hart, a world-famous trick rider was next. She was still with the show a few seasons later. And now Angel had the Carson brothers on tap, three champion bronc riders. No matter what angle Nash came at it from, the dinner theater and indoor rodeo empire Angel Castellano had built from sheer grit and perspiration was impressive. He very much liked and respected the guy.

The two men shook hands, took a few sips of coffee, then settled back in their seats to study each other.

"What's on your mind, Nash?" Though Angel wore many hats, his relaxed demeanor suggested he had all the time in the world.

"I want to discuss the extension to the show you asked me about." The only reason Nash hadn't given it serious consideration before now was because Angel was asking for another full month of shows. Though Nash and his brothers' ranch foreman was more than capable of holding down the fort at Canyon Creek Ranch, they couldn't be gone from home forever.

Angel nodded, smiling faintly. "I was really hoping you'd say that."

"Honestly? I'm homesick for Texas. Turns out Noelle Ward has other ideas."

"No kidding?" Angel's smile widened.

Nash sensed the man was again debating whether he and Noelle were in a secret relationship.

"As you may already be aware, Shelly Hofstetter is about to give birth to her third child, and the two of them are very close."

"Hotdog!" Dropping his cool for the first time since Nash entered the room, Angel sat forward in his chair. He pumped a fist into the air like a bull rider rising from the dirt after a successful ride. "Just give me your terms, and we'll work our way towards a yes that we can both live with."

Nash nodded. "We need to step up the pace of the show for my brothers' sakes. They accepted this gig to give me more time to recover from my accident, and now they're bored silly. They'd never admit it, not in a million years." They'd continue to squabble noisily and make everyone around them miserable, but they'd remain loyal to him and each other. They valued family as much as he did.

Angel spread his hands. "We have a full-sized indoor ring and a packed-out audience. The sky's the limit, brother."

"Alright, then." Nash laid out his idea. "With respect to time, I think we should cut out the rope throwing lessons." It was a funny routine, but everyone in town had seen it more than once by now. "We sling enough lariats around during the calf tying event. Instead of a solo tie down, let's switch it to a team roping exercise with even more bickering and rolling in the dust." Flint was a pro at bickering. He never ran out of material. Some of the stuff he did was improvised on the spot. He was that good.

Angel nodded, grinning. He pulled his keyboard closer and started typing. "You keep talking while I revise the itinerary."

"I'd like to throw my brothers back on broncos." Nash grimaced at the bittersweet reminder that he'd given Noelle his word he wouldn't be taking part in it. "No full-blown, fire-breathing beasts bearing grudges against humanity. And no strap. Just a little bucking and snorting to get the point across — all in good fun. My brothers know how to get their regular mounts to rear back on their hind legs and do all sorts of other stunts. It'll be the appearance of bronc riding, minus most of the danger." The best part about it was that it would take a considerable amount of skill on his brothers' part to pull it off. The routine was a compromise of sorts between their current, too-tame routine and the perils of actual bronc riding.

"I'm completely sold on this, Nash." Angel leaned back in his chair, looking satisfied. "I'll have my attorney draw up the contract to make your extension official. My only regret whatsoever is knowing I'm eventually going to have to watch your taillights flash red when you and your brothers drive back to Texas."

Nash reached across the desk with his bionic hand to seal the deal. After a lifetime of shaking hands with his right hand, he'd done it without thinking.

Without missing a beat, Angel gently grasped it. "I'm honored to have you ride for us, Nash. Truly honored." He released his hand. "As sad as I'll be to see you go, I hope your stint here in Pinetop ends up opening a lot of doors for you and your brothers."

Nash nodded his thanks as he stood, thoroughly impressed with the guy's attitude. Some businessmen would be looking for a way to carpetbag him and his brothers into staying in town indefinitely. Some might go as far as to claim some ownership in their success. But not Angel Castellano. He was a man who'd never forget where he came from. He acted like every day was a gift and treated every person who crossed his path with respect.

He was right about other doors opening. Nash was already getting the calls and emails. However, he wasn't sure he'd enjoy working with anyone half as much as he enjoyed working with Angel. Not for any price. In so many words, his brothers had said the same thing behind closed doors.

Angel stood and walked him across the room. "If you'll hang tight for two more minutes, I'll grab that dessert for your girl." A knowing wink accompanied his words.

Nash almost laughed out loud. Apparently, he and Noelle weren't fooling anyone. He was going to enjoy telling Angel the truth about their relationship. Soon.

"I'd like to place another order, if you don't mind."

"Sure. Whatever you need." Angel paused in the middle of the hallway and pivoted back in his direction.

Nash briefly described Noelle's request for a meal for Shelly that would contain no sugar. "I know it's a tall request. I'll pay whatever it takes to make it happen."

Angel made a scoffing sound and tapped his hands into a time-out T. "Consider it part of your signing bonus."

"I'm not trying to wrangle an extra favor," Nash protested. He didn't believe in taking advantage of folks like that.

Angel's eyebrows went up. "I run a restaurant, in case you've forgotten, and the Bear Mountain Ranch crew are personal friends." He met Nash's gaze levelly. "Just like you are. So let me do this. Please."

Nash didn't have it in him to say no to that brand of kindness. "I'm truly grateful." He pressed a hand to his chest.

"My catering staff will have that dessert for Noelle when they arrive at the ranch. It's best when it's served fresh and the sauce is still warm."

Catering staff? Confused, Nash took a step in his direction, hands up. "Listen, I wouldn't dream of putting you guys to that kind of trouble. Just let me know when the food is ready, and I'll come pick it up."

"Let me guess," Angel drawled, folding his arms. "You're going to toss it on the seat of your pickup truck and cowboy it out to the ranch yourself."

"Absolutely." Nash nodded fervently. "It'll be no trouble at all."

"Over my dead body." Angel was still smiling, but his voice had grown steely. "I have a reputation to maintain here at Castellano's. We'll have everything set up at noon in the main reception area at Bear Mountain Ranch. All you need to do is show up and take credit for the idea."

"Good gravy! As if!" Nash had every intention of making sure all credit went to Angel and his impressive staff. He had a sneaking suspicion that the dinner theater owner might actually roll up his sleeves and prepare the meal himself. He was just that kind of person.

Within moments, he was back in his truck, heading for Santa's Toy Factory. It came as no surprise to find Flint and Ames remaining on the showroom floor, still flirting with the Lee sisters. Flint was perched on a stool beside Lucy, who was sketching at her easel, while Ames and Laura were helping two children pile wooden blocks in the discovery zone corner. The chubby little boy they were squatting beside looked like he was two or three years old. His sister couldn't be more than five. Their parents were standing nearby, snapping photos with their cell phones. The handles of countless shopping bags were looped around their arms — some from Santa's Toy Factory and some from other shops in town. It was a typical day in Pinetop, where families on vacation made beautiful memories together.

The sight didn't sting as much as it usually did. It was hard not to feel part of something when he'd just agreed to stay in town another month. Plus, Angel had called him both brother and friend during their meeting.

As anxious as Nash was to share his latest news about the Dude Ranch Central show with his brothers, he was in no hurry to interrupt their morning. For the first time in days, they didn't look bored or restless. On the contrary, they looked at peace with their lot in life. Lucy was chuckling at something Flint said as he pointed at the bottom right corner of her drawing. He was probably cracking jokes non-stop as usual. She didn't seem to mind, though.

Nash couldn't help thinking about Laura's comment over breakfast about how they were newbies in town like him and his brothers. It was strangely comforting to find out that the Carsons weren't the only ones who felt like fish out of water here.

He strolled closer to the long, glassed-in back of the store where the real magic took place. It was a well-ventilated workspace that kept the dust and wood chips from coating all the lovely toys for sale on the other side of the glass. He found Mr. and Mrs. Lee hunched over a workbench, puttering with a fascinating array of tools. Nash would've been hard put to name most of them. His experience with woodworking was pretty basic — hammers, saws, nails, and pliers.

Like their daughters, the Lees were dressed like elves. Mr. Lee had on green overalls with red suspenders over a red-and-white striped shirt. The silver at his temples looked authentic. So did the glasses on the end of his nose. He was peering intently through them as he painstakingly carved the block of wood in front of him into a nutcracker.

His wife was decorating a finished nutcracker on his left. Nash watched for a few minutes as she dressed the wooden figurine in a red-and-white checkered shirt. She placed a tan work apron over it and glued a set of miniature tools into the pockets — first a wrench, then a measuring stick. Next, she drilled a tiny hole in the nutcracker's right hand, dusted it off, and applied a dot of glue to the opening. She slid the handle of an itty bitty hammer into the hole and blew on it a few times, presumably to help the glue dry faster.

Ames joined him moments later. "You gonna share what that visit to Angel Castellano's office was all about?"

Nash raised his eyebrows at him. "Is there a tracker installed on my truck that I don't know about?"

"Nope." Ames popped the P loudly. "But you've never turned off the GPS locater on your cell phone. As long as it's on, I'll always know what you're up to, bro."

"I've got nothing to hide." Nash's gaze returned to the nutcracker Mrs. Lee was still decorating. He watched as she glued a set of red spectacles on his face and a red velvet hat on his head.

"Santa," he and Ames declared in unison. They gave each other a high five for no particular reason. Though she never looked up, Nash was pretty sure he saw Mrs. Lee's lips twitch.

Ames snorted. "All the Christmas cheer floating around town made me want to puke at first, but it's starting to grow on me."

Nash shot him an amused look. "Just don't start jingling when you walk. I will hogtie you and bodily remove the bells," he warned. "Then I'll force-feed them to you."

Ames guffawed. "Now that you mention it, they do sell men's socks with bells sewn on them down at the?—"

"Don't you dare." Nash knew Ames was only kidding, but he had no interest in even joking about wearing musical socks. "So, here's the deal. Angel is drawing up a contract to extend us another month here. You, me, and Flint will discuss the details over dinner. I won't sign unless all three of us agree. I know you and Flint gave up a lot to come to Pinetop with me, and I'll respect whatever you decide."

Ames nodded soberly. "I don't consider it a sacrifice to keep our family together. You know that."

"You're bored out of your mind, though." Nash shifted from one boot to the other. "Don't try to deny it."

Ames shrugged. "I've been a lot less bored with this town since breakfast."

Nash smirked at him. "You gonna ask her out?"

"Nah. Not yet." Ames shook his head. "Think I'll follow your lead and take the time to get to know her better first. I like what you and Noelle have going on. Y'all have been through thick and thin together and built something solid in the process. Something that'll last when you stop being such a chicken and finally ask her on a real date."

Nash, who'd been watching both Mr. and Mrs. Lee for several minutes now, was pretty sure Mrs. Lee's face twitched a few more times — especially during Ames' impassioned declaration about taking the time to get to know her oldest daughter better before asking her on a date.

He took out his cell phone and texted his working theory to his brother. Pretty sure the Lees heard every word we said. Must have mics mounted out here somewhere. It made sense. If they were shorthanded due to lunch breaks or what not, it was wise to be able to hear what was going on outside the glass.

Instead of waiting for Ames to pull out his own cell phone, Nash angled the screen in his brother's direction.

Ames read his message and gave a low whistle. He glanced up, down, and around the glassed-in wall before stating, "You are correct. Mr. and Mrs. Lee heard every word that I said about wanting to date their daughter someday. I hope they don't object, because Laura is one of the nicest, coolest people I've ever met. I promise to always treat her with respect. And not just because her father could probably murder me in my sleep without leaving a trace with one of those minuscule blades he's using to carve that nutcracker with."

Mrs. Lee, who was in the process of gluing a tiny Christmas tree to the hand of the Santa nutcracker, glanced at her husband and started chuckling. Mr. Lee didn't so much as bat an eyelash. He did, however, lift a pointy-looking object and pretend to stab the nutcracker in front of him in the heart.

"Point taken, sir," Ames chuckled. "Point taken."

Nash returned to the Jack Frost suite to spruce up for his lunch date with Noelle. He buttoned on a navy shirt and switched his belt buckle to the one he'd earned during his most recent bronc ride. He couldn't wait to share the news about the extended contract at Castellano's. Thanks to the Lee sisters, he'd bet his boots on the fact that neither of his brothers would put up any resistance to signing it.

Thank you, Lord, for my brothers, for Noelle, and for everything else you've given me — right down to my next breath.

Of all the things in Nash's life that hadn't gone right, his trip to Pinetop wasn't one of them. For the first time in months, he was close to being at peace with his retirement from bronc riding. It was one of the toughest decisions he'd made in his life, and he wasn't entirely confident he'd have made the right decision without Noelle weighing in. But she had, and he was grateful for it.

Before leaving Santa's Toy Factory, he strolled around the showroom floor again and selected a hand-carved wooden pony to give Noelle. A young girl was on her knees beside the pony, bandaging a boo-boo on its right front leg. Someone had painted the outline of lips on top of the bandage to show that she'd sealed her tending with a kiss.

The message wouldn't be lost on Noelle. She'd stuck to him like a cocklebur during his convalescence. He couldn't wait to have her seal all that TLC with her first kiss.

Flint came nosing around while Laura rang up the gift and packaged it for him. "Bro, you've got it bad for her," he mocked. "You might as well go down on one knee and put a ring on her."

"Don't you have someone else to bother?" Nash shook his head, wondering if there was any point in keeping the newest phase of his relationship with Noelle a secret from his brothers for an entire week. Apparently, both of them could read him like a book.

"I'm making Lucy jealous by spending some time with Laura," Flint joked.

"This is my flattered look." Laura snickered, crossing her eyes and sticking out her tongue as she finished wrapping Nash's gift in a white box with a gold ribbon.

"She told you to get lost, huh?" Nash glanced over at Lucy, who was frowning in concentration over the final details of the music box drawing.

Instead of answering, Flint gave a loud, long-suffering sigh.

To cheer him up, Nash pulled him aside and gave him the highlights of their new indoor rodeo routine. "Assuming you and Ames agree to sign, there's no reason you can't head down to the ring to start working on the new material right away." Flint was the king of comedy. They'd let him run point on the script.

"I'm on it!" Looking relieved to have something to do, he swaggered across the room to collect Ames. He made a quick detour to whisper something to Lucy that made her throw one of her pencils at him. Unless Nash was mistaken, a faint blush stained her cheeks. She wasn't completely immune to his youngest brother's charms.

Flint was accustomed to attention from the ladies. Guys who won buckles on the rodeo circuit could have a dozen dates a night if they wanted to. However, this was the first time Nash had seen his youngest brother working so hard to get the attention of a woman who wasn't falling over herself to capture his attention in return. It was a friendship that would bear watching. Underneath Flint's endless shenanigans was a cowboy with a very big heart. Nash didn't relish the idea of seeing him get hurt.

He left the store with his brothers, intending to offer them a ride before departing for the ranch.

"Nah!" Ames waved away his offer. "Walking down Main Street will allow us to get another look at those socks with bells on ‘em."

"Not if you don't want me to torch your man card," Nash warned as he reached his truck.

"Says the guy still living in a snow globe," Flint taunted. "When you get tired of counting snowflakes to get to sleep each night, feel free to join us at the chalet." They'd been fortunate to secure a short-term lease on a newly renovated ski lodge.

Nash was glad they'd found a decent spot to kick off their boots at night. "Any chance you'll be able to extend the lease if we decide to stay another month?"

Ames shrugged. "If we can't, we'll be sleeping under the stars in the bed of your truck, bro. I honestly don't know how you stand all that blue recessed lighting. Gave me a headache before I even stepped into the room."

"I turned it off," Nash informed him dryly. Both the glowing blue lights and the snow globe walls. The room had immediately become more bearable.

"Not good enough for me." Ames shook his head.

"You really think that's what this is about, bro?" Flint gave their middle brother a look of disbelief. "There ain't no crowbar big enough to pry him out of there before the ballerina next door relocates."

"He's right." Nash wagged a finger at them. "After inviting her to travel with us, it wouldn't feel right to abandon her like that. That said, lemme know if you hear of another chalet coming available. The Hofstetters and McGraths are still refusing to accept payment for our rooms, and I don't want to take advantage of their kindness if we extend our stay."

"We're extending, bro." Flint's voice was matter-of-fact. "I'll call our realtor today and look into what's available for Noelle. The place next door was open a few days ago, but the Lees already snagged it. Sorry, not sorry about that."

"How convenient for you." Nash climbed into his truck.

"On that, we agree." Flint grinned. "Their parents are going to stay a few months longer at the toy factory to design some more Air BB rooms, but Laura and Lucy were beyond ready to move into a regular house with regular furniture."

"Can't blame ‘em for that." Nash had started missing his own bed the day they drove away from Canyon Creek Ranch. He revved the motor, popping his horn at his brothers instead of saying goodbye.

He left the downtown area and traded the bustling tourist scene for the calmer scapes of the country. Arizona wasn't hard on the eyes. The mountain views were nothing short of spectacular. His shoulders tensed like they always did when he passed the scene of the accident that had cost him his arm. However, the knots in his shoulder blades eased the closer he drove to Bear Mountain Ranch.

Noelle was peeking out the door of the ranch office when he arrived. She pushed it open and ran his way when he pulled up beside Brady's truck and cut the motor.

She pulled his door open before he could and climbed up on the running board to slide her arms around his neck. She knocked his hat to the seat in the process. He left it there.

"Second only to God," she declared in a tremulous voice, "you are seriously the best thing that's ever happened to me, Nash Carson." Her face was damp with emotion. "You should see Shelly in there gobbling down healthy food like it was candy." She sniffled. "I don't know how to thank you for the feast you sent over from Castellano's."

He reached up to smooth a strand of strawberry-blonde hair back from the wetness on her cheeks. "I have a few ideas. One in particular." Glancing around them to make sure they were alone, he lowered his mouth gently to hers.

She made a sighing sound and sank into their first kiss like a wildflower opening to the sun.

He'd kissed girls before, but it was nothing like kissing Noelle — the woman who'd smooth-talked her way onto a blasted medical chopper just so he wouldn't have to fight for his life alone. A woman who'd tirelessly trained his horses by day, then put in another couple of hours nearly every evening to help him get back in the saddle. She was no trained medical professional, but she'd been injured enough times herself that she knew a thing or two about rehabilitating athletes. She was his most faithful employee, his biggest cheerleader, and now his super hot girlfriend.

"Wow," she whispered shakily when she came up for air.

"More," he begged, leaning in for a second kiss.

She gave it to him with a generosity of spirit that made his heart soar straight from his chest into her capable hands. It felt safe there.

Her touch and scent were intoxicating. Her sighs were more beautiful than music. He liked the fact that they were because of him. Being in her arms was fast becoming an addiction he couldn't shake. Not that he wanted to.

"You're my entire world, Noelle Ward." He dropped his forehead against hers. She was his tribe. His people. His perfect match.

"I know the feeling, cowboy." She ran her hands up the back of his neck, tangling in his hair. "We should probably get inside."

"Mmm-hmm." He would've been content to remain in her arms forever.

"Like sometime today," she teased.

He raised his head, though he kept an arm hooked around her waist. "I brought you something." It took a little time to complete the maneuver, but he managed to lift the white gift box with his bionic hand and hold it up to her.

"The box is so pretty," she breathed, tugging at the gold ribbon. She opened the lid. "Oh, Nash! It's amazing!" She reverently lifted the figurine from the box and gave a sobbing chuckle at the sight of the little girl kneeling beside the horse. "It's so us."

"I thought so, too." He was glad she liked it.

"It's the most amazing gift anyone has ever given me."

He helped her put it back in the box. "Did you get the other thing I sent over to you from Castellano's?"

"Yes! Thank you!" She gave another breathy chuckle. "I had to hide it from Shelly," she confessed. "I keep sneaking bites when she's not looking. It's so delicious that I saved some for you."

"Just one bite." He kissed her with his eyes. "I'm not real big into sweets."

It was fun doing stuff for her, though, and watching her radiate mountains of happiness afterward. Being with Noelle Ward was like the ultimate ride. Experiencing her kisses was better than seeing his name at the top of the score charts, and he should know. He'd earned his share of first place slots. Every moment in her arms felt like riding the wind. Surfing a rainbow. Lassoing the moon.

And they were just getting started.