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“It was a diplomatic no,” Hunter said so only Merry could hear. She laughed, then covered it with a cough.
“I wish I could wear one.” Wren sighed and it was loud enough to be heard over the road noise. “Daddy says I’m his princess and everyone knows princesses wear tiaras.”
“That makes sense,” Merry said thoughtfully. “But a princess is always sensitive to the feelings of people around her. And this is going to be your aunt Avery’s special day when she marries your uncle Finn. A princess would never do anything to spoil a bride’s wedding day. Don’t you think so, Wren?”
That got a grudging “I guess so” and Hunter was impressed by the way Merry handled that situation. When they arrived at the airport he parked at the terminal where they would board his father’s Gulfstream jet. The crew met them and took their luggage before Hunter, Merry and Wren walked up the steps and into the aircraft.
Hunter waved to everyone on board and a quick head count indicated they were the last ones to arrive. He started to make introductions but was interrupted by an announcement to take their seats and fasten seat belts in preparation for takeoff. The plush leather and teak-trimmed cabin was configured with individual seats of four with a table in between to form a conversation area. There were also a couple of couches that would accommodate three and only one was left. His daughter plopped herself down on one end. That meant he and Merry would be sitting side by side. Unlike the front seat of his SUV, there would be no console between them.
“Sit next to me, Miss Merry.”
“Okay.”
Hunter took the empty space beside her and their shoulders brushed, their legs touched. He was grateful the stretchy pants she wore tucked into shin-high black boots meant her skin was not bare. When he fastened his seat belt, his fingers brushed her thigh, or more accurately the cream-colored sweater that covered her hips and butt. She smelled disarmingly female and sweet, a thought that sent a tsunami of testosterone crashing over him.
When everyone was secured, they received permission from the control tower to taxi down the runway and in seconds they were off. As soon as the seat belt sign was turned off, Wren bounced up and said she was going to talk to Aunt Avery and tell her she didn’t mind not wearing a tiara.
More than almost anything Hunter wanted to move away from Merry but he didn’t feel right about leaving her alone. They all knew he’d hired a nanny for the weekend but the noisy jet made introductions awkward. So, for the duration of the flight, he felt obligated to stay put and introduce her when they were on the ground.
Merry was looking around the interior, eyes wide. “I wonder where they keep the barf bags.”
“You don’t feel well?”
“I’m fine actually.” She laughed but there was a little uncertainty on her face. “It’s just nerves. When I get this way, I say weird things. Helps break the tension.”
“Okay.”
“In fact they probably don’t even have barf bags. Most likely there’s a rule against getting sick on the expensive leather seats.”
“Let them try to enforce that one,” Hunter said.
“I know, right?” She glanced a little anxiously at the rest of his family, chatting together in groups. “There are a lot of Crawfords on this plane.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry about not introducing you to all of them. I’ll take care of that when we land.”
“No problem. I’m just the hired help, after all.” She was still looking around the luxurious interior with an expression of awe that made her eyes look more green than brown.
“If we weren’t in such a rush, I’d have made sure they all met you. It’s my fault we were running late.”
She looked skeptical. “Something tells me your daughter was responsible for that. I know her from school, remember?”
“Yeah.” It was one of the reasons he’d hired her.
“I feel like I need to pinch myself. Maybe I should be paying you. I can’t believe I’m flying in a private jet. If anyone had told me I’d be doing this, I’d have said they were crazy. People with money really do live differently.”
“I suppose.”
His gaze drifted to his daughter, the child he’d raised alone almost from the day she was born. Money didn’t guarantee you wouldn’t lose the mother of your baby girl. He would give up everything he had in a heartbeat if it could bring Lara back.
“I’m sorry.”
“Hmm?” He looked at Merry.
“That was unprofessional of me. It was tactless to say that.”
He thought her comments were honest and charming. “Why would you think so?”
“It seems as if I’ve heard you should never discuss money and politics.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Again, I plead nerves. Apparently getting up at the crack of dawn has disengaged the filter between my brain and my mouth. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
He smiled, but the movement felt rusty when directed at a woman. It seemed wrong somehow, but he couldn’t seem to stop. “Your unfiltered frankness is refreshing.”
It seemed her condition was contagious because things were popping out of his mouth, too. Was that crossing a line between employer and employee? If Merry was a ranch hand, he would know where the line was. And it wasn’t as if he hadn’t had child care before. When Wren was a baby, he’d hired help from time to time. He had to work the ranch, after all. But with Merry he felt strongly about keeping boundaries firmly in place.
“Calling what I said frankness is generous of you,” she said. “I always thought of the word decadent in terms of dessert. But this experience has broadened the definition for me. However, I will, at some point, get over how special it feels to fly in a private jet.”
“You can thank my dad.”
“I will, of course.”
He laughed. “I didn’t mean that literally. Just that it was important to him that this be a fun family event from start to finish.”
“You can count on me. I’ll take good care of Wren so you can enjoy yourself this weekend.”
He already was. With her. And that realization surprised and bothered him. It was almost a relief when the captain announced they were starting their descent into the airport in Rustler’s Notch, Colorado. The flight time had, no pun intended, flown. Talking to Merry was pleasant. And distracting. More than he’d expected. Definitely more than he wanted.
It was disconcerting and uncomfortable when he realized he was caught between not wanting the flight to end and being grateful that it had been so short. That was the classic definition of conflict. He didn’t like conflict, especially when a woman was involved.
Chapter Three (#u759075e3-ca26-5e18-a9c9-89c95f9d1756)
Merry was a little nervous when the plane landed, then taxied closer to the terminal. Her responsibilities were going to kick in and part of that would be interacting with the Crawfords. Time to put on her big girl panties and a friendly smile. The seat belt sign dinged off and everyone in the cabin stood to gather their belongings. They filed down the stairs and stood in a group not far from the plane.
“Listen up, everyone,” Hunter said. “Before we all split up, I want to introduce you to Meredith Matthews—”
“She’s Miss Merry,” Wren interjected.
Merry lifted her hand to wave everyone a friendly greeting, at the same time hating all the focus on her. “Hi.”
Hunter introduced his brothers and their wives one by one. She had already guessed who Avery and Finn were because Wren had spent a good portion of the flight talking princess with the bride. Max, the tall, handsome, silver-haired patriarch, was impossible to forget. But everyone else sort of blurred together.
“There are a lot of you,” she said ruefully. “I think you need to wear name tags.”
Everyone laughed and assured her there would be no hard feelings for a name mix-up. Then Hunter’s father directed the group to the three limousines waiting to take them to Rustler’s Notch Resort.
“Don’t we need to get our luggage?” Merry asked when they all started to move.
“It will be delivered to our rooms,” Hunter assured her. The doubt must have shown on her face because he added, “I promise it will be fine. And yes, rich people do live differently.”
“You took the words right out of my mouth. But if I don’t have my pajamas—”
“I will buy you whatever you need if I’m wrong.”
“Fair enough.”
Following Max’s instructions, the process was smooth and efficient. He and his youngest son, Wilder, climbed into the car with Hunter, Wren and Merry.
“Mr. Crawford,” she said to the family patriarch, “I would like to thank you for this weekend. I will take excellent care of your granddaughter.”
The man winked at the little girl, who’d insisted on sitting beside him. “Wrennie is very special to me.”
“I can see that, sir.”
“It will go to his head if you call him that,” Wilder teased her. He looked like a charming rogue, handsome with longish brown hair and piercing dark eyes.
Merry could picture him breaking hearts everywhere he went. He was one of those men most women would be attracted to. Although she wasn’t. Glancing sideways at Hunter, she felt a little flutter in her chest that indicated she couldn’t say the same about his older brother.
The scenery on the short drive to the hotel was breathtaking. Trees, rugged mountains and blue sky added up to a spectacularly beautiful day. They passed ski slopes but it was early November and there wasn’t enough snow yet for them to open. Before long the resort buildings came into view and the car stopped in front. The hotel tower was tall, all wood and beams with a peaked roof that looked chalet-like and just right for this environment.
Merry had never been anywhere like this. Not ever. She was speechless, but Wren did enough chattering for both of them. Following behind the Crawford clan she was able to observe Hunter with his daughter. The trusting way the little girl slipped her small hand into his bigger one. He teased her before effortlessly lifting her onto his broad shoulders as they walked into the spectacular lobby with its wood floors and huge fireplace, where logs cheerfully burned and crackled.
Apparently having money also made check-in a breeze because room keys were waiting and bags had indeed been delivered to the suites. Max instructed everyone to go have fun and they would meet later in the afternoon for the wedding rehearsal followed by dinner. Hunter had already assured Merry she would have her own room, but she wasn’t clear on how that would logistically work with a suite. After an elevator ride to the top floor, he unlocked the door and they walked in.
There was a beautifully decorated living room that separated the master and auxiliary bedrooms from the one on the opposite side of the suite. She would have her privacy and still be available to Wren if needed. And, as Hunter had promised, her suitcase was there on the bench at the end of the king bed. Her borrowed dress was hanging in the closet. Quite possibly this hotel suite was bigger than her entire house back in Rust Creek Falls.
Wren ran into Merry’s room and grabbed her hand. “Come and see where I’m going to sleep.”
Merry let herself be tugged into the room. The puffy mattress was high and the white bedding looked pristine. “This is beautiful. Fit for a princess.”
“Come and see Daddy’s room. It’s way bigger.”
That seemed too intimate, too much an invasion of his privacy. Too tempting to think about him and what he wore, or didn’t wear, to bed. And her heart was beating just a little too fast, a sure sign doing this would be a bad idea.
“Why don’t we unpack your suitcase? And I want to see your dress. It’s probably hanging in the closet.” Merry saw Hunter in the doorway and wondered what he was thinking with that brooding look on his face.
Wren folded her arms over her thin chest. “You can’t see my dress until the wedding. Like the bride.”
Merry laughed. “Fair enough. But we should still get your things unpacked. Make sure you have your shoes, tights and everything you need. There are good surprises and bad ones.”
The child thought that over then nodded. “Okay.”
They made short work of unpacking the small princess suitcase. Once the wedding day accessories were present and accounted for, the little girl started jumping on the bed.
“Wren, stop. You’ll fall and hurt yourself,” Hunter said sharply.
Merry knew this was pent-up energy and excitement, not bad behavior. It just needed to be channeled in a more positive way. She believed her job wasn’t just about babysitting when Hunter wasn’t around, but to help out whenever she could. This was one of those times.
“I have an idea,” she said.
The child stopped jumping. “What?”
“We should go exploring.”
“For what?” the little girl asked.
“Adventures. There are beautiful grounds here at the hotel. Just look out the window.”
Wren plopped her bottom on the bed then slid off and raced over to the window. “I see a lake with water coming up out of the middle. And a sidewalk. And maybe a play area. Daddy, come and look. We should go.”
“Sounds like a good start for an adventure. I’ll take you,” Merry said.
“No. I want Daddy to come, too.”
“Maybe your dad wants to rest. After all, he was up pretty early this morning.”
The little girl looked up at him. “Do you want to take a nap instead of exploring with me and Miss Merry?”
“Absolutely not.” Although he didn’t look quite that certain. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Yay!” Wren clapped her hands and headed for the door. “Let’s go.”
“Put on your jacket,” Merry and Hunter said at the same time.
All of them grabbed coats and left the suite. After taking the elevator to the first floor they found the exit leading to the rear of the property and a path lined with shrubs. In her pink quilted jacket Wren took off running as her ponytail swung from side to side.
“Stay where I can see you,” Hunter shouted.
“I will,” she called back.
Merry walked beside her employer as they moved more slowly down the path. To fill a silence that bordered on awkward she asked, “How do you like Montana? And why did your family leave Texas?”
She glanced up at him and saw his mouth pull tight as a muscle in his cheek tensed. The question had stirred up something not good and she began to wonder if he was going to answer at all.
Finally he said, “When my dad gets an idea into his head it’s pretty hard to change his mind.”
“Did you want to?”
“I like ranch work, taking care of the animals. I don’t much care what state I do it in. As long as my daughter is happy, I’m good.” He looked down. “Thanks to you, her school transition was smooth.”
“I’m glad I could help. I know how it feels to be the new kid in the class.” As they walked, Merry was keeping that pink jacket in sight and she figured Hunter was, too.
“You made the difference. Please tell me you’re not leaving town.”
“Why would you think I was?”
“I noticed the for sale sign in front of your house.”
“Oh. No. I’m not leaving Rust Creek Falls,” she said.
“Then why sell?”
