A Grand Teton Sleigh Ride: Four Generations of Wyoming Ranchers Celebrate Love at Christmas (31 page)

Ty didn’t say anything, just studied her as if considering her words. Measuring his own. Then finally—“I hope with dinner tonight, I haven’t been too forward. That I haven’t ruined our friendship.”

“You haven’t.” Ray sure hadn’t taken an interest in Hayley’s pottery like Ty had. Maybe he hadn’t cared about her, after all. Maybe Daddy had been right and Ray had only been after the ranch and money, though without liquidating the ranch, there was no real money.

An awkward silence grew between them. Hayley wondered if she’d scared Ty off all by herself. “So tell me about yourself,” she said.

“What would you like to know?”

“I know about your grandmother, but what about the rest of your family. What brought your family to Jackson?”

Fair enough question, without probing too deeply, she hoped. But the evening was suddenly turning serious, and Hayley wished they could rush back to the slopes. Back to the laughter and smiles.

“My parents are in Texas. We’d come to Jackson to see Nanna—my grandmother—for the holidays or vacations, and I fell in love with skiing early on. Moved in with Nanna when I was a teenager so I could train and make something of myself.” He half laughed, half scoffed. “And the rest is history.”

Hayley searched his gaze, hating how he talked about himself. “You sell yourself short, Ty. You’re a very good instructor. And you pointed out a few of your students to me today. They looked like they were having a ball.”

“You know that’s not what I meant. I wanted to make racing history, but I took a few falls and just never got up. And here I am. I never did anything more with my life.”

She laughed, hoping to inject a lighter tone to their conversation. “Well, it’s like Daddy said, we make an interesting couple. Me an artist, and you a ski—”

“Bum. I’m a ski bum.”

“I was going to say instructor. You’re a ski instructor, and there’s nothing wrong with that profession. It’s honest work, and it’s what you love. I saw that today.”

That seemed to ease his tension, his shoulders visibly relaxing. “I love to ski. And I love teaching others. I loved seeing your face shine when you finally got it.”

They finished dinner, reminiscing about their afternoon on the slopes. Ty paid the bill for their meal, which had to cost him, considering the restaurant. He insisted this was a date the old-fashioned way, so he would pay.

“Thank you.” Hayley hoped he knew how happy she was that she was officially dating him.

He offered his hand. “You ready?”

“Are you taking me home now?” She didn’t want to go. Not yet.

“I don’t want to lose the battle with your father.”

Hayley liked his answer. That meant he was willing to fight, even after everything he’d just revealed. But she dreaded the trouble her father might cause over another man in her life.

In Ty’s vehicle, they held hands as he drove the dark highway, a comfortable silence between them. When it started sleeting, making the roads more hazardous, Ty released her and kept both hands on the steering wheel. On the curve around the base of the mountain going to the Covington property, he pulled over before the ranch house lights came into view.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He shifted closer to her. “There’s something I’ve wanted to do all day, and I know I won’t get the chance once I turn into your driveway. Not with your father watching over us.”

Hayley’s breath hitched.

He pulled her closer and gently brushed her hair from her face. He searched her gaze, as if trying to read whether or not she wanted him to kiss her. She hoped he read in her eyes an emphatic yes.

But just in case he didn’t, she inched closer and pressed her lips gently against his. He put his palms against her cheeks and kissed her back. Soft. Gentle. And sweet.

Ty was a gentleman. She’d always believed that and had wondered if they would ever move their relationship to the next level. If he would be too shy or gentle, or intimidated by her father after that first supper. But even Daddy hadn’t stood in his way.

Headlights shined brightly into the cab, interrupting the moment. Ty and Hayley shielded their eyes.

Daddy
. She groaned.

The vehicle pulled next to them and stopped. Ty lowered his window.

“Hayley, you were supposed to call when you headed home. The roads are bad. I got worried when I couldn’t reach you on your phone. A good thing I’m here. Looks like you broke down.”

She’d turned her phone off to enjoy her dinner without interruption and forgotten to turn it back on. Hayley squeezed Ty’s arm, whispering, “I’m so sorry, Ty.” Then to Daddy, “We stopped to talk for a minute before going all the way home.”

Daddy looked off in the distance, the sleet shifting to snow. “Looks like I interrupted something. For that, I’m sorry.” He glanced at Hayley then backed up the truck, turning around. She watched the red lights of his vehicle disappear in the night.

O
n the drive back to Jackson, snow and sleet pounded the windshield and danced in the beam of his headlights.

What had he been thinking to move so fast in his friendship with Hayley? Obviously she returned his interest, but where could this really go except giving them both a broken heart and putting a wedge between Hayley and her father?

Ty was surprised the man had been so congenial, because no way was Hayley’s father going to let her be with a guy like Ty—someone who hadn’t made something of himself. Ty couldn’t blame the man. If he were Hayley’s father, he’d want her to have the best sort of person for a husband.

Right now, Hayley didn’t seem to care about Ty’s simple occupation, and there was nothing wrong with it as long as you did something solid with it. Something besides working part-time. That wouldn’t take care of a family.

But her father cared about it, and eventually Hayley would care, too. Ty couldn’t stand to think of a day when she might be disappointed in him. Or come to resent him.

Given half a chance, he would change his future for himself.

For her.

Thanksgiving proved to be ridiculously busy, with Ty’s parents coming to town. They stayed with his grandmother, thank goodness, but he still cleaned his bachelor pad just in case. Plus, he worked double shifts at the ski resort and the National Elk Refuge, driving the sleighs for the tourists wanting to see the herd that wintered near Jackson.

He’d only had a short visit at the Covington Ranch, meeting Hayley’s sisters, their families, and other relatives. Wow, she had a big clan. She’d held his hand and acted proud enough to introduce him. Of course everyone asked what he did for a living, and after his reply, he couldn’t help but notice the questions in their eyes, her father notwithstanding. But maybe his own doubts and insecurities made him see questions that weren’t there.

On Friday, he’d managed to tear away from his work schedule and bring Hayley to his grandmother’s to meet his family. They were all duly impressed, and unfortunately, he could read his parents well enough. They didn’t think it would work.

Instead of letting anything get him down, Ty focused on making something of himself. Just like he’d always dreamed of doing, only different. He couldn’t be a champion ski racer, but he could do something productive, and that would last even longer. At the end of the day, when he had the evenings to himself, he worked on creating a business plan for a ski lodge on Nanna’s plot of land. Researched possible venture capitalists, and he found he enjoyed the business side of things.

He hoped he’d get the chance to share his plans with Hayley before it was too late.

Saturday morning, Ty worked at the refuge as usual, driving the horse-drawn wagon-sleigh. The sleigh took the tourists right to the elk herd of about seven thousand head. Today’s group had him a little nervous, with a few members of Hayley’s family, including her father, in the twenty-plus group. They’d said hello, and were warm and friendly enough, but mostly left him to do his job.

He couldn’t help but wonder if they were there to enjoy the herd—people who, for the most part, lived in this region—or if they’d come to watch Ty work. Maybe even put him in his place, as it were. He wasn’t good enough for Hayley. For a Covington. As he directed the sleigh back he left those kind of thoughts behind. They wouldn’t do him any good.

When the group exited the wagon, Hayley’s father hung back.

“Did you enjoy the ride? Seeing the herd?” Ty asked, trying to ignore how much her father intimidated him.

Hayley adored her father, and Ty wouldn’t give the man a reason to hate him, if he could help it.

The man thrust his hand out and shook Ty’s. “You do a good job, Son.”

“Thanks.” Ty suspected that wasn’t all he would say.

“Hayley’s a special girl,” her father said.

“I know.”

“And I know you care about my daughter.”

Pulse ratcheting up, Ty nodded. “Yes, I do.” Where was he going with this?

“And that’s why I want to ask you to do what’s best for her.”

“Sir?”

“Since you care about her, then surely you can see that you can’t offer her the best future.”

Heart thrumming, Ty didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t believe the man would actually say those words to him. How did Ty respond?

“Let me rephrase that for you, Son. If you care about Hayley, like you say you do, then you will let her go. You want the best for her. We both do.”

And you’re not the best man for her
. That’s what he was saying.

Hayley’s father walked off, leaving Ty standing there to reflect on his statement.

Today was Ty’s grandmother’s birthday.

There was a party to attend. Somewhere. Sometime. Staring at the teakettle she’d created for Ty’s grandmother, Hayley chewed on her nails. She’d never done that before. But she’d never been in this position before.

He’d been busy the weeks since Thanksgiving, or so he’d claimed, so he hadn’t had time to see Hayley. Still, he should have contacted her about the gift and the party.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Hayley knew she’d been dumped, and the hurt was palpable, even as she tried to comprehend the truth of it. What else could it be? But she couldn’t figure out why, unless … unless Daddy had interfered. But she couldn’t fathom him doing that. Not this time. Couldn’t he see that Ty was a good man? A hardworking man. A man who wasn’t interested in the ranch because it was worth millions. What did it matter if the guy didn’t have money of his own?

Hayley had decided she didn’t care what he did for a living—he wasn’t the bum he had termed himself at all. She had hoped that over time she could convince Ty to spend time with her on her ranching chores. Maybe she could transform him into a cowboy or a rancher, and they could all be happy. But if not, it wouldn’t change how she felt about him.

They’d had such a good friendship, and Hayley hurt that their friendship had been ruined because they’d taken things a step further, but it was the only natural course. No point in dancing around the obvious.

No point in sitting around feeling sorry for herself either. Ty had been straight with her from the beginning. She wouldn’t let him change that on them now.

She grabbed a box and gently packed the teakettle inside. Then pasted a few Christmas stickers on and decorated with some ribbon and bows she kept handy for this time of year. She would deliver this present to his grandmother, whether he liked it or not.

And after she’d have her say with Ty, then she’d face Daddy, if he was involved in Ty’s backing away.

An hour later, Hayley drove the curvy mountain road to Clara Walker’s home. Unsure if she would be early or late to the party, though she wasn’t even sure she was still invited. Hayley had called and left a voice mail with Ty that she would stop by to deliver the gift, and she’d texted him to give him an out if he didn’t want to call her back.

Whatever.

Her relationship with Ty aside, she’d put time and effort into this project, and the more she thought about it, the more aggravated she grew. This wasn’t like him at all. She hoped it was all a misunderstanding. That he was really busy and she’d become some dependent, clingy girl. Wow. The option didn’t sound any better.