Badger had surprised himself by announcing to Hayley that he could live in Eagles Nest. It had been a private thought and he didn’t normally say that kind of thing out loud. Luckily she hadn’t had time to react. The party had shifted into high gear following the talent show and had continued into the wee hours of the morning.

Just as well that she hadn’t had a chance to question him about his remark. He’d bid her a sweet goodnight before she’d left with her folks. The Bennetts traditionally spent Christmas Eve day together, just the four of them.

Hayley had wanted to preserve that. Consequently, Badger wasn’t scheduled to see her again until he attended the candlelight service. That was fine with him. He needed time to think.

Kendra had driven him to the Guzzling Grizzly and he’d offered to take the wheel on the way back because she’d looked tired. He, on the other hand, had been wide awake. He’d spent the drive heaping praise on her family and the generous folks of Eagles Nest. She’d listened with a sleepy smile.

By the next morning, he’d made his decision. He texted Ryker and asked for a moment to talk. Ryker invited him over to Olivia’s place where he and Trevor were working on April’s henhouse in a last-ditch effort to finish it.

When Badger arrived, Olivia’s front yard was covered with sawdust. The henhouse, which sat on a canvas tarp, looked about half done. Trevor had built a fancy one for Kendra a few months ago and this one looked as if it would be similar—a miniature Victorian on stilts.

Ryker and Trevor wore ratty old jackets, baseball caps and work gloves. Other than their jeans and boots, they didn’t look much like cowboys today.

Ryker handed Trevor a board he’d just cut before walking over to greet Badger. “What’s up? Your text sounded urgent.”

“It kinda is, but keep workin’. I’d offer to help, but this isn’t my area of expertise.”

“It’s not my strong suit, either.” Ryker headed back over to the henhouse and picked up another board. “Trev’s the boss man on this deal.”

“And how sweet it is, too.” Trevor lowered the nail gun he’d been using and turned to grin at Badger. “You here to help?”

“Nah, I’m here to get in the way. Looks good so far.”

Trevor lifted his cap, wiped his forehead on his sleeve and repositioned the cap. “It’s coming along.”

“You goin’ to paint it pretty colors like your momma’s?”

“Too cold. The wood’s been treated so it should hold up until spring. We’ll paint then.”

“It’s better that we aren’t going to paint it,” Ryker said. “April will want to choose the colors. She’ll be happy that it’s unpainted.”

Badger shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “It’s good you know that about her.”

“I’d better know it after all the time we’ve spent together.” He turned to Trevor and held up the board. “Two inches off this one, too?”

“Yep. I need five more of those, so just keep cutting.”

Ryker motioned to Badger. “You can talk while I’m sawing but you’ll have to talk loud.”

“No problem.” He followed Ryker over to the table saw.

“So what’s on your mind?” Ryker turned on the saw.

Badger cleared his throat and yelled it out above the whine of the saw. “I’ve decided to work with you!”

Ryker turned off the saw and stared at him. “What?”

“I’ve made my decision. If you still want me to move here, I’d like to fly with you.”

Ryker typically wore what guys in the squadron had called his warrior face. But when he was happy, nobody could light up like Cowboy. He lit up now. “That’s awesome.” His voice was gruff with emotion as he put down the board and stuck out his hand. “Welcome to Badger Air.” Then he pulled him into a quick bro hug.

Trevor laid aside his nail gun and came over. “Did I hear right, Badger? You’re throwing in with this big lug?”

“Yeah.” He couldn’t stop grinning. “He needs me. His juggling skills have gone to hell since we broke up the act.”

Trevor nodded solemnly, although his mouth twitched. “Good move. I noticed last night he was the weak link.”

“Damned if I was! Genius over here bobbled my favorite thrift store find, the plate with the Christmas tree on it. I thought it was done for.”

“Nope. I was in full control, whereas if I hadn’t acted with consummate skill and dexterity, we would have been vacuuming up the pieces of that red and green platter you almost dropped.”

Trevor crossed his arms. “Clearly both of you morons need some serious practice before next year’s show.”

“They’ll do it again next Christmas?” Badger hadn’t counted on that. Talk about frosting on the cake. He’d loved that show.

“Definitely,” Trevor said. “Maybe you missed it because you were playing kissy-face with your fiancée, but Bryce announced it as everybody was leaving. Looks like we’ve got us a new tradition in Eagles Nest.”

“That’s great. Especially seein’ as how it was that show that jumpstarted me thinkin’ that I need to make the move.”

“I can see how that would happen. Last night was epic. Eagles Nest at its best.” Trevor punched him lightly on the shoulder. “It’ll be good having you around, Badger.”

“Thanks. But I’m gonna take off now and let you both get back to work.” He turned to leave.

“Hang on a sec.” Ryker glanced at his brother. “I’ll be back in a minute. I have a few questions for Badger.”

“Sure thing. Now that we’re this far along, I’m not worried. We’ll make it.”

“Hey, Cowboy, no need to iron out the details now. We can do that later.”

“This won’t take long. I’ll just mosey over to the truck with you.” He fell into step beside him. “I take it you’ve acclimated to the cold?”

“Aw, that was just a chicken-shit excuse.”

“’Cause you couldn’t see yourself disappointing your folks a second time?”

“Yes sir.”

“So what changed?”

“Remember what I said about badger bein’ my spirit animal?”

“Sure.”

“I just took that guy’s word for what it meant, but last night after I got home I looked it up online to double check.”

“Let me guess. It said you were a royal pain in the butt.”

“That’s about the gist of it. Badger goes his or her own way. Doesn’t worry about what others think. When I enlisted, I acted like Badger. When I came back, I quit bein’ myself. It’s time I got back to bein’ Badger again. If my folks get upset, if they decide to quit talkin’ to me on account of me doin’ what’s right for me, that’s on them.”

Respect gleamed in Ryker’s gaze. “Good plan.”

“Thanks. I like it.”

“What about Hayley?”

“I’m still thinkin’ about Hayley.”

“Oh, shit. Here it comes.”

“But see, I’ve got direction, now. I know where I’m goin’.”

“Right off a cliff.”

“Maybe not.”

“She still lives in Denver.”

“I know. But that’s not Timbuktu. And I’ll have a plane.”

“We’ll have a plane, and it won’t be available to fly your sorry ass to—”

“We’ll each have a plane.”

“Regardless.” Ryker sighed. “But I’m wasting my breath. I saw how you looked at her last night. Just take it slow, okay? Don’t say anything stupid or incriminating.”

“Like what?”

“If I have to spell it out…oh, what the hell. You’re gonna do what you’re gonna do. And if you crash and burn, I’ll just get you drunk and put you back together again.” Ryker smiled and gripped his shoulder. “It’ll be good flying with you again, Badger.”

“Same here, Cowboy.” Now that he’d made the decision, he couldn’t imagine why it had taken him so long. This was his path. Always had been.

In Atlanta, he’d get to be a lawyer but that was about it. Oh, he’d also get to be Thaddeus Livingston Calhoun the Third. His folks had refused to call him Badger.

Out here he’d established that Badger was his name. He had both a commuter airline and a raptor nursery named after him. He had the freedom to be a cowboy, a pilot and a juggler. As time went on, he might find more designations to tack on.

After saying goodbye to Ryker, he drove back to town and parked on Main Street. Eagles Nest had looked inviting before, but now that he’d decided to live here, the place charmed the living daylights out of him. The holiday decorations sparkled brighter and the shop windows glowed with extra good cheer.

He stopped for lunch at the Eagles Nest Diner because he’d never eaten there and he wanted to check out the menu. The Guzzling Grizzly would always be his first choice, but it didn’t serve breakfast and sometimes he might want to go out for a stack of pancakes and some eggs over easy.

The subject of breakfast naturally took him straight to the subject of Hayley. Christmas was tomorrow and he didn’t have a gift for her. The ring didn’t count because she’d known about it.

But what to get her? More jewelry? No, that lacked imagination. Wait, she’d been enamored of the collectibles store. After finishing his lunch, he walked down there.

The shop was a cheerful clutter of vintage jewelry, classic board games, jigsaw puzzles, fancy teapots and Montana memorabilia. Badger strolled the aisles until he found the book section. Several Hardy Boys mysteries sat next to a row of Black Stallion books.

“May I help you?”

He glanced down at a small woman with white hair, kind eyes and a great smile. “I surely hope so.”

Her smile widened. “You’re Southern.”

“I am.”

“I have a really nice copy of Gone with the—”

“That’s good to know, but that’s not what I’m lookin’ for.”

“Of course you’re not. That was a knee-jerk reaction. What are you looking for?”

“I’m not sure. I want a gift for someone who came in here two days ago with her momma. She’s blonde, about so tall.” He held his hand under his chin.

“Could you be a little more specific? I’ve had a lot of people in my shop this past month and that describes several of them.”

“She turned thirty this year and she’s real pretty.”

She gave him a sympathetic glance. “Doesn’t narrow it down much.”

“Her momma lives here. She’s a weddin’ planner. Hayley, her daughter who’s visitin’ for the the holidays, bought a Black Stallion book for her brother.”

“Bingo! Virginia Bennett and her daughter. Hayley got The Black Stallion Returns. She seemed interested in the series. Did you want to buy her one of those?”

“Probably not. If she’s collecting them she might already have whatever I picked. Did she look at anything else?”

“Let me think.” She tapped her lower lip. “Yes, she did! The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I have a 1911 First Edition in excellent condition but it’s pricey.”

“I’d like to buy it.”

She blinked. “But you don’t even know how much—”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“All righty, then. You just made this a very Merry Christmas, indeed.” She fished a key from her pocket, opened the case and took out an old-fashioned hardback. It had no paper dustcover. Just the book. “Would you like it gift-wrapped?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Would you like me to do a tap-dance while I wrap it?”

He chuckled. “Do you know how?”

“No, but for this kind of money, I could fake it.”

“That fancy paper’s good enough.”

“Hayley’s a lucky lady.”

“No, ma’am. I’m the lucky one.” Maybe. Time would tell.

Ten minutes later, the wrapped book tucked inside his jacket to protect it, he left the shop. Now that he had a gift, he had to decide when and how to give it to her.

He wanted it to be elegant. Showing up at her folks’ house on Christmas morning and slipping his gift in with the others beneath the tree didn’t seem like the way to go.

This wasn’t a Christmas gift to be opened while her family looked on. Instead he’d give it to her in a more intimate setting, maybe even tonight when they were alone in the B and B. And like Ryker had said, he’d try not to say anything stupid or incriminating.