Hayley had loved having private time with her family so they could do all the nostalgic things that were a part of a Bennett Christmas – tree decorating, board games and favorite holiday cartoons.

Her snowball fight with Luke in the backyard had been like old times. The light Christmas Eve supper of vegetable soup and homemade rolls that they had every year tasted as good as it always had. But she’d missed Badger.

After going nearly twenty-four hours without seeing him, she kept peeking out the window, impatient for him to arrive. She’d already informed her family that after the service she and Badger would be taking a drive to see the lights. All three had looked as if they didn’t believe a word of it.

It didn’t matter. The charade she and Badger had cooked up gave her carte blanche to disappear to an undisclosed location and cuddle with her fiancé tonight. She’d worn another cashmere sweater, this one a pale blue with a cowl neck, because he’d mentioned the softness of her white one the night before.

He pulled into the drive right on time. Her dad had already walked over to the church to make sure everything was set up.

She grabbed her parka. “Mom! Luke! He’s here.”

“I’m ready.” Her brother exited his bedroom wearing the denim sheepskin coat he’d brought on this trip.

She should have guessed something was up with him when she’d seen that coat. It was like one he used to have when he was in high school, back when he thought of himself as a cowboy.

College had changed all that and he’d started wearing topcoats. He looked handsome no matter what, but she liked the blue denim best. It was more Luke.

“Me, too.” Her mom came out of the master bedroom pulling on her bright red parka. She paused at the end of the hallway to look at Hayley and Luke. “You guys are beautiful, you know that?”

Hayley’s throat tightened at the love shining in her mother’s eyes. “You, too, Mom.”

“You’re both knockouts.” Luke spread his arms wide. “Group hug.”

She and her mom exchanged a look and rushed him. They nearly sent him sprawling.

Hayley was still laughing when she went to answer the door. Seeing Badger standing there gave her a rush of pleasure. “Hi!” She stepped back so he could come in.

He grinned. “Hi, yourself.” He leaned down to give her a quick kiss before facing Luke and her mom. “Hey, y’all. Ready to go?”

“Let’s do it.” Luke grabbed his new cowboy hat, another indication he was moving on from his day job.

“Hayley, you and Badger go on ahead,” her mom said. “Luke and I will lock up and follow behind you.”

“Okay.” Hayley zipped her parka and went out the door Badger held open for her.

Once they were down the steps, he took her hand. “You looked happy when you opened the door.”

“I was. I am.”

“Good day?”

“Yep. How about you?”

“Great day. What’d y’all do?”

“Played games, had a snowball fight, watched A Garfield Christmas. How about you?”

“Walked around town quite a bit.”

“Alone or with people?”

“Alone. Tried out the diner. Ever eaten there?”

“A few times. It’s cozy. But I’m surprised you weren’t out at the ranch with Kendra and everybody.”

“I had a couple of things to take care of and I felt like walkin’ through town.”

She was missing something. “Why?”

“I’ll tell you about it later.” He squeezed her hand. “When we’re lookin’ at Christmas lights.”

Just the mention of that was enough to get her hot. She took a calming breath. “You have both keys, right?”

“In my pocket.”

“Okay.” She took another deep breath. “I’m going to think about something else, now.”

He squeezed her hand again. “Me, too, darlin’. Me, too.”

Soft organ music greeted them as they stepped inside the church. Badger took off his hat and unbuttoned his coat as they were each given an unlit candle. Graceful tapers flickered on the altar, casting muted light over pine boughs and holly. Sprays of pine and holly had been attached to the end of each wooden pew. Hayley had always associated the fragrance of beeswax and pine with Christmas Eve.

“Sure is pretty,” Badger murmured.

“I love this little church.” She took charge of the candles while he helped her out of her parka and took off his coat. “The stained glass is even prettier during the day.”

“It reminds me of one I saw in Switzerland.”

So he’d been to Switzerland. But she didn’t know when or why. And now wasn’t the time to ask such questions, either.

“Where should we sit?”

“Up front,” Luke said as he came in behind them and took off his jacket. “Dad always reserves a spot for us.”

Badger turned to him. “For me, too?”

“Absolutely.” Her mom patted his shoulder. “I hope you didn’t feel left out today, but Hayley said—”

“Today was for y’all.” He helped her out of her coat. “I’m glad you had that time.”

Her mother beamed at him. “You’re a nice person, Badger. Now everybody scoot up there. We’re blocking the way.”

In the front pew, the guys sat on either side of the women so Hayley ended up with Badger on one side and her mom on the other.

Her mom leaned over and whispered in her ear. “I don’t care what your dad says. Badger is perfect. Don’t wait too long.”

“Um…”

“Can’t you just picture walking down the aisle of this church?”

She hadn’t even considered it, but thanks to her mom’s comment, she now had that image in her mind. When and if she married someone, this was the fairytale church she’d choose for the ceremony. Her dad would perform the service. Her mom and Luke would walk her down the aisle.

The man who’d be waiting for her at the end of that aisle was anybody’s guess, though. Badger was sexy as hell, great to look at and fun to be with, but who was he, really? She had no idea. He’d confided almost nothing of a personal nature.

Yet his warmth and solid presence beside her was nice, very nice. When he laced his strong fingers through hers, she was tempted to weave all kinds of fantasies.

But they wouldn’t be based in reality. He was an actor who’d agreed to play a part. He was very good at playing it, but she’d be a fool to start believing in the fantasy.

Her mom leaned over again. “I still think next week we should plan a trip to Bozeman so we can—whoops, it’s starting.”

Saved by the choir. The organ music swelled, her dad came out wearing his robes, and the choir filed down the aisle holding flickering electric candles as they sang O Come All Ye Faithful.

With music filling the church, she almost missed Badger’s soft sigh. She put her head close to his. “You okay?”

“Never better.” He lifted her hand and kissed her fingertips. Her ring gleamed in the light from the passing candles. “Never better.”

She didn’t know what to make of it. Any of it. His solo walk through town, his itch to try the diner’s food, his sigh of what must be contentment.

Whatever was going on with him, he certainly liked the service. He sang enthusiastically with the rest of the congregation and listened with rapt attention to everything her dad had to say.

She did the same, because she loved the music at this time of year and her dad sure did know how to move a crowd. He never went for laughs on Christmas Eve. He went all in for love, though. She was always proud to be his kid, but never more than on Christmas Eve.

As usual, her mom got teary eyed. Hayley put her candle in her lap so she could reach over and squeeze her mom’s hand. That was how she finished up the service, with one hand captured by Badger and the other giving love to her mother.

Luke had their mom’s other hand. The two of them had tag-teamed this event for years. Their dad would be awesome leading the service, their mom would be overcome with pride and love, and Hayley and Luke would give her support.

Badger had never been a part of the scenario before, but somehow he seemed to fit. Then the ushers came around to light the candles of the person on the end of the row. That was Badger. He seemed thrilled about it.

He turned to her. “Merry Christmas, Hayley.” Touching his candle to hers, he smiled. “I love this.”

“Merry Christmas, Badger. I love it, too.” She swiveled around to light her mom’s candle, who then lit Luke’s. The significance of one person sharing their light with another had always touched her. Now she was a little choked up.

Her dad always ended the service with everyone singing Silent Night. This one was acapella. Only the voices of the choir and the congregation rose into the rafters of the little church. It was her favorite part.

The music ended and her father gave the final blessing. Candles were blown out and everyone filed out of the church, voices subdued as they held onto the spiritual high of joining together on Christmas Eve.

Badger, usually so talkative, was quiet on the walk back. When they reached his truck, he hugged her mom and shook hands with Luke. Then he helped her in, and in no time at all they were on the road, bound for the B and B.

She couldn’t gauge his mood. “Did you like it?”

“Oh, Hayley, it was wonderful. I never knew a Christmas Eve could be like that.”

“Your folks didn’t go to church on Christmas Eve?”

“We might have a few times. I remember Switzerland, for sure. But that service wasn’t in English and it was…different.”

“It sounds like you weren’t home much for Christmas.”

“Never. But it doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters. If you’ve never spent a Christmas at home, that’s—”

“Not what I want to talk about. I’ve just had a memorable Christmas Eve and I want to hold onto that for now.”

“Okay, sure.” He had a point. This wasn’t a good time to dig into painful childhood memories. They’d carved out a couple of hours to be together. No sense spoiling their interlude with unpleasant subjects.

He captured her hand. “I do have a few things to tell you about, but if you wouldn’t mind too much, I’d like to make love to you first.”

“I wouldn’t mind. I wouldn’t mind at all.”