He frowned as she took off her jacket.Hannah had looked gorgeous in her Christmas elf and caroler costumes but, in her blue jeans and sweater, she looked even better.She was cute, and cuddly, and everything that would keep him awake tonight.
Hannah looked at him, then at Pat. “Is everything okay?”
Pat glanced at Mrs. Bennett.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Mrs. Bennett growled. “Sometimes I wonder if the Good Lord was short of common sense when you two men stood in line.”
A blush snuck up Pat’s neck. “Hannah is staying with us for a few days, Brett. She’s cataloging our art collection.”
Brett knew exactly why Pat looked uncomfortable, but he wasn’t ready to let him off the hook that easily. “Why Hannah?”
As soon as Hannah’s eyebrows rose, he knew he’d said the wrong thing. She thought he was questioning her ability to do the job, but that wasn’t what he meant. The McConachies knew almost everything about him and they were an important part of his life. But some things, like any current or future relationships, were off limits—even to Pat.
Hannah crossed her arms. “I’m more than qualified for the job. I majored in art history at MSU, I write a monthly arts column for the Bozeman Chronicle, and I enjoy painting.”
Mrs. Bennett handed Brett a dishtowel. “After you’ve taken your foot out of your mouth, you can take the casserole out of the oven. Then I suggest you have a shower. You’re eating here tonight.”
Brett took the dishtowel and opened the oven door. He knew better than to argue with Mrs. Bennett.
“And you,” She pointed at Pat, “will make sure Hannah has everything she needs to catalog the paintings. I know how meddlesome you can get. Don’t interrupt what she’s doing or the poor girl will be here until next Christmas.”
Pat opened a cupboard and pulled out four placemats. “I promise to be on my best behavior.”
Mrs. Bennett pursed her lips. “We’ll see how long that lasts.” She smiled at Hannah and handed her some napkins. “While Brett has a shower you can tell me about your business. Pat said you co-own an event staging company?”
Hannah glanced at Brett.
His heart sank when he saw the disappointment in her eyes. She thought he didn’t want her here, but that was the last thing on his mind. He folded the dishtowel in half and left it on the counter.
In a last-ditch attempt to right his wrongs, he cleared his throat, interrupting whatever Hannah was about to say. “I’m glad you’re here. Pat should have had his collection revalued a long time ago. I’m sure you’ll do a great job.”
Pat coughed and turned a little too quickly toward the living room. “I’ll be back soon.”
Mrs. Bennett bustled past them with a bowl of bread rolls in her hands. “Hannah will do an amazing job. Brett, you’ve got ten minutes until dinner’s ready.”
He sighed. Hannah deserved more of an explanation, but that would have to wait until later. “I’ll be back soon.”
The twinkle in Mrs. Bennett’s eyes made him feel a little better. “You do that. Now, shoo. Hannah and I have things to discuss.”
He didn’t know if that was a good thing or not, but as long as he wasn’t included in their conversation, he was happy.
***
After they’d finished dinner and the dishes were done, Hannah sat in the living room, listening to Brett and Pat talk about the ranch. Mrs. Bennett had gone to bed half an hour ago.
“You must be tired of hearing about cattle numbers and feed supplies,” Pat said to her.
“Not at all. It’s interesting. I don’t know how you manage to keep all of your cattle fed and in one place when the weather is like this. It must be difficult.”
Brett picked up his coffee mug. “The herd generally sticks together. It’s only when a fence is down that we have problems.”
“Like today,” Pat added. “If this snow keeps falling, we’ll have to shovel our way out of the house.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Brett murmured.
Pat nodded. “We’ve talked about the ranch for long enough. Tell me about cataloging Ida’s paintings, Hannah. Is there anything you need to get started?”
“I brought most things with me, including my laptop. The only thing I might need is a ladder. Some of the paintings are too high for me to measure easily.”
