going to run the ranch after he graduated from college. Until then, his Uncle Jerry and Aunt Millie took care of things.
“Hey, cowboy,” I jabbed him in the ribs and he groaned. “I’m the one who usually sleeps in.”
He sat up, and his chocolate eyes smiled at me sleepily. “Hey, did you sleep well?”
I nodded, leaning in to kiss him. “Yes, thank you, but if we don’t hurry, we’re going to be late.”
It was a mad dash out of the cabin and to the horses. Our flight left in four and a half hours, and we still had to finish packing. I rode Firefly right beside Chase, keeping up with Ash easily.
“Hey, Mac, mind taking care of the horses?” Chase shouted to one of the hands when we finally reached the yard. “We’ve got a flight to catch.”
Mac, a burly guy in overalls and bright yellow snow boots, nodded. “Sure, just leave ’em out by the stables and I’ll see they get settled.
I told Firefly goodbye, that I’d see her in a few days, and followed Chase up the steps to the side door off the kitchen. Whiskers, Millie’s cat, was sitting on the counter staring out the window. He meowed loudly at me when I gave him a scratch, and hissed as Chase passed him. They still didn’t get along.
“Are you upset?” I asked the feline when he looked back out the window. The only thing Whiskers hated more than my cowboy was snow.
“Where’ve you been all night?” Uncle Jerry came into the kitchen and set an empty mug in the sink. He leaned on his cane, eyeing Chase and me. It seemed he’d heard the rumors that we were on our way to hell. “Having fun?”
“No, I almost froze,” I said. “I fell in the creek.”
Chase patted his uncle’s shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry, Jerry, we haven’t done anything you wouldn’t want us to do.”
He snorted, fishing the Christmas pipe he smoked only a few times a year out of his pocket. “I’m not trying to get in your business, I was just checking on you.”
As we passed Jerry, I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and said hello to the litter of puppies in their playpen in the hall by the stairs. Stinker had become a father again. There were four in this litter, and it had been a surprise to us all. Normally Millie kept the only female dog on the ranch well away from Stinker, but he was a sneaky one.
The litter of spaniels would all need homes now.
We’d be bringing Penny to Chase’s little sister Amy for Christmas, and I couldn’t wait to see her face when she realized we’d brought her a wiggly puppy.
Chase went up to shower and get his things together. I decided to call Grandma to make sure she and Grandpa were still up to meeting us at the airport.
“Hey, how’s the weather up there, baby?” Grandma asked. The soft sound of bells jingling in the background clued me in that she was probably decked out in her Christmas best.
“Oh, it’s snowy, and cold…but I love it.” I said, heading into my room to clean up and get my things. “Chase and I will be at the airport around six. Are you sure you and Grandpa want to pick us up?”
“Oh, positive. I can’t wait to see you, and neither can Grandpa.”
I couldn’t wait to see her, either, but I was just a tad worried about the thirty-minute drive Grandpa would be making to pick us up. His trips were normally five to ten minutes around town. He wasn’t the best driver in his old age.
“But…”
“No buts, Briar baby. Grandpa and I will be picking you up.” She blew kisses over the phone. “Have a safe flight, and I’ll see you in a few hours!”
I hung up, thinking I might need to bring a crash helmet and padding. Maybe I could convince them to let me or Chase drive us back to the house.
“You ready?” Chase’s voice carried from down the hall.
“Not yet,” I shouted. “Ten minutes!”
I showered quickly, dried my hair, and layered my clothes so that I could shed the heavy ones once we got to Florida.
“You got the tickets?” Jerry asked as Chase and I headed out
“Hey, cowboy,” I jabbed him in the ribs and he groaned. “I’m the one who usually sleeps in.”
He sat up, and his chocolate eyes smiled at me sleepily. “Hey, did you sleep well?”
I nodded, leaning in to kiss him. “Yes, thank you, but if we don’t hurry, we’re going to be late.”
It was a mad dash out of the cabin and to the horses. Our flight left in four and a half hours, and we still had to finish packing. I rode Firefly right beside Chase, keeping up with Ash easily.
“Hey, Mac, mind taking care of the horses?” Chase shouted to one of the hands when we finally reached the yard. “We’ve got a flight to catch.”
Mac, a burly guy in overalls and bright yellow snow boots, nodded. “Sure, just leave ’em out by the stables and I’ll see they get settled.
I told Firefly goodbye, that I’d see her in a few days, and followed Chase up the steps to the side door off the kitchen. Whiskers, Millie’s cat, was sitting on the counter staring out the window. He meowed loudly at me when I gave him a scratch, and hissed as Chase passed him. They still didn’t get along.
“Are you upset?” I asked the feline when he looked back out the window. The only thing Whiskers hated more than my cowboy was snow.
“Where’ve you been all night?” Uncle Jerry came into the kitchen and set an empty mug in the sink. He leaned on his cane, eyeing Chase and me. It seemed he’d heard the rumors that we were on our way to hell. “Having fun?”
“No, I almost froze,” I said. “I fell in the creek.”
Chase patted his uncle’s shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry, Jerry, we haven’t done anything you wouldn’t want us to do.”
He snorted, fishing the Christmas pipe he smoked only a few times a year out of his pocket. “I’m not trying to get in your business, I was just checking on you.”
As we passed Jerry, I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and said hello to the litter of puppies in their playpen in the hall by the stairs. Stinker had become a father again. There were four in this litter, and it had been a surprise to us all. Normally Millie kept the only female dog on the ranch well away from Stinker, but he was a sneaky one.
The litter of spaniels would all need homes now.
We’d be bringing Penny to Chase’s little sister Amy for Christmas, and I couldn’t wait to see her face when she realized we’d brought her a wiggly puppy.
Chase went up to shower and get his things together. I decided to call Grandma to make sure she and Grandpa were still up to meeting us at the airport.
“Hey, how’s the weather up there, baby?” Grandma asked. The soft sound of bells jingling in the background clued me in that she was probably decked out in her Christmas best.
“Oh, it’s snowy, and cold…but I love it.” I said, heading into my room to clean up and get my things. “Chase and I will be at the airport around six. Are you sure you and Grandpa want to pick us up?”
“Oh, positive. I can’t wait to see you, and neither can Grandpa.”
I couldn’t wait to see her, either, but I was just a tad worried about the thirty-minute drive Grandpa would be making to pick us up. His trips were normally five to ten minutes around town. He wasn’t the best driver in his old age.
“But…”
“No buts, Briar baby. Grandpa and I will be picking you up.” She blew kisses over the phone. “Have a safe flight, and I’ll see you in a few hours!”
I hung up, thinking I might need to bring a crash helmet and padding. Maybe I could convince them to let me or Chase drive us back to the house.
“You ready?” Chase’s voice carried from down the hall.
“Not yet,” I shouted. “Ten minutes!”
I showered quickly, dried my hair, and layered my clothes so that I could shed the heavy ones once we got to Florida.
“You got the tickets?” Jerry asked as Chase and I headed out
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