One Tough Christmas Cookie (The Reindeer Wrangler Ranch Christmas Romance Book 1)

by Lucy McConnell

  Proceed with caution, but nevertheless proceed.

  Chapter 5

  Faith

  After a long night of drifting in and out of sleep and the welcome news that Dad had made it through surgery and was in recovery, Faith told Caleb she was ready to go to the ranch.

  “Don’t you want to see him?” Caleb asked, his forehead wrinkled with confusion.

  The man was an enigma. He had a boyish quality to his smile, and yet his jaw was covered in a manly, well-kept beard streaked with honey-colored strands.

  She rubbed her eyes. So many memories came up throughout the night that she couldn’t be sure what she’d dreamed and what had been lucid thought. It was almost like she had two fathers. The first one loved Christmas and reindeer and animals and her. The second one was a selfish loner who did what he wanted no matter the consequences to the people around him.

  She wasn’t sure who was waking up from surgery this morning—which dad would she find? “Not right now,” she responded, putting off the answer to her question. She gave the nurse a note to give to Dad when he was fully awake that said she went out to check on a reindeer. At least he’d be happy about that.

  It wasn’t long before Faith found herself in a beautiful new red Ford pickup truck with seat warmers that grew her exhaustion like germs in a petri dish. She leaned her head against the cold window and watched the tops of six-foot fence posts strung with barbed wire fly by. The road was covered in a sheet of compact snow, and the plows had pushed enough off the road to cover the fences. The fields were empty blankets of white—sometimes broken up by snowmobile treads.

  Her car wouldn’t have made it far on the slippery roads, but Caleb’s truck seemed to do just fine. He had bags of feed in the back for weight and flipped on the four-wheel drive, which meant they traveled at about 30 miles per hour. She was warm and oddly comfortable despite the cowboy sharing the cab and the fact that she was about to visit the one place on God’s earth she’d sworn she’d never go.

  She must have dozed off, because she jolted awake as the truck bounced into a long driveway. Eager to appease her long-standing curiosity, she leaned forward in her seat. The field next to her was full of reindeer. The females had beautiful sets of antlers; the males had already shed theirs during November. They drove for a full five minutes with nothing but reindeer to admire until the road opened up into a parking area. Straight ahead was a stunning two-story country home done in light gray with red shutters and a white wraparound porch. A green wreath hung on the door, and holiday garlands wove around the support beams. Large trees stood sentry in the front yard, their shade probably welcomed in the summer. She’d bet a month’s salary the Nichollases had lights strung everywhere and the home was stunning at night.

  She rubbed her arms, instinctively knowing that this was a home so unlike the one she’d grown up in. This was the kind of place where decorating a Christmas tree wasn’t a chore and the scent of homemade apple cider warming on the stove enveloped you when you walked through the front door.

  Turning away, because the house and the accompanying yearnings it created were too much to bear, she focused on the barn. Red—because what other color would a Christmas-loving family pick?—and bigger than the apartment building she’d lived in at college, it was trimmed in white. Along the side was a large sign that read “Reindeer Wrangler Ranch,” complete with holly clusters in the corners. A huge indoor arena finished in gray and white like the house stood next to the barn. The whole place screamed of money and privilege.

  “Shoot.” Caleb scrambled for his phone and pressed a few buttons. “Announcement: we have a visitor on the ranch. Repeat—we have a visitor. Everyone is grounded.”

  “Ten-four.”

  “Copy that.”

  “The workout doors are shut. Are we good in here?”

  Caleb’s lips disappeared in his beard as he pressed them together. He glanced at her before responding. “I think so. I’ll give you warning if we come that way.”

  “Thanks.”

  That was the strangest thing she’d ever heard. “What was that?” she demanded.

  Caleb shrugged. “Usual procedure.”

  “For what, an air raid?” Everyone’s grounded?

  She leaned forward in her seat and glanced up at the sky, then at what she’d thought was an indoor arena. Maybe it was an airplane hangar. Some farmers in this area used planes to fertilize their crops. Her breath caught at the thought of flying with Caleb. She’d ridden in a helicopter and a small plane before—both times, she’d felt like she was given a glimpse of how God must see the world in all its beauty. Perspective had been gained, because the things that were so big in her life suddenly seemed small. And the feeling that time extended on and on had overcome her, letting her know that deadlines and appointment schedules, though necessary, shouldn’t rule her life.

  Could Caleb take her flying and give her those feelings? Would he? She could use a moment out of time to get her bearings over the situation with her father. “Are you a pilot?”

  Caleb threw the truck in park and climbed out without answering her question.

  Rude. Her hopes deflated, and she brushed them away like old tissues.

  She fumbled with the door handle as he made his way around the front of the truck. No way was she going to let him open her door and pretend to be a gentleman when he’d ignored her.

  A man in a tan felt cowboy hat and a black winter work coat strode out of the barn. He lifted a hand in greeting. His high cheekbones and trimmed beard resembled Caleb’s so much that they had to be brothers. Although this guy had medium brown hair and his beard was tinged with red. Interesting.

  “Where’s Stella?” Caleb called to him, looking around the open area as if this woman should be in plain sight.

  Faith’s interest perked up. Stella? She thought he’d said he had all brothers. Maybe Stella was someone who helped with the reindeer. Or a girlfriend. The familiarity in Caleb’s voice when he spoke her name made Faith hope Stella was the one who had to clean stalls. She shoved the tiny green-eyed monster away; it wasn’t big enough to put up a fight and disappeared quickly.

  Caleb’s brother continued with his report, “She took off this morning.”

  “Took off how?” Caleb pushed up his hat and scratched his hair.

  “She took Snowflake.” The man’s eyes darted to Faith as they met up.

  She went to open her mouth to introduce herself when Caleb dropped a “son of a nutcracker.” He ripped off his hat and slapped it against his thigh before heading toward the barn with long strides.

  Faith hurried to keep up, sucked into the drama playing out in front of her. Perhaps all wasn’t well on the Reindeer Wrangler Ranch. The little brother kept up with them, casting an apologetic look to Faith.

  “Who authorized that?” Caleb demanded.

  “I did.” An older, distinguished version of the two men strode out of the barn. He had on a cream felt hat and a denim coat lined with matching fleece. These wranglers sure loved their cowboy hats. Her own head was cold since she didn’t even have a beanie or anything.

  She studied the man she’d once believed turned her father against his family. He was a classic handsome, like George Clooney with a touch of Santa Claus, wider in the shoulders and with bowed legs. What she could see of his hair was gray sprinkled with darker gray. His eyes were kind, and he had this aura of patience about him that made her think he was trustworthy.

  She rubbed her arms. She hadn’t had enough sleep last night to challenge her whole set of beliefs about these people and her family today. Exhaustion dogged her every footstep. The sooner she saw this all-important reindeer, the better.

  Caleb shook his head. “Why would you let her take an untried and quite frankly a half-crazy reindeer to fl—”

  “A-hem.” Mr. Nichollas cut off his son’s tirade. When he focused all his attention on Faith, she had the feeling she was something special. He held out his elbow, expecting her to take it. “Let’s get t
his little lady inside, where her hands can thaw out. We can catch up later.”

  Caleb seemed more upset that this Stella person had taken a reindeer than that she was gone. Wait—she’d taken a reindeer. Were the animals allowed to leave the ranch? As far as she knew, endangered species permits didn’t permit selling the animals to outside individuals. Add that to the way Mr. Nichollas had jumped on Caleb, stopping him from saying anything more in front of her, and the situation was suspicious. She’d have to keep her ears and eyes open for warning signs while she was here. Reporting misconduct to the authorities would ensure the animals were properly taken care of.

  If she’d thought the outside of the barn was impressive, she was overwhelmed with the inside. The breezeway was lined with thick pads—the kind they used in horse stalls to save their knees and hips from undue pain. On the left were eight stalls, and on the right was a tack room, a washing area and hitching post, and then four stalls mirroring the ones on the other side. In the wash area was a large open brick fireplace with a built-in bench surrounding it. She would have been concerned that it would start the place on fire, but there wasn’t anything flammable within fifteen feet. Not a speck of straw or sawdust.

  Beyond the stalls, tractors and other equipment lined up like toy soldiers waiting for their orders. The stalls were framed with thick timbers and iron rods. Some of them had lowered ceilings, while two were open to the rafters. She’d never seen stalls that went all the way to the ceiling before. It was so strange.

  Reindeer poked their heads out of the windows, looking her over. Animals were curious about new people. She could probably walk down the rows and take a moment to introduce herself to each of them and enjoy the feel of their velvet noses against her palm.

  Wait—was that a red nose? She blinked. “Is that a red nose?” She pointed to the reindeer in the stall on the right. “I’ve never seen that before.”

  Mr. Nichollas’s belly bounced as he laughed. It was endearing to see him enjoy the moment of showing off his reindeer as if it were his firstborn son. “It’s red alright. Just like his daddy.”

  “Next you’re going to tell me his dad is Rudolph and that his nose wasn’t just red; it glowed.” She shook her head. Mr. Nichollas and Dad were two of a kind.

  “I didn’t say anything about glowing. Dunder’s in here, dear.” Mr. Nichollas pulled open a heavy sliding door and revealed a beautiful gray-haired reindeer with a giant set of antlers, lying on his side and breathing deeply. “He’s been asleep for a few hours.”

  She felt her pockets for a pair of medical-grade plastic gloves and then moaned. “I didn’t bring any supplies.”

  “I’ve got a few in the tack room. I’ll see what I can dig up.” Mr. Nichollas left her there in the open doorway.

  In her experience, large animals saw open doors as an escape and were willing to bowl over whoever stood in their way. She was about to step backward and do her best to slide the door shut when a warm hand landed on her lower back and pushed her though.

  She glanced over her shoulder to see Caleb, his face tight with determination as he guided her inside the stall.

  She stumbled, and he caught her arm, righting her. “Thank you,” she breathed out, discombobulated by the fact that his touch was both sure and gentle. Moving closer, she studied the reindeer with curiosity. He didn’t look like anything special. In fact, he seemed old and worn out. “He should have lost his antlers.” She reached for her phone to pull up Dunder’s file.

  Caleb leaned against the stall wall and tucked his hands in his pockets. She wondered if he’d gotten a vibe when he’d touched her too—or if it was just her. “He doesn’t—ever. Not since he was two.”

  “What?” She located the file and read through it. “Dad thought there was a hormone deficiency of some kind but didn’t worry about it because he was otherwise healthy. Hmm.” A mystery for sure. “Will he startle if I touch him?”

  Caleb considered her. “I’m not sure. He’s an interesting guy.”

  “Guy?” She rolled her eyes. “Please, he’s an animal.” If she was going to be here, she would not put up with aggrandizing the herd’s reputation.

  Caleb chuckled. “You’ll see.”

  “Whatever,” she mumbled as she ran her hand over the large antler. The reindeer was lying down, and the antler came almost to her belly button and in some places was as thick as her arm. “Carrying this rack is enough to wear out a reindeer his age. You should cut it off.”

  Dunder’s eyes flew open, white and wild, and he snorted, lifting a cloud of sawdust and making her choke. She waved in front of her face and coughed.

  Caleb laughed. “I don’t think he likes that idea.”

  “He can’t understand me.” She turned her attention to Dunder and found herself caught in his deep, black-glass gaze. He seemed to be asking her for help, asking if she was a friend or foe. Going off her comment about cutting off his antlers, he might believe she was a foe. She shook off the haze that came from staring into his eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I really need sleep.”

  Mr. Nichollas appeared with a bucket of supplies and handed her some blue gloves. “I’m going to the playground for a minute to check on things. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  “Okay, thanks,” she called after him.

  She slipped into the gloves and then crouched in front of Dunder’s face, using a flashlight to make his pupils dilate. They did, though slowly, which meant his blood sugar was probably low. Not unexpected, considering he hadn’t eaten in 24 hours.

  She moved to push his lip up, and he grunted, pulling away.

  “Hey, boy,” said Mr. Nichollas. “This is Doc’s girl. You treat her right.”

  Dunder’s eyes flicked to her, and she could have sworn he understood, because he opened his mouth for her.

  “What are you looking for?” asked Caleb. He’d come closer when his dad had come in, and she sensed his nearness like warmth from a Yule log.

  “Sores. If he’s drinking but not eating, it could mean an abscessed tooth.” She finished the oral exam. “Nothing.” She moved to his stomach, listened to his heart and noted the fresh pile of droppings that meant his bowels worked. “I’m going to need to draw blood.” Thankfully, they had the supplies in the bucket.

  Caleb came forward and put his hand on Dunder’s neck, just above where she was about to insert the needle.

  She pulled back. “Is he going to jerk?” If he was, she wanted to be out of the way of the antlers. More importantly, they’d have to bind his legs to protect themselves. How had she skipped that step? She turned to stare at the reindeer, shocked that she’d forgotten he wasn’t domesticated and could easily harm her or Caleb.

  Caleb spoke softly. “No, but he’s scared.”

  Her head whipped to the side, where she caught the fear in Dunder’s eyes.

  She whipped back to look at Caleb, shocked that he was in tune with the animal. Usually, her large-animal clients stepped back and let her do what needed to be done. They didn’t care about the animal being afraid. Dog and cat owners? That was a different story altogether. They knew their pets, loved them as members of the family. “That’s very kind of you.”

  He ducked under the brim of his hat as he confessed, “I care about this old buzzard.”

  Dunder moaned like someone would at a bad joke.

  Caleb winked at her and started scratching behind Dunder’s ear. “What? Are you embarrassed in front of the pretty lady, huh?”

  While Caleb distracted the reindeer with his teasing and talk, Faith filled five vials of blood. She pulled out the needle and applied pressure with gauze. “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  Dunder rolled his eyes.

  She slipped off her gloves. “I don’t know what’s more disturbing: that I talked to him, or that I think he responded.”

  Caleb grinned. “This breed of reindeer is extremely intelligent.”

  A loud clang rang through the air. They both jumped and turned to see the red-n
osed reindeer shake out his head and then walk into the metal bar outlining the doorway again. She sputtered a laugh. “Intelligent, huh?”

  Caleb’s rueful grin was something to behold. “That’s Rudy. He’s smart, but he’s also half-blind.” He jumped to his feet and went over to the open doorway. “Rudy,” he said by way of warning the animal he was getting closer. “How’d you get out of your stall?”

  Rudy sniffed Caleb from belt to chin.

  “Sorry, no carrots on me today.”

  Rudy shook out his head in disgust.

  Faith rocked back on her heels, watching with interest. One reindeer with seeming telepathic abilities she could understand, but two?

  Caleb took Rudy’s halter and turned his head to the side. “This way.”

  “Hang on.” She patted Dunder’s neck before standing, feeling like Dunder would be insulted if she just ran off. She got closer to Rudy, expecting the same sniffing treatment. Instead, he buried his face in her stomach and rubbed his head on her. She laughed, stepping back with one foot to brace herself. “What’s he doing?”

  Caleb lifted a shoulder. “Saying hello.”

  She scratched both sides of Rudy’s face, just under his jaw. His back leg started pounding on the floor like a puppy’s, making her laugh.

  Caleb’s eyes widened, and he threw his arm over the back of the reindeer, leaning on him as if he were a countertop. Rudy’s feet clicked against the floor.

  Faith paused. Wait, his feet … No. She must have mistaken the sound of his thumping foot. It had moved fast enough to blur in her vision. He didn’t lift both hooves off the ground at the same time.

  “That’s good. He likes you.” Caleb held out a staying hand. “Let’s give the scratching a rest, okay?”

  “Okay.” She pulled her hands away from the warm fur and placed them on Rudy’s face so she could turn his head. Using the small flashlight, she studied his eyes. “He has cataracts.”