A Cowboy’s Christmas List: Holidays in Heart Falls: Book 4

by Vivian Arend

  His mom sighed. “Because he realized he was an ass, and he apologized for being an ass, and he’s working hard to no longer be an ass.”

  “Language, darling,” Alex’s father rumbled, amusement in his voice before speaking again to Alex. “Son, we’ve talked about this before. When a man takes a wrong step, you don’t push him farther off a cliff. You give him a solid path to walk on and then shove him in the right direction.”

  A philosophy Alex agreed with completely, having been on the receiving end of his parents tough-yet-sweet love many times over the years. “I know, and you’re right. You just caught me off guard.” He took a moment to get his head together before starting up again. “If you say things are going well, that’s good. I’ll trust you to let me know if that changes and you need me to come home again.”

  “Of course. But that won’t be necessary,” his mom insisted. “Honey, you need time to get your life happening. We’re okay right now. Taking it easy, letting ourselves heal.”

  “I promise Davis is pulling more than his fair share. In fact, I’ll get him to give you a call, okay? He mentioned he was going to. Probably was worried you’d bite his head off, though.” Dad coughed pointedly. “We don’t have to worry about that now, do we?”

  “No. I’ll be good. Tell the jerk to get in touch.” Alex could picture his parents. Sitting at the kitchen table, mugs in front of them. “How is physical rehab? Still tough?”

  “Very.” His mom chuckled. “I’m very thankful my trainer is easy on the eyes. So, there’s that.”

  “Mom.” Alex chuckled. “You’re terrible.”

  “She’s incorrigible,” his dad corrected. “But what makes it worse is she’s right, and she keeps teasing me about it. Your mom got this gorgeous, dark-haired beauty. I’m stuck with an old guy nearly my age. Not even a pretty girl to make me do my exercises.”

  “Truly, life isn’t fair.” Alex noticed motion by the barn as Ashton shook hands farewell then turned to make his way to the truck. “Love you both, but I need to cut this short. Give Cait and Aaron a hug from me. Tell Davis to call. I’ll talk with you in a week if all is well.”

  “We love you,” they said in near-perfect chorus.

  Alex hung up, just a trace of discomfort edging into the satisfaction of knowing his parents were doing okay.

  Ashton pulled open the door and eyed Alex with displeasure. “I didn’t call shotgun.”

  “Consider me your chauffeur,” Alex encouraged. “Also, I got here first. I’m driving.”

  A solid snort escaped Ashton as he buckled up. “Fine, just don’t put us in a ditch.”

  “Yes, sir.” Alex gave a wave to the cowboy waiting to slide the gate open in front of them then headed the truck and trailer out onto the highway. “Some nice-looking animals we picked up.”

  “Yup. Don’t agree with everything Frank does, but it’s clear the Stone family knows horses right down to their roots.” Silver Stone’s award-winning bloodlines were a bit of luck and a whole lot of hard work, especially on Luke Stone’s part.

  “Family’s like that sometimes,” Alex said dryly, thinking about Davis. “You take the good and try and focus on it, hoping it outweighs the bad.”

  A low rumble of agreement. “How are your parents?”

  Alex smiled. “Was just talking to them. They’re nearly done with the physio part of recovery. Seems to be going well.”

  Ashton dipped his chin. “Hell of a thing, the two of them ending up in surgery at the same time.”

  “Once you’re on the list, it’s not something that you want to put off when you get a chance to take it.” Alex glanced at his foreman. “What about you and your family? Seems to be a good thing to have Tucker underfoot.”

  For the first time, he got a full-out grin from the old man. “I’m glad my nephew agreed to come apprentice with me. He came to visit every summer since he was a little tyke. Didn’t realize how much fun it would be to have a grown-up family member to boss around.”

  Alex laughed. Tucker was one step away from taking over Ashton’s job, and it was good to know there were no hard feelings with that soon-to-occur transition.

  Which triggered another thought. “You plan on retiring once Tucker takes over?”

  An answer he figured was going to be hell no.

  “Might try and find something else to keep me busy,” Ashton said easily.

  Well, hell. Maybe it was time to push his luck. “Maybe you should try and find somebody to spend some of that busy time with. You know, someone sweet who loves animals.”

  “You mind your own damn business,” Ashton warned, but amusement laced his voice.

  “I never mind my own damn business. It’s one of my charms,” Alex pointed out. He glanced to the side. “At the risk of being too blunt, why the hell are you and Sonora sneaking around behind closed doors?”

  Ashton met his gaze for a brief second before Alex had to look back at the road. But that moment and the expression on the other man’s face had been enough to make it clear.

  The sneaking wasn’t Ashton’s idea.

  “I’m working on it,” he grumbled. Then he sat back and stared straight ahead. “If you repeat that to anyone, I will deny it vehemently. Then I will put you on night shift for the rest of the month. Which would be a shitty thing to do to that sweet thing you’re making the moves on.”

  “Damn if you don’t play mean,” Alex complained.

  “When you’ve been in the game for as long as I have, you know when it’s time to stop messing around.” Ashton tipped his hat over his eyes. “Happy driving. Wake me when we get home.”

  Which left Alex alone with his thoughts for the next two hours. A lot of thoughts, all down wildly diverse paths.

  Ashton was making a move for Sonora. Interesting.

  His parents were recovering well, and his foster brother—one of them—was hanging around and helping.

  Back at home, Yvette had been sending him sweet, interesting messages for the past three days. Despite that, he still missed the hell out of her.

  Which made for one tangled mess of thoughts, running on an endless loop in his brain.

  Yet he couldn’t get upset about it. They were all good things, really, and when it came down to it, they were all bits of an adventure that he had longed for.

  The journey was part of the destination. He didn’t want to wish away a single minute.

  7

  Of course. Wednesday would turn out to be a day from hell. Snow had started falling at four twenty-seven a.m.—Yvette knew the precise time because she was already up, headed out on an emergency callout.

  The three farms she visited before noon all had turned into one adrenaline-drenched moment after another. She was chased by a bull, squished against the wooden stall sidewall by an overeager horse, and came within inches of being tossed out of the hayloft when an owl unexpectedly swooped past her and frightened the farmer into bolting straight into her.

  At the time she was supposed to be headed home to get ready for the firefighters’ annual Christmas gathering, Yvette was stuck ankle deep in frozen muck.

  She hauled herself free, waved goodbye to the poor farmer who still had to complete all his chores, and hauled out her phone so she could touch base with Alex.

  Normally, she would’ve been beside herself, worrying about being late and what he would think about her lack of responsibility. It was terrible that she could hear her mother’s voice lecturing her again on personal commitment and thinking of others first.

  It didn’t help that over the past couple of days, she’d fielded a series of text messages from her siblings. She must have been the topic of conversation during the Saturday family dinner, and who knows what her mother had shared, because her three older brothers all sent if you need help, just ask messages. Which would have been sweet, except their help came with caveats and a demand that she move back to Regina.

  Carrie, on the other hand, had started by accusing Yvette of not coming to the dinner because
she was jealous then worked her way to forgiving her baby sister “who I love so much and just want the best for.” All without Yvette once texting back.

  * * *

  Yvette pulled up Alex’s contact and forced back all the negative thoughts. She was late—these things happened during the course of a workday, especially for someone who dealt with animals.

  She’d taken the time over the past couple days to think hard, especially in light of how the nasty texts had made her feel.

  Jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst of good people were both bad habits of hers that needed to stop, which meant right now she needed to trust Alex would understand.

  He answered as if he’d been waiting for her call. “Hey, gorgeous.”

  “If you could see me right now? You’d use a different word.” With the heat on full, whatever was stuck to the bottom of her boots was warming up and filling the cab with a terrible aroma. “Scratch that. If you could smell me right now—we’d have a problem.”

  He caught her hidden message, and he chuckled. “Running late from a job?”

  “You do not want me to join a party right now. Not unless you need the room cleared.”

  “Remember, half of us have lost our sense of smell in the first place,” Alex assured her. “But don’t worry. Head home. Wash up. I’ll wait outside your place until you’re ready.”

  “Let me meet you at the fire hall,” Yvette counteroffered. “It’s still a date, and you can drive me home if you want to do the good-night kiss on the doorstep, but I’d feel better if you were already enjoying time with your friends. I promise to get there as quick as I can.”

  He hesitated for a moment before agreeing. “Park in the back, and come around the south side of the building. Call me when you get here, and I’ll meet you. We have to get our sweaters on, after all.”

  “Our winning sweaters,” she assured him.

  “That’s my girl.”

  She hung up with a warm glow coasting through her from her filthy toes all the way to the ends of her tangled hair.

  Scrubbing up didn’t take long, especially since she could barely stand the smell of herself. She sent Alex a quick message when she pulled into the parking lot at the back of the fire hall. Christmas lights in every window turned the place festive, and the building looked as if it had shining eyes and a gleaming smile.

  She rounded the corner of the building and pulled to a stop.

  A snowman blocked her way. Not just one, but a veritable army. Some of them standing, some of them lying down. She strolled forward, amusement rising as she realized it was a reenactment of a zombie apocalypse, snow version.

  She was staring around in amazement when a strong arm looped around her waist, Alex pulling her close. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” She slipped her arms around his neck without thinking. “Oops. This kind of feels like what I’m supposed to be doing right now.”

  “Not a problem with me,” he whispered as he leaned in slowly, gaze locked on her lips. “As long as the next thing you’re supposed to do is kiss me.”

  “I can do—” Her words cut off as he pressed their lips together.

  Short, but definitely not sweet. Her heart pounded when he finally let her go.

  His grin was firmly in place as he gestured to the side yard. “Like them?”

  “The snowmen? They’re cute.” Yvette glanced to the side to examine them closer. “Did you make them?”

  “Me and a bunch of the guys. Come on, I need to show you the best part.” He led her down a well-stomped path to where the biggest mass of snowmen gathered in a thick huddle.

  All different heights, with very individual characters, the snowmen were arranged in a perfect half circle around a bench. Arms reaching skyward, some of them as if they were doing jazz hands. All of them with eyes and carrot noses grinning toward the centre as if staring at something important.

  Alex held out his hands in his best Vanna White imitation. “Ta-da. Our selfie station.”

  One snowman tilted slightly, coming to lean against his neighbour. Their two heads clumped together, noses crossing like swords. She could’ve sworn they were trying to kiss each other.

  Laughter started deep in her belly, welling upward along with contentment. “It’s perfect.”

  Alex slipped her fingers into his. “Come on. We need to get our sweaters on and go impress people.”

  “Also, I’m starving,” Yvette said quickly. “Can we impress people while we eat?”

  He hummed as if considering. “I don’t know. Can you eat without holding your plate in front of the wonder that is our gaudiness?”

  “This is your warning that I require food at regular intervals.”

  “I hear you.”

  He pulled her into the warmth of the hall, laughter and the scent of Christmas wrapping around them.

  A moment later, his arms were wrapped around her as well. He leaned in and kissed her again. Deep and slow and distracting. She could’ve stayed there for a long time, enjoying his lips on hers.

  Except for the growl that escaped her stomach, echoing off the walls loud enough to send him snickering.

  He eased away, smiling into her embarrassed face. “That sounds dangerous to ignore.”

  She reached into the bag hanging off her shoulder. “Here. If we slip them on now, we can head upstairs and join the chow line. Perfect timing.”

  The cardigans went on, the LED lights switched to high. Between the two of them, they damn near glowed as they went up the steps hand-in-hand.

  A cheer rose as they hit the top landing. The crowd that had gathered was bigger than the year before, with all the volunteer firefighters and their families in attendance.

  The fire chief rose to his feet. Brad eyed them both, his grin widening. “Well, don’t you two brighten up the place.”

  “Not too shabby yourself there, Chief,” Alex returned, sliding his arm around Yvette’s waist and guiding her to the tail end of the buffet line. “We’ll be over in a minute.”

  Yvette was still blinking. “Is he sparkling?”

  Brad’s sweater seemed to be made entirely of strands of tinsel, the layers waving under the bright overhead lights like a black-and-white aurora borealis.

  “Don’t worry. His sweater is good, but ours are better,” Alex assured her. He grabbed her a plate and handed it over. He leaned in close and spoke with a conspiratorial quiet as they started their way past the tables groaning with plates of turkey, fresh-baked buns, and all sorts of salads. “Let me know which is your favourite dessert, and I’ll nab you an extra.”

  “Dessert?”

  He tilted his head to the far counter. “Shhhhh. Don’t let the hordes know they’re there.”

  Yvette’s mouth watered as she layered mashed potatoes, meatballs, and gravy on her plate, accompanied by a hearty scoop of cranberry sauce. “I need basic goodness right now. Lots of it.”

  She had no idea how he managed it, but when she put her plate on the table in the open spot next to Brooke, Alex plopped another plate heaped high with everything she’d already selected. “Here. You need to keep your strength up.”

  She was about to protest. Her brain did an unwelcome objection at the sheer volume of food in front of her. But Alex’s gaze was steady on hers.

  “It was a busy day. Thanks.”

  He leaned in and touched their noses together for a sheer second, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Eat what you want. I promise there will be dessert in your future.”

  “Alex. What’s this madness you’ve created outside?” Ryan and Madison sat opposite them, and as the two of them teased Alex about the snowmen, Yvette dug into her food.

  Beside her, Brooke leaned their shoulders together, speaking softly. “Keep eating. I heard you went from one end of the county to the other today, and I bet you never stopped for lunch.” Her friend nabbed the bun off Yvette’s plate. A moment later she had it buttered thickly and returned. “Besides, if you’re eating, that means I get to tell you all s
orts of things and you can’t respond. Because you’re far too polite to talk with your mouth full.”

  Yvette glanced at her briefly, timing her swallow so she could take a quick drink of her pop before sticking out her tongue. “I am capable of eating quickly and giving you hell. If you deserve it.”

  “I deserve nothing of the sort,” Brooke insisted. Her volume dropped again. “I see Alex is being a sweetheart.”

  Yvette stabbed another piece of turkey and swirled it in her gravy. “La la la la la.”

  A laugh escaped her friend. “You’re happy. You deserve to be, and while I know he’s had his moments, Alex is looking out for you. I like it.”

  That made two of them. Yvette broke off a chunk of bun and swirled it in the gravy on her plate. She paused before popping it in her mouth and met Brooke’s gaze. “I’m having fun, and I’m learning things.”

  She was thinking about the changes she’d realized needed to happen.

  Only, her friend’s brain went down an entirely different route. Brooke outright snorted. “Well, good, and what exactly are you being schooled about? Oh, I know. You’re learning naughty, dirty things because Alex is teaching you—”

  “Stop,” Yvette said, but it came out muffled because of the damn piece of bun in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed quickly. “No.”

  “Well, if you do learn something new and naughty, the friend code says you have to tell me. Since I’m your bestie and all.”

  “I’m eating,” Yvette complained. “Don’t ask me that now.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll ask him,” Brooke said suddenly as she leaned forward and, before Yvette could protest, spoke louder. “Right, Alex?”

  He interrupted the conversation he was having with their friends across the table to glance their direction. His gaze met Yvette’s. He must’ve seen a clue in her eyes that what they were talking about was a little less innocent than stealing extra desserts, because he grinned widely. “Definitely right. Right away, right now, and right as rain. Don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m fully on board.”