Cowboys Under The Mistletoe: Five Christmas Christian Romance Novellas

by Kristen Ethridge

  “He’s been very kind to us.” It was the understatement of the century. Rider had welcomed them into his home, fed them, paid to have her car towed away, and brought them to Big Sky Dreams every day. He’d promised to help her find a job too but kept reminding Hope that finding a job two weeks before Christmas was probably not going to happen. Ali must not have discussed the position with Rider before offering it to Hope.

  Hope’s pride kept nagging at her, but she was in too much of a desperate position to turn Rider’s help away. It had been the same way with Esther. She’d told Hope time and time again that when God instructs His people to give and care for others, well it goes to reason that all people at one time or another will be the ones on the receiving end of that help. There was no shame in accepting help.

  But accepting help could also be dangerous. Very.

  Hope knew that better than anyone.

  Esther had died helping Hope and her kids.

  And Cyprus’s help had come with long-reaching strings that had come close to strangling the life out of Hope.

  As a new Christian, Hope struggled with knowing the best course. What did God want her to do? Maybe she’d made too big of a mess out of her life for Him to be concerned with her, but surely He cared about Ethan and Savannah. He’d want them safe, right?

  Hope’s gaze fixed on Rider. Warmth spread through her chest as he coaxed another laugh from Ethan.

  A hint of a knowing smile played over Ali’s features. “Rider’s really great with Ethan.”

  Hope’s throat felt dry. “He... he really has been.”

  They couldn’t stay much longer. And they definitely needed to get out of Rider’s house as soon as possible. She’d have to figure something out. She refused to endanger him much longer.

  Ali rested her hands on her swollen belly. “Has he told you how he saved my son’s life?”

  Hope shook her head.

  “Of course he hasn’t.” Ali laughed. “That’s quintessential Rider.” She touched Hope’s forearm. “It’s a long story, but long-story-short, an old employee double-crossed me. They set my house on fire with my son, Chance, inside. Not only did Rider run into the burning house and save my son, but he went back in and hauled out the person who had set the fire too. He saved both of their lives and got himself hurt in the process.”

  Hope had a memory of the first night when Rider had checked over her arm and bandaged her injury. “He was a firefighter, though, right?”

  “Oh, no, not then. He was only a quiet ranch hand who worked for me. I’d actually dismissed him a few days before the fire because I suspected him of wrongdoing. I was completely wrong,” she added quickly. “The real person causing trouble had thrown suspicion his way. I had a lot going on in my life at the time and it was convenient to believe them. Rider—being Rider—forgave me immediately and just wanted his old job back. He didn’t even ask for a raise.” Her laugh with quiet. “Though we did give him one.”

  Hope shoved her hands into her pockets. “Why are you telling me all of this?”

  Ali shrugged. “He’s quite a guy.” She gestured to Rider as he helped Ethan off the horse. “I was actually hoping he and my sister Kate would end up together, but that didn’t work out.”

  Before Hope could ask why things hadn’t worked out between Kate and Rider, Savannah came running across the arena. “Did you see me on the horse, Mom? Did you?”

  “Slow down, sweetheart.” Hope got down on one knee so she could snag Savannah in a tight hug. “Remember? No running by the horses.”

  Savannah looked up at Ali with big eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  Ali grinned down at her. “That’s all right. Our horses are trained to handle about anything, but that rule is meant to keep you safe. Okay?”

  Jericho handed the horse off to one of the wranglers and strolled over to where they were all gathered. He slung his arm around his wife’s shoulders, pulled her against him and dropped a kiss on her temple.

  When Ethan and Rider finally joined the group, Rider caught Hope’s gaze. “We would have been over quicker, but we had to give Zorro some extra pats today.”

  Ethan let out a loud howl—one of his happy noises—and it made Hope’s heart swell.

  At the same time, it also made an aching dread spread through her gut. They’d only been here a week and her kids already loved Bitterroot Valley and the people they’d met here. It would make Hope heartsick when she eventually had to take them away from all of this. But more than likely, she wouldn’t have a choice.

  Maybe she should have changed their names or done something drastic, but her mind had never worked like that. She had all her proper identification and the twins’ birth certificates. She would have had to acquire fakes for everything if she ever decided to have them truly disappear. Not that it didn’t cross her mind occasionally—going under false names would make everything easier—but every time she considered it, it felt dishonest. It felt like something that would disappoint God, so she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

  Once they were all gathered, Jericho invited everyone into the house to help put up Christmas decorations and enjoy the cookies Kate and Ali and Jericho’s son, Chance had been inside working on while the rest of them had been in the arena.

  “Can we, Mom? Can we?” Savannah danced around in front of Hope. “Ethan wants to, too!”

  “I can see that.” Hope couldn’t help but notice the huge grin Ethan wore. “Go on inside. I’ll be in shortly.”

  The kids ran ahead of Jericho and Ali as they headed for the house, but Rider hung back near Hope.

  He jammed his hands into the pockets of his coat. “Something on your mind?”

  “Something.” She released a nervous laugh. “Or how about everything.”

  He jerked his chin in the direction of the wide barn doors. “Walk with me?”

  It was winter outside, but it hadn’t snowed again since the blizzard last week. Hope was wearing a warm down jacket, an old one of Ali had given to her. The fresh, crisp air might be just what she needed to clear her mind.

  *

  To say Rider had been surprised when Hope agreed to go for a walk with him was putting it lightly. All week he’d been trying to figure her out, but she was always cautious when they spoke. Never gave away too much information. He’d yet to learn where they had come from or where they’d been headed when they crashed on his property.

  But he did know that their presence in his house made the home feel whole.

  It made him feel whole too if he was being honest.

  He’d never realized how lonely he’d been until he’d experienced his house full of laughter.

  For someone who prided himself on keeping a quiet life and minding his own business, Rider had so many questions he wished he could ask Hope.

  In the past week, she turned on her phone once. Why? What made her nervously peer out the windows at night? What had happened to Ethan and Savannah’s father?

  But every time it felt like Hope almost trusted him, she pulled away.

  He needed to find a way to get her talking without scaring her. It was so different from what he knew. His sisters were open books. Wide, wide open. But Hope was locked tight. It made him desperate to find the key to help her open up to him.

  Their boots crunched over the frozen earth as he pointed out the various pastures and explained the different types of cattle they raised on the property. He led her toward a grove of frozen willow trees.

  When the trees came into view Hope sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, Rider, that’s gorgeous.”

  He couldn’t argue her there. Willows had always been his favorite type of trees. They weren’t showy and proud like an oak or a pine. Their branches draped down, providing cover and hiding spots for animals and people alike, and there was a sort of beauty in their humbleness. In not being obvious. He knew that this grove was one of Jericho and Ali’s special places. They’d carved their initials into one of the trunks as kids. When the weather was nice, they had fam
ily picnics under the trees. Rider hadn’t been out here much, but it seemed like the best place to bring Hope.

  Frost and ice coated the branches, causing them to dip further still so they formed a giant ice fortress for anyone who wandered into their shelter. The branches creaked and popped when Rider parted them for Hope to step under.

  She glanced around the strange ice palace. “Winter doesn’t hit like this back home. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

  He wanted to ask her where exactly home was, but he’d gotten her out this far and didn’t want her to shut down right away. Instead, he said, “Back at the barn, it seemed like you had something on your mind.”

  Hope sighed. “Ali offered me a job here.”

  “That’s great.” But his enthusiasm died when he noticed she was frowning. “I mean, isn’t it?”

  “Yes and no.” She traced her fingers over the frozen layer on the branch nearest her. “I need a job. You know that. I really want to make enough so we can find a place and get out of your hair.”

  A wave a sadness rocked through Rider. While he’d known she wanted a job, he hadn’t thought about the reality that she’d want to leave his home right away. He’d grown used to their presence. “I really don’t mind you guys staying at the ranch. Stay as long as you need. Or longer than that,” he added quietly. He’d already turned down his sisters’ invitation to meet them in California for Christmas in hopes of spending the holiday on the ranch with Hope and her twins. “It’s a big home and I’m the only one there.”

  “We can’t possibly keep expecting you to take care of us.”

  “It’s not expecting if I’m offering.”

  Hope turned away from him. “Ali doesn’t even know me. If she did … I don’t know if she’d be offering me this job.”

  Rider gently touched her shoulder and turned her back to face him. “Why do you say that?”

  She took a deep breath. “My life up until now hasn’t been neat and clean.” She broke eye contact. “Back in… back where we’re from, I’d made a mess of my life. I’m trying to piece it together and figure out a way to make a good life for my kids, but it’s hard when it feels like my mistakes are always there, always hounding us. It always feels like they’ll eventually catch up to me. Even here.”

  He put his hand on her other shoulder. “Mrs. Ali would hire you no matter what. She believes in second chances.”

  “I don’t know.” Hope blinked as if she was keeping in tears. He wondered what he’d said to make her cry.

  “Her life looks pretty ideal,” Hope said.

  Rider dropped his hands. “Jericho was an alcoholic early on in their marriage. He ended up walking out on her and disappeared for seven years.”

  Hope’s head snapped up. “Are you sure? They seem to have the perfect relationship.”

  “I’m sure.” He gave her a sad smile. “He abandoned her. Ali had to scrape and scrimp in order to survive and raise Chance. Jericho came back without warning and wanted to be a part of their lives again.” Rider hoped he wasn’t painting Jericho in a bad light. He knew his friend didn’t mind if Rider shared his story, but Rider couldn’t help but care about what people thought of the Freeds. They were good people—the best—and Hope needed to know that. “Well, he didn’t know about Chance all those years he was gone. Mrs. Ali was pregnant when he walked out on her. But once he knew, he was determined to win her back. As you can see, she forgave him and they mended their marriage.”

  “That’s amazing,” Hope whispered.

  “That’s the work of God right there.”

  She huffed and shuffled her boots in the snow. “It doesn’t always work that way with relationships, though. Sometimes things have happened where a woman shouldn’t let a man who has hurt her back into her life.”

  Her words made his gut clench. What had happened to Hope Beckett?

  Wind rippled through the willow grove, causing the branches to creak and moan all around them.

  Rider met her gaze. “Did he hurt you?”

  She looked away quickly, but then met his eyes again. He raised his eyebrows.

  Hope finally nodded. “When he turned on the kids I couldn’t write it off any longer. I had to leave.”

  A surge of hot anger flashed through his veins. The man, whoever he was, had laid hands on Hope. If it was up to Rider, the nameless man would never get near her or the kids again.

  Rider reigned in his anger enough to say, “You made the right choice.”

  “I know,” she breathed. “But that doesn’t make the consequences of living on the run any easier.”

  “On the run?”

  “He… there’s a chance he might try to come after us.” The confession sounded like it cost her something. “That’s part of the reason I don’t know if I should accept Ali’s offer. I mean, I need to money, but I can’t make a life here.”

  I can’t make a life here.

  Rider had to probe, he had to understand so he could figure out how best he could offer help if she wanted it. “This man, is he your husband?”

  “No, we were never married. I met him a long time ago when I was in a hard spot. I just became a Christian last year,” she said the last part quickly as if she felt the need to explain herself. Rider hoped she understood that he would never judge her or anything she’d needed to do to survive. He didn’t believe in judging a person’s past.

  Rider scanned the countryside. “I think you should stay. Make a life here. Stop worrying about him showing up.”

  “But if he does—”

  “If he does, we’ll face him with you. All of us.”

  She shook her head. In fact, she appeared to be shaking all over. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

  “Listen.” Rider grabbed hold of both of her hands to steady her. He gave them an encouraging squeeze. “We faced down a person who tried to kill Ali’s son. This isn’t our first rodeo.”

  “She told me about that.” Hope clung to his hands. “She said you saved Chance’s life.”

  Rider shrugged. He’d forever be uncomfortable with Ali calling him a hero. “I did what needed to be done.”

  “Like you did when you saved my family in the accident?”

  “I’m just glad I happened to be around both times.”

  “I’m glad you happened to be around too.”

  Chapter Four

  Rider was stirring water in with the waffle mix he’d picked up at the store a few days ago when Savannah bounded down the stairs the Saturday before Christmas. While Hope had been cooking meals at Big Sky Dreams for the past two weeks, he made a point of rising early on the weekends to take care of the morning meal for the four of them. He didn’t want her feeling obligated to cook at his house too. She worked hard and had plenty on her shoulders. Besides, he’d lived on his own long enough to learn to make passible food.

  Not great. Passible.

  No one had complained yet.

  “Morning, little lady,” Rider greeted her with a smile.

  Savannah’s little brow scrunched. “I have a question.”

  “Ask away.”

  She popped her hands to her hips. “Why don’t you have any Christmas in your house?”

  Rider set the mixing bowl and spoon down and turned a slow 360 degrees, examining his house with fresh eyes. “You know, you’re right. I’m sorely lacking in the Christmas department, aren’t I? Usually, it’s just me, so there isn’t much of a point to decorating.”

  He should have thought about that sooner. His mother had always made a huge deal out of decorating the house and the whole family had always pitched in. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t done it before—the memory of his parents still hurt.

  Savannah stared down at her toes. “We never had much Christmas either.”

  The sight of her sad frown made Rider’s heart squeeze. With kids in the house, he should have thought about decorating earlier. Kids deserved to enjoy every aspect of Christmas.

  “Well, that all changes to
day,” Rider announced.

  After breakfast, he went into the attic and pulled down all his mother’s old boxes of Christmas decorations. There was an impressive amount of the stuff. After that, he instructed everyone to get dressed in their warmest clothes.

  “Where are we headed?” Hope asked when they piled into his truck. The backseat all but buzzed with the kids’ joint excitement over whatever adventure he had up his sleeve.

  “Savannah reminded me that the house is lacking a tree, among other things.” He winked at Hope when both kids cheered. “So we’re heading to a tree farm that’s about thirty minutes away and I know they make the best cider donuts too.”

  More cheers.

  Hope laughed. “We definitely can’t pass up donuts.”

  Rider’s fingers skimmed her shoulder when he turned around to back the truck down his long driveway. “I knew I liked you.”

  When Hope mouthed thank you Rider’s thought his heart had never felt this full.

  At the tree farm, Hope and Rider allowed the twins to race ahead of them down the rows of trees. Rider had instructed them to find their favorite and no matter what it looked like, he’d cut it down and they could bring it home and decorate it. The twins zeroed in on one that was full on the bottom and sparse on top. It leaned slightly to the right and had a curve in its trunk. It was smaller than most of the trees at the farm. Scrawnier.

  They both looked at him expectantly.

  “Are we sure that’s the one we want?” Hope grimaced.

  “It’s perfect,” Rider said. He cut it down and then all four of them grabbed hold of it so they could help him haul the tree back to his truck.

  Hope located a radio station that only played Christmas music and they sang—Ethan clapping along—the whole ride home. Back at his ranch, they hauled the tree into the house, but before they did anything else, Rider plugged his phone into a speaker and pulled up the Christmas station again. Savannah danced everywhere she went after that.