by Mary Leo
“I’ve been dreaming about you, RuthieAnn Dolan for what seems like forever even before that morning. I always knew we were meant to be together. You’re my soul mate, my beautiful, smart, brave, mama-bear of a soul mate. The one true love of my entire life. Stay with me, here in Wild Creek. I’m crazy in love with you. Marry me. Let’s be a family for Jayden. Let me be his cowboy daddy. I think he likes me and I sure as heck love him, so let’s do this. Let’s be the family you always wanted. The family we both need. I know this is sudden, but I think we’ve both waited long enough to be together.”
He didn’t think he’d ever seen RuthieAnn beam as much as she did in that moment, or maybe it was the sunshine that peeked through the clouds right behind her and formed a bright rainbow.
“Look,” he told her, pointing. “I think your parents are trying to tell us something.”
She turned and gazed up at the sky. “Wait . . . that’s just too weird. Are you serious?”
“About wanting to marry you? Yes. Very serious.”
She turned to him. “I meant about the rainbow.”
“I had nothing to do with it, but I think somebody else painted that sky with all those colors.”
She turned back to him then. Her lovely eyes misted over. “Yes, Chase Cooper. I will marry you and be part of the family I always wanted. Jayden is going to be so happy.”
“And what about you? Are you happy?”
“I’m finally truly happy. I love you, Chase Cooper.”
“I love you, RuthieAnn Dolan.”
They kissed then, as the sky erupted with not only one but two magnificent rainbows.
Epilogue
Several weeks later
RuthieAnn couldn’t remember the last time she’d celebrated Christmas in the arms of a happy family. Well, maybe that wasn’t exactly true. Ever since she’d restored her dad’s house instead of tearing it down, more and more wonderful memories had returned. There was even one when her dad, the dad most of Wild Creek knew, played Santa. She’d been asleep on the sofa waiting for him with milk and cookies. She’d heard a noise, and when she opened her eyes, Santa busied himself stuffing presents under the tree. At first, she thought he was the real Santa, but when he came closer, she knew it was her dad. Still, she kept up the fun so they could share the cookies and milk. She went to bed after that, and decided that all daddies were Santas on Christmas Eve. That’s how the toys were sent all over the world. Oh sure, she still believed in a main Santa. The Santa who flew around in a sleigh with reindeer, but he was more like a role model for all the Santa Daddies all over the world.
That memory alone had been enough to temper all the bad memories of her dad, and her mom for that matter. She’d baked the cookies. RuthieAnn finally remembered all the times the two of them would bake cookies together.
As it turned out, the eight-hundred-thousand dollars had been a jackpot Clark had won on a slot machine in Las Vegas when he drove out to check up on RuthieAnn. According to the letter he’d left for her and Kevin, he’d won the money the weekend Jayden was born. How he knew which hospital or that RuthieAnn was in labor, she didn’t know. He didn’t write down any of those details. All he said was that after he left the hospital he stopped off at a casino on his way out of town to try his luck on a poker machine, since he’d been so good at the real thing. With only a twenty-dollar investment, he walked away with over a million dollars. Some of the money had gone to taxes, and he’d used a little of it to get by, but once he put that eight-hundred-thousand in the bank, he never touched it.
The doorbell rang, and Jayden squealed with joy, knowing that Chase and his entire family had arrived.
“Chase, Mama. Chase and Catherine, and Hunter and everybody!” Jayden was so excited he couldn’t get to the front door fast enough. He wore a Santa hat, a bright red sweater, jeans and his very favorite pair of brown cowboy boots. He refused to wear any other shoes on his feet, and RuthieAnn loved it. He had calmed down a lot, was much more agreeable, and could now ride a horse with minimal assistance. Riding had changed everything, and RuthieAnn couldn’t be happier. She could even ride without bruising her butt now.
RuthieAnn had invited everyone over to Clark’s house, or rather her house, to celebrate Christmas Eve. After taking a few months off, she’d transferred to Northern University of Arizona in Flagstaff to continue with her studies to get her DPT degree. No way could she ever go back to living in Vegas . . . way too far from her fiancé, Chase Cooper.
Michael Bublé crooned out a familiar carol as she removed her apron, a habit she’d picked up from Catherine Cooper, and walked out of the kitchen.
“Coming, Jayden,” RuthieAnn said as she made her way through the house. She and Jayden had been baking cookies and roasting a turkey all day.
Not that she knew the first thing about roasting a turkey, but Shiloh had stopped by that morning with last minute instructions. She didn’t know what she would’ve done without Shiloh in her kitchen and Pearl on the phone.
As she walked through the house, she couldn’t help feeling excited. She was actually entertaining in her own house in Wild Creek, something she never thought would ever happen in her lifetime. She and Chase, along with Jayden, had decorated the entire house with Christmas cheer. Almost every room had a decorated Christmas tree. There was even a small pink tree in the kitchen in honor of RuthieAnn’s mom.
Once all the volunteers had restored the house with a new roof, new plumbing, new electrical, wooden floors, installed a brand new kitchen and bathrooms, RuthieAnn and Chase had picked out furniture together . . . comfortable cozy furniture. It had been fun to plan her future with Chase in a house that had once been filled with anger and resentment was now filled with love once again.
What was even more special was that Chase and his brother Hunter were now officially giving riding lessons, right here on the D. C. Ranch, the new name for the Dolan property (D. C. standing for Dolan Cooper).
Leaving Chase the barn and corrals had been one of the smartest things her dad could have done. It took a little convincing, but the look on the kids’ faces was all that Chase needed to make his secret dream come true.
As soon as RuthieAnn opened her front door, love and laughter entered.
Chase’s entire family poured in, carrying in what seemed like a truckload of presents. Avery’s mom, Pamela, who was now a reinstated attorney in Avery’s law practice, also walked in, giving RuthieAnn a warm hug. Pearl and her family, including tiny baby Evelyn, an adorable eight-pound, three-ounce two-week old sweetheart had arrived at the same time.
“Look who I found,” Chase said as he stepped aside in the doorway, revealing RuthieAnn’s brother, Kevin. Pure joy swept through her. She’d thought he wouldn’t be able to make it in, yet there he was, standing in her doorway, wearing a Santa hat. Jayden ran right into his arms. Kevin immediately picked him up and twirled him around.
“Uncle Kevin,” Jayden repeated several times.
“You came,” RuthieAnn said once Kevin put Jayden back down so he could catch up to Pearl’s kids.
“How could I miss a real Christmas in this house?” He walked inside, and RuthieAnn gave him a tight hug. She simply couldn’t believe he was there. It was a complete surprise. “Our first one.”
“What do you think?” she asked, as he looked around.
“Are you kidding? This is incredible! I may never leave.”
“You have a room here whenever you want it, for as long as you want it.”
RuthieAnn caught the moisture in his eyes.
“Thanks, Sis,” he said, and RuthieAnn hugged him once more.
Then she turned to Chase, who was busy collecting coats. He’d finally gone in for an appointment with his doctor and learned that all he needed was physical therapy for that shoulder, which RuthieAnn was more than willing to give.
“How long have you known he was coming?”
“For about a week. We wanted it to be a surprise,” Chase told her, still collecting coats.
&n
bsp; “You realize I’m going to have to get even for this,” she teased.
He walked in closer. “Looking forward to it,” he whispered, leaning in, then grazing her lips with a warm kiss.
RuthieAnn grabbed some of the coats, and said, “Mmm, me too!”
“I have something to tell you,” Tyler Gentry said as he approached. “But maybe we should go somewhere private.”
RuthieAnn’s heart skipped a beat. She knew that whatever Tyler had to tell her couldn’t be good or he would’ve called her or Pearl would’ve mentioned it before this.
“I don’t know if I want to know, especially right now when everybody’s here,” RuthieAnn said.
“Is it bad news?” Chase asked.
“That depends on how you want to react to it.”
RuthieAnn took a deep breath. “Follow us to the guest bedroom.”
The three of them walked in silence down the hall to the bedroom. Once they entered the room and laid the coats on the queen bed, Chase slipped his left arm around RuthieAnn’s waist, while she leaned into him for support.
“Just thought you should know,” Tyler began sounding official. “There’s been an incident. Seems that Lucky attempted to escape while hanging onto the underside of a laundry truck. The trucks are always checked, but something happened last Sunday morning. There’s an investigation going on.”
“Oh God!” RuthieAnn’s body tensed, and Chase drew her in closer.
“Anyway, according to the official report, Lucky didn’t get very far. He must have lost his grip, fell and the truck’s back tire rolled right over him. He died instantly.”
Both RuthieAnn and Chase sucked in a breath at the same time. No one spoke for a moment. RuthieAnn could hear her pulse in her ears as her eyes misted over.
“He’s dead. Lucky’s dead?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, but unless you or someone comes forward for the body, he’ll be buried in an unmarked grave. Records of the location of his site will be kept, but there will be no other mention of him.”
Chase let out the breath. “It’s finally over.”
“Karma’s a bitch,” RuthieAnn said.
Chase smiled. “Amen.”
Jayden rushed in. “Come on, Mamma. Chase. Let’s go.”
Ruthie Ann took her son’s hand while Chase took the other. They were a family now, a real family that was about to celebrate Christmas surrounded by the warmth of the people who loved them. RuthieAnn had finally found happiness and it was right there where she’d left it . . . at home in Wild Creek.
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About The Author
Mary Leo is preoccupied with writing her next book, her latest pair of fabulous heels, the great food of Italy and everything chocolate . . . as long as it’s gluten free. She crafts stories that both entertain and take readers on yet one more adventure of love and happily ever after. Mary is the USA Today bestselling author of Cowboy Romance and humors Cozy Mysteries. The former integrated circuit layout designer can be found on social media where she loves to talk books, gorgeous shoes, and Italy. Stop by for a chat!
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Books by Mary Leo
Wild Creek Cowboys Series
Cowboy Undone
Cowboy Roped In
Cowboy Romance Series
Falling For The Cowboy
Aiming For The Cowboy
Christmas With The Rancher
Her Favorite Cowboy
A Christmas Wedding For The Cowboy
A Cowboy In Her Arms
A Cowboy To Kiss
A Baby For The Sheriff
Contemporary Romance
A Pinch of Cool
Stick Shift
For Better Or Cursed
Cabin Fever
Romantic Suspense
Trusting Evil
Kiss Of Magic Romance Series (boxed sets)
Jackie Cupid’s First Love & It’s Written In The Stars, Book One
Romancing Rudy Raindear & Loving Hamilton Winchester, Book Two
A Christmas In Time & The Ghost of Dillon Spencer, Book Three
The Lone Cowboy of Starlight Bend & The Fortuneteller’s Valentine, Book Four
His Irish Kiss & Jackie Cupid Gets Her Wings, Book Five
Cozy Mystery
Writing as Mary Leoni
(available mid-February)
The Spia Family Presses On
The Spia Family Branches Out
The Spia Family Avoids The Pits
