The Cowboy's Christmas Plan

by Shanna Hatfield

  Trey tried not to laugh as he walked Cadence to his office and shut the door. As he relayed the information from Peter’s call, Cadence listened quietly, waiting until Trey finished speaking to share her thoughts.

  “I definitely think we should file for joint custody. Can you let Peter know? That’s great Neil is sending a statement. I don’t suppose Aunt Viv would work well to testify since she is a somewhat biased relative.”

  Trey laughed aloud. “Somewhat biased? Who’s any more biased about you than your aunt unless you count any one of the hands, Trent, or me?”

  Cadence smiled.

  “I think we need a fun diversion from what we’ll be facing next week, so what do you say to you, Cass, Trent and I going to The Dalles tomorrow? I heard there’s going to be a boat light parade on the river and we could have dinner with Mom.”

  “That sounds fantastic. I know Cass will love it, but what about dinner for the hands?”

  “Can’t you leave them something in the slow cooker or make sandwiches or let them fend for themselves?”

  “I would not feed them sandwiches after working hard all day, but I could put a roast in the slow cooker. What time do you want to leave?”

  “Let’s leave here about three-thirty. That will give us time to visit with mom and enjoy dinner before we watch the parade.”

  “It’s a date,” Cadence said, standing up and walking toward the door.

  “Does that mean I get to steal a kiss or two and hold your hand?” Trey asked, coming up behind her and placing a kiss on her neck. Heat suddenly shot from where his lips touched her neck all the way to her toes.

  Trying to gather her composure, she turned around and gave him a saucy grin. “Not while Cass is watching. Or Trent. Or your mother. Or anyone else.”

  “Party pooper.” Trey wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to his chest. “How about you make up for it now?”

  “Haven’t you had enough kisses this morning?” she asked, hoping Trey would say no. Although he didn’t verbalize his response, the way he pressed his lips to hers with urgency and longing let her know exactly what he thought.

  Cadence took a step back and placed cool hands to her hot cheeks. “I think I better get back to Cass and you better go outside. Cool off awhile. Think about something besides kissing.”

  “And missytoes?” Trey asked, garnering a giggle from Cadence.

  She stopped in the doorway to look back at him. “Really, Trey, I don’t think you needed to hang mistletoe quite so liberally throughout the house. What will your mother say?”

  “That I’m resourceful and clever.” With a wicked smile, Trey pointed above Cadence’s head where yet another bunch of mistletoe hung from the doorframe.

  She slowly put her arms around his neck. Leaning into him, she felt his pulse begin to gallop, matching her own run-away heartbeat. She waited until the last second, then veered off course and pressed a wet, sloppy kiss on his neck that made him chuckle with surprise.

  “Just so you know, Cass is not impressed with all your mistletoe. She said she didn’t like all the scratchy cheeks,” Cadence said with a grin. “She did say, however, that your cheek was smooth and smelled the best. I have to agree.”

  Trey raised an eyebrow then bent his head toward her again.

  Before he could kiss her or point out more mistletoe, she escaped back to the kitchen.

  Merciful heavens, did the man have to hang mistletoe everywhere? She’d already found a bunch in the laundry room, another by the front and back door, in the pantry, and one above her bedroom door. She wondered when he had found time to hang it all.

  She didn’t have any more time to contemplate the mistletoe because Barbara showed up to do her weekly report for DHS right before lunch. Cadence invited her to stay and they talked about the hearing set for the following week.

  After she left, Cadence bundled up Cass and took her out to the barn for Trey to keep an eye on while she went into town to help Aunt Viv fill the goodie bags for the Christmas program.

  Viv and Cadence had plenty of time to talk as they worked on filling the bags. More than Cadence wanted when Viv turned the conversation toward Trey.

  “So,” Viv said, looking sideways at Cadence with a sly smile. “I get the idea a certain rancher might be a bit smitten with you. Is that correct?”

  Glaring at her aunt, Cadence chose to ignore the question. It didn’t really slow Viv down.

  “Well, come on, girl. You can’t hold back on me now. Is he in love with you? Are you in love with him? I know you never loved Bill, but do you love Trey? Do you have any feelings for him?”

  Taking a deep breath, Cadence decided Aunt Viv was not going to be distracted or ignored.

  “Yes,” she said, continuing to stuff bags.

  “Yes what?” Viv said, getting annoyed. Why was Cadence being so stubborn in spilling the juicy information she so desperately wanted to know.

  “Yes to your questions.”

  “Well, which one…” Viv said, trying to remember what all she had asked. “He loves you?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you love him?”

  Cadence got a dreamy look in her eyes and paused in her work briefly. “Oh, yes, Aunt Viv.”

  “Well, then, what are you going to do about it?” Viv asked. “You do know men aren’t so good at figuring these things out on their own. They usually need a little nudge in the right direction.”

  “And what direction would that be?” Cadence asked.

  “Marriage, my dear girl. Where else would this be leading?”

  “Good grief, Aunt Viv. We’ve barely dated. I’ve only known him a couple of months. It is entirely too early to be thinking about marriage. Isn’t it?” Cadence was hoping her aunt would tell her it wasn’t too soon at all. That it was perfectly logical to be thinking about spending forever with someone she didn’t even know a few months ago.

  “Hogwash,” Viv said, smacking her hand on the table. “Sparks flew between the two of you the first day he came in here and saw you. I know you felt it and I could see it in his dazed expression. Quit wasting time, Cady, girl, and go lasso yourself that handsome cowboy.”

  “Good gracious, Aunt Viv, what kind of girl do you think I am? I certainly won’t be…” Cadence searched for the right word then used her aunt’s instead, “lassoing him or anyone else.”

  Viv laughed; thrilled she had accomplished her goal of getting Cadence worked up about Trey. It just proved how much in love her niece was with the head cowpuncher at the Triple T.

  Giving Cadence’s shoulders a squeeze, Viv smiled broadly. “You’re a goner for him, aren’t you, honey.”

  Cadence looked at her aunt in defeat. “Completely and totally gone.”

  She rushed home to get dinner ready, feed the men, and spend the evening working on Christmas projects.

  All the while, her mind kept wandering to the teasing man with the electrifying blue eyes who had kissed her until she felt like her insides had turned to molten lava that morning.

  What were his plans for the future? She wondered where he thought all his flirting and kissing would lead.

  ><><

  When the men trooped in for breakfast the next morning, every one of them had freshly shaved cheeks. Cadence tried to hide her laughter as they took a seat at the table.

  She was sure Henry’s grizzled cheeks hadn’t been shaved since before Lois retired. He sat at the table looking like a plucked chicken.

  The men were almost finished eating when Cass wandered out from her room, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She climbed up on Cadence’s lap, hugging a floppy toy bunny that Aunt Viv had given her.

  “Good morning, sweetie-pie,” Cadence said, kissing the top of Cass’s head. “Are you ready for breakfast?”

  “Yep, I’m right hungry,” she said, sounding just like one of the hands. Cadence split open a muffin and buttered it then poured Cass a glass of milk. She added a spoonful of scrambled eggs and a few pieces of bacon to a plate the
n placed it before Cass.

  Trey and Trent discussed plans for the day with the hands and Cadence reminded them they would have to dish up their own dinner that night since she would be gone. Tommy volunteered to be in charge again, in hopes of getting another plate of goodies. Cadence gave him a wink when he said he’d make sure the dishes were done.

  “What’s got you kissing up to the cook?” Danny teased as they carried their breakfast dishes to the sink.

  “Not a thing,” Tommy said, his mouth already watering at the thought of the goodies Cadence would leave for him. “I’m just trying to be helpful.”

  “Right,” Danny said, with a doubtful expression covering his face.

  Before the men went out the door, Cass stood up on her chair and announced she was ready for “missytoes.” Each of the hands gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving. Trey was the last in line. After he kissed her rosy little cheek, he picked her up and carried her to the kitchen where he set her down on the counter.

  “What do you think, Cass? Does my cheek still smell the best?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, her blue eyes twinkling. “Trent smells good. But I like your kiss the bestest.”

  Trey laughed and ruffled her mop of curls. Turning to Cadence, he kissed her cheek and waggled his eyebrows at her. His whisper as he leaned close to her made goose bumps explode up and down her arms. “What do you think? Do I kiss the bestest?”

  Cadence gave him a playful shove toward the door. “Get out of my kitchen, mister boss man. You are entirely too conceited for your own good.”

  The warm smile she gave him took the sting out of her words. He whistled all the way to the barn.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I try to learn from the past, but I plan for the future

  by focusing exclusively on the present.

  That's where the fun is.

  Donald Trump

  “Is it time now?” Cass asked for the sixth time in the last fifteen minutes.

  Cadence swallowed down an exasperated sigh and smiled at the little girl. When she told her at lunch they were going to town to have dinner with Denni and then watch a parade, Cass got so excited she could barely sit still. After half-heartedly working on her letters and numbers, Cadence gave up and got them both dressed and ready to go.

  Dinner was in the slow cooker ready for the hands to dish up when they came in for dinner. Trent was getting dressed and Trey was taking a quick shower.

  “We’ll be out the door in just a few minutes, sweetie-pie. Why don’t you sing me the song you learned this morning?” Cadence said, trying to distract her.

  “Which one?” Cass asked, climbing up on a barstool and swiveling the chair back and forth by gripping the counter with her tiny hands.

  “The one about the ships,” Cadence said, sitting down next to Cass and starting the song. Cass let go of the counter and focused her gaze on Cadence, singing along.

  I saw three ships come sailing in

  On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

  I saw three ships come sailing in

  On Christmas Day in the morning.

  Clapping from the dining area made both of them spin around. Trey and Trent stood watching.

  “Very nice, ladies,” Trey said, walking into the kitchen and picking up Cass. “Since you are singing about ships, I’m guessing you are ready to go see some?”

  “Yes!” Cass said, so excited she couldn’t keep from wriggling. “I can’t wait. I’ve never seen a ship before.”

  “Well, let’s get your coat and boots on so we can get this show on the road,” Trey said, setting her down on a barstool before helping her put on warm insulated boots, coat, hat, scarf and mittens.

  Trent ran out to warm up the pickup while Cadence put final preparations on the meal and left Tommy a note with a treasure map to his plate of treats.

  By the time they got to The Dalles, Cass had them all singing Christmas carols. Half the time Trey and Trent substituted silly words. Cadence wasn’t sure if it was accidental or on purpose, but it certainly made Cass laugh.

  Denni was making them dinner at her house then they would all go down to the river to watch the parade.

  Going in the house, each of the Thompson boys hugged and kissed their mother. Cadence gave her a warm hug then Denni bent down to give Cass a hug. Cass squeezed Denni and kissed her cheek.

  “Do you have any missytoes?” Cass asked as she looked around the room.

  “Missytoes?” Denni asked, confused.

  “Mistletoe,” Trey whispered in his mother’s ear.

  “Well, come to think of it, Cass, I don’t. Why?” Denni said.

  “Trey hunged it all over our house.”

  “Oh, he did, did he?” Denni said, shooting her son a motherly glare.

  “Yep. And I got kissed by everybody. Henry shaved so he wouldn’t be so scratchy. I don’t like the scratchies.”

  Trying not to laugh, Denni instead gave Cass a serious nod. “I’m sure you don’t.”

  “Trent and Trey smell the best,” Cass said, hanging from Cadence’s hand, swinging back and forth as she talked, taking in the Christmas tree and the few packages beneath it. “But Trey gives the best kisses.”

  “Is that right? We’ll isn’t that nice,” Denni said, smirking at Trey.

  “What do you think, Cady?” Denni teased. “Does Trey give the best kisses?”

  Cadence flushed five shades of red and busied herself removing Cass’s outerwear.

  “Yeah, Cady,” Trent joined in the teasing. “Does he?”

  “I believe I will refrain from providing a response to that particular question,” Cadence said, looking right at Trey with a lifted eyebrow.

  “Cady, how come your face is all red?” Cass asked in her typical honest and inquisitive fashion.

  All the adults, including Cadence, laughed.

  Dinner was fun and lighthearted with Denni telling stories about the mischief her boys used to get into, particularly during the holiday season. Cadence felt like she should cover Cass’s ears to keep her from getting any wild ideas, but the little girl was so sweet tempered she wasn’t really worried about her turning overnight into a Thompson terror.

  Trent and Trey did the dishes while the women sat in the living room around the tree. Cass watched a Christmas cartoon while Denni and Cadence chatted about plans for the holidays. Denni was going to attend the Christmas program so she could see Trey as Santa. She and Nana would arrive Christmas Eve and stay through Christmas Day. She was also planning to drive out for church services the following day and stay for lunch.

  Cadence thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Denni and could see that Trey and Trent inherited their lively, teasing ways from their mother. She was just fun.

  Once the dishes were done, they all bundled up and drove down to the river. Although the temperature wasn’t terribly cold, it was chilly near the water. Cadence was glad they thought to grab a few fleece blankets before they left the house. She wrapped one around Cass then picked her up and held her close as they waited for the festivities to start.

  “Let me take her,” Trey said, his voice rumbling in her ear while his warm breath on her neck made her shiver.

  With her arms empty, Cadence felt chilled to the bone and quickly wrapped a blanket around herself. Moving closer to Denni, they shared the warmth.

  Trent and Trey took turns holding Cass as they watched the parade.

  There were quite a few boats, all bedecked in lights. Some were all white, others covered in a dazzling display of color. Many featured lit trees, some had candy canes and gingerbread men made of lights. A few had snowmen. One even had a large fish made of lights that looked like it was jumping over the boat.

  The final one featured a waving Santa Claus. Cass waved in return until the boat disappeared from sight.

  “Did you see Santa?” Cass asked as they strolled back to the pickup.

  “We sure did, sweetie-pie,” Cadence said, buckling Cass into her seat. “Was that pretty
cool?”

  “Yep. It was awesome!”

  Laughing, they drove back to Denni’s for hot chocolate before heading home. Cass fell asleep before the chocolate was made. Denni asked if she could keep her for the night. Trey and Cadence decided it would be fine and Denni would bring Cass to church with her in the morning.

  On the drive home, the pickup seemed oddly quiet without the little girl’s chatter. Cadence sat in the back seat staring into the inky darkness thinking how different her life had become from where she had been just a year ago.

  Last December, she and Bill rushed from one holiday party to another. They never spent time with friends. He was too busy schmoozing his next potential client. Cadence hated it. Bill looked at the holidays as a time to expand his client base instead of a celebration of the spirit. Christmas Eve with his parents was a nightmarish formal affair of stuffy people who lost most their inhibitions after their third or fourth trip to the hosted bar. Hung-over, Bill spent Christmas Day at home while Cadence went to church with friends then spent the rest of the day alone.

  This year, Cadence mused, would be more like the Rockwell-esque vision of Christmas she had always wanted and never thought she would have.

  Arriving home, the house seemed so quiet without Cass’s chatter. Trent wandered off to the great room and Trey stole a quick kiss in the kitchen before wishing Cadence a good night.

  Falling into bed exhausted, she knew the only visions dancing in her head would be those of Trey and Cass.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Plans made swiftly and intuitively

  are likely to have flaws.

  Plans made carefully and comprehensively

  are sure to.

  Robert Grudin

  Travis Thompson was so happy to be back on American soil he could have wept.

  When he flew into Portland that afternoon, he was ready to kiss the pavement outside the terminal.

  The grumpy crowds and disgruntled travelers had no effect on his excitement. He couldn’t even think of words to describe how glad he was to be home.