Wrestlin' Christmas: (Sweet Western Holiday Romance) (Rodeo Romance Book 2)

by Hatfield, Shanna

  “I think we’ve both earned a cup.” Kaley hung up her coat and made them each hot chocolate with marshmallows.

  They returned to the living room and watched a Christmas cartoon as the evening shadows began to chase away the daylight. Inconspicuously glancing at the clock on the wall, Kaley thought Cort would have returned a few hours ago if he intended to brave the trip that day.

  Surely, he would have called if he planned otherwise, but she didn’t want him to have to do the chores in the dark after driving half the day.

  “Jacob, if I go out to do the chores, can you sit here and watch the TV while I’m out?” she asked.

  Solemnly nodding his head, Jacob pointed to Cort’s door and stared at her inquisitively.

  “I don’t know what time he’ll be back, but I don’t think I should make him do the chores tonight, do you?”

  Jacob shook his head and set down his half-empty mug of chocolate. He pointed to his chest then outside, indicating he wanted to help.

  “I think you better stay in here, buddy. It’s terribly cold outside and I don’t want Jack Frost to nip that cute little nose.” Kaley kissed Jacob on the tip of his nose, making him giggle.

  An extra pair of socks went over the pair she already wore and one of Dean’s old flannel shirts topped her blouse, then she added a hooded sweatshirt before stepping into on a pair of his old insulated coveralls. Stuffing her feet into her warmest pair of snow boots, she pulled on a stocking cap and tied the hood beneath her chin. After tugging on her gloves, she smiled at her son.

  “Remember, don’t turn on anything in the kitchen or get into anything. If you get hungry, you can have a banana or an apple out of the fruit bowl or eat one of the cookies Kenzie sent home yesterday. I’ll fix dinner when I get back.”

  Kaley tickled his sides before kissing his cheek and opening the kitchen door.

  “Be a good boy. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Frigid temperatures slapped her in the face as she stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind her.

  Just enough light remained in the sky to finish the chores before it turned completely dark. Buford rubbed against her leg and she took a moment to give him some attention before jogging to the barn as fast as her bulky clothes allowed. The dog trailed her as she fed and watered the horses.

  She checked the heaters in all the stock tanks, broke the surface ice in one then hurried to the feed wagon.

  “Bless that Tate Morgan,” she muttered to herself, discovering he’d loaded it after he completed the morning chores.

  Nervous worry gnawed at her that she’d tear something up the whole time she fed, but she managed to get the job done.

  Finished feeding the cattle at the feedlot, she parked the tractor, completed the rest of the chores, and rushed back to the house with Buford on her heels.

  A good rub on his head and a scratch to his belly left the dog happy when she returned to the welcoming warmth of the house.

  Before she had the chance to do more than untie her hood and remove her gloves, Jacob hit her legs, wrapping his little arms around her and staring at her, frightened.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” Kaley dropped to her knees in front of her son. Fear filled his pale face. She ran her hands over his arms and down his legs. He didn’t appear to be hurt, but something scared him.

  He grabbed her hand and motioned for her to follow him. Frantic, he raced into the living room and pointed to the answering machine where a light blinked, indicating a message.

  Kaley pushed the button and listened to Cort say he was stuck on the freeway behind an accident. The message ordered her to leave the chores and that Tate would take care of them.

  Quickly calling Tate, she told him not to worry about coming over.

  He informed her she should have waited for him, but assured her that Cort sounded fine when he’d talked to him. She thanked Tate again for all his and Kenzie’s help, hung up the phone, and smiled at Jacob.

  “Cort’s fine, buddy. It’s just taking longer for him to get home than he planned. When you wake up tomorrow, he’ll be here.”

  Still concerned, Jacob nodded his head. She wondered if he somehow thought Cort had been in an accident.

  “Are you worried that Cort’s hurt or not coming back?” Hurriedly removing her many layers of outerwear, she carried Jacob to the rocking chair and sat down, setting the chair into motion.

  A nod against her chest confirmed his fears.

  “He’s fine, honey. He’s fine and he’ll be back before you know it.”

  Gently rocking her son, Kaley sought to give him comfort.

  This was why she tried so hard to keep Cort at arm’s length. A broken heart and broken dreams were things she could learn to live with, but it would crush Jacob if anything happened to his hero.

  Her efforts at protecting her little boy seemed to be for nothing because he loved that giant of a man almost as much as she did.

  Jacob looked at her, weighing her words. The two of them sat in the rocking chair, resting in the comfort of each other, until they both fell asleep.

  The jazzy music of Kaley’s cell phone ringing woke them both from their peaceful nap. Jacob jumped up and waited while she dug the phone from her pocket and answered it.

  “Cort! Where are you?”

  Cort knew he should have left his folks’ place hours ago instead of letting his sister talk him into staying for lunch. Celia convinced him the roads would be better in the middle of the day than early morning.

  Relishing the time he spent with her and his parents, it didn’t take much to talk him into staying longer before returning to Kennewick and the Hanging P Ranch.

  Early Wednesday afternoon, he arrived at his family’s farm. He’d barely gotten out of his truck when his mom ran out to greet him with tears streaming down her cheeks. She hugged him so tightly, he thought she might crack a rib, but he enjoyed it all the same.

  He swung her around and kissed her cheek before grabbing his duffle bag from his truck and walking with her into the kitchen.

  “It sure smells good in here, Mom.” Cort set his hat on a hook by the door and removed his coat.

  “It should. Your sister and I have been baking all morning.” Jana drank in the sight of her strapping son. She and Trevor were both speechless when he called and asked if he could come for Thanksgiving.

  After his parting words in August, they weren’t sure he’d ever speak to them again. He’d talked to Celia several times. In the last few weeks, he’d sent them several text messages and made one long phone call. Jana never expected to have him home for Thanksgiving. It was more than she could have dreamed possible.

  “Did you have lunch?” she asked as Cort washed his hands at the sink and sat at the kitchen table, looking around the familiar space. The turkey he’d made in third grade from Styrofoam and duck feathers still graced the top of the refrigerator.

  “I grabbed a burrito at the gas station.” Cort knew his mom would make him eat something as soon as he got home and bought the burrito to tide him over until he arrived.

  “Cort, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times not to eat that stuff. You’re lucky you haven’t died of food poisoning.” She cast him a motherly scowl as she made a hearty sandwich and set a plate of cookies along with a glass of milk in front of him.

  “Thanks, Mom.” He ate the sandwich while they discussed plans for the following day.

  “Where’s Miss Fancy Pants?” Cort asked, assuming Celia would be home.

  “I sent her to the store. We’re going to run out of eggs and it never hurts to have extra milk on hand.” Jana felt so blessed to have her son back in her kitchen, visiting with her like old times.

  That evening, after the chores were completed and the four of them sat around the table playing a card game, Cort cleared his throat and thanked his family for what they’d done for him in August.

  “I know it was hard for you all to kick me out of here, but it turned out to be the best thing you could have d
one for me. If you hadn’t intervened, I might be dead. I realize the destructive path I was on and I’m truly sorry.” His heartfelt words made both his sister and mother dab at their tears. “Besides, thanks to your meddling, I met Kaley and Jacob.”

  “Celia said she’s beautiful, but I want to see for myself.” Jana gave him a watery smile and pointed to his phone. “Have you got any photos?”

  He pulled up photos of both Kaley and Jacob and showed them to his mom and dad.

  “She’s a looker, Cort, but something about her seems so sad.” Jana studied a photo of Kaley. She smiled in the photo, but something around her eyes looked haunted and hurt.

  “She had a hard childhood. I also get the idea that she was little more than slave labor to old man Peters and his son.” Although Kaley hadn’t come right out and said anything, it was what she hadn’t said that led Cort to believe her marriage to Dean hadn’t been a happy one.

  “She was married to one of Ed Peters’ boys?” Trevor asked, taking the phone from his wife and looking at the woman’s photo. She was beautiful, but he agreed with Jana, something about her seemed despondent. “Didn’t Ed and his son die in a car wreck? Isn’t there another boy?”

  “Kaley married Dean, the older boy. Todd, the younger one, was in the service. He died earlier this year in Afghanistan. Dean and Ed died when a drunk driver in a truck hit them head-on. Jacob was in the car at the time. He hasn’t spoken since the accident.” Cort took the phone from his dad and pulled up a photo of Jacob. The boy wore a big smile and his favorite ball cap while he hugged Buford. “I took this on the porch at their house. Tate and Kenzie helped us paint it back in October.”

  “What a cute little guy.” Jana couldn’t imagine the trauma the little boy had endured.

  “He’s awesome.” Cort smiled fondly at thoughts of Jacob. “When Kaley told me what happened, I realized I could have been that drunk. I could have been the guy that killed two men and left a child damaged for life. I didn’t want that to be a possibility ever again. Thank you for helping me.”

  “Could you just stop talking now while I have some mascara left?” Celia swiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “We’re proud of you, son, and the changes you’re making in your life. Just because you can’t rodeo anymore doesn’t mean your life is over,” Trevor said in a choked voice.

  “I know, Dad. I’ve discovered that some things mean more to me than rodeo ever did.” Cort grinned at Celia when she gazed at him in surprise.

  The next day, they ate too much food, laughed too hard, and spent a pleasant day reconnecting.

  Friday morning, Cort helped his dad with the chores. After returning to the house, he packed his bag to leave when Celia talked him into staying for a while longer.

  “Please, Cort. Who knows when we’ll see you again. Will you please stay for lunch? We can eat early if you’ll just stay a little while longer,” she pleaded, giving him a look that had always bent him to her will as kids.

  “Just until after lunch, but I need to be on the road by one. I’ve got feeding and evening chores to do when I get back.” He picked up a box of his things he’d packed to take back to the Hanging P with him, including a few toys from his childhood he thought Jacob might enjoy.

  Celia carried his bag of clothes to the truck. Cort also loaded the saddle he’d used when he was Jacob’s age, along with several other boxes. He had a few surprises planned for Christmas and wanted to take along things that would help make the little boy’s holiday unforgettable.

  “Are you serious about this girl?” Celia asked, as she watched Cort set the little saddle on the back seat of his truck.

  “About as serious as I’ve ever been about anything,” Cort said, shocking his sister. She didn’t think the mighty Cort McGraw would ever settle down, but it looked like he was definitely headed that direction.

  “Don’t you think you’re rushing things?”

  Cort shook his head, giving his sister a thoughtful look. “I knew the first time I saw her that there was something about her, something different and special, that I’d never find with anyone else.”

  “What’s her story?” Celia asked as they walked back inside the house, taking a seat in the family room on the big couch.

  “I don’t know, but I’m hoping she’ll trust me enough to tell me someday. Someone along the line hurt her, but she’s starting to come around.” At least Cort hoped she was. Although she’d shut him out after that first decadent taste of her luscious lips, he knew if he gave her enough time and space, she’d warm up to him.

  At least, he hoped and prayed she would. Otherwise, he didn’t know what he’d do since both she and Jacob had captured his heart.

  “I’ll wish you luck, then. Patience has never been your best virtue, big brother.” Celia tossed a pillow at his head before running into the kitchen.

  He hung out with his mom and sister for a while then wandered out to the shop where his dad worked on a broken tractor part. Their dog, Frito, kept him company.

  Cort talked to his dad about the Hanging P and what he thought would be a good plan for its future while he absently scratched the dog on his belly.

  “Sounds to me like you’ve got it all figured out, son.” Trevor wiped his hands on a rag and walked with Cort back to the house for lunch. “If you have any questions or just want to talk over ideas, you know you can call any time.”

  “I appreciate that, Dad.” Cort hoped his father knew how much he appreciated him.

  Lunch was lively then he gave everyone one last hug, the dog one more scratch on the back, and got on the road. It started snowing about half an hour after he hit the freeway and he knew he should have left early as he’d planned. Unable to regret the additional time spent with his family, he resigned himself to driving on snowy roads.

  A dozen miles from Baker City, the freeway shut down for a wreck. The time spent sitting in his truck waiting for the wreck to clear with other vehicles backed up in front of and behind him did nothing to improve his quickly deteriorating mood.

  Almost two hours later, he finally pulled into Baker City to fill up on fuel and use the restroom at the gas station. The long lines moved slowly, further testing his thinly stretched patience. Finally, he had a full tank and got back on the road.

  Another wreck left one lane of the freeway closed just outside La Grande with traffic moving at a crawl.

  Concerned the remainder of the trip could be equally wearisome and slow, he stopped and topped off his tank before getting back on the road.

  When he found himself stopped behind another wreck about fifteen miles out of Pendleton, he was glad he’d filled the truck with fuel before he left La Grande.

  Surprised Kaley didn’t answer when he called to let her know he’d be late, he wondered if she was still with Kenzie. Tate told him about the girls going shopping when he talked to him that morning. Just in case she was home, he left a brief message.

  A call to Tate assured his friend he was fine but stuck on the freeway. He asked him to take care of the chores for the evening. Tate informed him Kaley had gone home earlier in the afternoon, but he’d be glad to head over and do the feeding.

  An hour passed with the traffic not moving an inch. Frustrated, Cort couldn’t wait to get back to the Hanging P and off the road. In the thousands of miles he drove each year with his rodeo career, he’d never spent that much time sitting on a freeway in cold, snowy weather. That was saying something, considering the bad roads he’d been on over the years.

  Picking up his phone, he tried calling Kaley again. Relief flooded through him when she answered his call.

  “Cort, where are you?” Worry echoed through her voice, giving him hope that she cared about him.

  “I’m sitting on the freeway out of Pendleton. Where are you?” he asked in a teasing tone. He pictured her curled up on the couch with Jacob or in the kitchen busy making dinner.

  “Lazily snoozing away the evening in the rocking chair with Jacob.” Cort hea
rd a sleepy tone in her voice as she spoke and it made him smile. “I had no idea we slept so long.”

  “It’s getting late.” Cort stared at the numbers glaring at him from the radio’s clock. A trip that should have taken five hours at the most, had already taken eight and he still had more than an hour of normal travel time before he got back to the ranch.

  “How much longer do you think you’ll be stuck there?” Kaley hoped Cort was as well as he sounded. A picture of him grinning as he talked with a toothpick perched between his very kissable lips made her fidget in the chair, wishing he sat across the room from her instead of a hundred miles away.

  “I don’t know. We’ve been stuck in this particular spot for two hours, so I hope traffic starts moving soon. Someone walked by and said there was a semi turned over and a few cars ran into it.”

  “Are you warm enough?” As soon as she spoke the words, she regretted uttering them, not wanting to sound like his mother. A maternal image did nothing to boost her confidence as potential girlfriend material.

  “I’m fine.” Cort smirked at her question. There wasn’t a thing she could do to fix the problem if he was cold. He seriously doubted she’d engage in phone flirting to get his blood pumping, even if Jacob wasn’t sitting with her.

  Nevertheless, he couldn’t help teasing her, dropping his voice to a seductive growl. “If I said I was freezing, would you promise to warm me up with some special attention when I get home?”

  “Cort McGraw, what a thing to ask!” Heat seared her cheeks at the implication of his question. When he asked if she’d give the phone to Jacob without another playful comment, she wondered if her own wanting had made her misunderstand his indirect message.

  When she handed the phone to her son, he looked at it as if she’d given him some foreign object. Warily, he held it up to his ear.

  “Hey, partner. This is Cort. I’m sorry I won’t see you tonight before you go to bed, but I’ll be there in the morning. Maybe you can help me with some projects tomorrow. What do you think?”

  Cort heard Kaley come back on the phone. “Whatever you said to him, he’s grinning and nodding his head up and down.”