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“Thanks for the warning. I’ll pick up some over-the-counter meds at the drugstore in the morning.” She was headed there anyway. If Jake would be spending some late-night quality time at her house, she would be prepared with condoms. “It’s one day and one evening with minimal exposure and I don’t want to miss out on the fun. I’d love to go, but what about Mom and Dad? I hate to leave them in the lurch.”
“They were invited, too, but they think Herb and Rosie deserve to have Grady and me all to themselves. Mom and Dad claimed us for Christmas Day so it seemed fair to them if we went to the ranch tomorrow night. If you come with us, then they can do their lovebird thing.”
“It’s cute, isn’t it? After all these years they’re still nuts about each other.”
“Mom pointed that out when I told her I couldn’t be with Grady because he was an artist.” Sapphire mimicked their mother’s voice. “‘Your father and I are both artists and we’ve managed to stumble through twenty-nine years without killing each other.’”
“And so will you and Grady.” Amethyst gave her a hug. “You two have something special. The ring he gave you is gorgeous.”
“I’m rather fond of it, myself.” Sapphire held her hand out in front of her to admire it. “We’ve tried to set a date but we’re both so busy we haven’t figured out when.”
“Whenever it is, I’ll be there, and I want to sing.”
“I would love for you to sing but you’ll be the maid of honor. Can you do both things? I’ve never seen that done but if anyone can pull it off you can.”
“I’ve never seen it done, either, but I’ll be happy to set a precedent as the first singing maid of honor. I might even sing as I walk down the aisle.” She looked at Sapphire. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s a fabulous idea. In fact, when you get married, you should be the singing bride. You could sing your vows and turn the whole thing into a musical. Just make sure the groom can sing, too, or it’ll be weird.”
“Yeah, because having both the bride and groom sing their vows wouldn’t be the least bit weird.”
Sapphire laughed. “You should do it.”
“I definitely would if I planned to get married. But I don’t.”
“Ever?”
“Probably not. I’ve watched how it goes with the big names and I’m hoping to be up there with them someday. It’s not easy to maintain a high-profile career and a solid marriage.”
Sapphire gazed at her as if evaluating the truth of that statement. Finally she nodded. “I guess you’re right. You’re smart to think that through, because you’re going to make it big.”
“That’s my goal.” She crossed her fingers. “But there are no guarantees, either. Even if I get a contract it could be a bumpy ride. It wouldn’t be fair to drag some unsuspecting guy along.”
“Nope. But I see why you’re so excited about hanging out with Jake since he’s not looking to settle down, either. You might as well soak up all that yumminess while he’s in town.”
“My thoughts, exactly.”
* * *
SIX PEOPLE GATHERED around the kitchen table at the ranch house that night and, fortunately, Rosie, the woman he’d called Mom ever since she’d asked him to the first day, had made plenty of tuna casserole. Jake was on his third helping. Cade had mentioned that several times.
“Leave him alone.” Chelsea came to his defense. “He’s a growing boy.”
“Thanks, Chelsea.” Jake hadn’t met her until tonight but she was easy to get to know. Her multicolored hair and funky clothes made him smile and he could tell she liked him, too. She worked in marketing and Finn gave her full credit for making his microbrewery a success and for mellowing out his workaholic tendencies. The two of them seemed to have a good thing going.
“He’s definitely grown since I last saw him,” Finn said. “You put on any more muscle and you’ll rip the seams of that shirt, bro. I advise cutting back on the workouts or you’ll be shelling out for a new wardrobe.”
Cade grinned. “Hey, Finn, you’re just jealous because Jake and I are manly men with jobs that increase the diameter of our biceps, while you only have to expend enough energy to put a head on a mug of beer.”
“Are you saying I’m out of shape?” Finn propped his elbow on the table and lifted his hand in a challenge. “Arm-wrestle this, pony boy.”
Cade left his chair. “My pleasure, suds stud.”
“Suds stud?” Chelsea snorted. “I need to remember that one.”
Jake wondered if they’d actually arm-wrestle. He wouldn’t mind seeing that because he suspected Finn could take Cade. Finn had an air of steely determination, almost an edgy quality, whereas Cade was more easygoing.
“No arm wrestling at the dinner table.” Rosie gave them a warning glance. “You know the rules.”
“Yeah,” Jake said. “Some of us are still eating, here.”
“Oh, sorry.” Cade sat again. “Wouldn’t want to get in the way of that.”
Jake smiled before he took another bite. Now that his hunger was mostly satisfied he could savor the taste. “I need to make this at the firehouse. I keep meaning to get the recipe from you.” He glanced at Rosie. Short and blonde, with a little extra padding here and there, she was the most beautiful woman he knew. And talk about steely determination. She had it in spades.
“She doesn’t use a recipe anymore, son.” Herb, the person Jake considered his dad for all intents and purposes, was a wiry guy who could do the work of men half his age.
“Herb’s right,” she said. “I could make tuna casserole in my sleep. Probably have a time or two. But I’ll try to come up with some directions for you. It would be a great firehouse meal. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Most of the stuff you made for us would go over great at the firehouse. We look for good food that’s not too expensive.”
“Which is especially important if they all eat as much as you,” Cade said.
“Some eat more.” It wasn’t true but he’d said it to get a reaction out of Cade.
“They do?”
“Oh, yeah. Once a week a semi backs up to the firehouse to unload our groceries. We make our salad in a wheelbarrow and our spaghetti sauce in a sterilized oil drum. In order to cook the pasta we build a fire under an antique bathtub.”
Cade stared at him. “That’s amazing.”
Jake kept a straight face as long as he could but finally burst out laughing, which set off everybody else.
Cade blew out a breath. “Well, it could be true. After watching Jake put away food I was willing to believe it.”
“I’ve always loved seeing my boys eat.” Rosie beamed at them. “Who’s ready for German chocolate cake?”
Jake left his chair and went over to kiss her cheek. “You made my favorite.”
“Of course I did. You haven’t been home for Christmas in years. We need to celebrate.”
Everybody else seemed happy with the prospect of cake, too, but Jake was touched that she’d remembered how much he loved it. He’d never known his own mother but whenever he imagined what she might have been like, he pictured Rosie. A guy couldn’t do any better than having a mom like her.
He helped her dish it and, as they were passing out plates, Herb looked over at Cade. “How come the Christmas lights are out? They were on at dusk but I noticed they’re out now. Do we need to check the connections?”
“Nah, the connections are fine.” Cade flicked a glance at Jake. “We decided to make a few changes in the morning and since no one will be driving up tonight, Finn and I wanted to save the electricity for now. Everything will be operational for Christmas Eve.”
“Okay.” Herb seemed unconcerned. “I leave that to you boys. I’m sure it’ll look great.”
“It will.” Cade tucked into his cake.
Jake was glad he’d bought the smoke alarms as gifts and the cords and lights could be slipped into the mix without making a big deal of it. But he had more than Christmas lights on his mind. Before they’d all finished their dessert, he brought up the subject that had been nagging him since making the plan with Amethyst. “I’m looking for a sleigh to rent or borrow. Do any of you know of one?”
Cade paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. “What, now you’re Santa Claus? Although if you keep eating like that you’ll eventually fit the part.”
“I invited a woman for a sleigh ride tomorrow afternoon.”
Silence descended on the table as all attention swiveled in his direction.
He hadn’t worked through this very well. He’d blame the shock of seeing Amethyst in the hardware store, but now he realized that he couldn’t ask for a sleigh without offering more of an explanation.
He cleared his throat. “I made a quick run into town before dinner so I could pick up a few...things.”
“It’s Christmas.” Rosie waved a hand as if to relieve him of giving the details. “We all have secrets. But who’s the woman?”
“I ran into her when I was in town. Amethyst Ferguson.”
Rosie’s gaze sharpened. “You dated her in high school.”
“For a while.”
“You know she’s a professional singer now.”
“Yes, I know. Now, about this sleigh, I remember we used to hitch Navarre up to a wagon.”
“And a couple of times to a toboggan.” Finn exchanged a grin with Cade.
Jake ignored him. “I thought he could probably pull a sleigh.”
“He could,” Herb said, “but there’s the slight problem of not having a sleigh for him to pull.”
Cade put down his fork. “You know, that takes cojones, bro, inviting a woman on a sleigh ride when you’re not in possession of one. I’m impressed.”
“Do you know of anybody who has one?”
“Nope, can’t say as I do, but I’m still impressed.”
Jake figured there was no point in asking Finn and Chelsea. They didn’t live here anymore. In desperation, he turned to Rosie. “Mom, do you know of anyone around here who has a sleigh?”
“Not at the moment, but if you need a sleigh, I’ll find you one.”
3 (#ufcc001ab-7ea1-5b22-93af-8c71063a0220)
LUCK BLESSED JAKE with a clear sky the next morning. If a snowstorm had blown in, which was always possible in December, reconfiguring the lights would have been impossible. As it was the task wasn’t simple, especially wearing gloves. Cade and Finn had woven a complex tapestry of dangerous cords and substandard lights.
Cade had apologized for his screw-up and had tried to take the blame, but Finn had insisted on sharing it. He, Cade and Damon were the triumvirate who’d called themselves the Thunder Mountain Brotherhood in the early days of the foster program. Their loyalty to each other ran deep.
Jake respected that. He’d arrived at the ranch later and, although every guy was now considered part of the brotherhood, the bond wasn’t the same as the one shared by the first three. When those boys had come to the ranch there had been no tradition, no sense of belonging to something greater. They’d had to create that for themselves.
His buddies at the fire department had a unique connection because they faced life-and-death situations every day, but again, it wasn’t the same. Firefighters could choose to quit and sever that connection. The kids who’d been brought to the ranch after the Thunder Mountain Brotherhood had been established could thank Cade, Finn and Damon for creating a positive and lasting identity for all of them. Once a Thunder Mountain brother, always a Thunder Mountain brother.
They’d nearly finished reconfiguring the lights when Rosie walked out onto the porch. She’d pulled a knit cap down over her ears and held her coat closed instead of zipping it, which meant she was making a brief visit. “I think you boys can quit, now. It’s not as if the Pope is coming for a visit.”
Jake had to laugh. She still called them boys, probably always would.
“But Lexi will be here.” Cade arranged the net lights more evenly on a bush. “That’s enough motivation for me.”
“I’m sure she’ll be very impressed. That’s more lights than we’ve ever had on this house. But you need to finish up. I’ve found Jake a sleigh.”
Jake glanced up, a three-pronged plug dangling from his gloved hand. “That’s awesome! Where is it?”
“The Emersons have one, but it’s too wide to fit in the back of a pickup. Their ranch isn’t that far as the crow flies, so it makes more sense to ride over and get it, anyway. It may not be in the best of shape, so I suggest you take Cade or Finn with you.”
“We’ll all go,” Cade said. “It’ll be fun.”
Jake gazed at her. “What do you mean, not in the best of shape?”
“It hasn’t been used in years. They offered to sell it to me for fifty bucks, so I said fine. I’ve always wanted a sleigh.”
“Um, if it’s only fifty bucks it could be falling apart.” Jake didn’t want to sound ungrateful but he also didn’t plan to take Amethyst out in a sleigh that could collapse any minute.
“I asked them and they said it’s functional.”
“But if they haven’t used it in years, how do they know?”
“That’s an excellent point.” She shivered and stomped her feet. “But I called everyone I could think of and this is the only one I found. If you’d rather not take a chance on it, I’ll call them back and say never mind.”
“Don’t do that,” Cade said. “We’ll make it work. I’ve always wanted a sleigh, too.”
“Then you’d better finish the lights and get over there. At the very least it’ll need to be cleaned up and Amethyst will be here before you know it.”
Jake glanced at the angle of the sun. “You’re right. Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome. If the sleigh doesn’t work there’s a toboggan in the barn. I seem to remember some people hitching a horse to that once upon a time.” She winked and went back into the house.
“Nix on the toboggan idea,” Cade said. “You can’t make out with a woman on a toboggan.”
Finn brushed snow off his gloves. “Might be a safer bet than a fifty-buck sleigh.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.” Jake blew out a breath. “It’s liable to be a piece of junk.”
“Maybe not.” Cade came over and clapped him on the shoulder. “Think positive, bro. Maybe it’s a gem that’s taking up space they want for something else.”
“Or maybe the wood’s rotted out and the mice have made a nest in the upholstery.”
“One way to find out. I have a feeling we can rehabilitate this sleigh.” Cade glanced up at the Christmas lights strung everywhere. “Are we done here?”
“You tell me. You’re the one trying to impress your ladylove.”
