Mischief and Mistletoe (6 page)

After dinner and clean up, Ty and Russell followed the ranch hands who were staying overnight to the stables to put the horses to bed. They had let them roam the paddock during dinner, but Ty wanted them boarded up overnight. Even though they all had a good winter coat to keep them warm, Ty still wanted them indoors.

His babies weren’t fans of being locked down, but dealing with a grumpy horse was better than dealing with a horse with a broken leg. It only took one icy patch of snow to cripple a horse and his bottom line for life. A broken leg didn’t look good on paper, but it wasn’t just about his ability to sell a horse, Ty truly cared for every single animal in his care.

All but two of the quarter horses he had on hand now had been fo
aled on the Dollar with him and the local vet acting as midwives. He had attended the births with as much attention and pride as he did when Charlotte had delivered Candace. Most of the time he had been the first to touch them, the first to groom them, and the first to fall in love with their big doe-like eyes. He loved them almost as much as he loved his own flesh and blood, so it was important to him they weather the snowstorm.

It took them a good hour to dry the horses, clean out their hooves and put them in the stalls with fresh hay and water. Even though the hands were more than capable of tending to the animals, Ty personally checked each and every horse just for his own peace of mind. When he was satisfied with how they each looked and felt, he gathered the men together and went over the emergency evacuation plan once more, just in case.

“Just in case” was his go-to phrase to cover up his OCD. He knew it and the men knew it, but they humored him just the same and listened as if this were the first time he mentioned the plan today instead of the third. The Dollar Ranch had been in his family for two generations and he’d be damn if the family business went kaput on his watch. He loved it all too much to let it end now.

As soon as he was done, he and Russell bid the men a good night and headed back to the main house. The steadily falling snow made the trip a bit longer than normal. Despite what Tamara had said, not a bit had
melted. It was almost knee high and it was cold as fuck. By the time they made it back in the house all Ty wanted to do was to strip out of his clothes and hop into a hot shower, but that idea was instantly shot down the second he saw his daughter walking between Tamara and her mother, with her favorite Christmas book in hand.

When they reached his side, Charlotte let loose of Candace’s hand and immediately went to work on helping Ty take off his outside gear while Tamara did the same with Russell.

As soon as Charlotte had his coat off, she threw it over her arm and faced him once more. “Everything okay?”

“On my end. I did all that I could, now the rest is in God’s hand.”

“He’s a good God, it’ll work out fine.”

Her optimism was like sunshine on a cloudy day. It never failed to immediately make him feel warm from the outside in. Even on a dreary night like tonight, there was a part of him that thought things were going to be good, just because she said that it was. If she believed, he believed. She was his faith.
“I’m sure it will.”

“It’s reading time,
Daddy,” Candace said, obviously tired of being ignored.

“I see,” he said as he slipped off his gloves and hat. “Let me go shower real quick and…”

Her smile instantly began to turn down and Ty went from feeling like Superman to The Grinch. “I mean change my pants…” he tried, waiting to see if her expression would change or not.

“Quickly?” she said through quivering lips.

“Yes,” he adamantly replied as if any other way was ludicrous. “As quick as a bee.”

Her smile was back. His work here was done. “Okay
, Daddy.”

He took the coat from his wife. “I got it
, babe. Can you and munchkin warm up some cocoa? Make ours the Irish kind.”

“Not a problem.” Charlotte took Candace’s hand in hers. “See you in a minute.”

“Will do.”

“You’re so whipped,” Russell muttered out the side of his mouth
to Ty as he took his coat from Tamara’s hand.

“Talk to me in two weeks
, buddy. Then we’ll see who’s whipped.”

“Please,” he said as
he took a few steps back to shake the snow off his coat. “My heart is made of st—”

Tamara quickly placed her hand on her stomach and groaned. “
Ahh.”

Russell dropped the coat to the floor and was by her side in a second. “What’s hurting? Do you need to go l
ie down? Do you want me to call the doctor?”

Tamara shifted her weight from side to side as if she was trying to work out a kink. “It’s nothing but your big
-headed baby forming a one man conga line inside me.”

Russell placed his hand where Tamara’s just was and rubbed it in soothing circles. “Be nice to your momma, little one.”

Laughing to himself, Ty bypassed the couple and grabbed Russell’s coat. He placed them both on hangers then put them in the hall closet. By the time he turned back around the sugary-sweet scene in front of him was thankfully coming to an end.

Tamara leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Russell’s lips. “Thank you
, baby. No, go get out of those pants. I packed you some clothes. They are in the duffle bag in the closet. Go get dressed then come join us in the family room. We just hung up the cranberries and popcorn.”

“On it.”

Because Ty was a kind man, he waited until the women were out of hearing distance before leaning over and whispering to his friend, “Now what was it you were saying. Your heart is made out of st-st-styrofoam?”

“Shut up.” Russell shoved him out of the way and headed up the stairs, st
omping and muttering under his breath about shitty, mouthy friends, Ty followed behind, laughing all the way. If there was any adage that was so true, it was the bigger they were the harder they fell. Lord knew, it took him seeing Charlotte just one time to know she was the one for him. Russell and Tamara were a bit more stubborn but they fell just as hard.

When he hit the top of the stairs
, Ty headed straight for his room. It took a bit of effort to get the wet pants down but the blast of heat that instantly surrounded him was well worth the effort. Ty bypassed his closet and went straight to his dresser drawers and pulled out a pair of sweats. He donned the matching thermal shirt and a pair of thick socks before picking up his wet clothes and hanging them over the shower curtain. Then he headed back downstairs toward the family room.

As soon as he entered the room
, he couldn’t help but smile. Even though he would never admit it, he loved what Charlotte and Candace had done. The room looked like the Christmas aisle of Target had thrown up in there. Every surface, every corner, every ounce of tactable wall had some sort of Christmas doodad on it. And in the corner next to a small iPod dock, which played Christmas music from sun up to sun down, was their Christmas tree filled with twinkle lights and bulbs, and thanks to the ladies, was garnished with popcorn and cranberries. Candace had even set out a plate of Christmas cookies on the table in plain sight for Santa, should his holiness appear, even though she said she didn’t believe in Santa anymore.

Ty didn’t remember his mother going to these extremes for him as kid, but he loved that Charlotte did. Just watching the way Candace lit up whenever they opened the Christmas Countdown doors to see what new treat was awaiting her made all the effort of lugging out bins and hanging lights worth it. It was for his girls. There was nothing too taxing if it meant giving them one minute of happiness.

“Took you long enough,” Russell said from the couch he was nuzzled up next to Tamara in. His friend was dressed in a similar fashion and sipping quite happily from a mug that rightfully should have been Ty’s. Damn it looked good.

“
Gimme,” he gestured rudely to Russell, who just laughed and tightened his grip on his cup.

“Nope.”

“This one is yours.” Charlotte picked up a cup a from the side table and waved it back and forth. “Made just the way you like.”

Ty made a beeline for the cup and greedily took it from her hand. “I love you.”

“Who are you talking to? Me or the cup.”

“Why must I choose?” he asked before taking a sip of the creamy brew. Irish
whiskey and chocolate were obvious gifts from the gods. Who else could have possibly thought of such goodness and put them together. Enamored with the heady flavors, Ty took another sip, then another, then another, and was about to take one more when he felt a tug on his shirt. Begrudgingly he lowered his cup and peered at his daughter, who was watching him with a matching annoyed look on her face.

“The book
, Daddy.”

“Right.” Ty took one more loving drink of his cocoa then passed the mug back to his grinning wife. “Keep that handy.”

“Aye, aye, captain.”

Ty picked Candace up and moved them both to his chair, which had been placed closer to the Christmas tree. On his lap he held Candace, who was fresh from her bath
, smelling like vanilla and hazelnut, and in his hands he held
’Twas The Night Before Christmas
.

Ty cleared his throat and began. By the time he got to the last page
, Candace was snuggled real deep into his side and blinking really hard. So he lowered his voice and finished a bit softer. “
But I heard him exclaim, ’ere he drove out of sight, happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
” He closed the book on the last word, much to his little one’s dismay.

“Read it again
, Daddy.”

“No
, ma’am.” He handed the book over to Charlotte. “You know the rules, missy. One story then bedtime.”

“But I don’t want to go to bed.”

Charlotte set the book down and picked Candace up. “But the quicker you fall asleep, the faster morning will come. And the faster the morning comes the faster you can open presents.”

“But I’m not
ti—” the word was cut off by a yawn, “—red. Really, I can stay up forever and ever and ever.”

“You know the rules,” Ty said as he stood. “You don’t have to go to sleep, you only have to l
ie there quietly. You can stay awake as long as you want, you just can’t get out of bed or read a book.”

“
But bed without books is boring.”

“So you might as well go to sleep.”

“Daddy.” She cupped his cheeks in her hands. “I’m thinking you’re tricking me.”

“Would I do that?”

“Yes.”

Ty laughed. “I’m hurt you would think that.”

“Don’t be hurt.” Candace, ever the peacemaker, leaned over toward him, giving him no other choice but to pick her up. “You’re the best daddy ever, ever, ever and I love you. Even if you trick me some times. I still love you.”

Ty was so happy the hands had retired to the bunkhouse because there would be no way he would be able to explain to the men he sometimes rode
roughshod over why his eyes were tearing up at his baby girl’s words. When it came to Candace he was just such a sucker. But he probably wouldn’t change it if he could. “Well, as long as you still love me, then I guess it’s okay. You get some sleep, okay. I’ll come tuck you in a little later.”

“
’Night, Daddy.” She puckered up her baby duck lips and gave him a good, strong, slightly wet kiss. She turned in his arms and reached for Russell. “’Night, Uncle Rusty.”

Russell, like Ty, swung her in his arms and planted a kiss on her lips. “
’Night, baby girl. I’ll see you in the morning, stinker doodle.”

“I’m not a stinker.” She pretended to pout.

“You’re my little stinker.” Russell held her over Tamara. “Give Aunt Tamara a kiss too, then off to bed.”

Candace pressed another sweet kiss to Tamara and said, “
’Night, Aunt T’mara,” as Russell set her on the floor.

“
’Night, baby girl.”

The three adults watched as
Charlotte and Candace walked from the room hand in hand, quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. After a few seconds, Tamara rose from the couch.

“Where you going?” Russell asked.

“Potty break. I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Well, duh.”

Ty moved back to the couch facing the loveseat Russell was on and picked up his slightly cool cocoa. Russell was still looking down the hallway in the direction Tamara had gone, but when he turned back to face Ty
, Russell was smiling. Not a little smile either, but a full facial as if he’d just seen the funniest thing in the world sort of smile.

“What?”

“Did you ever imagine you and I would end up here?”

Ty seriously thought about it for a few seconds then nodded. “Yes and no. I mean I always knew I would still be here, working with horses, but I never really saw myself married
, and I didn’t see you back here, back on the range with a wife and a baby on the way.”

“Right. I was going to own my law firm and be a billionaire ten times over by the time I was forty.”