Page 37 of Rancher's Pride

With the proof of him contacting me gone, I fell into a fitful sleep. Lottie woke up twice, and each time it felt like I’d only just closed my eyes. Between her waking up, the texts from the unknown number and kissing Nash, Christmas was shaping up to be a disaster.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

NASH

Iheard the click of my doorknob as it was turned, and then the squeak of the hinges as someone opened it. As if being attacked by a wild animal, something with little feet ran and launched themselves on top of me. The wild animal started giggling and trying to pry my eyes open. “Open your eyes Nas. It’s Christmas.” She pressed on my cheeks and squished my face. “Santa came. Let’s go.” Her small hands landed on my shoulders and tried to shake me awake.

“Are you always this much of a pest in the morning?” I asked, tickling her. Usually I was up hours before now or long gone working. But this morning, I wasn’t going to trade it for the world.

“Yes.” She giggled, her sweet laughter filling the room, and my heart grew just a little more. That littlelaugh was more life giving than anything I’d heard before.

“Josie, leave Nash alone.” I heard Fallon yell up the stairs.

“Mommy worries too much, doesn’t she?” I said loudly as Josie giggled.

“I heard that,” she called back to me.

“You were supposed to.” I laughed when I heard her huff in exasperation. “All right, you go wait out in the hall and I will get dressed. Then we’ll inspect what Santa left.” Josie nodded, and she scrambled off the bed and ran out of my room. A month ago I would have worked through today, and then went to Julie’s for supper. Now I was excited to hop out of bed to see what Santa left, even though I already knew.

Opening the door again, I looked down at my sweet girl standing wide eyed, almost vibrating as I came out of my room. Sweeping her up in my arms, I headed for the stairs. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me tight. “Loves you Nas.”

“Loves you too, baby.” My eyes stung with tears and stopped in the middle of the stairs and took a deep breath. “Daddy loves you.” I whispered, but not loud enough for her to hear it.

“Merry Christmas, son,” Pop said, patting my back when I got to the bottom of the stairs.

“Merry Christmas Pop. I’m so glad you’re here.” I glanced over at Wanda and smiled. She was giving Lottie her bottle, and I wasn’t mad. It was her here andnot my mother. It was the strangest feeling to know I had a better relationship with my father’s girlfriend than with my own mother.

I was glad to see that Fallon had let her take Lottie, and I was hoping her morning was okay. She seemed to be doing better, and I was hoping she was feeling the support and love we all had for her. But no matter how long it took, I’d be here.

“Santa seems to have outdone himself.” Wanda said, trying to hide her smirk.

“Josie, want to see what Santa brought?” She wiggled in my arms and I set her down and watched her run around the couch, looking at everything.

Josie took the rope off the horn of the saddle, sat on it, and tried to rope me. She missed by a lot, but managed to knock off some decorations from the tree. “Sorry, Mommy,” she said quietly.

“Maybe we should only rope outdoors? And nothing broke.” Fallon bent down, spoke calmly to Josie, and picked up the ornaments. “See, they’re all fine. That's why we bought plastic ones for the lower branches,” she said, keeping her tone the same made Josie feel better. I’d never had any doubts she’d be a wonderful mom to our kids, but she exceeded any ideas I thought I had.

“Nas, teach me to rope pease?” Her gigantic eyes, the same haunting color as my own, stared at me, waiting for an answer.

“Of course.” I nodded, and my heart was ready to explode.

All the gifts were opened. Wrapping paper littered my house from one end to the other and we hadn’t even got to the horse yet. But there was one other thing I needed to give to Josie. I pulled a box from behind the closet door and handed it to her. “I might have one more gift for you.” Josie hopped off the saddle and ran over to me, hopping up on my lap.

She pulled the top of the box off with minimal help and she clapped when she looked in the box. Grabbing the black cowboy hat, she placed it on her head and grinned. “Same as yours.” She smiled. I’d get her one that matched mine for the spring and summer, too. Hell, if she wants one for each day of the week, I’d make sure she had them.

“Yep kiddo, now we have matching hats. So you wear yours and I wear mine.” Josie scrunched up her nose and then nodded.

“All right, let’s go,” I said just as we finished cleaning up the house. “Kipp’s going to be waiting.” I grabbed warm clothes for Josie and helped Fallon get her ready. Lottie was tucked warmly in her car seat, which was hooked over Pop’s arm, and Wanda was loaded down with blankets.

The sound of sleigh bells jingled as we stood outside, waiting. I was taken back to another time when life was easy, but as much as I wanted to stay there, the here and now seemed to be pretty good. “Nas, look.” Josie pointed as the horses came into view. She giggled and squirmed in my arms, but I had full control of her.

“Merry Christmas.” Everyone called from the sleigh. They waved, and we called back to them. Fallon took a step closer to me, and I put my arm around her waist.

“You good Toots?”

“Yeah, it’s just.”

“I know.” I kissed the side of her head, then turned to see Kipp standing holding the reins of the horses, pulling them to a stop.

---