Page 69 of Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas
“That’s fine. We’ll share.” Will snuck the travel mug from Zoe before she knew what he was doing.
“Hey,” she complained, although she didn’t try to take it back. “Sometimes I think it’d be nice to be an only child.”
“Eh.” Camille gave in to the urge to lean against Steve, needing the reassurance of his strength and steadiness. It’d already been a long day, and she had a feeling it’d be a while before it was over. He rested a hand on her back, making her wonder if he needed some tactile comfort, too. “Being an only child isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Besides, who’d test your inventions if your siblings weren’t around?”
“Good point,” Zoe said, drawing the blanket more tightly around herself.
Steve frowned. “You three should go inside and warm up. Maya, you too. I’ll watch Q for a while.”
“No.” Maya didn’t take her eyes off of her pony. “I’m fine. Camille brought me cider and a blanket. I want to stay with Q.”
“I want to stay, too,” Will said, and Micah gave his trademark short nod.
“Me, too.” Zoe stole her cider back and took a drink.
Steve’s frown deepened, but he didn’t argue with them. He turned his head to eye Camille.
“Don’t look at me,” she said, leaning more heavily against him. “You’re keeping me warm, and I just had some house time getting the drinks.”
With a small huff that Camille thought was meant to sound more irritated than it actually did, Steve pulled her closer against his side. “Fine. Now we all wait.”
“Um…” Camille knew she was going to sound like the ignorant one again. “What are we waiting for?”
Maya gave a little giggle, her first one since she’d learned her pony was sick. “Q needs to poop.”
Camille blinked. “We’re waiting for poop?”
There was a chorus of snickers from the other three kids as a slow smile curved Steve’s lips. “Better settle in. Looks like no one’s leaving until the pony poops.”
Settling in as she’d been told, Camille nestled closer to Steve and rested her head against his shoulder, thinking of how sideways her life had gone. Even a month ago, she’d never have expected to be sitting in a cold barn with Steve Springfield and his kids on Christmas Eve, waiting for a pony to poop.
Honestly, she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Chapter 18
He moved through the fire station with confident steps. It was empty, with everyone either home or out on the latest call, but he still acted like he was supposed to be there, just in case. He slipped into the storage room and quickly gathered what he needed. This should be the last time he’d have to play the part. The plan was in place.
After tonight, he’d finally get what he was owed.
* * *
Camille never thought she would cheer when a pony pooped, but that was exactly what she did. All of them cheered, and the mood in the barn grew much lighter. This time, when Steve insisted they all head to the house, they listened, leaving him to watch Q a little longer, just to make sure the colic had resolved.
As the kids took turns taking hot showers, Camille heated up some of Micah’s crab bisque for a late dinner. While the others ate, she took some soup out for Steve but ran into him halfway to the barn.
Taking one look at his scowl, she asked, “What’s wrong? Did Q get worse?”
“No.” He took her hand as she fell in next to him. “I got called in.”
“Again? What is that, the fourth fire in three days?”
His shoulders lowered in a silent sigh. “Yeah, although this time it’s already out. I’m just needed to help mop up. Tucker, one of the other firefighters, caught his hand in the truck door, so the chief’s driving him to the ER in Ebba. They’re down two people, so they asked if I could come in to help finish up. All these fires are typical of the season, though. There are candles and dried-out, unwatered trees in people’s homes, plus the extra electrical use means packed outlets. Oh, and fireplaces and heaters, although those are more winter-related than Christmas…” He trailed off when he saw she was trying to hide a smile. “What?”
“You’re babbling. You never babble.” Secretly, she kind of liked it. Whenever she noticed some quirk or flaw of his, it reassured her that he wasn’t perfect—just really close to it.
“Sorry.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “I’m just tired. All the recent calls, and then being out all evening with Q, plus we’re just finishing up our busy time here. I feel like everything’s been full speed ahead since moving back to the ranch.”
Camille squeezed his hand, wishing she could do more. “Just get through tonight, and then things will quiet down. Q’s going to be fine, and the kids have some time off school, so there won’t be so much running around. People will toss their dried-out trees and put away their candles, and you’ll be able to get some rest.”
