A McCree Christmas (Chasing McCree)

by J. C. Isabella

  A McCree Christmas

  © J.C. Isabella

  Copyright 2012 by J.C. Isabella

  This book is the personal property of J.C. Isabella. Its characters are fictional and any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. This book is for your entertainment, not to be given freely or resold in any way.

  Thank you for respecting her work.

  Other books by J.C. Isabella:

  Chasing McCree

  A McCree’s Star Spangled 4

  The Unofficial Zack Warren Fan Club

  The Council, A Witch’s Secret

  The Council, A Werewolf’s moon

  Briar

  I remember the first time I played in the snow.

  I was seven. My parents had brought me with them to a fancy ski resort in Colorado to attend a medical conference for my dad’s job. Left to my own devices—my nanny was more interested in skiing with cute instructors—I ventured out the French doors of my parent’s suite onto the hotel balcony.

  A small pile of snow had fallen from the roof.

  I dove right in, and was instantly in heaven.

  Ever since that day, I promised myself I would have white Christmases when I was a grown up. I’d move somewhere with seasons.

  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be riding a horse, herding cattle, in the middle of snowy Montana.

  The wind gusted through the trees and sent flurries of thick snow dancing across my vision. Visibility grew worse. I couldn’t see my boyfriend, Chase, or Ash, his horse. We were about five miles east of the main house on the McCree Ranch.

  Chase had forged ahead, searching for a cow that had become separated from the herd. He’d told me to stay back where it was safe. The terrain ahead was rocky, slick with ice, and snow filled crevices on the hillside.

  I was still a novice at navigating a storm like this, so I stayed back as he’d asked, though the waiting was starting to wear on me and my horse.

  Firefly was in a restless mood. She probably sensed my unease. I was having trouble holding onto anything resembling calm. She bucked once, pounding her hooves into the snow. I steadied her, smoothing my gloved hand down her mane. “It’s okay girl.”

  It was only my second time on horseback in snowy, inclement weather. So far, I hadn’t run back to the house, seeking shelter from the cold. Earlier in the day, Chase had said he was proud that I was trying.

  “This is your last chance to run back inside, Briar baby.” He’d told me. “It’s going to take you a while to get used to the cold.”

  The thought of going back to Chase’s Aunt Millie and having a hot mug of cocoa was awfully tempting, “No, I can do this. I’m not going back.”

  Now I wished I’d stayed home.

  Firefly jerked her head. I held tighter to the reins, trying to keep her calm, but something was bothering my horse more than usual. She hadn’t been this skittish in months.

  I squinted, searching the white and gray, hoping that it wasn’t anything too bad. Probably just a small animal looking for shelter, or maybe a tree branch had fallen.

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw something dart, disappearing behind a tree.

  Firefly reared up. I held on for dear life, clinging to the saddle as she stood on her hind legs.

  She dropped back on all fours, jarring me. The reins slipped from my hands. I grabbed the saddle horn. Before she reared again I let myself fall. It was a soft landing, right into a pile of snow. I sighed with relief, remembering the time Firefly had thrown me on the Fourth of July. I promised myself that if it happened again, I’d stop riding her and just keep her as a really awesome pet.

  Stabbing, unbearable cold soaked through my coat and hit the back of my neck.

  The creek.

  I rolled to my stomach, scrambling on my hands and knees for the trees. I hadn’t realized how close we were to the creek. It wasn’t fully frozen yet. I’d been lying on snow that had piled up on the bank.

  But as I sat up I felt water slide down my back. My skin crawled. I was wet from hips to shoulders.

  Being wet wasn’t my biggest problem though.

  Twenty feet away, a pair of glacial eyes met mine.

  A wolf.

  I was cold and wet, and my rifle was strapped to Firefly’s saddle.

  The animal didn’t charge. He was sitting, just eyeing me, as if he didn’t know what to make of me.

  I sat up a little straighter. Chase had told me what to do if I encountered a wolf, but every vital piece of information seemed to have vanished from my mind. I was frozen solid with fear and the icy water from the creek.

  “Briar?”

  I glanced over my shoulder, taking my eyes off the wolf. “Over here!”

  “What are you doing?” The hazy outline of Ash, a beautiful gray horse, with my cowboy seated astride him, came into view.

  “I saw…” I glanced back. “I mean…there was a wolf. He was right in front of me.”

  Chase slid off Ash as I got to my feet, confused. Had the wolf been afraid of me? Why hadn’t he attacked?

  “A wolf?” Chase dusted the snow off my shoulders and back. He didn’t seem to notice that I was a little soggy. I figured I’d be fine once we got back to the house. Nothing to worry about. “Where?”

  I pointed to an area between the trees. “He was sitting right there, watching me.”

  Chase made his way over and inspected the ground. “Damn big wolf, judging by the size of his prints. And he didn’t make a move toward you?”

  “He didn’t flinch.” I coaxed Firefly up next to Ash and hoped his calm demeanor would rub off on her. She usually followed his lead. At the moment though, I wasn’t sure she’d notice that the other horse wasn’t upset about anything.

  “I’ll tell Grant. The hands will keep an eye out.”

  “Did you find the cow?” I asked.

  “No, I lost the tracks just as they curved west.” He said. “If she makes it far enough, we’ll find her up near the house.”

  “You can’t go get her?”

  “Not now. We need to get back before it gets too bad.” He gave me a boost onto Ash and swung up behind me. “All we can do is pray she’s strong enough to make it through the night.”

  It seemed mean to leave the cow to fend for herself in a snow storm, but I wasn’t willing to risk my life, and Chase wasn’t going to risk his. I grabbed Firefly’s reins and tied her to Ash’s saddle. Hopefully we’d find the cow near the house, like Chase had said.

  I forgot about the cow. My attention was drawn to the needle like feeling up and down my back. It was cold. Deathly cold. And I was wet.

  “I can’t see anything,” I shouted behind me. The storm was raging now. More than just thick snow flurries, it rocked us and beat our faces. I was wrapped from head to foot, but my clothes didn’t hold up as well as they had before. My teeth were chattering so hard I felt like I was going to chip a molar.

  “Just hold on, we’ll be passing the lake soon.”

  “I don’t feel good,” I held on, but my body seemed to get stiffer and stiffer. It was almost unbearable. “Chase, what would happen if I got wet?”

  “You’d be very cold. I’d be concerned about hypothermia.” He chuckled. “Don’t worry Briar, we’re not going to get wet.”

  “Too late I already am.” I looked back at him. “I landed in the creek when I got off Firefly.”

  Ash jerked to a stop and Chase pulled off his heavy work gloves. He ran his hands up and down my arms, all over. He did a lot of swearing, using a couple of words I rarely heard come out of his mouth. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  I shrugged, “I didn’t think it was that bad. But I’m so cold it hurts.”


  Chase pulled his gloves back on and gave a hard command to Ash. The horse took off, flying through the snow. Firefly galloped along beside us, and I quickly realized we were heading away from the main house, deeper into the line of trees.

  I wasn’t sure where we were going, but I trusted Chase. Still, I needed to get warm, and going deeper into the storm seemed like the wrong decision. “Where are you taking me?”

  “Hunting cabin. Just beyond the lake,” he shouted over the howling wind and pounding hooves. “We won’t make it back to the house in time.”

  I was certain we’d make it before I froze, but he was really freaking out on me. “Really, I’m fine. Just go back to the main house.”

  He didn’t listen to me. I was actually doing better. It wasn’t that cold anymore. But suddenly Ash stopped, and Chase was pulling me out of the saddle. I tried to tell him that I was fine. He wasn’t having it and hauled me into a log cabin that looked like something out of an old western movie.

  I sat on the floor in the middle of a really beautiful brown rug in front of the hearth. A horse and rider were depicted in the center of it. Chase meanwhile, started a fire in the fireplace. “This is really nice. I still think we should go back to the house though.”

  “Take everything off.” He grabbed a quilt off the back of a rocking chair and tossed it to me. “Do it, or I’ll do it for you.”

  I frowned, “You could say please…”

  “Damn it, Briar.” He pulled my scarf and hood back. “Your lips are blue. This isn’t a game.”

  Somewhere in my mind, what he said clicked. I began peeling off layers, leaving on my socks and the bottom half of my clothes, and wrapped myself in the blanket. Chase added another one on top of it and pushed me closer to the fire.

  “I’m going to secure the horses in the stable. Stay here, please.”

  I watched him leave, wondering if he was going to be this bossy all the time, or if he was just having an off day. It wasn’t like I’d done anything wrong.

  Putting his surly mood out of my mind, I huddled close to the fireplace. It was getting warmer, the flames starting to dance in front of my eyes. I was shivering, but the heat slowly seeped through the many layers I was wrapped in. A sigh of relief escaped me and I closed my eyes, resting my head on my knees.

  It was tough. Living on a ranch wasn’t for everyone. In the beginning there had been days in the beginning when I wondered if I was kidding myself, but it was all a learning experience too. I was city gone country. Cheerleader turned cowgirl. Bumps in the road were to be expected.

  I wasn’t in this alone. I had a whole ranch full of people. Chase’s family, the workers, and friends from miles around. Anytime I had a question, there was always someone with a kind smile and an answer.

  I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t fallen in love with a cowboy and discovered there was more to life than designer clothes and fancy parties. I was a changed girl. I couldn’t go back to the way things used to be, even if I wanted to.

  And I didn’t want to, though at times like this, I got a little scared.

  I just reminded myself that being scared was okay.

  After all, I was a Floridian.

  The snow was beautiful though. I couldn’t imagine spending another Christmas without it. I remember waking up and going down to breakfast the first morning after a snowfall. Chase was seated at the kitchen counter with the paper, but he had a smile on his face and pointed at the kitchen window.

  I wasn’t sure what had him so excited, so I walked over and peered out.

  My breath left me.

  It was picture perfect, like a postcard.

  A blanket of fluffy white covered the yard, the tree limbs. It was so crisp and pristine. I forgot how cold it was outside and ran out the backdoor wearing nothing but my pajamas and a pair of boots someone had left on the porch.

  With a squeal I dove into the snow, and loved it.

  But then I regretted not getting dressed first.

  Chase laughed, watching me as I scrambled back onto the porch, and I hurled a handful of snow in his direction.

  This, of course, started my first snowball fight.

  I am not ashamed to tell anyone it lasted about a minute before I tore for the house and the warmth. Later in the day though, once I was properly dressed, I spent my time playing in the snow with the dogs, and binging Chase in the back of the head with a ball of snow any time he turned his back on me.

  He was a good sport, and even let me get away with it a few times.

  The fire crackled, snapping me back to the present.

  Chase had been gone for a while. Hopefully the horses were settling in okay in the stables. I wish I had been able to help him, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t handle it himself.

  Gathering the blankets around me, I shuffled across the room to look out the front window. I couldn’t see anything. I was wondering if I should venture out to see if Chase was okay, when the front door opened.

  Chase

  With the horses settled, I headed into the cabin and closed the front door. I was almost knocked off my feet by a pile of blankets.

  “Briar?” I steadied myself and hugged her close, savoring the heat coming off her. She’d been warmed nicely by the fire. “You okay?”

  “I was just worried. It seemed like you were gone for a while.”

  “Ten minutes.” I gave her a kiss and pulled off my outer layers, heavy coat and boots, leaving them by the door. I checked the thermostat, making sure the heat was on. This place might look like a cabin, but it had all the comforts of the main house. “How are you feeling?”

  She padded alongside me, looking a little embarrassed. “I feel good, better than before. I was really cold, and I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  I knew. She was so cold she’d gotten confused. I’d seen it happen before. She wasn’t used to this, and I should have thought better of bringing her out here with me. I was going to keep her close to the house next time there was a storm like this. She wasn’t ready to be five miles from the main house in the worst weather she’d ever experienced. She took it like a trouper, though. Every time I tried to send her back to Millie, she protested.

  Once she’d stuck out her tongue and ridden Firefly well out of my reach.

  Stubborn girl.

  I loved her, even when she drove me crazy.

  In one of the bedrooms I raided the closet and came up with a pair of sweat pants and a flannel shirt. Once Briar was fully dressed, I could relax. It was tempting, having her ten feet away with nothing on but a quilt. I respected her though. We weren’t ready to take things to another level yet. She was worth more to me than a night of fun. Also, she wasn’t feeling too hot, but my male hormones weren’t receptive to that fact.

  Further digging turned up some clothes I’d left from my last hunting trip. More sweats, and a thermal shirt. I changed into them and sat with Briar for a bit. Her color had come back, and she’d stopped shivering, but her stomach was rumbling. We were both starved.

  “I’m guessing this place isn’t stocked since you haven’t been here in a while?” She followed me to the kitchen, dragging the quilt along with her.

  I opened the pantry. “We’ve got canned soups.”

  She wrinkled her nose and opened the refrigerator. “Bottled water and cans of soda.”

  We hit the jackpot when we opened the freezer.

  “Millie left lasagna out here?”

  I turned on the oven and peeled off the layers of plastic and foil. “She always leaves something. Luckily, this isn’t freezer burned.”

  I checked the date written on the side of the wrapper. She’d put it out here only a couple of weeks ago, probably anticipating someone being stuck during a storm.

  That reminded me. I grabbed the cabin phone and dialed the main house.

  My aunt picked up. “McCree residence.”

  “Hey Millie, its Chase. Briar and I aren’t going to be home tonight. We’re stuck in the hunting cabin.”


  Her voice rose an octave. “Oh, you’re stuck?”

  Suspicious, and slightly nosy. I loved my aunt. “Briar fell in the creek. She’s going to be fine, but I had to get her out of the cold.”

  “If that’s the case, you two be safe. I left lasagna in the freezer, and I think there might be some ice cream too. Not that you’d want anything cold…but it’s there.” She sighed. “Call if you need anything. I love you.”

  I smiled. “We’ll call if we do. I love you too, and thanks.”

  “And Chase?”

  Here it came. “Yes, ma’am?”

  “Your uncle loves a shotgun wedding.”

  “I hear you.” I said before she hung up.

  “Everything alright?” Briar asked, tugging on a corkscrew curl.

  “Oh, fine.” I gave her a kiss and checked the oven. “The usual. Mille sends her love. Told us to call her if we needed anything. There’s ice cream in the freezer we must have missed.”

  “She’s still worried you’re going to knock me up.” Her voice was deadpan.

  “Apparently Uncle Jerry likes a shotgun wedding.”

  She opened the freezer and dug around before pulling out a small tub of peppermint chip. “That’s one I haven’t heard before.”

  “At least she’s not blunt like your grandmother.” I smiled as she found the silverware and dug into the ice cream. “Do you want to wait until after we eat the lasagna?”

  “Nah, this is more fun.” She held up a spoonful and popped it in my mouth. “At least she didn’t pull anything biblical.”

  I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “Last Sunday, after church. You were in the bathroom, and I was waiting out by the truck. The pastor’s wife came over to say hi, and the conversation somehow turned from a nice chat about winter weather, to fornication and being damned to hell for committing a sin.” She took another bite of the ice cream. “Of course, I told her that I wasn’t sure hell existed, that I’d have to fornicate to find out the truth, and that it would be an awfully tempting experiment.”

  I almost choked on the ice cream. “No wonder she was looking at me funny when I walked out of the church. Briar, you can’t say things like that to someone like Dorothy Brown. It’ll be all over town in a few days.”