A Cowboy's Christmas Proposal

by Cathy McDavid

  “If she’s not free, see if her granddaughter Tracee is. Those carriage rides are our signature amenity. We can’t cancel them.”

  “There’s another problem.” At Bridget’s jab to her side, Molly rephrased what she’d been about to say. “Owen’s children can be a handful.”

  “Most small children are.” Grandma Em’s tone didn’t convey any concern.

  “They...interfered with one of our weddings.”

  “It’s no big deal,” Bridget insisted. “Molly did a fantastic job smoothing things over. The bride and groom were delighted with the ceremony and they loved Owen. He has a real down-home way of delivering the services.”

  “I knew I was right in placing my trust in you two,” Grandma Em said.

  Nothing else could have silenced Molly better.

  “I get that young children aren’t always easy to have in the house, but Owen gave up a month of his life to cover for Homer. We owe him.”

  “And we one-hundred-percent agree with you,” Bridget said.

  Molly shut up. People were making noise in the background, and her grandmother was becoming distracted.

  “Have fun at your brunch,” Bridget said. “Don’t give us a second thought.”

  Grandma wasn’t quite finished. “Molly, have you booked any weddings?”

  “I had four appointments this week,” she answered, wishing she had better news to report. “They’re supposed to let us know by tomorrow. And we’ve been getting at least ten phone calls every day since the open house from people asking for information.” If only she could turn more of those inquiries into appointments.

  “You’ve been busy,” Grandma Em said.

  “I also came up with a cross-promotion campaign—”

  “Can’t wait to hear all about it.” She spoke to someone there. Probably Homer. “I’ve got to run, sweeties. Talk to you soon. And Owen will be fine. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

  Her optimism was that of someone thrilled with life who wanted everyone else to be thrilled along with them. Molly kept her voice bright and cheery when saying goodbye.

  “You want to talk to Owen or should I?” Bridget asked before Molly had hung up.

  “About taking over for Big Jim? I will.”

  Molly wound her way through the house and out the kitchen door, her destination Owen’s cabin. She gave the other cabins no more than a cursory glance, unconcerned about the occupants. Nora was seeing to all their needs, and Molly had to admit their grandmother’s best friend did have a knack for the job.

  At the door to his cabin, Molly squared her shoulders and knocked. When he didn’t immediately answer, she knocked again. The door finally swung wide, and she was greeted by Cody.

  “Hello there.” She smiled fondly at him. “How are you?”

  “We’re playing hide-and-seek,” he announced.

  “What fun!”

  The next instant, Owen appeared behind his son and placed a restraining hand on him. “What did I tell you about not opening the door to strangers?”

  Cody twisted sideways to peer up at his dad. “Miss Molly isn’t a stranger.”

  “But we didn’t know that until you opened the door. You’re supposed to wait for me.”

  “You were hiding.”

  Molly tried really hard not to find the exchange amusing, but they were awfully cute.

  “Am I interrupting?” she asked.

  “No. Come on in.”

  Molly stepped inside. At the same time, she noticed Marisa’s head peeking out from behind the chair. Just as quick, the little girl ducked down. Molly went along, pretending not to see her.

  “Where’s Willa?”

  “Under a blanket in her crib.” Owen tipped his head toward the bedroom. “I can’t believe she hasn’t started crying yet.”

  Cody pulled on Owen’s arm. “Come on, Daddy. You’re supposed to be hiding.”

  “In a minute, son.”

  “I won’t keep you.” Molly met Owen’s inquisitive gaze. “Big Jim’s taking a leave of absence. His wife had a cardiac episode and needs some tests done.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Is she all right?”

  Molly conveyed the details. “We were, um, hoping you could fill in for him with the carriage rides.”

  “I was going to offer.”

  “Thanks.” She turned toward the door. “We have four weddings this week. Thursday, Friday and two on Saturday. The carriage rides are the following mornings.”

  Owen nodded thoughtfully. “I’d better plan on at least one practice run before then. Possibly two.”

  “Good idea.” The doorknob was almost within reach.

  “When are you free?”

  “Free?” She paused.

  “I’m going to need help. A navigator and someone to supervise the kids.”

  “Can’t Nora watch them?”

  “She’s busy. Helping with a Christmas pageant at church. Her granddaughters are playing angels.”

  “Right.” Molly had forgotten.

  “Guess that leaves you.”

  She didn’t really like his smile. It was much too satisfied.

  The problem was, she had little choice. Bridget would be cooking. “What about tomorrow morning? My afternoon is fully booked.”

  “Nine o’clock?”

  “See you then.”

  Molly chose that moment to leave, her emotions at odds as they often were around Owen. If his cute antics with his children weren’t enough to dent her armor, he’d agreed to replace Big Jim without the slightest hesitation.

  It was enough to make her look forward to tomorrow. Almost.

  * * *

  OWEN STUDIED THE CARRIAGE. His first solo attempt at harnessing Amos and Moses had gone without a hitch, no pun intended, and he mentally patted himself on the back. Muscle memory had kicked in, and the myriad straps, reins, bands, tugs, buckles and chains magically fell into their proper place. Grandpa would be proud.

  Amos bobbed his head as if in approval. Moses pawed the ground, his way of telling Owen to quit dawdling already and get a move on.

  Owen’s gaze traveled from the carriage to the kids, who’d been instructed not to cross an invisible line during the harnessing process. They were currently investigating a hole at the base of a Palo Verde tree. He hoped the hole wasn’t home to anything poisonous, like a rattlesnake or a scorpion.

  “Stay away from that tree,” he hollered, wishing he didn’t always feel the need to raise his voice with his kids.

  “We’re digging for buried bones,” Cody said.

  Owen really needed to pay more attention to what they watched on TV. “Hurry up. Time’s a wastin’.”

  While they dawdled, Owen’s mind returned to the original problem he’d been contemplating—how to manage the trip from the stables to the ranch house. Cody, Marisa and Willa couldn’t be trusted on their own in the back of the carriage, even for such a short distance. One of them was bound to fall out. Letting them ride up front with him wasn’t an option, either. Carriages didn’t come with seat belts, and he needed both hands to drive the horses.

  He should have told Molly to meet him here when they’d agreed to this adventure. Okay, when he’d coerced her. She was probably expecting him to drive the carriage to the house and pick her up there, like he would the bride and groom.

  Calling her was the obvious solution, and he reached into his coat pocket for his phone.

  “Daddy, can I be the princess?” Marisa hollered. They’d moved from the tree and were now bunched together at the invisible line waiting on him.

  “Sure. What kind of princess?” Since becoming a full-time dad to his kids, he’d learned a lot about animated princesses.

  “Cinderella. She has a carriage.”

  Owen imagined Marisa being annoyed at Molly for sitti
ng in the carriage with her and there being another shoving incident. He couldn’t live that down a second time.

  “Okay, but you have to let someone else be the princess if they want a turn.” They’d been working on sharing this past week with moderate success.

  “I’m first,” Marisa insisted. “It’s my game.”

  Another lesson. Whoever came up with the game got to be first. He thought Molly would go along with that.

  As if his thoughts had conjured her, she appeared from the clubhouse courtyard, opening the gate and then closing it behind her. Owen’s hand moved in slow motion, returning the phone to his pocket. He missed the opening, too intent on watching her stroll toward them to pay attention.

  Her demeanor was unhurried. Because she dreaded the carriage ride with him or was relaxing for once?

  Either way, he enjoyed the leisurely swing of her arms and the enticing sway of her hips. She wore a straw hat, an old college sweatshirt and a fanny pack around her waist. Did people still own those? She was probably thinking ahead—there was a good chance she’d be called on to wrangle his rowdy bunch.

  “Hi,” he said when she neared. “I was just about to call you.”

  “I saw you getting ready and figured you could use a hand.”

  “Saw me?”

  There wasn’t a clear view of the stables from the ranch house. He pictured her stealing a peek at him from behind the clubhouse and grinned. In response, she averted her gaze and readjusted her hat.

  Was she recalling their kiss from the other night? He certainly had. Every few minutes. He need only close his eyes and concentrate to taste again the delightful flavor of her lips or feel her going soft in his arms.

  She’d been adamant about their not being a repeat performance. Owen would respect her wishes, hard as it was for him. But if she gave him the slightest indication she’d changed her mind, he was all in.

  “What I want to know,” he asked, “is when did harnessing two horses become easier than managing three kids?”

  “No offence, but Amos and Moses might be better trained.”

  A joke? He got his answer when her lovely mouth tipped up into a smile. Owen was captivated. No, he was smitten. It had been a while, he realized.

  “Did you have a chance to eat breakfast?” She rummaged through her fanny pack and withdrew a pair of sunglasses. “There are plenty of leftover croissants in the kitchen.”

  Owen had to admit croissants sounded a whole lot better than what he and the kids had eaten. “Tempting, but we had toaster pastries.”

  “Yum.”

  Another joke? She was in rare form this morning.

  “Yeah. Tell me about it.” He turned toward the kids. “Hurry up, you three. The train’s loading.”

  “You said we were riding in the carriage,” Marisa complained, scuffing her feet as she walked.

  Cody ran ahead. “I want to go on a train!”

  “It’s a saying.” Owen grabbed his son before he spooked the horses. “Where’s Willa?”

  “I’ll get her.” Molly fetched his youngest and lifted her onto a hip.

  Willa instantly reached for Molly’s hat and tugged on the brim. “Pretty!”

  The hat, no, Owen thought, but Molly, yes.

  “Did you put sunscreen on the children?” she asked, scrutinizing Willa’s face.

  “No. Should I? It’s winter. And chilly.”

  “The sun’s out, and they have sensitive skin.” Molly removed a tube from her fanny pack. Owen was curious what else she had stashed in there. “They can use mine.”

  Their mother had packed sunscreen; Owen recalled seeing the bottle. But he hadn’t considered using it. How else was he failing as a father? And why did Molly, who had no children, remember it? Were women naturally born with a parenting instinct that men lacked?

  She applied sunscreen to Willa first, smearing a liberal amount on the little girl’s face and then her hands. When instructed, Cody and Marisa lined up for their turn, each of them squirming and grimacing. Molly wasn’t deterred, and Owen was impressed. She clearly had a knack with kids.

  “Let me get in first and turn the carriage around,” he said. “Get the horses heading in the right direction.”

  Amos and Moses behaved like champs, executing the half turn with proficiency equal to Owen’s grandfather’s team. He reminded himself that he really should take the pair out on the trails for a leisurely ride and invite Molly. Strictly to exercise the horses.

  Uh-huh.

  With a loud “Whoa,” he reined the team to a stop. Though they jerked on their bits, they stood in place while Molly loaded the kids into the carriage and climbed in after them.

  “I’m the princess,” Marisa announced.

  “Then you sit here.” Molly patted the seat across from her that faced backward.

  Cody wasn’t happy to be stuck with the girls. “Can I ride with you, Daddy?”

  “In a little while. If you behave.” Owen thought about how nice it would be to have Molly seated beside him. Perhaps another day.

  With Cody on Molly’s right, Willa in her lap and Marisa waving in her best princess imitation to an imaginary crowd, Owen jiggled the reins and clucked to the horses. The next instant, they were off.

  He didn’t have to work too hard. Amos and Moses knew their job. Even before he had a chance to turn them in the right direction, they headed for the ranch house, their hooves executing a lively clip-clop as they trotted briskly on the dirt road.

  The front door to the house opened, and Bridget emerged. “Looking mighty good,” she hollered and waved.

  “You want to come along?” Molly asked.

  “I wouldn’t dream of intruding.”

  Did her sister suspect Owen and Molly had kissed? Owen recalled Bridget’s warning about Molly carrying a heavy load. She may not approve.

  “Be back soon.” He clucked again to the horses, and off they went. The next moment, they passed through the ranch’s main gate.

  “We can drive on the road,” Molly said from behind him. “Vehicles are required to yield to horses.”

  Owen nodded. He’d learned a lot about Mustang Valley in the last week and a half. The town was in some ways straight out of the Old West. Horses and riders on the streets were a regular occurrence. Many buildings, including the Cowboy Up Café, boasted hitching rails along the sides that were actively used. In the center of town was a park with a designated horse path and public riding arena. A twenty-miles-per-hour speed limit was strictly enforced throughout town, including in residential areas.

  Owen liked the ambiance of the town and had from the first moment he’d arrived. Here was a place he could see himself settling down and raising his kids. Though a little farther away from Jeanne’s place than he wanted, the distance was doable. Especially if he found a job somewhere between Jeanne’s and Mustang Valley.

  Living in the same town as Molly would be a perk, too. He glanced over his shoulder and was glad to see his brood behaving.

  Molly noticed. “How’s it going?”

  “Good. These boys are pros.”

  Amos and Moses had expended their excess energy in the first few minutes by moving at a brisk trot. They’d since slowed their pace to a comfortable walk. Ears pricked forward, heads down and tails swishing, they plodded along, requiring very little guidance from Owen.

  “Turn left on Saguaro Lane. It’s the first road past the gas station and will lead us to the park. We can go through town but with passengers it’s better to avoid as much traffic as possible.”

  “Will do.”

  “Let’s circle the park on the horse path and then make a bigger circle around town. There’s a really nice view of the mountains on one side and the valley on the other. The trip should last about an hour, give or take. I can draw you a map if you want for the next time.”

  “I
think I’ve got it.”

  “Daddy, can I ride with you now?” Cody asked.

  “Not yet. When we get to the park.”

  At the intersection of Main and Saguaro, Owen pulled the horses to a stop and waited for a pickup truck to pass. The driver honked a neighborly hello, prompting the kids and Molly to wave.

  By now, Willa was cuddled adorably against Molly. Even Cody participated in the chatter and Molly’s game of pointing out different things of interest like the snowman family at the entrance to the park and the giant candy canes stuck in the ground near the playground. The whole town seemed to be getting into the holiday spirit. Several houses and yards were already decorated and Christmas music played from outdoor speakers.

  As the ride continued, Owen became increasingly intrigued by this different version of Molly. Apparently, the secret to freeing her easygoing side was getting her away from Sweetheart Ranch.

  “What are you looking at?” she asked.

  He swallowed a groan. Busted again. “Nothing.”

  “Tell me.”

  “A very beautiful lady,” he finally admitted.

  She dismissed him with a head shake.

  Except Owen wasn’t put off that easily. Molly had far more layers than she allowed people to see. Interesting, fascinating layers. These quick little glimpses only made him that much more curious to discover the next one.

  The rest of the carriage ride went smoothly. Owen couldn’t recall when all three kids had behaved for a full hour. As they were leaving the park, however, Cody grew restless. Stopping for a moment and letting him sit up front with Owen nipped that problem in the bud. Shortly after that, Willa fell asleep, and Marisa was close to joining her.

  “Stop in front of the cabin,” Molly instructed. “I’ll get Willa and Marisa settled while you unharness. Cody can stay with you.”

  “Good idea.” He’d have probably left the girls to nap on the carriage seats.

  Guests from cabin three stepped out onto their porch to have a look as the carriage passed. They’d be checking out by Wednesday morning along with several others, in time for the next round of weddings.

  At his cabin, Molly climbed down first, Willa clinging to her neck. Marisa followed. Halfway up the walkway, she reached for Molly’s hand, and Owen allowed himself a moment’s pleasure.