Last out the door was his dad, his broad grin telegraphing his excitement. His obvious happiness tugged at Pete’s heart. The guy was in his element here. Thank heavens he’d decided to sell the Lazy S. Now he could spend the rest of his days with Kendra, surrounded by her kids, his kids, and the grandchildren.
When the first song ended, everyone on the balcony clapped and cheered except Kendra, who was smiling to beat the band with tears of joy glistening on her cheeks. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer was next, which had everyone on the balcony laughing.
Then came Jingle Bells. Several people up front had brought sleigh bells and shook those somewhat in time to the tune. Roxanne was still holding Josh, and the little guy was rocking out, bouncing enthusiastically in her arms.
Pete didn’t have to look at the lyrics for this one so he glanced over to check on Taryn. She was singing away, clearly into it. Then, without missing a beat, she looked at him and smiled.
Breathtaking. He returned her smile but he totally bungled the next line of the song. Seems he couldn’t look at Taryn and sing at the same time. He recovered his mojo and finished up strong to work off the excess energy created by that smile.
“Everybody ready with your kazoos?” Deidre called from her perch.
Roxanne turned to him. “I’m afraid Josh will want mine if I try to play it. Which is okay, except if he drops it, then—”
“I have an idea.” Pete held out his arms. “Maybe I can show him how to play it.”
“Okay.” She handed him over.
Pete settled Josh in the crook of his arm and took the kazoo out of his pocket. As everyone around them began playing the song, the little boy’s eyes grew wide.
Pete leaned close and lowered his voice. “Want to try it?”
Josh reached for the kazoo.
“I’m gonna hold it, buddy, but you can play it.” He positioned the kazoo so Josh could get his mouth around it. “Now hum. Like this.” He demonstrated humming.
The kid was a quick study. He made that kazoo vibrate. It wasn’t the right note, but who cared? He was part of the band.
Clearly he loved it. He got spit everywhere, but he made noise, by golly, and he kept at it as the strains of Silent Night filled the clearing.
Pete’s chest warmed. He would never have guessed that all these adults—and one baby—playing Silent Night on kazoos would be so effective. It filled the tender lullaby with a sweet innocence that perfectly suited the mood of the song. His dad had been right.
As the last note died away, a peaceful silence fell upon the crowd, as if nobody wanted to break the spell. Then Deidre tapped her wand on the metal ladder, which was a signal to wrap it up with We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Josh didn’t want to give up the kazoo routine, so Pete let him continue humming and drooling through that number, too.
When it was over, shouts of Merry Christmas were exchanged between the folks on the balcony and people gathered in the clearing. The caroling was done, but Pete couldn’t get Josh to give up the kazoo. He’d clamped down on it with his teeth.
“Hey, buddy, I need that back, okay?” Pete tried to wiggle it free, but the little boy had amazing strength in his jaw. “Guess I’d better get your mom and dad to help with this.”
He glanced around for Taryn and found her a few feet away talking with the photographer. Excellent. He didn’t want to interrupt that conversation so he headed over toward Gage and Emma.
“That was awesome,” Emma said.
“It was.” Pete kept a firm grip on the kazoo while Josh did the same. “I had no idea it would sound that good.”
“I don’t mean the caroling. I meant you and Josh. You let him participate. It was adorable. Thank you.”
“Yeah,” Gage said. “You’re a hell of an uncle, bro. He was drooling all over the place. Not everybody would put up with that.”
“Ah, what’s a little spit between friends? But I might have created a problem. He doesn’t want to give it up. He’s clamped his teeth around it. I was afraid to pull too hard in case I’d hurt him.”
“I can fix this.” Emma went around behind Gage and dug into the backpack he was wearing. “Hey, Josh, want a cookie?”
The little boy immediately lost interest in the kazoo and Pete. He went straight into Emma’s arms.
Pete reached in his back pocket for his bandanna and wiped off the very wet kazoo.
“Gonna keep it?”
He glanced at Gage, who had a teasing light in his eyes. “Thought I would for old time’s sake. Why?”
Gage pulled a yellow one out of his jacket pocket. “Want to trade?”
“Because mine’s green?”
“No, because it has Josh’s teeth marks on it. It would be a great souvenir of tonight and his first try at playing a kazoo.” He hesitated. “But you might want it for the same reason.”
“It’s yours.” He swapped with Gage. “That’s a very cool kid you’ve got there, bro.”
“Yes, he is.” He glanced at Emma, who was brushing cookie crumbs off Josh’s snowsuit. “I’m a lucky man in so many ways.”
“I agree.”
Gage stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Listen, it’s probably none of my business, but do I sense a little something happening between you and Taryn?”
“Uh, no, not really.”
“Hm.” Gage studied him. Then he reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Play the long game, bro. It’s working for me.”
“Thanks for the advice.” He wouldn’t go into it with Gage, especially right now, but there was no game, long or short. He wanted what was best for Taryn. Near as he could tell, getting chummy with him didn’t fit in that category.
CHAPTER SIX
Talk about adorable. Pete helping Josh play the kazoo had captured Taryn’s attention so completely that she’d stopped playing to watch. The image would stay with her a long time.
She was going to tell him so, but then she spotted the photographer nearby and walked over to introduce herself. Turned out the woman’s name was Caitlin Dempsey and she’d lived in Eagles Nest less than a year. The crowd started to move as she and Caitlin were discussing Crimson Clouds so they walked down the hill together.
Taryn finally rejoined Pete and his family during the outdoor dinner, where the number of people, the bonfire and a cup of hot coffee kept her warm. Conversation was free-wheeling and hilarious, but it wasn’t the time for a private word with Pete.
Once they were on their way back to her ranch, he asked what she’d learned about the photographer.
“She’s great. Like me, she missed the Fourth of July celebration because she was visiting family, but she’s already promised the town council she’ll stay in Eagles Nest for the next one and create a documentary-style video of the day. I gather she’s made a name for herself in a very short time.”
“Did you set a date for her to come out?”
“Not yet, but I have an idea. It’s ambitious, though.”
“Hit me. I like ambitious ideas.”
“I’ve noticed.” She was slightly out of breath and more aware of him than she wanted to be. Shake it off, girl. She cleared her throat. “After seeing how appealing Wild Creek looks decorated, I’ve decided I’d be missing an opportunity if I don’t offer a special holiday package for Christmas next winter.”
He nodded. “I think it would be popular.”
“Me, too, and I want to advertise it now while people are involved in this year’s celebration. Which means I need a visual.”
“I’m guessing you want to put up some lights.”
“If you’ll help me. And I’m hoping Caitlin’s available to take some video and stills for the website.”
“When?”
“Day after tomorrow. If she came in the late afternoon, she could get some daylight shots and some evening ones.”
“Do you have lights?”
“I have a stash I bought in November, just in case I wanted to decorate the front porch and the two trees in
the yard, maybe the roofline of the barn.”
“That should be doable.”
“But I’d also love to put lights in some of the bigger trees in that grove near the barn.”
“Whoa.”
“Not on the scale of Wild Creek, obviously. Maybe only three or four trees. I’d need a larger size of lights than what I have, though.”
“You’d have to run a conduit out there and get a bucket truck to install the lights.”
“Is a bucket truck the kind with a crane thing on the back?”
“Yep.”
“Then that’s what I’d need. Lighting the big trees might not work out, at least for this year. For one thing, getting an electrician on short notice—”
“I could do it.”
“You could?”
“Dad taught me how to wire something like that. We had similar lighting at the Lazy S for Christmas. My guess is he was the mastermind behind the lights in the trees at Wild Creek. I’ve also operated a bucket truck.”
“Are you saying we might actually be able to pull this off?”
“Maybe, assuming we can get the bigger lights and reserve a bucket truck. If not, we can still decorate the ranch house, the yard and maybe the barn.”
“So you’re in?”
“I’m in.” He flashed her a smile.
And she went all fizzy inside. Not a good sign. “Awesome. I’ll text Caitlin right now.” She pulled out her phone and sent a quick message. “She might not answer until tomorrow.”
“What if she’s not available? Do you still want to do it?”
“Yes, but I hope she is. I’ll end up with something much more professional. I talked with her about how she filmed the lights in the trees. It takes more skill and better equipment than I have.”
“Then let’s hope she’s free. And I’m glad going over there inspired you to come up with this.”
“It’s been an amazing night. Which reminds me, Josh was so cute with that kazoo. You did a great job with him.”
A smile dented his cheek. “I’m crazy about that little booger. I can’t wait to see how he reacts to Christmas. Last year he would have been too young to get much out of it, but now he should have a pretty good idea of what’s going on.”
“Do you think Gage and Emma will take him to see Santa? I assume there’s a Santa for the kids to visit somewhere in town, although I didn’t think to ask about it.”
“Oh, yeah, there is. Hank, the guy who fills in at the soda fountain on Sundays, does the Santa thing at Pills and Pop.”
“When?”
“He was there last Saturday afternoon from one to four and he’ll do it again this Saturday. Ellie Mae Stockton dresses up as Mrs. Claus and gives each kid a little stuffed toy when they leave.”
“How do you know all this?”
“My dad made it a point to find out. Then he asked Emma if she’d be willing to wait and take Josh to see Santa when she came down here.”
“I’m sure she said yes. Kendra and Quinn will be there with their phones at the ready.”
“I have a hunch most of Josh’s fan club will show up. I was planning to ask for the afternoon off so I can go.”
“Of course! I’d like to watch, too.”
“Great. We can ride in together, then.” He checked for traffic and passed a slow-moving truck ahead of them. “Are you going to the talent show at the GG that night?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Unless you’ve made other plans, want to go with me?”
Oh. She hadn’t made other plans. No point in turning him down after she’d just invited herself along to watch Josh sitting on Santa’s lap. “I’d like that.”
“Excellent. We can—”
“There’s my phone.” She read the text. “Woo-hoo! She can do it!” Typing quickly, she confirmed the time with Caitlin. “She wants to know if she’ll be doing any interior shots. And me with no decorations up yet.”
“Do you have any for inside?”
“I have all I need for the tree. Brought it from San Francisco, plus a few other things, like a sleigh and reindeer, a cute Santa and Mrs. Claus, a few holiday-themed pillows. I’ve been picking up pinecones since September, so I have a whole bag of those. And weather-resistant red ribbon. Lots of that. But no tree. I plan to cut my own, but I haven’t done it.”
“We might have time to cut one.”
“Then I’ll tell her to come prepared to shoot the interior just in case.” She typed her reply. “Now I’m getting excited. Last time I was in town, I noticed a decorative sleigh outside the hardware store. It was about half the size of a functional one but it would look cool in the yard. Could be gone by now.”
“I think it’s still there. First order of business is checking on the bucket truck. The equipment rental place opens early. I’ll make that call first thing in the morning.”
“Good. I’ll get out all the lights I already have before I go to bed tonight. And ribbon and other stuff. First thing in the morning, I’ll do some measuring in the yard and create a rough schematic.”
“That’ll help.” He pulled up in front of her house, shut off the engine and hopped out so he could open her door.
When she’d first hired him and they’d started running errands together, she’d mentioned that she didn’t expect him to help her out of his truck every time. He’d explained that he couldn’t operate any other way. He’d been trained from a young age to open doors for women and it was completely ingrained at this point.
She’d accepted that and he’d been opening doors for her ever since. She’d come to enjoy it. Except their dynamic had changed. It wasn’t a simple courtesy anymore.
Placing her hand in his firm grip, even though she was wearing her knit gloves, was like touching a live wire. Her pulse refused to behave.
“I’ll walk you to the door.”
“That’s not really necess—”
“It is to me. When I bring a lady home after dark, I walk her to the door.” He let go of her hand, though.
“I guess you’ve never brought me home after dark.”
“That would be a fact.” He walked beside her up to the porch. “This is the first time we’ve spent an evening together. And for the record, I had fun.”
“So did I.” She climbed the steps and walked to the front door. Sure did feel like the end of a date. She turned to him. “Thank you for taking me over there tonight. What a special event. I’m glad I was part of it.”
“I am, too.” He gazed at her, his hands in the pockets of his jacket, the porch light reflecting in his gray eyes. “Goodnight, Taryn.”
The way he said her name was different from the way he used to say it. She responded in a crisp, no-nonsense tone. “Goodnight, Pete. Thanks again.” She gave him a quick smile and opened the door.
“See you first thing in the morning.”
Not so long from now. “See you then.” She walked into the house, shut the door and leaned against it with a sigh.
She’d started this with her flirty comment about the honeymoon bed. She’d worked hard to move past that little slip, but awareness crackled in the air whenever she was alone with him. Clearly he felt it, too.
Could be just a temporary crush, something that would wear off if she ignored it. That would be a blessing.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The temperature was in the teens when Pete pulled up in front of Taryn’s house the next morning, but she was outside with a clipboard and a metal tape measure. She wore her parka with the hood up and a scarf tied around her neck, plus fingerless gloves so she could write. With a quick wave, she went back to studying the front yard.
He’d never looked at it with an eye to Christmas lights, but it had possibilities. A picturesque rail fence created a break between the circular drive and the flagstone path leading up to the porch. A pair of full, well-shaped blue spruces sat on either side of the path.
He climbed down, buttoned his jacket and turned up the collar. He admired her grit, comin
g out at first light to create a schematic for them to work from. This project would have been so much easier to plan in September, but she hadn’t been thinking about Christmas then. She’d been worried about whether the initial four cabins would be finished before the first snow.
They had been. Although Eagles Nest had seen a couple of snowstorms, they’d been mild and a warm spell in early December had melted everything but small patches in deep shade. The temperature today could get up in the high thirties, maybe even low forties, decent weather for this venture.
Tugging on his leather gloves, he walked over to where she’d crouched next to the fence. “I reserved us a bucket truck. I’ll pick it up first thing in the morning.”
“Yay!” She stood and faced him. “That’s one piece of the puzzle.” As usual first thing in the morning, her cheeks were pink from the cold and her lips were pale.
She’d never worn makeup for working in the barn. She’d announced early on that she didn’t think the horses cared. He’d promised not to wear makeup, either, which had made her laugh.
He gestured toward the fence. “I take it you’d like to light this?”
“Yes, definitely. There’s an outlet on the porch.” She turned the clipboard so he could see it. “Maybe you could run a line from there down here.” Her breath condensed in the frigid air.
“Shouldn’t take too long. That’ll give you the option of lighting the porch, the fence and both trees. What else?”
“I want to do the roofline of the barn and maybe a lighted wreath over the double doors, if the hardware store still has any. The barn’s loaded with outlets, so that’s only a matter of getting everything up. No extra wiring needed.”
“I agree.”
“Same thing with the cabin we put the furniture in yesterday. Since that’s the one you can see from here, I’d like to do some lights on the outside of it.”
“Do you have enough for all that?”
“Believe it or not, I do. I tend to overbuy when I get Christmas lights. But I didn’t get any that are the right size to show up on those tall trees in the grove. Fingers crossed that the hardware store has a supply of them. They might not since it’s this close to Christmas.”
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