The Cowboy's Christmas Plan

by Shanna Hatfield

Trey watched her walk away, enjoying the opportunity to see her dressed for battle in her black suit, blue top, and black heels. He had no idea how she managed to walk through the mall in those shoes, but the way they highlighted her shapely calves and made her hips sway, he was glad she hadn’t brought a pair of sensible shoes to change into.

  He always assumed when he found the girl of his dreams, she’d be a country girl who didn’t own or care about having expensive suits, silk blouses or high heels. Cady had changed his mind.

  Cadence studied Trey as she walked back to the table. He had dressed in newer Wranglers with a white shirt, a charcoal gray sports jacket and a burgundy silk tie. Of course, he ditched the tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt as soon as they left Peter’s office. She thought that just added to his rugged appeal, particularly with his polished black boots and black Stetson.

  As much as it annoyed her to admit it, she felt pangs of jealousy every time a woman glanced appreciatively his direction. She wanted to grab his arm and yell, “He’s mine!” but she didn’t have a right to a claim any more than any other female.

  “Ready to go?” Cadence asked as she approached the table.

  “Yep. I’ve got one more stop to make and then we can go home,” Trey said as he held her coat for her. His hands lingered on her shoulders and he pressed a light squeeze to them before he stepped back.

  Carrying their purchases out to the pickup, they were soon on the road heading out of town. Trey pulled into a tree lot in The Dalles on the way home and, with Cady’s help, selected a large noble fir tree. Cadence wanted to bounce on the seat with excitement as they pulled back out onto I-84 toward home.

  “Can we decorate it tonight?” Her eyes glowed with anticipation as she looked at him.

  “I don’t see why not,” Trey said, enjoying the pleased look on her face. “You can ask the hands to join us if you want.”

  “That would be fun.” Cadence was already planning a special treat to go along with the tree trimming. “Do they usually help?”

  “No. We haven’t had a tree in the house since dad died. Mom puts up a small tree and we spend Christmas day there with her and Nana.” Trey took her hand and squeezed it lightly. “Thank you for bringing Christmas back to the ranch house, Cady. We’re all excited about celebrating at home this year.”

  Cadence nodded her head and blushed. She hadn’t done much in comparison to what Trey had done for her. He gave her a job when she needed one, provided a roof over her head that was nicer than any she’d ever had, while making her feel needed and important. He was ready to do whatever it took to rescue the little girl who had captured both their hearts. On top of all that, he had shown her what an amazing, wonderful thing true love could be.

  She knew without a doubt she loved, and was in love with, Timothy Andrew Thompson III. Head over heels in love.

  Chapter Fifteen

  To accomplish great things, we must not only act,

  but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

  Anatole France

  Christmas carols played softly in the background and a crackling fire added ambience that evening to the front room as everyone gathered around the towering fir tree to decorate it.

  Cadence made a huge pot of hot chocolate along with a batch of cookies and a heaping bowl of popcorn for everyone to enjoy.

  Male laughter filled the room as the hands, Trey, and Trent all helped decorate the tree. The wonder of it having her first Christmas tree left Cass darting from man to man with excitement.

  After attempting to direct the men in some semblance of order, Cadence quickly gave up and let them have their fun. They all took turns lifting Cass to place an ornament here or a candy cane there.

  Accepting the fact it would not be a perfectly decorated tree, Cadence decided it didn’t matter if there were multiple decorations hanging from one branch or some smaller ornaments were on bottom branches while bigger ones sat near the top of the tree. The important thing was that the decorating took place amidst much laughter and joy with love and friendship.

  When they were finished, they turned off all the lights except for those twinkling from the tree and sat back to enjoy the cozy atmosphere. Sipping hot chocolate, Cadence discovered Danny could play the harmonica quite well and soon they sang a rousing rendition of O Christmas Tree, followed by Deck the Halls, and Jingle Bells.

  Someone started singing the 12 Days of Christmas and the guys began substituting ranch items for traditional words. Finishing the crazy song, they laughed so hard, they could barely sing.

  Cass grew sleepy, resting her head against Trey’s chest as he held her in the rocker, close to the fragrant tree.

  “Sing us a song, Cady,” Trey asked, catching her eye and looking at her imploringly.

  Embarrassed to sing solo in front of everyone, she shook her head.

  Raising her head, Cass looked at Cadence and smiled. “Please, Cady? You sing me pretty songs at bedtime.”

  Cadence took a deep breath and began to sing What Child Is This. The room grew oddly quiet and still as she sang, the only other sound coming from the pop of logs on the fire. The song seemed inordinately appropriate considering it was a special child that had brought them all together in the room that evening. When she finished, Henry swiped at his nose with his red bandana and muttered something about being allergic to trees.

  It was the perfect way to end the evening and the men quietly filed out the door to the bunkhouse. Trey picked up Cass and carried her to her room where Cadence tucked her into bed.

  Trent and Trey picked up the mugs from the hot chocolate and carried them to the kitchen.

  When Cadence returned, the kitchen was clean and there wasn’t anything left for her to do, so she wandered into the great room where Trent watched TV and Trey sat reading through a stack of paperwork.

  “Thanks for cleaning up for me,” Cadence said, sinking down in the rocker. “You do know that’s my job don’t you? I wouldn’t want to get into trouble with the boss man.”

  Trent winked at her while Trey gave her an indulgent look before returning to his papers. Cadence sat back and was lulled into a state of peaceful serenity as she listened to the holiday comedy Trent watched while she studied the lights twinkling brightly on the tree.

  She tucked her feet up in the chair, pulled a chenille throw over herself and watched the lights soften with blurry edges while the sounds grew distant. A feeling of tranquility settled over her much like a cozy blanket.

  Looking up from his paperwork, Trey noticed Cadence sleeping in the rocker. He started to say something, but Trent put his fingers to his lips and nodded her direction, as if to say, “let her sleep.”

  Trey nodded and remained silent. Instead of returning to the paperwork, he sat and watched Cadence bathed in the light from the fire. Fine, feathery shadows swept across her cheeks from her long eyelashes and her lips appeared as rosy and appealing as he’d ever seen them. Snuggled under the blanket, she looked so relaxed with her guard completely down, he felt the now-familiar urge to protect her and provide for her tugging at his heart.

  The way her head cocked against the chair, would put a crick in her neck if she stayed in that position too long. He got to his feet and walked over to the chair, considering waking her.ng her. Instead, he carefully set aside the throw, hooked his hands beneath her knees and around her back, pulling her to his chest. She roused long enough to whisper his name, bringing a smile to his face and warmth flooding through him.

  After carrying her to her room, he placed her on the bed, brushing his lips to hers in a soft kiss. She stirred and opened her eyes, realizing she was no longer staring at the lights on the tree.

  “Trey?” she asked, adjusting her eyes to the darkness of her room. He hadn’t bothered to turn on a light, instead relying on the moonlight gliding in soft beams through her window.

  “Yeah, darlin’?” he rumbled, realizing it was a bad idea to not only carry her to her bedroom, but to sit next to her on th
e bed. He had no interest in getting up to leave. Ever.

  “I was dreaming you carried me off and kissed me, but I guess that was real,” she said, resting against the pile of pillows on the bed.

  “It was real,” he said, his voice low and husky. “Just as real as this.”

  He leaned over and kissed her, gently at first. The power of his desire for the lovely, generous woman quickly chased away his good sense and they were soon locked in a kiss that was strong, wild, and demanding.

  When Trey finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers. “Once again, I’m sorry, Cady. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “I know,” Cadence whispered, taking a deep breath. “But I’m glad you did. Now you better get out of here while we still have a lick of sense to split between us.”

  Trey kissed her on the nose and chuckled as he backed out the door. Standing in the doorway, outlined by the light coming from the kitchen, he fought his desires back to where he could keep them tightly reined. “Good night, Cady. Thanks for today and for the song. It was beautiful. Just like you.”

  With that, he turned and left, leaving Cady feeling oddly alone and more than a little afraid of her feelings. She had never felt anything with the intensity created just by being near Trey. His touches nearly undid all her sense or ability to reason. Until everything was settled with Cass, it would be best if they put their romance on the backburner and focused on doing what they could for the little girl.

  However, keeping Trey at arm’s length might prove to be a bigger job than Cadence could handle.

  ><><

  The scent of the Christmas tree drifted around her as Cadence entered the kitchen the next morning to start breakfast. Trent or Trey must have plugged it in already that morning because the lights twinkled in the early-morning darkness.

  As she flipped on the kitchen lights, Cadence laughed when she looked up to see mistletoe hanging above the mudroom door and kitchen sink. On further inspection, she found bunches of it hanging above the table and counter, and she could see a bunch dangling from the ceiling light in the gathering room.

  She had to assume that was Trey’s contribution to the holiday decorations.

  She smiled as she hurried to ready breakfast. Dropping the last of the waffle batter in the waffle maker, she heard the door open and close. Not looking up, she felt warm breath on her neck while Trey’s voice rumbled in her ear.

  “Morning, Cady. Notice anything different this morning?”

  “Yes, I did,” she said, flipping the waffle, still not looking up. “It seems to be a lot colder out this morning.”

  Trey took her by the shoulders and spun her around to see a teasing grin on her face. “You wouldn’t be funnin’ me, now, would you?”

  “Possibly.” Cadence turned back to breakfast preparations.

  “Then you must pay a fine for messing with the boss.”

  “Oh, and what will that fine be, mister boss man?” Cadence dished up the last waffle and carried the platter to the table. She turned around to get the syrup out of the microwave and found herself enfolded in Trey’s arms.

  “A kiss.”

  Cadence pecked his cheek and pulled back.

  “That won’t do,” Trey growled.

  Cadence offered a quick kiss to his lips.

  “You can do better than that, darlin’.”

  “Trey, the guys will be in here any minute,” she said, putting her hands against his chest, which was a mistake on her part. She could feel his taut muscles beneath her hands and the heat from his eyes drew her like a cozy fire on a sub-zero day.

  Releasing a sigh, she pulled his head down and gave him a kiss that made them both stagger for breath when it ended. Trey was swooping in for another round when the door opened and the hands poured in.

  Cadence jumped a step back, her cheeks a rosy shade of red, as she hustled to finish setting breakfast on the table.

  The mistletoe drew the attention of the rest of the men. Before they left for the day, every one of them delivered a kiss on the cheek to both Cadence and Cass.

  “How come missytoes means you have to kiss somebody?” Cass asked as she sat at the counter drying a bowl for Cadence.

  Cadence laughed. “Mistletoe is a part of holiday traditions and legends. That’s why people hang it up and kiss under it during Christmas.”

  Cass tipped her head and stared at Cadence. “What’s a legend?”

  Cadence took the bowl from Cass, put it away, then sat down and looked at the little girl with a smile. “A legend is a story that has been passed down for years and years. The legend of mistletoe is that a magical woman had a son and a bad man killed him with an arrow made from mistletoe. Magic brought him back to life and the mother decided that from then on mistletoe would represent love and people meeting under it would kiss.”

  “Do I have to kiss anybody?” Cass asked, not sure she liked all the stubbly cheeks that had brushed hers that morning.

  “No, you do not. The guys were just having fun with you this morning.”

  “Some of them have scratchy faces,” Cass said, rubbing her cheek. “Except Trey and Trent and Tommy. Their cheeks are smooth. Trey’s smelled the best.”

  Out of the mouths of babes, Cadence thought. It was hard for her to get the scent of Trey’s spicy aftershave out of her nose let alone out of her head. Even little Cass noticed how good he smelled.

  Picking up the little girl, Cadence swung her around a few steps, making the little girl giggle, then took her into the gathering room where they worked on learning the alphabet and reading. Cadence was concerned Cass was far behind other kids her age, but she was a bright little thing and a quick learner.

  Mid-morning, Trey and Trent came in to warm up and have a cup of coffee. They opened and closed cupboards, intently searching for something.

  “May I help you gentlemen?” Cadence called from the front room.

  “We know you’ve got cookies hidden somewhere, Cady,” Trey said, continuing to search. “Can we please have a few?”

  Cass ran into the kitchen, followed by Cadence who shook her head as she pulled a tin of cookies from one of the cupboards. She’d learned not to leave the treats stashed in the same place two days in a row or they’d be all gone. The Thompson brothers had absolutely no control when it came to sweets.

  Sinking down at the counter on barstools, Trey and Trent munched on sugar cookies with their coffee, while Cadence poured Cass a glass of milk and gave her a cookie as well. Cass climbed up between Trey and Trent and settled in to enjoy her treat. A few weeks ago, she was painfully thin and malnourished. In the short time she had lived with them, her skin had a rosy glow and she was starting to fill out. Cadence was thrilled to see her flourishing in their care.

  Cadence was in the laundry room putting another load of jeans in the washer when the phone rang. Trey answered and was surprised to hear their attorney on the line.

  “Mr. Hansen, what can we do for you today?” Trey asked.

  “Just call me Peter, Trey. I was calling to let you and Cadence know you’ll be appearing before a judge a week from today to fight for custody of Cass. It looks like her aunt is planning to go ahead and pursue custody. I spoke with your caseworker and she is willing to testify on your behalf. Do you have anyone else that would be a witness? Someone non-related would be helpful, but family will work if you can’t find anyone else. Neil is sending me a written statement I’ll enter on behalf of Cadence.”

  Trey gave him a few names of people they could contact then asked him to hold while he went to the office phone where he could speak without Cass overhearing the conversation.

  “Peter, sorry about making you wait, but I didn’t want Cass to overhear. She won’t have to appear in court, will she? Cady and I would prefer to keep her out of the mess.”

  “She shouldn’t have to, but it will really depend on how things go. The judge might ask to have her brought in at some point, but I’m hoping it won’t go that far. Do you have someone who wo
uldn’t mind waiting with her outside the courtroom during the hearing?”

  “I think my mom would be available. If not, we can certainly find someone. Is there anything else we need to know or have prepared?”

  Peter went over the basics and Trey took detailed notes.

  “Did you and Cadence give more thought to what I said about getting engaged?” Peter asked with a teasing lilt to his voice.

  “Well, um…” Trey sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Here’s the thing, Peter. I love Cady and I plan to ask her to marry me. But I want to wait until after the custody hearing because I don’t want her to think, even for a minute, the reason I’m asking is to up our chances at keeping Cass. I know it would help the cause if we were engaged, but I just can’t do that to Cady.”

  “I understand,” Peter said. “From what I observed, I think she’d say yes without any hesitation. Seriously, though, I don’t foresee any problem with Cadence being granted custody. After giving it some thought, I would suggest you both file for joint custody. If that works for you, just let me know and I’ll have everything ready to go next week. I’ll email you both some information Monday. If you have any questions in the meantime, please give me a call.”

  “I will. Thank you, Peter. We appreciate your help with this and moving things along so quickly. Cady and I would love to see this settled in time for Christmas.”

  Trey hung up and returned to the kitchen to find Cadence sitting on his vacated stool drinking a cup of tea and eating a cookie. A tiny bit of frosting clung to her upper lip making Trey wish he could kiss it away. Forcefully derailing the direction of his thoughts, he instead smiled and tipped his head toward the office.

  Cadence nodded and gave Cass a pat on the head. “Can you remember what I told you about legends this morning, Cass?”

  “Yep,” the little girl said, helping herself to another cookie.

  “Can you tell the story to Trent? I bet he’d love to hear all about mistletoe.”

  Cass turned her big blue eyes to Trent. “Missytoes gets hunged up so you have to kiss somebody because a magical lady said so. She…”