Christmas in Winter Valley

by Jodi Thomas

  Tatum seemed to like that idea.

  As he ate, she worked on another batch. At the rate she was going, there would be no dessert tonight, and the meal would be salads all around.

  “I saw your sons sitting on the porch.”

  “They must be taking a break.” She smiled, thinking about how hard they were working. Elliot had thanked them twice for delivering the two cousins to Dallas, like they’d really done him a great favor. But the boys had assured him it was no trouble at all.

  “Nope,” Tatum said around a mouthful of cookies. “They’re not taking a break. They’re not even working this afternoon. Told me they were just waiting for Tye to come over here to talk to you. They said you planned to kill him, and they were going to bury the body.”

  “I’m not going to kill Tye,” Dani said, angry that her sons would say such a thing to the child.

  “Good. I’ve been following him all day, worrying. He’s a nice man. He’s never yelled at me, and he takes the time to answer questions. I don’t want them to hurt him. After I let your boys down last night, they were making dark plans.”

  “You were there?” Dani was shocked.

  He looked down at his cookie.

  “Tatum?”

  “Tye said I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone what I saw. He made me swear.”

  Dani could feel her blood boil. What the boys had told her was terrible, but what they hadn’t said might be worse. If she hadn’t asked Tye to stay that night, this would have never happened. If she’d never given him an extra biscuit. She’d started this entire feud.

  Her dad always said “Scratch a mother and she’ll bleed guilt.” Well, that was true. This was all her fault.

  “Tye told me I’d stay out of trouble if I always told the truth. He also said something about if I’m carrying somebody else’s secret, I can only talk to a judge or a mom. I guess since you’re a mom, I can tell you. Bad things were said last night. It hurt my ears to even hear them. Things I don’t want to think about.”

  Before he could say more the kitchen door opened again, and Tye’s figure stood there, silhouetted in the light.

  After a long silence, he removed his hat and asked in his low voice, “All right if I come in?”

  Dani reacted before she thought. She picked up the empty platter dusted in cookie crumbs and threw it straight at him.

  He didn’t bother to duck. It hit him hard in the chest and bounced off. When it landed on the tile, it shattered in a million pieces.

  She lifted a plate. “I don’t want to ever set eyes on you again, Tye Franklin.”

  Pain filled his gray eyes, but she didn’t care. He’d hurt her sons, and he must have threatened them.

  When the second plate flew, Tye blocked it with his arm. It hit the wall before it joined the platter in pieces on the floor.

  Dani raised the third plate and Tye vanished. She had so much anger built up in her veins. She slammed the plate against the counter.

  Tatum ducked under the bar.

  Dani stood there, another plate in hand as she tried to breathe. At the moment, her life seemed as shattered as the plates.

  Finally, she heard someone crying. She came around the counter and pulled Tatum from under the bar. He fought, not wanting her to touch him, and his cries broke her heart.

  The boy thought she was going to hurt him.

  “It’s all right, Tatum. I promise I won’t throw any more plates.”

  “Did you hurt Tye?”

  She’d seen the look Tye had given her, and she knew she had hurt him—not physically, but deep down inside. Like her, he wasn’t a person who trusted easily, and she’d shattered his belief in her.

  “I was just mad at Tye for hurting my boys,” she explained. “That’s all.”

  Tatum wiped his nose on his sleeve. “He didn’t hurt them. They were coming at him, saying they were going to beat him up. Telling him to pack up and go away. Tye just stood there, watching your boys coming closer.”

  The kid gulped down a cry. “When they came at him, fists up like they both were going to pound on him, Tye swung his rope. I never seen anything like it. The rope caught them around their legs. He pulled them up until it looked like they were standing on their heads with their hats still on.”

  Dani cuddled the boy close. “Then what did he do?” She closed her eyes, wishing she didn’t have to hear what happened next.

  “He said something like ‘I don’t want to have this talk again.’ Then he said he didn’t plan on stopping seeing you, but he wouldn’t fight them. Then he walked out of the barn.

  “When I caught up to him, he told me to go pull the rope and let them down. He made me swear I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

  Dani’s voice was soft. “But how did everyone on the ranch find out?”

  “Patrick told them. He thought the boys in the bunkhouse would side with him and Pete, but they just laughed and told your sons not to mess with Franklin.”

  Tears ran down Dani’s face and she made no attempt to stop them.

  “I shouldn’t have yelled at him,” she whispered.

  “Or tried to whack him with a plate,” Tatum added.

  She kissed the boy’s head. “Would you go tell him I promise not to throw anything if he’ll come back? I’ll even serve you both cookies.”

  “I’ll go tell him, but I don’t think he’ll want any cookies. I can smell them burning from here.”

  Dani ran to the oven. Tatum was right. While she scraped the blackened cookies off the tray, she tried to think about what she’d say to Tye, and more important, what she’d say to her sons. Maybe Tye shouldn’t have tied them up, but he’d told Tatum to get them down and he hadn’t been the one to spread the story. Plus, he’d been outnumbered, and he’d done what he had to do to stop the fight from happening.

  And what thanks did he get? She’d turned on him. Dani wouldn’t be surprised if he never wanted to see her again.

  More cookies were almost done when Tatum walked back into the kitchen, his head low.

  “Where’s Tye?” she asked, fearing that he wouldn’t come.

  Tatum looked up, his light blue eyes full of tears. “He’s gone.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  December 21

  Maverick Ranch

  COOPER FOLLOWED HAYLEY across the great room and into the kitchen. They’d stopped by the office and talked Jess into taking a break to eat cookies. The smell of baking had drifted all over the house.

  Both women fussed over him and Cooper didn’t mind a bit. When they stepped into the kitchen, Tatum was sitting at the counter and shards of broken plates were all over the floor.

  “What’s happening here, kid?” Cooper asked as if it often rained porcelain in their kitchen. “I’d think it was a bar fight, except the whole place smells like cookies.”

  “I was sitting right here, but I don’t understand nothing that’s going on. I can tell you what happened, but I can’t explain it.”

  Cooper slid onto the stool next to Tatum as Hayley started sweeping up the mess. “Start from the beginning.”

  “I came in for cookies, but Dani had been burning most of them. We talked about what happened in the barn last night.”

  Coop nodded. “Get to how the plates broke. We’ll worry about what happened in the barn later.”

  “Okay. Dani threw the plates at Tye when he walked in. He just stood there, taking the blows. She kept it up until he left. Then, for no reason I know of, she broke a few more.”

  “Thanks for explaining. Are there any not-burnt cookies left?”

  Tatum jumped off his stool. “I took the last batch out after Dani ran back to her room crying.”

  “Mind passing me a few?” Cooper reached for a glass and the milk jug, then began eating a cookie.

  Jess had been silent, holding Coop’s crutches a
nd listening, but now she spoke up. “Let me get this straight, Cooper. You come into a kitchen with broken plates everywhere and the cook has left in tears and all you ask about is if there are any cookies that you can eat?”

  Cooper finished his chewing and turned to face her. “I can’t do anything about Dani crying. If she wanted to talk about it, she wouldn’t have run to her room. As for the plates, if we worried every time a cook threw a few plates at someone around here, we’d never be able to keep any help.”

  Jess moved closer and glared at him. “While Elliot’s gone, you’re the only one in charge. Now, what are you going to do about it?”

  “Order paper plates?” When she didn’t smile, he said, “Some of those plastic ones they have at Walmart almost look real.” When she shook her head, he added, “Come to think of it, those wouldn’t kill a fly. It’d be a waste of time to use them as a weapon.”

  Jess huffed and marched off, and Hayley laughed. “Coop, a woman has to grow up around men like you to understand them.”

  He winked at her. “Jess doesn’t know I’m kidding. Let’s keep it to ourselves.”

  Cooper ate another cookie and asked Tatum to go get the wheelchair. “Doc, if you’ll drive me to the door of the barn, I’d like to see the horses being unloaded.”

  “I’ll do that if you’re sure you’re up to it.”

  “I’ve taken three naps today. I’m up for it. My leg only hurts when I move it.”

  Tatum helped Hayley get Cooper into the Land Rover this time. He claimed he might not survive another round with the Garrett brothers. “When we pass them on the porch, tell them to stay there until they receive further orders. I have a feeling they have some explaining to do, but I’m not sure about what. It’s kind of like when you see some guy’s arrest picture on TV and you know, just by looking, that he’s guilty.”

  The doc jumped behind the wheel and drove him to Sunny Barn. The trailer hauling the fillies was just pulling up.

  “Why do they call them fillies and not mares?” Tatum asked.

  “Because they haven’t spent any time with a stallion yet.”

  Cooper was worried about how he’d answer Tatum’s next question, but the boy was pointing to Tye’s pickup and trailer, which were parked on the far side of the barn. “Look! He hasn’t left yet.”

  “He said he’d help with the unloading,” Hayley said. “Maybe I’ll get a chance to say goodbye to him.” But she didn’t sound too hopeful. “I wish he wasn’t leaving. I think I could learn a lot from him.”

  “Yeah, me, too,” Coop admitted.

  Tatum held the chair while Cooper slid out of the car, Hayley steadying him. He was a man who took care of himself if possible, but he didn’t mind her being close. She was one of those rare people who grew smarter and more beautiful with time. He had a feeling her kind heart had something to do with it.

  One by one, the animals came out of the trailer, as if dancing. Ranch hands stood around, admiring them and talking to Cooper. Elliot might think he ran the ranch when Griffin was gone, but in truth, Cooper had figured out a long time ago that the workload was pretty evenly split. The hands who worked the ranch year-round reported to Cooper if there was a problem with the stock. He was the only brother riding out to check the pastures when trouble came, or helping with the branding, or loading stock for transport. He was there when a calf needed to be pulled and he was there when an animal had to be put down. Elliot might know the books, but Cooper knew the count of every horse or cow on the property.

  When Tye walked up, Cooper didn’t say a word about the mess in the kitchen. Judging from the kid’s story, the cowboy had only played the part of target in the drama.

  Tye stood next to Cooper’s wheelchair and kept his voice low. “I think we need a man with each filly. We need to walk them awhile until they get used to the place. I’m guessing everything’s different here. The air, the smells, the people.”

  “I agree. Make the assignments.”

  “Will do.” Tye hesitated. “One more thing. I’m taking a few days off after this job is done. I’m not sure if I’ll be back.”

  “We’ll miss you if you don’t, but I want you to know if you come back in two days or three years, you are always welcome here.”

  “Thanks. I might take you up on that.”

  Tye stepped away to do his job. Maybe his last job for them.

  Coop kept watch over all around him. The excitement, the fresh air and the sounds almost made him believe he was cured.

  As the afternoon wore on, he found his gaze going back again and again to Hayley. She was doing her job, working around the big horses without fear. He wished he could stand beside her, make the job a little easier on her. He could never remember admiring a woman so much.

  Finally, she walked over to him, dirt on her cheek and pants muddy from the knees down. “Ready to call it a night, Coop? We’ve got them all checked out and logged in.”

  “Take me home, Doc,” he said. “I’m all yours.”

  Five minutes later, she’d rolled him to his room, where Dani had made them a dinner for two on a card table next to his bed. The cook was a bit quiet, and she didn’t say a word about the broken dishes or the rumor that she’d cried.

  “Your boys still on the porch?” Cooper asked.

  “They are.”

  “Tell them to go over to the bunkhouse for supper and I’ll see them in the morning.”

  “You planning to send them after the doc’s Jeep?”

  “No. I’m going to talk her into staying another night. We need her help, and if she has to make any calls, I’d like to go with her. Be a fly on the barn wall while she works. I’m hoping to learn more about being a vet.”

  “I’m right here, Coop—you can talk to me. Of course, I’ll stay if I’m needed.”

  He grinned, his eyes opening wide as if he hadn’t seen her there right in front of him. “Oh, there you are. I didn’t notice you.”

  She sighed. “Are you considering going back to school? Giving me a little competition in the vet department?”

  “Nope, but I am thinking about dating a vet.”

  Dani stepped out of the room, probably aware that she was no longer part of the conversation.

  “I don’t know about that, Coop. You seem more of a talker than a man of action.”

  He pushed the card table a few feet away. “Come over here, Doc, and I’ll show you.”

  She laughed. “No way. If you want me, Coop, you’ll have to catch me.”

  “A challenge?”

  “Nope, a promise. How about we eat dinner? I’m starving, but I can’t enjoy a meal smelling like the barn.” She tugged off her muddy, baggy pants and tossed them into the shower.

  Her shirttail dropped halfway to her knees. Then, as if at a fancy restaurant, she sat down on the other side of the table and began her meal, seemingly unaware that he was staring at her and not the food.

  “You’ve got legs,” he finally said.

  “Of course I’ve got legs.” She leaned across the table and whispered, as if not wanting anyone to hear a secret, “Coop, sometimes you say the strangest things.”

  “I’ve noticed that lately. I’m not sure there’s a cure.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  December 21

  TYE WALKED THROUGH the barn as the last watery rays of sunlight shone through the wide-open doors. All the three-year-olds were settled in their stalls. He’d thought he would have to sing the chestnut one to sleep before she’d stop pacing.

  Smiling, he decided the fillies reminded him of the cousins who’d invaded the Holloway place. They were a lot of trouble to everyone, but now that the girls were gone, the house seemed too quiet.

  Correction, he thought: the redheaded cousin was still up at the line shack at Winter Valley. A few of the men thought she might be keeping Creed, the foreman, captive
up there. One man suggested she might be holding Creed as a sex toy, and all the other men volunteered to take his place.

  Double-checking the last gate, Tye walked slowly out into a rainy sunset. He didn’t look back. He never looked back. It was time to go. A man shouldn’t come between a woman and her children. Even if he’d won this battle with the boys and Dani had agreed to keep seeing him, it would only be a while before she regretted it. He’d lose the war in the end. A clean cut now was better than a slow decay.

  Walking out to his old pickup, he barely noticed tiny drops, half snow, half rain, tapping against the brim of his hat. He tossed his coat and gloves onto the passenger seat and climbed in. It was time to move on.

  But where to? The bad thing about moving around while growing up was that he had no town or state to call home.

  The notebook brushed against his leg as he rattled toward the county road. The ranch gate loomed in the evening light. The M blinked a moment in the headlights as he left the ranch, reminding him of the message in his grandpa’s book.

  Follow the lone star. Find Dusty Roads. My gift to you waits.

  The handwriting had been shaky, as if Tye’s grandpa had added it at the end of his life, but the message was there if he could just understand it.

  What were the chances a gift his grandfather left somewhere years ago would still be out there to be found? But it must have taken him months to draw clues on every page. Why would he have spent the time? To play a joke? To daydream that he’d left Tye something? Or maybe to draw Tye a very unusual map to something worth finding?

  It was a miracle the notebook had finally found its way to him.

  But Tye knew from the drawings that he was close. The old Circle M brand on the back gate was proof. After that, there was nowhere else he could think to look. There were probably a hundred miles of dusty roads near the south entrance to the ranch.

  The only gift he’d found here was Dani. A real woman. Down-to-earth. She wore no makeup and she didn’t need any. She was beautiful just the way she was. He’d guessed by a few things she’d said that she thought she was plump, but she was just right in his eyes. She thought she’d failed in raising her boys, but Tye hated to think how they would have turned out if she hadn’t been there.