Her Last Cowboy Christmas

by Liz Isaacson

  “First,” Scarlett said. “Adele went into labor last night. She and Carson are down at the hospital, where she’s just given birth to a beautiful baby boy.” Scarlett’s face crumpled, and she pressed her lips together.

  Slightly in front of him, Amber sighed, and Lance would’ve had to have been deaf not to hear it.

  “They’re all doing great,” Scarlett said when she’d regained her composure. “Adele doesn’t want visitors right now. They should be home in a few days. We’ll keep everyone up-to-date via text. She doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

  “But it’s a big deal,” Sissy said beside him. “Do you think she’ll let us ring the bell when we bring Evelyn home?”

  “I don’t know, sweetheart,” Dave said. “We’ll ask her, okay?”

  Scarlett moved over next to Gramps. “They named the baby James.” She put her arm around Gramps. “After Gramps.” She looked at the old man with such love. He did wipe his eyes then, and a cheer went up from the crowd. Lance moved away from Amber so he could clap too, the joy and love he felt in this gathering of people so strong it reminded him of family. Scarlett and Hudson had been gracious and kind when he’d lost his father last year, and Lance had never felt this close to co-workers before.

  “All right, Hudson,” Scarlett said, her voice breaking again. “Your turn.”

  Hudson took her face in both of his hands and gazed down at her, obviously not caring about the crowd watching. He said something Lance couldn’t hear from the back of the crowd, but he could plainly see the love on Hudson’s face.

  Lance wanted what Scarlett and Hudson had, and he glanced at Amber. He’d been hung up on her for so long, and he sincerely hoped he hadn’t been wasting his time.

  “All right,” Hudson said, his voice louder and carrying easier. “I’ll make it short. Scarlett and I have been chosen by a birth mother.”

  Sissy squealed at the same time several other women in the crowd did.

  “We’ll be bringing home twins in May.”

  “Twins,” someone said.

  “Oh, my goodness,” someone added.

  “That’s amazing,” Amber said, turning to him. Her entire countenance glowed. “Isn’t that so amazing?”

  “It sure is.” Lance couldn’t even pretend to understand why Scarlett was sobbing, or why Amber said, “I have to go,” and started pressing her way through the volunteers toward the front porch.

  But he knew Scarlett wanted kids and couldn’t have them. He’d seen Jeri and Sawyer adopt, and Dave and Sissy were only weeks away from bringing home their adopted little girl. He wondered if Amber wanted kids, and if she’d be able to have any biologically. He thought of his childhood memories with his father, the teenage memories, the adult memories. He’d loved his dad with every fiber of his being, and a sense of missing hit him so hard, he had to turn away from the scene on the porch.

  Lance definitely wanted kids. A boy for sure.

  He waited until most of the crowd dispersed. Then he climbed the steps behind Dave and shook Hudson’s hand. “Congratulations,” he said sincerely. “You two are going to be great parents.”

  Hudson beamed, still so humble when he said, “I sure hope so.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder toward the front door, where the women were filing inside. “We told Karla early, and she has lunch ready, if you want to come in.”

  Lance did, his stomach growling and his eyes searching for where Amber had gone. He closed the front door behind him, expecting to see a huge crowd. But everyone from the ranch wasn’t there. Just Gramps, Scarlett, and Hudson. Jeri and Sawyer and their son, Brayden. Dave and Sissy. Karla and Cache. Cook, Ames, Gray, and Gina, the lead veterinarian. Lance joined Amber, lightly touching her hand.

  She turned into him, pure joy on her face. “Isn’t this so exciting? Two babies within a month. And then twins in May.”

  He grinned down at her. “It’s pretty exciting.” He leaned closer, hoping he wasn’t about to make a big mistake. “Do you want children, Amber?”

  She blinked, but the spark and joy in her eyes didn’t go out. “I do. You?”

  He nodded and faced the group just as Hudson started to speak. “Thanks for coming in. I guess we should’ve warned you so you could tell your teams and get things lined up for this.” He glanced at Cache. “But I guess none of the animals will die, right?” He chuckled. “A big thanks to Karla for making this meal for us to share together. We—Scarlett and I—really feel like you guys are our family, and we love you.”

  He nodded, emotions storming across his face. “I think Cache has something he wants to say.” Hudson moved back, seemingly glad to be out of the spotlight, and Cache stepped forward.

  “Karla and I were going to get married in May, but with the twins coming, we’ve decided to postpone until June. It’s going to be right here at the ranch, in that dairy cow field across the street.” He grinned out at everyone. “Jeri’s going to build us an altar, and we want you all in the wedding party.”

  Dave whooped, and that set everyone to clapping, laughing, and cheering. Lance once again felt like he’d come home. To these people. To this place.

  He thought about his mother down in that house that was too big for her now. The yard she barely worked in anymore. The dog she’d never really liked but couldn’t get rid of because Lance’s dad had loved him.

  An idea started in the back of his mind and grew as people chatted and moved through the line. He slipped away from Amber and over to Scarlett.

  “First,” he said. “Congratulations.” He hugged her quickly. “And second, I have something I want to talk to you about. Maybe I can come later today, when you’re not so busy?”

  Scarlett continued to smile at him, her eyes turning a bit sharper. “Serious?”

  “It’s about my mother,” he said, the idea still forming and morphing. “I—She’s alone at her place, and she’d love it here. The sense of family. The animals. All of it. I’d look after her. She can pay rent.”

  Scarlett picked up a plate and handed it to him. “I don’t see why she’d need to do that when we have thirteen cabins, eight of which are empty. And once Cache marries Karla and moves in with her, there will be nine empty ones.”

  Lance nodded. The cabins on either side of him were taken, but Cache wouldn’t be there past June.

  “If she wants to come, we’d love to have her.” Scarlett smiled at him. “Is she doing okay?”

  “I don’t know,” Lance said, his mind troubled about her for some reason. “I’ll talk to her and my family. See what everyone thinks.”

  “Just let me know.”

  Lance said he would, his mind churning now, really digging into the idea. He couldn’t wait to call his mom, but he thought he should probably talk to Arthur first. See what his older brother had to say.

  He re-joined Amber, and she nodded toward Scarlett. “What was that about?”

  Lance told her, grateful he had someone to bounce ideas off of, and they spent lunch talking about the pros and cons of having his mother live right next door. In the end, he said, “It’s Last Chance Ranch. She’d love it here,” and he knew he was right.

  Everyone who came to Last Chance Ranch loved it. There was something special about the animals here, the way they’d been broken and then rescued. God Himself had touched this place, and Lance felt it more keenly than ever.

  Now he just needed to talk to his brother, and then his mom.

  Lance sighed as he locked the last enclosure for the day. His back hurt, and his feet pinched, and he was an hour later getting home than usual. Given the excitement over all the babies coming to the ranch, it was fine. But he was tired, and hungry, and in no mood to find Cache, Cook, and Dave sitting on his front steps.

  “You guys lost?” he asked as he approached. “I think it’s Cache who usually has food in his cabin.”

  They stood up like they’d practiced doing it together. “Karla did send leftovers,” Cache said, holding out a plastic container.


  Lance took it with a smile. “Let me guess. You want to know about me and Amber.”

  “Some details would be nice,” Dave said.

  “Really?” Lance rolled his eyes, though he was joking. “Like all the details you gave us about Sissy?”

  “Hey, I told you we were dating. That’s more than Cache did.”

  “Cache told me, actually,” Lance said, glancing at Cache.

  “What?” Dave asked. Roared might have been a better way to describe it.

  Lance laughed and went up the steps to the door. “Come in. I have bread if anyone wants toast.”

  “You told Lance about you and Karla?” Dave asked.

  “Look, man, it was a complicated thing, and I knew he wouldn’t say anything.”

  “I wouldn’t have said anything.”

  “You kind of lecture, man,” Cache said.

  “I do not,” Dave said.

  “So,” Lance said. “Why are you here?”

  Dave looked back and forth from Cache to Lance to Cook. “I—”

  Lance laughed again. “You can lecture me if you want, Dave. I don’t care. Cache and Cook helped me with a plan, and I executed it.” He looked at the other cowboys, hoping they’d come to back him up not throw him under the bus.

  “He executed it well,” Cache said.

  “How many times have you been out with her?”

  “Just once,” Lance said. “We went to Pages. I see her around the ranch. I have to communicate a lot with her about the adoptions.” He busied himself feeding the cats and dogs he’d adopted so he could see Amber more often. Dave surely knew about that, too. The man didn’t miss much.

  “I didn’t come to lecture,” Dave said. “I came to say good for you for finally asking her out.”

  “Hey, I wanted to a long time ago,” Lance said. “You’re the one who told me to wait.”

  “She had a boyfriend.”

  “She always has a boyfriend,” Lance said, realizing how that made Amber sound.

  “Yeah,” Cache said, grinning. “And now it’s you.”

  “Maybe,” Lance said. “We’ve been out once.”

  “She obviously likes you,” Dave said.

  “Yeah? What’s so obvious about it?”

  “Besides the way she stepped right into your embrace?” Dave rolled his eyes as he set bread in the toaster.

  “So I’m starting the high school track team running thing next week,” Lance said. “Who wants to help me?”

  No one said a word, and Lance burst into laughter again. “You guys are so helpful.”

  “Cook wants us to help him with a plan,” Cache said. “That’s why we came. He saw how well yours worked, and he figured we could help him too.”

  “Oh yeah?” Lance asked, turning to put his leftovers in the microwave now that his pets were fed. “Who do you want to go out with?”

  Cook looked at Cache, who said, “I can’t talk for you all the time, man.”

  “Gina,” Cook said, his face turning red. “Gina Weller.”

  “The vet?” Dave asked. “I thought she was married.”

  “Divorced,” Cook said. “Three years ago.”

  Lance’s eyebrows went up along with Dave’s. “So you must talk to her,” he said. “To know that.”

  “He does,” Cache said. “But it’s fleeting, and she’s sort of clueless.”

  “She’s busy,” Dave said. “There’s a huge difference. And she might not be looking to date, so she’s closed off to the opportunity right in front of her.”

  “So how do we get her to open up?” Cache mused. “That’s what Cookie here would like to know.” He grinned at the cowboy, but Lance thought Cook looked like he could punch Cache if he called him Cookie again.

  “What does she like?” Lance asked. “The doughnuts worked well with Amber….”

  “Everything is not about Amber,” Cache said. “Let’s focus.”

  Oh, but everything was about Amber. At least for Lance, and he couldn’t wait until Valentine’s Day when he’d get to take her out again.

  Chapter 8

  Amber arrived at the Canine Club to find dozens of people there already. She wasn’t late, but she obviously wasn’t the first to arrive either.

  “Lance,” she called when she saw the broad-shouldered cowboy move through the crowd. He turned toward her, caught her eye, and gestured for her to follow him.

  “Everyone outside,” he said, his voice lifting above the chatter and giggles of the teenagers gathered around. They did what he said, and Amber brought up the rear of the group.

  There were approximately twenty runners here, boys and girls. The track teacher wore a jacket with the word COACH on the back in huge, yellow letters, and he moved to stand beside Lance.

  He’d kept her up-to-date with everything happening with this new program on the ranch, but it was exciting to see it all coming together in person.

  “All right, guys,” the track coach said. “Listen up.” He looked at Lance, who gestured to the dogs behind him.

  “These are our running dogs,” he said. “They love to run and play, and it’s your job to make sure they don’t get hurt while they’re with you. They have to stay leashed at all times.” He surveyed the group, his eyes bright with hope, but sober at the same time.

  “Coach Tea says you’re his best students, and we both expect you to be when you’re with the dogs. They have vests on so people can see they’re available to adopt. If anyone asks you, just send them up here to the ranch. Our adoption coordinator is Amber Haws.” He indicated her, and Amber lifted her hand and waved, glad she had the brainpower to do that. Watching Lance take command like this was incredibly sexy, and she couldn’t look away from him.

  “We have a route from here down to Balboa Park,” Coach Tea said. “It’s four miles. For most of us, that’s nothing. We’ll stay there for thirty minutes with the dogs, and then we’ll run back here. You’re expected to note your times, like we always do on our runs, but we’re not going for personal best today, all right, guys?”

  “The dogs will probably influence how fast you can go. We have a couple that like to sniff, but once you get going, they should come along with you.” Lance looked behind him again. “I expect you to remember your dog’s name and make sure you always know where he or she is.”

  He and Coach Tea looked at one another, and Amber saw all the hours of work that had gone into this partnership. The behind-the-scenes work it took to put something like this together could be huge, and she appreciated Lance for thinking outside the box and making good things happen for the animals at Last Chance Ranch.

  “Amber and I will meet you at the park,” Lance said. “We’ll have a couple of reporters there, with a photographer. Feel free to talk to them about the experience.”

  “We do want it to be a positive experience for you and the dogs,” Coach Tea said. “So don’t say rude stuff, all right, guys?”

  The teens nodded, and Coach Tea said, “Okay, then. A few more rules on dog care, and then we warm up.”

  Lance launched into how to hold a leash. That he’d trained every dog to sit with a voice command and a hand signal. That every runner should have treats in their pockets, as all of these particular dogs were trained with treats and enjoyed them.

  “When you get to the park, we’ll have balls and Frisbees for the retrieving dogs.”

  “Ready?” Coach Tea asked.

  Lance stepped through the gate while the coach had his team captain come up and start leading the other teens through their warm up. Amber joined Lance, taking the leashes he handed to her without a word.

  Her heart bobbed in the back of her throat, and she wanted to tell him what a great job he’d done here. “I talked to Jewel this morning,” she said instead. “She said she’d try to be at the park too. If she can’t be there, she said she’d send someone.”

  “That’s great,” Lance said. “I got Karla to get us a local reporter, so we’ll have some media coverage.”

 
“Do you think this will be good for the dogs?”

  Lance looked down at the four surrounding him. “Yes,” he said quietly. “And the kids. It’s going to be awesome.” He glanced up at her, those beautiful eyes shining. “Are you worried?”

  “A little,” she said. “You chose Thunder.”

  “He’s a great dog,” Lance said. “He needs to run. He’ll be fine.”

  “Who are you going to give him to?”

  “The coach,” Lance said. “Once he knows what’s going on, Thunder will be able to run with anyone.”

  “It’s a brilliant idea,” Amber said, dropping her voice. “Getting them visible, socializing, and running. It’s the perfect plan.”

  “The coach called me,” Lance said, shrugging. “It’s not like I came up with it.”

  “I know,” Amber said. “But you put it all together. I know you did. You just told Coach Tea when to show up and how many people to bring.”

  Lance didn’t argue, which meant Amber was right. She touched his hand. “Are you nervous too?”

  He stopped coiling the same leash over and over again. “A little,” he said. “I chose Thunder.” He looked like he’d swallowed poison for which there was no antidote.

  Amber wanted to kiss that anxiety from his face. Instead, she smiled and said, “Coach Tea is a big guy. He can handle Thunder.”

  Lance swallowed and nodded. “You want to go to dinner tonight?”

  “Of course,” she said, thrilled he’d finally asked her out again. They saw each other around the ranch every day, but it was nice to take things to the next level romantically off-site.

  He grinned and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I know I said we’d ride together to the park, but I think I’m going to follow the pack in my truck, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course,” she said again. “I have all the toys loaded up already. I’ll meet you there.”

  “Okay.” He returned to the group and started handing out leashes and dog assignments. The dogs were definitely excited, but no one left until everyone had a dog at their side, properly leashed and under control.