The Christmas Cowboy Hero Read online

  This was the time when Landon would’ve begun to take more responsibility, allowing their father to ease into retirement—not that men like Ben East ever retired. He’d always have his hand mixed in with the ranch because it’s all he knew.

  Clayton looked at the computer once more. The ranch wasn’t exactly bankrupt. There was still revenue coming in with the sales of cattle, but it wasn’t enough to cover expenses.

  When he got his hands on Nathan—because he would—he was going to take great pleasure in wringing his neck.

  And for some reason, that made him think of Abby. He was fairly certain she’d wanted to do that and more to him when he stopped to help her earlier.

  There was something about the spitfire that intrigued him. Perhaps it was her valiant attempt to rein in her brothers. She had a steady head on her shoulders, but the weight of responsibility was taking its toll on her.

  And why the hell did he even care? He had to save the ranch, which was why he needed to concentrate instead of thinking about blue eyes and a wealth of curves that begged to be touched.

  Chapter 5

  Everything was going to be all right.

  Abby went to bed repeating that line, and it was the first thought when she opened her eyes the next morning. While she got ready for work, she kept thinking of all the ways Brice being at the East Ranch could go wrong.

  Then she had to stop herself and say her mantra again. It helped. Some. The truth was, nothing had ever come easily for her or her brothers. They’d been clawing and scraping by since they came into the world. And she knew it would never change.

  Her stomach was a bundle of nerves when she walked into the kitchen to find Caleb munching on a waffle as he tried to hide a can of Coke from her.

  “Juice,” she said.

  Caleb rolled his eyes, but he went to get a cup and poured some orange juice. There wasn’t a lot in the glass, but it was better than nothing.

  “Thank you.” She took the carton from him and poured half a glass before downing it.

  “This is one of those things where I’ll thank you when I get older, right?” he asked.

  She nodded as she finished her last swallow. “That’s right.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not liking it now.”

  She smiled. “That’s the point, kiddo.”

  The toaster went off with two more waffles that her brother quickly grabbed and gripped with his teeth as he put on his jacket.

  That’s when she looked around for Brice. “Where’s your brother?”

  “He caught a ride with the Millers down the street.”

  Brice, up early? Something was wrong. “Where did he go?”

  Caleb gave another dramatic eye roll. “School.”

  “What? Why?”

  “How the hell should I know?” Caleb shrugged as he bent and retrieved his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. He then put the unopened can of Coke into his coat pocket and started for the door. “I’ll see you after school, sis.”

  She opened the freezer to grab a waffle for herself but found an empty box instead. “Of course,” she mumbled and tossed it into the trash.

  With two teenage boys, it was difficult to keep any food in the house. She walked to the front room when she heard the squeal of brakes from the bus and watched Caleb climb up the steps.

  There was a time she’d counted down the years until she was free from raising her brothers. Now, she was nearly there, and she wasn’t sure what to do. Her life had been nothing but raising her siblings. What would she do with herself once they were gone?

  Date?

  That made her snort. She hadn’t been on a date in forever. She’d tried it once not long after their mother had left, and both of her brothers had freaked out. So, it hadn’t happened again.

  Abby sighed and walked back to the kitchen where she started the coffee. She didn’t want to think about how quiet the house would be when her brothers were gone. After a cup of java, she gathered her coat and purse and drove into work.

  The day alternately crawled and rushed by before slowing again. When she glanced up and saw that it was four o’clock, her stomach clenched nervously.

  Brice should be at the ranch by now. Had he actually shown up? She prayed that he had, otherwise, he was back in jail. The next hour moved at the speed of molasses. When the clock struck five, she hurried to get her things and drove to the East Ranch to make sure Brice was there.

  Halfway to the ranch, she pulled over. This was when she wished her best friend, Jill, was still around because she really wanted another woman to talk to. Yet a once-in-a-lifetime job had come Jill’s way, sending her to California. The time difference made it hard for them to catch up on Skype, but Abby was never more aware of the absence of her long-time friend than at that moment.

  “What am I doing?” she asked herself. “Brice will be pissed if I show up.”

  He’d assured her the night before that he was done screwing up. He’d kept talking about taking responsibility and being a man. She didn’t know where any of that had come from, but the change had been refreshing.

  Brice was smart, but the anger he carried about their mother leaving was something he’d never dealt with, much less spoke of. It was like a chip on his shoulder that never let up.

  Abby pulled out her cell phone and checked how many minutes she had left for the month before she called the house. There were precious few, but she needed to talk to someone. Caleb answered on the second ring. “Hey,” she said. “Everything okay?”

  “You’re at the ranch, aren’t you?”

  Where had the time gone when she could ask a question and her youngest brother didn’t know she was hiding something? It had happened without her even knowing it. Which sucked.

  “I stopped on the way there,” she admitted.

  Caleb made a noise. “How long have you been sitting on the side of the road?”

  “Long enough to know that I should come home.”

  “You do know I’m fourteen, right? I’m no longer a kid you need to worry over.”

  “I’ll always worry.”

  “I know, but you shouldn’t have to. That’s our mother’s job.”

  She closed her eyes, hating when their mother was brought up. Caleb didn’t remember much about her, but Abby suspected he kept a lot of things to himself. “Well, you’ve got a sister who loves you as both a sister and a mother. Two for the price of one. You can’t beat that.”

  “I wouldn’t change anything, Abby. You know that, right?”

  She felt the damn tears again. What was wrong with her? “I love you, too.”

  “Go check on Brice. I’ll start dinner.”

  “Is there even any food to cook?”

  He chuckled, his voice deepening every week. “We’re having my favorite.”

  “Sausage rice,” she guessed, smiling.

  “That’s right. And it’s gonna be spiiiicy. Now stop using the minutes. Love you. Bye.”

  The line disconnected. She put the phone back in her purse and found herself chuckling. Sausage rise was nothing more than frying sausage in a pan with garlic and onions before adding in some rice and other seasoning.

  It was a dish she turned to often because it was fairly cheap, and it had quickly become Caleb’s favorite. He’d have it every night if he could. Brice, on the other hand, wasn’t as fond of it.

  Abby looked at the clock on the dashboard. It was now 5:30. She had no idea what time Clayton considered dinner, but at her house, it was between 6:00 and 6:30.

  “Screw it,” she said and pulled back out onto the road, heading toward the ranch.

  Ten minutes later, she was turning onto the long drive. A massive, whitewashed brick wall sat on either side. A wide, black, wrought iron gate hung open, but her gaze was drawn upward to the wooden beams that came out of the brick and held up an even thicker beam with a simple black iron sign that said East Ranch.

  She drove beneath the sign and was shocked that the winding drive was not only calmi
ng, but also beautiful. She’d never had cause to come to the ranch, so she hadn’t known what to expect. This was … well, it was stunning.

  The fence seemed to go on forever. The horses and cattle she spied lazily gathered together made her want to stop and stare.

  She finally made it to the house and was glad she was alone because her eyes were bugged out and her mouth hung open. The dwelling was massive. It had a very Spanish-style feel with the stucco walls, sweeping archways, and a red clay tile roof, but the architecture and layout of the residence was what made her breathless.

  The areas around the house were impeccably manicured. As she pulled to a stop at the front of the house in the curving drive, she had the urge to just keep going and pretend as if she’d never come. But the front door opened, and a woman came out wearing a smile.

  Abby reluctantly put the car in park and shut off the engine. She opened her door and stood, getting a better look at the lady who had blond hair with only a few white strands interwoven throughout. She was tiny and thin, but she wasn’t frail. If anything, the woman appeared as if she could face any challenge thrown at her.

  “Hi. I’m Abby Harper. I’m here to pick up my brother, Brice. If you could let him know I’m waiting once he’s finished, that would be fantastic.”

  When the woman frowned and cocked her head, Abby gaped. “Oh, God. Do I need to move? Should I go somewhere else? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to come to the front. I just didn’t know where else to go.”

  The woman let out a laugh. “You’re fine, dear. Please, come inside.”

  “Thank you, but I don’t want to intrude.”

  The woman put her hand on a hip and raised a brow, but the smile never waivered. “I’ve never let a visitor sit outside my house, and I’m not about to start now. If you don’t come inside, I’ll come out there with you.”

  Good God. This was Justine East. Abby wanted to crawl beneath the car and bury her head. But she knew the tone. Justine wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Abby looped her hand through the handles of her purse and closed the car door behind her as she walked up the few wide-spaced steps to the front door.

  “Welcome, Abby Harper,” the woman said and held out her hand. “I’m Justine East.”

  Abby shook her hand and smiled, feeling instantly welcome. “Hello, Mrs. East.”

  “Justine, please. Let’s get you warmed up,” she said and motioned Abby inside before shutting the door behind them. They walked through the large foyer and hung up Abby’s coat before Justine pointed to the left. “If you go straight through there, you’ll come to the living area. There’s a fire waiting. Would you like some coffee?”

  “Yes, please,” Abby replied as her gaze took in the high ceilings and antler chandelier.

  Abby made her way into the living room and found her mouth hanging open once more. Her entire house could easily fit inside this single room.

  The walls were painted dark beige while the cathedral ceiling had braces of dark-stained, wooden beams. It was at once grand and homey. The floors were tile in an off-white marble that she knew had to be expensive.

  There were six arched windows—three on either side—that were easily ten feet wide. Every one of them had double door entries. In the corner was a Christmas tree that was easily twelve feet tall and dripping with champagne-colored ornaments.

  And, at the center of the room, on the far wall, was the grandest fireplace Abby had ever seen. It had thick garland laced with white lights and an array of more champagne-colored ornaments on the mantel. The brick went all the way up to the point of the ceiling.

  The furnishings were just as gorgeous. Everything was arranged to focus on the fireplace. There were two cream sofas facing each other while a massive curved sofa faced the fireplace. Sitting in the middle of the floor atop a gorgeous rug with various whites, beiges, and browns, was a huge square coffee table. An ivy plant sat atop the table on one side with its vines spilling over the pot. On the other side were various antlers turned upside down to make a work of art that she liked.

  “Here you go,” Justine said as she walked into the room.

  Abby gratefully took the coffee and wrapped her cold hands around the mug. She took a sip, letting the warmth spread through her. Everywhere she looked in the house, there was Christmas. Trees, garland, Santas, bells, and sleighs.

  “Oh,” Justine said with a gasp. “Do you need cream or sugar? I’m so used to my men taking it black.”

  Abby smiled, she couldn’t help it. There was something about Justine that she immediately liked. The woman wasn’t at all what she had expected. “I’ll take coffee any way I can get it.”

  “I feel the same,” Justine confided as she sank onto one of the smaller sofas. “Have a seat. I don’t think Clayton and Brice will be done for another hour or so.”

  Abby wasn’t comfortable drinking in the living room, so the thought of sitting down where she could stain something made her nervous.

  “It’s just furniture, dear. It can be cleaned if there’s a spill. Trust me, I’ve had them cleaned countless times. There was nothing clean in this house with two boys running around.”

  “Oh, I know,” she said as she sat on the other couch. “I swear I think my two brothers have some kind of magnetic energy that attracts dirt. It’s gotten better, but there was a time when I didn’t think anything would ever be clean again.”

  They shared a laugh, and then Abby found Justine’s dark eyes staring intently at her.

  “I like you,” Justine said. “Clayton told me some of your story. So, you’re raising your brothers? That’s amazing.”

  For a moment, Abby couldn’t answer. All she could think about was what horrendous things Clayton had told his mother about her. “Yes, that’s right.”

  “Tell me about them,” Justine urged.

  This was safe territory. Abby was always happy to talk about her siblings. So, after a deep breath, she began singing her brothers’ praises.

  Chapter 6

  There was no denying the calmness that fell around him as quiet as snowfall. Clayton had been apprehensive about saddling the horse and riding around the ranch all day.

  Yet it didn’t take long for him to settle into a nice rhythm with the other hands as well as the company he hired to set up the surveillance system that was costing him a fortune. But it was something that should’ve been done years ago.

  Time had gotten away from him, so Clayton was surprised when his mother phoned for him to return to the house for Brice.

  By the time he arrived, his mother had already given the teen a sandwich and cookies. Brice was downing a bottle of water when Clayton walked into the kitchen. As soon as Brice saw him, he stood up.

  “Thank you for the snack, Mrs. East,” the teen said with a bow of his head.

  Clayton watched the way his mother’s eyes crinkled at the corners as a bright smile filled her face. “It was my pleasure.”

  The teen then turned to him. “I’m ready.”

  “Did you finish any homework?” Clayton asked.

  “I finished it at school.”

  “Then let’s get started.”

  They walked out together. As soon as Brice saw the bay Clayton had ridden, he went to it, softly stroking the animal’s neck.

  Clayton watched the easy way the teen was around the horse. “Do you ride?”

  “I’ve never been around a horse,” Brice replied, a wide smile pulling at his lips when the animal rubbed his head against him.

  “You’re a natural.” Clayton should know. He’d seen enough people claim to know how to ride and know nothing.

  Brice’s blue eyes met his. “I’ve always loved horses.”

  “There are a lot of things around the ranch that we do on horseback, so you’ll have to learn.” Just as he expected, the teen’s eyes lit up at the prospect. “Until then, you’ll use this,” Clayton said and tossed a set of keys Brice’s way before walking away.

  Brice caught them easily. After looking longing
ly at the horse, he followed Clayton. “You’ll really teach me to ride?”

  “If you want. My father bought the SxS for my mom when she broke her ankle a few years ago. Many ranches use them instead of horses.”

  “I can see why, but I’d prefer the horse.”

  Clayton hid his smile as they reached the dark green, two-seat Side by Side that had a small bed in the back for tack. Brice walked around the all-wheel-drive, off-road vehicle, running his hands over the top and inspecting the windshield.

  “This is nice,” he said.

  “Follow me, but don’t get too close because you’ll spook the horse.”

  Brice look affronted that he’d even mention such a thing. “I won’t.”

  Clayton turned on his heel and headed back to his gelding. He put his foot in the stirrup and swung his right leg over the saddle before settling in.

  “Let’s go, boy,” he murmured to the horse as he moved his hand to the side, guiding the animal to turn to the right.

  As he started out, Clayton heard the SxS roar to life. He didn’t look back. Brice was a smart kid. He’d figure it out. Sure enough, moments later, the sound of the engine grew louder as the teen followed.

  Clayton took them back out to the team setting up the security system. The way Brice fidgeted nervously was just what Clayton wanted.

  “Show me where you got in,” he ordered.

  Brice swallowed hard and turned up the collar of his fleece-lined denim jacket. “Yes, sir.”

  Clayton mentally added gloves to the list of things he needed to get for Brice. The kid had shown up, but if he wanted Brice to do the work, he would have to supply the accessories.

  “Look under the seat of the UTV. There’re some gloves. Find a pair that fits. You won’t be able to use your hands if your fingers are frozen,” Clayton said.

  Without a word, Brice did as instructed. He returned, rubbing his gloved hands together. “Thanks. I won’t lose them.”

  For some reason, Clayton believed him. “Which direction?”

  Since they were on the west side of the property where Clayton saw many opportunities for someone to sneak onto the ranch, he wasn’t surprised when Brice pointed north.