in now so you can stay up late with Aunt Patty and bake all the cookies.” Shea chucked her under the chin. “I’ll take you for a ride on Rambo early in the morning to check on the lambs. How about that, Princess?”
“Oooh, yes, please. I will, I promise.” She ran to the little table she used for arts and crafts. “I’m gonna make Aunt Patty a picture too.”
“You do that, honey. Shea and I are going to eat dinner now.”
They left her coloring, and Shea dished out the food and they sat and ate.
“You didn’t mind that I said what I did? I realize I might’ve overstepped.”
Jake finished chewing. “When? Before? When you told her to go to bed early?” He laughed. “I’ll take it any which way I can get it. Besides…” He ducked his head and peered out from beneath his lashes. “I’m kind of liking you in the father role. I think it’s good practice.”
A faint blush tinged Shea’s cheeks. “I like it too.”
“I should let Terry know our plans for Labor Day in case she has something else to do.” He picked up his phone at the same moment it rang.
“Hello?”
“Jake? It’s Carson Welch.”
His heart began to pound. “Carson, hello. How are you?”
“I’m well and hoping to be even better after talking to you. We’d like to extend the offer for you to be our Chief People Officer. The job is yours.”
“I’m thrilled. Thank you so much for calling me personally.”
“Just one thing, there’s a strong possibility we might be opening an office in Austin, Texas, and I wondered if there’d be a problem with you traveling there on occasion.”
He met Shea’s inquiring gaze. “No. Traveling to Texas won’t be a problem at all.” Shea’s blinding smile matched his own.
He chatted a few more minutes about technicalities. When he finished, Shea dragged him out of his seat, and they hugged.
“You got the job.”
“I got it.”
“And they want you to go to Texas?”
“Occasionally.” Shea had slid his hands inside his T-shirt, making it hard for Jake to concentrate on anything except the touch of his large, rough hands on his bare skin. “Looks like we’re about to step onto a roller coaster.”
“I’ve been waitin’. Now let’s leave them dishes, ’cause after we see the apartment I’m gonna come back here and take you on the ride of your life.”
“I think it’s already started.”
Arms around each other, they walked down the hallway.
Epilogue
Four months later
“Daddy, look.” Stacey pointed to all the trees decorated in twinkling lights as they turned onto the road leading to the ranch. “They’re all Christmas trees.” Her face remained plastered to the window of the pickup as Shea drove up the winding driveway, bringing Forget Me Not into view. The entire front of the ranch was decorated in multicolored lights.
“It’s gorgeous,” Terry said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“We went all out, knowing we were having a princess with us this year.”
Stacey giggled, and Shea let go of the steering wheel to squeeze Jake’s hand. “Missed you.”
Jake laced their hands together and brought them up to kiss Shea’s fingers. “Same.”
He stopped the truck, and before he even had a chance to take the key out of the ignition, Patty had the door open and was running down the steps. Terry exited the truck, and they hugged each other tight. Shea couldn’t be more thrilled that Terry had come with them each time he and Jake had visited the ranch, even spending Thanksgiving with them.
Jake kissed his cheek. “I’m so happy to be here.”
He touched Jake’s cheek, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. “A week away seemed too long.”
Jake’s green eyes blazed. “It did. We have lost time to make up for, later.”
“Daddy, let me out.”
Jake gave his fingers one more squeeze and then opened his car door, but Patty beat him to it and was already lifting Stacey out of her booster seat.
“Where’s my little girl? You’ve grown so much, even since Thanksgivin’.”
Stacey wrapped her arms around Patty, and they walked into the house. Tail wagging furiously, Kiss ran after them and headed straight for the kitchen.
“The place looks amazing. Like a fairy tale.”
They stood in the center of the large front room, and even Shea was impressed with the transformation they’d brought about. Sparkling lights hung from the ceiling, and three Christmas trees graced the room: two by the large front windows and one in the corner, where piles of wrapped boxes awaited opening. Garlands hung around the room, with red and gold