mouth. Was she that obvious? But when she looked around the room, she noticed a few people were watching them and smiling . . . so, yes, she guessed they were.
“Come on, Miss Mckinney,” Libby cried out, flinging herself through the sea of adult legs before locking her arms around Amy’s legs. “Come sit in the living room with us!”
How could she refuse? Laughing, she let the child lead her into the main room of the house. Caleb immediately snagged her other hand and went along with them, and Amy was glad he was sticking to her side. She normally wasn’t shy around strangers, but too much of this was new to her. Plus, being a stranger in Painted Barrel was different from being a stranger in Houston. In Houston, you assumed everyone was a stranger. Here, everyone knew everyone else, so if you were an outsider, you really were on the outside. It was very isolating, and she’d felt so odd ever since moving here. She’d thought that going to such a small town would mean instantly being part of a warm community—like a big family. Instead, she’d felt strange and alone.
Being in a sexy, sparkly dress wasn’t helping.
Folding chairs were brought into the living room, and Caleb immediately snagged one and pulled Amy into his lap. She protested, but the seating was at a premium. Caleb seemed relaxed with her in his arms, too, laughing and joking with the other cowboys. This time, it was Amy who was quiet, her arm on his shoulders while the discussion ranged from fences to this year’s cattle prices to Sage’s expansive ranch. It was nice to see Caleb in his element, though. He was comfortable, and if he wasn’t chatty, he was at least social.
He noticed her quiet, though, and pulled her closer. “Everything all right?” he murmured against her neck.
She nodded. “Just feeling a bit weird.”
“Everyone loves you,” he reassured her. “It’s that you’re with me is the part they can’t figure out.”
Amy snorted. “Please. You’re the best catch in town.”
His eyes gleamed. “I’m not the one with multiple Secret Santas.”
She had more than he thought. He didn’t know about her ex sending the jewelry. Her throat got tight and she kept smiling, even though her mood plummeted just a little. Caleb didn’t know. He couldn’t know that she felt . . . well, like an accessory tonight. That was hard.
It reminded her too much of her past.
The chatter continued, everyone easy and casual with one another. Presents were given to the little ones from “Uncle Ennis,” and even the dogs got wrapped toys from the thoughtful vet. Amy clutched Donner’s plush bone, since her dog was curled up in the kitchen with the other dogs, enjoying their company. Even her dog had abandoned her.
Why was she feeling so isolated at a Christmas party? So alone even in a room full of people?
She smiled through the ugly-gift exchange, though. The presents were tossed into a pile and people picked numbers out of a hat and grabbed gifts in order of the numbers. Amy picked number one—a fact that made her cringe, just inside, and only added to her feeling of sticking out. Her present was the ugliest carved-bear statue she’d ever seen, as big as her arm. “Thank you, I think?” she said to the laughing group.
“You’re welcome,” Sage’s husband, Jason, said with a wink. “But I apologize in advance for the nightmares.”
The rest of the gifts were obviously designed to be equally awful. Becca got a jingle-bell-covered red velvet cowboy hat. Jack got a Barbie scarf. Hank got a chicken-shaped cake pan. Caleb opened his present—a very small box—and then quickly turned bright red.
The men howled with laughter as Caleb mumbled a nonsense word.
“What is it?” Amy asked, wondering what was so funny.
He leaned in. “Horse Viagra.”
Uncle Ennis winked at them. “I wouldn’t advise using it on humans.”
She blushed and turned red, too. “I take it that was from the vet?”
Ennis coughed. “No, actually.”
Becca raised a hand, her face as red as Amy’s. “It was mine.” When the roar of surprised laughter died away, she spoke again. “To be fair, I thought this party would just be these yahoos.” She gestured at the brothers. “Now I’m just horrified.”
Amy was a little, too. But she relaxed when Ennis opened her present, a quizzical look on his face. “Is this . . . ramen noodle?” He dug into the box and pulled out package after package. “All of this? Who eats