One Tough Christmas Cookie - Lucy McConnell Page 0,29

to curse words and running scared.

Part of her was sad that this would be the end of the charade. It was nice having thoughts of a gentleman to keep her company in her dad’s empty house at night. She pictured Caleb lounging on the sofa or washing dishes at the sink. Not that he’d ever get the chance, but the imagining was fun and innocent. Just a stress reliever after worrying about Dad’s recovery.

The sun peeked over the horizon and lit up the world, bouncing off the snow and momentarily blinding her. She groped for sunglasses and flipped down the visor. At least it wasn’t snowing.

Dad was set to go to the rehab facility tomorrow. She was dead set against it and trying to talk him out of it. That is, until the doctor pulled her aside and explained the kind of care Dad needed. She hoped they’d grow closer while she was in town, but there was no way she was up for bathroom breaks.

She’d swallowed her stubborn pride and agreed Dad could go to the rehab facility for two weeks, which would bring him home for Christmas. While she was grateful for that, she had mixed emotions about spending the holiday in his house. Growing up, he’d drive out to see her at Mom’s and they’d go to the diner on the corner for lunch, where he’d give her a few gifts and she’d hand over a card she’d made and they’d eat in silence. The older she got, the more awkward the visits became as she realized how much of her life her dad missed out on.

She came upon the large gate welcoming her to the Reindeer Wrangler Ranch. It was made of thick timber and black iron. Where ranches usually hung their brand, Abner had hung a cutout of Santa’s sleigh, complete with eight reindeer.

She shook her head while fighting off a smile. If you’re a reindeer ranch, you gotta brand yourself somehow. Why not use the Christmas icon?

As she turned down the lane, her attention was drawn to the layout in the reindeer field. She let out a low whistle as she took in the setup. Temporary paneling had been brought in to make three different sections. The reindeer were crowded into the first one, where their breath puffed up around them and made the area seem magical somehow. There was a chute that led from that pen to the second area, where the shots were administered, and then a fence between the second and third area where the vaccinated animals would gather.

The chutes were large enough for Brahman rodeo bulls with an attitude. Which was a good thing, considering the antlers on some of these cows. The problem was, with all that space, the animals could throw their body weight around, endangering themselves and the people who were trying to help them.

Caleb’s head came up at the sound of her truck drawing near. She recognized him by the black hat he wore. She wondered if the wranglers noticed they’d branded themselves with those felt hats in different colors or if they’d done it on purpose. Jack’s was chocolate brown, and Drake’s was the color of a palomino.

Caleb shouted something to the crew, and two men peeled off their tasks and converged on the truck. Caleb opened her door while the guys opened the back hatch. He placed a hand on the top of the cab, trapping her inside and making her heart gallop.

“You ready to work like an elf?” Caleb grinned.

She wanted to grab onto his coat and tug him closer. Dang it all, he even smelled good, like laundry soap and fresh air and the earthy smell of animals. Instead, she tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “It’s going to be a long day.”

Over 700 animals should be a multi-day project. And if this was spring and they were tagging newborns, vaccinating, and giving physicals, it would. But she hoped they could finish in a day, even if it wore them all to the bone. The Nichollases had agreed to try.

He offered his hand, and she took it to slide out of the cab. “Well, we have a fire going and a heated tent to keep your supplies close and at the proper temperature.” He pointed to the temporary ice fishing tent that had a stove pipe coming out the top of it. The scent of cedar chips burning laced the air. Caleb’s brothers worked to move the hundreds of vaccines packed