to be out of there. What was he going to do if he had another heart attack? Who would be here to help him?
“That’s just three days away. I’ve always been a fast healer. Come get me.”
She smiled at his grumpy-but-trying-to-be-persuasive tone. It was a side of her father she hadn’t seen before, and it was endearing. “Sorry, Dad. I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t feel good about bringing you home early.”
He harrumphed.
She glanced around, and her eyes landed on the tinsel garland Caleb had snuck over here and hung around the window. “But the place looks great. Caleb and I decorated yesterday—we even put up the tree so we’d be ready for you to come home for Christmas.”
“Caleb, eh?” He rubbed his whiskers; the hair was bristly enough that the phone picked up the sound. The shaving kit she’d gotten him couldn’t have been a better idea. “I’ll call ya back.”
He hung up quickly, and she shook her head. He had something up his sleeve, though she wasn’t sure what. She saw a batch of borderdoodle puppies for their shots, all ready to go to their new homes on Christmas, and she was checking the supply closet to put in an order when the phone rang again. She glanced at the number and answered with “What’s up?”
Dad ho ho ho’d into the phone. “I need a ride.”
Her shoulders dropped. “Dad, I’m not breaking you out.” His earlier call was sweet, but constantly asking was wearing on her patience.
“We’ve been invited to dinner at the reindeer ranch tonight. I’d be much obliged if you’d come get me instead of making one of the boys come out and pick me up.” His tone was lighter. Having something to look forward to must be good for him.
“Wait—we’ve been invited?” She pressed her palm to her forehead. “Dad, did you invite us for dinner at someone else’s house?” How humiliating. She’d worked hard to keep a professional relationship with Caleb’s family, not pushing too far into their personal lives because she wasn’t going to do more than Christmas-date their son. If she ever had to come back here to help Dad again, she didn’t want things to be awkward. And nothing made for an awkward relationship with a guy’s mother more than playing with her son’s heart. Faith might not have kids, but she had a protective instinct for animals. If Caleb’s mom’s mother bear was anything like Faith’s, she was in trouble.
“Abner invited me.”
“Uh-huh—and what did the doctor say?” She pulled out the box of wound tape and counted the spools. Not enough to get through another month. Making a note on the supply list, she put the box back on the shelf and continued.
Dad grumbled about her not taking his word. “He says it’s fine as long as I don’t overdo it. I figure you can drop me at the steps and pick me up there too.”
“Great—so I’m your chauffeur now?”
“You’re my date for dinner—they told me to bring a guest.”
She huffed a laugh. “How can I turn down an invitation like that?”
“Come on, girl. It’ll be fun. The Nichollas family is always welcoming, and Abner and Anna are no slouches in the kitchen.”
Curiosity was a funny thing. Like an elf on the shelf, it appeared in the strangest places, and hers arrived at that moment. She’d seen the Nichollas family at work, and she wanted to see them at rest—like observing animals in their natural habitat. Some of the family dynamics were apparent on the ranch, but they changed when Abner and Anna were together. It was almost like the two of them were a force for good in their home. She had no idea what that looked like or how to reproduce it, which she’d like to—one day, when she settled down.
On top of that, she wanted to see Caleb. He was training Rudy that afternoon and wasn’t sure he’d be much company after, which was why he’d come out this morning to decorate the tree. Apparently, the reindeer was stronger than they’d originally thought. Rudy took well to what they’d done so far and was on his way to becoming one of the “lead reindeer.” Which was a funny phrase to use. Faith was constantly picking up new vocabulary from her time with Caleb. Time she cherished.
“Okay, I’ll go.” She warmed at the idea of spending the evening sitting next to Caleb.
“That’s holiday!” Dad cheered, making her laugh.
“What’s the dress code?”
“Christmas sweaters.”
She laughed again. “Of