The Rancher's Christmas Baby

Susie unlocked her desk and pulled out the landscape-design-business checkbook. “How many trees are ready to go so far?” she asked curiously, slipping into businesswoman mode.

Amy grimaced, just thinking about what lay ahead. “Sixty-two.” It wouldn’t have been a problem had her employees been there to help her. But they weren’t, and the task ahead was daunting to say the least.

Susie paused to sip her decaf and boot up her computer. “So you’ve got one hundred and thirty-eight trees—”

“To cut and bundle and load on the ranch cargo truck by Monday evening. Plus—” Amy tried hard not to feel overwhelmed as she sipped her coffee “—twelve dozen cookies to bake for the cookie swap tomorrow evening.”

Susie’s eyes widened. “That’s going to take you forever in that tiny oven of yours.”

“Tell me about it.” But again, it was for a good cause, since the majority of the cookies were going to the nursing homes in the area, to help kick off their holiday seasons.

One eye on her computer screen, Susie rocked back in her chair. “Although, I suppose you could use Teddy’s kitchen. He’s got double convection ovens.”

Amy waved off the offer. “I’ll just do it at my place tonight.”

Susie stopped typing on the keyboard long enough to ask, “Why?”

“Because we’re set to stay at my trailer tonight.”

Susie made a face and referred to the delivery numbers on the clipboard. “Why?”

“Because we’re alternating domiciles.”

Susie emitted a short, strangled laugh. “That’s weird.”

What was it about older sisters—especially older married sisters—that made them think they knew it all?

“No,” Amy countered, wishing Susie would hurry up with the process of paying her so she could go. “It’s not.”

Susie printed out the receipt and took it off the printer. She handed it over, giving Amy a knowing look. “You’re keeping one foot out the door. Aren’t you?”

“I am not!”

Susie’s skepticism only deepened. She sighed and opened her business checkbook. “Is Teddy going to help you with the trees?”

Amy hadn’t asked. “He has his own business to run,” she said stiffly.

Susie scrawled out figures. “Which can only mean you haven’t told him of your dilemma,” she chided.

Amy quaffed the rest of her coffee, slightly scalding her throat in the process, and stood. “He doesn’t need to help me. I’ll figure it out somehow.”

Finally, Susie passed the check to Amy. “Well, look, I can’t lend you any help today or tomorrow. But we don’t have any jobs on Monday morning. So how about I send my landscaping crew over to help you with whatever’s left?”

At last. Something was going her way. “That would be great.” Amy smiled gratefully. “Thank you. I’ll reimburse you for their time.”

Susie tapped her pen against her chin. “What about delivering the trees? What are you going to do about that?”

They both knew Ed usually handled any long hauls. With Sheryl so close to giving birth, that would not be possible, either.

“I’m going to drive the truck up early Tuesday morning,” Amy said.

Susie looked shocked. “By yourself?”

“Yes.” Amy stuck the check on the clipboard, on top of the receipt. “I’ll have plenty of help on the other end to unload.”

Susie stood to walk her out, lacing a sisterly arm about Amy’s waist. “I hope you don’t get stuck up there.”

Amy tucked the clipboard beneath her arm and rocked forward on her toes. “The bad weather is not supposed to hit until Wednesday morning.”

“You know how fast that can change.” Susie watched as Amy climbed back up into the cab. “Especially that close to the Oklahoma border.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Amy fit her keys into the ignition and fastened her seat belt. “But if it looks bad, I’ll stay in a hotel.”

Susie remained concerned. “Promise me you won’t try to beat a storm.”

Amy rolled her eyes. “Have I ever gotten caught out in one yet?”

“No, by the grace of heaven, you haven’t,” Susie admitted with a reluctant twist of her lips. “But there’s always a first time.”

Amy wagged a finger at her. “You’re supposed to be worrying about that baby you’re carrying, Suze, not me.”

Susie held up her hands in surrender. “I can’t help it. I’m your big sister. Always will be.”

And family, Amy knew, took care of family. Which was exactly why she wasn’t telling Teddy of her dilemma. She didn’t want him thinking that as her husband he needed to interfere in her Laurel Valley Ranch business.

AMY DELIVERED MORE POINSETTIA plants and decorative cuttings of fresh holly and evergreen branches to area florists and stopped at the grocery store on the way home. As usual at that time of day, the lines were long. Made worse by the fact that everyone in town had heard about her marriage.

“That’s some husband you’ve lassoed yourself.” Maisy, the store manager, winked.

The clerk ringing up Amy’s groceries agreed. “You’ve got the envy of quite a few women in this town.”

Unfortunately, Amy didn’t feel lucky. She felt foolish. Naive. And less in-the-spirit-of-Christmas than ever as she walked out of the store and drove back to her ranch.

Hoping she’d have some time to pull herself together before facing her new husband again, she turned into the lane and stopped at what she saw. Teddy was already there. Once again, taking over in a way he never had during all the years they had been “just friends.”

Temper simmering at the assumptions he had obviously made, she parked her truck next to the barn, got out with the grocery bags in hand and crossed the gravel.

He’d had a shower since she’d seen him last, and the fragrance of soap and shaving cream clung to his skin. His layered reddish-brown hair curled up slightly where it brushed the nape of his neck.

Despite the chill in the air, he wore only a tan chamois shirt, long-sleeved undershirt and jeans. His sheepskin-lined suede jacket and hat lay next to the open toolbox on the ground beside the stoop.

Teddy stopped hammering long enough to give her a welcoming smile.

Ignoring the way her heart skittered in response, Amy stopped just short of him. She made no effort to keep the incredulity out of her voice. “What are you doing?”

He kept right on hammering, easy as you please. Every thwack stretched the fabric across his brawny shoulders and delineated the bunched muscles in his chest. His jeans were doing equally amazing things for his thighs and butt, and despite her earlier promise to keep their relationship strictly platonic for now, Amy felt her mouth go dry.

“Exactly what it looks like,” he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to be undertaking. On her ranch, no less! “I’m installing a satellite dish.”