Trusting the Rancher with Christmas

Author

Cari Lynn Webb

Reads

16.0K

Chapters

Author

Cari Lynn Webb

Reads

16.0K

Chapters

🌸 Clean & Wholesome 😌 Second Chances 😊 Low Spice 🏙️ Contemporary

CHAPTER ONE

PAIGE PALMER JERKED her rental car to a stop on the Texas interstate and cut the engine. Her stomach grumbled. She’d skipped breakfast. The line in the Dallas airport coffee kiosk had been too long that morning and she hadn’t wanted to miss her connecting flight. As it was, Paige was supposed to have arrived in Three Springs yesterday. But bad weather in Chicago, then mechanical plane trouble in Dallas had delayed her overnight.

Now she faced another delay. And it wasn’t airport related.

She scrambled out of her car and strode toward a cowboy seated on a stunning white horse with brown spots in the middle of the road. The cowboy, his beautiful horse and his herd of massive brown cows crossing the interstate were in her way. Literally. They blocked traffic in both directions.

Traffic was a stretch. Paige’s rental car was the only vehicle visible for miles on either side of the road.

Her stomach rumbled again. A hunger headache pulsed behind her temples. Careful to approach in the horse’s line of sight, Paige paused within easy conversation distance. No shouting required. “What are you doing?”

The cowboy nudged his hat up his forehead and regarded her. His half grin etched a dimple into his cheek. “I’m working.”

Paige worked on reining in her frustration. Hunger was never her best look. She wanted to get to her cousin’s house. She wanted to eat fried eggs, slather two thick slices of toast in butter and pretend she was in town for a two-week vacation with her family, not a forced administrative leave from her veterinarian job.

Paige put her hands on her hips and eyed the long line of cows waiting to cross. “Will this take long?”

“Well, that depends on your definition of long.” The cowboy settled into his saddle as if he was settling into a lazy morning of his own.

“There’s more than one definition?” And of course, more than one dimple. His full grin revealed the pair and fully captured Paige’s attention. As if she’d never seen perfectly carved dimples on a man before. Now she knew exactly what devil-may-care—one of her grandmother’s favorite terms—looked like. Her grandma Opal would’ve warned her about him.

The warning wasn’t necessary. Paige was in Texas to figure out how to get her job and life back on track in Chicago. She wasn’t there to get distracted by handsome cowboys and their horses, no matter how beautiful and well-mannered.

“Sure. Long can be a lot of things.” The cowboy looked toward the sky, then returned his attention to Paige. His sunglasses covered his gaze, but not the appealing timbre in his voice. “If you mean long, like the many hours it takes to get a brisket smoked just right, then this won’t take that long. But if you keep your watch set to city time, then this might take a bit longer than your barista needs to make your fancy whipped-milk-and-vanilla-flavored extra tall coffee.”

She’d already been staring at the cowboy too long, wondering if his hair was darker than his deep-charcoal-colored hat. Wondering if his eyes were the color of a singing blue jay or a protective gray wolf. Perhaps she should heed her grandmother’s warning after all. “You know. In some places, they have bridges over highways and roads specifically designed for animal crossing and their safety.”

“This is Texas.” He leaned into his Southern drawl for his next words. “We use what we have. And here we have a perfectly good road.”

“This is an interstate.” And one meant for driving on. It wasn’t meant for cow crossings and cowboy meetups.

“No. The interstate is that way.” The cowboy pointed over the line of cows. “This is the bypass.”

Paige sighed. She wasn’t even on the right road. Her grandpa Harlan would’ve cautioned her that sometimes even the wrong road could turn out to be right in the end. But Paige had already taken several wrong turns in her life and had vowed not to lose her way ever again. “What exactly am I bypassing? More cattle crossings?”

“Can’t say exactly.” The cowboy shifted in the saddle. “If you ask me, it was the first name they came across that they hadn’t used yet.”

Bypass or interstate. This road took her to her cousin’s house. The one spot she really wanted to be. The cows, walking two by two, streamed across the pavement, spilling through the open pasture gate on the other side. The herd waiting to cross hardly seemed to be thinning. “Can you pause the cows and let me pass? It’s a compact car. I don’t need much room.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” He shook his head and his frown dropped into place. “Can’t risk spooking them and sending the herd running down the road instead.”

She considered the disagreeable cowboy. She was a veterinarian of small animals. Knew full well that the tiniest sudden movement could startle a timid cat or frighten a pet rabbit. She had no idea if cows spooked that easily. But she wasn’t going to test it. The cows’ well-being mattered. And right now, the entire herd was calm and orderly. “What am I supposed to do?”

He rubbed his chin again as if considering her options. “You could go back the way you came.”

She narrowed her gaze. He sounded as if he was suggesting she should go back to where she came from. Everything she’d read about Texas said that Texans embraced hospitality. This wasn’t the Texas welcome she’d expected from a cowboy who looked as much a part of the landscape as the tumbleweed and plains surrounding her. Paige pointed toward the cows and smiled. “But I really need to go that way.”

“Nothing to do then but wait.” He touched the brim of his hat. “Now I need to get back to work. It’s already been a long morning and not the good kind either.”

“What’s the good kind?” Paige smashed her lips together too late.

He stilled and his head tilted to the side. His smile started and stopped. Another surge of that devil-may-care.

Warning bells sounded. Paige’s heart raced. Never mind. Her voice never gained traction.

“I can think of a few things.” That tempting drawl returned.

The one that hinted of a different kind of long morning. One reserved for couples and the private moments only they shared. Paige blinked, certain her prescription sunglasses were fogging up from the heat radiating off her cheeks.

“Since the good kind of morning isn’t rushed,” he continued, more of his Texas roots coming out in his voice, “it always starts with your favorite thing and leaves a promise that the day will only get better from there. What’s your favorite thing?”

Not unexpected cattle crossings or attractive cowboys with all-too-appealing accents that made her want to linger. Paige blurted, “Breakfast.” And once she had breakfast, her day would certainly improve. Courting a cowboy wasn’t part of her two-week agenda. “What about you?”

He picked up the reins in one hand. “Has to be watching the sunrise with a large cup of regular coffee. No flavored sugars. No fancy creamers. And definitely no surprises.”

He disliked surprises? Well, she disliked delays in her schedule like the very one he was causing. “Maybe tomorrow’s sunrise will give you exactly what you want. Plain coffee and an ordinary, routine day.”

He chuckled and guided his spotted horse across the road. He glanced back at Paige and grinned. “Used to be the best breakfast in town was at Autumn’s Bed and Breakfast. But it closed several years back. Now you can find it at one of the local ranches, but it’s by invite only.”

“I’m not here for all that.” Paige shrugged. “Besides, I know my way around a kitchen well enough to make my own breakfast.”

“I’m not surprised.” He pressed his hat lower on his head. “Hope you find what you came here for.”

She was there to visit her sister and cousin. And “cool off.” That was the exact term one of the senior partners had used yesterday morning at the emergency animal clinic where she worked. You’re going to cool off, Paige. We don’t want to see you in this building for two weeks. Then we’re going to come together and discuss this. Paige had agreed. Until her ex-boyfriend and current colleague had interfered again.

And she’d lost her cool. Again.

She’d then launched her ultimatum and walked out. Now she had two weeks to decide how to fight for a job she loved in the practice she’d helped build in the city she’d called home for more than a decade. And finally have the life she always wanted.

Another cowboy rode into the empty spot in the middle of the road and nodded at Paige.

She left the ranch hand to his work, returned to her car and texted her sister and cousin to tell them she was stuck in a cow jam. Then she searched her purse for a forgotten mint or stale piece of candy. Anything to distract herself from watching her cowboy’s every move in the pasture. As if she was fascinated by him. As if she suddenly welcomed unexpected surprises.

The only thing she was interested in was getting to her cousin’s house before nightfall, eating and getting a lot of sleep. Otherwise, how else was she going to come up with a decent strategy to convince the partners to make her one in the practice?

Still, she unwrapped a forgotten mint, stuck it in her mouth and scanned the pasture. She could count cows. Instead, she watched her cowboy and his horse. The pair moved as if they were one. Natural and smooth. The ideal team.

And one Paige could fully believe in. The cowboy’s horse was reliable and trustworthy and everything he would need in a good partner. Paige was her own personal team of one now. She’d been a solo team for the past year. She was determined not to change her dynamic. Her past relationship had been a doomed detour, but she’d found her way out and herself in the process.

The last pair of cows walked across the road. Paige waited for the ranch hand to close the empty pasture gate, then ride across to the other pasture and close that gate before joining the herd. Then she started her car, stepped on the gas pedal and headed down the bypass. Putting her cowboy in her rearview mirror.

Twenty minutes and two stale mints later, Paige parked in her cousin’s driveway and stared at the front yard. More specifically the explosion of Christmas that spread from the sidewalk to the front porch. Not even the mailbox had been spared. Thick green garland with sparkly ribbon, lights and pine cones had been draped over the mailbox. Snowflake lights lined the pathways from the driveway and sidewalk to the porch stairs. Giant gift boxes were stacked in the yard. Colored ornaments in all different shapes and sizes swung from every branch of every tree. More garland wrapped the porch and thick pillars. Large silver bells hung over the windows. Her cousin’s Christmas decor could inspire the North Pole itself.

Paige inhaled around the discomfort in her chest. She hadn’t participated in Christmas for years. Christmas hadn’t been her favorite time of year ever since she’d been a kid. When she was only seven, her father had died just days before Christmas and the joy had dwindled. Her older sister, Tess, had jumped into the holidays after they’d lost their dad. Paige had withdrawn.

She’d posed for the customary family photographs, hung ornaments on the tree and woken up early to open presents every Christmas morning. She’d smiled and laughed, but mostly she’d simply endured. Counting the days until the New Year began and she could pack away the lingering sadness. Her father had put the magic into the season and without him, she’d never seemed to find it again.

More recently, her ex had claimed commercialism for his dislike of Christmas celebrations and Paige had gone along. After all, she’d stopped looking for the joy—that magic spark—in the holiday years ago. She’d chosen work over festivities and skipped the expensive gifts to save money for their joint practice. The one her ex had vowed they’d open together. But that was merely one more broken promise.

Paige got out of the car, pulled her suitcase from the trunk, and gathered her secrets close. Now she had one more secret to keep from her family: Paige disliked Christmas.

She walked up the stairs to the front porch. Plump pillows on the porch swing pledged joy, love, and peace. Two thick red-and-black plaid blankets offered warmth. Red ornament balls and lights filled the hanging flower baskets. A vintage sled wrapped in more colored lights offered lightness and fun to the intimate space suited for a magazine spread on how to decorate for Christmas.

Twin wooden toy soldiers, their tall hats reaching Paige’s shoulder, stood guard at the triple-wreath-bedecked front door. Paige clutched her suitcase and rang the doorbell.

The front door swung open, and her cousin flung her arms wide in welcome. “Paige. You’re finally here.”

Abby James glowed from the spark in her gaze to the color in her cheeks to her brilliant smile. Even the threads in Abby’s silver, blue and white color-blocked long cardigan sparkled. And the smallest flicker of Christmas spirit shimmered inside Paige. But she wasn’t there to rekindle some misplaced holiday magic. This was about cooling off, resetting, and focusing on her career. “Abby. It’s good to be here.”

Abby wrapped Paige in a hug. The embrace all the more awkward given Abby’s protruding belly. Her cousin’s baby was set to arrive in March. Meanwhile, Paige still held on to her suitcase as if she hadn’t yet committed to staying.

“Tess will be here soon. She got caught up with customers at the store.” Abby released Paige, took the suitcase in a quick move to set it aside, then motioned Paige indoors. “That gives us time for a tour and to get you settled.”

Abby’s Christmas decor outside looked more like a snow flurry compared to her indoor decorations. Christmas had arrived inside Abby’s house like a blizzard. There wasn’t one corner, one shelf, one wall that didn’t reflect the Christmas spirit. Paige knew only one other person who’d achieved Christmas on such a grand scale: her dad. A familiar catch tangled inside her chest. “Abby, this is...”

“A lot.” Abby laughed and cradled her stomach. “I know. It’s not all me. It’s Wes’s fault too. We can’t seem to stop decorating.”

Her dad had been the same. One more strand of lights, Paigie. More tinsel on the tree, Paigie. We’ve got to see it to really feel it. That’s the magic. Can you feel it yet? Paige rubbed her neck and cleared her throat. Nothing cleared her father’s fun-loving voice from her thoughts. Or the ache in her heart.

“It’s like Wes and I are kids again.” Abby adjusted one of the embroidered stockings hanging on the fireplace. “And it seems we both want to re-create the Christmases we never really had, but always wished for.”

Abby had spent most of her childhood overseas. Traveling from one of her mother’s archaeological dig sites to another. Paige had always envied her cousin’s adventures. If Paige had been able to up and move from one city to another, surely then she’d have outrun her pain. “I think you’ve accomplished your goal.”

“Wait until you see the guest room.” Abby grinned. “I added a few special things for you.”

It’s special stars for your ceiling, Paigie. Now you can always wish upon them. The stars had been the last special present her dad had given her. “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble, Abby.”

“You’re no trouble Paige.” Abby returned to Paige’s side. “You’re family.”

Maybe it was Abby’s soft touch on Paige’s arm or the honesty in her cousin’s gaze that eased the tension inside Paige. Whatever it was, Paige welcomed the reprieve. She pressed her palm against the sudden rumble in her stomach and inhaled. “Is that bacon I smell?”

“Fresh out of the oven.” Abby linked her arm with Paige’s. “The tour can wait. Let’s eat instead while everything is still hot.”

Christmas in Abby’s kitchen tapered back to a snow-flurry level. Still more than Paige had been surrounded by in a long time. But at the square kitchen table nestled in the window nook, Paige could once again withdraw and observe. The way she preferred to spend her holidays.

“I thought you might be hungry.” Abby picked up a piece of bacon from the cookie sheet on the stovetop and took a small bite, then motioned to the dishes arranged on the counter. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I made a few of Grandma Opal’s favorites. Her spinach-and-cheddar quiche. Her overnight oats. Her biscuits. The zucchini bread and cranberry-orange muffins are from Ilene, who is a baking wizard. You’ll meet her later. There’s yogurt. Fresh fruit. Coffee and assorted tea.”

“Abs, you could be a bed and breakfast hostess.” And her cowboy thought the best breakfast was on a ranch in town. Clearly, he hadn’t been invited to Abby James’s house. Paige lifted a muffin from the basket. “You won’t judge me if I take a sample of everything, will you?”

“I’ll join you.” Abby laughed and lifted a vintage coffeepot from the stove top. “Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee, please.” Like her cowboy, Paige drank her coffee straight. No added creamers or sugary syrups. As for surprises, he was one she didn’t seem inclined to forget too quickly. “Point me to the mugs and I’ll get it. You should be sitting down with your feet up.”

Abby frowned at her. “Now you sound like your sister and Wes.”

Paige paused and considered her cousin more closely. “You are feeling okay, aren’t you?”

“Better than I would’ve imagined.” Abby handed Paige a candy-cane-striped coffee mug. “I thought the morning sickness wouldn’t ever let up, but it did. And now I’m finally getting the hang of this pregnancy thing.”

Abby all but sparkled. The last time they’d seen each other had been at the funeral for Tess’s husband. That had been in March and the trip was a short one, only lasting two days. Paige had been given the weekend off. There had been tears and goodbyes given too soon. Little time for catching up. Even less for reconnecting.

Regret pinched inside Paige. She should’ve been there longer for her only sister. Paige sipped her coffee. She was here now. Her sister would be by soon. She had time to make it up to her. Meanwhile, she concentrated on her cousin. “Well, it looks like you got a serious handle on Christmas too.”

“I couldn’t wait for Thanksgiving to be over to get started.” Abby cut open her biscuit and slathered butter on it. “I was desperate to decorate this year and there’s so much more to do. There’s just so much to celebrate this year.”

Imagine if we celebrated every day like it was Christmas, Paigie. What a kinder world it would be. But it could also be a lonely world too. Paige glanced out the wide kitchen window. “Abby, you even decorated your backyard fence. You might be ready to just enjoy the season now.”

“I’m more than ready for that.” Abby dunked a tea bag into her cup of hot water and smiled. “I’m in love, Paige. Can you believe it?”

Paige could see it. That was Abby’s sparkle—love lit her from the inside out. Her cousin had fallen in love with Wes Tanner, who was by all accounts a really good man. Paige was happy for her cousin—truly happy. After everything Abby had been through, Paige wanted her cousin to have her very own happily-ever-after like the one their grandparents had shared. As for Paige, love had derailed her once. And she’d vowed it wouldn’t happen again. “Love suits you, Abs.”

“I won’t be one of those lovesick people who tell you that you should try it again.” Abby grabbed Paige’s hand. “I’m just glad you’re here. It’s been too long.”

There was that word again: long. Was it ever long enough when you had secrets to keep?

“What should we do first?” Abby wiped her hands on a napkin and picked up the Three Springs Tribune. She opened the thin paper to the activities page. “Here’s a full list of December’s Holiday Happenings. The events are all mine, as is the article, to keep the locals in the know.”

Abby had not only fallen in love in Three Springs, but she had also landed a job as the assistant to the town manager. And she was clearly passionate about her work, which included planning local events. Paige scanned the events list.

“This is your vacation, so you get to choose what we do.” Abby sprinkled sugar into her tea, her voice sweetened. “I want it to be everything you envisioned.”

Her sister and cousin believed Paige was there for a much-needed, past-due vacation. They had no idea that Paige’s leave had been mandatory.

After a heated argument between Paige and her ex-boyfriend in front of staff and a patient’s owners. All Paige knew was her work. She’d never been banned from the job she loved. That she blamed on her ex. And rather than risk another altercation with him, she’d booked the first flight to Three Springs.

Paige hadn’t even considered ice skating, cookie swaps or tree lightings in the town square when she’d boarded the plane. But that was about to change, if she could pull herself together.

Abby and Tess believed Paige had it all together from her successful career to her life in the big city that she always desired. Paige wanted them to keep believing in her. Then she would keep believing too. After all, once she secured an equal partnership in the clinic, she’d be back on track to having everything she’d ever dreamed of. “Right now, we should eat this delicious food and savor this coffee.”

“It’s the best coffee you’ve tasted, isn’t it?” Abby asked.

“In the top three for sure.” Paige took another sip. She’d worked nights quite often at the emergency animal hospital and had drunk a lot of coffee during those shifts. She considered herself to have gained something of a refined coffee palate. “This stuff rivals some of the best coffee houses in Chicago.”

“Maybe you can get Wes to reveal his secret.” Abby shook her head. “It’s his blend. He serves it at the Feisty Owl, if you can believe it.”

Wes owned the Feisty Owl Bar and Grill in town and sure knew how to brew a good cup of coffee. Her own cowboy had mentioned a ranch served the best breakfast in town. Still, it was possible she’d found it. No invite needed. “Does Wes serve breakfast at the Owl too?”

“No. His mornings are spent out at the horse rescue.” Abby blew on her tea. “The Owl serves lunch and dinner.”

So, Wes wasn’t the cook of the best breakfast in town. Her search would have to continue. Paige bit into her cranberry-orange muffin and sighed at the burst of flavors. “I need to meet Ilene. I want to take dozens of these muffins home with me.” And have her own best breakfast in town. No cowboys required.

Abby peered out the bay window and smiled. “You’re in luck. She’s here now.”

Paige brushed the crumbs off her hands.

The back door opened, and a young red-haired little girl burst into the kitchen. Tears dampened her pale cheeks and dripped onto her gingerbread man and candy-cane-printed scarf. The little girl beelined for Abby. Her pink flower embroidered cowboy boots thumped on the floor. “Ms. Abby, guess what? Macybelle is laying down and not wanting to get up.”

“I didn’t think a storm was coming.” Abby folded the little girl into her side and glanced at Paige. “This is Riley Bishop, Ilene’s granddaughter.”

“Sorry for interrupting your breakfast.” A thin woman with a salt-and-pepper chin-length bob and warm smile set a wicker basket on the counter and introduced herself to Paige. “I’m Ilene Bishop.”

“Please, don’t apologize.” Paige rose and shook Ilene’s hand, then turned her attention to the upset little girl. “Who is Macybelle?”

“Macybelle is Riley’s pet cow.” Abby pulled several tissues from the box on the side counter and handed them to Riley. “Macybelle likes to sit down before a rainstorm to keep her spot dry.”

“But it’s not gonna rain.” Riley wiped the crumpled wad of tissues against her freckled cheek. “It’s worse. She doesn’t even want to eat. She’s sick like daddy’s other cows.”

Alarm shifted through Abby’s words. “There are more sick cows at the ranch.”

Riley’s distress ricocheted inside Paige. She knew firsthand the little girl’s bond to her pet. Paige had been about Riley’s age and scared when her own pet cat had stopped eating and drinking one night. Dexter had been her one constant companion after her father’s death. Her buddy on the nights she couldn’t sleep. Her dream keeper. Her confidant. She’d been terrified of losing Dexter too. Like Riley was now. She wanted to draw Riley into her own arms and comfort her. Promise Riley her cow would be fine. But those weren’t words she could freely give. False hope could be even more detrimental.

“We have more cows sick than we’d like of course.” Ilene clasped her hands together and dropped into one of the kitchen chairs as if exhausted. “Our family runs a beef cattle ranch.”

And every cow mattered to the family’s livelihood. One sick cow was one too many. “Isn’t there a veterinarian in the area who can examine them?”

Paige had found Dexter limp and weak right before bedtime. Her mom, a nurse, had been at work. Grandpa Harlan had called the neighbors for help. Within the hour, Dr. Lawrence Trevino had rung their doorbell. Dr. Trevino had been the first veterinarian Paige had met. He’d saved Dexter that night during his special house call. And Paige had discovered her own calling to do the same.

“Dr. Gibson broke his leg real bad.” Riley hiccupped. “And his assistant up and moved to Oklahoma City without tellin’ no one. Right, Grandma?”

Ilene brushed her silver-and-gray-tinged bangs off her forehead. “Unfortunately, that’s what happened. It hasn’t been a very good week for Dr. Gibson.”

“There has to be more than one animal doctor around.” Eighteen certified and licensed veterinarians worked at her emergency clinic alone, including Paige’s ex-fiancé.

“Three of the closer doctors are already booked at the larger ranches.” Ilene accepted a cup of coffee from Abby. “It’ll be days before they can come out.”

And with the weekend approaching, their availability shrank even more. That was time the ranch couldn’t afford. An infection could spread quickly. Kennel cough could close a canine boarding facility within days. A sick herd of cattle could have devastating effects on a ranch.

“What can we do?” Abby sat again and rubbed Riley’s back. “I can call other veterinarian clinics too. There has to be someone who can visit.”

Abby avoided meeting Paige’s gaze. Paige tapped her fingers against her coffee mug. Even if she wanted to help, she wasn’t qualified. She’d rotated briefly through a large-animal clinic during her internship. But she’d completed her residency on small-animal emergency and critical care. Cows were not considered small animals.

“Evan has left messages all around the Panhandle.” Despair crossed Ilene’s face, dimming her voice.

“I’m sure someone will call back soon.” Abby took Riley’s hand. Her voice lifted, her tone positive. “You know what always makes me feel better?”

“One of Daddy’s big bear hugs.” Tears clung to Riley’s eyelashes.

Paige smiled. The little girl’s obvious love and adoration for her dad warmed her. She very much wanted one bear hug to make Riley’s world right again.

“I was going to say hot chocolate, extra marshmallows and a swirl of a candy cane.” Abby stood and pointed to the family room. “But we have to pick the candy canes off the tree. Want to help me?”

Abby and Riley walked into the family room. Paige stared into her coffee mug, searching for the right words to ease the family’s worry.

“This is not how we wanted to end the year.” Ilene cradled her coffee mug and frowned. “It’s Riley’s favorite time of the year. Her dad works so hard to make it perfect for her. My son is a single father. I’m a widow. We’re all Riley has, along with her pets. If she loses her cow...”

Ilene’s voice drifted off. The older woman’s pain and fear wrapped around Paige. She’d learned years later, after Dexter had lived a full, extended life, that Dr. Trevino had never made house calls. He’d gone to Paige’s home to help a frightened little girl who’d lost her father unexpectedly months earlier. That one simple house call had given Paige hope again and a direction for her future. She’d always vowed to pay it forward one day. Still, she was hardly trained for this. “I’m a veterinarian, but only for small animals in Chicago.”

Abby appeared in the walkway to the kitchen as if she’d been listening. And waiting for Paige to make the offer. “But Paige, you treat animals all the time. You heal them all the time.”

Ilene shifted, set her folded hands on the table, and considered Paige.

Paige scrambled to retreat. This was not paying it forward. She could do more harm than good. Besides, she was a licensed veterinarian in another state. How could she possibly help here, even if she wanted too? “I have no experience with cows.”

“But you might be able to offer an observation or something Evan has missed.” Ilene’s voice was calm, her gaze imploring. “Something that might lead him to figure out what’s wrong with the cattle.”

“Think of it as being another set of eyes,” Abby suggested.

“You could do that, Abs.” There was much less risk to Abby lending support than Paige.

Besides, Paige’s career was already hanging in the balance. Practicing in another state could be the reason the partners would decide not to give her a formal stake in the clinic. She couldn’t be reckless again. Her lack of professionalism in front of witnesses was still too fresh for the partners.

“My eyes aren’t trained like yours,” Abby countered.

Riley walked back into the kitchen. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around four candy canes. “Ms. Paige, you help animals feel better like Dr. Gibson?”

“I try.” Paige kept her gaze fixed on Riley’s.

“Dr. Gibson talks to our animals when he comes out.” Riley tipped her head to the side. Her voice was watered down and hushed. “Do you do that?”

“I do.” Paige leaned in and lowered her voice. “I talk to my patients all the time and as much as I can.”

“Why?” Riley edged closer and closer to Paige. Her inquisitive gaze never wavered.

“Because I think it helps my patients feel better.” Kind words. Affection. Soft gestures were all meant to calm and soothe the animals. To build a bond. To make sure they all knew they weren’t alone.

Riley bumped into Paige’s knees. “If you talked to Macybelle, then maybe she’d feel better too.”

Paige knew exactly where the conversation had been leading. It was inevitable really, once Riley had fastened her saucer-round, fragile hazel eyes on Paige. Paige had been terrified for her pet once too. And a stranger, who’d later become a mentor, had helped. Now it was Paige’s turn to do the same. Perhaps not to diagnose and treat ill cattle, but rather to give a little girl hope and show her that she wasn’t alone. “You know what? I think that’s a very good idea.”

Riley beamed and lunged for Paige. She wrapped her arms around Paige’s waist and squeezed. Paige absorbed the little girl’s version of a bear hug and melted inside. Paige returned the embrace and held on as if bear hugs really did make everything better. She glanced across the table at Ilene. “Can you give me the address for the ranch? I’ll head out there, as long as you know this isn’t an exam. I can’t offer a diagnosis or treatment plan.”

Riley lifted her head. “But you can talk to Macybelle and the other cows. And even my dad. Then he might feel better too and be happy again.”

Paige chewed on her bottom lip. Cats and dogs were her specialty. She wasn’t sure she had the right words for a single dad and his happiness. Those she was certain belonged to someone else. “Let’s start with Macybelle and go from there.”

Riley grinned and handed her candy canes to Abby. “Can we have hot chocolate now and go to the hardware store? Mr. Rivers has reindeer as tall as me. And they light up.”

“Sure we can.” Abby walked to the refrigerator and opened the door. “I want to find more outdoor ornaments. Maybe you can help me find some.”

Riley cheered. “You should put reindeer in your yard too, Ms. Abby.”

“Evan is at the ranch now.” Ilene wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to Paige. “This is the address. I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you.”

Glad or not, Paige was more than pleased to let Riley join her cousin on a hunt for more holiday decor. Paige took the paper from Ilene and looked at her cousin. “Can I take my hot chocolate to go, please?”