Cowboy Unwrapped
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Vicki Lewis Thompson
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Chapter 1
WHEN JAKE RAMSEY pulled into the circular gravel drive in front of Thunder Mountain Ranch at sundown, he thought he’d stumbled onto the set of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. His foster brothers Cade Gallagher and Finn O’Roarke stood in the freezing cold struggling to untangle a string of Christmas lights while wearing thick gloves. Why they needed more lights was a mystery because the low-slung ranch house already looked as if Clark Griswold had been there.
Happy as Jake was to see those two cowboys after all this time away, his firefighter training took precedence over a sentimental reunion. He’d bet a month’s pay neither of them had bothered to check the UL ratings to see if the fuse box could take another strand of what looked like incandescent bulbs. Hadn’t they heard of LEDs? And was that an indoor extension cord connected to the net lights on a bush by the porch? Jesus.
He wondered if Damon Harrison had approved this setup. Damon, Cade and Finn had been the original three taken in by Rosie and Herb Padgett years ago when they’d decided to make the ranch a foster home for teenage boys. Cade had become a horse trainer who worked at the ranch, now a residential equine education center for older teens, called Thunder Mountain Academy. Finn had moved to Seattle and opened his own microbrewery. Those jobs didn’t qualify either of them to handle electrical installations.
But Damon and Philomena, who’d married this past summer, renovated houses here in Sheridan. Jake doubted they’d been involved in this fustercluck. It had Cade written all over it. The guy was great with horses but not so great with a toolbox.
Cade and Finn glanced up as he pulled up next to them in his F-250. They wouldn’t recognize the truck because he’d bought it since his last visit home in early March. Plus he hadn’t seen Finn in years. Finn and his fiancée Chelsea were spending Christmas at the ranch, which had added to Jake’s excitement about his first Christmas home since getting hired by the Jackson Hole Fire Department.
From the looks of things, they needed him here. Cade and Finn were fixing to burn down the house. He shut off the engine and climbed out, making sure his boots didn’t slip on the ice he knew would be under the thin layer of snow covering the driveway.
Then he buttoned his sheepskin coat against the wind and crammed his Stetson a little tighter on his head before walking around the front of the truck. He could see his breath. That was another stupid thing—putting up Christmas lights when the temperature was near zero.
“Hey, bozos,” he called out to Cade and Finn, who’d stopped what they were doing while they waited to see who’d driven up. “Why don’t you let someone who knows what he’s doing handle that job?”
“Jake?” Cade dropped his end of the lights into the snow and hurried toward him. “You got a new truck, man!”
“That I did.” He exchanged a hug with Cade.
“Jake Ramsey?” Finn tossed his end away and came over. “I haven’t seen your ugly mug since I left for Seattle! How the hell are you?”
Jake returned his hug. “I’m good, real good. Hated that I had to miss Damon’s wedding, but a couple of guys got sick and I couldn’t leave.”
“You would’ve loved it,” Cade said. “It rained like hell, the wind destroyed most of the decorations and we had to delay the ceremony until the storm passed. Then we had to stand in the mud while Damon and Phil said their vows. It was epic.”
“Sounds awesome. Wish I’d been there. Speaking of the happy couple, where are they?”
“Wimping out in Florida with the in-laws,” Finn said. “They’ll be back tomorrow, looking all tanned and smug while the rest of us are the color of grubworms.”
“Real Wyoming cowboys don’t go to Florida for a winter vacation.” Cade tucked his gloved hands into his armpits and stomped his feet in the snow. “They tough it out like manly men.”
“Damn straight,” Finn said. “But I’m thinking we should tough it out inside by the fire for a while and finish this project in the morning. We don’t want to keep poor Jake standing out here shivering. He needs to head in and see the folks.”
“I want to see them, too,” Jake said, “but I have a question before we go in. Did you guys put up all these lights?”
Cade grinned at him. “You’re impressed, right? You didn’t think we could do it without Damon around to help, but there’s the evidence.” Cade swept an arm to encompass the glittering front of the house. “Damon’s gonna shit a brick when he sees this.”
“That’s for sure.” Jake walked over and fingered the indoor extension cord. “I take it you ran out of outdoor cords.”
“Yeah, but those work fine.” Finn shrugged. “We bought a bunch of extra lights and forgot about getting more cords, but we found those in the barn. They’re a little worn but we wound electrical tape around the parts where wires were sticking out.”
Jake did his best to control himself. “How many of these are you using?”
“I don’t know,” Cade said. “Six, maybe seven. We’re almost done, but I agree with Finn. We can quit now and finish up tomorrow. We have time before Damon and Phil get back.”
“You know what?” Jake was proud of himself. He didn’t yell and he didn’t cuss, although he desperately wanted to do both. “Before I go in, let me take a quick run into town. With tomorrow being the last shopping day, the hardware store should be open. I’ll just pick up a few outdoor extension cords.”
“Ah, don’t bother.” Cade fished one end of the light strand out of the snow and began winding it around his arm. “Extra trouble, extra expense and for what?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Jake kept his tone casual. “Maybe to keep those frayed extension cords from setting the house on fire.”
Cade blinked. “We put electrical tape around them. That should do it.”
“Hey, he’s a firefighter.” Finn clapped Cade on the shoulder. “We should probably let him do his thing. I admit those cords are a little dicey.”
Jake shuddered to think what they looked like. They’d probably been moldering in the barn for years. No doubt varmints had chewed on them. “I’ve seen the result of using frayed cords,” he said. “I’d sleep better knowing I’ve replaced them. They’re not designed for outdoor use, anyway, although the UL rating label is probably gone by now.”
Finn exchanged a glance with Cade.
“Don’t worry,” Cade said in a low voice. “They’re fine.”
“What?” Jake didn’t like the sound of that. “What’s fine?”
Cade finished winding the strand around his arm. “Some of the lights were on sale. The labels said for indoor use only, but they were really reasonable so I thought if we put them on the porch—”
“Holy hell, Cade!” Jake finally lost it. “Are you telling me even the lights aren’t rated for outdoor use?”
“A few, but—”
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I’ll drive into town and pick up a whole bunch of outdoor extension cords and more lights with the proper rating. In the morning I’ll help you and Finn replace those extension cords and indoor lights. In the meantime, I want you to turn off everything.”
Cade looked as if he wanted to argue.
“I know you think I’m an anal safety nut, but last week I hauled a single mom and her two little kids out of a house fire caused by frayed extension cords.”
Finn sighed. “I hate to say it, but he’s right, bro.” He dug in his pocket. “Let me donate some cash toward that purchase, Jake.”
“Nah, my treat.” Jake waved off the money. “I didn’t know what to give the folks for Christmas so I was going to buy something after I got here. I’ll just make this my gift.”
Cade nodded. “Okay, I bow to your superior knowledge regarding decorative lighting. But can I make a small request?”
“Sure.”
“Could you not mention any of this to Damon and Phil? The folks will have to know since this’ll be your Christmas present, but Damon would never let me hear the end of it.”
“I’ll be silent as the tomb.”
“Good. Oh, and that goes for Lexi, too. She’s attending an indoor riding clinic and won’t be back in town until tomorrow, either. My goal was to surprise all three of them with an awesome display.”
“We’ll do that, I promise.” Jake knew how much Cade wanted to please Lexi, the love of his life. “It’ll look just as fantastic as it does now, only it’ll be safe.”
Cade’s gusty exhale created a cloud of vapor. “Thanks.” He glanced back at the house. “I’m guessing nobody heard you drive up since they didn’t come out, so you can probably just go and they won’t be the wiser.”
“Perfect. I’ll make this quick.”
“Dinner’s at six-thirty,” Finn said. “Tuna casserole.”
“Hot damn. I’ll be back in time.” He left them, rounded the truck and climbed in behind the wheel, but he didn’t pull away until the Christmas lights had winked out. Only then did the muscles in his neck and shoulders relax. Disaster averted.
The road into Sheridan had been recently plowed so he made good time, accompanied by the sultry voice of Amethyst Ferguson on his truck stereo. In his opinion she sounded way better than Katy Perry or Taylor Swift, but then again, he could be prejudiced. And he still hadn’t decided what to do about her. Initially he’d planned to send her a text saying he’d be in town for a few days, but then he’d reconsidered.
He’d be busy with his foster family and she’d probably be busy with her folks, too, assuming she wasn’t performing somewhere. If she happened to be out of town that would settle his dilemma, but he couldn’t find that out without contacting her. He’d hate knowing she was here only to discover that family obligations would prevent them from having any private time.
And that’s what he was hoping for. Last summer she’d had a gig at a resort in Jackson Hole and he’d caught her final show. Because he hadn’t seen her since their PG-rated dates in high school, he’d invited her for drinks afterward. Sure enough, they’d reignited the spark and had spent the rest of the night in her hotel room.
The sex had been super hot, but they’d agreed that her budding career, his demanding schedule and the miles between Sheridan and Jackson Hole would keep them from meeting on a regular basis. They’d made no definite plans. If she had another gig in Jackson Hole she’d let him know, and if he paid a visit to his foster parents he’d give her a shout.
But this was a special holiday, not some random long weekend. He hadn’t spent Christmas at the Last Chance in years due to his rookie status at the fire station. Finally he could look forward to celebrating with his foster parents and any foster brothers who showed up.
That could turn into a crowd. Because of the holidays, the Thunder Mountain Academy students had cleared out of the log cabins down in the meadow. Finn and Chelsea had likely claimed one and Jake had figured on taking another one but that left two more plus guest rooms in the ranch house.
Although his foster mom used to make a big pot of vegetable soup on Christmas Eve, she’d told him on the phone that she’d decided to have a buffet this year. But the tradition of opening presents after the meal would continue as always. Christmas Day was filled with card games, basketball on TV, snowball fights in the yard and a turkey dinner. He didn’t want to miss any of that.
On the other hand, he’d thought about Amethyst fairly often during these past few months. He’d downloaded all of her music and played it quite a bit. The prospect of seeing her again affected his pulse rate. Imagining another night like they’d spent last summer sent all his blood south.
Yeah, he had a little fixation going on when it came to Amethyst Ferguson, whereas she might have put him right out of her mind. Besides, she’d mentioned sharing a house with her sister and he’d be at the ranch with a whole lot of people around. The cabins were set up with bunk beds, so even if he invited Amethyst to spend the night with him, it wouldn’t be the luxurious and intimate setup they’d had in Jackson Hole.
He should probably forget trying to connect with her and concentrate on enjoying his first Christmas home in years. While Jackson looked great for the holidays, Sheridan had its own small-town charm. He’d always loved how the old-fashioned lampposts looked when they were decorated. As he’d predicted, the hardware store was still open. The extension cords should be in stock but he wondered if the lights would be picked over. If so, they’d just make do with fewer lights.
He found a parking spot and pulled in. Last-minute shoppers with colorful Christmas bags hurried along the sidewalk. He was glad for an excuse to come into town and be part of the bustling scene. Thanks to his foster parents and his years at Thunder Mountain, he’d learned to love the season.
Displays of gift ideas dominated the front of the store and he paused to look at a selection of smoke alarms. Last time he’d visited the ranch he’d worried that the ones in the house weren’t top of the line. If he bought these for the folks, then he wouldn’t have to announce that the extension cords were his gift and Cade could save face. Matter of fact, he could buy smoke alarms for everyone on his list. An extra one was always helpful and then he wouldn’t have to come back into town tomorrow to Christmas shop.
“Typical fireman, mesmerized by the beauty of smoke alarms.”
He turned around and there stood Amethyst with a smile on her face and a sparkle of laughter in her blue eyes. She wore a red knit cap pulled over her dark hair and a red coat with a furry collar. His heart kicked into high gear and he couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
“Thought you could sneak into town, did you?” There was a teasing note in her voice.
He remembered how she liked to tease, especially in bed. “No! I was going to contact you, but then I thought about your family and how you probably wouldn’t have time, so—”
“I understand.” Her gaze gentled. “I was kidding you. It’s not like we had an ironclad agreement. Christmas is busy.”
“But I’d love to spend time with you.” He couldn’t help saying it. She looked more beautiful than ever and he had vivid memories of how she felt in his arms. He wanted her there again.
“I’d love to spend time with you, too.” The flicker of awareness in her eyes sent an unmistakable message.
It went straight to his groin. “But I don’t know when. Tonight’s out. I just got here.”
“I couldn’t anyway. Family dinner.”
“And tomorrow night’s Christmas Eve. That’s a big deal at the ranch. Maybe you’d like to come out there?”
“That’s a possibility. Our big celebration is on Christmas Day. But I’d need to check with my folks and see what’s planned. You know how it is.”
“Absolutely. That’s why I didn’t contact you. I knew it could be dicey.”
“True, but there has to be some free time.” She brightened. “Maybe tomorrow during the day?”
He was encouraged by her eagerness to see him. “I have some stuff to do with the guys in the morning, but how about tomorrow afternoon? If you’d be willing to drive out to the ranch in the early afternoon, we could—” He thought fast. “Go for a sleigh ride. How about that?”
“Sounds like fun! What time?”
“Let’s say around two. That’ll give me time to get the sleigh hitched up.” And find one somewhere. Thunder Mountain didn’t have one, but surely someone in the area would. A sleigh ride down the snowy Forest Service road sounded like a terrific holiday idea—lots of blankets and maybe some privacy.
“Great. I’ll be there. Listen, I have to go. I saw you walk in here and followed you so I could say hi, but my sister’s coming into town tonight and—”
“Coming into town? I thought she was living with you.”
“Not anymore. I have another woman sharing the house.”
“Oh.” That didn’t help.
“But she’s gone for the holidays.”
That perked him up fast. “Is that right?”
Amethyst laughed. “You should see your face.”
“Sorry. It’s just that—”
“I know.” Merriment danced in her blue eyes. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Maybe we can work something out.” Grabbing his arm for balance, she stood on tiptoe and pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. “See you then.” She turned and left the store.
He wasn’t sure how long he stood there gazing after her while his fevered brain processed her brief but potent kiss and the information about her absent roommate. Okay, so she had to be with her family during the bulk of the holiday, but at some point she’d go home to bed. He’d be with his peeps at Thunder Mountain, but once everyone was sleeping, it wouldn’t matter whether he was there or not.
“Sir, can I help you with something?”
He snapped out of his daze and turned toward the hardware store clerk. “Yes, you sure can. For starters I’ll take...let me see...seven of these smoke alarms and if you have holiday bags to put them in that would be great.” Now that he’d be seeing Amethyst he might as well get her one.
The clerk stacked them into the crook of his arm. “I’ll take these up to the counter. Our store bags have a little holly on them.”
“That’ll do. I also need several outdoor extension cords and whatever LED Christmas lights you have left.”
“We moved all the cords and lights to the Christmas decoration section against the far wall.”
“Thanks.”
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Do you know anyone with a sleigh for rent?”
“You mean like a business that provides sleigh rides? I think one of the guest ranches is offering—”
“No, not the whole ride. I have access to a horse. I just need the sleigh.”
“Then I’m afraid I don’t know anybody. Sorry.”
“No problem. Just thought I’d ask.” He wasn’t worried. Somebody would have a sleigh he could use. Amethyst was in town and eager to spend time with him. Christmas had just become a whole lot more festive.
