Cowboy Unwrapped

“You know I’d love to. I have to figure out the finances and then see if I can wrangle time off.”

“I understand. I don’t expect a lot of the guys will make it up to Seattle, but I’m hoping some do.”

“At least now I’ve met Chelsea. She’s terrific.”

Finn laughed. “You don’t have to tell me. Like I said, can’t wait for April.”

Jake pondered his two brothers and their anticipated marriages as he and Finn put away the ladders and helped Cade finish saddling up the horses. Both guys clearly wanted that kind of permanence. Jake had no such long-range plans.

He was eager for some private time with Amethyst, but he wasn’t thinking beyond that. She was perfect for this stage of his life. Before their hot night in Jackson Hole, he’d dated a few women who had been nice but needy.

His job asked a lot of him. He loved the sense of accomplishment it gave him, but he didn’t want to be emotionally responsible for someone on top of the demands at work. With Amethyst he didn’t have to worry about that. She was focused on her career and didn’t need anyone to take care of her.

That included her approach to sex. She asked for what she wanted more frankly than anyone he’d been with. He loved that about her. This sleigh deal might or might not work out, but tonight after the festivities, he’d—

“Hey, Fireman Jake, you gonna get on that horse or not?”

Cade’s voice cut into his libido-driven thoughts. Damn. Caught daydreaming about Amethyst for the second time in two days. He glanced up at Cade, who was mounted on Hematite, the black horse he’d trailered to the ranch summer before last. Finn was already up on Isabeau, Rosie’s mare.

Jake, however, stood beside Navarre, Herb’s gelding, while staring into space like an idiot. “Yep. Sorry. Just thinking about something.” He swung into the saddle.

“More likely someone.” Cade chuckled as he led the way to the Forest Service road. From there they’d cut across snow-covered open range to the Emerson place. “From what I remember about Amethyst Ferguson, I don’t blame you. I wasn’t at the high school Christmas concert where she sang ‘Santa Baby’ but I heard about it.”

Finn laughed. “Didn’t we all. Were you there, Jake?”

“I was.” The road was deserted so they were able to ride three abreast with Cade in the middle. It felt great to be back on a horse again, especially with two of his brothers along. “We’d stopped dating two weeks before that concert. Bad decision on my part.”

“You broke it off?” Cade glanced at him in disbelief. “I gave you credit for more brains than that.”

“Nope. I was young and stupid. I thought she’d looked at another guy in a provocative way. She denied it, but I had that idea stuck in my head and refused to let the whole thing slide. The truth is, she was too hot for me back then.”

“But not now, apparently,” Finn said.

“No.” Jake smiled. “Not now.”

Once they hit open country, they picked up the pace a little, but not much since obstacles could be hidden under the snow and the air was still pretty damned cold. Jake wouldn’t want to race through this landscape and create a wind chill effect, but a trot was invigorating. He’d picked up a second job at a stable in Jackson Hole because they were willing to work around his shifts, but he wasn’t there to ride. Mostly he mucked out stalls and groomed the horses.

As they approached the Emerson ranch, he could see the sleigh sitting out in front of the barn. From here it didn’t look too bad. The red paint job had faded and the runners were dull and rusted in spots, but the sleigh might be salvageable.

He glanced at Cade. “What’s that luggage rack thing hanging off the back?”

“I guess that’s where you put your picnic basket. If you’re going for a sleigh ride you might take along hot cocoa, some cookies, maybe.”

“I would do that,” Finn said. “Sounds cozy.”

Jake didn’t think the rack looked sturdy enough to hold anything. “So what do you think of the sleigh itself?”

“A new coat of paint and some rust remover and it’ll be a beauty,” Cade said.

“I wouldn’t know,” Finn said. “Sleighs are not my area of expertise.”

“Not mine, either,” Cade said, “but—”

“Hold it.” Jake brought Navarre to a halt. “I thought you knew something about sleighs.”

Cade shrugged. “What’s to know? It’s a wagon on skis.”

“Yeah, well, that would be the critical difference, wouldn’t it? What if those runners are all messed up? What if they somehow malfunction and throw Amethyst into a ditch where she breaks something important like her neck?”

“Settle down, Fireman Jake. I would hope you’re not planning to charge down the Forest Service road like you’re running the Iditarod.”

“Well, no, but—”

“Then we don’t have a problem. All you need is a sleigh that will take you at a sedate pace from the ranch to the Forest Service road and from there to a little side lane where you can drink hot cocoa and make out. Am I right?”

Jake sighed. “Yeah.”

“Then no worries. That fifty-buck sleigh will fulfill that mission. Let’s find Emerson and close the deal.”

Twenty minutes later Jake sat on the hard bench seat with the reins in his hands and Navarre hitched to the sleigh. He suspected there was no upholstery because the mice had actually made a nest in it and Emerson had ripped it out before they arrived. The red paint on the seat hadn’t faded at all.

The rest was more pink than red. The sleigh looked a lot shabbier up close and he heartily wished he’d suggested a different entertainment to Amethyst, but it was too late, now. Cade had paid the rancher fifty dollars and the sleigh now belonged to Thunder Mountain.

Cade lifted his hand like the leader of a wagon train. “Move ’em out!”

“Oh, for God’s sake.” But Jake slapped the reins against Navarre’s rump and the sleigh went forward, creaking in protest. “Hey, wagon master, this thing is wobbling.”

“Of course it’s wobbling.” Cade seemed unconcerned. “It hasn’t had an outing in ten years.”

“Ten?” Jake bid goodbye to his fantasy of a romantic sleigh ride. “I didn’t hear that part.”

“I pinned him down before I gave him the money and he admitted it hadn’t been used in ten years, maybe twelve. Actually, I’m guessing it’s more like twenty.”

The sleigh shuddered as Jake drove it away from the barn. “Why didn’t you cancel the sale?”

“Because I really want a sleigh and this one has good bones.”

Finn snorted at that. “You know zip about sleighs and you’re able to tell this one has good bones?”

“I predict it has broken bones,” Jake said. “We’ll be lucky to get it back to the ranch in one piece. We might have to leave it by the side of the road like the pioneers had to dump their pianos.”

“We can’t do that,” Finn said. “Littering is against the law in Wyoming. Which means we’d have to figure out how to haul the carcass back to the ranch so we could use it for firewood.”

Cade shook his head. “Boys, boys, boys. Where’s your faith in the goodness of the universe? Once we get this sleigh back to Thunder Mountain, and we will, then all it needs is a little TLC and it’ll shine like a new penny.”

“Or disintegrate like an old newspaper,” Jake said. “We’re going over this thing with a fine-tooth comb before I put Amethyst in it. It either passes muster or...” He couldn’t come up with an alternative.

“Or the toboggan?” Finn asked.

“No, not that.” Jake balked at the idea of leading Amethyst down to the barn where she’d find Navarre hitched to a toboggan. “It was one thing when we were kids goofing around but I’d feel dumb using it now.”

“See, the sleigh has to work,” Cade said. “It’ll provide a romantic touch for you and then later on for me and Lexi. This baby could be the final touch, the gesture that puts Lexi over the top.”

Jake exchanged a glance with Finn. No doubt they were both thinking the same thing—Lexi needed to put this poor cowboy out of his misery. But Jake could see Lexi’s side. Six years ago Cade had left town, apparently spooked by Lexi’s urge to get married. When he’d finally showed up ready to tie the knot, Lexi had become her own woman and wasn’t so sure she wanted that arrangement anymore.

Jake didn’t understand why Cade couldn’t simply enjoy the loving relationship and good sex without insisting on a document legalizing the whole thing. But Cade and Finn were both turning thirty next year, so maybe their itch to get hitched made sense. At twenty-seven, Jake hadn’t felt it.

Once they were off the ranch property and moving over uneven hillocks of snow, the sleigh rattled and creaked so much that the guys gave up on conversation. They’d made it nearly halfway back when the runners hit something under the snow and the sleigh lurched to one side. It righted itself, but one of the rattles was now a lot worse.

Jake figured it was the luggage rack. “Hey, Cade,” he called out. “Can you drop back and see if we’re about to lose a piece of this contraption?”

“Sure.” He pulled Hematite to a stop and waited while Jake passed him. Then he dropped in behind the sleigh. “Yeah, I see a few screws missing on the rack. Matter of fact, the whole thing could go, now that I look at the way it’s leaning. You’d better hold up so we can evaluate the situation.”

“But it’s got good bones, right, Gallagher?” Finn wheeled Isabeau around and rode to the back of the sleigh. “Crap, that doesn’t look good.”

Jake climbed down and trudged through the snow to where his brothers had dismounted to assess the damage. The metal rack dangled, held in place by a couple of screws. The rest were AWOL. “We need to take it off before it falls off.”

“With what?” Cade looked at him. “You packing a screwdriver?”

“No. Anybody got a penny? I don’t like carrying change so I don’t.”

“I’m the same about change in my pockets,” Finn said. “Bugs me.”

Cade shrugged. “I don’t have any, either. Maybe we should just keep going and let it fall. It’s not like we won’t hear it.”

“You don’t want to do that.” Finn pointed to a crack in the wood next to one of the screws. “There’s a lot of stress being put on the section where the remaining screws are. Once it goes, it could take a chunk of this back section with it. Then this thing will look like hell.”

“Then I have a suggestion.” Jake thought the sleigh already looked like hell but saying it wouldn’t change anything. “If one of you gets in the sleigh with me, you can lean over the back and hold on to it. The other one can lead the extra horse.”

“I’ll hold the rack,” Cade said. “But, Finn, you need to switch horses. Hematite isn’t fond of being behind another horse.”

“Then I’ll hold the rack and you lead Isabeau,” Finn said. “She’s a sweetheart who doesn’t mind being last.” He handed the mare’s reins to Cade.

“No, I’ll hold the rack while Finn drives,” Jake said. “If I hadn’t invited a woman for a sleigh ride before I had the damn sleigh, we wouldn’t be doing any of this.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” Cade grinned at him. “We’re making us some memories right here.”

“I guarantee I won’t be forgetting this anytime soon.” Jake climbed into the bench seat and leaned over to grasp the metal rack. “Better take it slow, O’Roarke. This isn’t a real stable position I have, here.”

Cade chuckled. “No, but it sure is a photo op. Wish I’d brought my phone so I could take a picture of you riding in that sleigh ass backward.”

“Thank God for small favors. Knowing you, you’d put it on the internet.”

“Yeah, I would.”

Jake listened to the sleigh rattle along. It wasn’t as noisy now because he was holding the rack and they were going slower. “Say, Cade, when are Damon and Phil due at the ranch?”

“They were hoping to hit town late this morning and stop by around lunchtime. They could be there now.”

“That would be great.”

“They’ll be tired,” Finn said. “And Phil’s less than a month away from her due date, which is why they drove to Florida. Just in case you were hoping they could do a quick fix.”

“I don’t expect that, but they could give me their opinion on whether this thing is roadworthy before Amethyst arrives. How are we doing on time?”

“I’d estimate it’s about one fifteen,” Cade said. “Give or take.”

“Yikes. I hope Amethyst’s not early.”

But of course she was. As Finn drove the sleigh into the open area in front of the barn, Amethyst climbed out of her yellow SUV. She took one look at Jake’s position in the sleigh and started laughing. Terrific. His rep was ruined. Might as well hitch up the toboggan.

4

AMETHYST WOULD RECOGNIZE those buns anywhere. She’d admired them when Jake was seventeen and they’d become even more worthy of a good ogle since then. But the sleigh...oh, my God. She’d assumed when he’d invited her that Thunder Mountain Ranch had a sleigh, probably painted hunter green and brown, the colors of Thunder Mountain Academy.

Apparently, Jake had issued his invitation prematurely. His cheeks were tinged pink as he walked toward her and she doubted the cold was to blame. But, damn, he was gorgeous. Who cared what the sleigh looked like when she could feast her eyes on a muscled cowboy with soulful green eyes and a sculpted mouth that could kiss like nobody’s business?

“I have to apologize,” he said.

“No, you don’t. That entrance was worth the trip out here.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet. I’m surprised you didn’t whip out your phone.”

“Wish I had.” She wouldn’t have minded a permanent record of Jake’s sexy butt. But she’d been too mesmerized to think of it.

“Look, obviously we don’t have a working sleigh, so I’m afraid—”

“Don’t be hasty, Fireman Jake!” Cade hurried over. “Hey, Amethyst. Good to see you.” He touched the brim of his hat.

“Good to see you, too, Cade. I don’t think we’ve run into each other since the last time I saw you at Rangeland Roasters having coffee with Lexi.”

“I know. Sheridan’s a small town, but you can go months without meeting up with folks who live here.”

“And I’m on the road a lot.”

“Yeah, I know! Love your music. Lexi and I listen to you all the time. Anyway, I don’t want you two to give up on the sleigh ride just yet. Finn’s unhitching Navarre so we can get to work on the chassis.”

Jake shook his head. “It’s no use, Gallagher. It might be salvageable but it’ll take days.”

“I’m not promising it’ll look brand new in five minutes, but Damon and Phil are here and they never go anywhere without tools. It’s possible with their help we can clean this baby up, tighten a few screws and she’ll be good enough for a little ride down the Forest Service road. Have you had lunch, Amethyst? Rosie always has plenty to eat and you could relax inside while we work our magic.”

“Yes, I’ve had lunch. And, really, we can skip the sleigh ride. I don’t want anyone to go to a lot of trouble on Christmas Eve day.”

“Me, either,” Jake said. “Maybe Amethyst and I could just—”

“Jake, I’m telling you, it won’t take much. I’m sure Mom filled in Damon and Phil over lunch. They’d probably be insulted if we didn’t ask them.”

“I doubt it,” Jake said. “They just got back from Florida, dude. And Phil’s not in any shape to help.”

“All the more reason not to bother them,” Amethyst said. “Jake can give me a tour of the place. I’ve heard so much about it over the years but I’ve never visited.”

“Hey, Jake Ramsey!” Damon’s deep voice carried through the crisp air as he strode toward them. “What’s this I hear about a fixer-upper sleigh?”

“Hey, Damon.” Jake went to meet him. “Just my latest idiotic move.”

Amethyst was touched by their warm embrace. She’d always had a soft spot in her heart for the Thunder Mountain boys. Most of them had some tragedy in their background and Jake was no exception. When they were dating she’d learned that his mom had died when he was a toddler and his father had turned into an abusive alcoholic. Jake used to spend his nights wherever he could get away from the beatings, sometimes at the home of a friend and sometimes hidden in the storeroom of Scruffy’s Bar.

Jake didn’t trust easily. She’d learned that when he’d broken up with her over a stupid misunderstanding. He’d never quite believed that she cared about him and he still might not. But at least they had a sexual connection that made them both happy.

She watched as Jake and Damon walked over to the sleigh. They were both laughing as Damon examined it from all angles. She turned to Cade. “I love your can-do attitude but, seriously, let’s forget about the sleigh ride, okay? It was a cute idea but I can live without it.”

“But that would mean giving up,” Cade said. “Besides, Damon likes to show off his manly carpentry skills.”

“That may be true but—”

“In these situations, it’s best to sit back and let the Thunder Mountain Brotherhood do its thing.”

She let out a breath. “Okay, I’ll try.”

Damon and Jake continued to joke around as they walked back over to where she stood with Cade.

“Damon’s convinced me we need to give this sleigh a chance,” Jake said. “So I’m prepared to work with him on it if you’re willing to allow us a little time.”

“Sure, why not? What do you want me to do?”

“I’m not going to put you to work, if that’s what you’re thinking. While Damon’s assessing the job, let’s go inside and see Rosie. I know you’ve had lunch but she’ll have a pot of coffee going and I happen to know there’s some German chocolate cake left over from last night.”

“That sounds great.” Amethyst hadn’t known what to expect from this afternoon but she hadn’t planned on much alone time with Jake, anyway. She’d popped an antihistamine before driving out here in case she ended up in the same space with Ringo the cat.

“I’ll go in with you,” Cade said. “I’m starving and I can only imagine your hunger pangs, Fireman Jake. From what I’ve seen, you need fuel and plenty of it. I’d hate to see you grow weak from lack of food.”

“So you all missed lunch?” Amethyst was overwhelmed by the group effort to provide her with a sleigh ride.

“Yeah, but Finn’s probably in there wolfing down a sandwich by now,” Cade said. “Sad to say, Jake and I haven’t taken any sustenance since breakfast.”

“Then, by all means, let’s all go in so you guys can get fed.”

Shortly thereafter Amethyst was seated at Rosie’s kitchen table with a mug of coffee and a slice of cake. Jake and Cade each had hefty sandwiches to go with their coffee. Finn had already left to help Damon, but his fiancée Chelsea was there along with Philomena, Damon’s redheaded and exceedingly pregnant wife. Ringo, a gray tabby, was curled up in a bed in the corner, but the antihistamine was working so Amethyst was fine.

Jake paused between bites to address his foster mom, who’d joined them with coffee and cake. “Where’s Dad?”

“In town, Christmas shopping.”

“He still waits until the last minute?”

Rosie laughed. “He claims that’s when he feels the Christmas spirit, when everyone in town is racing the clock.”

“What he feels is frantic desperation,” Cade said. “You couldn’t pay me to be in town today.”

Jake laughed. “How does two grand sound?”

“Okay, I’d do it for that.”

“Case closed.” Jake finished his sandwich and pushed back his chair. “Mom, that was wonderful.” He glanced over at Amethyst. “Will you be okay for a little while? This shouldn’t take long.”

“Are you kidding? You’re leaving me with interesting women and German chocolate cake. I’ll be more than fine.” Amethyst discovered she liked seeing him in this setting, surrounded by his foster family. He seemed emotionally stronger and more confident here. She wished he’d brought her to the ranch when they’d been dating but there’d been no reason.

Cade went with him, which left Rosie, Chelsea and Phil at the table with Amethyst.

She knew a little about Phil, who’d worked as a contractor in Sheridan for several years before meeting and falling in love with Damon. But Chelsea was a complete stranger so Amethyst started the conversation by asking about her work and how she’d happened to meet Finn. Turned out they’d been in line for coffee and had started up a conversation that had led to a business relationship and eventually love.

“Chelsea’s been so good for him,” Rosie said. “He’s still very focused on his work, but he’s not as driven as he used to be.”

“The more I’m around the Thunder Mountain guys,” Phil said, “the more I’ve noticed that most of them have a strong urge to succeed. Considering the crummy background they had, it’s not surprising. Damon’s mellowing out, finally, which is good. I want him to be able to relax enough to enjoy his kid.”

Amethyst had abandoned the idea of having children when she’d decided on her career path, but she was curious all the same. “How’s motherhood so far?”

“Disconcerting.” Phil laid a hand over her big belly. “Normally, I work side by side with Damon on our renovation jobs, but in the last month that’s been increasingly difficult. Life should be easier when she’s born. I plan to pack her along on jobs, at least until she’s mobile. Then I might need day care.”

“So you’re having a girl?” Amethyst asked.

“Oh, yeah, and I’m thrilled about that.”

“So am I.” Rosie sipped her coffee. “This ranch is loaded with testosterone, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

Amethyst smiled. “I’ve noticed, but I’m not complaining. I grew up with a sister.”

Rosie’s gaze warmed. “How’s Sapphire doing? From a sister’s perspective, I mean. Grady says everything’s going well, but I had a little something to do with her decision to move to Cody and I dearly hope it’s working out.”

“It definitely is. You’ll see for yourself tonight when they come to your Christmas Eve party.”

“Are you coming?” Chelsea asked.

“Or more to the point,” Phil said, “are you staying? You’re here for this major-deal sleigh ride, so unless you have plans you might as well stay for the rest of the evening.”

Amethyst was struck by the logic of it. She’d considered coming over later with Grady and Sapphire but that might not make any sense. She glanced at the kitchen clock. If the sleigh was cleaned up and ready before three, she’d be amazed. And dusk came early in December.

Then she looked down at her simple top and jeans. “I’m not dressed for a Christmas Eve gala.”

Rosie laughed. “Honey, you’re at Thunder Mountain Ranch. Around here we pay more attention to the people than the clothes they’re wearing. Besides, you look very nice.”

“All righty, then. I’d love to stay.”

“Great!” Chelsea smiled at her. “Now that we have that settled, I’m dying to ask about your career. I understand you’re a professional singer.”

“I’m working at it. So far my gigs have all been in Wyoming and that’s where I get the bulk of my music sales, too.”

Chelsea’s expression was animated. “Have you sent out demos?”

“I have, but no takers yet from the studios. I hoping for a big break eventually, but in the meantime I’m giving private voice lessons, mostly to kids. That’s fun.”

“I’ll bet it would be,” Phil said. “I love hearing little kids sing. Warms my heart.”

“Mine, too.” Amethyst smiled as she thought about Jenny, her favorite. “I have one little eight-year-old who has real promise. Cute as a button and that girl can sing. I can’t wait to see what happens with her. Then there’s a little guy who’s only five but he really belts out those tunes. It’s adorable. He could go places.”

“I wonder if singing is like acting,” Chelsea said. “You have to actually be in LA or New York in order to make something happen. Or Nashville if you’re doing country.”

“Maybe. I’m pop, not country, so it would be New York or LA for me.” Amethyst always grew uneasy when this subject came up. “And I would go if I had some interest from one of the major studios. You know, a serious nibble. Moving to the city without that seems pretty darned risky. Sure, I could wait tables, but those are pricey places to live. I’d go through my savings in no time. At least here the cost of living is lower so I can support myself between the gigs I pick up and the private lessons.”