Page 36 of A Cowboy Holiday
“Are you serious?”
He grinned, rocking back on his heels. “Yeah. These cottages were built to house any of our employees who’re needed to be hands on. There are over a dozen of them, as you’ve probably noticed. Maybe ten are in use on a full-time basis. The others are overflow from the main lodge if Mills happens to land a particularly large party that needs the extra space. Otherwise…like now—they’re free.”
“And you want Phoebe and me to move in…here?”
Tanner nodded. “I think it’s a great idea. Last night would have been easier on you if you’d been on the ranch to begin with, and Gem or Vic or someone could have sat in your living room babysitting your sleeping daughter, who’d never know you’d been away for an hour or two. Luckily, we didn’t have a major emergency, but Hazel’s birth might be complicated, and I’d personally feel better if the vet was nearby.”
“And this has nothing to do with the sexy bits of last night? I mean…this morning.”
He chuckled. “It’s definitely a perk, but no, the offer comes from Oak Ridge, not me. If this makes a difference, Hudson lived in one of these cottages for almost a year before he moved in with Moody in Christmas Town. In his case, he was from out of town and was coming on as a full-timer…and an owner. You, on the other hand, made it sound like your situation at the creek was ideal albeit cold. And if you’re happy there, great. If not, don’t be a stubborn mule. Take the cottage and be comfortable.”
“It’s too much, Tanner. I can’t move in here.”
He huffed irritably. “You can, and I just explained why. Obviously, you’re free to freeze at the creek. Your call.”
I scrubbed my jaw. “Just like that?”
“Yep.” Tanner snapped his fingers and winced. “Actually, no. There’s a catch.”
“Ahh.” I crossed my arms. “What is it?”
“This cottage is part of the Christmas Light Show. You’d have to decorate it.”
“What?”
“You heard me. The lights are in a storage shed, neatly marked and ready to go. You just have to string them on the house and, uh…there might be an inflatable Santa or two for the lawn. Those are easy enough.” Another snap. “And in the spirit of the season, you gotta put a tree in the front window. More decorations, more lights, lots of festive cheer. What do you think?”
I massaged my nape, replaying his speech in my head. Was he fucking serious? This house wasreallynice. It wasn’t large by any means, but Phee would have her own room. Not a makeshift dining area turned into a kids’ space—a real room. And proximity had been a big issue for me right from the start. I could walk to work, drive five minutes to pre-K, and just ten minutes twice a week for my job at the vet’s office in Santa Ynez.
The Christmas part might be a pain in the ass, but Phee would love it. The lights, the tree…
“She’s never had a real tree,” I commented offhandedly.
Tanner tilted his chin. “No?”
“We’ve lived in tiny apartments and mobile homes. We have one of those fake ones you can put on a table in a box somewhere. Not the same.”
“This would definitely be different. More…holiday-ish.” He draped his arms on my shoulders and flashed a slightly naughty smile. “I know I’m laying this on thick. I should probably get off your case and tell you to do what’s right for you. And I will, but…I like you. I’d love to spend more time with you. So…as an incentive, I’ll even offer to help you decorate.”
I hooked my thumbs through Tanner’s belt loops and tugged him closer, brushing our noses and dipping to hover my lips over his.
“You’re a sneaky little fucker, Mr. Spade. I want to say no on principle.”
“But you won’t.”
“No, I won’t.” I sighed…in my most faux put-upon manner. “I’ll ask Phee what she thinks and get back to you. If that’s all right, of course.”
“Of course.” He beamed at me. “Something tells me she’s gonna say yes.”
I snort-laughed. “You could be right.”
We went our separate ways at the bottom of the pathway. Tanner hurried off to go to his meeting and me…? I stared at the cottage. White roses bloomed in winter in California and though the lavender had lost its purple luster, it was still pretty. I could imagine it at night, lit with colorful lights.
Phee loved Christmas lights. Hell, she loved all things Christmas.
I’d taken her to see the fancy trees in the cities we’d called home. We’d passed through San Francisco in December last year, and I’d never forget her wonder and joy as she’d gazed up at the tree in Union Square. I wanted to tell her there were bigger, better trees out there, but it was nice to see beauty through her eyes and remember that bigger or better didn’t always matter.
My daughter would jump at the chance to live on the ranch through the holidays. To her, it would feel like six-plus weeks of Christmas. What could be sweeter for an animal-loving kid than to see horses in your front yard and visit the goats, pigs, and cows down the road every day?