Jayden puts down his truck and mirrors Sam’s pose. “I know that. I don’t want to.”
Tanner and I hide our laughter while Sam throws his hands up in awhat can you do about itgesture. “You try to raise them right, but they are their environment.”
Jayden rolls his eyes again, and we all break. The kids go off to play, and we walk through the living room to the dining room.
I look over at Tanner. “You ready to get this started?”
He nods and pulls his portfolio from under his arm, joining Sam at the big table.
“I’ll see if he likes what I came up with.”
* * *
I knewTanner would do a good job because I’ve already seen his work. I knew the lights would be straight, the garland would swoop just so, but I assumed, incorrectly, that it would be plain. Simple.
After all, that’s what we’ve offered most of the people in town.
However, after chatting with Sam, Tanner realized he could go all out. He and Sam spent the next day shopping for supplies. When they returned with the back of the truck overflowing with Christmas cheer, I thought he may have bitten off a little more than he could chew.
Wow, was I wrong.
Everyone pitched in, of course, but this was very much Tanner’s design. He had to work around the ranch’s schedule, but we’ve reached the end of the week, and the place looks like one of those Currier and Ives plates my grandmother has in her dining hutch. Minus the snow, since it’s seventy-five degrees out, but still. It’s amazing.
Starting from the highway where you turn in, the fence on both sides of the driveway is lined in pretty white lights, with full-size lighted reindeer spaced out here and there leading the way toward the house.
All of the trees in the common areas are wrapped in lights, and he went with lighted garlands for the main house and the red barn, immediately giving the place a cozy Christmas feel.
Even more impressive, he lit up the pool area too. We added lights to the rock water feature and placed little Christmas trees around the deck, complete with twinkle lights. Little lily pad floaty things in the water have fake little candles, and the effect is kinda magical.
I was also secretly pleased to see they put up Christmas lights for the two bunkhouses and added some camellia bushes in front of the newer building.
I helped out where I could, but we had a calf born off-season and a near disaster with one of the horses. Sisko stepped in a hole but, thankfully, was just plodding along. He was able to stop before doing any damage to his hoof and leg, but it put Warwick in a sensitive mood all afternoon.
I took over his breeding duties and let him take the evening off. All of which is to say, I watched Tanner turn on the lights and have been enjoying the fruits of his labor, but I’ve been too busy to tell him what an amazing job he’s done.
Walking Tiberius into the stallion barn, I decide that’s what exactly I’m going to do. I rush through putting him in for the night, and I’m just closing the lock on his stall when Tanner walks in.
He looks exhausted and lit from within, with a bit of dirt on his Christmassy cheeks. Holding my saddle over one shoulder, I pull him to me with the other arm, kissing him first before wiping the dirt from his cheeks.
“You did an amazing job, baby,” I say, nuzzling his hair.
“Sam and y’all helped with everything. It wasn’t just me.”
“This was your plan, right? The design was all you?”
He lifts a shoulder, acting like it’s no big deal. “Mostly.”
“And you even threw in a little landscaping,” I say, aiming toward the tack room with my heavy saddle.
He nods, walking alongside me. “Trip showed me which plants and trees can go in year-round, and I just chose the prettiest ones.”
I set the saddle on its sturdy peg, and he hangs up the pad and bridle for me with quick, efficient hands. I lean over and shut the door, locking it.
His eyes follow me and widen as I stand in front of him, hands on my hips, gazing down at him. He swallows thickly and clasps his elbows behind his back, lowering his head.
We haven’t gotten into submission positions like kneeling or hand placement, but…damn. He’s been doing his research.
I touch my fingertips under his chin, and he follows the silent command, looking directly into my eyes.
