“Who’s going to name them?” Michael asked and Ichabod shook his head.
“Santa brought them for the girls.”
Zane rolled his eyes. “That means that their names are going to be Dora and Bluey.”
“That seems like great names for a couple of black-mouthed curs,” Ellis said. “They’re going to be great ranch dogs, and the girls will be well-protected.”
Ichabod grinned. He trusted Ellis to know what was what with the dogs. After all, Mavis was the girls’ staunchest friend. He took Ellis’ hand as they walked inside, both of them cold as witches’ tits in a brass bra.
He knew there would be cinnamon buns and stockings and then opening presents. And he couldn’t stop grinning because this was more than he’d ever imagined moving to the ranch was going to be.
Ellis bumped shoulders with him. “Happy?”
I am. I am perfectly happy. We’ve got years stretching out in front of us. It’s going to be exactly what it should be.
Life.
Sometimes his pots were beautiful. Sometimes they broke in the kiln. He never knew what he was going to get.
And it was perfect.
Because it was all his.
Chapter Twenty-Six
One year later
The tree had managed to make it through the whole Christmas season without being toppled over by a tail or a curious nose. Breakfast had been a wild affair of cinnamon rolls and some sort of egg thing Michael had decided to make because the kid had gotten into cooking a little bit during his first year in 4-H. Now everyone was sprawled out on the living room floor, wallowing in piles of wrapping paper and presents.
The dogs thought wrapping paper was an amazing invention. They were grabbing it, throwing it up in the air, and then rolling on the floor on it.
Ellis watched it all with a grin, but more importantly he watched Ichabod, who looked so happy, so relaxed and settled in his skin, that it couldn’t be believed.
His dad was there again this year, and Ichabod’s folks had stopped by for Christmas Eve and then moved on. Zane’s girlfriend had spent the night last night, ensconced in a guest bedroom, and was smoothing out ribbons to use again next year, as happy as a lark.
He and Ichabod had gone on a cruise and he had spent ten of the most amazing days of his life being lazy and melted and very, very tanned. It had been wonderful. But it had also been good to come back and see the kids. See how everything was fine.
Get back to this swing of normal, everyday insanity.
Ranch life was always wild and unpredictable but add four kids to the mix and damn.
Zane was a big help though because he was driving now full-time, and he was willing to go anywhere as long as they gave him money for gas and paid his insurance, so he didn’t have to. He would go get pizza or groceries or take the other kids anywhere, especially since his girlfriend was allowed to go with him wherever he went.
Katie was a sweet girl, and Ichabod liked her, which was a good thing because God knew she was around all the time.
Best of all, Rick had gone back to Dallas and back to whatever life he had decided on. Dad didn’t talk about him. He didn’t ask, and no one was bothering their kids anymore, which was the most important part.
He’d probably always be mad at Rick, but the simple fact was that that was the man who had brought them together, that and Cowboy Wanted.
And so he was going to accept it for the gift that it was.
At least that’s what his dad said he should do.
He looked at his dad, who knew what his plans were. Then he nodded and headed over to sit next to Ichabod on the sofa. “So, I have one more present for you.”
“Do you? I have one more for you too.”
Ichabod smiled at him and dug in the pocket of his robe, even as he pulled something out of his jeans.
