“The sprinkles have arrived!” Mom staggered in under the weight of the box she carried. Jack hurried over to take it from her. “Thanks, honey. Talk about being weighed down by the details.” She laughed at herself.
Jack groaned. “Are you doing Dad jokes now?” Jack teased her. “Call the doctor; we need him up and running STAT.”
She swatted at him, and he danced away.
“You just wait, young man. One of these days, you will find the joy of a good pun in your life and won’t be able to stop yourself.”
“Ho Ho Ho.” Caleb and Faith arrived with Ryder. Ryder wore a tee shirt that said:I AM the nice list. He reached for Jack. Jack was more than happy to oblige the munchkin, so he tossed him into the air.
Having just finished chores with Forest, Billy bounded into the room, having just finished chores with Forest, his face all aglow. He threw himself at Mom and hugged her tight. “This is the best!” Mom laughed cheerfully, more than happy to be a grandma. She’d been after the boys for years to settle down and give her grandbabies. When Billy and Mitzi arrived, she swooned over the little boy, and he’d had a loyal grandma ever since.
“You promised! You promised to tell me the story of when you met Santa Claus!” Billy bounced up and down.
Jack and Caleb exchanged a look. They’d heard the story multiple times over the years. Mom liked to tell it to the neighborhood kids during the party. This was Billy’s first Christmas with the family, and he was all about jumping into traditions. It was the cutest darn thing.
Jack blew a raspberry on Ryder’s cheek, eliciting a belly laugh. The kid didn’t know how to giggle. Laughing was a full-body experience for him.
The doorbell rang, and Doc walked right in. He’d been the veterinarian for the ranch for twenty-plus years before a heart attack two Christmases ago. While none of them wished the man in poor health if it hadn’t been for his hospital stay. Although, she attributes that to Caleb’s stubbornness more than anything.
Jack gave at least half the credit to Rudy. Once she fell in love with the reindeer who used to be blind, there was no going back.
Doc’s eyes sparkled with the joy of Christmas. He was one of the few people outside the family who knew the reindeer’s secret. He’d lost some weight this year as Faith helped him stick to a heart-healthy diet. He did not, however, buy new pants. Instead, he’d invested in a new pair of red suspenders and punched a tighter hole in his belt. He joked that tucking in his shirt was the easiest part of his day.
Right after Doc, the rest of the neighborhood kids piled in. Out here in the country, ‘neighborhood’ was a loose term. Mom invited just about anyone she could think of because she considered the whole town her neighbors. The house soon filled to bursting, soft music played in the background, and the scent of sugar cookies filled the air while the sound of sprinkles hitting the hardwood floor finished the symphony.
Jack checked his watch for the fourth time. Still no sign of Natasha. Maybe she’d decided not to come.
The doorbell rang, and he hurried to answer it. Caleb was closer and moved in that direction. Jack grabbed his shirt and pulled him backward. “I got it,” he told his twin. Caleb gave him a sad shake of his head, commiserating that his brother was smitten by this woman. Like he was one to talk. He fell all over himself for Faith.
“Watch out for the mistletoe over the front door,” Caleb warned as he smacked Jack on the back for good luck.
Jack ignored him. He had to have thick skin to survive his brothers.
Jack glanced up at the mistletoe and then positioned himself under it. The front entry was empty, and welcoming Natasha with a kiss seemed like a great idea. He tugged his sleeve down, took a deep breath, and threw the door open. “Have you come for a kiss or a cookie?” Jack teased in a deep voice. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at Ashley and Raelynn standing on his front porch.
“Cookies,” Raelynn giggled, and squeezed past him.
“I’ll take that kiss.” Ashley stepped forward before he could step back and planted one on him.
Jack held his hands in the air the whole time, too shocked by the strange turn of events to stop her in time. The entire thing lasted less than five seconds—during which Jack felt nothing but shock and a small dash of horror. He needed to see who was on the other side of the door before he offered kisses.
“See, Raelynn,” Ashley pronounced as they took off their coats and hung them on the hooks, “I told you it pays to arrive fashionably late.” She took her charge by the hand and sashayed into the front room, glancing over her shoulder in a come-hither way.
Jack shook himself; that was unpleasant.
As he shut the door, he saw Natasha standing at the bottom of the stairs. She folded her arms and looked from him to the mistletoe. “I guess I’m not the only one you made a deal with.”
Jack’s face flushed red. “That was an accident.” He motioned over his shoulder frantically, words of explanation evaporating like water in the teakettle.
“Yeah, that’s what it looked like from here.” She glared.
He stepped out, closing the door behind him. “If you hit the replay button, you’ll notice I didn’t kiss her back.”
She huffed. “Does it matter? You seem to collect hearts and kisses everywhere you go.”
He went to the top of the stairs. “It matters to me. There’s only one woman I wanted to meet under the mistletoe tonight.” The stars glittered just beyond the lights from Tinsel Town, and the moon was bright on the horizon.
“Yeah, tonight.” She stomped up the steps. “What about tomorrow? Or yesterday? Who stood here then?”
