“Case in point,” Josie interrupted, “a male goose is a gander.”
“Thank you for that brilliant observation,” John retorted.
“We did get you right to a doctor,” Heather reminded him.
“Damn doctor had hysterics right there in his office, with his nurse bent over double right beside him. And it wasn’t funny!” John added.
“It was if you weren’t the victim,” Cole replied. He held up both hands as John glared at him, “Okay. I’ll stop,” Cole promised.
JJ was laughing, too. “Dad worked on this ranch where they kept chickens and ducks and geese. One of the ganders really had it in for Dad, but he could outrun it. He said my granddaddy could outrun a horse at full gallop.”
“So could mine,” Cole said with a warm smile. “Those old timers were tough.”
“So... the tree?” JJ said in a small voice with a hopeful look in his big eyes.
John laughed. Josie found him fascinating like that. It changed him so much from the sarcastic companion she’d grown used to. He glanced at her suddenly and caught her staring. His face changed as his eyes narrowed on her flushed cheeks. He didn’t say anything but the look made her feel odd sensations. She averted her eyes quickly before it became obvious.
“Okay, the tree it is. Who’s coming?” John asked.
“I can’t,” Heather said. “Mrs. Myers is coming to talk about a problem she’s got with one of the congregation, and I promised I’d listen.”
“And I have to go to the line cabin and see about Bailey,” Cole added.
“Josie has to come,” JJ piped up. He looked at John. “Please? I’ll bet she’s good at picking out Christmas trees.”
“We can also get one for Precious,” Josie said with a straight face. “Or maybe we could get him a girlfriend.”
“Great idea,” John said. “And she can sleep in the room with you.”
Josie threw out both hands, palms out. “No, no, no, no, no, forget I said anything!”
“And when you get back,” Heather said, “one of you has to go up in the attic and bring down the Christmas decorations that go on the tree and on the door and on the fence.”
“I’ll go get it,” John said. “But I’m not decorating it.”
“Me neither,” Cole said firmly.
“We could ask Tanner,” Heather threatened.
“If you do, you won’t see him until New Year’s,” Cole promised.
“I’ll help,” Josie volunteered. “I love Christmas. It’s my favorite season. I love to decorate things.”
“One year I asked your father for a tree,” Heather told John. “He brought it home and started hanging spurs and lariats on it.”
“Your mother has no sense of proper decorations,” Cole defended himself. “It’s a cowboy tree. It should look like a cowboy tree.”
“Exactly,” John seconded.
“Out!” Heather said. “Both of you!”
“Spoilsport,” John said, but he grinned and picked his mother up by the waist and kissed her soundly. “I’m going.”
“This is going to be such a great Christmas!” JJ said brightly.
His young face fell for just an instant. “Well, I mean it would be nice if Dad was here, too...”
Josie put her arm around his thin shoulders. “I know how it feels,” she said softly. “I miss my mom. But they’d want us to be happy, wouldn’t they? Especially at Christmastime? Which reminds me, do you all go to the Sunday morning church service on Christmas Day?”
