Christmas At Cade Ranch. Karen Rock

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      Here was Sofia’s chance to explain why she couldn’t say yes...to confess her secret fears. Yet she hesitated. She didn’t want Joy to see her as weak. A potentially bad parent.

      How she wished Javi could be part of a real family for the first time in his life. And have guaranteed meals. A warm house. A bed of his own to sleep in over the holidays. Even if the Cades didn’t celebrate them any longer, it’d be a step up from anything she and Javi ever experienced.

      All pros.

      But the con? She’d have to live with the constant drumbeat of her past failings. Plus, what if the Portland job lead dried up? The position, a receptionist post held by a pregnant doctor’s wife, needed to be filled soon. Although they were flexible on the start date, according to Sofia’s friend Mary, and were willing to wait for Sofia, as they were happy to help a struggling single mother, she couldn’t impose on their patience forever. At the very least, she’d need to call them with an updated arrival date and hope they didn’t see her as unreliable and change their minds.

      “But I don’t...”

      The back door flung open and Javi skidded through it, accompanied by a frigid gust. “Guess what I found!”

      “What, honey?”

      “This!” Javi held up a stocking nearly as big as he was. Red glitter emblazoned the letter J across the top.

      “Where did you find that?” Joy asked, her voice faint.

      “It was by the trash. Can I keep it, Mama? It’s so big. Maybe Santa will see it, and he won’t forget me this year.”

      “Oh. Honey.”

      “Of course Santa won’t forget you.”

      “He doesn’t come for kids who don’t have houses. Will we have one in Portland?”

      Joy placed a hand over her heart.

      Sofia thought of the struggle they’d have getting started in that new city, especially if she didn’t have their IDs or cash. Javi would go another holiday without.

      She took a deep breath and turned over her options. Perhaps, in the short term, she could put aside her insecurities to help a deserving woman and give Javi a real Christmas with family.

      “We can stay, but only for a month and maybe an extra week or two, at most,” she hedged, looking at Joy.

      “Thank you!” She threw her arms around Sofia and tears sprang to her eyes. Javi whooped and raced around their legs.

      She returned Joy’s hug, breathing in the light floral scent that rose from her neck, overwhelmed at the rush of emotion and the sense of rightness. If only this could be forever.

      Shutting down her own pity party with a firm hand, she hustled to the refrigerator and evaluated possible ingredients for a replacement meal.

      Tomatoes. Red onion. Cucumber...

      Her time on Cade Ranch had a shelf life she needed to remember lest she grow too attached. And that included one very masculine member of the Cade clan as well, she firmly reminded herself.

      Bell pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce...

      Joy joined her at the fridge, swiping damp cheeks.

      Sofia cleared her throat. “How does gazpacho sound?”

      Joy cocked her head. “I’d like to try it. Not sure about James, though. He doesn’t like different.”

      Of course he didn’t. “Well, he’ll learn to like it. Do you have jalapeño peppers?”

      “They’re Justin’s favorite snack.”

      An hour later, Sofia sat across from James at the eat-in kitchen’s table. She felt his dark eyes on her and her cheeks grew warm. He shouldn’t stare. Was he staring? She glanced up and caught his gaze. Great. Now she was staring.

      She poured Javi another glass of milk, then passed the cold glass pitcher to Justin. His resemblance to Jesse unnerved her, despite the beard, mustache, cuts, bruises and scars transecting his face. It raised the specter of Jesse and her past. Why, oh, why, had she volunteered to stay at Cade Ranch?

      “This is good.” Jewel dipped her spoon in the gazpacho. “I like it. Spicy.” The light cast from an old-time wagon wheel fixture gleamed on her French braids and glinted on the arrowhead pendant tied around her throat.

      “It’s different.” James held his spoon aloft, eyeing the dripping red concoction.

      “And we know how much you love different,” drawled Jared, the good-looking one, James had said. She eyed Jared’s sculpted features. His fine-boned nose and high cheekbones. She guessed he looked like Orlando Bloom, though it did nothing for her.

      Now, James, on the other hand... Her eyes drifted to the rugged cowboy, met his gaze and dropped again. He was a dramatically attractive man. Lean strength and work-rumpled sexiness. He was getting under her skin in the worst way.

      And what was so “different” about gazpacho?!

      “Weren’t we supposed to have stew tonight?” he asked in his low baritone; his direct way of looking at her, his squint, jumbling her thoughts.

      Jared coughed, “Schedule,” behind his fist, and Jewel chucked a bread roll at James. He snatched it easily out of the air, split it and began buttering, the nonchalant move comical. At her quick snort of laughter, he smiled at her, lines deepening on either side of his brown eyes with their ridiculous eyelashes. She felt an urge to run her fingers over his thick brush of hair.

      “Joy dropped it. Blam!” Javi jumped in his chair. “Can I call you Grandma?”

      “Javi. Eat please.” Sofia eyed her son’s untouched bowl, the dark circles beneath his eyes, the hollows of his cheeks.

      “You can call me anything you like, honey.” Joy reached out and guided Javi back down into his seat.

      James’s smile faded. “Was it your wrist again? You’ve put off your surgery too long and—”

      “I’m scheduling it for next week,” Joy cut in, a tad breathless.

      The Cade siblings slowly put down their spoons and glasses.

      “It’s about time.” Jared reached across the table and patted his mother’s hand.

      “That’s wonderful, Mama!” cried Jewel. “And I’ll help with the housework like I promised,” she added slowly, dragging the words from her throat. “Maybe I can finally learn how to cook. I could make those Christmas cookies. The ones with the frosting. You haven’t made those since...since...”

      “Noooooooo,” groaned Jared and Justin.

      Joy shook her head. “You stay in the saddle where you’re needed, honey. Sofia kindly offered to stay on and help us out.”

      Amid the exclamations of gratitude, Sofia noticed one very silent and СКАЧАТЬ