A Cowboy's Christmas Wedding. Pamela Britton

chew.”

      They were in the kitchen, a spacious room that overlooked the front pasture thanks to an octagon window where a bar-height kitchen table sat. Not for the first time Seadra found herself wondering how Cabe could have such a delightful daughter and be such a stink-butt himself.

      “What do you need help with?” Rana jiggled in her chair, her brown braids falling over the front of her shoulders. She didn’t wear her cowboy hat, but she’d been wearing one when she’d gotten off the bus at the end of the driveway an hour or so ago. Saedra had watched her walk up the long road from where she and Ramses had settled on one of the pillow cushions next to the window. She’d been writing her to-do list for the wedding, but she liked the young girl. A friendly face. She needed that.

      “Everything.” Saedra played with the notepad she’d used. Scrawled in her loopy handwriting was a list a mile long, or so it seemed. She sighed. “I guess the first thing to do is decide where we should have it.”

      “Here.”

      Saedra tried not to laugh. “Not possible, kiddo. Half the rodeo world will be attending, and you don’t have the room. You should have seen everyone at the finals—they can’t wait to watch Trent get hitched. Frankly, there’s no need to send out invitations because everyone who’s anyone is already planning to attend.”

      The girl tapped her fingers on the side of her cheek, sunlight from the nearby windows making her blue eyes appear huge. “We can rent a tent.”

      “What if it snows?”

      “Then it’ll be a white wedding.”

      Oh, if only it were that simple.

      “The weight of the snow will collapse the tent.”

      “Then we can move the wedding into the horse barn.”

      “It’s not big enough.”

      “Then I think we’re hosed.”

      Hosed? She almost laughed. She hadn’t heard that term in ages. “I think we are, indeed, hosed.”

      “No, really, Saedra. We’re in trouble. There’s no place in town where you can have a wedding on such short notice. It’ll be Christmas week. The churches will all be having events. So will any of the other usual places. And we don’t have a big hotel with a big wedding hall. It’s going to have to be here. Plus, I think Alana wants it that way, however we manage to do it.”

      The kid had a point.

      Saedra wrinkled her nose. “Okay, fine. I’ll call Alana up and ask her for her thoughts.” She made a note in the margin of her list. “What about flowers? Any florists in town?”

      “Actually, two.”

      Woo-hoo. Such a variety.

      “I can do the wedding cake myself if I have to, although I prefer not to,” Saedra muttered. “But I’m a little stuck on the menu. I would offer to barbecue, but once again, the weather—”

      “You need to talk to my dad about cooking. He’s really awesome in the kitchen. He had to learn after my mom died.”

      The sadness that flitted across the girl’s face was like a wisp of fog, gone before it could fully form, but still there. Saedra’s throat sprouted a lump. Poor thing. She should really cut Cabe some slack. He’d been through a lot.

      “Is there a phone book I can use?”

      Rana stared at her as if she was speaking a foreign language. “Phone book?”

      “Yeah. You know. The yellow book with newspaper pages with numbers on them.” She sent the girl a teasing smile.

      “No, but there’s Google.”

      “Do you have internet?”

      “Of course.” Rana gave her a look that clearly said the Jensens weren’t complete rednecks. “But I think you should go into town with my dad. You know, see what you can find. Maybe one of the Lions Club halls would work if it’s not being used.”

      Not on her life—at least as far as going anywhere with her dad.

      “That’s okay.” She tried for a sunny smile, although she wasn’t entirely certain if she succeeded. “I think I’ll wing it on my own. How far is town from here?”

      A perplexed frown filled the girl’s face. “You passed it on your way here.”

      That was town? Oh, dear. She’d thought for sure she’d missed a turnoff and that there was a big shopping mall and a residential area somewhere off in the distance. This might be more difficult than she imagined.

      “What’s the next biggest town?”

      “Maybe Susanville.” Rana swept a lock of brown hair off her face. “Or Reno.”

      Reno. That might be an option. She’d driven through there on her way to New Horizons Ranch.

      “Okay, great. I’m off, then.”

      “Not without my dad.”

      Saedra tucked her chair in, the legs screeching on the hardwood floors. “I don’t need your dad.”

      “What if you get lost?”

      “How can I get lost? There’s only one road.”

      “There’s other businesses tucked off side streets.” The girl jumped off her stool. “Dad!” She turned toward the front of the house. “Saedra needs to go into town.”

      “No,” Saedra cried, holding out her hands. “That’s okay. I can explore on my own.”

      “Da-ad!” Rana called again.

      “It’s okay, Rana. Really. No need to bother—”

      “What’s all the yelling about?”

      Crud. He must have been right around the corner.

      “Saedra needs you to take her into town,” the girl announced.

      The man filled the doorway, and without his cowboy hat, his brown wavy hair made him appear more boyish. Not at all what she would have expected.

      “Actually, I’ll be fine on my own.”

      “But you don’t know where anything is.” Rana met her father’s gaze. “She needs to visit the florist and maybe stop off at someplace that rents tents.”

      “No, no.” Saedra pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll be fine on my own.” She shot him a smile. “Have Google, will travel.”

      Cabe’s lips lifted, but not into a smile. No. More of a grimace. She could tell he searched for a graceful way out of his daughter’s request, but couldn’t think of anything.

      “What time did you want to leave?”

      She released a sigh of disappointment. “Really, Cabe. It’s okay. I’m sure you have a million things to do, what with guests arriving tomorrow—”

      “Don’t listen to her, Dad. She’s trying to be polite, but we don’t have time for that. Trent and Alana’s wedding is in two weeks.”

      And somewhere in there was Christmas, as Rana had mentioned. Come to think of it, where were all the Christmas decorations? Not so much as a jingle bell in sight.

      “I can take you to town in an hour.”

      “Perfect!” Rana couldn’t contain her excitement. “I’ll stay here and research outdoor weddings. Maybe someone can rent us a portable building or something.”

      Saedra spun to face the little girl. “You’re not going with us?” She was certain her panic showed on her face.

      “Nah. I have some homework to do. But I stay here alone all the time. No need to look so worried.”

      Worried was not the