A Cold Creek Noel. RaeAnne Thayne

Luke, but that didn’t mean she was obligated to invite him to move in down the road, for Pete’s sake.

      She still wasn’t quite sure what had motivated her offer. Maybe that little spark of compassion in his blue eyes when he had tended to Luke with that surprising gentleness. Or maybe it was simply that she couldn’t resist his cute son’s charm.

      Whatever the reason, they would only be there a few weeks. She likely wouldn’t even see the man, especially as it appeared he spent most of his time at the veterinary clinic. And she could be comfortable knowing she had done her good deed for the day. Wasn’t Christmas the perfect time for a little welcoming generosity?

      “What did you think of his doctoring?” Ridge asked.

      She thought of Luke and his carefully bandaged injuries. “He’s not Doc Harris but I suppose he’ll do.”

      Ridge chuckled. “You’ll never think anybody is as good as Doc Harris. The two of you have taken care of a lot of animals together.”

      She had loved working at the vet clinic when she was in high school. It was just about the only thing that had kept her going after her parents died, those quiet moments when she would be holding a sick or injured animal and feeling some measure of peace.

      “He’s a good man. Dr. Caldwell has some pretty big boots to fill,” she answered.

      “From rumors I’ve been hearing around town, he’s doing a good job of it so far.”

      She didn’t want to talk about the veterinarian anymore. It was bad enough she couldn’t seem to think about anything else since she had left the clinic.

      “What were you saying to Destry after I started clearing the dishes? I heard something about the wagon,” Caidy said.

      He glanced through the open doorway into the dining room, where Destry was bent over the table working on a homework assignment about holiday traditions in Europe.

      “Des asked me if she could invite Gabi and a couple of their other friends over for a wagon ride Sunday night. She suggested caroling to the neighbors.”

      She never should have shared with Destry her memories of doing that very thing with their parents when she and the boys were young. “What did you tell her?”

      He didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. She could tell by his expression that he had given in. Ridge might be a hard man when it came to their cattle and the ranch, but when it came to his daughter he was soft as new taffy.

      “You’re a good father, Ridge.”

      “She loves Christmas,” he finally said. “What can I do?”

      The rest of them weren’t quite as fond of the holidays as Des but they put on a good show for her sake. Since their parents’ murders just a few days before Christmas eleven years ago, the holidays seemed to dredge up difficult emotions.

      Becca and Laura had worked some kind of sparkly holiday magic over Trace and Taft. This year the twins seemed to be more into the spirit of Christmas than she’d ever seen them. They had both volunteered to cut trees for everyone. They had even gone a little overboard, cutting a few extras for neighbors and friends.

      She and Ridge didn’t share their enthusiasm, though they both went through the motions every year. Caidy even had all her Christmas presents wrapped and the actual holiday was still more than a week away. No more last-minute panics for her this year.

      “What time are they coming?”

      “I told her to make arrangements for about seven. I figured we would be done with Sunday dinner by then.”

      Though Taft and Trace both lived closer to town, her brothers usually brought their families out to the ranch every week. With the hectic pace of their lives protecting and serving the good people of Pine Gulch, it was sometimes the only chance she had to see them all week.

      “I’ll throw some cookies in just before they get here so they can have something warm in their little bellies before they go. And I’ll make hot chocolate for the ride, of course.”

      “Thanks. Destry will appreciate that, I’m sure.” He finished wiping down the countertop and set the cloth on the sink’s edge. “You won’t consider coming with us?”

      By his solemn expression, she knew he was aware just what he asked of her. “I don’t think so.”

      “You would really send me off on my own with five or six giggly girls?”

      “You can take one of the dogs with you,” she offered with a grin.

      He made a face but quickly grew serious again. “It’s been eleven years, Caidy. Taft and Trace have moved on and both have families. Of all of us, you deserve to do the same. I wish you could find a little Christmas joy again.”

      “I find plenty of joy the rest of the year. Just not so much in December.”

      His mouth tightened, his eyes darkening with familiar sadness. Each of them had struggled in different ways after their parents’ deaths. Ridge had become more stoic and controlled, Taft had gone a little crazy dating all the wild women at the tavern in town and Trace had become a dedicated lawman.

      And she was still hiding away here at the River Bow.

      “You need to move on,” her brother said. “Maybe it’s time you think about trying school again.”

      “Maybe.” She gave a noncommittal answer, too tired to fight with him right now after the ordeal of Luke’s injury and the hours spent in the waiting room of the veterinary clinic. “Hey, thanks again for letting the vet stay in the foreman’s cottage. It shouldn’t be longer than a few weeks.”

      Ridge wasn’t fooled for a moment. He knew she was trying to change the subject. For once he didn’t try to call her on it.

      “Just think. For a few weeks anyway we’ll have our own veterinarian-in-residence. With your menagerie, that should come in pretty handy.”

      She made a face. Given her unwilling reaction to the man, she would rather not have need of his professional services again anytime soon.

      * * *

      A good four inches of snow fell during the night. It clung to the trees and bowed down the branches, turning the town into an enchanting winter wonderland, especially with the craggy mountains looming in the distance.

      Added to the few inches that had fallen the previous evening, that should be plenty for Destry to have a great time with her friends on the sleigh ride the next night, Caidy thought as she drove through the quiet stillness of the unplowed roads on her way to the clinic the next morning.

      It wasn’t yet seven. She hadn’t slept well, her dreams a troubled, tangled mess. With worry for Luke uppermost in her mind, she had risen early and finished her chores. Ridge could take care of breakfast for him and Destry when he finished his own chores. Saturday morning pancakes were his specialty.

      Even with her restless sleep, she could appreciate the beauty of the morning. Colorful Christmas trees gleamed in the windows of a few houses, and she liked to imagine the children there rushing to plug in the lights the moment they woke up so they could enjoy the display before the sun was fully up.

      When she reached Dr. Caldwell’s office, she wasn’t particularly surprised to see the parking lot hadn’t been plowed yet. Like many of the small businesses in Pine Gulch, he probably paid a service to take care of that for him and the plows hadn’t made it here yet.

      With four-wheel drive and high clearance, her truck had no problem navigating through the snow. Mindful of helping the plow work around her vehicle, she parked at the edge of the lot, next to a snow-covered Range Rover she assumed must belong to Ben.

      As she headed for the building, she worried she might be waking him after a long night of watching over Luke. The sidewalks had been cleared, though. Unless he paid someone else to take care of that chore, she guessed Ben had taken care of the shoveling himself.