A Ranger For Christmas. Stella Bagwell

“Cute? I haven’t been called that since I was in high school. I’m beginning to think you’re nineteen instead of twenty-nine.”

      He pulled a playful frown at her. “You prefer your men to be old and somber?”

      “I prefer them to keep their minds on their jobs,” she said staunchly. “And you are not my man.”

      His laugh was more like a sexy promise.

      “Not yet.”

       Chapter Three

      Later that night in the big family room on Three Rivers Ranch, the Hollisters were enjoying drinks before dinner when Hannah plopped down on the couch next to Vivian.

      Eyeing the beseeching grin on her daughter’s pretty face, Vivian said, “Okay, I know that look. What are you wanting? To add something to your Christmas list?”

      Hannah wrinkled her pert little nose. “Oh, Mom, I’ve only asked for two things.”

      “Only two? A horse and a saddle. You already have both.”

      “Yes, but a girl can’t have too many horses or saddles,” her daughter pointed out, then gave her long blond braid a flip over one shoulder. “Anyway, I don’t want anything else on my Christmas list. I wanted to ask if you’d take Nick and me down to Red Bluff this weekend.”

      Frowning, Vivian placed her drink on a nearby table, then turned her full attention to Hannah. “Red Bluff? Whatever for?”

      Hannah rolled her eyes in droll fashion. “We’ve not been down there to see Aunt Camille in ages. And it’s so warm and pretty there. We want to go riding down the canyon.”

      Red Bluff Ranch was another property of the Hollister family. At thirty-five thousand acres, it was only a fraction of the size of Three Rivers, but it was equally important. Located at the bottom of the state, near Dragoon, the climate remained much milder than Three Rivers. Each autumn her oldest brother, Blake, who managed the family ranch, shipped several hundred head of cow/calf pairs to Red Bluff for winter grazing.

      “It’s a long drive to Red Bluff and I don’t want to haul two horses that far just for a weekend trip.”

      Scooting closer, Hannah grabbed her mother’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “But you wouldn’t have to haul the horses. Matt says Daisy and Dahlia are down there. We can ride them.”

      The two paint mares were sisters and perfectly suitable for her daughter and nephew to ride. Which meant she had one less excuse to avoid making the trip. “I’m not sure Camille would want our company.”

      “Yes, she would. She told me that she gets lonely down there by herself.”

      “If she gets that lonely she’d come home and live with her family,” Vivian muttered, then sighed as she noticed the disapproving look on her daughter’s face. “Okay, I shouldn’t have said that.”

      Hannah shook her head. “It wasn’t nice, Mom. You just don’t like it because Aunt Camille wants to live down there instead of up here with all of us. That’s her choice.”

      That much was true, Vivian thought. She missed her younger sister. She also thought Camille was making a mistake by running and hiding from her personal problems. But she wasn’t going to discuss those matters. Hannah already knew too much about everyone and everything.

      “You’re right and I’m sorry,” Vivian said. “So about this trip that you and Nick have conjured up, what do his parents think about it?”

      Before the girl could answer, Nick, who was one year younger than Hannah, suddenly appeared in front of the couch, and from the excited grin on his face, Vivian already had her answer.

      “Mom and Dad say it’s okay with them if we go to Red Bluff. Are we going, Aunt Viv?”

      Last June, when Blake had married widow Katherine O’Dell, he’d also become an instant father to her son, Nick. Since then, the boy had taken to ranch life like a duck to water and like Hannah, his world revolved around cattle, horses and being a cowboy. The two children were practically inseparable and, remarkable as it seemed, never fussed or fought for any reason.

      She studied Nick’s eager face before glancing at her daughter. “Well, I didn’t have anything important planned for this weekend. And if you two have your school studies caught up, I suppose we could make a trip down there.”

      “Oh, wow! That’s great, Aunt Viv! Thanks!”

      Hannah flung herself at her mother and promptly smothered the side of Vivian’s face with appreciative kisses. “Thank you, Mom! You’re the best!”

      “Okay, okay.” Vivian laughed. “The trip is on—as long as you two don’t get into trouble before Saturday morning.”

      “Oh, Mom, we’ll be so good you’re going to see halos over our heads.” Hannah gave Nick a conspiring wink. “Right, Nick?”

      “Right!”

      Vivian glanced over to the fireplace, where Blake and Katherine were sitting close together on a love seat. Apparently the two of them had been watching her exchange with the children. Blake was giving Vivian a thumbs-up sign, while Katherine was showing her approval with a wide smile.

      Besides making her daughter and nephew happy, she’d be treating Blake and Katherine to a quiet weekend, something the two of them certainly deserved. As ranch manager of Three Rivers, her brother carried a tremendous load on his shoulders. Frankly, Vivian had been surprised when he’d taken on an even bigger responsibility of a wife and son. But marriage clearly agreed with him. She’d never seen Blake looking so contented and happy.

      Yes, two of her brothers were happily married now, Vivian thought wistfully. More than a year ago, Joseph and Tessa were wed in a beautiful ceremony on the front lawn of their ranch, the Bar X. The two were still madly in love and had a baby son, Little Joe, to prove it. Blake and Katherine had been married for several months, yet they continued to look at each other like dreamy-eyed newlyweds.

      Vivian was thrilled for her brothers, but seeing the way they adored their wives had her often wondering if a man would ever really look at her that way, as though he would cherish and protect her for all of his life.

      “There’s Jazelle. Dinner must be ready,” Hannah announced.

      As Hannah bounced up from the couch, Vivian glanced across the room to see the young housekeeper speaking to Maureen. No doubt she was telling her that Reeva had dinner ready to be served.

       You cook breakfast before you leave for work?

      Sawyer’s question suddenly drifted through Vivian’s mind and she realized he thought of her as a regular woman, one who cooked and cleaned and cared for her own home. What would he think of her once he found out she lived with her family and for all of her thirty-five years she’d had a huge support system around her? That she was helpless or even too privileged?

      “Mom? What’s wrong? Aren’t you coming to dinner?”

      Hannah’s voice penetrated Vivian’s deep thoughts and she glanced around to see the room had emptied, except for her daughter and nephew, who were waiting impatiently for her to join them.

      “Oh. Sorry. I was thinking about something.” Rising from the couch, she slung an arm around each child. “I hope Reeva has cooked up something good tonight. Are you two hungry?”

      “I’m starving!” Nick exclaimed. “We’re having barbecue ribs and charro beans!”

      “Sounds good,” Vivian replied, even though she doubted she could muster more than four or five bites.

      “Reeva says if no one wants ribs they can have menudo,” Hannah chimed in. “That’s what I want. With lots of onions and jalapenos!”

      The Mexican