The Cowboy's Christmas Bride. Patricia Johns

that story and she couldn’t be the one to tell him.

      Dakota and Brody always had been close as kids. She’d been fiercely protective of her quiet big brother, and he’d never really treated her like a little kid. Before he’d left, they’d discussed the future of the ranch in depth together, and it felt weird to have him so far away. But this was what Brody had always dreamed of, joining the army and protecting his country.

      A brown, floppy-eared mutt raced after the truck as she pulled to a stop next to the single-level ranch house. Shelby bounced excitedly, planting several muddy footprints into Dakota’s jeans when she opened the door.

      “Hi, girl,” she said, scratching the dog behind the ears.

      “That you, Dakota?” Her mother’s voice came from the house and then she appeared at the screen door. Her sweater was rolled up to the elbows, her front covered in a floral print apron and her hands—held up like a surgeon’s—were covered in flour.

      “Hi, Mom.”

      “Where were you?”

      “I was just lining things up with the Grangers for their cattle drive.” Dakota gave Shelby another rub and then headed toward the house. She kicked her boots against the step on her way in.

      She glanced down at her phone and skimmed her brother’s email as she came in past the screen door.

      “What are you reading?” her mother asked, glancing over her shoulder. She was working on some cinnamon buns, rolling out the fluffy dough with a heavy, wooden rolling pin.

      “Email from Brody.”

      “How’s he doing?”

      They all missed Brody. He’d been gone a full year now, and anyone who heard from him was honor-bound to share with the rest of the family. He was serving the country, and Dakota was so proud of him it almost hurt sometimes, but that only made their secret here at home all the heavier.

      “He’s asking about Nina again,” Dakota said as she came into the kitchen, and she and her mother exchanged a look.

      “What did you say?” her mother asked, reaching for the butter plate.

      “I haven’t answered him.” Dakota sighed. “I really don’t like lying to him, Mom. He’s going to hate us for this.”

      Brody was the big, burly kind of guy who kept his thoughts to himself, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel things deeply. Dakota had often thought the girl who ended up with her brother would be lucky, indeed, which was why his choice of Nina Harpe had been such a disappointment. But he’d asked Nina to marry him and she’d accepted. What could they do?

      “I don’t want him distracted over that little idiot when he’s dodging bullets,” she retorted. That little idiot was what her mother had called Nina since she’d sheepishly announced she was marrying Brian Dickerson eight months after Brody had been deployed. She’d followed through with that—a tiny wedding she’d agreed to keep secret—and then promptly moved to the city with her new husband. To add insult to injury, Brian had been Brody’s best friend since elementary school. They both were going to have some explaining to do when Brody got back home. As was Dakota when she’d have to tell her brother why she’d kept the secret, and she wasn’t looking forward to coming clean. Brody was going to be crushed.

      Brody was better off without Nina, though. She was flighty and more preoccupied with material objects and celebrity gossip than she was anything worthwhile. She had perfectly coiffed red hair, swaying hips and breasts like melons. She left a cloud of perfume in her wake, and a string of gaping men.

      Nina was a self-involved flirt, much like Andy Granger, but having Nina take up with Brian behind her brother’s back was worse. Brody’s taste might be a little lacking, but he deserved better than that while he fought for his country. Apparently, Nina hadn’t been able to wait long before she got sidetracked by the next available guy. They’d all agreed to keep the secret until he got back. Then Nina could rip his heart out at her leisure, when he was safely home again.

      “Don’t worry, I have plenty to distract Brody with,” Dakota said with a wry smile. “Did you know that Chet and Mackenzie are at the city hospital right now?”

      “I just heard that from Audrey,” her mother said with a frown. “Apparently the babies are low in amniotic fluid and she needs to be under medical supervision. Who’s taking care of the ranch while they’re gone?”

      “Andy.”

      “What?” Her mother looked back. “Seriously? So the prodigal son has come back, has he?”

      “As a favor to Chet, he claims,” she replied, her mind flashing to the meeting at the Granger ranch. “So he’ll be the one leading the cattle drive. I don’t think Andy knows enough to lead one on his own, but apparently he’s going to try.”

      Her mother fell silent and they exchanged a tired look. Andy Granger was old news. They’d talked about him on a regular basis, and he’d grown bigger and badder with each mention.

      Dakota remembered coming back late one night after the construction had started and the water had dried up, and could recall overhearing her parents talking in the kitchen, their voices filtering through the open window. Her father had sounded so gutted, so deeply sad, that his deep voice trembled.

      “Millie, we might lose this place...” There had been a pause so long Dakota’s leg had almost cramped as she’d tried to stay still. “That Granger kid... He did this. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him.”

      Dakota had never forgotten those words or the quivering sadness in his voice. Because of Andy, her father stood to lose the land that fueled his heart, and she was determined to do whatever it took to keep them ranching.

      Hence looking for side work and extra income. She’d taken anything she could get for the last several years, but it had never quite added up to enough.

      “The cattle drive starts Monday,” Dakota said. “So, like I said, I’ll have plenty to update Brody about without having to say much of anything about Nina.”

      “Are you sure you want to do this?” her mother asked. “You agreed to work with Chet, not Andy.”

      “There aren’t that many jobs posted right now, Mom.” Dakota picked up an apple from the fruit bowl and polished it on her shirt. “And the Grangers are paying pretty well. Don’t worry. I can deal with Andy Granger for a few days.” Dakota shot her mother a grin. “I’m pretty sure he’s more afraid of me than I am of him.”

      Her bravado was only partially sincere, though. She wasn’t looking forward in the least to doing a cattle drive with Andy, but the last thing her mother needed was to shoulder more guilt about the family finances. It wasn’t her fault that she’d gotten sick or that the insurance company had fallen through when they’d needed them most. What mattered was that she’d gotten the hysterectomy she’d so desperately needed and was back to full strength.

      “As for Nina...” her mother added. “We only have to keep the secret until your brother gets home in February. Just a few months longer. I’d rather have him find out when he has family support.”

      It was an old conversation—one they’d had a hundred times before—and Dakota stared down at the polished apple in her hands.

      “What about Dad?” she asked cautiously. “I know how he feels about Andy and all—”

      “He’ll be fine. A paycheck is a paycheck.” She smiled wanly. “As long as you think you can handle it.”

      Dakota took a bite of the crisp apple and chewed thoughtfully. Times like these she missed her brother the most. Brody would have some wisecrack to make them laugh and he’d manage to cut Andy down to size in no time.

      “I’m going to go fill the feeders before it gets too late,” Dakota said. They’d done their own cattle drive last month and the whole herd was back in the nearby fields. The cows wouldn’t wait,