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Christmas bride?
That meant Ryder wasn’t married.
Cassidy sat in the passenger’s seat and took a peek around Molly seated in her booster seat with Bandit’s big, warm body pressed to her side, and at Ryder as he drove her truck.
He tossed a look her way—with a raised eyebrow that made her breath hitch. “Still got that headache?”
“How did you—”
“Your eyes. Dead giveaway.”
She couldn’t be sure if the throbbing pain was from hitting the steering wheel or from trying to figure out what had happened to Ryder and to Molly’s mom.
Molly pointed to the small, white bandage with a stubby index finger. “Did Daddy kiss your boo-boo for you?”
“No, ma’am.” The laughter stayed trapped in Cassidy’s lungs. She couldn’t imagine Ryder wanting to do that for her.
The little girl tsked and shook her head. “That’s why it’s not all better now.”
“Must be.” She searched his profile until he turned to catch her watching him. His direct look unnerved her, so she bit her lip and turned back to the passing scenery.
It had been years since Cassidy had gotten this far back into Texas—maybe because it reminded her sweet, late momma too much of her pining to settle here, but went on the road with Cassidy to protect her.
Burning stung the backs of her eyes.
I miss you, Momma. Funny how she’d written that song and now every top female country artist longed to record it. Not letting that one go. Just give me some time and I can do it on my own. I hope...
The last of the fiery orange sun hung low in the sky and bathed the fields in rays, stretching miles long. The trees—some leaves still clinging for life—seemed to lift their branches for the remaining touch of warmth cast their way.
Fence lines—long white boards mixed with long rows of stone—divided patches of land. Houses sat back far off the country lane. The barns stood faded, yet proud and sturdy.
Nostalgia swept over her in waves as crisp, cool air through the half-opened window brushed over her skin.
She sucked in a breath and then another. “Smells just as sweet as I recall.”
“Like apples.” Molly’s tone held a grin.
“And here I thought it was you and your bubblegum.” A smile tugged up the corner of Cassidy’s mouth. “Should I call you sugarplum?”
The child’s infectious chuckle thrust away all Cassidy’s sad memories. The good ones crowded in and she allowed herself to welcome the rush of images of her momma and her flying down this road to finally get back to the McCall ranch and the only family they had left.
Some of their best times were shared here. All their troubles fell away and the McCalls tucked them close and in the family folds. The ranching life and being close to the land and part of something special tugged at Momma something fierce.
Bless her daddy for leaving the thread of information of his long lost Texas cousins in his letter—the one soldiers wrote just in case something ever happened to them. It did. To him.
She barely recalled him now—except for him buying her that small pink guitar and teaching her how to play and him talking about his dream of longing to be a country music singer—being about as old as Molly was the day she and Momma opened the door in answer to the sharp knock and discovered the men in smartly dressed uniforms waiting on the other side with the saddest look in their eyes.
Pain came, quick and hard, at the crushing memory and recalling the sound of her momma’s sobbing. The only thing that had soothed her was Cassidy singing to her through the long nights and days on end. It had saved them. Then and later when Cassidy earned good money to support them both.
She’d have done anything in the world to honor her hero daddy and to give her momma the things she deserved for all her sacrifices of being a lonely, soldier’s widow and a single parent.
The connection with little Molly brought Cassidy up short. Glancing her way, Cassidy couldn’t imagine being so young and losing a mother. Momma had been her everything, but every once in a while she’d get that pit in her tummy and the ache in her heart over her daddy.
And Molly seemed to cope well, smiling and joking with her daddy now. But late at night, she must miss her momma.
Of course! Why else would she want a Christmas bride for her daddy? She’d get a mother, too.
Best I stay far away from these two. No use in hurting sweet Molly in the end and better to keep her distance from Ryder who stirred up too many buried yearnings; Cassidy wasn’t taking on a family. Not now. Maybe ever.
Families never stayed together. Not on the road. The strain and stress tore them apart. Only hurt followed.
Darn it if she’d be a casualty to it or create a mess in her wake. Hadn’t she pushed Ryder away to save them both from eventual heartache? She’d loved him too much to submit him to more pain and suffering than he’d already had in his world.
She had plans. Big ones! Regaining her voice was only the first, most important one.
Arriving at the Nashville courthouse after the first of the year to file a lawsuit against her ex manager came in a close second right now.
Her lawyers were combing through the stack of papers she’d found, attempting to uncover all his misdeeds, reckless deals, and shady ways. The list had grown by leaps and bounds the last ten days and, instead of getting better, it had made her speaking voice worse—the tension settling there.
On the advice of her attorneys, she’d escaped the constant press hounding her and their increasing interest in her meetings with the financial investigators on her team.
Just as soon as she got some peace and quiet in Honor, Texas, she could figure out a plan of action from that point forward after the holidays. Nothing short of a miraculous comeback would do.
Dang if she was going to throw away the only hope to be something special her daddy and momma could be proud of. Daddy, I promise, I’ll live this dream for both of us!
Cassidy’s heart rate picked up pace when Ryder drove under the McCall Ranch sign and down the lane. Soon he pulled up beside the five other trucks nearby.
“Home for the holidays, Cass?” Ryder’s question, filled to brimming with curiosity, broke through her thoughts.
“Four weeks.” She wanted to clear her suddenly clogged throat, but didn’t want to jostle anything important there. Her voice was a tender instrument she’d mistreated and now she was paying for it. A niggle of fear arrowed through her again. Had she lost it forever?
He nodded curtly, accepting the fact this was only temporary, like they had been. Only he hadn’t known until the end...
A bubble of tension rose.
“Just so we all know.”
“Know what, Daddy?” Molly unbuckled and shifted, rearranging her squashed wings.
“Miss Cassidy is just visiting.”
“Okay, if you say so, but she can come back, right? Like for my birthday and yours and everything...”
“Never know what’s in store.” Cassidy choked out, torn between not wanting to hurt the little girl and not flat out telling her the truth.
A sharp whistle sliced the air.
Cassidy jerked around and saw the McCall family pouring out of the front door and onto the porch. “Gramps!”
“Well, come on now.” Her oldest and dearest cousin waved a hand to come along. “We don’t have all night.” His voice held a grin. “Ryder and little Molly, don’t be shy.”
It took only minutes for Cassidy to jump down from the cab of the truck, get Bandit to do the same, and then rush across the driveway and to the ranch house.
Even if she had a few sore spots behind her ribs, she had a whole lot more excitement in there, bubbling up. Her eyes stung.
“Why, cuz, you sure do look mighty well!” She gained the stairs and hugged Gramps, holding him tight. What would she have done if he hadn’t have made it? “Dang, but you gave us a scare.”
He wrapped his big arms around her and patted her back. “You’re telling me. ’Bout met my maker. But never mind me.” He held her at arm’s length and smiled widely at her upturned face. “Why, Cassidy James McCall, you’re all grown up. When did that happen? Look like the best of your momma and the best of our side.”
“Thank you kindly.” She felt the warmth in her cheeks, liking that connection and feeling a part of them, too.
“Gramps, don’t go hogging her all to yourself now.” Rose thrust her way through and gave Cassidy a swift, tight embrace. “There. Got mine in. Now, I better finish up supper. Hope you’re hungry.” The cook and foreman’s wife and family friend was already turned around and headed back into the house where delicious scents floated to them.
“Yes, ma’am. Missed your good cooking.” The woman reminded her of fun times in the kitchen baking with her, Miss Winnie, and Cassidy’s momma.
“You won’t be disappointed none.” Gramps tapped his belly. “She’s only gotten better with time and she’s on a mission to get some muscle back on me since the surgery.”
Soon Cassidy was swept up in greetings from her cousins, Cody and Conner, and then their wives and Caleb’s wife. Cassidy had known Hannah as Cody’s best friend all these years. And Jenny tagged along with her brother, Sonny, to visit his best friend, Caleb. Who would have imagined they’d ever get to the marriage part together? “Well, I’ll be. Nothing’s ever dull around these parts. Three McCall weddings in just months!”
“We can make that a fourth, if you’ve got a beau, Cassidy.” Gramps chuckled, tipping back his cowboy hat and then scratching his chin.
When she turned to shake her head, her gaze met Ryder’s intense stare. Instant heat whooshed up and into her cheeks. One time, six years ago...
“Christmas wedding would be pretty at the McCall ranch.”
“Gramps, you first.” She tried joking, but she couldn’t drag her stare away from Ryder’s as he searched her features and watched as she bit her bottom lip.
“Now, don’t go starting anything, Cass. My Winnie was my one and only. Don’t think I don’t know you turned the tables, young lady.”
“Caught that, did you?”
“But we need a Christmas bride for my daddy.” Molly slipped her little hand into Cassidy’s and squeezed.
Looking down into her pretty blue eyes nearly undid Cassidy. Her heart tugged hard and sharp. How could anyone say no to that sweet face with the dimples showing when she smiled like that?
The block sitting in her chest cracked. Ryder’s child. She could have been ours. Cassidy bit back the gasp that bubbled up in her throat. But she couldn’t quite stop the ache in her chest...
“That’s... up to Santa, don’t you think?” Cassidy blinked back the sudden tears.
“That’s it! I’m gonna write him a letter and have a good talking to him at the Christmas parade and he’ll understand then, won’t he, Daddy?”
“Don’t know about that, sweetie. Santa and I aren’t exactly on the best of terms.”
“I guess I have to fix that, too.” Molly grinned as she winked at Cassidy.
Something squeezed behind her ribcage and Cassidy didn’t like it one stinking bit. This little girl snuck in and stole pieces of her already. She might be able to shield herself from Ryder...
Yeah, right, if you believe that, you’re a bigger fool than I ever figured you for, Cass!
