Page 69 of The Cowboy's Miracle Baby

Wide-eyed with the mystery, Ella said, “But Daddy, you said—”

“I know what I said. Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” Gus took Ella’s hand, heading out to the living room where everyone was gathered around the fireplace. “Um, excuse me, guys, Ella wanted to thank you for the dog collar, but we were wondering who gave it to her?”

No one fessed up and, in fact, no one had even noticed the collar hanging on the branches until Ella herself found it.

He turned the tag over again. “Well, I guess it’s a mystery.” He sent Cami a secret wink.

“Hmm,” she said, pulling out her phone. “That address might show up on Google. Let me look.”

“Maybe you should just… take a quick drive over there,” Sarah said. “To satisfy your curiosity.”

“There’s a thought.” With a wink at Sarah, he turned to Cami. “What’dya say?”

Ella tightened her hand around his. “But what if Taffy’s old owner lives there? And we have to give her back?”

He frowned. “Definitely not happening. I made sure she’s our puppy and ours alone.”

“Then let’s go. We’ll be back before dinner,” Cami said, grabbing her keys, and the three of them headed out to her truck.

A few minutes later, as they prowled the neighborhood of South Elm, looking at street numbers, they found it. Twenty-fifty-four South Elm was a cute, forest-green Craftsman house with a white painted front porch and a driveway that led to a covered portico. A FORSALEsign was planted in the yard with an UNDERCONTRACTtag slanted across the top.

“Looks like no one lives there.” Cami eyed Gus curiously.

“Huh.” Gus climbed out the passenger side and lifted Ella out of the truck. “Will you look at that. Let’s get a closer look.”

Ella ran up the steps and was the first at the door, where a small note was taped. “See below,” she read, with an arrow pointing down. She searched the porch, then looked under the doormat. There was an envelope there with her name on it.

“It says Ella!” she said a little giddily.

“Well, open it.”

A key fell out and she picked it up as she opened the note. “It says, ‘Dear Ella. Never ever stop believing. Love, Santa.’” Her mouth fell open. “Does that mean—”

“It means it’s our house.” Sending Cami a smile, he reached for her hand. “It’s our home.”

Ella slammed into his waist with a hug. “I knew it! I knew he was real! It’s what I wanted. It’s all that I asked for. You and Ms. Cami and… a real home. I never thought he’d do it, but he did!” She hugged the two of them fiercely.

“Yeah, he did. Well, go on,” Gus said, his voice choked. “Open the door.”

Inserting the key, she swung the door open wide and raced inside her new home. A real home they would share with everyone they loved, and most especially, with Cami.

“You bought a house?” Cami’s eyes were filling too as she watched Ella disappear into the house, exploring.

“Didn’t you hear the note? It was Santa.”

She laughed. “I thought you were against all that… nonsense.”

“Nonsense?Did I say that?” He took her in his arms and pulled her close. “Well, maybe I did, but that was before you came along. And changed my—”

She pressed her mouth against his and kissed him deeply. He pulled her close, his hands around her hips, hoping the neighbors weren’t watching. She tasted of the chilly, December air and the promise of all their days to come.

He swallowed hard, holding her close. “Escrow doesn’t close for another three weeks. But I don’t think this place will feel like home without you.”

“Are you… asking me to move in with you?”

“If I did, would you?”

She smiled against his cheek. “We’ll figure it out.”

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