Page 80 of Between a Rock and a Hard Cowboy

“Dad, is there something behind the tree? The card says there should be—" Ethan’s instructions were interrupted by Wyatt standing up.

“I see it.” Wyatt disappeared behind the tree and emerged with a telescope bedecked with a big red bow and a large gift tag that readEthan. “I believe this is yours too.”

“So we can see the stars.” Now Poppy actually was crying.

“Aw, jeez.” Ethan stood saying, “Thank you, whoever. And, baby, there’s no reason to cry.”

“I know.” She sniffed.

Paine dismissed his sister's tears with a wave of his hand. “You should see her watching old Christmas movies. It’s a real sob fest. She even cries over the sappy commercials.”

Eva snorted out a laugh. “Oh, I’ve seen. Believe me. We were roommates. She had to have a tissue box all of her own.”

“I know. It’s true.” Poppy tried to wave away her tears as Ethan wrapped her in his arms.

“Okay, moving on.” William came out from beneath the tree with yet another envelope.

“What’s with all the envelopes?” Eva asked. “I figured you ranchers would go big and give like a tractor or a bull or something.”

“Hard to get those things under the tree, but I think there might be something a bit bigger coming.” Wyatt grinned.

“When’s mine, Grandpa?” Darcy asked, obviously bored with watching other people get gifts and not her, even if she was surrounded by a pile of discarded wrapping paper and toys.

“Soon,” Wyatt said patiently.

“Wyatt, this is for you,” William said, handing the envelope in his hand to his eldest son.

“Thanks, Dad.” Wyatt opened it and his eyes widened.

“Well, what is it?” Ethan asked.

“Two weeks paternity leave for after the baby comes. My Secret Santa has even arranged to bring in Caroline to help handle my management duties during that time,” Wyatt told them.

Caroline, former spa manager, also former nemesis to first Olivia and then Poppy, had turned around and saved the day when someone tried to steal Poppy’s ideas and her job this summer.

It looked as if all of Caroline’s past deeds had been forgiven now as Olivia looked very proud of herself, making Eva believe she had contacted the woman to arrange for Wyatt’s time off.

“Wait, there’s one more.” William handed Wyatt a gift bag out of which he pulled a T-shirt that readDad on Duty.

Wyatt chuckled. “Very cute.”

“You actually going to take off or just be on the phone the whole time with the hotel?” Ethan asked while Linc remained quieter than usual.

Wyatt met Olivia’s gaze. “I think I’ll actually take the time off.”

“I’d like it noted that I could have filled in for Wyatt at the hotel but I wanted to be free to be here in case Olivia needed me,” Poppy said.

“Noted.” Wyatt nodded. “Enough about me. What’s next, Dad?”

William read the next envelope. A big square pink one. “Hm. This one is mine. Whatever could it be?” William eyed the pink square in his hand suspiciously until he read the contents. He grinned. “It’s a suite at the Van Clief Hotel in Vegas plus two tickets to next year’s stock show and rodeo.” He lifted his gaze to Poppy. “Thank you, Santa.”

Poppy smiled.

“Which one of us are you going to take?” Ethan asked.

“I might have an idea of someone else I might want to take.” William said it with such a gleam in his eye, Eva had to wonder. Did the old dog have a girlfriend no one knew about? Maybe, since his sons looked as surprised as she was by their father’s comment.

“Okay, next,” William said, moving the focus off himself. “Linc.”

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