Page 15 of Snowed in with the Rancher

“But, Mommy,” Jackie intoned, one leg slung over the banister in preparation. “We're playing lost in the ravine. We're going to climb up and down just like Tate did on the rescue!”

Melissa slid the box of Christmas decorations across the living room floor and placed them under the rope that dangled from the banister on the open landing, as if intending to cushion her sister's descent with the box full of breakables. Tate briefly wondered where the hell they'd found the rope but decided it didn't matter. What did matter was finding them something productive—andnon-destructive—to do before they tore his house apart.

“You know what's in that box?” he asked casually as he walked over to Melissa. He'd noticed that she was quieter, more thoughtful than Jackie. While Jackie reminded him of Olivia, he suspected Melissa had inherited some of the McConnell quietness.

“What?” Melissa asked as she lifted her somber eyes to look at him.

“Christmas decorations. My stepmother sent them over.”

He noticed Jackie go still above them and stifled a smile at her obvious interest.

He squatted down and opened the flaps on the box top.

“Ooh,” Jackie crooned from her perch above. “Look at all that stinsel!”

“Tinsel,” Olivia corrected.

Melissa didn't say anything, but she knelt on the floor and began looking at the decorations one by one. The box contained a creche, tinsel, glass balls of all sizes and colors to hang on the tree, several wall hangings, and even a stocking for Lobster.

“Mommy,” Melissa said, her eyes shining. “Look at all the pretty Christmas things.”

“They're very pretty, hon.” Olivia's smile had a wry twist that made Tate want to burst out laughing. “Which is why we can't use that box to jump on.”

Melissa looked up at her sister and shook her head. Jackie took her leg off the banister and made her way downstairs—the normal way.

“You know,” Tate said as he stood and carried the box over to an empty corner of the living room. “I haven't done a very good job decorating so far, have I?”

The twins shook their heads in unison.

“We haven't decorated for Christmas either,” Jackie complained.

Olivia soothed, “I told you we will, just as soon as we get into the new house.”

“Maybe you guys could help me decorate while you're waiting for your new house?”

Jackie shrieked and jumped up and down. Melissa rocketed to her feet, ran to Olivia, and grabbed her hand with a pleading look.

Olivia smiled, and Tate's heart flipped right over in his chest, like a pancake getting flipped on a griddle.

“As long as you're very careful with Tate's things and he's sure it's okay.”

He met her gaze. “It's more than okay. Maybe we can send a few pictures to Lucy—my stepmother—after it's done.” Including the girls in the photo might even hold Lucy off for another day or two, Tate thought.

“Yay!” Jackie crowed. “We're gonna do Christmas. We're gonna do Christmas!”

“Well,” Tate said, walking toward the back door, “First thing we're gonna do is get a tree.”

* * *

“So you can come shop down a tree anytime you want?” Jackie asked as she rode piggyback on Tate while Melissa held tight to one of his belt loops to keep her balance in the deep snow. Lobster ran along, snuffling in the frozen fluff, then bounding through the drifts. The weather had cleared enough for it to be safe for them to go out, but Olivia could help shooting suspicious looks at the sky, waiting to see if more storm clouds were about to roll in.

“Chop. And yep. I don't do it very often, but all these trees are in my yard so I get to chop them down if I want.”

Olivia brought up the rear of the little parade, and all she could do was marvel at how natural he was with the girls.

“What do you think about this one?” he asked.

Melissa thought it was too short. Jackie thought the next one was too skinny. Five trees later, Olivia made an executive decision, and Tate took his ax and began chopping.

---