Page 71 of Flippin' Cowboy
“I have one more thing for you,” Nick said. He reached into the breast pocket of his blue-and-black checked flannel shirt, and pulled out a tiny box tied with a red ribbon and stamped with the name of a jewelry store in Livingston.
Inside, Winnie found an exquisite gold heart-shaped pendant set with pearls and moonstones surrounding a faceted alexandrite gem that shimmered with shades of blue and violet.
“How did you know these were my birthstones?” she asked, lifting the pendant on its thin gold chain to show her family.
June was unique in having three different birthstones. But she was pretty sure she’d never mentioned her birthday to Nick.
“I excel at research,” he replied with a cocky grin.
“He asked me,” Mom clarified, laughing.
“Primary sources are always the best,” Nick informed them.
“And I told him you’d prefer a pendant to a ring,” Mom added.
It was true. Winnie liked rings, but wearing a metal one was dangerous on construction sites. Most of the guys she worked with wore silicone wedding rings for safety reasons.
When it was Nick’s turn to open his presents, she was gratified he liked the bottle of Blackfoot River Bourbon from a distillery in Missoula. She had also ordered a custom protective case for his tablet, printed with a miniature version of the architectural drawings they’d found hidden inside the newel post.
“I have another, private gift for you later,” she whispered when he thanked her.
His dark brows rose. She only smiled. “Later.”
Grandma Abigail opened her presents next. They included a joint gift from Winnie and Nick, a beautifully framed set of The Soiled Dove’s original architectural drawings.
“Oh, these are precious!” she declared. “And they’ll hang in a place of honor at the inn once you two finish restoring it.”
Nick also gave her a lavishly illustrated book about Montana’s nineteenth- and early twentieth-century madams and prostitutes and their legacies, written by a feminist scholar at Montana State University.
Winnie held her breath as Grandma Abigail unwrapped the book. She wondered if Nick had gone too far with this reminder of Caroline Snowberry’s past.
But to her relief, her grandma only smiled. “Thank you, Nick. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot about Caroline and the times she lived in,” she said graciously.
The rest of Christmas Day passed with laughter, good cheer, and the warmth of family togetherness.
After brunch and presents were done, everyone who hadn’t cooked pitched in to clean up. Then it was time for the Snowberry family’s traditional Christmas Day ride around the ranch.
They saddled up the horses and ponies, shaggy with their winter coats, and set off on a circuit of the most scenic places on the property, which stretched from the banks of the Yellowstone River on the valley floor up into the mountains that rose in rugged peaks.
It was the perfect winter afternoon in Paradise Valley. Snowdrifts sparkled like diamonds in the bright sunlight, and the air was as brisk and intoxicating as chilled white wine. Winnie recalled Seattle’s endless parade of gray winter days and shuddered. She was so glad to be home.
Snowberry Springs was beautiful in every month of the year, even during the muddy season that marked the transition between winter and spring.
When everyone had worked up an appetite, they returned to the ranch for appetizers and hot drinks while the prime rib and roasted root vegetables with garlic and herbs filled the ranch house with mouthwatering fragrances.
Much later that evening, after dinner and delicious homemade apple pie with ice cream, Nick and Winnie returned to the cottage to exchange more personal gifts.
Autumn had invited all the kids for a movie and a sleepover at her place, which gave Winnie the privacy she needed to slip into the bedroom while Nick waited patiently in the living room.
His eyes widened when she emerged a few minutes later, dressed in the expensive lingerie she’d bought with such high hopes a few months ago. Her hair floated loose around her shoulders, and she’d dabbed on a bit of perfume.
“I approve of my gift,” he told her huskily, rising to take her in his arms.
She shook her head and pushed him down on the couch. He didn’t resist.
“This is just the preview,” she informed him.
Then she sank to her knees and reached for the zipper of his dress pants.
