Page 27 of Deck the Halls with Cowboys
“You knew?” Denver and Mason both barked.
“Fuck me,” Beau muttered under his breath. When I looked back at him, he was pinching the bridge of his nose.
“You are impossible,” I repeated.
“Just love me, baby. That’s all you gotta do,” he sighed, dropping his hand.
I gestured to the scene around us. “Look what you did. Now we won’t get to eat any of Mason’s messed-up ham.”
“I heard that!”
Another huff left me as I looked at Harmony, then Val, and then Diana.
Diana bit her lip and shook her head at me. She was doing her best not to laugh as she proudly said, “That’s going on the list.”
“What fuckin’ list?” Beau asked, exasperated. “Jesus Christ, what do you women talk about?”
“Don’t make me bring up yours, Diana,” I threatened gleefully.
Mags looked at her. “What list?”
Harmony pressed her lips together.
“Welcome to Christmas at Hallow Ranch,” Valerie sighed, stirring the dough as she smiled at Denver.
The ranch owner sighed through his nose. “Welcome to Christmas at Hallow Ranch,” he repeated.
Chapter Seven
Harmony
The phone only rang twice before the familiar sound of Eddie’s voice filled my ear. “Heya, sweetheart!” he greeted, his Texan accent thick.
“Hi, Eddie,” I greeted, smiling even though he couldn’t see it.
“Didn’t figure you’d have time to call me with all the planning,” he said with a chuckle. “Denver find out about Mason’s ham yet?”
My eyes shot over to where Denver, Val, Mags, and Diana were standing around the island. Although I adored my husband, I was starting to realize he may be in over his head with the whole Christmas ham thing. He’d told me it wouldn’t be a problem, but there was no way I could stop Mags and Denver from unleashing their wrath on him if the ham got screwed up. Mags, who probably felt me staring, lifted his head. I gave him a thin smile, and he tipped his head in response. Mags never smiled at anyone other than NJ and Diana. Just then, my ear filled with the precious sound of my niece’s giggles echoing from somewhere in thehouse. The smell of cinnamon was in the air, Diana having placed her famous apple crisp in the oven to warm back up a few minutes ago.
“Where the fuck is my screwdriver?” Beau bellowed from the dining room.
All of our heads swiveled in that direction.
“Why in the hell would he need a screwdriver to put up a tree?” Valerie asked.
Diana shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t question the method of the cowboy,” she said, looking up at her fiancé. “I just nod my head and move on.”
Denver pinched the bridge of his nose as Mags chuckled. My lips parted at the sight. Since Diana and Mags had found their way, he’d been lighter—happier. It was a miracle, something this year had been full of.
Denver muttered, “That’s comforting coming from my fuckin’ lawyer.”
“Sounds like a full house,” Eddie noted on the other end of the line, humor lacing his voice.
Clearing my throat, I turned to face the coffee maker as I lowered my voice. “How do you know about the ham?”
“Oh, you know your bull rider, Harmony,” he drawled. “He’s been calling me to get him out of shit for nearly a decade. The ham was just some more shit.”
Holy goodness.
