Page 63 of A Reckless Memory

Tackling her, I twisted to take the brunt of landing in the frigid bank. She was laughing and trying to wiggle away from me and succeeding with her slippery winter clothes. I hooked her with one arm around her legs and dragged her toward me. Then I took a glove off, grabbed a handful of snow and weaseled my hand under her coat and over the waist of her snow pants.

She shrieked, and it was my turn to laugh. Tex’s barking got closer.

I grinned at the concerned dog. “It’s okay. Your human’s being naughty.”

“You play dirty,” she said with a smile.

“You mean like lobbing snowballs at me before I even get one made?” I helped her sit up so we were side by side, then put my gloves back on. Tex mellowed, his tail slowly wagging as he eyed me.

“It’s not my fault you’re slow.”

“I didn’t grow up in Montana with four brothers.”

She patted my legs, residual snow falling from her gloves. “Speaking of, you need snow pants.”

“I have long johns on underneath these.”

“Not enough.”

“I didn’t even have snow pants when I worked for Barns.”

“You were a trainer there. Here you’re a jack-of-all-trades.” She wiggled off the snow pile and brushed herself off. Icy wetness seeped into my jeans, but I stayed put, watching my very own snow bunny. If she had a pair of ski goggles, she’d look ready to hit the slopes—wherever they were in this state.

My vibrating phone got me to stand. “I’ll buy a pair when I’m in town next.”

Her smile turned satisfied and cinched around my heart like a warm hug.

The call was from Archer. “Hey,” I answered, wandering around the freshly shoveled driveway to keep warm. “Y’all get through the storm okay?”

“Just dug us out. Emmaline wants to make snowmen with her uncle. I told her—”

“Yes.” My niece was quickly winding me around her tiny, demanding finger. I had time to make up, and while being around my brother and his family made me think of everything I thought I’d have by now, I was happier for him each time I got to witness a slice of his life. If I couldn’t have it, one of us should. “When should I be there?”

“Oh, she’s goin’ to be thrilled.” I deserved the surprise in his voice. I would’ve thought I’d say no not long ago too. “I think it’ll warm up a little more, so the sooner, the better while the snowman-making is still good, but I know you’ve got a lot to do.”

“Not really.” When I had a boss who let me babysit the weather and plan for it, these kinds of things weren’t terrible. Aggie and I did chores before we moved snow. The horses and Skinny were doing good, and the kittens got extra cuddles. “Hey, uh...” I turned my back on where Aggie was kicking off heavy snow that had collected on the edges of the skid steer. “Can I bring Aggie? If she wants to come.”

“Absolutely.” He paused. “Just know...Emmaline is going to ask questions.”

I chuckled. My niece had a lot of questions. I’d learned that quickly. “No problem. Just don’t tell her until we show. I’m not sure if Aggie will think it’s too soon.”

“Got it.”

I hung up and cleared my throat. I should’ve talked to her before I mentioned a thing to Archer. What if she didn’t want to join me? I was tired of evading the truth around my family, but I also didn’t want to show up and announce she was still leery of me and meeting family was a little much.

Both Aggie and the dog looked at me. Too late now. “You want to build a snowman with me and Emmaline?”

Her shock was more pronounced than Archer’s. “At Archer’s?” I nodded. She blinked. “Sure. You don’t mind?”

Did I mind? I was damn near giddy. Years ago, I would’ve loved to introduce her to my family, but it hadn’t been an option, not with Barns’s money in my account. Today though? I was broke as hell, and she wanted to go with me. “I’m going to warn you—I know I just met my niece, but she could ask us to build one snowman or an entire army.”

“Let’s go find out.”

* * *

Aggie

After stopping to get Ansen some proper snow pants at the farm and tractor supply store, we went to Archer and Delaney’s place. I’d been properly introduced to Delaney and then Emmaline had towed us around the property, introducing us to the goats, chickens, horses, and even a few of the cows. She reminded me of my niece Ivy—outgoing and uninhibited. She’d be a force one day.

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