Santa In Montana (Calder Saga 11)

Chase gave a thump of his cane as he turned. “After you put that sugar away, you can bring us some coffee, Cat.”

She didn’t mind his peremptory tone. Cat walked on air all the way to the kitchen, thinking about the evening she would be spending with Wade.

One week to wait. Already it seemed too far away.

Chapter 5

Sloan’s trip to Wolf Meadow turned into a quick one. It was only mid-afternoon when she made it back to the ranch headquarters. Certain that Trey would appreciate a break from looking after Jake, she went in search of the pair. She finally found them in one of the machine sheds, taking apart a tractor motor. Trey was doing the greasy work, while Jake watched from the sidelines, clearly fascinated.

“Hi, Mom!” He jumped down from the metal footstool he’d been given to stand on.

“Hi, honey.” She gave him a kiss and blew one to Trey, who was up to his elbows in black lube. He acknowledged the greeting with a lift of one greasy hand.

“Care to help?” he asked.

“No thanks. You’re getting dirty enough for both of us.” She ruffled her son’s hair. “Having fun?”

“Yeah. Motors are cool. Dad was going to let me put part of it together.”

“Aha. Then I’m just in time.”

“Not from a little boy’s point of view.” Trey chuckled. “His hands are still clean.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” Sloan stated, ignoring Jake’s protest. Still he let her lead him away from the tractor without kicking up too much of a fuss. “See you later, Trey.”

Absorbed in what he was doing, Trey nodded. “Sure thing.”

Jake didn’t stop talking during the short drive back to the house.

“Mommy, do you know what?” She didn’t have to ask for the answer he supplied instantly. “I got to line up all the screws and count them. Dad said I got it different every time. Is that good or bad?”

Sloan laughed. “You’ll have to ask your dad, but I’m glad you got to practice your numbers. Keep at it.”

“I will. And then you know what?” Again he answered his own question. “Ralph gave me a big box of nails to sort by size. I put ’em in old jelly jars for him. Ralph sure has a lot of jelly jars. And a lot of nails, too.”

“I’ll bet he does. And I’ll bet he was glad you helped him.”

“Yeah,” he said with satisfaction.

They pulled up in front of the house and parked by a car she didn’t recognize, not noticing the rental agency sticker on the back bumper. Jake scrambled out and got down himself without waiting for his mother.

“Not so fast, young man.” She got out and ran around the car to catch him by the wrist. “I think you’re forgetting something you promised to do.”

“What?” he asked innocently.

“As if you didn’t know.” They walked hand in hand to the porch steps. One of Jake’s sneaker laces had come untied but she wanted to get him inside the house first. “You have to rehearse for the Christmas play.”

“Aw, Mom. I don’t want to.”

“That’s not the issue. Everybody else in the Christmas play has to practice their parts, too.”

“But it’s a nice day,” he said vehemently, as if that clinched the argument.

“It certainly is. In fact, it’s a perfect day to rehearse a Christmas play.”

“Aw, Mom,” he grumbled, then sighed theatrically. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“You don’t have to act like you’re doing me a big favor. When you commit to something like a play, you have to follow through. Remember, other children are depending on you. What if you stood up there and forgot your lines?”