“The brunt of the storm hasn’t hit yet. He still has time to get here.”
She didn’t have to ask whom he meant. Wade was the only one either of them was expecting. “He could,” she repeated, except she knew he wasn’t due until later in the afternoon. And the storm’s fury wasn’t likely to hold off that long. She started to tell Chase that, but one look at her father’s face and she realized he already knew it.
“He’ll have sense enough to stay somewhere if the weather’s bad.” Cat didn’t realize she’d spoken the thought until Chase replied.
“Of course he will.”
That also meant he wouldn’t make it for Christmas. Before any sense of disappointment could take hold, Cat lifted her head, reminding herself that seeing Wade after Christmas was just as good.
She turned back toward the table as Dallas came in from the kitchen, stopped, looked around the room, then shot a look at Quint. “Where’s Josh? It’s time for his nap.”
“I thought he was with you.” Quint pushed his chair back.
“I just saw Jake going toward the living room,” Sebastian volunteered.
“Josh probably isn’t far behind,” Dallas concluded, already moving toward the living room.
“A lot of places in a house this size, aren’t there, Trey?” Chase tapped the back of his chair with the cane, then looked to Empty Garner. “Cat’s going to bring a pot of coffee to the den. Why don’t you join me? It’s bound to be a bit quieter there.”
“Sounds good.” Empty got out of his chair to follow him. “I noticed you had a set of Longhorns on the mantel in there.”
Cat caught Trey’s eye and smiled. Both knew Empty was about to be regaled with the story of Old Captain and that first herd a Calder had trailed north to Montana.
From somewhere in the living room came a whiny protest, “No sleep, Mama. No sleep.”
“Somebody doesn’t want to take a nap,” Cat guessed.
“Sounds a bit like Jake when he was that age,” Trey recalled.
“Something tells me he won’t be any more successful than Jake was at getting out of it,” Cat said and collected the empty coffee cups left on the table, carrying them off to the kitchen.
Josh’s nap proved to be a short one. By two o’clock he was back downstairs, full of energy and raring to unleash it. With the noon dishes all done, everyone had congregated in the living room. Outside, the snowfall was heavier and the wind had picked up, the first rattling gusts hitting the windows.
Chase was in his favorite armchair, which was now flanked by the two wingbacked chairs from the den. Empty Garner sat in one while Laredo occupied the other. Jessy and Sloan were on the couch with Laura seated between them, looking at the photo album Laura had brought with her, full of pictures showing her latest renovations at Crawford Hall. Quint and Trey lounged on the love seat, their feet propped on the leather ottoman while Dallas sat sideways on one of its arms, keeping an eye on her young son, who was being taught how to roll a ball by Cat. Jake was poking through the new presents under the tree, searching for any with his name on it.
After closely examining the tag on a fairly good-sized square one, Jake picked it up and carried it over to Trey. “Is this one mine, Dad?”
Trey glanced at the gift tag and shook his head. “Sorry. Better put it back.”
“But it gots a J on it,” he argued.
“J for Josh, not Jake,” Trey explained.
Jake heaved a dramatic sigh of regret and carried it back to the piles of presents that now encircled the Christmas tree. Trey watched to make sure he returned it, then slid a glance at Laredo.
“I heard you got to open your Christmas present early when you came back to the Boar’s Nest yesterday, Laredo,” he remarked.
“A hot tub is a little big to hide anywhere,” Laredo countered.
“And impossible to wrap,” Jessy added, looking up from the photo album.
“Jessy did put a big red bow on it that was pretty hard to miss.” His voice was strongly laced with both amusement and affection.
“Did you test the water?” Quint leaned forward, to look around Dallas at Laredo.
“Damned right I did,” Laredo declared.
“You should have seen him,” Jessy declared. “Up to his neck, steam all around and wearing his cowboy hat and smoking a big cigar.”