The Cowboy's Pride and Joy

It only took a few seconds to walk across the yard to Ben’s cabin, and as she got closer, she noticed that Jake’s grandfather had a Christmas tree set up in the front window. The lights on it glowed in the shadowy day, looking cheerful enough to make her smile even after a long, sleepless night.

Ben opened the door before she could knock and swept her and Luke inside. Warmth wrapped itself around her and Cass sighed in appreciation.

“You shouldn’t have come out in this cold, Cassie girl,” Ben was saying as he adeptly lifted Luke out of her arms.

“I will admit that it’s nice to be inside. Even that short walk is really cold.”

“Blizzard’s coming in fast,” he said, with a quick glance out the window at the sky. “Best you two don’t stay long and get back to the main house.”

“Will you be all right over here by yourself in a blizzard?”

He laughed at that and set the baby more easily on his forearm. “Cassie, I’ve lived through more Montana blizzards than you could count. Got plenty of food, plenty of firewood, and just in case, I’ve got the generator. Jake installed a top-of-the-line generator at the main house and every cabin here when he took over. Trust me, we’re set.” He shrugged. “Besides, I’ve got a front-row seat and I kinda like watching it when the storm starts getting mean.”

Cass smiled. “Jake’s a lot like you, isn’t he?”

“Only if that’s a good thing,” Ben replied with a wink. “I know things are rough going between you two right now, Cassie. But Jake’s a good man. He’ll do the right by you.”

“That’s the problem,” she admitted, her heart sinking at yet more evidence that Jake Hunter would pick up his sack of troubles—Cass and Luke—and carry on stoically. “He’ll do the right thing even if he doesn’t want to.”

“You think he doesn’t want to?” Ben laughed, and led the way into the front room, fully expecting her to follow him. “You young people sure are blind sometimes. Wonder if it’s on purpose?”

“If what’s on purpose?” she asked.

“Nothing, nothing.” The older man turned Luke in his arms so he could see the tiny face staring back at him and Ben gave the boy a wide grin. “A great-grandson. Isn’t that something, though?”

A ping of guilt hit her hard and Cass told herself she had more people than just Jake to apologize to. She’d kept Luke from his family and she had the distinct feeling that guilt was going to be with her for quite a while. “I’m sorry, Ben. I should have told you and Jake and even Elise a long time ago.”

Ben’s sharp blue eyes fixed on her. “I expect you had your reasons.”

“I did,” she admitted as she slipped out of her coat. “They even made sense until I got here and talked to Jake.”

Ben chuckled and carried Luke across the front room. “Well, you two will work things out eventually.”

He sat down in a big leather recliner, balancing Luke on his lap. Ben’s big, work-worn, time-weathered hands held the baby as gently as he might have a wounded bird. The little boy squirmed excitedly until his snowsuit was unzipped and he was freed from captivity. Then he pushed himself up on wobbly legs and braced his small hands against his great-grandfather’s chest. Eyes met, smiles were exchanged and in the span of moments, Cass watched as love was born.

It hurt to admit that she’d been cheating her son out of the love that was his due. His right. She’d cheated all of them and didn’t have a clue how she could make up for it.

She took a seat nearby and looked at Ben’s Christmas tree. It filled the house with a luscious scent and sparkled and shone like a new morning.

Christmas. Luke’s first.

“It’s a beautiful tree.”

“Jake goes out and cuts me down the perfect one, every year.”

“But he doesn’t get one for himself?”

Frowning, the older man sat Luke on his lap again and gave the boy his pocket watch to play with. “Jake hasn’t celebrated Christmas in so long, he might not even know how to anymore.”

Now it was her turn to frown. She’d wondered why there hadn’t been any sign of Christmas in the ranch house. Of course, a man alone wouldn’t do much decorating, but she had been surprised that Anna hadn’t put out pine boughs and lights and things. Now she understood the barrenness of the main house. “Do you know why?”

“He never told me.”