Holidays on the Ranch (Burnt Boot, Texas #1)(94)

“Gun. Run, dog!” Joe squawked.

“Wait until your mama hears about Joe the parrot.” Sawyer grinned.

“You better watch what you say. Like I said, he’ll repeat anything,” Verdie warned.

“Thanks for warnin’ me, Miz Verdie. And if you get tired of Salt Draw, my mama would hire you as a cook on my word about these cookies.” Sawyer turned up the charm.

“Only way I’m leaving Salt Draw again is feet first as they carry me out the door and put me in a hearse,” Verdie said seriously.

“And that won’t be for a very long time,” Callie said quickly when Olivia’s chin started to quiver.

“I dang sure hope not, now that I’ve found these cookies,” Sawyer said. “Y’all sure got this place all prettied up for Christmas. That tree is just plain beautiful.”

Callie could have kissed him for changing the subject. Olivia’s little blue eyes went from misty to sparkly in seconds.

“It’s the prettiest tree in the whole world. It’s even prettier than the ones down on Main Street that the Gallaghers and the Brennans put up for the town of Burnt Boot. And did you see all the presents under it? And guess what, after chores tonight, we get to finish our wrapping, and there’ll be even more. We ain’t never ever had so many presents under the tree with our names on them. This is the best Christmas ever,” Olivia said.

“It looks like it just might be,” Sawyer said.

“Oh no!” Adam slapped his forehead and whispered to Verdie.

She winked at Adam. “We’ll be needing to go do some more shopping tomorrow, Callie.”

Callie read Adam’s mind. There were no presents for Sawyer under their tree, and even the dogs, cat, and Joe had presents. “I was planning to go to Gainesville myself. Maybe we could all make one more trip before Thursday.”

“Can I go, too? I’ll help with the chores this evening and in the morning if you kids will let me go with you,” Sawyer said.

“Yes, sir,” Ricky said. “We go everywhere as a family, and if you’re going to live here, then you’re family, too.”

***

Callie had barely gotten into bed that night when the closet door opened and Finn crawled in beside her. She snuggled up to his side and his arm went around her, drawing her so close that her body was plastered against his.

“I like Sawyer, and Verdie has already called Gladys. She says that if he’s anything like you, she wants to talk to him on Tuesday,” she said.

“He’s not really like me. He’s a lot more outgoing and a hell of a lot better-lookin’. The Gallagher and Brennan women are likely to fire up the feud even more because of him.”

“Good. It’ll take the pressure off me and you.” Callie laughed.

Finn’s fingertips moved up and down her bare upper arm, thoughtlessly, softly, driving her crazy. “I’d like it if he moved to Burnt Boot. His girlfriend ditched him while we were on the cattle drive and married someone else. Now she’s back around Comfort. He needs a new start.”

“Hire him on Salt Draw if he doesn’t like Fiddle Creek. We’ll need more help come spring,” she said. “But right now I’ve got something to say, Finn. Before he calls your mama and before she calls you. I want to marry you and I want to adopt those kids, and even more, I want you to adopt Martin so that we’ll all have the same last name. I don’t imagine Verdie would let you adopt her, though.”

“Okay,” Finn said softly.

“To all of it?”

“Yes, ma’am. I was going to suggest it myself, but I was going to take a step at a time so I didn’t spook you so bad you’d leave me. I’d die without you, Callie. My heart would just flat stop beating.”

“Next Sunday, then. Call all your family, and Verdie can put out the word in Burnt Boot. We’ll have a five o’clock wedding and a big potluck dinner in the fellowship hall for our reception.”

She looked up into Finn’s clear blue eyes and saw a solid future in them. One that included more than four kids and that would always be rooted right there on Salt Draw.

Finn pushed back the covers and went back through the closet doors to his bedroom. Lord, what had she done? Scared him away by agreeing to marry him in one week?

She was stunned into silence until the door opened again and he was crossing the room. “You scared the shit out of me. I thought you were running away just when I’d decided that you were right about me having roots.”

He dropped on one knee in front of the bed, took her hand in his, and said, “Callie Brewster, my heart loved you long ago, but I wouldn’t listen to it. But now that we have found each other, I never want to be apart from you again. I want to live the rest of my life knowing that you are my wife and soul mate. So will you marry me?” He popped open a small red velvet ring box with a set of gold bands inside. “I didn’t buy an engagement ring, because you told me not to, so we’ll have to wait to put these on each other until next Sunday.”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

He cupped her cheeks in his hands, and it seemed like an eternity passed before his lips found hers.

“I love you, Callie.”

Her arms slid around his neck as she whispered hoarsely around the lump in her throat, “I love you, Finn. And that wedding band is exactly what I wanted. And I want all those things you said, and I want to have them with you. Now will you please get into this bed with me?”