It's a Christmas Thing (The Christmas Tree Ranch #2)(24)

“Thanks, you’re an angel,” Maggie said. “Let me call the ranch and get back to you.”

A few minutes later, Maggie called again. By then Tracy had dressed in jeans and a sweater and combed the tangles out of her freshly washed hair.

“All set,” Maggie said. “Rush just got an emergency call. He’ll have to leave Clara with Travis. If you don’t mind driving out to the ranch to pick her up, his credit card will be there for you. Once he’s finished with his calls, he’ll stop by your place and get her. Will that work for you?”

“That should be fine.” Tracy had met Travis and knew the way to the ranch. But she couldn’t help but wonder if Rush was avoiding her. Or was it Maggie’s ill-disguised matchmaking he was avoiding? At least he’d be coming by her house later on. But Tracy never knew what to expect from him. He was a difficult man to read—but then, she was no open book herself.

After promising to pick up the little girl in forty-five minutes, Tracy finished doing her hair and makeup, checked on Mama Cat and her lively brood in their box, and paused in the living room to pet Murphy and give him his meds.

Her gaze lingered on the framed photo, taken on a Galveston beach with a younger, more active Murphy. Fit and smiling in their swimsuits, she and Steve looked like a poster for the perfect young American family—with a dog in place of a child.

A shadow darkened Tracy’s thoughts as she remembered what the photo hadn’t shown—the doctor visits, the temperature charts, the fertility drugs, and the disappointments, month after month. When Steve had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, the need for some part of him to go on had become urgent. But their time had run out—time made bitter by the reality that the fault wasn’t with him; it was with her.





Chapter 6


Driving south on the highway, Tracy kept an eye out for the sign that said CHRISTMAS TREE RANCH. She’d heard people talk about the ranch and the beautiful, fresh Christmas trees that could be bought here and at Hank’s Hardware. But she’d never visited the place. Last year, when they’d opened for business, she’d had no interest in buying a tree. She wouldn’t be buying one this year, either, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t curious.

Face it, I’m curious about anything connected with Dr. J. T. Rushford.

After turning off the highway by the sign, she drove down the narrow lane and pulled through the open gate. The house, a dilapidated one-story frame with a broad front porch, certainly lacked a woman’s touch. But someone had hung light strings along the roofline and wrapped them around the supports that held up the overhanging eave. Cut trees leaned against racks in the front yard. Tracy inhaled their fresh fragrance as she climbed out of the car. From somewhere beyond the rolling pastures and snow-covered hills came the whine of a chainsaw biting into wood.

Several vehicles were parked in the side yard. Tracy didn’t see Rush’s Hummer, but she’d already been told that he’d had an emergency call. Never mind, Rush wasn’t the reason she’d agreed to come here.

Travis came out onto the porch to greet her. She’d met him a few months ago when he’d come by the city building to take Maggie to lunch. Maggie had hit the jackpot with the tall, soft-spoken ranch owner. The two of them seemed to be made for each other.

“Hi, Tracy,” he said. “Have you come to pick up the princess?”

“If she’s ready.”

“Oh, she’s ready, all right. She’s been over the moon about meeting you and shopping for new clothes. Come on in and meet her.”

Tracy mounted the porch and walked through the door he opened for her. The little girl who stood in the living room was dressed as Disney’s Sleeping Beauty in a pink princess gown, with high-heeled plastic sandals on her feet and a rhinestone tiara on her pretty head. With dark hair and big, dark eyes, she looked as if she’d stepped out of a fairy tale.

She wasn’t exactly dressed for a trip to Shop Mart, but as long as she was happy and got what she needed, Tracy was willing to play the game.

Spreading invisible skirts, Tracy dropped a curtsy. “Your Highness,” she murmured.

The little girl giggled. “That’s not my name. My name is Clara.”

Tracy rose, a bit awkwardly, from her curtsy. “I’m Tracy, Clara. I’ve come to take you shopping. Are you ready to go?”

“Uh-huh. I just need my coat. It’s in my tent.” Turning, she headed for a blue nylon dome tent that was pitched in the living room. “Do you like my tent? I’m camping out.”

“What a good idea,” Tracy said. “You won’t even get cold at night, or be kept awake by coyotes.”

Clara unzipped the tent and stepped inside. While she was rummaging for her coat, Travis handed Tracy a credit card. “Rush says the sky’s the limit,” he said. “But she’ll need a warmer coat and some boots and gloves, as well as the basics like jeans, underwear, and socks.”

“Leave it to me,” Tracy said. “I’ll get her everything she needs, and we’ll have a good time.”

“Oh, one more thing.” Travis picked up a booster seat that had been left on a chair. “Rush wanted to make sure you had this in your car. If you don’t mind waiting a minute, I’ll go out and install it in your backseat.”