A Cowboy For Christmas (A Copper Mountain Christmas) by Katherine Garbera Read Free Book Online Page A

the banner over head as the Copper Mountain Chocolates owned by Sage.
    “ I think Sage made some sort of deal with the devil because her hot chocolate tastes like sin.”
    “ It does. I have to limit myself to only one a week or I’d be the size of Mrs. Claus before Christmas,” Marilyn said. “Why don’t you grab us a seat and I’ll get the drinks.”
    Annie led Rumple to the tables and sat down waiting for her sister. As she watched the crowds of familiar looking families she realized how much she missed this. The faces were all a little older and there were some new ones but these were her people. She’d lived in Manhattan for almost fifteen years and she’d never once been in a place that felt like this… like home.
    The sun was shining over the valley today and a thin dusting of snow covered the ground and she sat there feeling like she ’d found something she hadn’t known was missing. Marilyn came back with the drinks in Styrofoam cups and sat down next to her.
    “ Where are you staying?” Marilyn asked. “Did you get an apartment in town?”
    “ No. I’m staying at our old ranch,” Annie said.
    “ I wasn’t aware you got to keep it.”
    “ Davis had put in my name and we used the money I’d made from selling my business to buy it so the FBI figured it was pretty much mine. They took everything else,” Annie said.
    “ What do you mean?”
    “ The authorities wouldn’t let me back into our apartment. I only had the clothes on my back and the cash in my wallet. I got to keep Rumple here and one bag of clothing I packed. It was a complete nightmare. Maybe you were right earlier when you said Dad knew I’d fail,” Annie said.
    Marilyn put her arm around Annie ’s shoulders and hugged her close. “I’m sorry, sissy. I never wanted that for you and I’m pretty sure dad didn’t either. We were both just hurt you didn’t want to stay.”
    She hugged her sister back and put her head on Marilyn ’s shoulder and realized how long it had been since they’d hugged each other. She had missed her older sister more than she wanted to admit to anyone, even herself. She soaked up the comfort her sister offered.
     

     
    Saturdays in December were busy for Carson, especially the middle of the month as everyone was ready to get their trees up. A storm threatened and a light snow fell, but the lot was festive and everyone wore a smile. Since the tree farm was on his parcel of the Scott property, he had all the families from the neighboring towns coming to get a fresh-cut tree or to pick up their potted ones. He enjoyed it since he got a chance to stay busy and to see so many people.
    The tents they ’d set up for selling hot chocolate and cookies had been decorated by his sister-in-law Sienna. She and Alec were having a rough patch but she said that didn’t mean she wasn’t still a part of the family. He thought that maybe Annie could learn something from the way Sienna had stayed. Sage had sent Rose Linn out to run the hot cocoa booth and he’d hung a Copper Mountain Chocolates banner across her section of the tent. He’d ordered one that said Cookies for Rachel’s section.
    The entire lot felt like Christmas and as he watched his son walking around with his little Santa hat on, he felt a sense of longevity. He’d done the same thing when he’d been six. They were connected here to the land and to their ancestors.
    Liz Anderson, who owned the acting school in town, was running around trying to drum up participants for her nativity play. Evan had already auditioned and would be playing one of the three wise men. Something that the six-year-old took seriously. Just as seriously as his job passing out candy canes to everyone who got off the sleigh that his Uncle Lane was driving.
    They used two big draft horses for the sleigh. They’d painted it a few weeks ago, a nice bright red like the barn on the Scott property that they were all helping renovate.
    “ Nice operation you’ve got here,”