A Cowgirl's Christmas by C. J. Carmichael Read Free Book Online

stepping up in her defense.
    Most of all, damn her father. She’d been so sure not just that he loved her but that he respected her. When her sisters had complained about his bad moods and surly nature, she’d stayed quiet, certain that she was the one who truly knew and understood him.
    Turned out she’d been so, so wrong about that.
    It was Mattie, Dani and Sage who’d been right. Hawksley really had been a mean old bastard. So what if he’d left them all that money? What was she supposed to do with her life? Maybe she’d take Montana Sapphire, buy an acreage outside of town and...find a job on another ranch?
    Her stomach hurt just thinking about it.
    She’d lived her entire life on the Circle C. She loved this house, the animals, the land—they were a part of her. Now that her father was dead, no one knew the ins and outs of this place like her, not even Red the foreman. He’d only been here five years, compared to her twenty-six.
    Why had her father done this to her? Had he really cared that much that she wasn’t male? She’d proven she could work as smart and as hard as any guy. It just wasn’t fair...
    For the first time since Ren had told them about the will, Callan let her tears fall without checking them. The beautiful corals, greens and blues of the sunrise shimmered and blurred.
    Slowly the sun emerged, first a deep red then so bright she had to turn away.
    She stared at a cross-stitch picture her mother had made for her when she was a little girl, a poem about a mother’s love for her child. Beverly Carrigan had made one for each of her daughters, but Callan was the only one who still kept hers on the wall. She’d never cared much about décor. In their teens, her sisters had plastered their rooms with posters of movie stars and cowboys, horses and cute puppies and kittens.
    For her, the bedroom was just a place to sleep and change her clothing. As the youngest, she’d landed the smallest in the house, but even after all her sisters left home she hadn’t moved into one of the larger ones because she didn’t see the need to change.
    The aroma of coffee and bacon finally became too tantalizing to resist. Someone—probably Mattie—was already awake and preparing breakfast.
    Callan crawled out of bed, wincing as her head throbbed. Okay, yes, she’d had way too much to drink yesterday. But she felt entitled. She pulled on clean jeans and a flannel shirt then went to the washroom and stared at her face in the mirror.
    Not the prettiest sight.
    She dipped her head, splashed cold water over her eyes. Good enough. Time to head for the kitchen to see who else might be awake. Turned out she was the last to appear.
    Portia and Wren, Mattie’s beautiful twin daughters, so like their mother, were setting the large table while Mattie flipped pancakes at the stove.
    Sage had spent the night here again, and was chopping fresh fruit at the island, while Dani sat in a quiet corner, breastfeeding baby Bev.
    All three of her sisters turned to look at her with worry and concern as she entered the room.
    “You okay?” Dani asked quietly, so she wouldn’t disturb her baby.
    Callan nodded and poured herself some coffee. “Sorry I slept in.”
    “You were out late,” Mattie said, with no judgment in her voice. “Nat and Eliot are helping with chores. When they come in, we’ll be ready to eat.”
    “Eliot doing chores? That’s amusing.”
    Dani smiled. “I know. He doesn’t have a clue. But he’s such a good sport.”
    Callan leaned against the counter and sipped at her coffee, which tasted especially good this morning. It was nice having the house full of people, noise and activity. What was she going to do when her visitors left?
    She decided not to think about that right now.
    About ten minutes later, the guys returned to the house and washed up in the mud room. Mattie put out platters of pancakes and bacon, and Callan heated the maple syrup in the microwave before setting out the pitcher. With the added