Rocky Mountain Vignettes (Six Pack Ranch) (5 page)

“Ahhh, you’re finally going to tell me your big surprise. Go ahead—I’m all yours.”

She leaned up higher and kissed him briefly, unfurling from the couch and heading toward the front hall. “I already knew you are mine, but now I have something that really
shows
you belong to me.” She glanced towards Cassidy, crooking a finger at him as well. “You too, sugar.”

“I have no objection to being claimed by you.” Cassidy rose to his feet and followed after her, smiling as Travis deliberately moved in close enough that they were torso to torso when they paused in the front hall to watch her pull a shipping box from the closet.

Cassidy leaned against Travis, welcoming the warmth of his body and the sure touch of his hand as its weight settled on his hip. Travis spoke quietly, his lips brushing Cassidy’s ear. “You have any idea what she’s up to?”

Cassidy shook his head. Maybe he could have talked her into sharing details, but it was a whole lot more fun letting her spring surprises on them.

That was part of being a family as well.

Ashley got the top of the box open, dragging out a pair of rubber boots. She beamed up at them as she held them up in triumph. “See?”

They were rubber boots, but the farthest thing from typical Cassidy had ever seen. Instead of black rubber, the boots were bright yellow, and if that weren’t enough, brilliant pink flowers were scattered over the surface.

Travis raised a hand to cover his eyes. “Good grief, I’ve been blinded.”

Ashley stood, settling her fists on her hips with the boots still held in her hands, wild colours radiating out like errant sunbeams. “I told you I wanted to brighten up the place.”

Because he was leaning against Travis’s body, Cassidy felt his partner tense, and heard him mutter a curse.

That was the moment Cassidy realized Ashley really was a genius. “I take it there are two more sets of boots in that box?”

Ashley’s nod made him laugh as he faced Travis. “You did promise,” he reminded him.

“If Blake and Jaxi—”

“Went along with what I proposed, you said you would as well. And they did. Jaxi told me she had no objections to,” Ashley lifted a hand and counted off points on her fingers, “ordering three pairs of awesome rubber boots, and two, seeing that they were worn on a regular basis around the ranch.”

Travis narrowed his eyes. “But Jaxi would have ordered rubber boots for their girls, who are all under the age of three.”

Ashley shrugged. “I don’t see
that
detail makes any difference.”

She brought out two more pairs of boots, one neon-blue, the other purple, both dotted with yellow stars. She passed them over, and Cassidy accepted his set with a grin.

Travis hesitated.

Cassidy bumped him in the chest with his elbow. “You promised.”

“She cheated,” Travis complained, but he grabbed the purple pair.

“Come on,” Ashley slipped her feet into her boots and had the door open before either of them could move. “If you find me in the barn, I might have a reward for you” she offered, her tone sheer dirty invitation before she took off like a shot.

There was no way to stop his laughter from bubbling up and pouring out.
This
was why Cassidy found himself getting up every morning with a heart that was ready to explode with joy. Beside him Travis was shoving his feet into the boots, shaking his head and chuckling at Ashley’s evil plot.

Cassidy put a hand on Travis’s chest, holding him back so he could let his admiration show. “You look good in purple,” he teased.

Between one moment and the next Cassidy found himself being kissed fiercely, the best kind of tension rising between them along with a whole lot of anticipation.

Travis pushed Cassidy toward the door. “I’ll give you a five minute head start. And when I find you two, you’d better be ready for me.”

Coloured boots on his feet and joy in his heart, Cassidy raced across the yard to where he could see Ashley waiting, her hand held out to welcome him. Playing games in the hayloft might be childish, but there was nothing immature about the feeling inside. They raced up the ladder, and then Cassidy pulled her into his arms to wait for Travis to catch up.

He lifted her chin so he could look straight into the sky-blue depths. “You really do brighten up our lives.”

“Always,” Ashley agreed. “Just wait until you see the awesome coats I ordered for next winter.”

If you’d like to read Travis, Cassidy, and Ashley's story you can find it in
Rocky Mountain Freedom
, the sixth book in the Six Pack Ranch series. 

There’s an excerpt to try
here
.

The original two Six Pack homes lie across a coulee from each other. Blake, Jaxi and their four little ones occupy the homestead ranch, while Travis and his two partners are happily settled on the other side of the creek. Close family who are close friends.

But this holiday season, there's a brotherly rivalry brewing...

Timeline: This vignette takes place after ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHELTER, just before Christmas and a short while before ROCKY MOUNTAIN DEVIL begins.

~~** TRAVIS **~~

Travis Coleman opened the curtain barely an inch, and pure white light rushed past him. A whimper of complaint rose from the bed as Ashley rolled away from the bright streak to bury her face against Cassidy’s chest. Cassidy didn’t wake, but he curled an arm around her instinctively, one hand landing on her ass.

Sleep-warmed and relaxed, the two people who made Travis’s heart beat lay together with room left for him to join them. Cassidy stretched his other hand to the side as if searching for him.

Travis turned back to the curtain, distracted again by what was
way
too much light for three a.m. in the morning.

Between the Peters house, where the three of them lived, and the main Six Pack homestead, a long narrow coulee divided the land. In the bottom of the dip, a creek ran slow in the winter, edges freezing over as the water faded to a mere trickle.

They’d built a bridge years ago, the shortcut between the two houses well used and familiar—and now wrapped in tiny white lights. It was pretty, and festive.

And a pain in the ass, because while the house Blake and Jaxi occupied was barely visible from Travis’s master bedroom, the bridge lay in plain view, a beacon now shining across their bed, brighter than Rudolph’s nose.

“What the heck are you doing?” Cassidy complained, his deep grumble dragging Travis’s attention away from the wintry scene outside the window.

“Go back to sleep,” Travis ordered. “The decorating fairies found the coulee, that’s all.”

Green eyes blinked lazily, then Cassidy patted the mattress beside him. “Come back to bed while you still have time. ”

Ashley was now half draped over him, their legs tangled together, her hand partially covering the tattoo on his chest. The one with three initials tangled into a brand.

Travis was all too willing to resume his place, falling asleep to thoughts of mischief.

~~*~~

“Do we have any Christmas lights?” he asked casually at breakfast the next morning. “I thought I’d put some up.”

Ashley whirled on him, wide grin in place. “
Yes
!”

He snorted in amusement. “Well, that’s an enthusiastic response, even for you.”

Cassidy pressed a coffee cup into his hands. “Probably because a year ago when she asked that same question, you insisted the last thing you wanted to do after a day’s work was fiddle with hooks and lights.”

“Which is why I only got to put up a tiny tree out front with Cassidy’s help.” She sniffed. “Grinch.”

A squeal escaped her as she clapped her hands to her butt, rubbing the spot where Travis’d pinched her.

“Your ‘Grinch-B-Gone’ worked. I’m going to put up a whole
mess
of lights.” Travis figured Blake didn’t do it on purpose, but one good deed deserved another.

Cassidy brushed past, pausing to plant a kiss on Ashley’s cheek before facing Travis. “Joel texted me. We’re taking the quads to the back pasture to clear deadfall and set up the cattle. We’ll be out of range all day, but if you need a hand, I’ll help you tonight.”

“I have time this morning. I might start on my own.” Travis caught Cassidy by the hips, holding him in place. “No stupid shit like racing my brother. I don’t need you breaking yourself before Christmas.”

“Why? Did you get me a gift you can’t return?” Cassidy smirked, remaining still as Travis caught hold of his neck and locked them in position. “
You
be careful today. Climbing on tall ladders can be dangerous when you’re clearly still feeling delicate after last night.”

“God, you two.” Ashley dropped Cassidy’s lunchbox on the island. “Whose dick is bigger today?”

“
Mine
,” Travis and Cassidy announced at the same time.

She snickered. “I’ll break out the ruler later. Now get out of the kitchen so I can get to work. Vicki and Marion are coming over to put together Christmas hampers, and there’s no way I’m letting your mom in the house without double-checking all the toys are put away first.”

Cassidy leaned in and kissed Travis, quick but deep. “
Mine
,” he muttered under his breath before escaping to the mudroom for his coat and boots.

“Brat,” Travis called after him, laughing as he turned back to Ashley. “And that wasn’t my fault, you know. Besides, my mom has seen crops before. She probably figured it was from the barn.”

“With a heart-shaped cutout in the leather?” Ashley demanded. “What
are
you doing to those poor animals—? Oh my God!! Travis, put me down this instant!”

She continued to laugh as he lowered her to her feet, wondering at the joy he got to experience every damn day.

“Lights?” he asked again.

“Art studio, ground level. All the holiday stuff is in boxes labeled ‘humbug’.”

Life was never boring with Ashley around. “You were pretty pissed last year, I take it.”

She smiled sweetly. “Go. Play. I hit the most awesome sale, so there’s a bunch of stuff for you to pick from. I’ll come supervise later.”

He kissed her. Sweet and passionate—the icing on his morning.

There were at least a dozen boxes labeled
humbug
, and his plan expanded. Ashley had enough lights stockpiled to decorate every outbuilding on the ranch.

Travis had no intention of that. Just
one
spot. Somewhere with a clear view of his big brother’s home…

~~** BLAKE **~~

It was bedlam time at Blake and Jaxi’s.

Rachel and Rebecca had finally settled down after their bath, curling up beside him as he held Lana in his lap and read about a certain teddy bear for the umpteenth time.

He didn’t need to look at the page anymore, just recited the words—with voices—from memory until Rebecca interrupted in an attempt to take charge of the book
and
her sisters.

“No, Lana,” Rebecca scolded. “I’m the oldest, so I get to turn the pages. You don’t always treat books nice. You need to be older, like me.”