Christmas in Winter Valley
Ransom Canyon welcomes you back for a Christmas that has everything you’re looking for: romance, family and a whole lot of Texas.
Cooper Holloway would take nature over people any day—especially visiting relatives. That’s why he’s headed for a rustic cabin in remote Winter Valley, where he’ll care for a herd of wild mustangs. But Cooper’s plans are quickly thwarted by the arrival of two unexpected guests: one, a stranger in desperate need of his help, and the other, a very attractive young veterinarian.
Elliot is busy trying to keep Maverick Ranch running smoothly with Cooper gone, which is no easy task with family visiting. And when a long-lost love suddenly reappears in his life, Elliot knows he’ll have more than just books to balance this season.
With a big, chaotic family Christmas around the corner and love blooming in surprising ways, the Holloway men will have to make big choices about the future—just in time for the holidays.
Praise for Jodi Thomas
“The Little Teashop on Main is tender, heartfelt and wonderful.... I loved every word.”
—RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author
“The Little Teashop on Main is a beautiful love letter to the power of female friendship, and when you read it, you’ll feel like you’ve come home. Perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Nina George.”
—Robyn Carr, New York Times bestselling author
“Compelling and beautifully written.”
—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author on Ransom Canyon
“You can count on Jodi Thomas to give you a satisfying and memorable read.”
—Catherine Anderson, New York Times bestselling author
“Deeply poignant moments and artfully rendered characters create a rich story that transports readers to an idyllic place.”
—Publishers Weekly on Mistletoe Miracles
“Highly recommended.”
—Library Journal, starred review of Sunrise Crossing
“[Sunrise Crossing] will warm any reader’s heart.”
—Publishers Weekly, A Best Book of 2016
“This is a novel that settles in the reader’s heart from the beginning to its satisfying end.”
—RT Book Reviews on Mornings on Main, 4 1/2 Stars, Top Pick!
“Thomas is a wonderful storyteller.”
—RT Book Reviews on Rustler’s Moon
Also available from
Jodi Thomas
and HQN Books
Mornings on Main
The Little Teashop on Main
Ransom Canyon
Ransom Canyon
Rustler’s Moon
Lone Heart Pass
Sunrise Crossing
Wild Horse Springs
Indigo Lake
Mistletoe Miracles
Winter’s Camp (ebook novella)
A Christmas Affair (ebook novella)
JODI THOMAS
Christmas in Winter Valley
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER ONE
December 10
COOPER HOLLOWAY BARELY noticed the beauty of his ranch from his huge east-facing windows. The grass had already turned brown and tumbleweeds spotted the prairie like ghostly Christmas bulbs scattered across the ground. His favorite time of year, he thought, but today was turning out to be a nightmare and it wasn’t even noon. He glanced at the hills, far in the distance. Winter Valley was hidden there, along with his vital work. He had to make it to the hills by dark.
He tossed two worn pairs of boots, along with half a dozen shirts and jeans, into a duffel bag as he mumbled every swear word he’d ever heard. He stuffed in a handful of mismatched socks and yanked the bag’s drawstring. Forget underwear or a shaving kit. He had to get out of the old ranch shack as fast as possible.
The cousins were coming and if they saw him, he’d be delayed for hours.
“You ready, Coop?” his brother Elliot yelled from the ground-floor foyer. “I see the dust cloud. The vans have turned off the county road.” Elliot’s words echoed through the spacious rooms and up the wide oak stairs.
Cooper’s duffel bag hit the saltillo tiles at the bottom of the stairs and echoed off the entryway walls. “You got Hector saddled?” Cooper shouted as he looked around for his hat.
“Yeah, he’s out back, ready to run. Creed and a few boys have already left in the truck loaded down with supplies and medicine. They’re hauling an extra mount just in case you need one. Hopefully they’ll be waiting for you at the entrance to the pass, but the road will take them longer than you crossing open country on horseback.”
Cooper came down the stairs so fast Elliot had to jump back to keep from being run over. “Coop!” Elliot yelled. “You don’t have a posse gunning for you. It’s Sunlan’s cousins just getting together before they head home for Christmas. How bad could three women in their early twenties be? At least one is still in college, so she’ll probably be studying for finals. It’s not like they’re kids we have to babysit. When they planned the visit they picked the ranch so they could see Sunlan, not us. Now, with Sunlan’s father ill, who knows if she’ll even make it in before the cousins have to leave.
“Griffin said they are all drop-dead gorgeous and can’t wait to see you again.”
“College! The redhead is taking her senior year for the third or fourth time, which leaves me to believe she’s probably not into studying.” Cooper picked up his bag. “They think I’m the ranch pet. Last time I saw them, one of them actually scratched my ear. I took Sunlan into the family when Griffin married her, but I refuse to accept the rest of her kin.”
“They can’t be that bad.” Elliot’s attempt to look on the bright side wasn’t even working on Elliot himself. He looked as miserable as Cooper felt.
“If you ever left the ranch, big brother, you’d learn what women are like these days.”
Elliot shook his head. “I’ve got too much work to do to travel around talking to women I have nothing in common with.”
“Good
—now you can entertain them right here. I took my turn at the stock show last summer. I’m not doing it again. Just because they’re closer to my age doesn’t mean I’m the one who has to be sacrificed to my sister-in-law’s crazy relatives.”
He stormed toward the back door. “I met them in Fort Worth, having no idea what I was in for. At first I thought I was there just to haul luggage and drive them around, but as we headed up to their rooms, two of them started trying to take off my clothes. One claimed she’d never seen a real cowboy up close.” Cooper shook his head. “I got to tell you, brother, it wasn’t easy holding on to my dignity and the luggage at the same time.”
They hit the back door and the youngest Holloway broke into a run. “Working with the wild mustangs up in the hills will be far more fun.”
Elliot followed. “But you’ll be out there alone, Coop. No one within miles. No cell service. If you run into trouble, there’ll be no one to help.”
“Great. Sunlan can’t call me and talk me into anything. Why’d Griffin have to marry someone so smart? None of us can say no to her.” Cooper stopped suddenly. “Promise me, Elliot, that you will never, ever get married. I don’t think I could take another sister-in-law. Especially not one with cousins.”
“No problem. I haven’t had time for a date in two years. Sunlan’s cousins are too young for me. I have a feeling I’ll grow into the old uncle who takes the odd place at the holiday table every year.”
Both men slowed as they neared a wooded area where their great-grandfather had planted a forest a hundred yards behind the ranch house. Apple trees on the left of the path. Peach trees on the right. He’d told each respective wife when he’d married her that he wanted either a peach or an apple pie served at every meal. The first three ladies must have objected and divorced him, but number four had been a cook.
A ranch hand passed Cooper the reins to his mount. “Good luck, Coop,” he whispered, as if this might be the last time he would see his boss.
“Thanks.” Cooper nodded once. “Look in on the mares in the barn at least twice a day. That one who got cut up by barbed wire needs to be watched, and that new mare looks like she’ll be dropping a foal any day.”
The man nodded.
“Good luck,” Elliot echoed. “How long before I send old Doc Westland up to check on your progress with the mustangs?”
“Give me a few days to round up the herd. Then, when the doc arrives, we’ll tag what I’ve corralled. Who knows how far back in the canyon they’ll be.”
“I could ride up with the doc.” Elliot sounded like a big brother. “Creed said he’d go help guide the old guy in if it snows. He’s the only one besides Griffin who can find the place. I’m not sure I could, even with a map.”
“No need. The doc will find me. I left him with detailed instructions after last year. Besides, I’ll be looking for him. Too much activity would scare the mustangs off. This is a job for one rider, two at the most. That herd is wild, but they still need care to stay healthy through winter. I’ll be lucky if they accept me. Last year I couldn’t get close to a dozen of them.”
Elliot slapped his brother’s horse, starting him along. “You’ll smell like them when you get back, and be lucky if we let you enter the house. Make sure you’re back for Christmas.”
Cooper gave Hector his head and they were off and running full-out toward the hills, toward Winter Valley. He wanted isolation. He always saw this one job as a challenge, a quest. One man against the wilderness. One cowboy riding among a herd of wild horses, some that had never seen a human. The timing had to be just right—late fall, when pastures had turned brown, but the snows hadn’t started. Like the wild mustangs, Cooper knew it was time. He felt it in the air. Sunlan’s cousins coming in just started him along a few days earlier on an adventure he loved.
“See you when the job’s done.” He laughed, knowing he was already too far away for anyone to hear.
Griffin and Elliot could run the ranch for a while. All Cooper wanted was solitude.
Before dark he’d be so far back into the canyons that Coop could almost believe he was traveling back in time. His great-grandfather had built a cabin miles away from any road almost a century ago. He’d found the mustangs the winter after he’d homesteaded. Legend was he’d loved watching the wild horses that lived so far back in the rough canyons more than he’d loved any of his four wives. He’d made a promise to keep the herd strong and protected from diseases and rustlers. Every generation of Holloways had kept that promise.
A few weeks alone was exactly what Cooper needed. Peace, nature and no women. He swore that December was the opening of husband-hunting season in Crossroads, the nearest town. Parties, dinners, fund-raisers, church festivals. All the local single women needed a date and he seemed to be the first unattached man they thought to ask.
December was the perfect time to disappear.
He wouldn’t worry about the ranch house. How much damage could three young women do with manicured hands? Besides, Sunlan promised she’d be there to help. As soon as her father recovered she’d fly down and join the girls. Maybe she’d take them shopping or something. From the looks of the boxes that had rained down on them yesterday, the girls had already started shopping online.
Cooper glanced back at the headquarters and saw dark clouds moving across the northern sky. For a moment he thought it might be the cousins, then he realized winter’s first storm was thundering in.
He didn’t care. He’d spend his solitary days in mud. He wasn’t going back.
Freedom pounded in his veins to the beat of Hector’s hooves.
* * *
ELLIOT HOLLOWAY WATCHED his brother disappear. Cooper was a man born out of his time—he was tall, lean and wild as the wind. He should have been a Texas Ranger, or an outlaw back when Texas was untamed. The modern world hemmed him in.
Part of Elliot longed to run away with Coop, but Elliot had always been the logical one. He’d do what was right, what was needed. Griffin, eight years older, had taken the reins of the ranch when their parents died, but Elliot had come home from college and taken responsibility for the books. While his brothers became working ranchers, he’d taken classes in programming, the stock market, bookkeeping, taxes. Elliot might dress in boots and jeans, but he rarely climbed on a horse.
He walked back toward the huge three-story house that they called simply “the headquarters.” With both his brothers gone, Elliot felt alone. Surely, Griffin and Sunlan would be back in time to decorate. Cooper might make a show of wanting to be alone up at Winter Valley, but he loved the holidays, too. He’d come riding in time to celebrate, cousins or no cousins. Until then, Elliot would take over.
He’d loved growing up on the ranch, but he’d always thought that once he left for college he’d never return, except to visit. His dreams were in the big city. Wall Street, maybe. For him, numbers, patterns, programs were far more interesting than horses or moving cattle from one pasture to another.
But those dreams of walking the canyons built by skyscrapers in New York hadn’t come true. He’d been pulled back before he’d finished college. His dad had died, and his brothers needed him. He’d thought he would only be gone a semester, a year at the most, but the finances back home were in terrible shape. The Maverick Ranch wasn’t just land and cattle. His father had investments in dozens of other ventures. Some were paying out, but most were dripping blood. The first few years he and Griffin worked hard just to hold on to what three generations of Holloways had built. When drought hit one year and fire two years later, they were barely surviving by the time Cooper was old enough to pull his share.
Then Griffin had married Sunlan, and she’d poured money into the Maverick. She’d also added property in Colorado she wanted kept separate, but she swore no one could manage the books but Elliot. When Grif and Sunlan’s girl was born, all three men had spent time helping out on the Colorado ranch, knowing it woul
d someday go to the newest Holloway.
Or Holloways. Sunlan would spend time with her father, make sure he was recovering from his respiratory infection, then come home to the ranch. Her parents might travel from their ranch to Washington, DC, but the Maverick Ranch was her home now.
She’d be popping out another Holloway by spring.
Elliot swore. Sunlan would let him have a piece of her mind if he talked like that. She’d spent the past two years loving Griffin and picking on Elliot and Cooper like the clay wasn’t dry in their molding. Griffin once told both brothers that they were masochists because they seemed to love listening to her lectures.
Elliot told himself he didn’t mind taking on both ranches’ books. It was all in the family.
He stretched, barely noticing the cold wind blowing in from the north as Cooper disappeared from sight. His little brother would have his free days, and Elliot would try to play host to the three cousins while he spent midnight hours with year-end details.
Maybe he’d take them into the café in town tomorrow. Maybe he’d get out the Monopoly game, or, if that was too juvenile for them, they’d play poker.
Walking back into the house, he noticed the stack of boxes piled in the foyer had grown. Elliot smiled. Sunlan had said the cousins had ordered a few things for the days they were staying. Maybe they’d brought their own games. Or books. That would be quieter.
He’d ask Creed to take them out for a ride. The young foreman was close to their age. That’d kill an afternoon. Creed would hate the chore, but he’d be too quiet to complain, and Elliot wouldn’t trust anyone else to watch over city girls.
“I can handle this and still get my work done. No sweat,” Elliot lied to himself as his words echoed through the hallway.
After all, it was only for a short visit. Sunlan had even commented on the phone that her father was getting better every day. When Elliot had talked to her a few nights ago, he could tell she was longing for home, and home was here.
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