Christmas Catch-Up II (River's End Ranch Book 37) Read online

  Christmas Catch-Up II

  Pamela M. Kelley

  Piping Plover Press

  Copyright © 2017 by Pamela M. Kelley

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  I have a new book coming very soon, before the end of this month. If you’d like be notified when it releases-to get it at a special early discount price, be sure to sign up for my mailing list. Click here to sign up.

  ***Also, if you like recipes, be sure to check out my two holiday favorites, included at the end. My family makes the White Bean Holiday Dip mentioned in the book, every holiday, it’s that good. It’s like a hummus, but festive and green because of the parsley and so good—good for you too!

  And of course the Lazy Lobster Casserole. Beyond good!

  Contents

  1. Jess and Jake

  2. Barbi and Ryan

  3. Lily and Cody

  4. Maddie and Wade

  5. Bernie and David

  6. Melissa and Jack

  Also by Pamela M. Kelley

  About the Author

  White Bean Holiday Dip Recipe

  Lazy Lobster Casserole Recipe

  French Onion Soup Wonton Bites

  Jess and Jake

  Veterinarian’s Vacation

  Jess and Jake closed the vet clinic a little early on Christmas Eve. They opened for a few hours most weekend afternoons for any animals that were too sick to wait until Monday. Jess locked the front door a few minutes past four as soon as the last client left. The sky was already getting dark, and snow was coming down steadily. There was only a light dusting on the roads so far, and she was glad that she didn't have to drive anywhere. She was eager to stay home and snuggle in for the night. Dinner was already made. All she had to do was pop the tray of lasagna and garlic bread in the oven to heat up while Jake built a fire.

  They'd be seeing the rest of the Weston clan tomorrow, on Christmas Day, so tonight would be quiet, relaxing and maybe even a bit romantic. Jess smiled thinking of the mistletoe that Jake had strategically hung throughout the house. Not that he needed mistletoe to steal a kiss, but it did add a bit of fun. It also made the house look festive. Jess sighed happily. The house expansion had turned out wonderfully, and she had to admit she loved their commute as the house was connected to the vet clinic and they didn't even have to go outside to go home.

  Just as she and Jake were about to lock the back door and turn off the outside light before heading into the main house, Jess saw movement through the small glass windowpanes and took a closer look.

  "Oh, no! Ralphie's here again," she said at the sight of his sad face.

  Mrs. Wiggins small dog Ralphie lay shivering on the top step. Jess opened the door, and the snow white Maltese scrambled to his feet and stumbled inside. She scooped him up, and the little dog shivered again and snuggled against her, whimpering softly.

  Jake looked concerned when he saw him, and immediately set about getting a small bowl and filling it with food. He set it on the floor and returned a moment later with water as well. Jess set Ralphie down slowly, and he perked up when he smelled the food. He took a few tentative bites and then inhaled it as though he hadn't eaten in days.

  "He felt thin to me," Jess said as they watched him eat. Ralphie lived about a half a mile down the road with Eleanor Wiggins, a lovely, elderly woman. They rarely saw him, as he mostly stayed inside, but this was the third day in a row that he'd been by to visit, and the first time that he'd stayed to wait for food.

  Jake frowned. "I haven't seen Mrs. Wiggins around in a while. She usually sits in her window and waves when I drive by."

  "Maybe she's been sick. We can drive him home." Jess turned off the outside light while Jake turned his laptop back on.

  "What are you doing?" she asked.

  "I hope I'm wrong, but an awful thought occurred to me. Mrs. Wiggins is up there in age, around ninety, I think?"

  "At least that," Jess agreed.

  Jake was silent for a moment as he clicked the keys, searching for information. Meanwhile, Boris, their older office cat, sat watching everything from his pillow on top of an old file cabinet. He came to work with them every day and then followed them into the main house every night. Oliver, their other cat, had little interest in the vet clinic and was probably snoozing in one of his favorite comfy spots.

  When Jake found what he was looking for, he sighed heavily before closing the laptop and turning to face Jess. "I just checked the online obituaries. Mrs. Wiggins passed away two days ago. She was in the hospital before that. So, it looks like this little guy has been on his own for possibly a week or so."

  "No wonder he was hungry." Jess reached down and scratched Ralphie behind his ears. "The poor thing. He must have been so scared."

  "I don't think she has any family around here, does she?" Jake asked.

  Jess thought for a moment until it came to her "No, just a daughter in New York City. She has a big career as an attorney. Mrs. Wiggins was so proud of her."

  "Maybe she'll want to take Ralphie?"

  Jess shook her head as she remembered something else that Mrs. Wiggins had told her. "I don't think so. She mentioned once that her daughter isn't a dog person and has allergies. Even though Malteses are supposed to be hypoallergenic, she still hated to be around him."

  "Well, we'll have to bring him home with us for now, then. He's a young dog, only what—three or four? I'm sure someone will want him."

  Ralphie took his last bite, and then cocked his head and looked at both Jess and Jake as if to say 'thank you.'

  "Come on, Ralphie. Let's go home," Jake said. As they walked toward the connecting door, Boris and Ralphie followed close behind.

  * * *

  Later that night, after dinner, Jess topped off their glasses of bubbly Italian Prosecco, and they settled on the plush living room sofa, facing the roaring fire. The Christmas tree shimmered merrily in the corner as Oliver, who wasn't quite a year old yet, lay below it and lazily batted at a low-hanging ornament. Boris was sprawled out behind them on the sofa while Ralphie lay at their feet. The cats were tolerating his presence by ignoring him, which worked out well for everyone.

  "This has been such an amazing year. I can't wait to see what happens next," Jess said. Jake put his arm around her and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

  "Best year ever," he agreed. Jess stared into the fire, feeling happy and lucky. In such a short time, she'd become a vet, married the love of her life who was also a vet, and now they ran the clinic together. The only thing missing were children, but both she and Jake wanted to wait a few years before they started a family.

  "I can put a sign up in the clinic next week to see if there might be any interest in adopting Ralphie," Jake said. At the sound of his name, the little dog jumped up and looked at them both expectantly.

  "I suppose you could," Jess said as she reached down and pulled him into her lap. He yawned and nuzzled against Jake's knee until they were both petting him.

  "He's so sweet," she said as she took a sip of wine.

  "He is a friendly little thing, isn't he?" Jake smiled as Ralphie looked him in the eye and then licked his hand.

  "Or we could just keep him," Jess said. They'd never discussed getting a dog because they had the cats. But Ralph wasn't much bigger than a cat, and they both loved dogs, too.

  Jake laughed. "We could. Do you want to?"

  Ralphie barked as if they'd been addr
essing him and they both laughed.

  "Well, I think he's made his intentions known. He wants to stay, and I think I do want to keep him. It just feels right. What do you think?"

  Jake smiled. "It's fine by me. Look at him. He looks right at home."

  Ralphie stretched and looked impossibly cute. Jess couldn't resist dropping a kiss on his furry head.

  "Merry Christmas, little friend. Welcome home."

  Barbi and Ryan

  Charming Chef

  Barbi glanced around the room of corpses and smiled happily. She took a quick count—there were thirty-six, which meant she was at full capacity three days running. The music ended, and slowly the room of women came out of corpse pose, which was always the last pose of the class. In corpse pose, one laid on their back and simply relaxed.

  "Namaste. Great class everyone! Don't forget your last-minute Christmas gifts. I have six-packs of yoga classes, and there are some new mats and fuzzy socks that would make great stocking stuffers."

  Barbi stayed for another thirty minutes, handling the flurry of sales. Her last customer was also her good friend Lily who had been coming to her classes since the very beginning and was probably her best salesperson. Lily raved about Barbi's yoga classes to anyone who would listen.

  "I'll take a six-pack of classes and a pair of fuzzy socks. My feet are always cold lately."

  "Is that a pregnancy thing?" Barbi asked as she put the pretty blue socks in a small bag. Lily was just starting to show.

  "Maybe a little. But I'm always cold, and I like to collect socks!" Lily laughed.

  "Who are the classes for?"

  "I'm giving them to my mother for Christmas. She's been saying she might try a class one of these days. I figured I'd make it easier for her."

  "That's great. Wish her a Merry Christmas for me." Barbi handed her the bag of socks as Lily opened her wallet.

  "What do I owe you?"

  "Not a thing."

  Lily raised her eyebrows. "Don't be silly. You can't run a business by giving everything away."

  "My business is going well, and it's partly due to you. You've referred so many new clients. Consider this a small commission and a thank you."

  "All right, then. Thank you, too! Give Ryan my love. Will we see you at Bernie's Boxing Day party?"

  Barbi nodded. "Yes, we're looking forward to it." She thought the idea of a casual get together with friends the day after Christmas was a wonderful idea.

  Once the room was empty, Barbi locked the front door and straightened up. She looked around the room and sighed happily. She'd made a big decision and couldn't wait to share her news with Ryan. When she'd first found this space, she'd known that it would be perfect for her fledgling yoga business. It was a huge, sunny room with polished hardwood floors and lots of windows that gave it an open and airy feel. Best of all, it was the first floor of a gorgeous old Victorian home, and she and her husband Ryan lived directly above it.

  Barbi made her way upstairs, and before she reached the door, she could smell butter and lemon and something she couldn't quite place, but she knew it would be heavenly because Ryan was cooking. He was a celebrity chef, and everything he made was magical.

  The door opened as she reached the top step and Ryan was standing there holding a sprig of mistletoe that she had to walk under. She laughed.

  "I would have kissed you, anyway."

  "I know, but this is fun!" Ryan pulled her toward him and kissed her soundly.

  "Well, hello to you, too," Barbi said.

  Ryan laughed. "Are you hungry? Dinner's almost ready."

  "I'm starving. Do I have time for a quick shower?"

  "Ten minutes. So not your usual leisurely soak," he scolded her.

  "I'll be fast!"

  Ten minutes later, with her long hair still damp, Barbi came back to the kitchen and looked around the room with appreciation.

  "You've been busy. Everything looks beautiful." Ryan had set the dining room table with their best china, crisp white linen napkins and delicate crystal wine glasses. A tossed salad sat in the center of the table, and a quick glance told her it was her favorite that he made with leafy red lettuce, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries and goat cheese.

  Ryan walked over and gave her another kiss. "Are you ready for a glass of wine?"

  "Yes. What can I do to help?" Barbi was not known for her skills in the kitchen, but she did what she could.

  "Do you want to pour the wine?"

  Barbi poured them each a glass of buttery chardonnay and brought them to the table.

  "What smells so good?"

  "That would be the lobster."

  "Lobster?" Idaho wasn't exactly known for it. "I thought we were having tenderloin. Where did you get lobster?"

  Ryan grinned. “We'll have the tenderloin when your mother and Sam come for dinner tomorrow. If there's any leftover lobster, we'll have that, too. I had it sent in from Maine—one of my vendors hooked me up."

  "I've never had it before. But I love shrimp."

  Ryan handed her a plate piled with some kind of casserole filled with lobster meat. There was also a baked stuffed potato and broiled asparagus.

  "It looks wonderful. Thank you."

  Ryan joined her at the table, and Barbi took a bite of lobster and swooned. The meat was sweeter than shrimp and there were buttery crumbs and lemon and something else that she couldn't place. It was beyond delicious.

  "It's so good. What's in it?"

  "It's a simple dish. Just lobster, butter, a little parsley for color, crushed Ritz crackers and a splash of sherry."

  After they ate, Barbi insisted on doing most of the dishes, and then they topped off their glasses and went to get comfy in their den with its squishy sofa and big screen TV. Oscar and Felix, their six-year-old Maine Coon rescue cats, were in their usual positions along the back of the sofa, so they could peer down at their people. They were funny cats. They were both very friendly, and as soon as Felix saw them, he started chatting. He was the most vocal cat that Barbi had ever had, and his meowing made her laugh.

  They settled on the sofa and flipped on the Hallmark Channel. Both of them loved to watch the Christmas specials. Barbi actually thought Ryan enjoyed them even more than she did. It was usually his idea to watch one of the cheerful movies.

  "So, I have some news," Barbi said once they were comfortable.

  Ryan smiled. "Is it good news?"

  "It's very good news. I couldn't be more excited. I've hit a major goal with my yoga classes. I'm going to give notice at the restaurant. Instead of waiting tables on trivia night, I can go and play with everyone!"

  "That's fantastic news. I'm so proud of you!" Ryan kissed her and then said, "You could have quit a long time ago, though. You didn't have to keep waitressing."

  "I know, and I do appreciate that. I didn't mind the work, though, and more importantly, I wanted to do this on my own. To get the classes to a point where I didn't need the extra money from the restaurant to keep it going. My classes are full all the time now. And I'll have some more time to play with, so I may add another class or two."

  "To a happy New Year, then! I think it's going to be a wonderful year for both of us," Ryan said.

  "I do, too," Barbi agreed, and this time, she kissed Ryan first. "Merry Christmas!"

  Lily and Cody

  Cute Cowboy

  When Lily got home from yoga class on Christmas Eve, she took a quick shower and then went downstairs to wait for Cody to come home with dinner. He'd called to confirm what they wanted and said he'd pick up the food on his way home. He was getting Italian from their favorite restaurant in downtown Riston. They went there often and almost always got the same things. Eggplant Parmesan for Lily and spaghetti and meatballs for Cody. They wanted to have a quiet night in for Christmas Eve and would then be spending Christmas Day with his parents and brother.

  Hope rubbed against her leg as she stood looking around the room, reminding her that she needed dinner, too. Lily fed her and glanced at the
clock. She probably had about ten minutes before Cody would be home. Maybe there was time to hang the mistletoe. She'd picked it up earlier, and it was the final touch. The rest of the house was beautifully decorated with a large twinkling tree by the bay window in the living room, poinsettias here and there and stockings hung on the mantel—three of them, one for Lily, Cody and Hope. Lily rubbed her stomach as she felt a fluttery kick and smiled, thinking that next year they would need four stockings.

  She moved quickly, getting the stepladder out from the garage and the mistletoe from the small bag in her purse. She hung two sprigs of it in the busiest doorways and was hanging the final third spray in the walkway between the kitchen and living room when she heard the front door open and rushed to finish. She couldn't quite reach to get the final thumbtack in, so she stepped one step higher, reached again and then something went very, very wrong.

  She lost her balance and fell, landing hard on her side. It knocked the wind out of her. When she caught her breath, she tried to get up. But when she put her weight on her hands, her right hand buckled, and she screamed. The pain was the most intense thing she'd ever felt.

  Cody set the bag of food down and rushed over to Lily's side.

  "Are you okay? What happened?"

  "I'm okay. I think. I was just hanging mistletoe." She struggled to her feet.

  "Let me see your hand," Cody demanded.

  Lily slowly held her hand out and winced as she moved. Her whole side that she fell on felt tender and bruised.

  Cody frowned as he looked at Lily's hand, which was already swelling.

  "Can you move it around?"

  Lily tried, and the pain brought tears to her eyes. "No. I think something might be sprained."