A Cowgirl's Christmas Read Online Free PDF Page A

her, just took her hand and squeezed her shoulder gently before moving on to greet her sisters.
    Callan was left to face Court. Up close she was struck by his beautiful blue eyes and disarming smile. Paradoxically she felt an immediate dislike. It felt wrong, having this man she’d never met before taking part of such a personal family gathering.
    “I’m Callan.” She offered him her hand reluctantly.
    He looked taken aback, as if he’d expected someone different. “Callan. Good to meet you, finally, though the circumstances could be better. Sorry for your loss.”
    He looked like he wanted to say more, but she didn’t want to encourage further conversation. She stepped back, letting Mattie move forward into the void.
    “Hi, Court, welcome to the Circle C. We’ve heard so much about you from our father. It feels strange that we’ve never met before.”
    Yes, that was the right thing to say. But Callan didn’t care if she’d been rude. She just wanted this whole thing to be over, for these men to get out of her house and leave her and her sisters alone.
    It was Sage who ushered the guests to the family room, Mattie who offered coffee, and Dani who sat down with paper and a pen, prepared to take notes. Callan hung on the periphery, pouring herself some bourbon over a glass full of ice.
    “That looks good. May I have a bourbon, too?” Court was watching her from his seat by the fireplace.
    Damn it, he was sitting in their father’s favorite leather chair. Reluctantly she dropped ice into a second glass, poured in the bourbon, then passed it to Mattie to give to Court. She dragged a chair from the kitchen so she could sit on the edge of the action.
    Now she noticed Court taking in the view of the fields stretching out to the Gallatin Mountains in the west. Even that annoyed her. Then again, if he’d sat there staring at the tips of his boots, she’d probably have found that aggravating as well.
    “Okay, I’m going to get straight to the point, beginning with your father’s wishes regarding his end of life,” Ren said. “Callan was talking to me earlier about a funeral—”
    “We covered that this afternoon,” Dani flipped back a page in her notebook. “We’ll bury dad next to mother’s marker in the family plot. Probably have a short service, with lunch to follow in the church basement.”
    Ren frowned and glanced at Callan. Too late she remembered him advising her not to do any planning until he’d had a chance to talk to them. She’d forgotten to pass this on to her sisters.
    “I’m afraid that isn’t what your father wanted, Dani,” Ren said, his tone gentle but firm. “He said no service, no celebration of life, nothing like that. He just wanted—” Here Ren paused, taking a deep breath before going on. “—to be cremated and have his ashes scattered. He wanted Callan and—” Another pause. “ - and Court to ride up to the foothills and scatter his ashes there.”

CHAPTER THREE
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    T he room was quiet for only a second. And then everyone was talking. Callan sank back against her chair, too stunned to do more than listen.
    “But what about the rest of us?” This was Mattie, sounding affronted.
    “That old bastard,” Dani said with disgust.
    “This is too much. Even for Hawksley.” Sage, who was sitting next to Ren on the couch, put a hand on the lawyer’s arm. “Did Dad tell you why he wanted only Court and Callan to spread the ashes?”
    “I’m sure he didn’t mean it as a slight or an insult. He just didn’t want any fuss. You know your father.”
    “Yeah,” Dani said. Her voice made it clear this wasn’t a good thing.
    Callan’s gaze slid over to Court and found him, likewise, looking at her. There was something of an apology in his eyes, as if acknowledging the inappropriateness of her father’s request. But there was something else, too. A challenge?
    “Have you even been on a horse before?” She glanced from his smooth, even complexion to