she broke Shane’s easy clasp and pulled away. Her cheeks were blazing. She lowered her gaze, wondering if he was looking at her, wondering if he’d noticed.
“Hey, I’m starved! Let’s eat!” Hunter reached for two sandwiches and helped himself to some beans and salad. Kylie was tempted to scold him for his lack of manners, but seeing him happy was worth holding her tongue.
In a moment, they were all filling their plates. Everyone seemed hungry except Amy, who was only picking at her food. Kylie gave her a worried look. The girl was right—life wasn’t fair. If only she had a reason to smile.
“You should see Shane’s place!” Hunter, who was usually brooding or lost in his phone, was actually making conversation. “He’s got a big barn with horses in it! And he’s got a dog with four puppies—they’re blue heelers. Shane says they’re the best cattle dogs on the planet.”
“Oh?” Kylie could imagine where this was leading.
“Shane’s pups are all spoken for. But you know I’ve always wanted a dog. Amy too. Now that we’re here on Aunt Muriel’s farm, what do you say we get one?”
Kylie hesitated. A dog would be fun for her children. But right now, with so many adjustments to make, a puppy underfoot would be just one more worry. “We’ll see,” she said. “Maybe this spring, when the weather’s better. And only then if it’s all right with Aunt Muriel.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind,” Muriel said. “My father always had dogs. I’d enjoy a dog now, but I’m getting too old to take care of one.”
“See, Mom,” Hunter argued. “It would be fine. Wouldn’t it, Amy?”
“It would be great!” Amy had brightened. “Hunter and I would take care of the dog! You and Aunt Muriel wouldn’t have to do a thing. Please say yes, Mom!”
“Why wait so long?” Hunter asked. “We could start looking now, online.”
Kylie knew when she was being railroaded, but things were happening too fast. Dealing with the move, the storm, and trying to put Christmas together, the stress was all she could handle. The thought of puppy puddles on the floor was more than her frayed nerves could stand right now.
“We’ll talk about it later,” she said. “Show me that you can be responsible, help around the place, and keep your grades up. Then we’ll talk about getting a dog. End of conversation.”
It’s what any good parent would say, Kylie told herself. But her children’s eager expressions had wilted like summer flowers at the first touch of frost. She sensed Shane’s eyes on her, his gaze questioning. What did he think of her?
But why should it matter? Shane had no business putting ideas into her children’s heads without asking her first. The sooner she made that clear to him, the better for all concerned.
An awkward silence had fallen over the table. It was broken by a sound from the direction of the road—the grinding roar of a big machine coming closer.
Hunter was the first one out the door. “It’s a bulldozer!” he shouted. “It’s clearing the snow!”
“Hallelujah!” Shane came out behind him, shielding his eyes from the glare. The town fathers must’ve rented the machine and driver from a local construction company. It didn’t cut smooth like a regular snowplow, but it was doing the job.
Behind it came a truck from the power company with a cherry picker on the back. Shane waved at the driver, a man he recognized from town. With luck they’d have the power on in the next few hours—a good thing, since the generator was running low on fuel.
He would need to clear the driveway out to the road for Henry and Kylie. That done, he’d be able to move his truck. But the snowmobile would still come in handy for the unplowed lanes and for getting around on the ranch. Maybe Henry would sell it to him.
“Maybe I can get Mom to drive me into town later,” Hunter said. “Is there someplace where kids hang out?”
“There’s a burger joint called Buckaroo’s on
“Hey, I’m starved! Let’s eat!” Hunter reached for two sandwiches and helped himself to some beans and salad. Kylie was tempted to scold him for his lack of manners, but seeing him happy was worth holding her tongue.
In a moment, they were all filling their plates. Everyone seemed hungry except Amy, who was only picking at her food. Kylie gave her a worried look. The girl was right—life wasn’t fair. If only she had a reason to smile.
“You should see Shane’s place!” Hunter, who was usually brooding or lost in his phone, was actually making conversation. “He’s got a big barn with horses in it! And he’s got a dog with four puppies—they’re blue heelers. Shane says they’re the best cattle dogs on the planet.”
“Oh?” Kylie could imagine where this was leading.
“Shane’s pups are all spoken for. But you know I’ve always wanted a dog. Amy too. Now that we’re here on Aunt Muriel’s farm, what do you say we get one?”
Kylie hesitated. A dog would be fun for her children. But right now, with so many adjustments to make, a puppy underfoot would be just one more worry. “We’ll see,” she said. “Maybe this spring, when the weather’s better. And only then if it’s all right with Aunt Muriel.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind,” Muriel said. “My father always had dogs. I’d enjoy a dog now, but I’m getting too old to take care of one.”
“See, Mom,” Hunter argued. “It would be fine. Wouldn’t it, Amy?”
“It would be great!” Amy had brightened. “Hunter and I would take care of the dog! You and Aunt Muriel wouldn’t have to do a thing. Please say yes, Mom!”
“Why wait so long?” Hunter asked. “We could start looking now, online.”
Kylie knew when she was being railroaded, but things were happening too fast. Dealing with the move, the storm, and trying to put Christmas together, the stress was all she could handle. The thought of puppy puddles on the floor was more than her frayed nerves could stand right now.
“We’ll talk about it later,” she said. “Show me that you can be responsible, help around the place, and keep your grades up. Then we’ll talk about getting a dog. End of conversation.”
It’s what any good parent would say, Kylie told herself. But her children’s eager expressions had wilted like summer flowers at the first touch of frost. She sensed Shane’s eyes on her, his gaze questioning. What did he think of her?
But why should it matter? Shane had no business putting ideas into her children’s heads without asking her first. The sooner she made that clear to him, the better for all concerned.
An awkward silence had fallen over the table. It was broken by a sound from the direction of the road—the grinding roar of a big machine coming closer.
Hunter was the first one out the door. “It’s a bulldozer!” he shouted. “It’s clearing the snow!”
“Hallelujah!” Shane came out behind him, shielding his eyes from the glare. The town fathers must’ve rented the machine and driver from a local construction company. It didn’t cut smooth like a regular snowplow, but it was doing the job.
Behind it came a truck from the power company with a cherry picker on the back. Shane waved at the driver, a man he recognized from town. With luck they’d have the power on in the next few hours—a good thing, since the generator was running low on fuel.
He would need to clear the driveway out to the road for Henry and Kylie. That done, he’d be able to move his truck. But the snowmobile would still come in handy for the unplowed lanes and for getting around on the ranch. Maybe Henry would sell it to him.
“Maybe I can get Mom to drive me into town later,” Hunter said. “Is there someplace where kids hang out?”
“There’s a burger joint called Buckaroo’s on
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