Mistletoe Rodeo (Welcome to Ramblewood) by Amanda Renee Page A

the crotch. “Easy, Barney. I’d like to have the opportunity to have children before you castrate me.”
    Chase hadn’t told Nola it was his birthday, but it didn’t seem like much of a celebration without inviting her. Not that he felt like celebrating.
    Christmas music immediately assaulted him when he entered the house through the back door. As far as he knew, his mother wasn’t even home. She was usually bustling elsewhere about the ranch somewhere by now. He didn’t really mind the music, though. The first year after his father’s death, his mother had had zero interest in Christmas. It wasn’t until Cole and Tess adopted their daughter, Ever, that Kay had begun to celebrate the holiday again. With the addition of his other nephews, Christmas became what it once was in the Langtry household: a celebration of family.
    Chase wondered how Nola felt about children. Judging by the way she interacted with the kids on the ranch, he assumed she’d one day want her own. Wasn’t that what all women wanted?
    He removed his phone from his pocket and called her.
    “Hey, I can only talk for a minute because I have meetings all day and two assignments tonight,” she answered briskly.
    Nola’s immediate dismissal, before he’d even said hello, crushed Chase’s spirits.
    “And here I was going to invite you out tonight.”
    Chase noted Nola’s hesitation on the other end of the line. “I can’t promise anything, but if I wrap up these interviews early, I’ll give you a call. Where did you have in mind?”
    Had he misread the situation between them? The lack of enthusiasm in her tone made Chase wish he hadn’t bothered calling.
    “Slater’s Mill. My brothers and I are going, and if you can make it that would be great. I won’t keep you from your work.” Chase ended the call and turned his attention to making himself a cup of coffee. Spinning the K-cup dispenser, he found several flavored coffees—peppermint, eggnog and cinnamon—along with a variety of hot chocolates. Not a single regular dark roast in the house.
    Chase enjoyed a flavored coffee every now and then, but a man needed a strong brew in the morning. He was willing to bet his mother had stocked his students’ coffeemaker with the same flavors.
    Chase had a little over an hour before he needed to be back at the rodeo school. It was enough time to run into town and get a real cup of joe. He went to grab his keys off the hook by the back door, but they weren’t there. Neither were any of the other keys. Chase walked outside and checked the side parking area where they normally kept their vehicles, and with the exception of his truck, every one of them was gone. Including his mother’s Mercedes, which rarely went anywhere.
    Chase quickly dialed Cole. “Okay, what’s going on?”
    “What are you talking about?” Cole asked.
    “My keys—all the keys to every vehicle—are gone. There isn’t a single car here. I can’t drive to The Magpie to get a cup of coffee without some form of transportation.”
    “Isn’t there coffee in the house?”
    He paced the kitchen floor. “Cole, where are my keys?”
    “How the hell would I know? I don’t drive your truck. You never let anyone touch it. I’m surprised you even allow Nola to ride in it.”
    “Then, where is everyone else?” Chase demanded.
    “I saw Mom head out early this morning. Shane’s Jeep is at the airport, two of the Navigators went in for service and I loaned Nicolino the other one because his truck broke down this morning. Sorry, Chase, but you’re either going to have to find your keys or ride Bocephus into town. Hate to cut you short, but I need to get going.”
    Cole hung up before Chase could argue. He searched the whole house for his keys, even checking the ignition of his truck in case he’d left them there. It was his own fault for not having a duplicate set made. It had been on his to-do list for years and he’d never gotten around to it. So much for that cup of real