A CALLAHAN CHRISTMAS MIRACLE Read online

  Galen was about to say, Yes, indeed, when Rose said, “Dad, I’m twenty-eight. No one needs to take care of me.”

  “That’s what she always says.” Mack grinned and looked back at Running Bear. “You could always try to flush them out, Chief. The problem is, they’ll come back. And it’s sort of skirting the law not to mention that they’re there, you see. Smugglers and mercenaries and the like bring trouble, not just to your property, but surrounding ranches. Crime goes up. Soon you’ve got bigger problems on your hands.”

  Galen and Rose glanced at each other. She could tell he was giving her father’s words his complete attention. Mack respected Running Bear and Galen. Maybe the four of them could figure out a solution.

  “And it’s dangerous for your kids,” her dad added. “I’ve heard you’re growing quite the brood out at Rancho Diablo.”

  Galen nodded. “Most of my brothers are happily married.”

  “Might seriously consider moving the kids,” Mack said. “I would, if it was my Rosebud.” He glanced at her apologetically. “Mind you, I realize you doing so would put my little girl out of employment. But you might consider sending the kids and wives off to join their cousins. I know you’ve got a place in Tempest, too.”

  Her father leaned back, took a big drink of his sugary tea. “Now I’ve got myself in hot water with Rose. But I’m an honest man, Galen. You’ve got to figure matters will probably get uglier from here.”

  Galen stood, and Running Bear rose with him.

  “We will think on your words,” the chief said. “Thank you for seeing us.”

  “Anytime. Pardon me while I embarrass my daughter.” He enveloped Rose in one last bear hug. “You come home soon, if you want to. Don’t let this big rascal cowboy keep you away from your ol’ pop.”

  “Dad!” Rose kissed his cheek, then stepped away. “I’ll be back in a few days with a hot meal. I don’t think you’re going to be the kind of man who takes up cooking in his spare time.”

  “Nope. Too many ladies around here seem to like sending casseroles my way. And occasionally, I have a barbecue for the boys. Don’t worry about me, Rose. You just be careful out there. I expect you to take very good care of my girl,” he told Galen, and she made an impatient sound and headed for the door.

  If her father didn’t pipe down with all the protective advice, Galen was going to turn skittish on her. Then she’d be like Ash, finally giving up on a ghost she’d been chasing for too long.

  Rose had no plans to give up on her cowboy.

  Chapter Six

  Rose wasn’t entirely surprised when she heard a knock on her door that night. In fact, she was prepared for Galen’s visit.

  To her shock, Somer and Jace walked in.

  “Hi,” Jace said. “Is this a bad time?”

  He eyed the plate of gingerbread on her nightstand, along with two cups of tea.

  “Not at all,” Rose said coolly. “How can I help you?”

  “Somer and I are going to take a drive. She’s working tomorrow. We’ll be back in time, but could you keep anybody from looking for her if it comes up?”

  Rose glanced from Jace to Somer. “What’s going on?”

  “We’re in the mood for a road trip,” Somer said. “If anybody looks for me, I don’t want them to know I’m gone. With Jace,” she clarified.

  “Oh. I see.” She shrugged. “I can tell them you’ve gone to visit your uncle Storm.”

  “And I’ve gone to—” Jace began, stopping when Rose held up a hand.

  “I only cover for ladies. Men have to do their own dirty work,” she explained. “It’s a girl thing.”

  “Fine.” Jace nodded. “Thanks, Rose.”

  “No problem.” She studied the pair, who looked suspiciously nervous. “You realize that Galen may dig a little deeper, no matter what I tell him, when he realizes both of you have disappeared.”

  “Can’t you keep him busy?” Jace asked.

  Rose gave him her best stink eye. “I will do no such thing,” she said, her tone disapproving.

  “It’s not what you think,” Somer said.

  Rose said, “I don’t care what you two are up to. Leave me out of the particulars of the road trip, please. I’ve got enough on my hands as it is.”

  Jace glanced toward the cups and gingerbread. “You snack like that every night?”

  “So what if I do?” she asked.

  “Just never knew a lady who needed two cups of tea. Might as well get a mug,” Jace said. “Save yourself a dirty cup, right?”

  Somer tugged at Jace, who was going on like a beagle after a buried bone. “Come on, cowboy.”

  “That’s right,” Rose said. “I don’t tell your secret, and you don’t ask about mine.”

  “Understood,” Somer said, pulling Jace into the hall.

  “Wait,” he said. “I’m not through teasing her. That’s the best part of life at the ranch. What would we do if we didn’t give each other the business all the time? It’s an art form with us.”

  “Not tonight, it’s not,” Rose heard Somer say as they went down the hall.

  Rose got up to close the door. It was getting late, later than last night when Galen had visited. Maybe he wasn’t coming tonight. She reached to turn off the lamp just as her door opened.

  “Whew. I thought they’d never leave,” Galen said, stepping inside. “I heard Jace say you’d brought me my midnight snack, you sweet girl. Thanks a million.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “I didn’t say this was for you.”

  “But you didn’t say it wasn’t.” He sat down and helped himself to gingerbread and tea. “Where are the smiley faces?”

  “The what?”

  He waved at her legs. “Your smiley-face nightwear.”

  “These are fine.” She glanced down at her pajamas. “You have a problem with ladybugs?”

  “Love ladybugs.” Galen looked pleased with himself. “Just thought the smiley faces suited you.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” She sat down next to him on the bed. “So what did you decide about your dilemma?”

  “I don’t know. We need another family meeting. My brothers and Ash will need to vote.” He sighed, sipped the tea. “Half of them will vote for burning out the tunnels. They’ll want to go all Armageddon on Wolf’s men, and Fiona, my warrior aunt, will be right there with that plan. The other half will want to stay this side of the law. We will stay this side of the law. And I appreciate your father talking with us today. He called me later to let me know he’s discussing the issue with some of his contacts. He thinks we’re in for a tough time around here, once the word gets out.” Galen looked at Rose, put his gingerbread down. “You know your father’s right, don’t you?”

  Her heart sank. “I’m not leaving, if that’s where you’re going with the Daddy-knows-best chat.”

  She sipped her tea, then crawled up onto the bed, bumping him over so he couldn’t hog all the space with his big frame.

  It felt really good, sitting so close to him.

  Galen slid down next to her, their shoulders together—just as they’d been last night.

  “I don’t want you to leave. But if that’s what it takes to keep you safe, that’s what we’ll do.”

  “I’m fine, except I’m sad that the kids will have to go.” She sighed, thinking about the four Callahan children she’d come to love. “Maybe Kendall and Sloan would allow me to go with them.”

  “To Hell’s Colony? They probably would. Or they might decide to go to Tempest. That decision is up to them.” Galen pulled her close to him, so she rested on his chest. Rose snuggled down, loving the feel of him. He was hard and strong beneath her, and he smelled sexy, like fresh-cut cedar.

  If she’d ever had any doubt she was falling for him, it fled her mind no
w.

  “This probably isn’t a good time to tell you this,” Galen said, “but I think I have a crush on you.”

  She looked up at him. “I’m open to that.”

  “Really?”

  “Why do you think I have gingerbread in my room? To feed the mice?” She snuggled against his chest again. “I was hoping to catch a big strong cowboy.”

  He pulled her face up so that his lips met hers, and for the second time, they kissed—really kissed, not just a brush of skin. Excitement swept Rose, and she rolled onto her back as the kiss deepened.

  It seemed as if they kissed for hours, unable to get enough of each other. She pressed close to Galen, loving how his hands cupped her hard against him.

  They heard someone in the hall, and Rose froze. Galen pressed against her, kissing her neck, her lips, and then lower.

  “Galen!” she whispered urgently. “Someone is out there!”

  “It’s all right. We’re not inviting them in.”

  He unbuttoned her pajama top and kissed her breasts with the same attention he’d paid to her lips. Rose no longer cared if someone might walk in. She was lost in the moment, lost in Galen, so happy to be in his arms.

  “Let’s get you out of this,” he said, pulling off her pajamas.

  “And don’t you be shy,” Rose replied, tugging his shirt off and reaching eagerly for his jeans.

  “No one can accuse me of being shy.” He tossed his jeans to the floor and kissed her belly. His warm lips caressed and teased, and he took his time exploring her, so that by the time he had kissed her all over, and made love to her again and again, early morning light was peeking in the window.

  “I’ve got to go,” Galen said, getting up to dress. “Not that I want to. Nothing more I’d rather do than let you tempt me back into bed.”

  “And I would,” Rose said, dragging the sheet with her as she climbed from the bed. “But duty calls.”

  He followed her into the bathroom, kissing her. “This cookies-and-tea thing could become a habit,” Galen said.

  “Just cookies and tea?” She lifted a brow, challenging him to admit that he hadn’t come to her room solely for treats of the gastronomic variety.

  “We’ll see,” Galen said. “’Bye, beautiful.”

  She walked him to the door, checked the hallway carefully then blew a kiss his way. His face lit up, and Rose watched him head down the stairs.

  The most wonderful night of her life.

  She went to shower and get ready for the day, floating on air.

  * * *

  “HAVE YOU SEEN JACE?” Galen asked Rose when she came down for breakfast. Fiona and Burke were busy cooking up eggs, toast and sausage links, and his brothers were all present and accounted for—except Jace.

  She looked adorably confused. “I just came downstairs.”

  “I didn’t know if you’d run across him upstairs.” Galen shrugged. “He’ll show up eventually. Breakfast is his favorite meal of the day.”

  “I like it, too. Good morning, Fiona. Burke.”

  “Meeting tonight,” Galen said. He had to work hard not to watch every move Rose made. It was hard to believe he’d spent the last several hours making love to her. He could easily skip breakfast, carry her back upstairs and do it all over again.

  His brothers mumbled and murmured about a meeting being called, but his focus was pretty much on Rose. She was wearing yoga-style black stretch pants and a black top. Clearly, she was on her way over to watch the kids, and he adored her looking all sexy nanny.

  Who am I kidding? She’d be sexy in a pair of jeans and an apron, working at the Books’n’Bingo Society, baking cookies.

  I really love looking at her.

  She made his heart happy. There was no two ways around that. Which scared him a little, because he didn’t have a whole lot of room in his life for an emotional attachment right now.

  On the other hand, he could make room for a woman as sweet as Rose.

  “What are you mooning at, Galen?” Dante asked, and he jumped.

  Tighe said, “You look like you’ve got indigestion or your jeans are too tight.”

  Everyone turned to stare at him. Galen sighed, tore his gaze away from Rose reluctantly. “I’m fine. Thanks for the concern, but I’ve never been better.”

  Of course, his gaze bounced right over to Rose when he said he’d never been better, and that was a dead giveaway.

  “Oh-h-h,” his brothers all said, and then Ash had to pipe in, too, and everyone glanced at Rose, who wasn’t paying attention to any of them. She held a biscuit she’d slathered with Fiona’s delicious strawberry jam, and was biting into it. Her blond hair was up in a high ponytail, and as Galen watched every move she made with her sweet lips, lust hit him so fast and hot his legs felt weak.

  His brothers and sister gazed at him, their faces knowing. They were dying to tease him, give him jazz about falling exactly the way he’d said he never would: for an employee of the ranch. But beyond that, tumbling hard, like a boulder down a hill.

  “Smooth, bro,” Sloan said.

  “This is not going to be pretty,” Ash said, smirking at her brother. “You realize you’re playing far out of your league.”

  Rose looked at them curiously, but then struck up a conversation with Fiona, totally oblivious to the deep hole Galen had just dug for himself. Now that his siblings had figured out that his heart was leaning in a certain direction, he was going to hear about it endlessly.

  Galen sighed. “I might be playing far out of my league, but at least I’m in the game,” he said crossly to his sister.

  His family roared with laughter. “Meeting tonight,” he reminded them. “Don’t be late. It’s important. And someone get word to Jace, wherever he’s staged his disappearing act. One of you knows where Houdini Callahan is.”

  Then he retreated to the office to do paperwork, and think about Rose.

  * * *

  GALEN HAD EXPECTED that the meeting wouldn’t go well. The topic was doomed to be met with tense questions.

  What he hadn’t expected when he told his family he was going to buy the ranch from Storm, in his own name, and that Fiona’s raffle was off, was nods of acceptance.

  “Sounds like a good idea to me,” Sloan said. “If you need cash, I don’t mind putting up a stake.”

  “I’d go in,” Tighe said. “I’d back my brother in a heartbeat.”

  Falcon nodded. “Can’t think of any one of us who deserves that ranch more than you, bro.”

  “True,” Jace said. “After thinking about it, I decided that you raised us, sacrificed a lot. You’d do the most good for the land.”

  “As long as you name it Sister Wind Ranch, I’m all for it,” Ash said, her smile mischievous. “You know it’s a catchy name, and if you’re going to start a dude ranch, that would look good on brochures.”

  Dante sat up. “A dude ranch! That’s a great idea, brother!” He slapped Galen on the back.

  “Who said anything about a dude ranch?” Galen couldn’t believe how boneheaded his family was. “Can you see me running a dude ranch?”

  “What else would you do with that land?” Ash asked solemnly. “You’re a doctor. Dr. Dude Ranch. It’s not like you’d want to be a rancher, Galen. Or raise chickens or grow crops. What would you grow over there?”

  He shook his head. “Look. I don’t know exactly what I’ll do with it. Well, I do know, actually, but running a dude ranch isn’t in the plans.” Galen was almost insulted that his siblings didn’t think he had a plan.

  “You do what you like,” Jace said. “But you’re no spring chicken, I might remind you. Cattle ranching’s not for old guys.”

  Galen set his jaw. “You guys are numbskulls. The first thing I’m going to do with that land across the canyons is let the Feds r
un all over it. So get ready.”

  “Wow,” Ash said. “You sure are slow about telling this story. What’s going on?”

  “It’s what’s going under,” Galen said, and proceeded to tell them what he and Jace and Rose had discovered under the ranch across the canyons, and what he suspected might be underneath Rancho Diablo.

  “Simple fix,” Ash said. “We burn them out. Then fill in the tunnels with concrete.”

  Galen quickly held up a hand to restrain his hotheaded sister. “No burning anybody out. We’re letting the law handle this.”

  Falcon looked displeased. “Not that they did much for our parents. Being in witness protection is hardly a life.”

  “That’s true,” Dante said. “Are we all going to need witness protection one day?”

  Galen sank back into the sofa, sipped his whiskey. “I hadn’t thought of that angle.”

  “Exactly. That’s why we hold these councils, because seven heads are better than one,” Ash said. “I personally won’t enjoy living my life in hiding.”

  “How are we any safer if we destroy the tunnels?” Galen asked.

  “He’s right,” Tighe said. “We’re not. We might get caught by Wolf’s thugs before we set the first charge.”

  “What are the tunnels for?” Sloan asked. “Smuggling? Or are they planning to tunnel under Rancho Diablo to ambush us?”

  “All of the above,” Ash said. “We won’t let it happen. We’re going to search every inch of this ranch and make certain nothing’s under it. We owe that to our cousins.”

  Galen nodded. “You’re right. We said we’d keep this ranch safe. So far, we have. But Wolf outthought us, hitting us from underground like this.”

  “Send Rose back into the cave,” Falcon said suddenly. “Or Ash. We need to plant some recording devices.”

  Galen shook his head. “No one is going back in that cave. We shouldn’t have put Rose down there in the first place. Jace and I didn’t entirely realize what it was.” They’d had no idea of what they’d discovered. And he’d had no idea Rose would be so thorough in her recon efforts.