“You know I’m not that man, right? I hated being a celebrity. I never wanted it. Everything just sort of fell into my lap. I was more surprised than anybody when I turned out to be moderately good at making movies, and for a while it was heady and addicting and I got sucked into the whole thing. But for my own survival, I had to get out when I did and I’ve never been sorry.”
“I know. I don’t see that heartthrob anymore when I look at you, Justin. Not after the other night.”
He seemed to absorb that for a moment, then to her shock, he reached for her hand. “What do you see?” he asked, and the sudden intensity in his voice snatched away her breath again.
Twenty
ASHLEY’S HEART RACED and she was certain Justin must be able to hear the blood pulsing loudly in her ears. “I see a man who loves his daughter. Someone trying to do his best by her. I see someone funny and sweet who cooks a mean steak and does a lousy John Wayne impression. And I see someone who made me forget my own name when he kissed me,” she added in a whisper.
His fingers tightened on hers. “I’ve spent six days thinking about that kiss, Ashley. Thinking about you.”
She blinked as his words soaked through her lingering discomfort. He had thought about it, too? About her, about the magic she thought she had only dreamed?
“Oh?” she managed.
“For years I’ve been telling myself I didn’t need a woman in my life, that Ruby and I were doing just fine on our own. Suddenly, I’m not so sure.”
“You’re...not?”
He shook his head and pulled her to her feet. “I don’t know how it happened, and I certainly wasn’t looking for it. But when you climbed the gates of my ranch, somehow you climbed through the walls I’ve built around my heart.”
As his arms slid around her, a heady kind of joy flooded through her like that rain outside, only this was sweet and cleansing. He kissed her, his mouth strong and warm, and she sighed a welcome.
This was real, she realized with shock. Real and right and worlds better than anything she could have imagined as a silly, giddy teenager.
She lost herself in the kiss, yanking off his Stetson and burying her hands in his thick hair as she poured all the emotions of her heart into her response. When he pulled away, they were both breathing hard. Through the delicious haze, she sensed movement in the doorway and they both turned to find Ruby standing there.
Her leaf pictures were scattered at her feet, her clasped hands were pressed to her heart and her wide eyes glittered with a thousand stars.
“It worked,” she breathed. “It really worked!”
Justin groaned. “I think we’ve created a monster.”
Ashley smiled, happier than she ever dreamed she could be. “That’s all right. I’m a kindergarten teacher. Taming monsters is part of the job description.”
EPILOGUE
RUBY SIGHED WITH delight as Ashley talked about how they had married the summer after Ruby graduated from her kindergarten class.
She had been so wrapped up in the familiar story that she hadn’t noticed others had gathered, too, while her mom and dad were taking turns telling the story. Her little sister Caitlin and Cait’s best friend, Addie Larrimore, and Addie’s mom, Faith, who was her mom’s best friend, were there along with Caroline Dalton and Emery Cavazos and a few of their kids.
She never got tired of hearing that story. She could only vaguely remember a time when Ashley wasn’t in their lives—when it was just her and her dad and her great-aunt Lydia.
Mostly, she remembered her dad had been far too serious. He worked superhard on the ranch and didn’t laugh much. Not as he did now, anyway.
They had made a pretty good team before, her and her father and great-aunt, but with Ashley in their lives and then the little ones, now they had a completely awesome family.
“You were right. That is a great story,” Gabi exclaimed. “Jeez, Rue, I can’t believe you told your dad that your teacher used to have his picture in her locker!”
“It was the most mortifying moment of my life,” her mom said, “but in the end, all that embarrassment was worth it.”
She smiled at Justin, who reached out and squeezed her hand and gave her one of those gooey looks they were always passing back and forth. Beside her, Ava let out an audible sigh.
Ruby wanted the very same kind of love story someday to share with her kids. A million years from now, of course.
“See?” she told Destry. “I told you I know what I’m talking about when it comes to romance.”
“Maybe you can be a matchmaker for me in fifteen years or so—after I graduate from college and travel through Europe and barrel race in the PRCA rodeo finals.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Ashley said with a smile. “But here’s a thought. Why don’t we focus on the joy and magic of Christmas first? I heard a rumor that a special visitor might be on his way later.”
“Is it Santa?” Caitlin asked, her eyes wide.
“Santa!” Jess clapped his hands, looking his completely adorable two-year-old self.
Ruby and her friends gave each other cynical looks. Even Ava, the youngest of them at twelve, didn’t believe in Santa anymore, but it was still fun for the little kids so they didn’t say anything to spoil it.
As the group broke up and the grown-ups and the little ones headed off in different directions, Ruby gazed at the tree beside her and her friends.
Yeah, she was excited about the new iPhone she was almost positive would be in her stocking and really hoped she would get the tooled leather saddle for her horse, Rita, that she had pointed out to her dad. But when it came down to it, she already had everything she needed.
She might not believe in Santa anymore now that she was thirteen, but she did believe
