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rested her gloved hand on Wade’s corduroy-clad thigh and leaned close. Whispering, she said, “Jessica got three new sweaters, and that navy pullover isn’t the least bit feminine. I bet she wouldn’t mind passing it on to Evan.”
    â€œHis parents might see it as charity,” he murmured back.
    â€œIt’d be a Christmas gift,” she said. “I’ll check with Jessica, then wrap it up and sneak it under the tree.”
    He patted her gloved hand, thinking how much he loved her. “You’re a good woman, honey.”
    When they reached the ranch, she said, “Wade, why don’t you get Evan to help you with the fire?”
    Right. Like the little egghead had any talent for stuff like that. But Wade knew it was a ploy to keep the boy occupied while his wife could talk to Jessica, then deal with the sweater, so he went along with it.
    A few minutes later, Jessie ran into the front room. “Ev, come out to the barn and see Whisper, the mare who’s carrying my foal.”
    â€œBet she looks like any other horse,” he teased as he let Jessie drag him away.
    â€œNo, she’s much prettier. And smarter.”
    Miriam hurried down the stairs shortly after they left, carrying a new parcel. “Kids out in the barn?”
    When Wade confirmed, she stuck the gift under the tree, and then they both went to the kitchen. She put on her apron, basted the turkey, and started trimming Brussels sprouts. Wade plunked down at the table to peel potatoes. Couldn’t say he cared for the task, but he did love Miriam’s mashed potatoes and gravy, not to mention hanging out with her in the kitchen.
    The children tramped into the mudroom, shed their outdoor clothing, and went to play by the fire. Wade and Miriam finished up, then poured mulled apple juice into four mugs and joined them.
    â€œEvan,” Miriam said, “Santa must have been a little mixed up. It seems he didn’t know you don’t celebrate Christmas, because he left a couple of gifts for you under our tree.”
    The boy’s face lit with excitement, but he quickly banked it down and frowned. “Dad says there’s no such thing as—” He broke off, glancing at Jessica, then said, “Santa brought me something?”
    â€œHere,” Jessica said eagerly, reaching under the tree to pull out the remaining packages.
    â€œI brought you something, too,” he said hesitantly. “They’re not much, but . . .” He reached into his pack and pulled out a bundle wrapped neatly in tissue paper and handed it to Miriam.
    Wade recognized the paper. It was the same stuff Jessie had wrapped some of their gifts in. The kids had made it as an art project at school, taking leaves and drawing or spray painting around them.
    â€œEvan, that’s so sweet of you,” his wife said. She separated the tissue.
    When she saw the contents, her mouth fell open. “These are beautiful.” She held up a few. They were Christmas tree ornaments, the same type Jessie had made in school, but even a proud father had to realize that the boy’s were made with more care and attention to detail. Also, where Jessie’s had all been horses, Evan had cut out a variety of pictures, from cottages with smoke rising to glittering big-city high-rises, from trees to animals to models in fancy clothes. He’d applied glitter with precision.
    â€œThey’re miniature works of art,” Miriam said. “And oh, my! Look at these snowflakes. They’re exquisite.”
    The ornaments she held up now did look like snowflakes. They’d been cut painstakingly from white paper, each in a distinctive and elaborate pattern. Wade glanced down at his big, calloused hands and couldn’t imagine them wielding scissors to create anything like that.
    â€œWhere did you learn to make these?” Miriam asked. “This wasn’t a school project?”
    â€œNo. I checked out a library