Read Forever Santa for Free Online Page B

flirting with my friends?”
    “It keeps mom off my back. If she thinks I’m interested in someone else she’ll stop matchmaking.”
    “But do you have to flirt with everyone?”
    “It’s harmless fun. I see Tess each week at Angel Wings Cafe and I’ve known Becky for most of my life. Have I left anyone out?”
    “Emily.”
    Jordan frowned. “Emily’s as bad as me. They all know what mom’s like. If it makes you happy I’ll apologize to them.”
    “Are you sure they know what you’re up to?”
    “I wouldn’t embarrass them.”
    “I know you wouldn’t.” Gracie sighed and munched on a kernel of popcorn. “Is your mom really that bad?”
    “Trent didn’t tell you?”
    Gracie was beginning to think there were a lot of things her husband hadn’t told her. “He might have skipped a few pertinent facts.”
    Jordan grinned. “It all began the year after his first wife left. It started off small, little hints, things like that. Pretty soon we had a revolving list of dinner guests arriving at the ranch. Single, female dinner guests, if you get my meaning?”
    As if suddenly remembering something vitally important to his mom’s matchmaking plans, Jordan stopped talking. He glanced at two kids sitting at the end of the table, then back at Gracie. “Did Trent tell you about mom’s craft group?”
    Gracie shook her head and pulled the bowl of popcorn closer. It sounded like she could be here for a while.
     

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
    Gracie yawned as Trent drove into their garage. They’d just dropped Jordan off at the bunkhouse and carefully made their way back to the main homestead.
    It had been snowing while they were in Bozeman. Gracie had been thankful Trent was driving. With snow swirling across the windshield and everything pitch black beyond the beam of the truck’s lights, it was the kind of weather her nightmares were made of.
    “It was a great night,” Trent said softly as he turned off the engine.
    “It was nice seeing all of your relatives again. Jeff’s still smitten with your mom.”
    Trent unclipped his seatbelt and walked to Gracie’s side of the truck. He held the door open as she slid off the seat. “How do you feel about Jeff?” she asked.
    “He’s a nice guy.”
    “But not your dad?”
    “No, not dad. But he doesn’t have to replace him. It’s not like Jordan and I were babies when dad died. We’re grown men. Mom deserves to be happy, and Jeff makes her happy.”
    No matter how happy Jordan and Trent wanted their mom to be, it must have been hard to know she was dating another man. “That’s very mature of you.”
    “That’s me.” Trent grinned and Gracie felt the stirrings of a very happy ending to their night. “There are a lot of good things that come with getting older.”
    He swung her up into his arms and she smiled. “I love you, Trent.”
    “Love you, too, short stuff.” He shouldered his way through the mudroom, stopping in front of a big box on the kitchen counter. “What’s in there?”
    Gracie wiggled until Trent set her on her feet. “It’s not your Christmas present.” She laughed at the pout on his mouth. “Part of your present doesn’t come in a box.”
    “Does it come gift wrapped with a big red ribbon?”
    Gracie felt a blush work its way across her face. “That could be arranged.” She patted the box in front of her. “These are my Christmas decorations from New Zealand. Jordan got them out of the attic this afternoon.”
    Trent looked between Gracie and the brown cardboard box. “Do you want to put them on the tree now?”
    “It’s too late to put them all up, but maybe we could put a few on the lower branches?”
    Trent flipped the flaps open. He carefully unwrapped the top decorations. Two stars, a sparkly Cinderella coach, and a glass slipper stared back at them. “They’re pretty,” he said as he unwrapped another golden star.
    Gracie took a deep breath and watched Trent unwrap another decoration. “Emily’s meeting