Colter. That’s the last time I’m going to ask you. Please stop making silly noises. If you keep interrupting, we won’t make it through all the songs we need to practice.”
The twins gave Ella matching guilty looks. “Sorry, Miss Baker,” Colter said.
“We’ll be good. We promise,” his brother added.
Somehow she was having a hard time believing that, especially given their track record in general and this practice in particular. After a full day of school, they were having a tough time sitting still and staying focused for the rehearsals, as she had fully expected.
She felt totally inadequate to deal with them on a December afternoon when they wanted to be running around outside, throwing snowballs and building snow forts.
Would it distract everyone too much if she had them stand up and do jumping jacks for a minute? She decided it was worth a try. Sometimes a little burst of energy could do wonders for focus.
“Okay, speed workout. Everyone. How many elf jumping jacks can you do in one minute? Count to yourself. Go.”
She timed them on her phone and by the end the children were all laughing and trying to outdo each other.
“Excellent. Okay, now close your eyes and we’ll do one more moment of deep breathing. That’s it. Perfect.”
That seemed to refocus everyone and they made it through nearly every number without further incident, until the last one, “Away in a Manger.”
The song sounded lovely, with all the children singing in tune and even enunciating the words—until the last line of the third verse, when Trevor started making noises like a certain explosive bodily function, which made the entire back row dissolve into laughter.
By the time they finished the ninety-minute rehearsal, though, she felt as wrung out as a dirty mitten left in the snow.
As soon as parents started arriving for their children, Hope popped in from the office of The Christmas Ranch with a mug of hot chocolate, which she thrust out to Ella.
“Here you go. Extra snowflake marshmallows. You deserve it. You survived the first rehearsal. It’s all uphill from here.”
“I hope so,” she muttered. “Today was a bit of a disaster.”
“I saw Beck’s boys giving you a rough time,” Hope said, her voice sympathetic.
“You could say that. It must be tough on them, coming straight from school to here.”
Eight rehearsals. That’s all they had. She could handle that, couldn’t she?
“Do you need me to find more people to help you?”
She considered, then shook her head. “I think we should be okay with the two teenagers who volunteered. Everyone is so busy this time of year. I hate to add one more thing to someone else’s plate.”
“Because your schedule is so free and easy over the next few weeks, right?”
Hope had a point. Between the Christmas show, the care center where she volunteered and the two schools where she worked, Ella had concerts or rehearsals every single day between now and Christmas.
“At least I’m not a bestselling illustrator who also happens to be in charge of the number-one holiday attraction for hundreds of miles around.”
“Lucky you,” Hope said with a grin. “Want to trade?”
“Not a chance.”
Hope wouldn’t trade her life, either, Ella knew. She loved creating the Sparkle the Reindeer books, which had become a worldwide sensation over the last few years. She also adored running the ranch with her husband, Rafe, and raising their beautiful son.
“Let me know if you change your mind about needing more help,” Hope said.
“I will.”
After Hope headed away, Ella started cleaning up the mess of paper wrappers and leftover sheet music the children had left behind. She was gathering up her own things when a couple of boys trotted out of the gift shop.
Colter and Trevor. Was she supposed to be giving them a ride? Beck hadn’t called her. He hadn’t said a word to her about it. Had he just assumed she would do it without being asked?
That didn’t really seem like something Beck would do. More likely, there was a miscommunication.
“Do you need me to call your dad to let him know we’re done with rehearsal?”
Colter gave an exasperated sigh. “We told him and told him about it last night and this morning at breakfast. We took a note to school so we could ride a different bus here, then our dad was supposed to come get us when practice was done. I don’t know where he is.”
“Maybe we’ll have to sleep here tonight,” Trevor said. “I call under the Christmas tree!”
“You’re not sleeping here tonight. I can give you a ride, but I need to talk to your dad first to make sure he’s not on his way and just running late. I wouldn’t want us to cross paths.”
At least he hadn’t just assumed she could take care of it. Slightly mollified, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Do you know his number?”
The boys each recited a different number, argued for a few moments, then appeared to come to a consensus.
She punched in the numbers they gave her without much confidence she would actually be connected to Beck, but to her surprise he answered.
“Broken Arrow,” he said, with a brusqueness she should have expected, especially considering he probably didn’t recognize her phone number.
Those two simple words in his deep, sexy voice seemed to shiver down her spine as if he’d trailed a finger down it.
“Beckett, this is Ella Baker. I was wondering...that is, your sons were wondering, uh, are you coming to pick them up?”
Darn it, she hated being so tongue-tied around the man. She had all the poise and grace of a lumbering steer.
There was a long, awkward pause, then he swore. He quickly amended it. “Uh, shoot. I totally forgot about that. What time is rehearsal done?”
“About twenty minutes ago,” she answered, letting a bit of tartness creep into her voice.
He sighed. “I’ve got the vet here looking at a sick horse. We’re going to be another ten minutes or so, then I’ll have to clean up a bit. Can you give me a half hour?”
He still couldn’t seem to bring himself to ask for her help. Stubborn man. She glanced over at the boys, who were admiring the giant Christmas tree in the lodge. She wasn’t sure she had the physical or mental capacity to keep them entertained and out of trouble for another half hour.
“I can give them a ride home, if you would like. It’s an easy stop on my way back to the Baker’s Dozen.”
“Could you? That would be a big help. Thank you.”
