Page 94 of Ethan

That was how he knew it was right.

He got in the truck and drove to Cole’s.

Cole met him at the door before he’d even knocked.

“It’s in the spare room,” Cole said, stepping back to let him in. “Come on.”

“Aftyn still out?”

“Won’t be back for hours knowing those four.” Cole led him down the hall. “Probably cleaned out every shop in Clifton by now. I don’t know why anyone would go out on Christmas Eve.”

He pushed open the spare room door and Ethan stopped in the doorway.

The dollhouse sat on the low table Cole had set up for it, a two-story Victorian with a wide front porch and window boxes and every room furnished down to the smallest detail. Tiny rugs on the floors, miniature books on miniature shelves, a little kitchen with a little wooden table and four chairs. A bedroom with a brass bed no bigger than his palm.

He stood there looking at it and thought about Naomi as a little girl pressing her nose against a shop window while her grandmother looked away because she couldn’t afford it.

Not anymore.

“Help me get it to the truck,” he said quietly.

Cole nodded and picked up one end without another word, which was exactly why he was the right person to have kept it.

The snow was coming down steadily by the time he got back to the ranch.

He pulled around to the barn and backed the truck in out of the weather, which was partly practical and partly because he didn’t want Naomi pulling in and spotting something in the back seat before he had a chance to get it inside.

He cut the engine, got out and Johnny was already there, appearing from the far end of the barn like he’d been waiting.

“Need a hand?”

“Yeah.” Ethan opened the back door. “Careful with it.”

Johnny looked at the blanketed shape in the seat and whistled low. “That’s a big gift.”

They lifted it together, slow, and careful, and carried it to the back of the tack room where Ethan had cleared a space earlier in the week. He set his end down gently and pulled the blanket back just enough for Johnny to see.

Johnny stared at it for a long moment, taking in the porch, the window boxes, the tiny furnished rooms.

“That’s the most thoughtful thing I’ve ever seen a man do,” he said quietly.

Ethan covered it back up and straightened. “Not a word to anyone except Serena.”

“Serena already knows?”

“She’s who told me about it.” He locked the tack room and pocketed the key. “Make sure Naomi stays out of here if she comes looking for anything. She shouldn’t since it’s Christmas Eve, but you never know.”

“Consider it done.” Johnny fell into step beside him as they walked back toward the barn door. He was quiet for a moment. “She’s going to say yes, you know.”

Ethan looked at him sideways.

Johnny held up both hands. “Just saying.”

Ethan headed for the house without answering.

But he was smiling when he got inside.

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