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Cat thought about lending a hand, but she wasn’t sorry when Sloan came toward her with beaded garland draped in layers over her arm.
“Cat, these will need to go on the tree first. Can you help me loop them around? I don’t think I can manage it by myself.”
“Sure.” Cat quickly closed the flaps of the big box at her feet. “Look at those gorgeous colors.”
“Purple and gold.” Sloan laughed. “Not very traditional, but I guess we have enough red and green around here. The little girls will love them though.”
“They seem to love anything with purple in it,” Cat agreed and followed Sloan the short distance to the tree.
Sloan walked around the legs of a tall ladder. A strand of crepe paper drifted in front of her face, and Sloan blew it away.
The tree stood well over ten feet tall in its holder. Freshly cut two days earlier, it gave off a pine scent that overpowered the barn’s normal smells. “We’re going to need a step ladder for this,” Sloan observed.
Cat spotted one across the way and went to drag it over. On her return, she found Sloan seated on the floor pulling more rope garlands from a bag and draping them carefully over her jeans-clad legs.
“You’re younger. You can do the climbing.” Cat pressed down on the side braces to secure the ladder.
“No problem.” Sloan gave Cat at least ten strings of purple and gold beads, and rose from her seat. “If you could hand me those, we can start at the top of the tree and work down.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
Cat waited at the base of the ladder and handed Sloan the garlands one by one. Some hung in perfect loops, but a few slithered down through the branches and rattled onto the barn’s brick-paved floor. Sloan’s muttered swearing made Cat laugh.
At first Sloan didn’t think it was amusing but in the end, she had to laugh as well. “Why did I sign up for this?” she said with a mock groan.
“I don’t know, Sloan. Did you get more presents?”
“No. Damn!” Another garland slithered down into the bucket. “I guess we can fish those out when we’re done.” She concentrated on her loops and got the top half of the tree done. Sloan stepped backward down the ladder, pausing to assess the job. “Not bad. Actually, I think I can do the rest myself from here on in. Don’t you want to get ready?”
“For what?” Cat gave her a puzzled look.
“More like for whom. Wade’s coming, isn’t he?”
“He’s supposed to,” Cat admitted. “But I don’t know when he’s arriving exactly. Chase wasn’t specific.”
“Oh. Do you think he will stay for the ranch party?”
“I don’t know that either.” Cat smiled up at the young woman on the ladder. “If he does or doesn’t, it won’t really matter to me. Just as long as he comes.”
Sloan went down the final few steps and stood on the floor. “You should see your face, Cat. You’re all flushed just thinking about him.”
Cat gave her a self-conscious look. “It’s warm in here.”
“Of course.” Sloan quickly accepted the excuse rather than embarrass Cat further. She cast a glance at the men coming down from their ladders, finished with hanging the red and green crepe paper. “Look at that. They did a great job. Even without Laredo to supervise.”
The mention of Laredo prompted Cat to wonder, “What do you suppose Dad has sent him off to buy?”
“I don’t even have a good guess,” Sloan admitted.
“Neither do I, especially when I think of what Dad asked Quint to get Jake.”
“What?” Sloan fixed her with a wary look. “Is he having him buy something I wouldn’t for Jake? Please tell me it isn’t a drum set.”
“I promise it isn’t a drum set,” Cat assured her. “But I’m not going to say any more than that. It’s better if you don’t find out ahead of time.”
“That is not reassuring,” Sloan declared, then tipped her head to one side.
“But, if he sent Laredo to fetch a Christmas gift, it really makes me wonder what it is and who it’s for.”
