One Hundred Humbugs (Aspen Cove #25)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The muffled sound of an engine struggling against the snow drifted into the room, pulling Becket from sleep. He blinked, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings of Ruby’s spare room. Then the events of the past few days came rushing back—the storm, moving the goats into the garage, the lights turning off, the long, cold night, and then the relief when power was finally restored.

Ruby’s unwavering support through it all had been a bright spot in the chaos. The heat of the house now felt like a luxury after those tense hours in the cold.

He stumbled to the window, rubbing sleep from his eyes, and squinted at the old pickup truck making its way up the snow-covered driveway. The vehicle was unfamiliar, but that didn’t mean much. He didn’t know anyone in town but Ruby and the few people he’d come across. Curiosity piqued, Becket dressed and made his way to the kitchen.

As he entered, he almost collided with Ruby, who was emerging with two steaming mugs of coffee.

“Whoa there, Goat Whisperer,” she laughed, deftly maneuvering to avoid spilling. “I was just coming to wake you. Looks like we have a visitor.”

Becket accepted the offered mug gratefully, inhaling the rich aroma. “Any idea who it is?”

Ruby shook her head, peering out the window. “No clue. I’m still getting used to the idea that people just show up unannounced out here. In Chicago, unexpected visitors usually meant you forgot to pay a bill.”

Becket laughed. “Small town life is a bit different. Could be someone in trouble, or someone coming to help. Or just a neighbor being nosy.”

“Well, as long as it’s not bill collectors,” Ruby said. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that level of small-town hospitality just yet.”

A knock at the door cut through their banter. Exchanging glances, they moved to the entrance. Ruby opened it to reveal a tall, weathered man with kind eyes and a snow-dusted hat.

“Mornin’, Ruby,” the man said. “Hope I’m not disturbing you too early. My name’s Cade Mosier.” He tipped his hat to Becket. “You must be our new goat wrangler. Heard you might be needin’ some help with the storm and all.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Mosier,” Becket said, shaking the man’s hand. “What brings you out in this weather?”

Cade’s eyes crinkled. “Well, Doc Parker mentioned you folks were new in town and might be needin’ some help. It got me wondering about those goats of yours. Do they have a proper shelter?”

Becket and Ruby exchanged glances. “We’ve moved them into the garage for now,” Becket explained. “Not ideal, but it’s better than leaving them outside in this weather.”

“Smart thinking.” Cade nodded approvingly. “Thought you might be runnin’ low on feed, what with your goats cooped up and all. Brought some hay and feed, if you’re interested.”

A wave of gratitude washed over Becket. He’d been worried sick about how he was going to feed his goats if the snow didn’t melt soon. “That’s incredibly kind of you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. How much do I owe you?”

Cade waved him off. “Don’t you worry about that. This is Aspen Cove, and we take care of our own.”

“But we’re not—” Becket started to protest but was cut off by Ruby’s elbow nudging his ribs.

“What my friend here means to say,” Ruby said, “is that we’re incredibly grateful. Why don’t you come in for a cup of coffee, Cade? It’s freezing out there.”

As they walked to the kitchen, Becket grinned. “You know, Ruby suggested we should bring the goats inside. I’m not sure she quite gets how spectacularly bad of an idea that would be.”

Ruby rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched with amusement. “Hey, I just figured they could eat half the junk I’ve been sorting through. It’d cut my workload down.” Then she paused, a look of mock horror crossing her face. “Although ... I didn’t think about what goes in must come out. Maybe not my brightest idea.”

Cade let out a hearty laugh. “I’d pay good money to see a house full of goats. Might make for some interesting decorating, that’s for sure.”

Ruby shook her head. “I can imagine. Though I suppose it can’t be any stranger than what I found going through the boxes here.”

“Oh, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Cade said. “Wait till you meet Mrs. Brown and her cat, Piddles. ”

Becket and Ruby exchanged curious glances. “Mrs. Brown?” Becket asked.

Cade nodded, enjoying the chance to introduce the newcomers to some local color. “Lives just down the road. Sweet lady, but she’s got some unique ideas. And let’s just say, her cat Piddles is the best-dressed feline in the county.”

“Best-dressed cat?” Ruby repeated, her eyebrows rising.

“Oh yeah,” Cade said. “Mrs. Brown dresses that cat up in outfits. Wait till you see Piddles in his Christmas sweater. It’s quite the sight.”

As they settled around the kitchen table with steaming mugs of coffee, Cade regaled them with tales of Aspen Cove’s colorful residents. Becket was surprised by how quickly the atmosphere warmed, their conversation flowing easily despite their recent acquaintance. He and Ruby listened with a mix of amusement and amazement, getting their first real taste of the quirky community they’d stumbled into. Despite its strangeness, it seemed right.

Over coffee, Cade filled them in on the town gossip. Becket alternated between amazement at the townspeople’s generosity and amusement at their quirks. There was Doc Parker, who made his rounds in his ancient truck, affectionately called “The Blue Goose,” which, according to Cade, “sounded like a herd of dyspeptic elk.”

“The Blue Goose made it through all this snow?” Becket asked, impressed.

Cade nodded, a twinkle in his eye. “Oh, that old truck’s seen worse. Doc swears it’s got more lives than Mrs. Brown’s cat. Speaking of which, do you want to hear about Piddles’ latest adventure?”

Ruby listened with growing fascination as Cade regaled them with the tale of how Piddles, decked out in his new sailor outfit, had somehow gotten stuck on Mrs. Brown’s roof during the storm. It had taken the combined efforts of Doc Parker, his trusty Blue Goose, the fire department and half the town to rescue the fashion-forward feline.

“I can’t believe how everyone helps each other,” Ruby said, shaking her head in wonder. “In Chicago, I didn’t know my neighbors’ names, let alone their pets’ wardrobe malfunctions.”

“That’s just how we do things around here,” Cade said with a nod. “Oh, and speaking of local color, did you know we’ve got ourselves a bit of a celebrity in town?”

Ruby leaned forward, intrigued. “A celebrity? Here in Aspen Cove?”

“Sure do,” Cade nodded. “Samantha, though you might know her better as Indigo. Lives out by the lake.”

Ruby’s jaw dropped. “Indigo? The pop star? She lives here?”

Becket watched Ruby’s excitement with a grin. He’d heard of the singer, sure, but hadn’t realized just how much Ruby was a fan.

“Oh yeah,” Cade confirmed. “She’s good people. Even performed at last year’s Christmas festival. Caused quite a stir, let me tell you.” They walked toward the door. “Oh, speaking of Christmas,” Cade added, “the annual cookie exchange is coming up soon. You two should join us.”

“Cookie exchange?” Ruby asked.

Cade nodded enthusiastically. “It’s quite the event. Everyone gathers on Main Street with their homemade cookies. Maisey supplies hot cocoa, and Katie from the bakery brings warm brownies. We do the Christmas lighting ceremony that day too. It’s a big deal around here.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Ruby said, her eyes lighting up. “What do you think, Becket?”

Becket hesitated, then surprised himself by saying, “ That sounds like fun. Though I have to warn you, my baking skills are a bit rusty.”

Ruby’s eyebrows shot up. “Baking skills? Is there anything you can’t do, Becket?”

He grinned. “Well, I’m terrible at knitting. So, if we get stranded again, we’ll have to rely on Mrs. Brown for our sweater needs.”

The cold air was bracing after the heat of the kitchen, and Becket welcomed it, hoping it would clear his head.

“You know,” Cade said as they hefted a bale of hay, “it’s good to see lights on in this old place again. Are you staying for a while, then?”

Becket hesitated. He knew Ruby’s original plan had been to sell the house and leave, but after the past few days ... “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I hope so.”

Cade’s eyes twinkled knowingly. “Well, between you and me, you seem good for each other.” He clapped Becket on the shoulder. “Don’t let a good thing slip away, you hear?”

After Cade left, he thought about the cowboy’s easy generosity, about Doc Parker braving the storm in his Blue Goose to check on people, about Mrs. Brown and her fashionable feline. He thought about Ruby, throwing herself into goat care with enthusiasm and determination.

He thought about her laugh, the way her eyes lit up at the mention of Indigo, the determination with which she tackled every challenge. Without realizing it, Ruby had carved out a space for herself in his life, and Becket was starting to hope it might be permanent.

“What do you think, Houdini?” he asked, scratching the troublemaker’s ears. “Should I tell her how I feel?”

Houdini bleated, butting his head against Becket’s hand .

“Yeah, you’re right,” Becket said. “It’s probably too soon. But maybe...”

His thoughts were interrupted by the creaking of the garage door as it opened. Ruby poked her head in, her cheeks flushed from the cold.

“Hey, Goat Whisperer,” she called. “Need any help in here?”

Becket grinned, ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat at her appearance. “Always. Though I’m not sure Houdini approves of my distribution methods. He keeps giving me the stink eye because I gave Daisy more, but she’s eating for two.”

Ruby laughed, making her way through the goat-filled garage. “Well, you know what they say. You can’t please all of the goats all of the time.”

As they worked together, feeding and checking on each goat, Becket appreciated how natural it all was. Here he was, in a new town, in the garage of a house that wasn’t even his, surrounded by near-strangers who had embraced him without hesitation. And at the center of it all was Ruby, transforming from reluctant house owner to enthusiastic goat co-parent in just a matter of days.

“Ruby,” he said, surprising himself. “I ... I wanted to thank you. For everything you’ve done. For the goats, for me ... for making me feel welcome here.”

Ruby paused in her task of refilling water buckets, her expression softening. “You don’t have to thank me, Becket. I’m just glad I could help. And honestly?” She grinned. “I’m having more fun than I’ve had in years. Who knew goat farming could be so exciting?”

There was a moment of silence, full of unspoken words and rising tension. Becket stepped toward her, feeling an invisible pull .

“Ruby, I?—”

But before he could finish, Daisy let out a loud bleat, startling them both. Ruby burst into laughter, her voice filling the garage and warming Becket’s heart.

“I think someone’s jealous of all the attention Houdini’s getting,” she said, moving to pet Daisy.

Becket watched her. He wasn’t ready to put his feelings into words just yet, but he knew one thing for certain: whatever happened next, he wanted Ruby to be a part of it.

As they finished up in the garage and made their way back to the house, a sense of possibility stirred within Becket—something he hadn’t experienced in years.