“Yeah, it was.” Theo was quiet for several long moments. “I like it here.”

“At the farm?”

Theo chuckled. “Sure, at the farm. But I mean with you. No matter where we are, standing so close that nothing can get between us.”

“Well, about that …”

“You’re not gonna say something that will screw that up are you?”

“On the contrary. I like being with you, too. As a matter of fact, I was thinking—”

“He’s here!” Odette hollered as she ran out the back door, pulling the sweater she wore around her tighter to ward off the chill of the late afternoon air.

Theo turned her head to see a white truck moving up the driveway.

Jordan squeezed Theo’s hand. “Caleb’s always had impeccable timing.”

The truck came to a stop and Caleb had barely slid from the driver’s seat when Odette ran to wrap her arms around her first born.

“She loves the two of you so much,” Theo told Jordan. “I’ve never seen a mom hug on her grown children as much as Odie hugs on you and Caleb.”

“She is affectionate, that’s for sure,” Jordan agreed.

The passenger door opened and a woman got out of the truck.

“Looks like your brother isn’t alone.”

The woman’s hair was cut in a pixie; very short in the back and the sides, much longer on the top. The strands had been dyed a deep purple. She wore faded denim overalls, her knees showing through holes in the fabric, and a pair of big black boots.

“Hey,” she said, lifting her hand in a wave when she saw Theo watching her.

“Hey, back,” Theo greeted. She stepped forward noticing the woman had a slightly crooked smile that was somehow appealing.

“I’m Bex.”

“Hi, Bex. I’m Theodora. Or Theo. Either one works.” Theo gave her a smile. The woman’s eyes were a very light ice blue, and she had many facial piercings. Theo noticed a thin ring in her nose and another one in her right eyebrow. There was a row of jewelry in each earlobe, and she wore rings on several of her fingers. “This is Caleb’s brother, Jordan.”

“Theodora,” she grinned. “That’s wild. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard that name before.”

“Well, I guess ‘Bex’ isn’t the most common name I’ve ever heard, either,” Theo countered lightly. This wasn’t the first time someone had had something to say about her unusual moniker.

Bex laughed. “That’s fair,” she agreed. “It’s nice to meet you. Hi, Jordan.”

Jordan took her offered hand and gave it a shake. “Welcome, Bex. I hope your flight was okay.”

“I can’t really complain, thanks.”

“Bex, these are my parents,” Caleb said, causing Bex to turn. She flashed a smile at the Reillys. “This is Max and Odette.”

“Another great name,” Bex said. “Hello.”

“Yes, I get compliments all the time,” Max told her.

Odette laughed. “Well, come on in. It’s chilly out here. Come on,” she waved her arm to emphasize her request.

Jordan walked back to the Jeep and grabbed both of the canvas bags. “Indigo is gonna love her hair.”

Theo smiled. “Without a doubt,” she agreed.

“You said Patty was rotten to you today. When Indie asks you about purple hair, and she most definitely will, you could always give her the go ahead. That would really annoy your sister.”

Theo knew he was joking, but the thought made her smile. “Don’t tempt me,” she told him.

“So, have the two of you been dating for long?”

Caleb and Bex looked at each other, a surprised look on their faces.

“Oh, we aren’t together,” Bex answered.

“No?” Odette asked.

“I work with a guy named Mark. When I told him I was going to come home for the holiday, he said he had another friend that was flying into DIA. This was what?”

“Yesterday,” Bex said, lifting a bottle of beer to her mouth. “Then last night, a bunch of us went for a drink and Caleb was there. Mark introduced us and we realized we were on the same flight.”

“Who are you staying with while you’re here?” Max wanted to know.

“Well, actually, I was hired to work at Breckinridge, but that doesn’t start until after the new year. A friend of mine was supposed to pick me up at the airport, but he flaked on me. Caleb took pity on me and offered me a ride. I’m kinda winging it, really. I don’t have a place lined up.”

Theo put an ear of corn on Indigo’s plate. It had been grilled with her garlic and herb butter and was steaming hot. “What will you be doing in Breckinridge?”

“I’m a ski instructor. I’ve lived in South Lake Tahoe for years, and I love it there, but I thought maybe a change of scenery might do me some good. I’ve been wanting to come to Colorado for a while, so when I got the call that I’d gotten this job, I was pretty psyched.”

“I know you said you have a friend here. Maybe the two of you will figure something else out, but we’ve got plenty of room. You’re more than welcome to stay here tonight if you’d like.”

Bex gave Odette a big smile. “That would be really great, Mrs. Reilly—”

“Odette, please.”

“Odette. Thank you.”

Indigo hadn’t touched her dinner which was unusual.

“You okay, blue bird?” Theo asked.

Indigo nodded. She was acting shy. She’d shown a lot of interest in Bex since she and Caleb had shown up, but she’d said less than five words to the woman. Theo noticed that she was staring across the table at Bex now.