Page 44 of A Heart Falls Cowboy Christmas

But first, it was exams and last minute school projects. And grad⁠—

The day of the event, Jinx came over to the Stone house with her mom and baby brother. Her Auntie Julia also came, but she’d left one-year-old Anneka with Uncle Zach.

“I’ve got two here to get ready, so I’m glad to share the load,” Tamara told Julia before turning to Petra and taking the baby car seat from her as she walked in the back door. “Hello, Jaden, you lucky little guy. Your first Girls’ Night Out. Or afternoon at least.”

“Not counting the ones he hitched a ride in my belly, it is,” Petra offered. She eyed Sasha and Emma. “Fancy duds, gals. You could get votes in the Tacky Threads Throwdown.”

“No, they couldn’t, because they’re not going out in public until we make some magic,” Tamara offered deadpan.

Julia widened her eyes. “Oh my. I didn’t know that robe was still kicking.”

Emma snickered. She wore an old flannel shirt of their Dad’s and bright red leggings with more holes than proper. Sasha’s neon green robe from her Auntie Julia used to fit but was now a few years too short. To make it slightly more modest, Sasha wore a pair of bike shorts, and the bright pink clashed wonderfully with the green.

Jinx slipped to Sasha’s side, brow raised high. “Is this some Heart Falls tradition I wasn’t told about?”

Sasha tugged her toward her room. “I told you to bring something to wear you could take off at the last minute without messing up your hair and makeup.”

“I didn’t know it was supposed to be something terrifying.” Jinx threw her duffle bag on Sasha’s bed then snickered. “I would have borrowed Jake’s robe.”

“Bad?”

“It makes him look like a bear wandering around the house on his hind legs.”

Sasha laughed. “Get changed and meet us back in the kitchen. Our moms will help us with our hair and makeup.”

Her mom had brought out a large mirror and propped it up on the island. Emma was already seated on one of the three high stools arranged in front of it, She examined her reflection as her mom used a curling iron on a few ends. Emma’s natural curls hung to her shoulders, loosely pulled back with a thin band of baby blue she wore like a tiara. The colour made her eyes even brighter than usual.

“Your hair is already gorgeous,” Sasha complained, smiling at her sister as she leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Brat.”

Emma grinned good-naturedly. “Means there’s more time for you.”

“Time enough for all you girls,” their mom promised.

“Kelli says if our insides are already dressed up, happy and proper, our outsides won’t take too long to match,” Sasha shared.

She’d long ago accepted that her dad was her rock, she could tell her mom anything, and Emma was her forever friend. But when Sasha got worried, it was usually some comment from Kelli that gave her comfort.

Her mom nodded. “A very good Kelli-ism.”

It wasn’t Sasha’s typical focus to get done up fancy-like. Her go-to for school was a ponytail or leaving her long brown hair down with minimal makeup applied. But it was special to share the time not only with Emma and Jinx and her mom, but the aunties who dropped in to say hello.

Charity and Kelli got there just as Sasha’s hair was finished. The braids her mom had made coiled around her head like a crown, a few strands left loose to frame her face. The updo looked great but felt very fancy. Sasha wasn’t sure yet if she liked the sensation.

Kelli wore jeans and a jean shirt like usual, her hair in two braids. She whistled softly, one hand pressed to the swell of her belly as she leaned back on the island. “Damn, girls. You clean up really nice.”

“You need to get into your dresses,” Charity ordered. “I want to take some pictures.

“And we need to watch the time,” Sasha’s mom warned, glancing at her watch. “We want to take pictures outside the school, as well, and the rest of the family are going to meet us there at three. The grad march starts at four.”

They’d barely finished zipping themselves in when Auntie Ginny arrived, her cheery yellow dress swaying over her baby belly. She brought Sasha and Emma herbal posies. She fussed a little as she slipped them onto their wrists. “I have one for you, too, Jinx, as a keepsake. But I figured Logan is going to give you something to wear.”

Jinx flushed, the pink of her cheeks matching the pale pink of her dress. “He said he was.”

“Jinx got him a rose for his vest,” Emma informed Ginny. “They’re going to match.”

Jinx flushed deeper, but she was smiling and looked so excited and hopeful, it made something in Sasha’s heart warm.

It had been interesting to watch her best friend deal with the rollercoaster of emotions going to grad with Logan had triggered. Sasha’s need to protect was shockingly non-existent. Logan was good for Jinx. Jinx was good for him.