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“She’ll buy that?”

“I think she’ll see it as us doing brotherly type stuff,” Jack said.

When we joined Ivy and Luci at a table, they were deep in conversation but stopped when we arrived, looking slightly guilty. What were they up to?

“Grant and I thought we’d go into Bozeman this morning,” Jack said.

“What for?” Ivy asked.

“Look at some fly-fishing gear.”

Luci turned toward me. “Fly-fishing?”

“Why not?” I asked.

Luci and Ivy exchanged a look.

“Is that something people do in the winter?” Luci asked.

Jack nodded, lifting one shoulder. “I want to compare a few rods. Maybe look at some ties while we’re there.”

“Ties?” Luci asked.

“They’re tied to look like bugs,” Jack said. “Fish love them here. That’s what Soren told us anyway.”

Ivy smiled, glancing toward the window. “Great. Luci and I are busy anyway. Just be back in time for the Boxing Day party.”

To honor Boxing Day, which traditionally was meant as a way to thank servants and tradespeople in the UK, Ivy had decided to throw a party for the staff at Crescent Moon Ranch. They’d also extended invitations to the families of The Giving Tree.

“We wouldn’t dare miss it,” Jack said.

“I’ll need you in the kitchen,” Ivy said to Jack. “We’re going to make a lot of bologna quesadillas.”

“They’re not even going to be authentic,” Jack said, sounding grouchy. “Ivy’s making them with ham.”

“We couldn’t find bologna in Blue Fern in bulk,” Ivy said. “But a ham will do nicely.”

“What else are we serving?” I asked, realizing I was out of the loop. I’d been too preoccupied with my own problems to pay much attention.

“Tomato soup and grilled cheese fingers,” Ivy rattled off. “A big salad, of course, since we have to have something healthy. All of which will be made by us to serve to the staff and the families.”

“My mother’s going to make her famous blackberry jam crumble bars for dessert, served with ice cream,” Luci said, sounding proud. “They’re so good.”

“We have gobs of chips and dips too,” Ivy said. “And salami and cheeses. All easy stuff to make, since we’re actually cooking it ourselves.”

“Sounds fantastic,” I said. “We’ll be back in time to join you in the kitchen.”

Ivy pointed a fork at me. “See that you are.”

Jack and I climbed into the ranch van, surprised it was Soren Moon who was driving us.

“Don’t you have better things to do than take us into town?” I asked. “Isn’t this supposed to be your day off?”

Soren shrugged, as he backed out of the parking lot and headed north on the highway. “I just do what my wife tells me.”

“We have that in common then,” Jack said, settling back in the seat. “Isn’t it great?”

“Sure is,” Soren said. “I used to be accused of being grumpy but now I’m all sunshine.”