The Secret of Santa： Glover Family Saga & Christian Romance - Liz Isaacson
Chapter One
Ace Glover ignored the knock on the front door of his house, though he sat in the office only a few paces away. He knew who it was, and he didn’t want to talk to Bishop. Besides his brothers, his cousin was his best friend, but Ace didn’t want to explain anything.
“I’m not going away,” Bishop called through the front door. “I know this thing isn’t locked, and I’m coming in if you don’t come open the door.”
Ace sighed and pressed pause on the video he’d watched four times already. He should’ve known he couldn’t just leave the family party without someone noticing. Truth be told, there were a ton of people at the homestead, and he’d hoped and prayed that maybe, just maybe, he would be overlooked this one time.
“Just another prayer the Lord didn’t answer,” he muttered to himself. Louder, he called, “Come in then,” and Bishop wasted no time entering the house. Three steps later, he appeared in the doorway of the office.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Ace said. “I just don’t want to be there.”
“You missed dinner.”
That was saying something too, as Ace could barely boil water. His brother, whom he lived with, was a good cook, though, and there was always something to eat next door anyway.
Ace swiveled in the office chair he’d spent entirely too much money on. But he needed it for the computer gaming he participated in with Preacher, though they hadn’t played in a couple of weeks now.
He smashed his cowboy hat further onto his head and avoided Bishop’s eye. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Holly Ann didn’t show up.” Bishop entered the office and sat in the chair across from Ace. “Why not?”
“Did you not hear what I just said?” Ace growled. The more time he spent with Cactus, the more he thought the man had the right idea about everything. Live far away from the epicenter of the ranch. Give short, curt answers. Never smile. Eventually, everyone would leave him alone.
The problem was, Ace loved to laugh, and he loved living right at the heart of Shiloh Ridge Ranch. He usually liked talking, and he definitely enjoyed big family meals, movie and game nights, and horseback riding on Sunday afternoons with anyone who wanted to saddle up and go.
“It’s just me,” Bishop said. “You tell me everything.”
“Not everything,” Ace said, though Bishop was ninety-nine percent right. He sighed, his stomach growling loudly.
“Just come eat,” Bishop said. “Or I’ll bring you something.”
He was missing the angel tree decorating too, and Ace loved that family tradition more than any other. “Bring me something,” Ace said, and Bishop got to his feet without hesitation.
“Be right back.” His cousin walked out, and Ace frowned at the laptop in front of him. Part of him wanted to pick it up and hurl it through the front windows. The other part wanted to watch the video again.
He leaned forward and pressed play, the image of his beautiful Holly Ann coming up on the screen. “She’s not yours,” he practically growled as a smile lit her face and she surveyed the crowd he couldn’t see.
She spoke into the microphone about how “delighted” she was to be named this year’s Christmas Festival chairperson, and that she pledged to do her best to make this holiday season the best one Three Rivers had ever seen.
She’d texted him an hour ago, when she should’ve almost been to the ranch. They’d held a family meeting before dinner, and while he was serious about Holly Ann, he didn’t think they were quite to the point where he involved her in the business decisions of the ranch.
Bishop had had his girlfriend there, and of course, Bear and Ranger had their wives. Cactus had not invited his girlfriend, but Ida had her boyfriend there with her.
Ace picked up his phone, which he’d silenced after Holly Ann’s first text, and found at least a dozen more.
Ida had sent the most messages, and that didn’t surprise him one bit. He was close with the twins, and while they were identical, Ida was far more approachable than Etta. She was also worried about him.
I’m okay, he typed out. Bishop is getting me something to eat, and I’m just going to hole up here for a while. I’m really fine. Hang one of the cowboy boots for Daddy for me, okay?
If Ace was a betting man, he’d put ten bucks down that Ida had already hung the boot, and that she’d call within the hour.