Mistletoe and Rodeo

Book 2: Frosted Firs Ranch

by Janet Dailey

Genres: Contemporary Romance; Holiday Romance; Western Romance

Synopsis

Known for its natural beauty, holiday-themed Noel, North Carolina, isn’t just the country’s second largest producer of Christmas trees, it’s a warm, welcoming community, as one visitor on a challenging journey is about to discover . . .

By the time 25-year-old single mom Nicole Vaughn pulls her RV into Noel she’s at the final stop of a momentous road trip with her daughter, Kyle. Born with a heart defect, 8-year-old Kyle is now in need of a life-saving donor heart. Nicky holds out hope, but she knows the road ahead won’t be easy. Determined to make this Christmas rich and exciting, she’s traversed the U.S. to show Kyle the country’s natural wonders. But now Nicky’s out of money and needs a job. At the Frosted Firs Ranch, she finds much more.

26-year-old bull rider and ranch co-owner, Tucker Reed, left the rodeo circuit to help his widowed brother, Nate, run the business and adjust to single fatherhood. Seven years later, Nate has found love again and will be married on Christmas Eve. Tucker is raring to return to the circuit. . . . Until an enigmatic brunette with a spine of steel enters the picture. Then Tucker’s heart is stolen a second time by Nicky’s brave little girl.

Soon Tucker is visiting the RV daily, dazzling Kyle with rodeo stories. And when he and Nicky share an unexpected kiss, it reveals an undeniable passion. But Nicky is wary, and Tucker, too, wonders if he’s good enough—or capable of supporting Nicky and Kyle through the hardest of times. Yet, love brings risks. As Christmas Eve approaches, can they find the courage to face those risks together?

Release date: September 29, 2026

Publisher: Zebra Books

Print pages: 256

Sample

Nicole Vaughn’s heart was fragile but not broken. At birth, she’d fought hard to overcome a multitude of infections. As an adolescent, she strove for independence despite physical limitations. And as an adult, she’d found the strength to support, protect, and raise her daughter alone for the past eight years.

Despite inheriting a heart defect that required caution, Nicole never shied away from a challenge. But this …

This was snow.

“Please, Mama!” Kyle, eight years old and bursting with Christmas spirit, jumped on the queen bed and hopped around Nicole’s sprawled limbs. “It must’ve snowed all night. The snowflakes are huge—just huge! And there’s so much of it. More than I’ve ever seen!”

Nicole squeezed her eyes closed and smiled. “Neither of us have seen snow before. We’re Florida girls, remember?” She held up a cautionary hand. “Please stop jumping before you break the—”

Kyle’s bare foot landed on Nicole’s hair and twisted, yanking the strands at the root.

“Ow!” Nicole thumped Kyle’s ankle. “Seriously, you’re pulling my hair ou—”

“Open your eyes, woman.” Kyle plopped down, straddled Nicole and peeled her eyelids up with her thumbs. “You’re missing it—all of it—every beautiful, magnificent flake!”

Nicole laughed, batted Kyle’s hands away and blinked her stinging eyelids. “Okay, okay. I’m looking.”

She lifted her head and squinted out the small window of the RV. And there it was: a silent shower of snow cascading over a vast clearing nestled at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, just five miles outside the city limits of Noel, North Carolina. Snowflakes of all shapes and sizes tumbled through the frigid air, piled up on the dormant ground and coated miles’ worth of fencing several feet away. Icicles, thick and clear, hung from the top of the RV and framed the view in the window.

A December morning in Noel was a sight to behold indeed.

“Let’s go.” Kyle hopped off the bed, skipped across the bedroom of their RV and yanked open the top drawer of the dresser. “You want the red scarf or the green? I’m gonna wear my boots. The ones Pop gave me on my birthday last year. You remember?”

Nicole dragged herself upright in the bed and rubbed her eyes. “Of course.”

Over the past year since her father had passed away, she hadn’t forgotten a single thing about him. How could she? Charles Vaughn (also fondly known as Pop) had left behind one last Christmas present after his death from congestive heart failure last November. One that had enabled Nicole to whisk Kyle away on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip traversing the U.S. to see the country’s natural wonders.

Nicole glanced around the snug—but accommodating—bedroom of the RV that Pop had bequeathed her in his will. Brand-new, the fifth wheel RV was thirty feet long, thirteen-feet high, and equipped with one bedroom and bathroom, a living space with a TV and electric fireplace, and a kitchen stocked with a microwave, oven, fridge, and pull-out table for dining. But the best part of all? It was paid for!

Good at secret-keeping, Pop had made financial arrangements with a dealer years ago to pay for the estimated cost of a fifth wheel RV in installments. He knew his time had been running out as his health had worsened over recent years, and he’d included a letter to Nicole with his last will and testament, directing her to the dealer who’d informed her of her purchase power. The white Cougar Fifth Wheel had caught her eye immediately—its spacious, driftwood interior and storage features perfect for a year-long road trip. And Kyle’s bright smile from the rear window inside the RV as Nicole had inspected the exterior had sealed the deal.

Keep living—both of you.

That’s the final line Pop had written in his letter. A short and simple reminder of the mantra he’d recited to Nicole throughout the entirety of her twenty-five years of life. The earliest she could recall hearing him say it was when she’d been Kyle’s age, hovering on the sidelines of a three-legged race at a school fair, longing to join in the fun but afraid of the physical repercussions. Pop, standing by her side, had studied her yearning expression and nudged her toward the race.

Join ’em, he’d said back then. Your heart might be fragile, but it’s not broken.

He’d been her inspiration … and the source of hers and Kyle’s inherited heart defect. Losing his wife to breast cancer and raising Nicole alone couldn’t have been easy, but Pop had done it with a bright smile and unwavering dedication. If anything, losing the love of his life, suffering a string of bad luck and battling a heart defect of his own had taught him the value of living. He’d instilled the same appreciation for life in Nicole and Kyle.

“Mom?” Kyle, facing her now, held a scarf in each hand and tapped her toe impatiently. “Which one you want? Red or green?”

Neither. Nicole didn’t want a scarf, she didn’t want Kyle going outside in freezing temperatures and she really didn’t want Kyle sprinting through snow—which a kid was apt to do—panting for breath and straining her heart.

“I think we should wait ’til this afternoon when it’s a bit warmer.” Nicole scooted to the foot of the bed and stood. “What would you like for breakfast? Pancakes and eggs sound good?” She placed her hands on her lower back and stretched, waking her sleepy muscles. “Just gimme time to drink a cup of coffee and I’ll get some food going.”

Kyle frowned and stared up at her.

“What?” Nicole tilted her head. “According to the weatherman, the snow is here to stay for the season. We need to get going soon anyway and find a legitimate place to park this rig for the foreseeable future.”

And that—Nicole winced—was of the utmost importance. As it was, they were trespassing, having parked the RV in an empty field the night before after being turned away from two nearby RV parks. She and Kyle had arrived at Noel’s Tinsel Tree Inn after dark, later than scheduled, and due to heightened tourism during the holiday season, the manager had given Kyle’s reserved spot to someone else. He’d suggested Nicole try Santa’s Firepit Park ten miles away on the other side of the mountain. But by then, it had grown dark and cold, and her eyes hung heavy from the long drive from Nashville, Tennessee, to Noel.

Kyle had spotted the empty field first, jabbing her arm across Nicole from the passenger seat of their truck and shouting, “There, Mama! It’s a perfect spot.”

And it was. A wide-open field at the base of rugged mountains … vast, peaceful sky … and miles of white fence nearby that corralled what seemed to be dozens upon dozens of fir and cypress trees. Kyle, it seemed, had spotted the outskirts of an expansive Christmas tree farm.

There had been one sign with PRIVATE written in big letters, but no gate secured the field and the lot had been empty. All the action seemed to be what Nicole guessed was about eight hundred feet up the curvy mountain road at a large white building, strung with bright Christmas lights, where cars and trucks packed the parking lot and several groups of people entered and exited the main reception area of the business. And when the peppy weatherman giving the forecast on the satellite radio declared the first flurries of an early winter snow would arrive within the hour, road-weary Nicole had given in. She’d carefully guided their truck and RV into the field under the cloak of darkness and parked at the very back of the lot—as far out of sight and sound of the bustling business adjacent to them as possible—and she and Kyle had settled in the RV’s queen bed for the night.

“Now that it’s morning,” Nicole continued, glancing out the window at the white fencing and trees, “our rig’s clearly visible in this field and there’s bound to be someone up and about that might spot us. It’s better to take off now rather than risk getting caught.” She walked to the dresser, grabbed her cell phone and tapped its screen. “Not to mention, our road trip has reached its end. I need a new gig and it’s time I start applying.”

Oh, boy. She rubbed her aching temples at the reminder of impending reality.

Though she’d paid off her truck one year ago and Pop had given her the RV free and clear, she’d had to use most of her savings to fund the journey she and Kyle had undertaken for the past year. It had been worth it, but now she was running low on funds, had less than a quarter tank of gas—pricey diesel, at that!—and hadn’t yet found a location to settle the RV for the next few weeks until they made permanent living arrangements.

Noel was the last stop on their journey, and the month of December was all she and Kyle had left before they had to settle down and return to work and school, and regular medical visits.

Mute, Kyle continued staring up at her … and frowned deeper.

Sighing, Nicole knelt and rubbed one end of the red scarf Kyle held between her fingertips. “You knew we had to start getting down to business once we arrived in Noel.”

Kyle shook her head. “Not right away. You said we had Christmas—one last Christmas of fun and freedom before we had to settle down and cut back.”

Nicole nodded. “I know.” And they had to cut back in more ways than just a financial one. “But it’s freezing cold out, that snow’s getting deep, and it takes a lot of leg strength to muscle your way through it.”

“Dr. Carter said mild exercise is good for us.”

Nicole nodded again. “Yes, but he also said we should avoid exposure to extreme hot or cold temperatures and not engage in sudden bursts of physical act—”

“We’ll bundle up real good.” Kyle shoved the red scarf against Nicole’s chest and grinned. “You’ll wear the red one and I’ll wear the green. We’ll be in a winter wonderland, Mom.”

Oh, it was a tempting thought considering all that beautiful scenery. “Kyle, if we step foot outside right now, you have to promise me that you won’t run.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I won’t run. I’ll just jog.”

“No. You’ll walk slowly.”

Kyle lifted one eyebrow. “How ’bout I just walk really fast? And make a snow angel? You said making snow angels would be okay if we saw snow.”

Nicole stilled and swept her gaze over her daughter’s slight form. Her skin had a healthy hue, her chest lifted and lowered at an even pace, and her brown eyes were clear and bright. But the frigid air would fill Kyle’s lungs the moment she stepped outside and drew breath, and the snow-covered ground would be frozen and frigid.

A tender ache unfurled within Nicole. Would it be worth it—really worth risking Kyle’s healthy physical state?—to scamper about in the snow, flop on the ground and flap their arms and legs?

“Kyle, I don’t think—”

“Our hearts are fragile but not broken.” Kyle held her gaze but her lower lip trembled just a bit. “Isn’t that what Pop always said?”

Nicole sighed. “Yes.”

“And you said we should still have fun and do things, right? That’s why you said we took this trip? So that we could squeeze it in before my birthday?”

Nicole bit her lip. “Yes.”

In January, Kyle would turn nine and adolescence wouldn’t be much further down the road—potentially the most transformative and challenging time for a child born with congenital heart disease. Kyle’s condition could worsen rapidly over the next few years or it might not worsen at all. Either way, Nicole wanted the best possible care for Kyle and the THRIVE study, sponsored by Hearts United Hospital, which had recently opened in Noel, was a ten-yearlong program designed by the best cardiologists in the world. The purpose of the program was to study the progression of genetic heart disease in both children and adults within the same family. By participating, Kyle and Nicole would be provided excellent medical care for the duration of the study … free of charge.

When her cardiologist in Florida had recommended the study, Nicole had applied—and been accepted—almost immediately. The opportunity had been a godsend. Her work as a remote IT support specialist (which she hadn’t done much of lately) paid less and less, making free healthcare a gold mine.

“And,” Kyle continued, “we’ve been seeing a doctor every single month, taking our medicine every day and writing in our journal every night, right?”

Nicole reluctantly nodded. Dr. Carter, who spearheaded the THRIVE study, had drawn together a network of physicians throughout the U.S. that would implement the same study in their hospitals. He’d scheduled appointments with cardiologists for both her and Kyle in different states throughout their year-long journey, to gather preliminary medical data and provide top-notch healthcare.

This carefree year had been a blessing in so many ways, and the thought of it coming to an end pained her.

Kyle, sensing the shift in her mood, smiled wide. “It’s only the second day of December, so that means we’re still allowed to play.” She slung the green scarf around her neck and sauntered to the small closet, saying over her shoulder, “Let’s put on our winter stuff, take our medicine, and go make snow angels.”

Nicole watched Kyle plunder through the clothes hanging in the closet, hopping from one foot to the other with excitement, and smiled.

Since Kyle’s birth, Nicole had been unable to deny her much of anything. Becoming a mother had filled her heart with a love so strong that every decision she made was undertaken with careful consideration of how it would affect Kyle’s life. And since she wanted this Christmas to be as special as possible for Kyle, it would be important to balance the physical risks they may encounter with the potential fun an activity would bring.

Groaning in resignation, Nicole joined Kyle at the closet, grabbed two knit caps, one green and one red, and plopped the green one on Kyle’s head. “All right. You win. Let’s go make snow angels.”

The winter wind cut through Nicole’s thick coat and chilled her skin the moment she stepped outside the RV. And just as she’d feared, Kyle took off and ran through the heavy swirl of snowflakes. Her green scarf flapped behind her and her winter boots sprayed snow in her wake.

“Kyle, slow down!” Nicole cupped her gloved hands around her mouth and shouted louder. “You promised!”

Slowing to a jog, Kyle turned around and waved her arms with excitement. “Come on! There’s a ton of trees on the other side of the fence. They’re gorgeous! The most perfect Christmas trees I’ve ever seen.”

Nicole shivered but grinned. Gray clouds blanketed the wide sky, but soft pink and yellow hues of sunlight occasionally peeped over the surrounding mountains. Wind whispered over her earlobes and the crunch of snow beneath Kyle’s feet drummed out a joyful rhythm.

As much as Nicole wanted to heed her own advice, she found it hard to fight the festive feeling that sprang to life within her and spiraled up from her tingly toes to her cold nose. She tugged her knit cap farther down over her ears and followed Kyle, skipping along the footprints her daughter had left behind in the snow.

Kyle reached the white fence, knelt low and slipped between the rungs. She ran across the snowy ground, then stopped between two tall Fraser fir trees and spread her arms wide. “It’s perfect, Mom,” she called out. “Just perfect!”

With that, she flopped down onto her back, spread her arms and legs out and swept them through the several inches of snow covering the ground beneath her.

Nicole slipped between the rungs of the fence and joined her, pausing to study her daughter’s face. Kyle’s cheeks were flushed from the cold air and her breath was coming fast, but she stared up at the snowfall with an expression of joyous wonder.

Grinning wider, Nicole flopped down on her back, stretched her arms and legs wide and waved them in the same motion. The frozen ground beneath her was cold and hard—she could feel it through her thick coat—but snow, inches and inches of flawless white, scattered over her stomach and legs with each movement and continued cascading from the puffy clouds above, sprinkling over her numb cheeks.

Despite the frigid temperatures, Kyle’s delighted laughter by her side warmed her heart more than any raging bonfire.

It only lasted for a moment though, because Kyle sprang to her feet, leaned over Nicole, and winked. “There are more trees over there.” She pointed at a line of cypress trees standing in a neat row at the back of the field. “I’m going to go stand beside them and measure how tall they are.”

“But Kyle—”

Too late. She’d already taken off, dashing between the fir trees and skipping in the direction of the evergreens in the distance.

“Kyle! Slow down.”

She did, waving one gloved hand in the air, and slowed her skip to a brisk walk before she disappeared around a large cypress tree.

Nicole stifled a groan, closed her eyes, and tipped her chin toward the clouds overhead. Kyle was growing up. She was an intelligent, reasonable girl who knew her limits. It wouldn’t hurt to lighten up a bit and let her explore—just for a little while.

A familiar ache fluttered in her chest. She frowned and rubbed the spot below her left collarbone. Nicole knew better than anyone how frustrating living with a heart condition could be. How much fun there was to miss out on and how much she still longed to do despite restrictive guidelines from doctors.

Keep living.

Nicole smiled at the memory of her father’s voice. “Okay, Pop.”

She closed her eyes and savored the feel of cold snowflakes sprinkling over her heated skin. For the next few minutes at least, she was going to enjoy this beautiful winter wonderland and allow Kyle to do the same. She swept her arms and legs through the snow, her smile growing with each movement.

If Pop could see them now, he’d be pr—

“You’re trespassing, angel.”

Her eyes shot open. A man stood over her—more than six feet tall, muscular build, blond hair, blue eyes, and stubbled jaw. He wore a cowboy hat, jeans, and boots and spoke in the deepest, skin-warming voice she’d ever heard.

He was—her heart skipped—magnificent. That was the only word that sprang to her befuddled mind. “A-angel?”

He smiled, squatted to his haunches, and tipped his chin toward her sprawled form. “I’ve run across several snow angels in this town, but I gotta say, I’ve never caught one boondocking on my land.”

“Your land?” Oh, no. Why hadn’t she stood her ground with Kyle and left earlier? And why couldn’t she string together a coherent sentence?

He held out one big hand encased in a brown leather glove. “Tucker Reed, co-owner of Frosted Firs Ranch. This is my ranch you’re trespassing on.” He nudged his hand closer to her. “Here. I’ll help you up, angel.”

Too embarrassed to speak, she slipped her hand in his, her cheeks heating as his big palm closed around hers and tugged her to her feet. Her legs were weak with exertion and she stumbled toward him, her free hand shooting out, planting firmly over the center of his broad chest as she steadied herself.

“Oh!” She gasped. “I-I’m sorry.”

Her palm stilled against his heartbeat—so strong, slow and steady … even through her thick glove. There was nothing fragile about this man’s heart—not in the least. And he stood as firm and strong as the mountains at his back.

What would that be like? To possess unwavering physical strength and resiliency? To have the freedom to sprint through life at any given moment, no matter the weather? Did he know how blessed he was? What a treasure having a sturdy body and healthy heart would be for someone like her or Kyle?

“Do you feel that?” she whispered as his heart drummed against her palm. “It’s perfect.”

Oh, he felt it.

Tucker leaned closer and ducked his head, blocking the flurry of snow with his hat to get an unimpeded view of the woman’s face. Wavy brown hair framed chocolate-brown eyes, a cute nose, curvy lips, and dimpled chin. Specks of snow covered her red hat and clung to her thick lashes. And the gentle press of her graceful palm against his chest made his heart pump stronger against his ribs.

It was strange—this slow tingle inside his chest that coaxed his gaze to hers and parted his lips. The admiration in her gaze as she looked at him, the sense of wonder in her soft tone as she’d spoken, and her welcoming presence just inches from him felt new … but somehow familiar.

He felt as though he were bumping into a childhood friend or close neighbor rather than facing a stranger. At twenty-six years old, he’d had his fair share of flirtatious encounters with attractive women, but this was different. This was new. Sweet … tender.

He’d never felt this sensation before when meeting a woman, and as a former bull rider, he’d met plenty on the rodeo circuit. It was quiet but powerful and intoxicating. Obviously, she fel. . .