"Daaaadyyyy“, four-year old Lou Fleming yelled right before she jumped into the big bed. “You’ve gotta come. Santa brought soooo many presents.” It seemed like her bright smile and twinkle in her eyes were filling the whole room with joy and happiness.

Tim looked at her slightly puzzled. Just moments before he was dreaming about winning the Hudson rodeo but his little daughter had brought him back to reality in an instant. Sleepily he rubbed his eyes.

“Where is your mom?” he whispered.

“I am here, Honey.” Marion Fleming was standing in the doorframe holding a mug in her hands. “I’ve got something here to waken tired cowboys on Christmas morning.”

Once again Tim realized why he loved this woman so dearly. She always knew what her family needed. He took a deep breath and smelled the freshly brewed coffee. This had to be heaven.

“Merry Christmas, Sweetheart.” Marion said. Then she sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Merry Christmas”, Tim replied before kissing her passionately.

Lou looked at them impatiently. Sometimes adults really behaved very strange. “What about my presents?” she asked after what felt like an eternity to her.

Tim smiled softly. “Guess someone is really excited about what Santa brought.” He kissed Lou on the cheek. “Why don’t you go open up the first gift before Grandma and Grandpa come over?”

The little girl flounced out of the room yelling “Merry Christmas.”

“No more sleeping in on Christmas mornings.” Tim yawned. The alarm clock on the nightstand showed 7 am.

“So let’s see what Santa left at Heartland last night.” Marion stood up and winked at her husband.

Ten minutes later the whole Fleming family was assembled in the living room. Lou’s cheeks were flushed and she was babbling constantly. Tim was sitting in the armchair standing right before the fireplace holding a very small red box in his hands. He opened the lid and saw a plain silver ring on a necklace lying on soft fabric. He took it out and had a closer look.

“This is my school ring. I want to give it to you for good luck on the rodeo circuit.” Marion smiled at him. It was exactly the smile that had caught him instantly when he had first met her about six years ago.

“But I thought…”

“... we agreed not to exchange gifts this year.” Marion finished his sentence. “But I want you to have it.”

“I don’t know what to say… Thank you, Sweetie.” He knew how much this ring meant to his wife.

Marion recognized how touched her husband was. Perhaps he was that tough rodeo cowboy everyone in Hudson knew, but he also was a loving husband and father.

She could not imagine any other man being the father of her daughter and she hoped that one day Lou would get a sibling.

Marion had seen Tim for the first time on a rather small rodeo just a few miles away from Hudson. Her father Jack had helped out as a jury member after he had quit competing on his own.

Jack had been impressed by the technical abilities of that young cowboy. Honestly Marion had not noticed the riding at all. From the first moment on she had fallen for his hazel eyes that were so warm and caring. Not to mention his good looks. Marion smiled softly. Yes she was a very lucky woman.

Tim had invited her out for dinner that night. From that day on they had met every weekend on the circuit until the day Tim asked her to marry him. The wedding about five years ago had been one of the happiest days in her entire life. They had moved to her home, the Heartland ranch. To his father-in-law Tim was like the son he never had and Jack was proud every time Tim brought a buckle home. The two of them could talk about horses and bulls for hours and hours. It was like Jack was reliving a part of his own youth.

And now Marion knew how her mother had felt every time Jack had left for another rodeo: how worried she had been; how she had not been able to watch when it was his turn to ride a wild bull or horse. Marion felt the very same about Tim and more than one time she hoped that he would quit and start raising cattle or horses. That wish even got stronger since Lou’s birth.

But being on the circuit was Tim’s life. It made him happy and so Marion was trying to accept it always hoping he would not be hurt or even killed. He had taken some pretty bad falls in the past but from the moment he was able to move again he was back to competing.

“What are you thinking about?” Tim’s words brought her back to reality.

Marion smiled at him. “I was thinking about how much I love you.”

“Love you too”, Tim replied before kissing her soft lips once again. She snuggled up to his strong body inhaling his own special scent; a scent she would never forget.

“Merry Christmas, my love”, she whispered into his ear.

“Merry Christmas.”

The End

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