“Hi, Megan!” She was grinning, bouncing with pleasure. “I remember you and Daniel from the ranch. Come on in. You’re the first one here.”

A sleek calico cat jumped off the sofa and made a beeline for the front door. Clara snatched her up, laughing. “No, you don’t. It’s too cold to go outside.” Still holding the cat, Clara looked up at Megan. “Do you like cats?”

“I do, very much, but I don’t have one.” Megan stroked the silky back and felt the tremor of a purr.

“This is Rainbow,” Clara said. “I named her that because she has all the cat colors. Last year, she had babies. I have one of her babies at home. His name is Snowflake because he’s all white. He has a carrier to travel in, but I didn’t bring him because he doesn’t like the airplane. Come on. You can put your present here on the coffee table.” Still chattering, the little girl led the way across the living room, which was decorated for Christmas, with a glittering tree in one corner.

“Hi, Megan!” Tracy called from the kitchen. “Come on in here. I’m glad somebody’s right on time.”

“That comes from being a teacher,” Megan said, stepping through the kitchen door. “When the bell rings, you have to be ready to start class. The trouble is, it carries over into other things. When it comes to parties, I tend to arrive before everyone else. But now that I’m here, I hope you’ll let me help you. What can I do?”

“Let’s see . . .” Tracy glanced around the kitchen. “How about arranging that snack tray and putting it out—the cheese and crackers, the dip, and the other things you see there. I should have done it earlier. Now I’m running out of time.”

“Sure.” Megan washed her hands, found a set of tongs, and began arranging food on the round teakwood tray. “Thanks again for inviting me. I need to know more people in Branding Iron, especially now that there’s a chance I might be staying—only a chance, mind you. I’m still weighing my options.”

“You mean you wouldn’t go back to Nashville? Don’t you have a job there?”

“I do. But if I give notice now, they shouldn’t have a problem finding somebody else. And my dad mentioned that the first-grade teacher here in Branding Iron is pregnant and plans to quit as soon as the school can find a replacement. It’s almost like things are falling into place. But if I were to stay, it would mean giving up my singing career, such as it is.”

“And what about Conner?” Tracy asked. “How’s that going?”