The Rancher's Holiday Hope

“Really? Fun?”

“Of course,” Kylie agreed. “I have to leave soon, but save me a piece of cake.”

“I would, but I’m taking it to Lakeside Manor since it seems some Scrooge is trying to steal Christmas from the residents. I’m going to bake cupcakes for Patsy Jay’s children to decorate. I’ll make extra for you and the kids.”

“Oh, you don’t have to. But since you insist...” She flashed another quick smile. “I saw you talking to them yesterday.”

Sierra got up to make herself another cup of tea. “Patsy invited Max St. James and me to her house for dinner. She thinks she needs to repay us, although I don’t think we really did that much. The little girl wandered onto Mercy Ranch then the police took her home. Has she done this before?”

“I think one other time. I’m glad she had her dog with her.”

“Yes.” Sierra thought back to her own childhood and the long walks she would take to escape her parents and their fights.

Sierra glanced at the digital clock on the oven. “I need to finish up here and head to the Stable.” The Stable, a common name for a very uncommon wedding venue. “I’m going to decorate for Christmas.”

“Don’t you have another Christmas wedding coming up?”

“Yes, and they want twinkle lights and white poinsettias and trees. White trees! It’s a winter wonderland theme.”

“Are you going to decorate in here for Christmas?” Kylie asked.

Sierra got up to check on the cakes. The aroma of sugary vanilla goodness filled the kitchen. Aromatherapy. The storm forgotten, she inhaled deeply.

“I am. Glory and Cara are living here, too, and they deserve a tree and gifts.” Sierra admired the young mother. She’d started out as a teen mom from a dysfunctional home. For a time Kylie and Carson West were foster parents to Glory’s baby. The Wests mentored Glory, helped her to get her life back on track, and she’d regained custody of her daughter.

“Does it bother you that Jack is allowing them to stay? I know Mercy Ranch is designated for military vets, wounded warriors, and Glory is just a teenager who made mistakes.”

“She’s a wounded warrior of another kind. She battled abuse, addiction, and won. She deserves to be here, too.”

Sierra didn’t look at her friend. She didn’t need a pat on the back or kudos for being kind. She’d spoken the truth.

Knowing Sierra as she did, Kylie merely cleared her throat and moved on. “So about this dinner Thursday, with Max...”

“Stop.”

Kylie laughed and didn’t look at all ashamed. “You know he’s fabulously wealthy, right? Software, a social media platform, government contracts and so forth.”

“You know I don’t care about the man’s financials, right? He was nice enough to help look for Linnie, and her mother is kind enough to want to thank him.”

“He’s also handsome.”

And he smelled amazing. She cringed at her thought. “I’m not interested.”

“Of course not. But someday you will meet someone.” Kylie carried her cup to the sink.

“I meet people all the time. I’m not interested in inviting a man into my world, my very fragile hold on sanity. I’m in a good place, Kylie. I don’t need a man to make me happy. I don’t need to get married and have children. I don’t want to repeat—” She cut herself off and just stared at her friend, because the words had rushed out before she could stop them.

“You don’t want to repeat your parents’ mistakes. I get that. But you should give yourself more credit. You aren’t your parents.”

“I know.”

“If you’re looking for the Christmas tree and decorations, they’re in the storage room at the back of the building.”

“I’ll get them out and let Glory do the decorating. She should be home from her aunt’s in Tulsa by the first of next week.”

“She’ll enjoy decorating the apartment.” Kylie agreed with the plan. “And you know she’s going to hold you to the offer to bake and decorate Christmas cookies for the church Christmas program.”

“I know. And I don’t mind.”

Festive lights, trees, pretty wall hangings. All of the trimmings of Christmas. And now she could add to that baking Assyrian Christmas pastries with an elderly woman affectionately known as Nonni. She wasn’t going to lie to herself, though. She wanted to experience the traditions the older woman had passed down to her children and grandchildren.

She knew it would be as if she was standing outside, peeking in, taking a small piece of that family for herself. Her own family had never shared traditions, other than perhaps drinking too much on holidays and ending the day with fighting and uncomfortable silence. Thankfully she’d had decent friends back then, the kind that had shown her a glimpse of real family life.

Sierra walked Kylie to the door. The rain had dwindled to a light mist. The grass glistened with the moisture and, in the distance, the sun tried to peek through the heavy gray clouds.

She remembered the verse, that His mercies were new every morning. Just as quickly as the verse skipped through her mind, hope kindled in her heart. It was a flicker of joy, a strange lightness to her soul. It seemed to come out of nowhere. And yet it was very real. As if spiritually and emotionally she had turned a strange corner and was traveling in a new direction.

Hope. Unexplainable. Unaccountable. Unexpected. It made her wonder, what did God know that she didn’t?

Maybe it was the coming holidays? Whatever it was, for the first time in a long while, she found herself hopeful.

Melody caught up with Max as he was heading toward the barn, his boots sloshing in the rain-soaked grass. She was dressed for work, in a pretty sweater over leggings and boots. Somewhere along the way she’d ditched childhood, princess dresses and their mother’s high heels and become an adult.

“Shouldn’t you be on your way to work? You know, small children expecting their favorite teacher?” he asked.

“Teacher meetings, so I’m going in a little bit late. I was on the phone with Andrew. He’s going to try to be here the week after Christmas.”

“I see,” he said. He pulled gloves out of his pocket and tried to push back the doubts about this fiancé who couldn’t even bother to show up and take his sister to dinner. “Dad and I are buying cattle today. Too bad you can’t join us.”

As a kid she’d loved the sale barn and livestock auctions.

“Oh, I really wish I could but...”

“You’ve lived in town too long, City Girl.”

She laughed. “I haven’t. You know I still love the auctions. And I’m not the only one who’s lived in the city too long. Look at you, it’s almost looking like you still belong here. I like the hat.”

It had felt good, getting ready this morning. No suit and tie, just jeans, boots and his favorite cowboy hat. He was used to long hours and long days in an office. Fresh air felt good for a change.

“So what do you really want?” He slowed so that she didn’t have to run to keep up with him.

Ahead of them, their dad had the truck hitched to the stock trailer. Aldridge St. James had always been a farmer but he’d traded this for life in town, and a factory job. He’d done what was needed to get Max out of trouble and through college. Then it had been Max’s sisters, Melody and Cadence, in college. Cadence had married last year and was living in Texas.

A family ranch traded for the future of his children. Traded for lawyers for his son, who had driven a truck through a school building when he’d drunkenly confused the brake for the gas.

Max had worked hard to get back on track. Now he was giving the life they loved back to his parents. He saw the difference in their expressions. They were able to retire now, knowing they could farm and live in the community they loved so much.

“Well?” he prodded, because Melody still hadn’t answered and looked uneasy. “Melody, if you need something, tell me. Is it the wedding?”