The Rancher's Holiday Hope

“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?”

“No, of course not. You’ve done everything for the wedding. I can’t even begin to thank you for all your help. Financial and otherwise.”

He stopped and waited. “Spit it out.”

“Coats for kids. I know you’re already invested in helping with the Christmas at the Ranch event. But the weather is getting colder and you’d be amazed at the number of kids who show up to school without a jacket.”

“I’ll bring it up to the planning committee at the next meeting.” And he’d take the curious, sometimes questioning looks that some of the older folks on that committee would give him. He’d been in town for a month and had gotten used to the fact that, to a lot of the people in Hope, he was still the kid who’d crashed a truck through the school. He was still the kid who had driven recklessly, drank too much and hurt the nicest girl in town when he’d left her sitting at home the night of the prom.

“Give me a few days to work on this. You and your friends start putting together names. If I have to, I can call in favors from friends in Dallas.”

“Yes!” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “You’re the best, Max.”

“I try.”

She cocked her head to the side, the way she’d been doing since childhood. “Max, are you okay? I know it’s been hard for you, being here.”

“I’m thirty-three, Melody. I’ve put a lot of years between myself and my mistakes.”

“I know. I just think you’re still trying to make amends with everyone, and I hope you understand that the past is forgiven.”

“I do understand that. Don’t worry about me, I’m good. But I want you to know something. If Andrew doesn’t show up in town soon, I’m going looking for him and it isn’t going to be pretty when I catch him.”

“He was here when we first met with Sierra and he will be back soon. He just didn’t expect me to take this teaching job in Hope. He likes to have a plan and this wasn’t on the list.”

“If he’s marrying you, he’ll have to get used to spur of the moment.”

“You’re just trying to change the subject,” Melody accused her big brother. “And since we’re both good at that, isn’t Sierra the best? She’s on the planning committee for the Christmas event, too, isn’t she?”

“I think they’re asking for her help, yes.”

“I like her,” Melody continued. “She is much nicer than she lets on.”

“I’m sure she is. And before you continue this, I’m not interested. I’m only here until after Christmas and then I have to get back to Dallas. My company can’t run itself, you know.”

“You have Roger and you have an assistant. Give yourself a break. And I don’t know why you’re not interested in her.”

His little sister made him dizzy. “First, I’m taking a break while I help Dad get this ranch going again. Second, I’m not interested because I don’t have time for a relationship right now. And, third, I’m leaving in a month.”

She saluted and looked more determined than ever. “Whatever, Big Brother, whatever. I’ve got to run. Don’t forget the coats. And try being charming once in a while.”

He watched Melody walk away and couldn’t help but think about Sierra. The last thing she needed was a man who wouldn’t be sticking around. She had enough to deal with. He wasn’t going to add to the list.

Besides that, Sierra didn’t strike him as a woman seeking a relationship. Her expression was guarded and shadows lurked in her eyes, telling more about her past than words ever would. He’d met other wedding planners. They tended to be a perky bunch with great social and organizational skills.

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