by Lea Kinkade
He didn’t ring the doorbell but just opened the front door and ushered her into the house. They could hear voices coming from the left side of the hallway and he motioned her that way as he called out, “Anybody home?” An ageless woman with black hair down to her waist and keen gray eyes came out into the hallway. This was Cassie Chisholm. Samantha had seen her many times over the past couple of months as she had started making more and more stops at Bach Florists.
“Ryan,” she cried happily. She gave him a quick hug and he hugged her right back. “Hello, Samantha. It’s very nice to have you here. Thank you for coming.”
“Thank you for having me, Mrs…uh, Cassie,” she stuttered, remembering Cassie’s insistence at the shop that Samantha use her first name.
“It’s long overdue,” she said with a smile. “Come on, we were just getting ready to head into the dining room. The food is already on the table.”
As they entered the dining room, Samantha could see and smell that the food was, indeed, already on the table. Everything looked and smelled delicious. Samantha remembered Ryan telling her that Cassie Chisholm had made sure all of her children could cook and thought to herself that they must have learned from one of the best. Although Samantha had never been to Ryan’s house, he had cooked several meals for them at her apartment. He was no slouch and liked to experiment as much as she did. One of the many things they had in common was their love of watching cooking shows and trying out the recipes on their own.
When she sat down in the seat Cassie indicated, she realized she was being put between Jessie and Ryan. Smiling shyly, Samantha took her seat and waited while Alex Chisholm said grace over the meal. Everyone started talking at once while at the same time passing the various bowls and platters clockwise around the table. It seemed to Samantha that her plate was full before half of the items were passed to her. Ryan took pity on her and put some extra of the remaining items on his own plate for her to try.
* * * *
Samantha surreptitiously stole another forkful of pasta salad from his plate, and Ryan looked around and found several members of his family watching the byplay with big smiles. His entire family knew how he felt about Samantha. He’d told them quite some time ago that he was in love with her and had enlisted their aid in his quest to make Samantha fall in love with him. His family had been unfailingly polite and kind today, as he would have expected, in their welcoming of Samantha into the family circle.
Ryan had asked them not to pepper her with a bunch of questions about her family. He had already shared with them what Samantha had told him about her childhood. He had also told them that he knew she wasn’t sharing everything with him, and that he was okay with that for now. Though he knew his mother was chomping at the bit to mother Samantha, he knew it would take a while for Samantha to let her do so.
Toward the end of the meal, the conversation turned to the Christmas celebration coming up in a few days. His mom had told him she’d make sure Samantha would join them for Christmas, so he had held off on saying anything more to her about it.
“Won’t you join us, Samantha? We’d love to have you with us, and I know it would make Ryan very happy,” asked Cassie Chisholm with a smile on her face.
“I don’t want to intrude…” started Samantha.
“Oh, pooh. You’re not intruding. I’ve been asking Ryan to bring you by for Sunday lunch for two months, and this is the first time you’ve accepted. I was beginning to get the feeling you didn’t like us. I won’t take no for an answer, Samantha. I’ll expect to see you here on Christmas Day.” Ryan smiled. Nobody could stand up against Cassie Chisholm when she set her mind to something. Samantha didn’t stand a chance.
Getting no help from Ryan, Samantha agreed to come to the festivities on the condition that she be able to bring something to contribute to the meal. Ryan finally spoke up and agreed wholeheartedly to that suggestion, telling the family that Samantha was a fine cook. Settling on dessert, Samantha agreed to bring three different kinds of pie, some brownies, and an apple crisp.
* * * *
The men cleaned up the dining room and did the dishes while the women retired to the family room to talk. Only paying half attention to the discussion going on around her, Samantha noticed a beautiful porcelain vase on one of the shelves in the room. Samantha had been searching around for some upscale vases to sell at the shop. She had been through too many catalogs of mass-produced vases to count and hadn’t found anything unique enough to put on display at Bach Florists.
“Cassie, where did you get that vase? It’s absolutely beautiful.”
“Jordan made it for me several years ago when she still lived in New York. It is beautiful, isn’t it? You should see some of her other pieces. She’s been selling some of her pieces at several art galleries in Corpus Christi. In fact, Jordan has a show coming up at Meyerton’s Gallery in a few months, after the baby is born.”
“Jordan, it’s absolutely beautiful. I know it won’t be on the scale of the gallery, but would you be interested in displaying and selling some of your work at Bach Florists? Could I see more of your pieces?”
“Sure, Samantha. I’d love to show and sell some locally. Why don’t you come over to the house later in the week and look at the stock I have and pick out some pieces for your shop? Would Wednesday work for you? Around 10:00 a.m.?”
“That would work perfectly. I’m looking forward to it.” As they settled on a date, the men came into the family room and joined the conversation.
As everyone got ready to leave, Cassie came over to Samantha and hugged her. Surprised, Samantha gave her a tentative hug back and thanked her for the delicious meal. Telling his family that they would see them Christmas day, Ryan and Samantha took their leave. Her first immersion into his family had happened without anything going wrong. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Samantha’s week leading up to Christmas Day was very busy at the shop. Bach Florists made it a holiday tradition every year to have the most beautiful and freshest live holiday wreaths in town. Samantha thought it was a wonderful tradition and did her best to keep the tradition alive and well. Add to that the large shipment of red and white poinsettias that Samantha had ordered and people seemed to be beating down the door to the shop with last minute purchases.
Celia had gone with her widowed brother on a cruise to the Caribbean for the holidays, so Samantha took the chance to make a few changes in the store. There wasn’t much about the shop that needed to be changed. If anything, she was adding to a reputation for excellence that had been there for more than thirty years.
She had gone out to Jordan’s house on Tuesday and picked out several one-of-a-kind vases to display in the shop. Given the beauty and nature of Jordan’s work, Samantha thought her prices were very reasonable and expected them to sell quickly. Jordan and Samantha had spent a lovely afternoon talking about the Chisholm family, especially Ryan. Samantha felt that the time alone with Jordan had strengthened their friendship and hoped it would survive even if she and Ryan did break up in the future. Jordan talked about the plans for the nursery and the baby shower Jessie was planning for her. The baby was due March third, but Jordan was having problems with her blood pressure again, so the doctor had told her they might induce her earlier than that. She complained that Xander was being overprotective and wouldn’t let her lift a finger around the house.
Samantha hadn’t yet purchased anything for Ryan for Christmas. She was leaning toward a new black Stetson hat, as he had made mention that his was getting a little ragged to be used for more formal functions. She had gotten the size information from his current hat and had written it down on a piece of paper that she hid in her purse. She was going shopping tomorrow during her lunch hour at a western store that was in town. Maybe she’d be able to find some other things for him as well.
* * * *
Christmas at the Chisholm’s was loud and raucous. With eight grown children, two daughters-in-law, two grandmothers, one grandfather, parents, aunt
s and uncles, assorted cousins and their children, there were more than thirty people in attendance. Samantha knew she wouldn’t be able to keep all the names straight. To make the occasion even more festive, Eli Chisholm, the youngest son, had taken a week off from the rodeo circuit to spend Christmas with his family.
Over her objections, Ryan had added her name to every one of the gifts he had purchased for his family. He told her that some of his relatives would have gotten her presents, and he didn’t want her to feel obligated to reciprocate since she didn’t know most of them that well.
After lunch, the men cleared away the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen and dining room. The women gathered in the family room to laugh and talk with each other.
Although she knew they tried hard to give her some space, Samantha felt like she was under a microscope from the family members she hadn’t met before. Through the conversations at the table earlier, and from what was being said in the living room, Samantha had figured out that it was a big deal that Ryan had invited her to the Chisholm Christmas celebration.
In fact, despite what he had led her to believe when they first started dating, it appeared that none of the siblings brought a boyfriend or girlfriend home for a family celebration unless their relationship was very serious. Fiancé kind of serious. Samantha was not happy that Ryan had misled her. He had never hinted at the seriousness of his invitation, and she had to wonder at his reasons.
Samantha knew she was in love with Ryan. She also knew that he thought he was in love with her. Samantha still had a hard time believing that sometimes. He had told her that he loved her, but he didn’t push her to discuss the future at all. Samantha’s old insecurities only allowed her to put a negative connotation on his failure to discuss a future with her. Of course, she thought to herself, she hadn’t had that much luck with people who had made promises to her either. All in all, she was one confused woman and not quite sure what Ryan wanted from her.
Maybe Ryan saw this as a long-term affair. She had learned pretty fast since moving to Deseo that the Chisholm family was very well-known and prestigious. The Chisholms were the premiere family in southern Texas, and their horses, cattle, and rough stock were renowned throughout the entire country. She was a little nobody whose mother was a prostitute. She didn’t even know who her father was. Maybe Ryan didn’t see her as marriage material. Even if he loved her, he might have no intention of marrying her. After all, wasn’t that what had happened with both Brandon and J.T.? Once they found out about her family history, any talk of a future together had dried right up. What made her think that Ryan would be any different?
“So, Samantha, how has business at Bach florists been since you moved here?”
“It’s been great. I’m glad that Celia is still around part-time, though. I’ve learned a lot from her about why Bach Florists is so highly thought of in town.”
“How long have you and Ryan been dating?”
“Only about two months. We’re still getting to know each other.” As she answered the questions from his female relatives, she couldn’t help but think they were judging her and finding her lacking.
“Do you have any family nearby?”
“No.”
“What about your parents? Where do they live? Will you be able to see them this Christmas?”
“I don’t really get along with my parents very well. I don’t see them often,” Samantha answered quietly.
“I’m sorry to hear that, but surely they’ll be at the wedding, won’t they?” At that question, Samantha blushed bright red. As Jessie, Taylor, Jordan, and Cassie Chisholm looked on in shock at the aunt, all other eyes had gone to Samantha.
Samantha looked around the room helplessly as she floundered for something to say—both about this supposed wedding and about the fact that she would never see her parents again. She knew coming here had been a bad idea. She knew his family was going to want answers about her family that she wasn’t prepared to give. She knew that assumptions would be made about their relationship if she accompanied Ryan to his family’s Christmas celebration. She just hadn’t realized the gravity of those assumptions.
Cassie moved toward her and Samantha could see she was going to attempt to comfort her. Her face told Samantha she was aghast at her sister’s interrogation. Samantha just saw pity in her eyes. She needed to get out of here. Before Cassie could reach her, Samantha rose from the couch where she had been sitting and looked around for an avenue of escape. At that moment, Ryan and the rest of the men came into the family room, laughing and joking until they felt the tension in the room.
* * * *
Ryan felt the tension as soon as he entered the room. His eyes immediately found Samantha. Her face was strained and she was poised for flight. Going into protection mode, he demanded, “What’s going on in here? What’s wrong, Samantha?”
“Nothing. I think I should leave now. Could you please give me a ride back to my place? I’d like to go home.” Samantha’s expression was pleading for him not to ask questions.
“What are you talking about? We haven’t even opened presents, yet. What’s going on? What happened, darlin’?” Ryan was thoroughly confused and looked around at the other women in the room for answers. When Samantha and the other women had left the dining room, everything had been going just fine. Now here was Samantha trying desperately to get away.
“Nothing. I just don’t belong here with your family.” Samantha’s eyes once again pleaded with him not to make a big deal of this.
“I’m so sorry, Ryan. I asked a very nosy question and I’m afraid I offended Samantha.” His aunt, Kristen, stood up and moved toward Samantha. “Samantha, please don’t leave. I’m sorry I upset you. Please. Stay. You’re important to Ryan, so you’re important to this family. You belong here. Please forgive me. I could just kick myself for making you feel bad. Please say you forgive me.”
“Darlin’, what’s wrong? Were you offended by something Aunt Kristen said? I don’t know what it was, but she’s really sorry if she hurt your feelings. Can you forgive her? If not, I’ll take you home immediately. What do you want to do?” Ryan voiced his questions for Samantha’s ears only, trying to calm down the situation. Something had spooked her but good.
* * * *
Samantha was beginning to realize how badly she had handled the situation. She knew she’d made a fool of herself by reacting so strongly to the snoopy, if innocuous, question, but she didn’t know how to get out of the situation gracefully. She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes. She could see the love and concern radiating from him. He was taking her side and leaving it up to her if they stayed. If she made them leave now, Ryan would probably insist on staying with her at the apartment and miss his family’s Christmas celebration.
She pulled in a deep breath and fought to calm her overworked nerves. “I overreacted. Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. Let’s just forget it happened, all right?” Her voice was still shaky, but she was getting control of herself. She tried to smile. There was a collective sigh of relief from the crowd that had gathered. “I’m all right. Please, let’s just forget it.”
“Let’s find a place where we can sit, and then Grampa Lex will hand out the presents. We’d better get started or it will take the rest of the day.” She looked at Ryan with relief as he changed the subject, trying to reduce the tension in the room. He led her over to the love seat that was suddenly unoccupied.
With a slight clearing of his throat, Grampa Lex, Ryan’s paternal grandfather, got everyone’s attention and started handing out presents. It was a family tradition for one present to be handed out to each person and for everyone to open their presents all at once. The next round would not start until after everyone had opened their presents. It had been known to take hours.
As they sat there opening presents and quietly talking, the atmosphere in the family room returned to the festive one that had been present before the whole “debacle with Aunt Kristen,” as Samantha thought of it
, had occurred. Ryan held Samantha’s hand tightly in his. Samantha and Ryan were slowly brought back into the conversation, and Samantha was even able to respond appropriately and without much effort.
By the time all the presents had been unwrapped and dessert had been eaten, Samantha could almost forget what had happened. As they gathered their things to leave, everyone, including Aunt Kristen, hugged Samantha and wished her a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
On the drive home, Samantha could feel Ryan’s eyes on her every few minutes. She knew he was still concerned about what had gone on at his parents’ house and wanted to know what had happened to upset her so badly. He would expect answers once they got back to her apartment. When she caught his eye, she gave him a soft smile, and he responded with a tender one of his own, reaching out to grasp her hand with his.
Samantha knew her time with Ryan was up. She had to tell him the truth about her parents and why she was put in foster care, and she had to tell him tonight. She couldn’t hold the truth back from him any longer. Although this would probably end things between them, she knew it was best to tell him this now before she admitted to him that she loved him.
As he helped her out of the truck, he tucked his arm around her shoulders and walked with her up the stairs to her apartment. Using his key, he opened up the door and waited for her to precede him into the apartment. Samantha walked through the doorway and kicked off her shoes as she went to the table and set down her purse. Without a word, she went to the cupboard above the refrigerator and pulled down a bottle of Jameson. She took two glasses from the cupboard and poured a couple of fingers in each glass. Picking up a glass, she nodded to him to take the other one. Putting her glass to her lips, she drained it in three gulps. With an arched eyebrow, Ryan took a sip from his own glass.