The Rancher's Christmas Match

by Brenda Minton

  “It’s never too late,” he told her.

  Was it true? That it wasn’t too late to give her daughter the circle of love and family she deserved? What would it feel like, to walk back into her parents’ lives after everything that had happened?

  “I’ve blamed my parents for a long time. But I own my actions from that summer. I shoved off everything that I knew was right and good for a brief moment in the sun.”

  “Most people go through that. We have to build our own relationship with God. Our parents’ relationship can only take us so far.”

  “But instead of building a relationship, I burned every bridge between myself and family, myself and God.”

  “There’s still a bridge.” He said it softly.

  She nodded, agreeing but still unsure. How did a person go back? How did she let go of the hurt, the anger? How did she trust again?

  The people who should have been there for her, prayed for her, loved her, had been the ones throwing stones. She still felt the bruises of the words hurled at her by well-meaning church members.

  Allie looked up from the circle of friends and spotted them at the door. Suddenly she was heading their way, with Jersey at her side. A big smile lit up her face and her eyes were sparkling with joy.

  Rebecca wanted her daughter to always to be this happy, this secure. She swallowed, thinking of Greg. He knew where they were. He would show up. He would want to meet his daughter. Her heart began to race as she considered what that might mean to their safe, happy world.

  “Take a deep breath,” the man next to her said.

  Deep breath. She could do that. Then Allie was there, wrapping her arms around Rebecca and holding on tight.

  “I’ve had so much fun.”

  “Have you?” Rebecca asked, smiling down at her daughter.

  Allie looked up, nodding.

  “Mom, did you know there used to be giants on the earth? The Phila...Philistians?” Her nose scrunched as she tried to find the right word.

  “Philistines,” Rebecca correct.

  “Daniel killed one with a stone. Just a slingshot and a stone. That must have taken a lot of faith. What is faith?”

  “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Isaac spoke the verse, then went down on one knee, his hand settling on Jersey’s back. “When you take a deep breath, what do you breathe in?”

  “Air,” Allie answered.

  “Right, oxygen. It’s always there. You breathe and you don’t even question it. Because you have faith that even though you can’t see the air, it’s there. And even though we can’t see God, we know He is there. And guess when you miss air, or oxygen, the most?”

  “If it disappears. But God doesn’t disappear, does He?” Allie asked. Her brow furrowed. “Maybe we just stop believing the air is there for us to breathe.”

  “Maybe,” he said.

  He rose to his feet again. Allie wasn’t finished. She tugged on Rebecca’s hand. “I’m going to be an angel in the Christmas program. Do you mind if I’m an angel?”

  “Of course I don’t mind. You’ll make the best angel ever.”

  Allie studied her face. “You’re not going to cry, are you?”

  She shook her head. “No, of course not.”

  “Lean down,” Allie demanded.

  Rebecca leaned over and Allie studied her eyes. With a small hand she brushed beneath Rebecca’s eyes.

  “That wasn’t a tear,” Rebecca insisted.

  “It was. It’ll be okay, Mom. We have lots of friends here. And no stupid guys that take your money or break your heart.”

  “What?” Rebecca had never wanted the ground to open up and swallow her more than she did at that moment. “What are you talking about?”

  “I heard you talking to your friend Catrina about why you were leaving Arizona.”

  “You shouldn’t have listened.” Rebecca sighed. “And I should have been more careful.”

  “I’ll just wait for the two of you out here in the hallway,” Isaac said, tipping his hat as he made his escape.

  She watched him walk away, then looked at her daughter. “I’m sorry that you heard those conversations.”

  “I shouldn’t have listened. But I’m glad we came here. I like the ranch.”

  “But the ranch isn’t our home. Mr. West has been kind enough to let us stay there until we can find a place of our own.”

  Allie’s crestfallen look for some reason matched what Rebecca felt inside. She claimed to be a grown woman, capable of handling her emotions, but she could admit that she enjoyed living at Mercy Ranch. She liked the people, the wide-open spaces, the smell of country. She didn’t want Allie to be disappointed, though.

  “Maybe we could pay Mr. West to let us stay?” Allie suggested.

  “I don’t think it works that way. The ranch is for veterans. That means people who have been in the military, who have fought battles.”

  “I know what a veteran is, Mom,” Allie said with a big-girl voice.

  “Yes, of course you do. You know a lot.”

  “Will we see my grandparents?”

  Rebecca nodded. “Yes, eventually.”

  Kylie approached and looked at the two of them. “Everything okay? Do you mind if we put Allie in the Christmas program?”

  “Of course not.” Rebecca realized how true the statement was. She felt as if all her broken pieces were coming back together. She’d ignored God for so long, but here was the evidence of things unseen. Even though she’d been ignoring Him, maybe He had been preparing her for this new life.

  “Okay, well, then we’ll see you next Wednesday. The program won’t be difficult but we will practice every Wednesday between now and Christmas and maybe even a couple of Sunday mornings.”

  “We’ll be here,” Rebecca assured the other woman. She reached for Allie’s hand. “Ready to go?”

  Allie took her hand and squeezed it.

  Rebecca led her daughter through the now quiet halls. Darkness had fallen and she thought about Greg. About him possibly waiting out there for her. In the dark.

  But there were still people around. She wasn’t alone.

  “I’m so glad I get to be in the program.” Allie skipped along next to her. “I’m glad we came to church tonight.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Will we come again on Sunday?”

  “We might.” She walked past the kitchen and someone called out. Jack West waved.

  “There are cookies in here if Allie wants one,” he offered. She noticed that his voice trembled tonight. It often did in the evenings. She guessed it happened at the end of the day, when he was tired and had worn himself out doing everything he wanted to do.

  She nodded for Allie to go on in. “I’ll wait here for you. But we have to leave soon, before it gets much later. It’s a school night.”

  Allie skipped away from her, the dog obediently at her side.

  “You okay?” Isaac had reappeared.

  “Yes, I’m good. I’m sorry, she’s nine and filters are optional.”

  He shrugged. “She’s a good kid. I’ll walk you out to your car.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  “How was your first night at church?”

  “It wasn’t bad,” she admitted. “I’m glad we came. I’ve avoided church because I don’t ever want Allie to be hurt the way I was.”

  “That won’t happen here,” he assured her. His confidence was maddening.

  “How can you know that?” She kept her attention focused on Allie. The child was a social butterfly and had stopped to talk to Jack.

  “Because she has you.” Isaac bumped his shoulder against hers as he made the statement.

  She glanced up at him. His smile took her by surprise. It felt familiar and comforting. And unsettling.

/>   “What do you mean?”

  “She has you. Life won’t always be easy. Someone somewhere along the way will hurt her, but she’ll always have you. And you’ll teach her to be strong, to know her self-worth. She’ll have you.”

  The words sank into her heart the way rain soaks into the earth after a long dry spell.

  “Thank you,” she said, managing to get the words out, and briefly, just briefly, she leaned against him.

  For the first time in a long time she didn’t remind herself to hold back, to protect her heart. She didn’t run through the list of men who had hurt her.

  Isaac didn’t make false promises. He wasn’t promising to be more than he was willing to be. He offered friendship, someone to lean on. That was all.

  It had been so long since she’d had those things that she accepted what he offered, even as she told herself to tread carefully where her heart was concerned.

  Chapter Nine

  Boxes of merchandise and shipments of equipment and supplies began to arrive. By Saturday morning, just a couple weeks since her arrival in Hope, Rebecca was beginning to see that her dream had potential. She thought of Aunt Evelyn and how happy she would have been. They’d had their small salon in Arizona, but the building had been cramped and the location less than ideal.

  They’d made a decent living and saved some money.

  This shop could become more. Much more. She could see the potential of the space and the location.

  And life held promise. She had friends. Allie was healthy. Her parents were a short distance away. Perhaps not exactly accepting, but at least they were nearby if Allie ever needed them.

  Would she want Allie to go to them should something ever happen to her? That was a question Rebecca had been dwelling on for a while. No one ever planned on the worst happening, but as a single mom, she had to consider everything.

  Jack walked through the front door of the shop. He was using a cane and had been for the past week. It seemed to give him some stability. She waved and went back to work unpacking the shipment of clothing that had come in. She wanted a small section of the store devoted to trendy clothing and other boutique items. She had ordered jewelry, hair accessories and shoes.

  “Where’s that girl of yours?” Jack asked.

  “In the back room. She’s watching television and cuddling with Jersey.”

  “A girl and her dog,” Jack said as he took a seat. “I have a crew finishing breakfast. As soon as they’re done, they’ll come over and we’ll start installing sinks and chairs. How soon do you plan on hiring more stylists? That’s what they’re called, right? I’ve always just gone to the barber.”

  She slipped a top on a hanger and sat back, stretching legs that had been bent for too long.

  “If all goes well, I’m hoping to have more people by spring. I know the winter months can be tight, so I’ll manage by myself for now.” She eyed his sharply cut gray hair. “And you’ll have free haircuts for life here.”

  “Now that’s a nice offer. My barber needs to retire. His hand isn’t as steady as it was fifty years ago. What if I have a young woman or two interested in going to school to do this?” He waved his hand to indicate the salon and Rebecca smiled.

  “I think that would be great as long as I know we can work together.”

  “I reckon you’d kind of like to hire your own people. Sierra needs to find something she enjoys. I’ll pay for her to go to school if you think she would work out for you.”

  Sierra lived in the women’s apartments—the garage, as they all referred to it. She was working at the resort Jack had reopened in the last year, but she’d shared with Rebecca that she wanted something different. “I think Sierra would be great if it’s what she wants to do.”

  “We’ll work on getting her to school. Now, the crew will be here shortly. Don’t be shy. Just tell them what you need.”

  She pushed herself to her feet and hugged him. “Jack, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”

  “I’m glad I could do this,” he replied. “When I got sober all of those years ago, I never realized this would be my path. I thought I’d get sober, run my ranch and be a little better person than I’d been for twenty or thirty years. You never know what lies ahead of you.”

  She frowned at those sage words. When she was a little girl, she’d dreamed of her “someday,” when she would be married, have a few kids. Back then she’d thought she’d be a teacher. Or maybe run a day care.

  Jack was right; people never knew where their path might lead them.

  The door opened and several of the men from the ranch entered. She hadn’t expected to see Isaac, but there he was in the middle of the group. Her day got a little brighter, seeing him, all cowboyed up in his faded jeans and a button-up flannel shirt. He lifted a plastic bag that held a couple of take-out containers.

  “Did you eat breakfast?” he asked as he approached.

  “I had something,” she hedged.

  “A slice of toast with spray-on butter,” he admonished. “I brought a chicken biscuit with gravy. And pancakes for Allie. No doubt she had cereal, but I know she’d eat again.”

  Rebecca started to object, to tell him he didn’t have to do this. It wouldn’t have been honest. She could smell whatever wonderful thing was in that container and she wanted it. He pulled it out of her reach.

  “No fair,” she said.

  He started to move it back, but stopped and wobbled, reaching quickly to steady himself. His hand landed on her arm. “Well, that’s not how I planned this.”

  “I was just told that nothing ever goes exactly the way we plan.”

  “Been talking to Jack?” Isaac asked, after taking a deep breath.

  “Of course she has,” Jack answered for her. “She’s a smart lady.”

  “Because she listens to you?”

  “Well, of course,” his dad retorted.

  Isaac shook his head. “You’re too much.”

  Jack stood, the cane he’d been using held lightly in his hand. He winked at his son. “Isaac, you have a lot to learn.”

  Allie and Jersey came running from the back room, saving the day for Rebecca. Her daughter’s presence took away the uncomfortable feeling that had started to build between them.

  “Isaac, you’re here! Did you know there’s a float in the parade next weekend?”

  “I did know that. I helped build it. And since you’re an angel in the program, you’ll have to be in the parade, too.”

  She hugged him hard. “I’ve never been in a parade. Will you be on the float with us?”

  “No, I’ll be riding a horse.”

  “Which one?” she asked. “I’d like to ride a horse. I’m not sure if angels can do that.”

  “I think angels have to stay on the float. But we’ll get you on a horse soon.”

  “What’s in the bag?” Allie forgot the parade and stuck her nose in the plastic bag.

  “I’m pretty sure there’s an order of pancakes and a carton of chocolate milk,” he answered. “Are you hungry?”

  “Always,” Allie said. She waited, not quite patiently, as he pulled the container from the bag.

  “Say thank you,” Rebecca reminded her.

  “Thank you, Isaac.” She took the container and her dog and headed for the back room again. “I’m going to watch the surfer girl movie.”

  “Okay,” Rebecca called out to a child who’d already disappeared.

  She became aware of the work crew, whose presence she’d forgotten. They were moving sinks into place, giving her the first glimpse of her salon. Tears misted her eyes as she glanced around the place. Then her gaze collided with Isaac’s.

  “It’s too much,” she said. Too much happening in such a short amount of time.

  Too much to have her daughter getting attached to Isaac. He might say that he w
asn’t good with children, that kids weren’t his thing. But he made Allie feel safe. He made her laugh.

  Isaac looked around at the work taking place. “It isn’t too much.”

  Of course he didn’t think so. He was at the center of the “too much.” Because he was so easy to like. She’d had her heart broken by men in the past. Including her own father.

  She’d never had a man for a friend. If something happened between them, she knew it would hurt even more than being cheated on, or dumped.

  Isaac opened her meal and held it in front of her. “I’m going to let you have this. I would never keep it from you.”

  She shook her head and accepted the offering. He deserved an explanation. “Thank you for being a friend. I definitely didn’t expect that when you stumbled into my car a few weeks ago.”

  “I didn’t stumble into your car.”

  “You definitely did.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Becca, you clearly need friends if you’re thanking me for being one.”

  “I’m not that pathetic. I do have friends.” She took a bite of the chicken biscuit, making sure to get extra gravy. “I’ve just never had one bring me a chicken biscuit with gravy. I don’t want it to go to your head, but that gives you a place at the top.”

  “Only because you don’t know me very well. I’m going to help the guys install the sinks, then I have to get back to the ranch and work some horses.” Suddenly something shifted, changed in his eyes. His smile evaporated.

  She’d gone too far, she realized. He could handle friendship, but he was the type to turn tail and run if he thought a woman wanted more. If it wouldn’t have seemed pathetic, she’d have assured him she wanted nothing more than friendship.

  Even if that wasn’t exactly the truth.

  * * *

  Isaac rode the dun horse, Pepper, into the indoor arena. He’d been working hard since leaving Rebecca and the salon. He’d called her Becca. But he didn’t have the right to give her a nickname.

  She was a single mom with a daughter. The last thing she needed was a casual friendship. Or even a casual date. He knew better. He’d prayed to make better decisions now than he’d made in his younger years. He’d prayed, really prayed, that God would just make him happy to be single.