Page 54 of Christmas at the Ranch
Marigold turned the sign on the door toCLOSED. She motioned Samantha to follow her.
“I can take a break.”
They sat on boxes in the storeroom. Marigold poured two cups of tea, and Samantha told her about Roger. She hadn’t heard from him in four years and he suddenly appeared in Jackson Hole.
“That’s worse than seeing a ghost.” Marigold grimaced.
“You don’t think I’m overreacting?” Samantha wondered, sipping her tea.
“He broke your heart. Hearts don’t mend easily,” Marigold said matter-of-factly. “The question is, what do you want now?”
“For months after Roger left, I dreamed he’d show up at my door. He’d be holding a bunch of flowers, and doggy treats for Socks. I’d tell him that I couldn’t go through that again and he’d apologize and say he’d changed. Then we’d curl up on the sofa and watch romantic movies, and it would be even better than before.”
“And now?” Marigold prompted.
Samantha sighed. She placed her cup on the counter.
“His life seems so different,” she debated. “Even if we got back together, I don’t know if it would work. How could I trust him not to do the same thing again?”
Marigold added honey to her tea. She drank it thoughtfully.
“Native Americans have many legends about love. My Ojibwe friend taught me the story of a young girl named Dandelion. Her hair is the color of spun gold and she’s so lovely, the South Wind and East Wind both fall in love with her. The South Wind is too shy to reveal his intentions, but the East Wind is very confident. He loves to hear himself talk, so when he courts her, he blows parts of her away. After a while, her golden hair is gone, and all that remains is her heart. Dandelion stops being a girl and becomes a flower instead.
“There’s nothing more important than love when it’s nurturing,but love can also be the reverse. It can sap your energy and leave you with nothing,” Marigold finished.
“I never heard anything like that,” Samantha said.
“It wouldn’t sell many Valentine’s cards but it’s a good lesson.” Marigold gave a small smile. “You have to choose the kind of love that works for you.”
Marigold stood up. She placed her cup in the little sink.
“I better open the store.” Marigold walked to the door. “I wouldn’t want customers going to Jackson Trading Company. They charge twice the price for their huckleberry jam.”
“Thank you, you’ve been so kind.” Samantha stood up and followed her.
“Kindness is what Christmas is about,” Marigold offered. She touched Samantha’s shoulder. “You’re wiser than you think. You’ll make the right decision.”
Samantha slipped into the barn. She didn’t feel like seeing anyone. First, she had to decide what to do about Roger.
“Hi, Blixen, it’s nice to see you.” She approached Blixen’s stall. “I don’t have any sugar cubes, but I brought you some huckleberry cereal. It tastes better than Froot Loops.”
Samantha offered Blixen the cereal. He nuzzled her palm, and Samantha stroked his nose absently.
She was probably worrying for no reason. Roger asked her to visit, he didn’t say anything about getting back together. He didn’t really expect her to move to California. And he was hardly going to give up the sunshine and his new convertible to move back to New York. But he had come to Jackson Hole to see her.
Her phone buzzed with a new text. Emily had sent a photo of Socks and Molly. They wore identical red knit sweaters and matching booties. The caption read: “Socks and Molly modeling their Christmas presents.”
Samantha scrolled through old photos. Socks in his crate when he first came home from the animal shelter, Socks running in Fort Greene Park. When Samantha had left Socks to go on book tour, she was miserable from the moment she boarded the plane until she arrived back at her apartment. If Roger had feelings for her, it wouldn’t have taken him four years to realize he missed her. He would have known right away.
The door opened. She thought it was Bruno, but it was Drew.
“Drew.” She put away her phone. “I thought you were cross-country skiing.”
“We just got back.” Drew walked over to the stall. “I saw you go into the barn. I thought I’d join you.”
Drew looked so handsome. His cheeks were raw from the cold and there were tan lines under his eyes from his goggles.
“I brought some cereal for Blixen.” She held out her hand.
