Page 75 of Christmas at the Ranch
She recalled when she first arrived in Jackson Hole. The ranch resembled a holiday postcard with its slanted wooden roof and views of the valley. The mountains rose behind it and there was a forest of fir trees.
She had entered the living room, and Drew had been standing at the bar. She was so worried he would reveal her secrets to Arthur: she wasn’t anything like Sloane Parker, her Instagram posts were fake. He merely smiled that impish smile and said he already knew what Samantha wanted to drink: Kahlúa with a dash of cream.
This was different. The diary wasn’t her secret, it was Marigold’s. And Marigold made Samantha promise she wouldn’t say anything to Drew. But how could Samantha stay silent when Drew had been longing for his mother for years?
There was more. Love was built on trust. If Samantha wanted a relationship with Drew, she couldn’t keep the diary to herself. Every time Drew looked at Samantha, she’d know she was hiding something.
The lights in the barn were on. She slipped the car keys into her pocket and started across the gravel.
“Blixen,” she greeted the horse. “I’m sorry I didn’t bring you anything, I’ll make up for it tomorrow. You look warm and fed.” She stroked his nose. “Bruno was so upset about the fire, I’m sure he’s been spoiling you rotten.”
She found a brush and started brushing Blixen’s mane.
“It must be easy being a horse, you don’t have doubts and fears,” she continued. “I’ve gotten myself into a mess and I don’t know what to do. I thought the only things to be afraid of were a plane crash, or an elk charging toward me, but I was wrong. You can be just as afraid of doing the wrong thing and losing something so precious, you’ll never experience anything like it again.”
There was the sound of footsteps. She turned and Bruno appeared in the doorway.
“I thought I heard someone.” Bruno approached her. “I was in the tack room. The electrician left a bit of a mess, but at least he’s finished. The wiring is perfect. Not that it matters,” he said glumly. “Elaine said she’d let me have a Christmas tree in the barn again when hell freezes over.”
“That doesn’t sound like Elaine,” Samantha said with a smile.
“Maybe not the last part, but she didn’t have to.” Bruno grimaced. “She says it with the way she looks at me. And what she serves me for dinner. For the last two nights it’s been turkey and brussels sprouts. I hate brussels sprouts. That’s why they’re left over to begin with.”
“Elaine will come around.” Samantha grinned. “Brussels sprouts don’t last forever.”
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help overhearing you.” Bruno’s tone grew serious. “Is this something to do with Drew?”
Samantha glanced at Bruno in surprise.
“How did you know?” she wondered.
“He’s been helping in the barn; he can’t stop talking about you. Other people might not notice, he probably doesn’t realize it himself. He kept squeezing your name in: ‘Samantha was so brave in the fire; Samantha says Blixen loves huckleberry cereal.’ I was young once; I can tell when a man is stuck on a girl.”
“Please don’t say anything,” Samantha urged. “It’s all so new, and he and Beatrix just broke up…”
“I raised two daughters, I know when to keep quiet.” Bruno nodded. “Whatever is bothering you, it sounds like it’s not something you can keep to yourself.”
Samantha sighed. She put down the brush.
“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted. “I don’t want to hurt Drew, but we need to be able to trust each other. You can’t keep secrets in a relationship.”
“Elaine says you can learn everything from books. I remember readingBlack Beautyto our daughter. Black Beauty goes from being a happy foal raised on a farm to a difficult life pulling cabs in London. No one taught him how to pull a carriage, he had to learnby instinct to survive. Horses trust their instincts to overcome all sorts of obstacles,” he counseled. “Let your instincts guide you. You can’t do the wrong thing, as long as it comes from your heart.”
“Black Beautywas one of my favorite books,” Samantha said fondly. “I read it so many times, I wore out my copy.”
Bruno smiled at her. He picked up the brush. “Go up to the main house and talk to Drew. Blixen has been receiving so much attention. If you keep brushing him, he’ll think he’s some kind of movie star.”
Samantha stood at the kitchen counter pouring warm milk into a cup. Drew wasn’t downstairs when she entered the ranch. She decided to make two mugs of hot chocolate.
The kitchen door opened. Drew stood in the hallway.
“Drew.” Samantha looked up. Just seeing him made her feel better. “It’s so cold outside, I was going to bring you a cup of hot chocolate.”
Drew entered the kitchen. He perched on a chair.
“I saw you drive up; I came out to say hello. You went straight to the barn.”
“I wanted to check on the horses,” she said awkwardly.
