Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 43870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
“You have to open my present first. I wish Mr. Tanner was here too.”
Me too. “We’ll find him.”
“Okay. This is for you.”
The small tissue-wrapped gift fit in the palm of my hand. I praised her wrapping skills, wondered aloud what it could possibly be, and grinning at her attempts to help move the process along.
“No, no. I’m opening this one all by myself,” I chided. “Maybe it’s a new hat, a bowling ball, a—”
“It’s a orbanent. For the tree,” Phee announced.
“I love it! It’s—” I paused, unable to speak around the grapefruit lodged in my throat.
“Me and you…and that’s Mr. Tanner.”
Indeed.
She’d painted two men wearing cowboy hats and herself in the middle, holding their hands. The drawing was something more than stick figures, yet not quite a Rembrandt. It was a treasure. Another memory.
“I love it,” I choked out.
Phoebe gave me a bear hug and twenty kisses, then hopped to the tree to wade through the mess of discarded paper. “I made one for Mr. Tanner. We have to find him and—oh, look! This is for you. It has your name on it. Open it, Daddy.”
My pulse ratcheted into hyperdrive. I knew the handwriting on the tag affixed to the little square box.
Tanner.
Why would he leave a gift? Why wouldn’t he give it to me personally? Why wasn’t he here?
“I should wait to—”
“Open it! He wants you to open it,” she cheered enthusiastically.
I caved, untied the ribbon, peeled off the snowflake-embossed paper, and lifted the lid of the black box. Inside were two pairs of socks–one with cowboy boots and the other with cows—and a small envelope. I pulled out a piece of paper…and a key.
“The key to Oak Ridge. Keep it with you wherever you go, and know you’ll always have a home here. Love, Tanner.”
The grapefruit was a damn cantaloupe now. I stuck the key into my pocket and did my best to act normal for my curious kid.
I wanted nothing more than to call him or better yet, run to his house and ask what this meant, but I was a dad with Christmas-morning responsibilities. I fed Phoebe, reminded her that we had plans to see Hazel, then messaged Josh to meet me at the barn with his kids.
Forty-five minutes later, we oohed and ahhhed over the adorable calf and his beautiful mama. The kids were in awe, instantly in love with the calf. They wanted to name him and had dozens of interesting ideas. Barney, Billy, Chip, no…Chocolate Chip.
I smiled along, feeling more and more agitated with every passing second.
Merry Christmas. Are you around?
We’re at the barn. Meet us here?
Are you with your family? Call me.
Silence.
I couldn’t wait anymore. I had to see Tanner. Now.
“Josh, can I leave Phee with you for half an hour? I need to—I have to—”
“Go. Take your time. It’s Christmas.”
Christmas.
I raced out of the barn, and I could have sworn I saw a large man in a red track suit who looked just like that Santa from the Christmas Light Show in the distance. I blinked and he was gone. Strange. I didn’t give it a second thought.
I adjusted my Stetson as I power-walked, then ran. I didn’t know where to look first…his house, his brother’s house? Yeah, that was probably it. He was with his family and had turned off his cell and—
No.
There he was.
Tanner led a horse from the stables, his hat hung low over his face. Like me, he was dressed in jeans, the collar of his plaid shirt visible under his khaki jacket. He could have stepped out of a Western movie—the solitary man and his horse on a misty Christmas morning.
I squeezed the key in my pocket and raced toward him. “Tanner!”
He stopped and offered a tepid imitation of a grin. “Good morning. I—”
“What is this?” I held up the key, my heart pounding against my ribcage.
His smile turned sad and faded quickly. “Just a reminder, that’s all. I want you to know that you’re welcome here…always. You’ve got plans, and I respect that. I have no doubt you’ll be the best vet that Texas ranch has ever seen, and…I’m happy for you. I don’t want to hold you back or—”
“Hold me back?” I tore my hat off and scratched my head, my blood rushing between my ears like a freight train whistling into a station at full speed…
What if, what if…
What if I didn’t have to prove anything? What if I could just…be happy? What if this was the magic that Santa had promised me? Clarity, surrender, hope.
“You know what I mean,” he continued. “I don’t want to—”
“Stop. Don’t—just let me tell you…” I pursed my lips and blurted, “I love you.”
His fingers slipped on the reins. “You love me?”
“Yes. I love you, and I want to be with you. Here…if you’ll have me. Us.” I paced away from him, hat in hand as a new world of possibilities opened. “And I’m ready to quit running. Twenty-year-old crimes can stay in the grave. I’ve done my mourning. They say happiness is the best revenge anyway. And damn it…you make me happy, Tanner. You.”