Chapter Twenty-Nine

“He came! Julie, look at all the presents.”

“Wow, Joey. Santa never left this many presents when we lived with Gram.”

“Yeah, and look, he ate all the cookies.”

“That’s because Aunt Nell helped us add an extra pinch of love, ’member.” The little girl rocked back on her knees.

Christmas morning at Hope Ranch was a flurry of excitement. Addison lifted her camera and clicked shots of the children on their hands and knees looking under the tree.

Their mother said, “Merry Christmas Morning! What are you looking for?”

Addison clicked a picture of the twins wearing sheepish grins as if they’d been caught snooping.

As usual, Joey and Julie answered in perfect sync. “We’re looking to see if there are presents with our names on them.”

Nell sauntered into the living room wearing a Christmas-themed apron over her jeans and red flannel shirt. Atop her head was a Santa hat. “Ho-ho-ho! Merry Christmas. Santa asked me to be his special helper and hand out gifts. Are you two buttons ready?”

Excited yeses rang out that included J.J. and Addison. As she settled on a stool next to the tree, Boomer announced someone was in the yard.

Joey scrambled to look out the window. “It’s Uncle Emmett, and he’s carrying a red sack slung over his shoulder.”

Julie joined him. “I bet Santa left his sack at Uncle Emmett’s house.”

Joey rushed to open the door to a blast of wintry air.

Emmett stamped the snow from his boots, then handed the red cloth sack to the twins with instructions to place the gifts under the tree while he hung his cowboy hat and jacket on the coat rack.

He declared, “It’s colder’n a well-digger’s… aahh…”

Nell nodded her head toward the children and cut him a sharp look that said, “Watch your language.”

The tips of Emmett’s ears turned bright red. He corrected himself, “A well-digger’s freezin’ hands.”

The morning was spent with the twins unwrapping gifts of cowboy boots, building blocks, and coloring books, a doll for Julie, and a dump truck for Joey.

J.J. wept over the photo album filled with pictures of her and the children building the snowman, the children on the horses, and of course, of the entire group posing as snow angels. She declared it was the best gift ever.

Nell handed Joey a long, heavy box. She and the twins shared a conspiratorial wink before he said, “This one is for you, Mommy. It’s from me and Julie. We made it with Aunt Nell’s help.”

J.J.’s cheeks flamed, and she blinked back the tears that blurred her vision. She laughed when the twins said, “Hurry. Just tear the paper off.”

J.J. removed the box top, and lying on a sheet of red tissue paper was a framed picture of two green handprints, the thumbs touching to form a heart. Written in a child’s hand was the phrase, Even ten little fingers can’t count the ways we love you. In the palm of each hand was that twin’s name and age.

Quiet sobs filled the room. The twins hugged their mother. “Don’t you like it, Mommy?”

She held her children close. “I’m not crying because I dislike it but because it’s the most precious gift I have ever received, and it will hang in a special place in our new home for all our visitors to see.”

The twins patted their mother’s face, and she smiled. “There’re more presents to hand out. Don’t keep Aunt Nell waiting.”

Nell accepted a package and made a big production of removing the colorful paper. She cried out, “Oh, my stars, Addy, this is too much,” when she opened a slender box that held a plane ticket to New York and a ticket to see the Rockettes. “It’s always been my dream to see them in person.”

Addison said, “There’s an ulterior motive involved. You know that Ruby Raye is listing my penthouse as soon as I can get it packed up and completely moved out. I need your help.”

Nell reached over and grabbed Addison’s hand. “You betcha. It’s the best deal ever.”

Emmett’s eyes misted when Addison handed him a large white envelope adorned with a red bow. “I didn’t expect anything. I-I-I…”

Nell scolded. “Stop your blustering, ol’ man, and open it.”

The first item he slid out was a sepia-toned picture of him and Nell standing together, holding the horses. He turned the photo over and read, “Two of my favorite people. You mean so much to me.” It was signed, “Addy.”

He choked and cleared his throat as if trying to find his voice. He said nothing as he removed a set of blueprints and a rendering of the old tool shed that was to become his new home as caretaker of Hope Ranch. He held the drawing up for all to see. “It’s more than I expected, Addison. A front porch with a rocking chair, and nine hundred and twenty square feet is more livin’ space than I need.” He grinned widely. “Don’t get me wrong, ’cause I ain’t complainin’, not one little bit. I sure do thank you.”

Joey laughed as he lifted an odd-shaped gift from under the tree. “This one is for Boomer. It was hard to wrap.”

The dog, hearing his name, left his spot in front of the fireplace. He sniffed the thing in the little boy’s hand and gave a questioning look. Nell said, “Open it for him, Joey.”

The little boy tore open wads of paper held together with long strands of scotch tape to reveal a large rawhide bone. Everyone laughed when Boomer waggled with excitement as he held the bone in his mouth and ambled back to his spot in front of the fireplace.

“He likes it,” the twins declared.

“It’s your turn, Addison. Hurry! We want to see what you got,” Joey and Julie exclaimed over the pile of colorfully wrapped gifts next to her chair.

She asked the twins to take turns handing her a package. She gushed over the new pair of western boots, a gift from Emmett. From Nell, an afghan crocheted in red-and-white spirals that resembled peppermint candy. And from J.J. and the twins, an apron embellished with each of their handprints in a variety of colors.

Addison lifted the twins onto her lap. She hugged them and planted kisses on their cheeks. Her voice hitched, and her eyes brimmed with tears. And through the thickness of her throat, she managed to say, “Today has reminded me that family is not always blood kin. You are the best family ever!”

An aura of serenity filled the room. The fire crackled, and Boomer gnawed his bone.

****

Monday morning arrived and was the exact opposite of Christmas Day. Heavy snow clouds bloated an ominous sky. After Nell’s old truck wouldn’t start, Addison was thankful Emmett had been available to drive them to the bus station in what he referred to as his grown-up vehicle, a four-door sedan. She was glad on several accounts. There hadn’t been enough room for three adults and two children in the front seat of Nell’s truck.

He parked and popped the trunk to lift out J.J.’s duffel bags. “We’re sure gonna miss you.”

J.J. hugged him. He refused to let her carry the bags. “Nope,” he said, “From Marine to soldier, this is the least I can do.”

Dressed in her fatigues, J.J. walked to the ticket master and checked in. Several people spoke to her as she made her way back to where the others waited for her. A voice called, “Private Wallace?” She turned to see Wade approaching her.

He shook hands with Emmett, hugged Nell, and smiled at Addison. He turned to J.J. “Your paperwork is in and approved. If you change your mind about going to the academy, let me know asap. I’m sure hoping you won’t—change your mind, that is.”

“Don’t you worry, Sheriff Grey. I have two good reasons to return.” She extended her hand. “Thank you again. I won’t let you down.”

J.J. squatted and wrapped each of the twins in her arms. She hugged them close. Joey pulled back from his mother. He placed a little hand on either side of her cheeks and, with a very serious look, he said, “Promise you’re not going to stay in the Army. You will come back, won’t you?”

She slid her gaze over the two children. “You and Julie are the most important people in my life. It may take a couple of weeks or even a month, but I will return to you. That’s a promise, and soldiers don’t break their promises. As soon as I return, I’ll enroll you in school and we’ll move into our new house. Okay?”

The twins sniffled and nodded. Together they said, “We love you, Mommy.”

An announcement blared over a speaker for all passengers leaving on bus number three-twelve to board.

Nell hugged J.J. “Don’t you worry about the twins. We’ll take good care of them.”

Addison and Emmett added their assurances to Nell’s.

It was a somber group who walked out into the cold to watch J.J. mount the bus steps. She turned and waved, then disappeared inside to sit next to a window. She continued to wave as the bus pulled out of the station.

Emmett suggested they all go to BB’s café for a cup of Brenda’s special hot chocolate. “Might help cheer us up,” he declared.

A few minutes later, the group sat at a table sipping peppermint hot chocolate. The twins were unusually quiet. Emmett waved a waitress over and ordered an extra-large basket of French fries. He said, “I have it on good authority that French fries help put the smile back on sad faces.”

Nell reached over and gave him an affectionate pat on the arm.

After a few minutes of small talk about Christmas and gifts, Wade said he needed to get back to the office. “I for one am looking forward to J.J.’s return. She’ll make a good deputy, and we need the extra person.”

He lifted Addison’s hand into his and toyed with her fingers. “Are we still on for Le Chalet on Wednesday?”

She had been so lost in thought that she almost missed his question. Being inside the bus station had evoked a host of painful emotions. Her gaze rose to his eyes—deep gray, waiting for her answer until she broke contact. “I’m sorry, I guess I was daydreaming. Yes, of course, Wednesday is great.”

Wade stood. He assured the twins not to worry, their mother would return to Meadow Creek as soon as she got her discharge papers.

Brenda bustled over with the basket of piping hot fries. Wade grabbed a few and stuffed them into his mouth. He winked at Addison. “Our reservations are for six. I’ll pick you up at five.”

The conversation centered on the sale of Emmett’s property to the university, and the aggravation of packing up years of accumulated things and getting ready to vacate his ranch.

It took mere minutes for the party to finish the fries and hot chocolate. Emmett suggested that since it would be getting dark soon and he didn’t much like driving on slick roads in the dark, they should get on the get-go.

Brenda bustled over. “Hey, do you mind if I speak to Nell in private? I, um, forgot to tell her something important.”

Addison held each twin’s hand. “We’ll wait for you in the car.”

Nell shrugged. “I won’t be long.”