by Sophie Mays
“Well, I’m sure you’re tired from the long flight,” she said. “I’ll leave you to get settled in. Feel free to rest if you need to. If you have any questions or need anything, AJ and I will be up at the main house. I’ll let everyone else know that we have a guest so they won’t be surprised by you.”
Rafferty looked a little embarrassed again. “I am sorry that my arrival was so unexpected.”
“Oh, no, it was a lovely surprise for me!” Hannah assured. “Everyone else might be confused if they don’t know, though.”
Rafferty nodded. He hesitated for a moment, then looked at her with a serious expression. “I’m very happy to meet you, Hannah.”
Hannah knew her expression showed her surprise. A hand twisted behind her back as she rocked on her heels. She wondered what on earth Rosalind had said to her brother to give him such high expectations of her.
“It’s really nice to meet you, too, Rafferty,” she replied with a smile. “I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun while you’re here.”
“Of that, I have no doubt,” Rafferty replied with a charming grin.
“All right, get settled in. Remember we’re at the main house if you need anything. I’ll see you in a bit,” Hannah said. She turned with a wave and headed back to the house. She wasn’t surprised when she walked into the kitchen and saw AJ with a mouthful of what must have been mince pie, but still scolded her. “AJ!”
“Yes?” AJ asked. She always tucked food into her cheeks like a squirrel, rather than swallow before speaking.
“Those are supposed to be for me,” Hannah said with exasperation.
“You would have shared anyway,” AJ said with a nonchalant shrug. “Besides, there’s a lot in this box. Your penpal must have warned her brother how big our family is. Did you tell her Jake likes to hog things?”
Hannah snorted and walked closer to peer inside the cardboard box. There were several bunches of the little pies wrapped in different colored cellophane. She wondered if the colors were meant to indicate different family members or different flavors. It looked like more than seven different bags, though, so it was probably different flavors. There were also four different cylindrical wrappings, which were most likely the yule logs. It seemed that Rosalind had definitely prepared her brother to offer dessert to the whole household.
AJ stood beside her, still munching, and humming the way she always did when she ate something sweet. “So your penpal sent her brother to our ranch?”
Hannah sighed. “We were emailing and she said her parents would be in another country for the holidays. I had mentioned before how I would love for her to come see how beautiful our home is. She said she wouldn’t mind it since things have been hectic for her and she’d love a chance to relax. So I told her to come on down, and gave her our address. I didn’t expect her to send Rafferty instead or for anyone at all to show up without any warning.”
“Their parents are going to be in another country for the holidays?” AJ asked.
Hannah chuckled and shook her head. Of course that’s what her sister had picked up on out of everything else she said. “Yeah, they all travel a lot. Their family isn’t as close as ours is.”
“Even families that hate each other spend the holidays together,” AJ replied primly. She plucked another pie from the box. “We’ll just have to make sure he has an awesome time with us, then. We can show him all over the property. I wonder if they pick out Christmas trees the way we do.”
Hannah wrapped her arms around her sister and smacked a kiss on her cheek. It was just like her to welcome someone with open arms and try to ensure that there were as many smiles and laughs as possible. She moved the box of treats away from AJ and set it on the counter next to the fridge, opening the door to see where she could fit all the new desserts. If she didn’t put them away, her sister would keep eating until she made herself sick. AJ was pitiful when she had a stomach ache.
“I wish I could believe these would all last until Christmas,” Hannah said with a laugh. “Should I try freezing some?”
While AJ Googled whether Yule logs and mince pies were still good after being frozen, Hannah contemplated what they could all do to show Rafferty a good time. She still had to text her parents and other siblings about their guest. Then she should probably try making a list of activities and places on the ranch to show Rafferty before it got too cold. They would need to go ornament shopping so he could place a few of his own on the tree. Not to mention, she would have to figure out what they could give him as gifts on relatively short notice.
After the desserts were put away, Hannah went up to her bedroom to send Rosalind an email.
R!
Guess who showed up on our ranch today? I’m sure you know considering you’re the one who sent him our way. I promise I’m not angry, but we were very surprised when Rafferty appeared. And I have to admit I’m a little confused about why he’s here instead of you. You mentioned things were hectic. Did you get caught up in work or something? You didn’t have to send your brother with those desserts if that’s all it was. I wouldn’t have expected you to give them to me if you weren’t coming.
Rafferty seems very charming, though. He even remembered that AJ is an artist! Have you been talking about us that much? It makes me smile to think that since I always talk about you with my siblings, too. Now that I think about it, I don’t believe you’ve mentioned a whole lot about him. I won’t bother asking you a whole bunch of questions that I can just ask him in person. I do hope, though, that you sent him here sincerely believing that he would have a wonderful time with us. I get the sense that things have been as hectic for him as they have been for you.
Speaking of which, if you’re not spending the holidays with us, what are you planning on doing? If it’s working, I might have to leave Rafferty to the tender mercies of my family and fly across the pond to save you from yourself. You need some rest and relaxation too!
Rest assured, your brother is in the best hands. We’ll show him a grand old time. He’s already excited to experience American home cooking for the first time, and my mama’s the best of the best, not to mention my brother and sister. Don’t be surprised if he comes back home weighing 15 more pounds than he did when he left. (I have a vague recollection about y’all measuring weight in stones, but I have no idea how to convert pounds to stones.)
Email me back with fun plans of your own, so I know you’re not just working yourself into the ground.
Your friend,
Hannah
In the guest apartment, Rafferty heard his phone ping with an email notification. He walked over to the nightstand where he’d set his phone down, and checked his messages. The familiar username jumped out at him and he frowned, guilt eating away at him.
Rafferty skimmed the email and sighed. He knew he would have to come clean. He had honestly forgotten that Hannah didn’t know who she was truly emailing. There was no way he could keep up the charade now that they would be interacting in person. Not to mention, he wouldn’t want to trespass on her hospitality when she was in a position to rescind it if she knew the truth.
Rafferty looked at his suitcase on the bed. It was unzipped, but there really wasn’t any point in unpacking before he got this situation cleared up. He might not be so welcome once he explained to Hannah what he had done.
Somehow, she was exactly like he’d pictured and nothing like he’d imagined. Her hair was longer than he would have guessed. Her smile was just as immediate as he would have supposed. She was as protective of her baby sister as the emails implied, but lovingly tolerant of teasing instead of reciprocal like he thought she’d be. Rafferty wanted to know her, truly know her, in all of the ways written messages couldn’t provide. Now, because of his own stupidity, he might not get the chance.
Sighing, Rafferty zipped up his suitcase once more and placed it on the floor. He glanced around the room to make sure he hadn’t taken out anything important so he would be able to leave in a hurry if it was necessary. Finally admitting
to himself that he was stalling, Rafferty walked out the door and started across the grounds.
The land really was beautiful. He mused fatalistically on how much he would have loved having the opportunity to properly explore. Hannah would be an enthusiastic tour guide, without a doubt. It was clear how much she loved her home in her emails, and when she’d offered to share stories of her escapades with her siblings from their childhood. He was glad she was finally moving back. She’d been miserable and lonely in Austin, even if she was determined not to realize it. Rafferty would advise her to pour her energy into making a place for herself here. Then again, in a matter of minutes, it might not be his place to offer her advice on anything at all.
Rafferty rang the doorbell of the main house. He heard a few thumps that were probably someone walking down a set of stairs. The door swung open and Hannah’s bright green eyes stared up at him. They were a striking contrast to all that black hair, and he wondered what the full effect would be if her hair was down instead of pulled back into a braid.
“Rafferty!” she exclaimed. “Is something the matter?”
“Yes, but not with the guest quarters,” Rafferty said awkwardly. “I need to speak with you about something. About why I’m here.”
Hannah’s eyebrows went up in surprise. Rafferty thought he could detect the slightest hint of suspicion in her features, but that might have been him projecting.
“Okay. We can walk and talk if that’s all right with you?” Hannah asked. Rafferty nodded. “Let me just tell AJ.”
She turned and disappeared down the hall and around the corner. When she came back she had green paint on her shoulder. Rafferty pointed, and Hannah glanced at it before shrugging.
“AJ gets paint everywhere,” she said with a soft laugh.
Rafferty smiled at the ground. Hannah’s love for her family shone through in everything she said about them.
She gestured for him to follow her. They started walking a path that wound around the house and seemed to head in the direction of a copse of trees not very far away. Hannah seemed content to wait until he was comfortable enough to bring up whatever subject he wanted to discuss. It made Rafferty feel even more guilty because she was so nice. He’d known that, obviously, but seeing it in action, having that kindness extended to him directly, was different.
After a breath for courage, and a prayer that he would not lose his friendship with this lovely woman, Rafferty spoke.
“Rosalind and I play pranks on each other all the time. Did you know that?” he asked.
Hannah smiled up at him. “Yes, I did. She said it used to be a very involved process, but y’all toned it down after the Flood of…” She paused, nose wrinkled as she thought carefully. “‘09?”
Rafferty grinned at her. “You have an excellent memory.”
She turned away from him to look at the path. There was a slight smile on her face when she said, “Thanks.”
Rafferty took another breath. This was even more difficult than he had expected it to be.
“I just received the email that you sent a few minutes ago. About how you were surprised and confused to see me. How you’ll show me a wonderful time. How you hope Rosalind isn’t working herself too much.”
Hannah kept walking, but her frame was rigid with tension.
“Rosalind forwarded you my email to her?”
Rafferty winced. He could tell how much she didn’t believe that was what had happened, and how much she wanted to. He’d really messed this up.
“No. I received it,” he said as evenly as possible. “I… The first time you wrote to her it was an actual letter in a blue envelope. It was mailed to the house listed as our main residence, even though we’re hardly ever there. I was only there because I was using it as a place to stay while in town for a business meeting.
“I knew my sister didn’t know anyone from southern United States. I thought it was some kind of oil person looking for an investor or something similar. I didn’t expect your letter, or your questions about the connection between our great-great-grandmothers. It seemed harmless to write back with what little I knew, and tease Rosalind later about the interesting inquiry she’d missed. I added the email in case you had anymore questions, but I honestly did not expect you to respond again, when I did not have that much information to give.
“You did, though. You emailed me again and…”
Rafferty stopped in the middle of the path. He wanted to reach out and pull Hannah to a stop, but he got the sense that he probably shouldn’t touch her at the moment. She stopped anyway, though she seemed to be refusing to look at him. Rafferty soldiered on.
“You were really nice. And funny. I wanted to keep talking to you, and I didn’t know how to explain what I’d done, since I wrote back as Rosalind that first time, so I just… didn’t explain. And after a few times emailing you as R, I mostly forgot you didn’t know who I actually was. Then you offered for me to stay here over the holidays, and things really have been hectic, and I wanted to meet you, so I showed up. And I couldn’t keep misleading you in such a way when you’re exactly as kind as I always thought and extending me such generous hospitality.”
Rafferty fell silent. As the moment stretched, vibrating with tension, he had to bite his tongue to keep from continuing. Giving into the urge to ramble only made it likely that he would say something idiotic and upset Hannah even more. He wished he could see her face, but she wasn’t yelling at him so he hoped she was simply thinking about everything he’d said.
She slowly turned to face him. He studied her expression for any clue about how she felt about his revelation. Unfortunately, Hannah was as closed off as he’d seen her so far. It hadn’t been a full hour since their official introduction, but Rafferty knew even without the benefit of long face-to-face association that she often wore her emotions on her sleeve. She was guarded now because of him. Because of the way he’d misled her.
“Was anything else you told me untrue? Did you lie to me in our messages to each other?” Hannah asked.
Rafferty stared at her, stunned. He’d expected accusations and recriminations. She was certainly upset, but she wasn’t lashing out at him in the manner he’d prepared himself for. The sunlight caught on her earnest expression and hardly realizing what he was doing, Rafferty Winthrop swore to never again lie to Hannah Wyatt.
“Did you?” Hannah asked again. There was an edge to her voice now, and Rafferty realized he’d spent far too long in his thoughts. He’d given her the impression that he was trying to rationalize lies away, or possibly even lie again.
“No,” he said firmly. “No, I was honest in our correspondence. When it came to things that Rosalind and I did together, I switched our names. My actions were my own, under her name, and hers were her own, under my name. But that’s it.”
Hannah turned away from him again. She walked a few steps forward on the path. Rafferty was debating whether to follow her when she whirled around again. She crossed her arms and stared at him intently. Rafferty submitted to her appraisal, attempting to look as trustworthy as possible. She scowled and started tapping her foot. Rafferty got the distinct impression that he was seeing Hannah while she was angry.
“I’m not sure how to feel right now,” Hannah said. “It’s so strange to think that my friendship with your sister is actually my friendship with you. I know much more about you than I thought and I don’t.... You know much more about me than I thought.”
“If it helps, I really like you,” Rafferty said.
Hannah stared at him with wide eyes and pink cheeks.
“I mean you’re a great person,” he said hastily. “You love your family and your home. You’re always trying to make sure I’m okay even though we’d never officially met until today. You’re one of the few people I’ve been able to truly count on, Hannah.”
He was making her nervous he realized, watching her arm twist behind her back so she could fiddle with her hair. Then again, nervous was probably more in his favor than angry. He wa
s being completely truthful, too. Knowing he had a real friend, someone who supported him because they liked him, not because of his wealth or influence, had brought him peace of mind on more than one occasion. Hannah had helped him more than she even knew. Rafferty would love the opportunity to explain to her just how much she meant to him.
“I’ve loved talking to you,” Hannah said quietly. “I’ve loved being friends with you. I don’t want to lose that.”
She looked terribly unhappy. Rafferty hated that he was the reason she was so upset.
“I don’t want to lose our friendship either. That’s the last thing I want,” he said fervently.
“Which is why you’re being honest with me now,” Hannah surmised. She raised an eyebrow at him. “A little late, don’t you think?”
Rafferty offered a sheepish smile. “Better late than never?”
He was rewarded with a giggle. The smile it brought to his own face was automatic. He wanted to make her laugh more. He thought it might be the prettiest sound he’d ever heard.
Hannah sighed and turned back to the path. She started walking again, sending him a look over her shoulder which urged him to follow her. Rafferty cautiously settled himself at her side and they continued. It was a little chilly, but not overly so, and they ambled along in a comfortable silence.
Rafferty breathed in deeply. He felt invigorated by the fresh air and sunshine, yet settled by the company at his side. He knew some of the customs and traditions Hannah and her family participated in during the winter holidays and he hoped he got the chance to join them in their celebrations. It would be completely up to Hannah, though, and he would accept any decision she made. Rafferty mused over how quickly he could get a flight home and what he would do when he got there. Hannah had insisted in her email that he needed to take some time for himself and truly relax. He would rather be distracted with business dealings and meetings than wallow in her rejection if she sent him packing. Christmas had less of an effect on the business world than most people might think.
