by Sophie Mays
He pointed out which plants Rafferty needed to pull up, and the correct way to do so. Rafferty followed his directions to the letter, becoming more efficient as he got the hang of things, which happened quickly. The motions seemed familiar, and Rafferty surprised himself by suddenly unearthing a memory.
He paused in his work, blinking down at his gloved, dirt-streaked hands. Boone didn’t stop working, but asked gruffly, “Something wrong?”
Not shaken, really, but more than a bit caught off guard, Rafferty turned to him.
“My grandmother passed when I was young,” he said quietly, “I don’t recall very much about her, but I think I just remembered… I think she had a garden. I think I helped her.”
Boone stilled, and looked at him. After a moment, he said, “Green thumb, then, rather than black.”
Startled, Rafferty let loose a low chuckle. “No guarantees,” he said with a small smile, “But maybe.”
They turned their attention to the plants and worked quietly side by side until the back door open.
“Honey, come on in and wash up,” Mimi called, stepping out onto the porch. She caught sight of Rafferty and her expression shifted to one of surprise. “Rafe, sweetheart, I didn’t know you were out here.”
“He was helping me,” Boone said. Mimi’s smiled at them both fondly.
“Well, that just means he has to wash up too. Hurry up now, both of you. Breakfast will be on the table in a minute,” she said and disappeared back inside.
They cleaned the dirt off their hands in the utility sink in the shed. Rafferty returned the gloves to where he had found them. Boone laid his own right beside them.
As they walked back to the house, Boone said quietly, “You’re welcome to join me tomorrow morning if you’d like to.”
Rafferty looked at him in surprise, but agreed happily. Hannah was sitting at the kitchen table when they walked in. Rafferty swooped down to drop a kiss on her head before sitting next to her. She looked surprised but not displeased and offered him a sweet smile.
Grinning back, he asked, “Ride after breakfast?”
“To the cabins?” Hannah asked.
“Sure,” Rafferty said. He just wanted to spend time with her. He didn’t mind finalizing her plans while they did it.
“Sounds like a plan,” Hannah said, beaming.
As had become customary during his stay with the Wyatts, Rafferty looked forward to the rest of his day with earnest enthusiasm.
-
The next week flew by in a blur of spending time with the Wyatt clan and spending time with Hannah working on the cabins. It was almost enough for Rafferty to forget his anticipation at seeing his sister.
He hadn’t quite realized how long it had been since he spent any longer with Rosalind than a day or so until he was given the opportunity to spend an uninterrupted number of weeks in her company. They were both busy. They both traveled often. It saddened him more than a little to realize how preoccupied they’d both become with work, to the point where it barely registered how little they saw each other.
She was his baby sister, though, and he loved her deeply. It would be almost impossible for her to not get along with Hannah and the rest of the Wyatts. Rafferty could admit to himself that he was hoping Rosalind felt as welcome and at home at the ranch as he did. Not all of that was because he wanted his sister to approve of Hannah, but a lot of it was.
Rosalind had been exceedingly amused when Rafferty initially explained his correspondence with an American woman he’d never met in person. Rafferty wasn’t sure whether his sister had expected things to fizzle out, but the longer he and Hannah sent emails back and forth the less amused, and more cautious, Rosalind had become about the whole situation. Over time, she had relaxed about it. Most likely because Hannah never asked him for money or details on their businesses or any other suspicious behavior.
Now, they would finally get to meet in person. Rafferty hoped two of the most important women in his life managed to get along. He expected that exact outcome, though he couldn’t help being a little nervous.
Hannah went with him to pick up Rosalind from the airport. Rafferty had invited her in the hope that the drive back would give them a bit of a chance to settle with each other before Rosalind was introduced to the rest of the family. He hadn’t told Hannah that, but he felt she had some inkling if the nervousness he could sense from her was any indication.
Despite the fact that the airport was crowded with Christmas arrivals, Rafferty still spotted his sister instantly. He waved to get her attention and she rushed over, throwing herself into his arms as soon as she was within reach as was her usual wont.
“It’s so good to see you,” she said quietly.
Rafferty squeezed her tightly, agreeing completely.
After several moments, she pulled away, and turned to their singular audience.
“You must be Hannah,” Rosalind said, holding out a hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet someone who would put up with my tragic brother for so long.”
Her tone was kind, though her manner was much more reserved than it had been with her brother. Hannah had expected that. It had taken a while for Rafferty to relax around her family, and even then he was more formal than they were a good bit of the time. She shook Rosalind’s hand with a warm laugh.
“Tragic is an interesting descriptor for someone like Rafe,” Hannah said. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Rosalind.”
“Someone like Rafe?” Rosalind asked, emphasizing the nickname with a smirk.
“She means someone intelligent, handsome, and wealthy,” Rafferty said with feigned arrogance.
Hannah blushed, but shrugged. Because, yes, that had been what she meant. Rafferty’s eyebrows went up as he stared at Hannah with genuine surprise. She refused to look at him, choosing instead to check around Rosalind as if she had more luggage that would mysteriously appear out of thin air. Rafferty ran a hand through his curls, feeling embarrassed and very pleased.
“Oh, you two are adorable,” Rosalind cooed. “I’m going to have so much fun. I couldn’t be more glad you invited me, Riff-Raff.”
“I can’t wait until Carson comes up with a few nicknames for you,” Rafferty asserted, rolling his eyes. He grabbed her suitcase and carry on, slung an arm around her shoulders, and started leading her to where they’d parked.
Hannah and Rosalind chattered like magpies the whole drive back to the ranch. When they pulled up the drive, Rosalind fell silent before proclaiming, “It’s so beautiful here!”
It really was like something out of a fairy tale with the Christmas lights twinkling through a fresh blanket of snow, the warm glow of lights through the windows, the Christmas tree easily visible in the far right glass panes.
Hannah beamed, and any fears Rafferty had about his sister and his best friend not getting along disappeared completely.
When they went inside, Rosalind was welcomed into the fold with as much ease and warmth as Rafferty had been.
It took twenty minutes for AJ to get paint on her.
Carson talked to her for two minutes before calling her “Boss Lady.”
“Wait just a minute,” Rafferty objected. “She gets Boss Lady and I get Riff-Raff?”
Carson gave an exaggerated shrug and said, “I call ‘em like I see ‘em.”
This served to send Rosalind into paroxysms of delighted laughter. Rafferty sulked, which made Hannah coo over him. Magnanimously, Rafferty decided he wasn’t too upset with this outcome.
He also decided that Rosalind was correct. The next few weeks were going to be so much fun.
9
Chapter 9
Hannah woke up early on Christmas morning. The air in her bedroom was cold, but she was toasty and warm underneath the covers. Probably due in no small part to her bed partner.
She rolled over to look at her sister. It was Emma who had crawled into her bed last night. She was waiting for her older and her little sister to join her on the same night for a spontaneous sleepover like
they had when they were much younger. A night filled with whispers and giggles and secrets, a bond that only sisters could have.
Hannah wondered if something was bothering Emma. She’d been a little quieter than usual lately. It could mean her sister was worrying about something. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Emma was concerned for their father, despite all the reassurances their parents had given them that he was fine and they were managing his health. She could be afraid of leaving her job at the bakery she worked for, and not being able to build a new client base for her gourmet desserts and intricate cake designs.
It might also be all in Hannah’s imagination. If Emma didn’t say anything, Hannah would ask her if everything was alright, but for now she would leave it to her older sister to figure out.
For now, she would lay toasty in bed until Emma woke up. They would whisper guesses about what their presents were until they could smell coffee and hear the sizzle of bacon or sausage while their mom made breakfast. One twin would probably burst in, shouting about it being Christmas, while the other twin did the same to Carson. Someone would drag Rosalind to the kitchen. If Rafferty didn’t come by the house quickly enough, someone would have to go get him. It only made sense for it to be her. He was her guest, first and foremost, after all.
Emma woke up and Hannah curled up with her head on Emma’s shoulder, making her guesses about her gifts as ridiculous as possible so she could feel her sister shake with laughter. They smelled coffee, but also chocolate and cinnamon, which meant there would be hot chocolate at the table for breakfast too. It was AJ who burst into Hannah’s room and they could hear Jake shouting down the hall, while Rosalind and their parents’ laughter drifted up the stairs from the kitchen.
When they got downstairs, Rafferty was already there. Apparently, AJ had called him to scream “It’s Christmas!” in his ear until he was awake enough to say he was on his way to the main house. He looked like he’d literally rolled out of bed, with his curls all mussed and his hazel eyes still a bit hazy with sleep.
Hannah kissed her parents on their cheeks and made her way to where Rafferty sat at the kitchen table. He turned his chair and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her stomach. Hannah laughed a little as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders, her free hand attempting to tame his wild mane of hair. She smiled at Rosalind, who was sitting across the table, before speaking to Rafferty.
“A bit early for you?” she asked.
He shifted his face so she could hear him when he spoke.
“Sleepy,” he murmured.
“Who needs sleep when we have the magic of Christmas?” Jake demanded.
“The magic of Christmas can cure all ills,” Carson intoned solemnly.
“The magic of Christmas uplifts us. The magic of Christmas sustains us,” AJ murmured with a dreamy smile on her face.
Rafferty’s shoulders were shaking under Hannah’s palm with silent laughter. Hannah was biting her lip hard to keep from grinning. She looked at Emma who was staring up at the ceiling with a hand covering her mouth.
“The magic of Christmas is in us, around us. The magic of Christmas is all we want, all we need,” Rosalind said, barely managing to maintain a serene expression.
The four of them kept murmuring “The magic of Christmas” over and over until Hannah, Rafferty, and Emma had nearly collapsed with laughter. Mimi and Boone looked on at their silly children, amusement and affection apparent in their expressions.
Having succeeded in making their audience weak with laughter, AJ, Jake, and Carson started gathering dishes and utensils to set the dining room table. Breakfast was delicious, as it always was. The twins were practically vibrating in their seats the whole meal, no less excited to open presents than they had been when they were children.
They all piled into the living room. The twins zipped around, handing each person presents labeled with their name. Hannah could tell that Rosalind was a bit surprised to be handed more than one or two gifts. She also noticed that Rafferty had set her gift for him a little bit to the side, separate from his other presents.
Once everything had been handed out, Boone gave permission for everyone to start ripping open their gifts. Exclamations of joy and shouts of gratitude echoed around the living room.
Hannah had gotten a voucher to a furniture store and knew it was so she could decorate the cabins in a more modern style. From the dollar amount on the voucher, she knew that everyone had contributed some money to the cause. It made her eyes fill with tears to have evidence of her family’s support. She’d known her siblings were for the idea, but this was a monetary investment that set their support in stone.
She looked over her haul of clothes, jewelry, books, and gift cards. She’d received new recipe books from both Emma and Carson, as they’d started gifting new recipes to the family since they were asked for them so often. AJ had made her a new painting. Jake had given her the miscellaneous souvenirs he always picked up when he was away. Rosalind had given her a beautiful cashmere sweater, that was so soft Hannah was sorely tempted to put it on immediately. The last gift she had to open was from Rafferty.
She picked up the gift. It was cuboid and somewhat small. She felt that she should be able to guess what it was, but she honestly had no clue. It simply had her name on it in the elegant handwriting she remembered from the first letter he’d ever sent her. Hannah carefully unwrapped the paper and pulled open the flap of the nondescript white box underneath. She peered inside the box and paused in surprise.
Slowly, she pulled out the ballerina figurine she’d admired in the antique store weeks ago. The features were just as delicate and just as anguished. It was as beautiful and precious as it had been when she’d first gazed upon it. It had been expensive, $75 dollars if she was remembering correctly. She hadn’t bought it because she hadn’t wanted to pay so much for something so little, gorgeous as it was.
Rafferty had bought it for her. He’d known how much she loved it and bought it for her. Maybe he had really gotten that business card in part so he could find something for Rosalind, but mostly it had been so he could get her this little figurine that she adored at first sight.
Hannah looked up and met his gaze. He seemed a bit nervous, and she could guess that it was because he wasn’t sure how she would take his spending so much money on her. She knew he could afford it, but it was the principle of the thing. Or it would have been the principle of the thing if she was at all inclined to find fault with such a lovely gift.
Hannah smiled at him, hoping all the happiness she felt would be clear in her expression. It must have been enough, because the slight tension in Rafferty’s shoulders disappeared.
“Thank you,” Hannah said sincerely.
“Oh, that’s lovely,” Emma said from beside her, leaning in a little to get a better look.
“It’s from Rafe,” Hannah said. She handed over the ballerina carefully. Emma gave her an amused glance, but still handled it as if it were extremely delicate.
Hannah couldn’t help glancing over at Rafferty again. She felt a little bit uncertain about her gift to him now. She was sure he would like it, but she wasn’t quite sure if it matched his own present for sheer heartfelt feeling.
She was nearly bowled over as a hug from AJ caught her by surprise.
“They’re such pretty colors! I love it so much!” AJ squealed.
Hannah laughed with delight. She’d gotten AJ a set of pastels. It wasn’t her usual medium, but she’d been looking to dabble in other things lately. Hannah had thought it might give her some new inspiration. No doubt they would all be walking around with colored dust staining them instead of paint for the next little while.
Hannah heard Rosalind say, “Looks like one of yours got into my pile.”
She looked over and Rafferty was holding her gift. It was difficult to contain her anticipation as he slowly unwrapped the paper. Had she been that slow with his gift? If so, she felt a little guilty now. It was torture.
Rafferty finally lifted the lid of the box. He tilted his head as he read the title on the cover of the book. His eyes widened with surprise and, she hoped, pleasure. He picked up the book and started flipping through.
Hannah had gifted him with an illustrated compendium of constellations and their myths. As far as she knew, Rafferty hadn’t done any stargazing since he was in the astronomy club at his high school. It was still dear to his heart, though, as he’d had no trouble rattling off a few constellations when they’d been late coming back from the cabins a few nights ago. He’d given her the idea while they were at the antique shop, actually, when he’d been asking questions to prove how well she knew him.
Rafferty seemed completely absorbed now, and Hannah wondered if she could guess which story had caught his attention.
“Oh, wow!” Rosalind exclaimed. “That’s so pretty!”
“Whatcha got there, Street Raff?” Carson asked.
“Hannah’s gift,” Rafferty said. “It’s a book of constellations and their myths. There’s illustrations too.”
He handed the book over to Rosalind so she could pass it to Mimi and further. Everyone cooed over the stunning artwork within.
“Hannah,” Rosalind said, “Did you know Rafferty was in the astronomy club when he was in secondary?”
“I did know that,” Hannah said with a smile. “And one of his most treasured memories from his time in the club is when he beat Preston Radcliffe for the presidency.”
“Preston Radcliffe didn’t deserve the presidency,” Rafferty sneered in a frostbitten haughty tone that none of the Wyatts had ever heard from him before.
Hannah and Rosalind burst into giggles.
“He didn’t,” Rafferty insisted indignantly. When this only made the ladies laugh harder, he huffed and turned back to organizing his presents.
Carson and Jake shared a glance, silently resolving to corner Rosalind and find out what exactly made Preston Radcliffe so unfit for office.
Once everyone had finished showing off their own gifts, Hannah and Rafferty shared a glance.
