Christmas Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology (Echo Ridge Romance Book 1)

by Lucy McConnell

  “It's so good to talk to you. Thanks for stopping by,” Ora said. “My Jonah comes by every day, but he's been so busy with getting the gallery open that sometimes it's only for ten minutes before they kick him out for the night.”

  “Sounds like he doesn't have much time to relax.” She could relate. If she didn't have a second job, there were more than enough projects at home that needed attention. Cheese making was at the top of her list for the day— the goats would stop producing milk soon in preparation for giving birth and if she wanted the fantastic goat cheddar she'd come to love so much, she needed to get on it while she had plenty of milk. And then there were fence repairs and other work outside.

  “No, he definitely doesn't have a lot of spare time.” She shook her head sadly. “My Jonah says he'll take a break when the gallery is running. But I'm sure he isn't considering the work it takes to keep a place like that running, especially if he's going to start painting again.”

  Kaya was surprised. She knew Jonah was an artist— Ora wasn't the least shy about bragging on him— but Kaya hadn't been aware that he'd taken a break from it. Maybe that was just because of getting the gallery launched. “It's easy to underestimate how much time paperwork and taxes can take up.” Getting her animal therapy business off the ground had not been a picnic, and keeping up with taxes, certifications and the myriad other things that came with it wasn't much better.

  The phone beside the bed rang and Ora answered it. “What? Oh, no! Is he all right? That's too bad. Of course. Yes, I understand. I'll see you tomorrow instead. Love you, honey.” She glanced at Kaya and smiled. “Hold on, Jonah.” She covered the mouthpiece on the phone. “Didn't you say you needed a part-time job through the end of the year?”

  “Yes. There isn't much available right now, though. Especially that's flexible enough for me to work with my clients.”

  Ora beamed. “I have something for you.” She uncovered the phone and spoke to Jonah. “I know just the person to help you out. I'll send them right over. No problem. Love you and I'll see you tomorrow.” She said goodbye and hung up.

  “Jonah called to say he's not going to make it tonight. He had a part-time helper and the kid was in a car accident, broke his leg.” She shook her head. “He won't be able to work again until after the gallery has opened. Jonah really needs an extra hand and he doesn't have the luxury of being picky about your hours if you're willing to work. He needs someone he can count on to do what needs to be done without whining about it. I know you can be that person.”

  Kaya was touched that Ora had such a high opinion of her— and extremely grateful, even if it meant working with Jonah. She shrugged it off. If she could put up with Cecilia's attitude for the past couple weeks, she could handle Jonah. “Thanks. I guess I better go.” Kaya was stunned that it could be that easy. She hoped Jonah really was desperate enough for help that he didn't balk when he saw that it was her.

  The gallery was down Main Street a block or so from Kenworth's, and only a few blocks from the rehab center where Ora was staying. Kaya found a parking spot in the lot out back and came around to the front entrance. There was a back entrance, but she didn't know if he would hear her knocking, so decided to try the front door first. It was locked, of course, but when she knocked on the glass, Jonah stepped out from behind a wall and walked over. “We're closed for another week,” he said when he opened the door enough to be heard.

  She chose not to be irritated at his attitude. “I know, I'm here to help. You told Ora that you needed another set of hands. She sent mine.” She lifted her hands, holding the palms up as evidence.

  He seemed nonplussed. “Oh, she didn't say it was you.” His eyes narrowed and he looked around her, suspiciously. “Do you have the chicken here?”

  She held in a chuckle. “No, I don't take her to the rehab center every time I visit your grandma. Besides, I had other errands here in town this morning. I can only work until two-thirty today, but I can come in whenever you need me tomorrow morning and work about as late.”

  “Well, good.” He stood for a moment longer, as if trying to decide whether to let her in or not, then stepped back. “I can definitely use the help. Let's see how things go today and tomorrow and take it from there.” He quoted the amount he could pay her and she agreed. It was actually a little better than she had been getting at Kenworth's.

  Kaya worked until half an hour before her therapy client would arrive at her place, then headed home to prepare. Most of her clients were in school, so most of her appointments were between three and six during the winter.

  She had been surprised at how smoothly things went with Jonah. She had lifted and carried with him, helped him open crates, and listened to him muse about the correct lighting for each piece they had considered. Even though she only worked for a couple of hours, it was every bit as exhausting as a day repairing paddock fencing.

  Jonah had started out a little gruff, like he thought she was going to balk at the things he had her do. As she worked hard without complaint, however, he seemed to appreciate her work ethic and started to soften. She just hoped it would continue the next day.

  JONAH HAD BEEN SURPRISED AT how smoothly the unpacking and displays had come together with Kaya's help— much better than with Sam, who had dragged his feet every step of the way and had apparently never heard of the word initiative.

  Kaya was completely different. He felt like an idiot, thinking she was some prima donna— of course she would be strong and hard-working, he'd never seen his grandma become friends with anyone who was spoiled or lazy. Kaya had worked hard for the three hours she was with him the previous day, then gone home to do some therapy sessions.

  Now as he pulled into the driveway at her place, he noticed someone was there, probably one of her patients... clients... whatever she called them. He parked to the side so he didn't block them in and circumvented the house, heading to the barn behind it. In the snow and mud-laced practice ring connected to the barn, he found a kid of eleven or twelve riding Kaya’s sorrel horse.

  He walked over to the horse fence and leaned his forearms on it, watching Kaya interact with the child on the horse, calling out instructions and encouragement as the boy grinned, holding tightly to the saddle horn.

  Jonah had a sudden flashback to being a teenager and looking over the fence from his grandmother's yard. A young girl— three or four years younger than himself— had been riding her horse around the ring, calling back to her grandmother “Look at me! I'm doing it!” Her grandmother stood at the railing, on the outside, beaming as she watched the young girl handle the horse on her own.

  He blinked, letting the memory fade as he focused on the people before him. He studied Kaya across the paddock. Had it been her all those years ago? He wasn't sure, but it could have been. She was about the right age, with the same dark hair. Kaya's face had lit up with the same bright joy at the boy's success that he'd seen on the younger girl so long ago. How had he forgotten the way that stolen peek had made him yearn? That was a kind of happiness he'd not seen often, and definitely not in his own life up to that point. His father had been firmly against art as a career— he probably felt vindicated about that now, though they rarely spoke.

  He heard gravel crunching behind him and looked over his shoulder to see a woman who was a little older than himself. The boy had her eyes.

  “She's great with him, isn't she?” the woman asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you a neighbor?”

  “Not really. My grandma is. Kaya's working for me right now. Temporarily.” He gestured to the ring. “Is he your son?”

  “Yes. You wouldn't believe how much he's changed since she started working with him last spring. It's amazing. And my daughter, she's in with the goats, she just lights up when we come here. It's amazing.”

  Jonah looked back at the boy in the ring with new eyes. He saw the joy of success radiating from the boy's face, as well as Kaya's joy at working with him and he felt that icy wall that he'd built be
tween himself and Kaya melt just a bit more.

  The session ended and Jonah hung back as he watched Kaya talk things over with the mother and boy, as well as a girl a year or two older than the boy, who rolled out in her wheelchair. He hadn't expected that, but he supposed it explained why she was hanging out with the goats. On her lap, she carried a bulging canvas bag.

  They took the horse back into the barn, and he followed close enough to see Kaya assisting the boy in removing the saddle and other equipment from the horse. The older girl fed each of the goats something from her hand, obviously in love with the smaller animals. He shifted back away from the door before anyone noticed him.

  He hadn't seen Kaya look in his direction since he had come into her yard, but as soon as the family was headed for their van, Kaya turned and looked straight at him. “I didn't expect to see you here.”

  He walked around to her. “I like to check in on Gram's place every few days. It's been a few. I saw you had a client so I thought I'd see what it is you do.”

  “It probably doesn't look like much here, but working with the animals is making a difference for Chad and Shyanne.”

  “It doesn't look like nothing. I can tell you love it, and so do the kids. When did you decide you wanted to get into this kind of work?” For the first time, he actually wanted to understand her.

  “I do love it. I first heard of equine therapy when I was still in high school, I was doing a paper for English and thought it would be a good topic. I was fascinated. The more I learned, the more I knew that's what I wanted to do. Grandma agreed, which made all of this much easier.” She gestured expansively to include the property. “I was lucky she left me the house and grounds so I could pursue my dream. I don't know how I ever would have made enough money to do this otherwise, not for years.” Kaya stood with her back to the railing and the horse came over to nibble on the shoulder of her coveralls. She smiled and lifted a hand to press against the side of its face, stroking as she looked up at the horse. “You're a sweetie, aren't you? She's so good with the kids. It's amazing how an animal can change a person's life. They changed my life, and they are making a difference for both of those kids.”

  Jonah was touched by how passionate Kaya was about her job and her animals. “That's how I feel about art. Using it to express yourself when you're happy, sad, depressed, or anything else.” Not that depression worked for him, but he knew people who produced great art in that state of mind.

  “Thus the gallery. What are you going to do when it becomes fabulously successful and you don't have time to paint?”

  In his wildest dreams! “Hire help. I'm hoping to find someone part-time who is willing to stay and learn the business— or better yet, who already knows something of the business and is willing to really dig into it. I'd offer a longer-term position to you after seeing you work the past couple of days, but I know you want to get back here.” He certainly couldn't fault her work ethic.

  “So much. Being away from it to work for you is hard, there are a ton of things that need to be done here, but most of them will keep until next month.” She shivered. “You probably need to go, and I ought to get the animals settled for the night. Shyanne already milked Morning Star, but Jet Star is probably ready and anxious for her turn, and there are other things to do.”

  “Need a hand? I could use a longer break before going back to the gallery.” He was surprised at how much he wanted to see her setup inside.

  “Great.” Kaya led the way into the barn, showing him what to feed each of the animals and how much. She talked about when she got each of the horses and a little about their backgrounds, pausing to coo and stroke them each for a moment. It was clear how much she loved them, and that they loved her. The one the boy had been riding was fully divested of her gear and Kaya double-checked everything, then brushed the horse for a few minutes while Jonah fed the others. All the time, they kept up a conversation.

  She seemed content with her life, even though it was just her and the animals. Jonah wondered if she got lonely— if that was why she visited the rehab center and nursing home with the chicken. Gram had mentioned Kaya a few times and he wondered how often she actually came to see the folks there, and how often she took the chicken with her. And how she thought of bringing a bird to visit instead of the usual dog.

  He was surprised to see that she actually had a dozen chickens, two goats and a pen where she said she kept pigs in the spring.

  “You have pigs?”

  “Well, usually just two, through the warm months. I feed them the extra milk from the goats, as well as extra chicken eggs, and they roam the pastures. Then I sell one and a half in the fall to pay for feed for the goats and chickens all winter and buy new piglets in the spring.”

  “You eat the other half of the pig, though, right?”

  “Yes. Best ham and bacon I ever tasted.” She gave the horse a pat on the neck and came out, shutting the stall behind her. “There's a rancher in the area who does animal processing, not just pigs and cows but elk and deer in the fall. He's very good and has great prices. I can deliver the animals to him and he'll let the buyers pick up the finished meat from him. It makes it easy.”

  This fascinated Jonah more than he expected. Though he had painted a lot of outdoor scenes, he had always been a city boy. The move to Echo Ridge had been a real leap of faith for him. “I never noticed the smell of pigs last summer.” He'd been up to visit to look for property several times before settling on the gallery space.

  She shook her head, smiling, as she collected some equipment and took it over to a small platform near the goats. “Pigs don't have to stink, not if they have a large enough pen. And with the pasture, I only buy a little supplemental feed for them. The south grove has a lot of oak trees, so I run them through there for a couple months before butchering, I heard acorns make a huge difference in the taste of the meat. I have to say, I'm a convert.”

  “Sounds like they practically feed themselves.”

  “They nearly do.” She grabbed a metal pail he had seen earlier and pulled off the close-fitting lid, then set it nearby. “In the summer they eat a lot of pasture. I rotate the animals through the field, and I've planted it in certain kinds of plants to make everyone happy, but I always lose some clients in the winter because of the cold, and I go through a lot more feed.”

  “You didn't have enough to save to tide you over?” It didn't seem like her— she appeared very careful and deliberate.

  She opened the gate to the goats and let one in, plopped a stack of some plant in the feeder, and locked the goat's head in place. “I generally set aside enough extra cash to float us over the winter, but I had unexpected expenses this fall. If I could afford the indoor arena I've been planning the past few years, it would make a difference for my clients, and I have a few clients who would love to board their horses here, if they could exercise them in a more sheltered area during the snow.” By now she had cleaned the udder and was sitting on the stool to start milking.

  Jonah wasn't sure if the arena would increase the problems with selling land adjacent to hers or not. Hopefully it wouldn't matter to him by the time she scrounged the cash to build. She did seem focused on keeping the smells under control. “Can you board horses in this neighborhood?” The sound of milk hitting the inside of the pail filled the air as they spoke and he noticed the way she leaned a little against the animal, as if she could transfer some of her affection for it that way. Maybe she could. He almost missed her response because of the thought.

  “I'm zoned agricultural, even if no one around me is. I'm sure I can get approval for it, as long as I board only three or four. I just have to find the money to make it all work.”

  He tried to withhold judgment, though he wanted to ask why she would do that to everyone who lived near her. He settled on a less judgmental way to ask the question. “What do your neighbors think about your business? I mean having the animals here. I know some people are funny about that.”

  “Some think i
t's great, others don't love it quite so much.” Kaya frowned a little. “I have ten acres and the arena would go pretty much in the middle, so it shouldn't cause much extra noise or smell for the neighbors, and because I rotate the animals on the field, especially because of the pigs, I only get stinky areas when it gets really wet— and I do my best to avoid it then. As it is, the arena won't be much bigger than the paddock here, but I know a few other people who would love to have one closer than Clover City.”

  Kaya rested her face against the goat's flank, her expression serene. Outside, through a window a few feet above her head, he could see the moon starting to rise, framed by snow in the windowsill. His heart did something strange in his chest as she hummed a few notes from a song he didn't recognize.

  He watched and considered her plans as she finished milking the goat, filtered the milk and cleaned up. Maybe they wouldn't be so bad after all. Jonah walked her back toward the house. “Well, I appreciate your help at the gallery.” They had finished taking care of the animals and were walking back to the front of the property. “I'll take off and let you finish up here.”

  She held his gaze for a long moment. “Thanks for the help with the evening chores.”

  “No problem. It was good to see some of what you do here. See you tomorrow.” He waved goodbye and sauntered toward the door.

  Before Jonah walked around the corner of the house, though, he glanced back at her, disappearing inside. He turned away, hurrying back to his car.

  She was a constant surprise, with her goats and plans, and the bit of herself she displayed with every move. He didn't know what to think about her.

  JONAH FINISHED SOME PAPERWORK after dinner, booked a viewing for the house on Saturday, and then sat on the sofa. The image of Kaya as a child lingered in his mind, over-laid with the child on the horse, and the teenager in the wheelchair. They had pulled emotions from him that he hadn't felt so strongly in a long time, so he grabbed a stick of charcoal and a sketch pad and started sketching out the paddock in Kaya's back yard. The horse was tall, majestic, the child on its back... not the twelve-year-old boy who had been riding that night. Instead, it ended up being Kaya as a young teen, or at least the way he remembered her. The face held only a little similarity to the way she looked now, but instinctively, his fingers glided over the paper.