Her sister took in a deep breath. “I’d like to take it over. To stay in Juniper Springs and reopen the inn as a vacation resort.” Her face seemed to brighten at the possibility. “And I know you both have lives far away from here, but I’d love for all of us to have a part in it.”
“I’m so in.” She laughed. They were doing this. They were going to stay in Colorado! “With Jeff taking a job in France, I won’t have to stay in Minnesota. The kids would be so happy here.” She could see them taking long walks in the woods and fishing in the pond in the summer. It would be like a constant vacation.
“Well if you two are keeping it, then I will, too.” Mags pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. “I’m just not sure how much time we’ll be able to spend here after the baby’s born.”
The baby! Dahlia couldn’t resist hugging Mags.
“You could be a silent partner,” Rose suggested. “And maybe we could have one or two weeks a year when we all gather here together. The whole family.”
“That would be perfect.” It would be like it was when they were kids.
“So…um…” Rose played with a loose thread on the hem of the blanket. “I’d like to offer Colt a twenty-five percent share, too.”
Well, that was interesting. Dahlia studied her younger sister. “You want to offer him a share of only the inn or of something else?” She couldn’t help but tease her. Colt and Rose were the epitome of opposites attract. She could see potential there.
Rose ignored the insinuation. “He spent a lot of his childhood here. I feel like it belongs to him, too.”
Dahlia shrugged. “I’m fine with that.” They would need all the help they could get to bring this place back.
“Me, too.” Mags grinned. “I like Colt.”
“Good, then. That’s settled.” Rose seemed to bail on the Colt line of conversation. “There’s something else I’ve been thinking about, too.” She waited until they both looked at her. “I don’t want us to drift apart again. I’ve lost my fiancé, and I’m pretty sure Mom is going to disown me once she finds out I broke up with Gregory. I need my sisters.”
Amen. “We need each other.” Dahlia thought back to that awkward bathroom conversation right after they’d arrived in town. They’d come a long way in a few short weeks. “Hey, do you think maybe, someday, we could help Mom and Aunt Sassy reconnect?”
“We could try.” Rose didn’t appear to have high hopes.
Sure, Dahlia would be the first to admit it might take a miracle of epic proportions, but crazier things had happened. “Maybe we could plan something next summer. Isn’t Aunt Sassy turning seventy in August?”
“Yes, but she’ll never admit it.” Mags laughed. “She keeps trying to tell me she’s only forty-five.”
Dahlia had heard the same thing from her aunt on more than one occasion. “That’s what surprise parties are for.” They didn’t have to tell her they were going to celebrate her seventieth birthday. And they didn’t have to tell their mother she was coming to the party.
“Can you even imagine the fun we’re going to have here?” Mags asked wistfully. “Someday—when Rose is ready—all of our kids will be playing right out there together.”
Dahlia gazed down to the pond, picturing Ollie and Maya and their future cousins. “It’ll be the perfect place to gather.”
“Oh!” Rose jumped up suddenly, taking the warm blanket with her. “I have a gift for both of you that I want you to open before everyone else wakes up.” She ran into the house with Marigold hot on her heels and then quickly shuffled in her slippers back to them. She handed Dahlia and Mags each a wrapped package.
Dahlia carefully unwrapped the beautiful paper. It was picture frame with two photographs side by side. The first one had been taken when they were eight, six, and four. They were all dressed up in Sassy’s finest posing in front of the camper. And the second photograph had been taken only a few weeks ago, when they’d found those silly hats in one of the boxes. She traced the inscription with her finger: “Sisters are different flowers from the same garden.”
“It’s beautiful.” They were beautiful. She’d forgotten how much her sisters were part of her. “Every time I look at it, I’m going to remember this Christmas.” The one she was sure would be lonely and devastating without her children.
“It’s been pretty eventful so far,” Mags said with a laugh.
“And there was quite the eclectic mix of people and surprises,” Rose added.
Dahlia hugged her sisters in against her side. “This wasn’t exactly the family Christmas season we were envisioning.” Not with ex-spouses and an ex-fiancé and a mysterious sickness that turned out to be a surprise baby on the way. “But somehow it’s still perfect.”
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Reading Group Guide
A Letter from
the Author
Dear friends,
I hope you enjoyed spending some time at the Juniper Inn. There really is no place like the beautiful Rocky Mountains during the holidays. I grew up traveling over the river and through the woods to my aunt and uncle’s house in the mountains for Christmas, and those family gatherings are some of my most treasured memories.
When I envisioned the Juniper Inn, I found myself drawing on the inspiration from those times with my family. We would bundle up and sled down the huge snowdrifts and build snowmen and have snowball fights. Then we would go inside and enjoy a festive meal together—complete with turkey and sweet potatoes and some Scandinavian delicacies like lutefisk and lefse. There were always more desserts than I could count—cookies we’d decorated with my aunts, and homemade pies, and usually a chocolate yule log cake. My favorite part of our celebration, though, was when we would all gather around the towering Christmas tree to exchange gifts. It wasn’t the gifts themselves, however. It was all of us being together in one room, seeing the joy on everyone’s faces as each of us experienced the gift of giving.
One of the things I love the most about my extended family is that we have always welcomed anyone and everyone to join us for holiday celebrations. Over the years, we’ve expanded our family by inviting neighbors and friends who didn’t have their own family nearby, and most of them became part of our family, too. We take the term “the more the merrier” to heart. Maybe that’s why I found it so easy to write Sassy’s character. Like my own wonderful aunts, Sassy brings people together. Her openness and welcoming spirit are really what the holidays are all about.
Christmas these days doesn’t look exactly the same as it did when I was young. We’ve lost some of our beloved family members. And with our numbers growing by the year, it’s a bit more chaotic than it used to be. (As an adult I now fully appreciate how much work goes into the preparations.) But even as I drive with my little family over the river and through the woods into the mountains, I still feel the magic. It’s in the peacefulness of the snow-laden evergreen branches. It’s in the joy of coming together. It’s in the spirit of gathering around the tree to give.
I hope reading Home for the Holidays helped you feel the magic, too. My desire was to write a story about reconnecting with loved ones who offer the strength and support and closeness we all need more of in our lives. Throughout the story, Dahlia, Magnolia, and Rose rediscovered the gift of simply being together, of being there for each other, and that made Christmas even more meaningful. Whether you’re gathering with family or friends or neighbors, I hope you find those heart connections this upcoming holiday season, too.
All the best,
Sara
Questions for Readers
Dahlia, Magnolia, and Rose each have a very different personality. Which sister did you find yourself relating to the most throughout the story? Why?
In Home for the Holidays, each sister takes a reprieve from their current life situation. What would an ideal reprieve look like for you? Wh
ere would you want to go? Who would you want to connect with?
A major theme in the book is learning that courage comes from vulnerability. At the beginning of the story, the sisters found it difficult to share their disappointments and struggles with each other. Why do you think that was? Who do you draw courage from?
Why do you think Lillian was so centered on appearances? How did that influence her daughters and their interactions?
Motherhood is another major theme in the book: Sassy never had children of her own but was a mother figure for the sisters; Dahlia is navigating life as a single mom; and Magnolia hopes to become a mom. How do you define the role of a mom? Is there anyone who played that role for you outside of your immediate family? Have you ever played that role for someone?
What was your initial impression of Dr. Ike? Was he right for Dahlia? Why or why not?
Why do you think Magnolia and Eric were able to find their way back to each other while Dahlia and Jeff could not? Discuss the differences in their relationships.
Aunt Sassy was an important figure in the sisters’ early lives, but they eventually lost touch with her. Have you lost touch with someone who once played a significant role in your life? Is there anyone from your past you would like to reconnect with?
Part of Rose’s journey is recognizing she has been living her life for others rather than pursuing her own passions. What about Juniper Springs and the inn helped her come to the conclusion she wants more?
In some ways, Aunt Sassy is at a crossroads in her life, too. Starting over can happen at any age. Do you have big life transitions coming up? How will they impact your life moving forward?
The sisters didn’t exactly have the Christmas they’d envisioned, thanks to some last-minute surprises. Talk about a time the holidays didn’t turn out exactly the way you planned.
What do you think the future holds for each of the sisters?
About the Author
National bestselling author Sara Richardson composes uplifting stories that illustrate the rocky roads of love, friendship, and family relationships. Her characters are strong women journeying to define their lives and pursue their dreams. Her books have received numerous award nominations and critical acclaim, with Publishers Weekly recognizing her stories as “emotionally rich, charmingly funny, and sensitive.”
After graduating with a master’s degree in journalism, Sarah realized she was too empathetic to be a reporter and started writing her first novel. When not writing, Sara can be found promoting women’s health and empowerment by teaching Pilates or hiking the trails near her house. A lifelong Colorado girl, Sara lives and plays near the mountains with her husband, two sons, two fur babies, and a tortoise named Leo.
Praise for Sara Richardson
“Sara Richardson writes unputdownable, unforgettable stories from the heart.”
—Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author
“With wit and warmth, Sara Richardson creates heartfelt stories you can’t put down.”
—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author
“Sara [Richardson] brings real feelings to every scene she writes.”
—Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author
Home for the Holidays
“Fill your favorite mug with hot chocolate and whipped cream as you savor this wonderful holiday story of family reunited and dreams finally fulfilled. I loved it!”
—Sherryl Woods, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“You’ll want to stay home for the holidays with this satisfying Christmas read.”
—Sheila Roberts, USA Today bestselling author
First Kiss With a Cowboy
“The pace is fast, the setting’s charming, and the love scenes are delicious. Fans of cowboy romance are sure to be captivated.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Hometown Cowboy
“Filled with humor, heart, and love, this page-turner is one wild ride.”
—Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
No Better Man
“Charming, witty, and fun. There’s no better read. I enjoyed every word!”
—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Also by Sara Richardson
Heart of the Rockies Series
No Better Man
Something Like Love
One Christmas Wish (novella)
More Than a Feeling
Rocking Mountain Wedding (novella)
Rocky Mountain Riders Series
Hometown Cowboy
Comeback Cowboy
Renegade Cowboy
Rocky Mountain Cowboy (novella)
True-Blue Cowboy
Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas (novella)
Colorado Cowboy
A Cowboy for Christmas
Silverado Lake Series
First Kiss with a Cowboy
Home for the Holidays Page 27
