Boughs of Holly

by Shanna Hatfield

  The horse shuddered and twitched as soon as Holly latched onto the first piece of wood, but Seth held her steady.

  “Here we go,” Holly said, looking over her shoulder at him as she yanked out the first piece of wood. The horse kicked at her, but Holly jumped out of the way before any harm was done.

  “Maybe we better wait for Angela. She’d sedate Fiona and pull those out,” Seth said, doing his best to calm the terrified horse.

  “I can do this,” Holly said, fully aware the horse would most likely kick at her again.

  “Let me move her,” Seth said, positioning the horse so her good side was pressed against the side of the stall. He snubbed the halter so she couldn’t turn her head, then used his brawn to hold her still while Holly quickly pulled out the other two pieces of wood.

  She felt all around the sores to make sure she hadn’t missed any smaller pieces. Assured she hadn’t, she cleansed the wounds then took a needle threaded with sterilized silk and began stitching the wounds shut. Working as fast as her half-frozen fingers would cooperate, she breathed a sigh of relief when she tied a knot in the end of the last stitch and stepped back.

  “Thank you,” Seth whispered as he led the horse into a stall. He made sure Fiona had hay and water before he shut the door.

  Ivy, who’d been disturbed by all the noise, stood with her nose over her stall door, trying to see what was going on. Little Rudy bawled, sharing his thoughts about the early morning disruption.

  Holly would have gone to them and given them some attention, but she was covered in blood and didn’t want to scare Ivy or her precious baby.

  She washed her hands in the sink near the tack room and started to clean up the mess when Seth was suddenly by her side, pulling her into his arms. “Thank you for what you did, Holly. Fiona is the last daughter from my grandma’s horse. She means the world to Pops and he’d be devastated if something happened to her.”

  “It was my pleasure to help.” Holly pulled back. “What made the cattle run like that?”

  “I don’t know, but we need to find out. You go on back to the house and clean up. I’m gonna saddle Steele and see what Andy and Brian found.” Seth kissed her cheek. “You really would make a good ranch hand, Miss Nightingale.”

  Holly’s cheeks heated, aglow from his words of praise. “Thank you, kind sir.”

  She turned to go, but Seth caught her hand, pulling her back around. “You could ride along if you want.”

  “Really?” she asked, excited by the prospect.

  “Go change your clothes, but put some hustle in it.”

  She gave Seth a quick hug then dashed into the house. In less than five minutes, she was pulling on Sam’s old chore coat, since her coat was soaking in the washer to get out Fiona’s blood.

  “Be careful out there, honey. Anything could have spooked the cattle,” Sam said, handing her a pair of warm gloves.

  “I will, Sam. Are you sure you’ll be okay while we’re gone?”

  The old man nodded. “Yep. I’m gonna sit right here at the table and work on addressing Christmas cards. We need to get them in the mail pronto.”

  “I’ll help you when I get back, then we’ll do your morning exercises.” Holly kissed his cheek then hastened back outside to find Seth waiting with Steele and Molly both saddled.

  “Want to help us move the cows?” he asked, giving her a grin that made the butterflies in her stomach flutter in response.

  “You mean I get to ride Molly?” she asked, giddy at the thought of riding a horse again. “All by myself?”

  “Yep. You sure do.” Seth pulled her close and kissed her until she felt like they’d left behind the snowy, frosty landscape of Faraday and landed somewhere tropical. When she opened her eyes, the iron-hued sky that slowly gave way to pewter as dawn approached assured her she was still in the middle of a winter wonderland. However, the fiery flames in Seth’s eyes were anything but icy.

  He held the stirrup steady while she stuck her foot in it and pulled herself up on Molly, then he handed her the reins and gave her simple instructions. “Don’t yank on them and just give Molly her head. She knows what she’s doing. If you feel like you’re about to fall off, the snow will cushion your fall, but it’s okay to grab the saddle horn to hang on.”

  He mounted Steele and turned toward the pasture where Andy and Brian had headed with the cows. It was too small for that many cattle, but it would hold them long enough to repair the fence they’d busted through in the larger pasture. As they topped a little rise, Holly sucked in a gasp as she looked down at the landscape in front of them. Snow had started to fall and lightly dusted the sea of red and white cattle while Andy and Brian worked with the two cowdogs to keep them from running off again.

  Unable to find words to adequately express how beautiful she found the scene, she mutely followed Seth down the hill. He positioned her and Molly in front of a pathway so the cattle wouldn’t try to escape down it while Andy served as the leader, riding in front of the cattle. Seth and Brian brought up the rear, driving the cattle forward, with the help of Bullet and Pistol.

  Holly grinned at Seth as he rode by. He quickly glanced ahead to make sure the cattle were going without any problem before he circled Steele around, came back, and gave her a quick kiss. “You sure make one pretty cowgirl,” he teased and touched his fingers to the brim of his hat before he hurried to catch up with the herd. Once the cattle were settled in the enclosure, Holly rode with the men back to the pasture where the cattle had knocked down the fence. Seth and the hands rode around, looking at the ground. Holly sat on Molly and stayed out of the way. The old mare seemed content to wait by the gate.

  “Over here!” Andy hollered, motioning to the others. Seth hurried over and jumped off Steele, bending down to look at something half-buried in the snow.

  Holly started over, but Seth put up a hand to stop her. “Don’t come closer, Holly. You don’t need to see this.”

  In spite of his warning, she rode over anyway and fought back tears to see a calf had been killed. Blood speckled the snow.

  “What did this?” she asked, shocked by the death of the sweet little baby. What if Ivy had been out there with Rudy? Would the tiny calf that was still smaller than the others have died instead of this one?

  “Cougar,” Seth said, swinging back on his horse. “See the claw marks in the snow where it tried to bury the carcass. Cats do that. If it was a coyote, the calf would be in pieces and left right where it was felled. Cats try to hide their prey, and they’re neat about it, too.” He released a heavy breath. “I’ll call fish and wildlife as soon as the office opens. They’ll send someone out.”

  Silence settled over them as they rode back to the house. Seth jumped off Steele and reached up, swinging Holly to the ground by the barn. “Go on in and get warmed up, Holly. There’s nothing more you can do out here.”

  She returned to the house and took a long hot shower after throwing the rest of her filthy clothes in the washing machine.

  Her mother called as Holly sat on the bed, combing through her abundance of damp curls. “Hi, Genie! How are you?”

  “I’m great, kiddo. What’s going on with you? I got your email the other day that said you’re at a new place. That ranch sounds like it is in the middle of nowhere. How are you doing without a coffee shop on every corner?”

  Holly laughed. “Quite well, actually. I love it here. It’s so peaceful and rugged, and beautiful.”

  Her mother made a noise that sounded like a disdainful snort. “The place is or the cowboy who runs the ranch? Didn’t you mention your patient lives there with his grandson? How old is the little boy?”

  A frown puckered Holly’s brow. “My patient is in his seventies. I think I wrote to you that he fell and dislocated his hip. I’m just helping him regain his mobility.”

  “Yes, darling. I got all that from your email. What you didn’t say is that someone there has turned your head. I’m your mother. I can read between the lines. So, if your patient is ol
d enough to be your grandpa, it must be the grandson. What’s he like?”

  Holly couldn’t help but wonder why it had taken her mother three weeks to read between those so-called lines because she’d sent the email a few days after she moved in. Genie always did things in her own time and way, but it often left Holly feeling unimportant and ignored. After a lifetime of it, though, Holly tried to convince herself she was used to how her mother treated her.

  When she didn’t say anything, her mother began jumping to conclusions. “Holly, please tell me you aren’t getting attached to that place, to that cowboy. You know how ridiculous that is. You aren’t programmed to settle down, sweetheart. You are as rootless as they come. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can change. You’ll always be a bird who is happiest when she can spread her wings and fly away unfettered.”

  She’d never admit it to her mother, but Holly had never felt happier in her life than she had the last few weeks.

  Holly suddenly wondered what would be so wrong about allowing someone to clip her wings and staying in one place. A month ago, she would have balked at the idea. But that was before she met Sam, moved to the ranch, and fallen in love with Seth. She wasn’t the same person she was a month ago, was she?

  Or was she just fooling herself?

  Had the magic of Christmas and the wonder of being drawn into the Stafford family caused her to convince herself life could be different, better.

  “Holly?” her mother sounded impatient. “What is going on?”

  “Nothing, Genie. I’m just doing my job. The snow is so deep, I’ve been stranded here since I came. It’s a long drive back to Portland anyway, so I cleared it with my supervisor to just stay at the ranch. I have a lovely room all to myself. My patient is making great progress. We’d originally figured on him needing help for about two months, but I think it will be closer to five or six weeks before I move on to my next case. The ranch is like something out of a movie, with horses, cattle, dogs, and hired hands that live in a bunkhouse. The cowboys tip their hats, have nice manners, and talk like John Wayne.”

  Genie laughed and Holly knew she’d managed to say what her mother wanted to hear.

  Her mother visited for a few more minutes, telling Holly the gifts she’d sent had arrived and she’d left them in the shipping box so she wouldn’t be tempted to open them before Christmas.

  “Just remember, sweetheart, it’s best if you don’t get attached to your patients or anyone else for that matter,” Genie said. “You never stay anywhere too long. You’re too much like me.”

  “I know, Mom,” Holly said, realizing her slip. She hadn’t called her that in years. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “I love you, kiddo. Call me on Christmas Day.”

  “Okay. Bye.”

  Holly flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. An hour ago, she felt like she could really and truly fit in on the ranch. She’d helped Seth with the horse, chased cows out of the yard, and even ridden Molly without falling off.

  But ten minutes of talking to her mother had brought reality crashing around her. Genie was right. Holly never formed lasting friendships. Never got into relationships. Never fully unpacked her suitcases. Holly never, ever stayed.

  Before she and Seth got any more involved, before they both ended up with broken hearts, she had to leave.

  No matter how much she adored Sam, cherished the home she’d found at the ranch, or loved Seth, she had to go.

  Now.

  Today.

  It took her less than ten minutes to pack the few things she’d taken from her suitcases.

  A call to Julie assured her the woman would locate a replacement and send them out as quickly as possible, but it might take a day or two.

  “Are you sure about this, Holly? Did something happen?” Julie asked, sounding concerned.

  “I’m sure. Seth and Sam have been incredible. It’s nothing they did. I just am feeling claustrophobic since I can’t get out of here. I need to get back to the city, I guess.” Holly wondered if her supervisor could tell she was lying. In fact, Holly had no idea where she’d go. For the next few nights, she’d look for an inexpensive hotel room, and then decide where to go from there. She’d most likely move on to a new place. The slight possibility she might run into Seth in Portland would necessitate the move. If she saw him by chance, it would obliterate what few little shreds of her heart would remain after she told him goodbye.

  Julie sighed. “I’ll see what I can do. Please let Mr. Stafford know I’ll get a replacement as quickly as I can, but you know how hard it is during the holiday season.”

  “I know, Julie, and I’m sorry. If I wasn’t…” Holly’s voice cracked. She took a deep breath, then another. “I have to leave.”

  “Okay, Holly. Come see me next week and we’ll get you a new assignment.”

  Holly disconnected the call with no intention of taking a new assignment. She’d go see Julie with a letter of resignation in hand. Maybe she’d move to the Oregon coast or perhaps head up to Seattle. Although, after being on the ranch, the thought of moving to Montana held a greater appeal than heading to a city that experienced more than its share of rain.

  Digging deep, Holly plastered a carefree smile on her face and went to have lunch with Seth and Sam.

  “The fish and wildlife guy said he’d be here around two. If he shows up and I miss him, just call my cell phone,” Seth said to Sam and Holly as he pulled on a dry pair of insulated coveralls and headed back out into the cold.

  Holly hurriedly did the lunch dishes, helped Sam with his exercises, then placed a call that was going to make Seth upset if he found out about it, which she hoped he wouldn’t.

  “Faraday Garage. May I help you?”

  “Is this Rhett?”

  “Yes.”

  “This is Holly Jones. I’m Sam Stafford’s nurse, Seth’s…” She almost said girlfriend. Is that what she was? What she’d been? What she hoped to be? The plan she’d set in motion would definitely destroy any chance of ever having a relationship with the good-hearted cowboy. “I’m Seth’s friend.”

  “How are you, Holly?” Rhett asked in a friendly voice.

  “Good. It was so nice to see you and Cedar at the tree lighting. She’s lovely, Rhett.”

  “She absolutely is.”

  She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke and tried to inflect a little more lightheartedness in hers. “I’m hoping you can help me with a little problem. Seth might have told you about my car being inadequate to navigate the driveway out here. At the rate things are going, it might be April before I can actually get my car out to the highway. I was wondering if you could tow it out for me?”

  “Sure, Holly. I can do that. Do you have somewhere you want me to take it?”

  “Would you mind parking it at your garage for now?” she asked. “But only if it won’t be in your way.”

  “No, that’s fine. I’ve got plenty of parking spaces in the back. I’ll leave it close to the building and you can get it whenever you want.” Rhett sounded like he was walking across the garage and she heard a squeaking noise, like one of his big bay doors closing. “I can leave here in about ten minutes to come get it. Is that okay?”

  “That would be perfect. Thank you.” Holly disconnected the call and hurried to her room. She changed into a pair of dark skinny jeans, a deep green sweater, and her knee-high black boots.

  The gifts she’d planned to give Seth and Sam that she’d hidden beneath her bed went under the tree. Holly fingered the soft needles on a branch that held an ornament that said, “Baby’s first Christmas.” Sam told her his wife had given it to Seth for his first Christmas.

  No two ornaments on the tree matched. They were all full of memories, though. The tree was a testament to years of joy and loss, of grief and laughter. And love. Such love.

  Holly would never have that. Never know any real traditions. Never rock a baby of her own in her arms.

  Tears stung her eyes as she returned to he
r room, changed the sheets on the bed and tossed them into the washer. She gathered her clothes from the dryer, added them to her suitcase and then carried all her belongings out to the garage and loaded them in her car.

  A few days after she arrived, Seth had dug out her car and parked it inside the garage, leaving his pickup out in the snow.

  That was the kind of man he was: good, gentle, helpful, kind, giving. A man who would make a wonderful husband and father for some lucky woman. But that woman couldn’t be her.

  On the verge of a full-fledged, curl into a ball and cry until she had no tears left meltdown, Holly took a cleansing breath of the frosty air and headed back inside.

  Rhett drove up in a flatbed tow truck and backed it up to the garage. Holly ran out to meet him.

  He hit a lever and hydraulics in the bed lifted it so the trailer rested at an incline, the end on the ground.

  “Thanks for coming on such short notice, Rhett. I really appreciate it,” she said, handing him a set of car keys.

  “No problem. I didn’t mind getting out of the garage for a while, anyway.” He took the keys from her and drove the car on the trailer. They watched as the trailer bed lifted and flattened.

  He blocked the car’s tires so it wouldn’t move then turned to Holly. “Do you want me to leave the keys locked in my garage or the car?”

  “In the car is great. I have another set. If you could leave them in the console, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Will do,” Rhett said, giving her a studying glance. “You sure you want me to leave this at the garage.”

  “Yes, please,” she said, wondering if Rhett had noticed her suitcases piled in the back. “How much do I owe you?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing, Holly. I don’t…”

  “How much, Rhett?” she smiled sweetly, but held her wallet in her hand.

  He told her the total and she took the exact change from her wallet, giving it to him.

  “Need a receipt?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No, but thank you.”