All That Glitters

by Lisa Prysock

  “So nice to meet you, Reverend and Mrs. Colten. Thank you so much for inviting us. With Amy’s accident, we didn’t really have a chance to make any holiday plans. This was very kind of you to include us.” Nicole immediately felt at home, the smell of roasting turkey wafting into the front room from the kitchen.

  “Something sure smells good,” Marie Beaumont commented.

  Going to the main house for a meal with most of the other ranch guests was out of the question with her daughter’s concussion, but Nicole had her parents and sister to consider. There’d be far too much activity and too many people around Amy to enjoy the main house Thanksgiving meal The Sweetwater offered ranch guests. She’d thought about staying at their cabin and ordering room service for all of them, but Amy was improving quickly and had been excited about the idea of meeting Cowboy Jack’s parents.

  Nicole agreed to a short excursion since Jack’s sister and family were going to be with her husband’s parents for the day. She didn’t want his family to be alone, and Jack had struggled with the idea of leaving them all day. They’d decided to leave an hour after the meal so Amy could spend the rest of the day at the cabin in peace and quiet, but Nicole’s parents and sister would join them for the meal, following them in a rental car to Jack’s family home.

  Looking around the pleasant house, she could picture his parents sitting in the two chairs by the fireplace in the evenings. A pretty curio containing a few figurines and other lovely items occupied one corner. A desk, built-in library shelves, and a rocking chair occupied another wall. They’d brought a few extra chairs into the living room to accommodate everyone.

  “You’re going to be my grandma and grandpa,” Amy announced from the sofa with a smile on her face. “It’s nice to finally meet you both. My mom and I have kinda adopted Cowboy Jack.”

  Amy’s announcement was so matter of fact that the room paused and then everyone chuckled.

  “Cowboy Jack?” His mother repeated with a friendly and amused smile, unoffended by Amy’s remarks. “That’s really cute and it suits our son perfectly.”

  “How do you know all of this, Miss Amy?” Reverend Colten asked with a grin a mile wide.

  “Oh, I just know. Jesus tells me stuff.” Amy looked around the room as she propped a pillow under one of her arms.

  “I believe the child is calling forth those things that are not yet,” Reverend Colten remarked as he sank back into his chair with an approving nod.

  Several thoughts ran through Nicole’s mind over the next few moments. Talking to the Lord seemed natural to Amy, and Nicole could only wish it was still the same in her own spiritual life. Though she’d maintained a conversation with God over the years, it had been one full of doubts, fears, frustration, hopes, confusion, lengthy spaces with no conversation at all, and questions. Most times, it was one-sided, and she hadn’t become very good at listening for His voice.

  She marveled at her daughter’s words with a patient smile, accustomed to her blunt personality. Amy had always been drawn to anything about God. Brooke had done more to teach her about the Lord than she had, but after He had answered her prayers and saved her daughter’s life, she thought maybe a new priority in life should be cultivating her daughter’s natural bent toward things above—as soon as she had a handle on what was happening to her own heart.

  Maybe the Lord had shown something to Amy, but Nicole decided now wasn’t the time to prod her any further. Jack and everyone else in the room didn’t seem to be uncomfortable with the statement, so why should she worry about it? They probably shrugged it off because of her age. Ultimately, she and Jack might not end up together, but only time would tell.

  As these thoughts flitted through her mind, Nicole continued to take in her surroundings as she stepped to the sofa to cover Amy with a quilt.

  Jack chimed into the conversation to save the day. “Amy, you just keep on talking to the Lord. He talks to me too, sometimes. Ever since I was a kid, He’s shown me visions of horses and lighthouses. Don’t ask me why, but it’s always stuck with me. They fill me with a sense of purpose, like working with ranches and horses most of my life. You know, our Savior is like a lighthouse, guiding us into safety from the storms of life.”

  Nicole couldn’t help but smile contentedly as she continued to make her only child comfortable, quietly listening to Jack’s words and pondering Amy’s remark. It was so sweet of her cowboy and his father to be voices of spiritual wisdom. Jack’s father sounded like a powerhouse and she hadn’t even heard him preach.

  “I knew you’d get it, Cowboy Jack and Grandpa Colten,” Amy responded.

  When Nicole finished fussing over her daughter, she noticed the curtains and sofa were in comforting, warm shades like a rich, shimmery brown sugar, with sage green and cream accents about the room. The television volume was on low, but she could see Jack’s father had been watching a Thanksgiving Day parade. It was the perfect environment for Amy to relax and enjoy the day between catnaps. It reminded her in many ways of her own Victorian home, except the rooms in her Santa Monica home were a little more spacious and updated, with larger furnishings, but in similar styles.

  “It’s really good to see you, son. How do you like working at The Sweetwater?” Jack’s father asked as the men sat down to watch the parade from the two chairs by the fireplace.

  “It’s going fine, Dad. It keeps me busy. Happy Thanksgiving,” Jack answered, pulling up one of the extra chairs to sit nearby. “I’m still adapting. It’s good to be closer to home.”

  “We think so, too, son. Happy Thanksgiving to you also. We’re glad you’re close enough to visit often.” Turning to Nicole’s father, Lawrence, Jack’s father asked if he had a favorite football team.

  “Can we help you set the table or with anything in the kitchen, Mrs. Colten?” Marie asked.

  Looking into the dining room to their right, Nicole could see the table already looked festive with a white linen tablecloth, his mother’s best china, matching silverware, goblets for water glasses, and a cornucopia centerpiece on a linen runner flanked by candles.

  “Marie, right? We’re glad to have you all the way from Wisconsin, and so pleased Amy is recovering. Now please don’t feel like you need to do anything. I’ve got some Thanksgiving and Christmas themed coloring books and crayons for her on the coffee table.” Jack’s mother indicated the stack of coloring books and the large box of crayons on the table beside the sofa. “I’ve set the table, but if you’d prefer to help me in the kitchen, I’m sure I can find a few things for you to do. Nicole, would you like to follow me into the kitchen, or stay here with Amy and Mallory?”

  “How about if I do a little of both?” Nicole suggested as Amy reached for the coloring books. “I like helping in the kitchen and I’ll wander out here and check on Amy and the boys now and then. I’m sure Mallory will keep an eye on her since she’s enjoying the parade.”

  “That’s a good idea, Nicole,” his mother replied. “I’ve got an extra apron for you ladies in the kitchen. You can call me Lynn. My husband’s name is Murray.”

  As they followed Lynn through the dining room, they passed a polished, cherry wood, buffet server opposite a matching hutch with pretty glass doors displaying beautiful dishes. The top of the buffet held two pumpkin and two apple pies. They weren’t store-bought pies. Nicole could tell all four were baked from scratch and fresh from the oven.

  Nicole admired the cream lace curtain panels tied with forest green velvet ribbons at the two, front dining room windows—the hems of which rested in billowy piles on the hardwood floor. Everything was neat as a pin and organized nicely, including the bookshelves built into the walls in both rooms, filled with books. The Colten household delighted and warmed the senses with an old-fashioned, country simplicity, much like her childhood home. She was sure her parents felt at home, too.

  Lynn paused at the buffet and opened a drawer. “Here’s an extra apron for each of you. Nicole, this one is the apron Myra wears sometimes when she’s helping me. I�
��m sorry you won’t be able to meet my daughter, son-in-law, and my grandchildren today. They spend every other year with Edward’s family.”

  As she stepped into the kitchen where potatoes were boiling on the stove and a pan of gravy simmering, sweet corn with butter in another pan, and the oven filled with turkey and more trimmings, she thought they had so much to be thankful for this year. Being in Jack’s home with her family and his, recipients of their amazing Wyoming hospitality, with her daughter alive, was the best feeling in the whole world. She had a full heart and a tremendous amount of thanksgiving to offer to the Lord. Tying her apron on, Nicole thought she could hardly wait until the moment they would bow their heads in prayer around the table.

  DREW COULDN’T BELIEVE he’d somehow missed them again. There was no answer at cabin eight where the front desk clerk had directed him, and he could tell it looked empty. He thought about texting Nicole. Then he decided against ruining the surprise of his visit. What if he ruined their Thanksgiving dinner if they’d been invited somewhere?

  Maybe he should have some brunch and check into a room or a cabin on the ranch first. After he had some coffee and something to eat, he’d be able to think more clearly. The small amount of sleep he’d had on the plane while his personal pilot commanded the aircraft hadn’t been that restful. He might consider a nap until they returned, and check back in a few hours. Surely they wouldn’t be gone long with Amy in her condition. Perhaps they’d stepped out to the store and would be back momentarily. He was getting tired of carrying the roses around and Wyoming was ridiculously cold.

  Chapter 21

  “One of the dangers of having a lot of money is that you may be quite satisfied with the kinds of happiness money can give, and so fail to realize your need for God.”

  —C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

  Finding Drew at The Sweetwater had definitely been a surprise to Nicole, perhaps more along the lines of mild shock. It wasn’t that she hadn’t suspected he might show up in Wyoming for a long weekend, rather she hadn’t expected him to lay aside his busy schedule for Amy’s crisis.

  Nicole answered the door to her cabin wearing her hair in a messy bun with a bright purple scrunchy, an oversized t-shirt, and purple and red plaid, flannel pajama pants. She had dozed off in the recliner where she could be close to Amy, waking her every two hours like the doctor had said to do for another twenty-four hours. Recovering from her initial shock, she closed her mouth and then opened it again to manage, “Come inside.”

  “Thanks,” he said, handing her another bouquet of roses and clutching a package under his other arm.

  “They’re beautiful, thank you.” Nicole laid them on the counter beside most of the other arrangements he’d sent. She saw Drew noticed them right away and looked pleased.

  Her parents and sister had returned to their hotel to rest after the delicious home-cooked meal with the Coltens. They’d be catching a flight back to Wisconsin in the morning, their relationship more intact than ever before. It hadn’t been necessary to hash out the complexities of her icy cold relationship with Mallory. They had been able to lay aside their differences and pick up where they’d left off before growing apart. It would take some nurturing, but Mallory had even promised to call her more often, and Nicole would reciprocate. She’d promised to have breakfast with them before their flight and visit more often, too. She also texted her brother Chip, thanking him and Selena for hosting Thanksgiving in his home—and inviting Mallory’s husband and kids so she could have time with her sister. He’d texted back that they would continue to pray for Amy’s full recovery and sent her a corny turkey joke, which was totally his personality and made her laugh.

  Once they’d settled in Jack’s truck for the return drive to The Sweetwater from his family farm, she’d pulled up her cell phone notebook and added ‘wrap and mail Christmas gifts for family in Wisconsin’ to her to-do list. After that, all she’d been able to think about was Jack’s statement about his visions of horses and lighthouses. She hadn’t spoken to him about the possibility of her taking the role for the leading actress in The Lady of Cornwall or shown him the lighthouse on the book cover. She couldn’t help but feel as though the discussion had been a significant signpost in the road from heaven where her journey in life intersected with Jack’s.

  “Who’s at the door, Mommy?” Amy asked from the sofa where Jack had carried her inside the cabin and deposited her. He’d returned to his RV to rest, thankful Logan had given all of the wranglers the rest of the day off. The barns were closed for the holiday, but surely no one on the ranch would complain. The elaborate meal she’d heard the main house had provided would be more than sufficient for guests, and who wouldn’t mind spending a quiet afternoon in the beautiful cabins, or taking a leisurely walk on the property?

  “How’s Amy?” he asked, following her into the living room, looking around at everything. He held out the wrapped package in his arms, adding, “I brought her an early Christmas gift. I went shopping when I realized you weren’t at the hospital and not here, either.”

  “Oh, goodness, I’m sorry we missed you. It’s been so crazy these past few days. Jack—the wrangler who drove Amy and me to the emergency room—invited us to Thanksgiving since my folks are here and he didn’t want to leave us alone. They fly out tomorrow morning. She’s doing a little better every day, but still has a concussion,” Nicole explained, indicating he could sit on the far end of the sofa as she settled back into the recliner.

  Drew patted Amy’s arm. “How ya feeling, kiddo?”

  Amy looked bewildered and sat up, withdrawing into the corner of the sofa as far away from him as possible. She looked at him blankly and blinked, her brow furrowing. “You look kinda familiar, but I don’t think I know you.”

  “Sure, you remember me, Amy...it’s me, Drew.” He looked at her and then at Nicole. “Drew Fairchild, from the studio where your mom works.”

  Amy shook her head sleepily and yawned. “No, I’m sorry, I don’t remember you.”

  Drew proceeded gently, concern written on his face. “Well, I’m sure you’ll remember me later. You’ve been swimming at my house at least a dozen times.”

  Nicole’s mouth dropped open in surprise for the second time in less than ten minutes. Apparently, Amy’s long-term recall had suffered some damage. He looked at her again and she shrugged. She’d have to mention it to the doctors on Monday after the holiday weekend, when they’d had some time to catch up on their rest. She knew he and Amy weren’t close, but it was yet another glaring indication of how little they’d bonded.

  “In any case, I brought you a Christmas gift since I don’t know if I’ll see you then. I’d like for you to open it now, if it’s all right with your mom.” He held out the gift for her with two hands. “You’ll need to sit up to unwrap it. It’s a little bit on the heavy side.”

  Amy raised an eyebrow. “Should I open it now, Mom?”

  “Sure, I don’t see why not. Go ahead. Thanks, Drew. That was really sweet of you to think of her.” Nicole reached for her phone, leaning forward to take a photo while Amy unwrapped the gift, throwing aside the pretty wrapping paper.

  “Wow! My very own skateboard! It’s pink, too. I always wanted one. Thanks, Mister...” Amy was all smiles, but behind her eyes was a look that said she was confused by the mystery of who Drew might be. Obviously, she had no memory of him at all and his presence made her uncomfortable.

  “You’re not going to be able to ride it right now, but maybe next spring, okay?” Drew looked a little nervous now that he’d given her the gift. “This is something you can ride when you’re all better, but not right now. Of course, you’ll have to be very careful with it.”

  Amy nodded. “Thanks, and I’ll be careful.”

  “Why don’t we step into the kitchen and talk so she can rest,” Nicole suggested. She had so many emotions bubbling to the surface and didn’t want Amy to hear them converse. She could hardly believe Drew had chosen such a dangerous gift. What if Amy fell on th
e same spot where the lump was on her head? Although she knew a lot of kids had skateboards, in this case, it seemed completely inappropriate. His timing couldn’t have been any worse.

  “Sounds good. Get some rest, kiddo.” Drew patted Amy on the arm again. Nicole could tell he was trying to be affectionate. Then he followed her into the kitchen so her daughter could doze off again.

  Silently, she fumed, her brows furrowing as she set about making two cups of coffee with the Keurig. She placed cream and sugar on the table, and then sat down with him where they could look outside the windows of the charming kitchen to watch the snow falling.

  “Thanks for coming, Drew.” Nicole began, searching for his eyes.

  “Of course. There’s no need to thank me. I only wish I could’ve been here sooner. If I’d known...” His voice trailed off. She was thankful he didn’t lecture her for not calling him immediately.

  She added cream to her cup and stirred her coffee, looking down into the cup until she was finished. “Drew, we need to talk.”

  “I’m all ears.” He ran a hand through his blond hair and sat back as she looked up into his handsome, brown eyes. He was a good-looking man, but she had to be honest with him. Wasn’t honesty part of being a Christian?

  “I can’t marry you, Drew.” He opened his mouth to protest and she held a hand up to stop him. “Wait, please. Just listen for a few minutes. Give me the courtesy of hearing me out.”

  He sighed. “All right, go ahead. I guess I owe you that much, but I’m not giving up that easily.”

  She sighed, knowing this was going to be one of the most difficult conversations she’d ever have with anyone. Getting Drew to listen was a remarkable feat. He was so busy with the studio, and they were usually too tired for serious talk whenever she was filming. She decided to plunge in to all of her reasons and be completely forthright, as much as possible. Maybe it’d help him in his next relationship. “Drew, you’ve been my best friend, besides Brooke, for the past five years.”