Page 33 of The Holiday Gift

“I’ll just take it all into the house now,” Addie said. “Thanks for the ride, Faith.”

“You’re very welcome,” she said.

After she strapped the bag over her shoulder and Chase handed her the sleeping bag, she waved at Faith and skipped into the house, humming a Christmas carol.

What a sweet girl, Faith thought again. She didn’t let her somewhat chaotic circumstances impact her enjoyment of the world around her. Faith could learn a great deal from the girl’s example.

“I’ll add my thanks to you for bringing her home,” Chase said. “I appreciate it, though I could have driven over to get her.”

“I really didn’t mind. I’ve got to run into Pine Gulch for a few things anyway. Can I bring you back anything from the grocery store?”

They did this sort of thing all the time. He would call her on his way to the feed store and ask if she needed anything. She would bring back a part from the implement store in Idaho Falls if she had to go for any reason.

She really hoped the easy, casual give-and-take didn’t change now that everything seemed so different.

“We could use paper towels, I guess,” he said, after a pause. “Oh, and dishwasher detergent and dish soap.”

“Sure. I can drop it off on my way home.”

“No rush. I’ll pick it up next time I come over.”

“Sounds good,” she answered. At his words, her smile turned more genuine. This seemed much like their normal interactions—and if he was talking about coming to the ranch again, at least he wasn’t so upset at her that he was going to penalize the kids by staying away.

“Did you hear Jim Laird messed up his knee?” he asked. “Apparently he slipped on ice and wrenched things and Doc Dalton sent him over to Idaho Falls for surgery yesterday. I wondered why he wasn’t at the party last night. I was hoping Mary Beth wasn’t in the middle of a relapse or something.”

She didn’t like hearing when bad things happened to their neighbors. Jim was a sweet older man in his seventies whose wife had multiple sclerosis. They ran a small herd of about fifty head and he often bought alfalfa from her.

“As if he didn’t have enough on his plate! What is Mary Beth going to do? She can’t possibly do the feedings in the winter by herself.”

“Wade Dalton, Justin Hartford and I are going to split the load for a few weeks, until he can get around again.”

He was always doing things like that for others in the community.

“I want into the rotation. I can take a turn.”

“Not necessary. The three of us have it covered.”

She narrowed her gaze. “For six months after Travis died, ranchers up and down the Cold Creek stepped up to help us at the Star N. I’m in a good place now, finally, and want to give back when I can.”

The ranch wouldn’t have survived without help from her neighbors and friends—especially Chase. She had been completely clueless about running a cattle ranch and would have been lost.

Now that she had stronger footing under her, she wanted to start doing her best to pay it forward.

Chase looked as if he wanted to argue but he must have seen the determination in her expression. After a moment, he gave an exasperated sigh.

“Fine. I’ll have Wade give you a call to work out the details.”

She smiled. “Thanks. I don’t mind the early-morning feedings either.”

“I’ll let Wade know.”

There. That was much more like normal. Celeste had to be wrong. Yes, Chase loved her—just as she loved him. They were dear friends. That was all.

“I better run to the store before the shelves are empty. You know how Saturdays get in town.”

“I do.”

“So paper towels, dish soap and dish detergent. You can pick up everything tomorrow when you come for dinner,” she said.

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