Page 53 of Wish For Me

The Rolling Hills Ranch is a few miles west of the Rolling Hills resort, nestled in the trees with a view of the river and town below.

The proprietor, a woman in her sixties who introduces herself as Sarah, is apparently a close friend of the Kelly family. She hugs each of them in turn, growing teary-eyed when she gets to Leif’s Uncle Seamus, giving him the longest hug of all.

“She’s Seamus’s stepmother,” Leif whispers. “Seamus’s dad—her husband—passed last year.”

Leif’s been giving me Cliff’s notes of this whole huge gang of Kelly family members. My chest clenches at that, just like it did when Leif told me his grandfather wasn’t going to be here since his health had declined so much in the past year.

The furry hood of Leif’s Parka tickles my cheek every time he whispers in my ear, which is painfully sweet, and just one more thing making me think coming on this ride was a bad way to say goodbye.

Just like Leif picking me up and peppering me with questions about my life like it’s more interesting than him having gone to space, or him bringing cookies his Grandfather made to give out on the ride but first showing me his Grandpa made me one shaped in the letter N with eight different kinds of sprinkles on it.

Sarah straightens her long sable-colored coat and says, “Welcome, all of you to the Rolling Hills Ranch. I know most of you are more than familiar with us and have enjoyed time with the horses for years, but for those of you I haven’t met”—she smiles at me—“I’d like to extend an extra-special welcome.” She clears her throat. “As many of you know, this ranch was the retirement passion project of my husband Jamie. If you all knew Jamie, you’d know only he wanted to do more work when he retired.”

Several of the Kellys laugh.

She’s quiet for a moment and I realize she’s trying to gather her composure. Seamus wraps an arm around her shoulder. I have to keep myself from holding Leif’s hand.

“One of Jamie’s favorite times of year,” Sarah says, “was when he got to stable the wagons and pull out the sleighs, our biggest and best you’ll see coming our way now.”

Down a snowy path, two hands pull open the doors of the enormous red barn, and a team of two giant horses leading an enormous red sleigh emerge. It’s beautifully theatrical, and I can’t help my breath from catching at the sight of the beautiful animals, with their furred brown coats and blond manes. Their breath puffs out around them as they move toward us.

The person leading the horses is a pretty woman around Leif’s age, with pink cheeks and a sparkling grin.

“Imogennnnnn” Enzo whoops. She waves from the top of the sleigh and everyone cheers.

“My cousin,” Leif says. “Seamus’s daughter, Jamie’s granddaughter.” He meets my eye. “You wishing you didn’t come yet?”

Yes. Kind of. But only because his family’s been so welcoming to me; so warm and friendly, like I’m here to stay. I shake my head. “Of course not.”

The truth is I do wish I hadn’t come, but also…there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

Leif grins, but it only lasts a moment as he looks up over my head. I turn to see an older man and woman approaching the crowd from the parking lot. They make a striking couple: the man’s got silver hair and a beard and wears a puffy black jacket. The woman is stunning, with streaks of silver in her blonde curls, a perfectly tailored long wool coat and red leather gloves. She smiles radiantly at everyone as she searches the crowd.

“Your parents,” I say, my stomach flipping. I’ve heard so much about them over all these years, I feel like I know them. Yet we’ve never met.

Leif clears his throat, his jaw ticking.

Leif’s features don’t exactly match his dad’s, but there’s still an almost uncanny resemblance; a similarity in their comportment.

Nerves dance in my belly and I find myself gripping my hands in front of me as his mom smiles, spotting Leif.

When they get to us, Leif’s mom gives her son a giant hug, then looks at me and smiles even harder. “You must be Noelle.”

“Hi, Mrs. Kelly.” I go to shake her hand, but she gives me a hug instead.

“Sasha, please,” she says, grasping my shoulders with those red-gloved hands. “It’s so nice to meet you, sweetheart. You’re just as pretty as Leif said you were all those years ago.”

“Mom!” Leif says.

Someone calls her over and she reluctantly lets me go. “I’ll be back.”

I turn back to face Leif’s dad, whose face is even scowlier than my dad’s. But as he extends his hand to mine, he smiles, the lines between his eyebrows softening. “Good to meet you, Noelle. We’ve heard so much about you.”

“All good, I hope?” I say.

“Seeing as everything I’ve heard is from your father, yes, it was all glowing. Haven’t heard much since you graduated from Julliard though. That’s around when he retired, isn’t it?”

“You know my dad?” I ask. I look at Leif, but he looks equally surprised.

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