Page 30 of Hard Candy Christmas

“You okay?”

I looked over at my dad as he sat down beside me.

“I don’t know. That was the last thing I expected to hear.” I paused, collecting my thoughts for a moment as the flurries drifted down. “I mean, it’s for a good reason. And I know Betty, stubborn as a mule when she gets in her own head. And she always thinks she knows what’s best. And in most cases, she does.

“But this, Dad? This? She’s my grandma too, I would have been by her side, helping her in any way I could have. The ranch has more than enough funds. It’s damn pride that kept her from saying something.”

“And damn pride that kept you two apart?”

Leave it to my dad to hit the nail on the head. I wasn’t upset that Betty kept her secrets. Hell, we all knew she had some. And it wasn’t like we didn’t suspect, or at least my parents did. But it bothered me so much more because had she just been open, I wouldn’t have lost all these years with Belinda.

“Can I ask you something, son?”

“Sure, dad.”

“What were you like ten years ago?”

“I was a young man in the prime of his life having fun with the woman he loved.”

“There are some keywords in there. Prime, fun, young. Do you think you were ready to settle down and take on the job of this ranch? Do you think you would have stayed put and been the man Belinda needed you to be.”

He sat forward, his fingertips pressing together as he regarded me.

“Even better, do you think she was ready? Ready to be the wife you needed, to be the partner you needed, to step up and run this place too?”

It was on the tip of my tongue to say yes, but looking back, no, she wasn’t. And in fact, neither was I. The love was there, sure. But we were both young. We needed time to grow, time to become the actual adults we needed to be.

“No, she wasn’t.”

“There would have been nothing wrong with you two getting married then, having a life, kids, having it all. But there would have been a time when the fights would have gotten ugly, would have gotten bad, and I’m not sure that the love you all had would have survived that.

“You all weren’t bad kids, don’t think that. But there was just some more growing you two needed to do, and being a part was going to help a whole lot more than being together.”

“Have I told you, Dad, that I hate when you can be insightful?”

He chuckled and leaned back in his seat.

“I know you do. And you’ll get there too. Someday, hopefully soon, I’ll be out here on this front step, my grandbaby on my leg, and you being the insightful one.”

“Woah, baby? Where is that coming from?”

“Oh, Chase, don’t call me a fool. I know damn good and well you got a ring in your drawer, waiting to spring it on the lady inside.”

My mouth dropped open at that comment, which he only laughed at. Did my freaking parents really know everything?

“I mean, the hickey, son, was a dead giveaway you two were back together.”

“Well, it was a starting point.”

He stood up and slapped my back, giving me a wink.

“Whatever it was, it’s you two again. Which means it’s only a matter of time before you ask her and then it’s only a matter of time before babies pop out.”

I couldn’t help but shake my head at his antics, or his thought process.

Four hours later, I leaned against the wall with my booted foot crossed over the other as I watched a very full family open their presents. It was pure chaos in the Montgomery household with squeals, hoots, and hollers, but I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.

This was my family, this was how we were, and I loved it. At least only for this one day. Any other day, I was over it.

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