The response from his daughters was negative and immediate. Lizzie shouted her disapproval of the decision and demanded to speak to Juniper herself, to convince her to come. Thora’s lower lip quivered, and Alex could see how hard she was fighting not to cry. The worst, though, was Sophia. As Alex searched her face, he saw some of the light he had seen there as of late start to dim. She looked so disappointed, but also like a part of her had expected this all along. It was a look that said even at her age, she understood that most happy things were too good to be true—or at least, too good to last.

  “Hey, Alex? Do you mind helping me in the kitchen for a minute?”

  Alex jumped when he heard the sound of his dad’s voice. He hadn’t realized that any of the other adults in the house were up yet. Also, he didn’t love the idea of his dad having seen his girls’ reaction to the news of Juniper. He already knew what his father would say. He really didn’t want to spend Christmas morning getting another iteration of the lecture about how He Should Put the Ranch First, or maybe the old classic Letting a Woman Distract Him Would Mean He Failed to Fulfill His Responsibilities. He’d done what he was sure his father wanted—he’d given Juniper up. Wasn’t that enough? Did he have to get the lecture, too?

  Still, he stood. “Sure, Dad. I’ll be right there.”

  His father was in his wheelchair right inside the kitchen. He was at a perfect angle to have seen everything that had just passed between Alex and the girls, and any hope Alex harbored that he might not have caught the whole show evaporated.

  He didn’t look reproachful, though, which came as something of a surprise. Instead, he looked concerned. Maybe even a little sad. That was just about the last thing Alex expected to see.

  “What’s going on, Dad?” he asked carefully. “What can I help you with?”

  Here, again, Alex’s father surprised him. “I don’t actually need anything. That part was a lie, but only a white one, so I think it’s okay, don’t you?”

  “I guess it is,” Alex agreed with a chuckle. “But if you don’t need help –“

  “I don’t,” Dad reiterated, his brow wrinkling with concern. “But I think maybe you do. And I would like to give it to you, if I can. I don’t think I’ve done enough of that over the last few years.”

  Alex was taken aback. For a second, he just stood there in stunned silence. He couldn’t remember his father ever speaking to him so earnestly. “Alright. What do I need help with?”

  His dad nodded, more to himself than to Alex. “Look, I’ve always wanted you to do right by your family and by the ranch. I’ve always felt that the ranch should come first. It’s our legacy—the backbone of our family. I think you know that.”

  “I do,” Alex agreed, some of his trepidation coming back. This was starting to sound like the same old lecture after all. “Ever since I was Lizzie’s age, you’ve been telling me that as the oldest son, the ranch was going to be my responsibility, and that I needed to take it seriously. And I really have tried, Dad.”

  His father nodded slowly, still looking thoughtful. “I know you have. I always knew you would. I just didn’t think you’d end up taking over as early as you did—and without Fiona or your mother around to help. Losing Fiona, and then the accident…you ended up with a lot on your shoulders sooner than I would have liked. But you’ve done well, son. I’m proud of you.”

  Alex was shocked. He’d believed, of course, that his father approved of the job that he’d done, and he’d hoped that he was making his father proud, but Abbott Harvey was not a man to speak his feelings aloud very often, and Alex couldn’t deny that he was moved.

  “Thank you, Dad. I really appreciate that,” he managed to say.

  “You put the ranch first, which is what I always told you to do,” his father continued. “Because that was what I always did. I don’t think I realized…” He cleared his throat, and Alex wondered if he was actually getting a little choked up. “Your mother was a wonderful woman, son. After we lost her, I knew that life was never going to be the same around here. So it didn’t surprise me that things felt a little dimmer, a little less joyful. I thought that was just what life without her was like. But then that girl of yours came around, and showed me I was wrong.”

  “That girl of mine?” Alex repeatedly blankly. “You mean Juniper?”

  “Well, of course I mean Juniper,” his dad said grouchily, sounding much more like himself. “Who else have we been talking about?” Then he seemed to catch himself, and he took a deep breath before starting again. “Anyway, that girl of yours brought joy back to this house in a way I didn’t even think was possible. She brought joy to your girls. She brought joy to you. I know I always said the ranch came first—but this house is part of the ranch, and doing what’s right for this family means not turning away joy when you find it. It’s—it’s been good to see you smile, son. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of that.”

  Abbott reached out and patted awkwardly at Alex’s arm. “Getting involved might complicate some things for you. It’ll take some time away from other things. That’s just life. But I raised you to be a hard worker, and I think you can find a little time for yourself without letting down the girls or the ranch, if you’re willing to try.”

  He sat back in his wheelchair and eyed Alex contemplatively. “And now that you’ve found someone who can bring out that smile, do you really want to let her go?”

  Juniper sat on her couch with her feet curled beneath her and a cup of tea on her little side table. It was peppermint tea, which she had made for herself in an effort to work up some Christmas spirit. But she had been too lost in her own thoughts to take more than a sip, and now it was cold. A cup of cold tea was pretty much the opposite of holiday cheer, as far as Juniper was concerned.

  She was fully prepared to spend the day in isolation. As miserable as the prospect was, a part of her was even looking forward to it. It certainly fit her current mood. She was deep in a well of self pity and she knew it. She just didn’t have the energy to try and pull herself back out of it again. So, when the unexpected knock on her front door came, she wasn’t particularly happy about it. She was more in the mood to wallow than she was to have to put on a fake happy face for company.

  She opened the door a crack, and Margot practically slammed her way inside. When the door was shut again, she turned and surveyed Juniper with a critical eye.

  “Oh, girl,” she said with a low, disapproving whistle. “I love you like a sister, but this is not a good look for you.”

  Juniper glanced down at herself and felt a twinge of embarrassment. “What, you don’t think rumpled pjs at one in the afternoon will become the next big thing in the fashion world?”

  “No,” Margot said. “I most certainly do not.”

  Juniper sighed and returned to her place on the couch. She had an idea that before long, she was going to start growing roots there. Eventually, she would never be able to move again.

  “Well, that’s too bad, because this is as good as it’s going to get,” she told Margot, who was starting to look a little worried. “Although, please, if I start coming into the shop like this, you need to stage some kind of an intervention.”

  Margot strode across the room and sat on the edge of the coffee table so that Juniper couldn’t avoid her face. “I’m not going to wait that long. Tell me what’s going on, honey. What’s got you in this sad state?”

  Listening to Margot’s question, Juniper told herself that she would not cry. She had never been comfortable with putting her emotions out there for all of the world to see. Unfortunately, before her friend was even done talking, Juniper was mortified to find that her eyes were brimming with tears.

  “It’s over,” she whispered, utterly wretched now. “Things with Alex, I mean. He told me yesterday, after the brunch. He’s afraid that the girls have gotten too attached, and we needed to stop before they got hurt. And I can understand that, can’t you? He has to look out for them. They’re his family. If I didn’t fit in the picture, then he was right to tell me to go.”

  Margot reached out and took both of Juniper’s hands in hers. There was no hint of her usual sarcasm and fire now. Juniper saw only the love of a dear friend.

  “Juniper, honey, I know that family is a hard topic for you, but I need you to listen to me now, okay? And I need you to try and really hear me.”

  “Alright,” Juniper agreed with a little hiccup. “I’ll try.”

  “Just because you didn’t get to grow up with a big family who loved you doesn’t mean you can’t fit into one,” Margot said, squeezing Juniper’s hand gently. “And, more importantly, it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve one. You deserve so many good things. And who says that those girls of his would be better off without you? I see you with kids all of the time, Juniper. You’re a natural with them. Seriously. Any kid that gets to have you in her life as a regular fixture is a lucky one.”

  “That’s very sweet of you to say.”

  Margot shook her head. “No, I’m not just being sweet. It’s true. You are such a loving and giving person, and you deserve to be happy. You also deserve a man who can give you everything your heart desires, not just the things you think you should be limited to.”

  It was a hard thing to hear, mostly because there was real truth in it. She had spent so long thinking that family wasn’t for her, that she’d never have that kind of life. She’d tried to find fulfillment in other things—things like her art, her business. But now she was forced to face the fact that she wanted a family—and she was never going to have one if she kept talking herself out of it, kept letting herself believe that it wasn’t what she deserved.

  Margot stood and continued, almost as though she were reading Juniper’s mind. “Look, the shop is doing really well now, right? And your booth at the craft show is going to be a hit, just like it is every year. I can already see that much. On top of that, you’re in a place where you can afford to maybe hire some part-time help.”

  “Help?” Juniper repeated in surprise. “But why?”

  “Because,” Margot answered with an exasperated laugh. “Things at work are humming right along. And it’s time you stopped using your work as an excuse not to bother with a personal life. Don’t you think it’s time you start thinking about what kind of life you have waiting for you when you get home? You need to start focusing some of that famous energy of yours on what that home looks like. And how it feels when you’re there.”

  Juniper’s throat was too thick with emotion to answer, but she nodded so that Margot knew she was listening, and that she would really consider what Margot was saying.

  And she did, too. As soon as Margot left, Juniper hopped in the shower and made herself presentable again. As she did so, Margot’s words and their implications were just about the only thing she thought about. Until very recently, she hadn’t had a clue what she wanted her personal life to include. Now, she knew exactly what she wanted. She just had to figure out if it was something she could really have, or if what she had just lost was really gone for good.

  18

  It was one thing knowing that she wanted to build a life with Alex and his lovely girls. That was easy enough. Going about getting them back in her life, however, was another matter entirely. She was used to being a go-getter in her business. That was a role she was very comfortable with. But she had never before set her eyes on a person and gone after what she wanted when it came to her personal life. All she had to do was look at her long-ago longing for Alex—without ever dreaming of telling him what she felt—to know that much was true.

  She was at a loss until a little wrapped package in the corner of the room caught her eye. Upon further inspection, she realized it was the tea set she had helped Alex make for his daughters. Seeing it brought back that night with shocking vividness, and it was enough to leave her feeling momentarily breathless. That had been the night they shared their first kiss. It had felt like the start of everything for the two of them.

  Feeling slightly foolish, she rehearsed what she would say if Alex picked up the phone. When she felt reasonably sure she wasn’t going to sound like a total idiot, or burst into tears, she dialed his number and held the phone up to her ear. Her heart was beating so loudly she wasn’t sure she would be able to hear him, and there was a pretty big part of her that was hoping it would just go to voicemail. It was Christmas Day, after all, and unlike her, Alex had a bunch of family to surround him and occupy his time.

  Instead of the voicemail, Alex picked up on the second ring. In the background, Juniper could hear the girls’ delighted chatter and general havoc-wreaking. It made her smile, despite her clanging nerves. “Juniper? Is that you?”

  “Yes,” she answered hesitantly. “Is this a bad time? I mean, I know it probably is, but –”

  “No,” he interrupted quickly. “I’m glad you called. I was actually just about to try and get in touch with you.”

  “Were you?” Juniper wasn’t able to hide her surprise. This wasn’t the response she had been expecting.

  “I was indeed,” he said, and if she didn’t know better, she would have said he sounded nervous. Which made zero sense, since he was the one who had ended things. If one of them stood to lose here, it was undoubtedly her.

  She did her best to collect herself. “Okay, well, I just found the tea set you painted for the girls. It’s all wrapped up and ready for you to give to them. I know Christmas is a busy day, but I was wondering if I could drop it by. I just want you to be able to give it to them on Christmas Day. I think it will be really special for them.”

  “I want that, too,” he said in a slightly thick voice. “But you don’t need to drop it by the house. I was going to ask if you would be willing to meet me at your uncle’s ranch. I have the rest of the wood I promised you.”

  “Oh! That’s very sweet, but you don’t have to do that.” She was touched that he would think about something like that on a day as busy as Christmas.

  “I know, but I would like to,” he said firmly. “If that’s okay with you.”

  It was very okay with her. She was practically vibrating with excitement as she climbed into her car, although she tried to temper the feeling. Alex wanting to give her some building materials was kind, but it in no way meant he wanted them to reconcile romantically. He was just the kind of man who followed through on his commitments, and he had promised to give her that wood.

  She was so nervous about what she was about to try and do that her hands shook on the steering wheel. The feeling only grew when she arrived at the ranch and saw no sign of Alex’s truck. She didn’t think he would just change his mind and not show up, but she was feeling particularly vulnerable right now. She had a sense that a strong wind could knock her over and then blow her away.

  While she waited, she headed for the barn. It was a place that had always comforted her when she was a child and so terribly alone. Now, it housed some of the work she was proudest of, and being amongst those pieces had a calming effect on her.

  She was so used to what she would find when she stepped inside that, for a moment, her brain couldn’t compute what she saw now. The first thing she noticed was that Alex’s truck was pulled up beside the barn’s side door, which stood open. Close to the door was a massive pile of wood that must have taken ages to collect and a good deal of effort to unload on his own. The most dazzling element of all, however, was the light. He must have flown to the barn after their conversation, or else done some of this work before even speaking to her. Because the whole barn was completely lit up with twinkle lights. He had made her very own Christmas miracle, and she had never seen it coming.

  For the second time this day, her eyes welled up with tears. Her hands flew to her mouth and she laughed with delight even as the tears brimmed her eyes. Never in her life had anyone done something like this for her. No matter what came next, she knew that she would remember it for the rest of her life.

  “Damn, you’re already here! I was hoping to intercept you and bring you to the barn myself.”

  Juniper whirled around at the sound of Alex’s voice and saw him standing a few paces behind her, an anxious look on his face. Before she could stop herself, she rushed forward to meet him. It was a good thing she had left the wrapped tea set in the car because she would have smashed it when she hugged him.

  “What is this?” she cried delightedly, finally letting him go. “What is all of this for?”

  “Well, it’s an apology,” he said humbly, his eyes wide and full of feeling. “Or the start of one. I think I have quite a bit to apologize for.”

  Despite the bitter chill and the whipping wind, Alex was sweating bullets. The last time he had been anything approaching this nervous was when he’d asked Fiona to marry him, and he hadn’t been trying to make up for being a horse’s ass at that point. Sadly, that couldn’t be said for his treatment of Juniper. She deserved better, and if she would let him, he was going to show her that he was ready and able to give her all the happiness she deserved.

  “You don’t need to apologize,” she said sweetly, looking up at him with eyes that made him want to melt.

  “But I do,” he insisted. “I was scared, and I pushed you away because of it. But I realized something after you left. With a little help from my brothers and my father, that is.”

  She giggled. “Oh yeah? What did they help you with?”

  “They helped me understand that I needed to listen to my heart, which made me see that what my heart wants is you. So, Lizzie, Thora, Sophia, and I are asking you to take us back. Although we understand if your answer is no. Or I understand it, at least.”

  This made Juniper laugh again, to Alex’s immense pleasure. He wanted to spend the rest of his life making her laugh that way, if she would only take him back.

  There were tears mixed in with her laugher as she gazed at him intently. “Alex, I want you to know how sorry I am if I overstepped my boundaries with the girls. I hope you can believe that it wasn’t my intention. I was just so taken by them. I never expected that to happen.”