Page 17 of The Rancher's Jilted Bride

Or at least that was how it used to be.

Until that day.

And since then, he had gotten what he supposedly wanted all these years.

Heaven no longer gave a fuck about what he thought of her.

But all it did was make him feel empty.

Why, dammit?

Why couldn't he just get her out of his mind?

Why?

Heaven

NOSTALGIA WRAPS ITSarms around me like a frenemy as soon as I see snow falling outside my window.

Winter is another thing we didn't have at all in Miami. But winter still reminds me of home because it's also around this time of the year that we'd start rehearsing forThe Nutcracker,which was Grace's annual Christmas offering.

And though I haven't danced for years, it feels rather bittersweet when I consider the fact that I'mstillwearing my old sweater and tights. Only this time, it has nothing to do with preventing muscle stiffness and everything to do with warding off the winter chill.

I take my trusty leg warmers out of a drawer. They're still functional, and that's all that matters.

I study my reflection in the mirror, and there are some things that have andhaven'tremained the same. I've gained a lot more weight, but I also look healthier and happier. I'm still wearing the same clothes, but even if they cease to be functional, I don't think I'd ever throw them away.

They're the few pieces I have left that remind me of the past. And as more time passes by, the less it hurts to remember.

One day, I think.

One day, I'll be able to look back at my days in Grace, and my heart will no longer break.

One day.

But for now, I have the present to love, and as imperfect as my life may still be, there isn't a single second of it that I'd change.

Because unlike before,

IknowI'm not alone.

Never was and never will be.

And that's why, even though I'm still working at the Sanctuary, and the boss I'm smitten withstillhates my guts...

I can live with it.

As long as I have You, I'm good.

WEATHER REPORTS HAVEstarted pouring in when I make it to the Sanctuary, and none of it is good. By the time Chickie and I meet up for lunch that day, management has cleared everyone to leave early, and the whole place has turned into a ghost town.

"Are you sure about staying behind?" Chickie asks in concern.

"I just need to check on a few more things, you go ahead, I'll be fine."

"But this is your first snowstorm," Chickie points out worriedly.

"There's really no need to worry. I'll manage." Or at least I pray I will.

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