Page 40 of Blame It On The Reindeer

“Then I’ll get you a job with me, corralling the reindeer.” I winked and grabbed the glove and ball from the counter, too excited to stay there for what I really needed. “Thanks, Had!”

“You owe me,” she called as I flew out the door, excited to rush home and wrap it before I gave it to Brody.

Twenty-Five

Brody

Seeing my mom was motivational—in that it motivated me to get my ass in gear and get the hell out of town. Thankfully, the line at the automotive shop moved quickly, and the repair was easy. There was still a handful of things that needed to be fixed on the truck, but soon, they would be no longer my concern. That would stay at the ranch, with everything else, while I headed back to Wyoming.

I filled up with enough gas to get back to the ranch, then headed home without telling anyone.

I knew that Jasmin would be expecting me to come back since that was what my note said, but honestly, I was doing her a favor at this point. She deserved better than someone like me who was a mess due to someone else’s negligence. But that was what addiction did to people, and I wasn’t about to have Jasmin be there as I worked through the traumatic feelings that had been brought to the surface again. No one needed to be around for that.

By the time I got home, the sun was starting to set, and I knew that I needed to check the reindeer. They were the only part of all of this that I was going to miss besides Jasmin. But I just had to teach my heart that it wasn’t meant to be and force myself to move on, just like I did when I lost my dad.

I was filling the last trough with food when I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up to find Jasmin bundled in a thick coat and wearing winter boots this time.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, returning my attention to the reindeer.

“I heard about what happened. People around town have been talking.”

I swallowed hard, forcing down the bile that threatened to rise as she approached me, stopping to scratch the reindeer’s heads along the way.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She sighed heavily and leaned against the fence post, staring at me.

“Whatever you’re here for, just let it be. I don’t want to talk. I’m not interested in small-town gossip. I don’t want any part of it. I’m planning to finish up the few things I need to here, then get the hell back to Wyoming.” I brushed my hands on the front of my jeans and found her still staring at me, this time with tears in her eyes.

“Don’t do this, Brody.”

“Do what?” I threw my hands in the air and stared at her.

The reindeer moved out of the way, leaving an open space between us.

“This—Brody. This wholeI’ve gotta get out of here because I don’t want to deal with my problemscrap.”

“You don’t knowshitabout my problems,” I bellowed.

I expected her to flinch or back away, but instead, she stepped closer to me.

“I do know shit about your problems because you trusted me enough to confide in me. And now I’m here to help you with them and wish that you would trust me enough to allow me to be there for you.”

“Be there for me for what? Huh? Nothing happened.”

She tipped her head back in frustration, a slight growl escaping her throat.

“You are so incredibly stubborn and hardheaded. I know that you ran into your mom today.”

“Yeah, and no one told you to come out here and try to fix something you have no idea how to.”

“I’m not the one who hurt you, Brody,” she said, jabbing her finger into my chest. We were only inches apart now, and I wanted nothing more than to pull her into me. To allow myself to fall apart the way I desperately wanted to.

“No, but I’m about to be the one who hurt you.” I sighed heavily and took a step back. My shoulders slumped with the weight of everything, and I knew she could see through me. “You deserve better than this, Jasmin. You deserve someone who will treat you right and can take care of you the right way. Someone like Sam, who brings you coffee without you having to ask and who already knows your order.”

“You really need to let that go.” She scrunched her face. “Sam is amazing, and everyone loves him because he’s so easy to love. But he’s not a threat, Brody, and you know that. Now stop deflecting and deal with what’s really bothering you.”

“I’m not deflecting. You are.”

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