Page 27 of Mistletoe Misses
“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” Jamie heaves me into a hug, his palm slapping hard on my back. Outside of Carmen, Jameson Blackwell has been my closest friend for as long as I can remember. We were classmates, baseball teammates, and brothers in arms all four years. “What are you doing here?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
“Because you’ve been MIA here since high school.”
“Whatever.” From the front porch of the small ranch house, I take in the rolling sea of white surrounding us for something else to talk about. “I’ve always loved this side of the farm.”
He steps out and closes the door to take in the view with me. “That right there.” He points toward the sunset over the horizon, reflecting off the snow below. “That’s why I built here.”
“It’s perfect.” I suck in the cool, clean air, so different from what I’m used to in Boston. No burning scents of exhaust, rotting trash, or day-old hotdogs. Although, that last one isn’t so bad, given that I grew up in baseball stadiums. It takes me back to the good ole days every time I pass a stand.
“It’s great to see you, man,” Jamie says, unzipping his coat. “Come in and let’s catch up.”
In his small living room, I sink into the brown leather couch. Just like Jamie, his house has plenty of personality with its masculine decorations, wood accents, rustic fireplace, and mementos of the things he holds dear—family, tradition, the farm, and his service.
“I’m surprised I caught you at the house.” I remember how much effort the farm requires from the summers I worked here, and with or without chores, Jamie hates to be idle.
“I was on my way out when I saw your truck in the driveway.”
“Anything I can help you with?”
He smiles. “It’s dinner time on the farm. You know what that means.”
“Great. I need to stop by the barn anyway.”
“My barn?”
I nod. “Found one of your goats in town.”
“No shit?” With a laugh, he leans back and props an arm on the back of the couch. “That little fucker gets out at least once a week, but he doesn’t usually go that far.”
“Might be time to upgrade your fencing.”
“Or breed him. He may be my new spirit animal.”
“New?” I ask, shaking my head. Only Jamie.
“It used to be the stallion that took over a year to break.”
“That’s more fitting. It took us two years to tame you.”
The surprise of Jamie’s unbridled laughter tips my amusement enough to join in. It’s been far too long since I’ve let that part of me off the leash.
“So, who do I owe a beer?” he asks when his amusement fades.
“What do you mean?”
“I want to know who’s responsible for getting you to grace us with your presence. That’s no small feat and they deserve a reward. My money’s on your sister.”
“If it were, she’s underage.”
He waves a hand as if I’d said something ridiculous. “And I bet you think she hasn’t sipped a single bit of alcohol at that big, fancy school of hers. She lives with your brother, remember.”
“I try not to think about it.”
When he asks again what drew me here, I tell him about Captain’s orders and my impulsive decision to return to the place that built me. Like a sad country song, I came back, hoping to reconnect with the person I’d been before disappointment, ache, and loneliness beat me down to a point I no longer recognized myself.
“You came to the right place, my man.”
