“Roan,” she said. “I didn’t turn down Traveling Nurses for you or Danny. Or anyone. I turned them down because I realized Ilovemy hometown. There’s nowhere else I’d rather live. Sure, I want to travel someday, but I always want to come back home after the trip. I thought about being on the road without Sabrina or Charlie or my family and just didn’t want to do it. I was only leaving because Andi had gotten engaged to my ex-boyfriend and I was too chicken to stick around and watch it play out. Being scared is never a good reason not to face something.”
“Words of wisdom,” he said. “How did you get so smart so young?”
“Probably having a childhood illness,” she said. “It tends to put things into perspective.”
“I apologize for breaking up with you. It was half-baked and I did it out of fear. I also apologize for blocking you. Same reason. You’re unblocked by the way.”
“Oh yeah?” She met his grin.
“Yeah.”
She picked up her phone and texted him.How’s Trinity?
Roan texted back.She’s fine. She’s with Claire’s mom.
Jazzy:All night?
Roan:All night.
Jazzy:Then why are we sitting here in a bar?
“Good question,” he said. “Want to get out of here?”
“Cowboy, let’s go home and bake some cookies.”
“Is that a euphemism for something else?”
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, it is.”
And then Roan took her home where they made love all night long.
Epilogue
One year later
“Ready?” Jazzy asked Trinity who was dressed in an elf costume. Jazzy herself was dressed as Mrs. Claus.
“Ready!” Trinity sang out.
“Santa, get over here.” Jazzy motioned for Roan to join them as the camera crew prepared for filming.
“Ho, ho, ho.” Roan laughed and strolled over to the outdoor kitchen. Behind them, the firepit was stoked and ready for baking.
Jazzy’s new husband looked oh-so-jolly in his Santa outfit. The change in him from the previous Christmas was miraculous. He’d gone from a worried dad to a relaxed husband and father and all it had taken was a little holiday magic, and a whole lot of emotional healing. She’d known all along that behind Roan’s grief and heartache there was a man worth loving. They’d had their ups and downs, but moments like these were pure gold and Jazzy soaked up every minute of it.
The camera man raised a palm and counted offthe seconds before they started recording. “Five, four, three, two . . . one.”
Jazzy beamed at the camera. “Hello subscribers and welcome back to the Sullivan Family Christmas. Today, our daughter, Trinity, is helping out in the kitchen as we bake our award-winning Chocolate-Gingermint Roanies! Once you’ve tried our recipe, we’re certain they’ll quickly become your holiday favorite too.”
Roan patted his belly and ho-ho-hoed for the viewers.
For the next thirty minutes they baked for the camera and their five hundred thousand YouTube followers. They’d quickly amassed loyal fans after Roan had gone public about his grief following the loss of his wife and how he’d found love again with Jazzy. Since their wedding, they’d started filming a weekly campfire cooking show that had grown beyond their wildest dreams. And just last week they’d been contacted by the Food Network about the possibility of doing a show for them. They cited Jazzy’s bubbly personality as the main reason they wanted the show.
Roan was a rancher through and through, and Jazzy loved being a pediatric nurse, so they probably wouldn’t take the Food Network up on the offer, but it was fun being asked. What they really wanted was to grow their family and live a rewarding life right here on the ranch. After their troubles a year ago, Jazzy would never have believed such happiness was possible, but now they were living a dream come true.
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