Chapter Eight – Vivianne #2
Nellie took my hands in hers. “Vivianne, what you did was so brave and so loving. You gave your child the best chance he or she had, and I know that wasn’t an easy thing to do. You thought about your future, Robert’s, and the baby’s.”
“It was a girl. They didn’t even let me hold her,” I said as I wiped a tear away.
“The nurse took her and immediately left the room. I never saw her, but I know I did the right thing for her. There was no way I could have raised her and given her the life she deserved. My father would have made both our lives hell, and I didn’t want to struggle trying to raise a child or make Robert feel like he had to give up his dreams.”
Drawing me to her, she hugged me tight. “You did the right thing at the time, Vivianne.”
As we broke apart, I took in another breath. “You’re the only person I’ve ever told.”
“Do you feel a bit better after telling me?”
I nodded. “You don’t think differently of me now?”
She let out a disbelieving laugh. “No, I do not. I think you were a young woman who found herself in a situation, and you did the right thing for you and the baby. You were strong and brave, and I’d honestly like to track down your parents and punch them both in the face.”
My mouth gaped in surprise as I laughed.
Nellie smiled. “No one on this Earth has the right to judge you, Vivianne. Least of all me. Ladd probably didn’t tell you this, but I was adopted by a young couple who’d tried to have a baby for a few years. My mother was a nineteen-year-old who’d gotten pregnant by her boyfriend.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “You were adopted?”
She let out a soft laugh. “I was. And her parents were very unhappy about it, just like yours. So it was either raise me in an environment where I wasn’t fully wanted, or put me up for adoption.
She knew she wouldn’t be able to give me the life I deserved.
She also said she wasn’t ready to be a mother.
“Her selfless act gave me the beautiful life I have now. I would have never met Gus or had my boys. And my parents were the most amazing people. They loved me with their whole hearts, and never once did I ever feel as if I wasn’t their flesh and blood.
“When I turned eighteen, they sat me down, handed me a letter, and told me the story of my biological mother and father. My mom had written me a letter and asked them to give it to me if they ever decided to tell me I was adopted. So…your story doesn’t shock me or make me think less of you, sweetheart.
If anything, I believe I’ve fallen even more in love with you. ”
My heart felt a part of it healed with Nellie’s words to me. “Your parents were okay with giving you the letter?”
“Oh yes. They always had every intention of telling me I was adopted. They’d tried before I turned eighteen, but it never seemed like the right time, they said.”
“Do you have any anger toward your biological mother?”
Smiling, she shook her head. “Not at all. She was young and recognized that she didn’t have the means to raise a child.
She and her boyfriend eventually got married.
They had two more kids, and when I read her letter, she told me that if I ever wanted to meet them, she would love that.
But that I shouldn’t feel any pressure.”
“Did you meet them?”
“I did. Six months after my parents told me. My father helped me track them down, and we all met. I look like my biological mother, who happens to look a lot like my adoptive mother! I’m still in their life.
They came to my wedding to Gus, I’ve gone to my half-siblings’ weddings, and they’ve met the boys. ”
“So all the boys know you’re adopted?” I asked.
“They do. They love my parents, whom they consider their grandparents. And they also adore my biological parents.”
“I wish I had thought about giving her a letter.”
Nellie squeezed my hand. “If you ever want to find who adopted her, Gus and I will help you.”
Fresh tears built in my eyes. “Why would you do that for me?”
“Because I know for a fact, Vivianne, you’re going to be my daughter-in-law someday. And I will love you just as fiercely as I love my boys. Your happiness means something to me.”
I practically threw myself into her arms. “I don’t know what I did to deserve the love of your son, and now yours as well!”
She hugged me tightly. “Oh, Vivianne. My sweet, sweet girl.”
When I drew back, she reached up and wiped my tear-soaked face.
“One of my favorite bible verses is from the first Corinthians. ‘Be on your guard: stand firm in your faith: be courageous: be strong.’ You, my dear, are one of the most strongest and courageous young women I have ever met. You are deserving of love. We all are. And your parents are idiots for not seeing that.”
All I could do was nod.
“We’d better get you fixed up before the men come searching for us. You still up for the ride?”
I nodded and smiled. “Yes! Yes, I am.”
I washed my face, then we quickly got our things and headed outside. As we walked up to the barn, Ladd saw us first.
“I was just about to come get you guys. What took so long?”
“We were discussing the kids coming over Christmas Day, and the time got away from us,” Nellie said as she walked up and kissed Gus, who dipped her back and deepened the kiss.
“Really, Mom and Dad?” Ladd said. “Must you do that in front of us?”
I smiled. “I think it’s lovely.”
Ladd took my hand in his and guided me over to a beautiful horse that was saddled up and waiting ever so patiently.
“This must be Wonder Bread!”
“Yep,” Ladd chuckled.
I ran my hand down the horse’s neck. “Hello, beautiful.”
Nellie walked her horse over toward us. “Watch how I get on, Vivianne.”
She put her left foot into the stirrup and then easily swung her right leg up and around the horse.
“Easy-peasy!” she said with a wink.
I reached up for the horn, slipped my foot into the stirrup, and lifted myself up and over. I settled into the seat and smiled down at Ladd.
“That’s my girl!” he said before he effortlessly got into the saddle on his horse. I exchanged a smile with Nellie, who kicked her horse into a walk and made her way next to Gus.
“How do you feel?” Ladd asked.
Glancing at him, I couldn’t help but feel that for the first time in ages, I was genuinely looking forward to what the future had in store for me.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”
He winked. “We’ll see about that.”
After explaining how the reins worked, we started off and quickly caught up with David, Gus, and Nellie. We rode up a trail that was a slow and steady climb. Once at the top, it offered a view of the valley that took my breath away.
“This side over here is our land, the other side is the BLM land,” Ladd stated.
“And that used to be part of the ranch?” I asked.
Gus sighed. “It was.”
I glanced around at the mountains surrounding us. “Which mountain do you own?”
Ladd chuckled. “We don’t own the whole mountain, but see that one right there, right in the direct line beyond the house?”
“Yes.”
“We own that side of the mountain. During the summer, Dad leases it out to other cattle ranchers.”
I nodded. “And you said they graze up there so you can grow your fields for winter.”
“I like this girl,” Gus said to Ladd. “She’s interested in the family business.”
Ladd laughed. “You want to train Viv to be a cattle rancher, Dad?”
“The thought has crossed my mind, seeing how well she’s taken to riding.”
It was my turn to laugh. “I’d be down for that.”
David walked his horse closer to his father’s. “Dad, look to the west.”
Everyone turned and looked.
“Storm coming in,” Gus said. “Let’s head on back down.”
I looked at Ladd, who must have seen the concern I felt on my face.
“It’s not a big deal. It’s a ways off, but we should get going since we don’t want to get stuck in it.”
David, Nellie, and Gus all rode ahead. Ladd had pulled his horse back to a slower pace, which in turn had mine matching his.
“So, is everything okay?”
I raised a brow in question. “Yes, why wouldn’t it be?”
He narrowed his eyes a bit. “When you and my mother got to the barn, I could tell you’d been crying.”
I blinked a few times. The way this man was able to notice every little thing about me made my heart beat a bit faster in my chest. “I had been crying, but it was nothing that your mother did.”
“I hadn’t thought so. Want to tell me about it?”
I looked toward the others. Everyone else was far enough away that I didn’t think they would hear us, but this wasn’t the place to tell Ladd.
Turning to face him, I said, “Can we find a private place to talk later this evening?”
He winked. “We sure can. For talking, sure…a really private place for that…and other things.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “You’re terrible, Ladd Wilde.”
“You say that now.”
Once we got back to the barn, Ladd showed me what to do with the horse. As much fun as I’d had, taking care of a horse after the good times was serious work.
I put some hay in the hanging basket for Wonder Bread, then stroked down his neck a few more times. I’d fallen in love with this horse and was already counting down the hours until we could ride again.
I turned—and nearly screamed when I saw Ladd leaning against the door of the stall. He did that a lot.
“Didn’t mean to scare you.”
Walking over to him, I placed my hands on his chest. “Thank you so much for today. Thank you for bringing me home to your ranch. For loving me. I really am having the most amazing time, and it’s only been a day since we got here.”
He smiled. “You say that now, but my mother’s heading to the kitchen to prepare for what my brothers and father call the Great Christmas Bake-Off.”
I laughed as he put his arm around my shoulders and we made our way out of the barn and toward the house.
“And what is the Great Christmas Bake-Off?”
He let out a breath. “Oh man, it’s been happening since I can remember.
Long before I was born, I’m sure. Anyway, my mother invites friends and neighbors over for the day, and they do nothing but bake.
Everyone brings the supplies they need for what they plan on baking.
Then, at the end of it all, they have these boxes they put together with all the heavenly baked items, and they give them away.
To friends, co-workers, and first responders.
They also make plenty for the kids on Christmas Day when they come. ”
“That sounds like so much fun!”
“Yeah, I think my mother got it from Grandma Lilith.”
“Did she start the tradition?”
He thought for a second. “No. Well, kind of. My great-grandmother Sarah used to have women from town come out to the ranch, and they’d cook up meals to give to those who were alone on the holidays, kind of like the first soup kitchen in River Falls.
They’d deliver them on horseback or in their carriages.
There weren’t too many families in town who didn’t have anyone or were poor, but those who were struggling, the ladies made sure they were taken care of.
“I remember my dad telling me and David a story once. My great-grandfather used to kill turkeys and would deliver them to some folks’ houses and just leave them in a basket.
He’d knock, then take off running, so they couldn’t see who’d left it.
Something about saving the man of the house’s pride or some nonsense like that. ”
“It was sweet of him to do that.”
He smiled. “Yeah, he was apparently a great guy. My father said Lawrence had a vision of what the ranch would be someday. I think he would be really happy if he were alive right now to see it.”
“You’re so lucky to have parents who love and support you.”
He nodded his head as we’d almost neared the front porch of his parents’ house. “I am. Very lucky indeed.”