Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
TEN YEARS LATER
Lily looked excitedly out the huge wall of
windows from the living room of the Johnson ranch. The sky was
overcast with stripes of gray and murky white. Clouds coming over
the Sierra Mountain range were high in elevation, but there was
something in them. Rain? Snow, probably. She was hoping it would
snow for Christmas – Not only did Nevada need the water for its
lakes and reservoirs, but Christmas without snow just wouldn’t seem
right.
All the kids and grandkids were in town for
the holidays this year and turning, Lily smiled as she watched her
youngest daughter, Janie, waddle down the hall. Janie was nine
months pregnant and was a cute, little butterball. Her beloved
husband, Craig was chasing after their sweet daughter, Cecelia, who
was running after cousin Sofia at this very minute. Janie and Craig
were back for a month from their new home in London, and she and
Sandy were thrilled to see them.
Their son, Colt and his wife, Mandy were
expecting their fifth. Five children! She suspected they were
trying to match her and Sandy’s tally of six children and smiled
broadly just thinking about it. They lived in their own spacious
home on the ranch just a mile away, but would probably need to add
an extra room soon.
Eldest daughter, Meg and husband, Carter
were home from San Francisco with their two kids. Son Miles and his
gorgeous English wife, Kate and their little boy were staying here
at the ranch house. Eldest son, Jesse and his wife, Audrey had
their home on the property and would naturally be here for all the
seasonal festivities. Their four children were growing up as little
cowboys and cowgirls.
All six of her and Sandy’s children were
here under the various roofs on the ranch property with husbands,
wives and children in tow. Christmas promised to be very special
this year…
And then there was youngest son and Miles’
twin, Joey… Lily sighed. Apparently, the happily-ever-after
scenario she’d envisioned for Joey and his on/off girlfriend, Anna,
was not going to happen. He was back in town from New Mexico where
he had an art gallery and made his living as a landscape artist.
Anna was also in town, but this time with a fiancé. They’d been
living in Los Angeles for the past year. Neither she nor Anna’s
mother, Amy was very happy about the engagement. Lily had been
holding out hopes that Joey and Anna would eventually find their
way back to one another.
But that’s the way it was… So they were
planning a lovely, winter wedding for December 22. She’d had to
practically bribe Joey to get him back for Christmas. Once he
learned of Anna’s engagement, he was reluctant to come home and had
told her how uncomfortable it would make him feel. She told him to
stuff it up and come home anyway.
Grandparents Jeanne and Sam Cable were
happily situated at their house on the ranch as well. They lived
for part of the year up at Sam’s small ranch in Sonoma, California,
where he raised horses and operated a small winery. Harvest time in
Sonoma was an annual Johnson family event.
Lily smiled again – With everyone here, how
could it be anything but wonderful? If only the weather would
cooperate.
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