22. Ashley
Chapter twenty-two
Ashley
Ashley pulled her sleeves over her fingers, wishing she had grabbed a coat before she headed out to the stables. She needed space from her family, from Winterridge, from the ghosts of Christmas past that roamed the hallways.
She’d been devastated when Grandma Lily died, but that hadn’t stopped her from staying at Winterridge and helping Grandpa get through his grief. She should have realized he was acting out in sorrow and that he was purposely pushing everyone away.
The difference now was she still had time.
Not much, and maybe a little late, but enough time to make sure he knew she loved him.
She couldn’t change the time they’d lost, but she would change what came next.
She had no idea how much time he actually had left, but however long it was, she would not hide behind old wounds.
It was time for healing, reminiscing, and making new memories before it was too late.
She stepped into the stables and welcomed the familiar warmth that greeted her.
The harsh December chill softened, replaced by the overhead heating.
The smell of hay, leather, and horsehair filled the air, and she inhaled, taking it all in, letting the scent radiate through her mind, bringing her back to a simpler time.
A neigh caught her attention, and she walked toward a stall on the right.
A smile bloomed as she took in the massive Clydesdale.
Time had frosted Mabel’s muzzle with gray, but her rich chestnut-brown coat still gleamed beneath the stable lights.
The wide white blaze running down the center of her face was as familiar as an old friend.
One dark eye regarded Ashley before Mabel stretched her neck over the stall door and huffed warmly into her face.
“Hey old girl,” Ashley said as she ran a hand over the white streak. “Fifteen years old, and you’re still the queen of the stables, huh?”
She gave a low nicker that sounded suspiciously like an agreement.
“I have no doubt,” Ashley said. “Sorry it took me so long to come home. I hope you’re not mad at me.”
“You’re impossible to stay mad at.”
Ashley spun at the words and smiled as Carter stepped into the stables.
“How’d you find me?” she asked.
“Ms. Porter might have seen you hightail it out of the house.”
“Nothing gets past her.”
“Nothing at all.” He came to a stop beside her, petting Mabel.
“You came after me,” she said.
“I would have come sooner, but I had something to take care of.”
“Something more important than me,” she joked, though the downward curve of his brow told her he didn’t quite get the punchline.
“I had to tell the staff about your grandfather’s diagnosis.”
“You?”
“I’m the estate manager. Other than your grandfather, I’m their boss. And he asked me to.”
“How did everyone take it?”
“There were tears, a few curses, but they’re all optimistic. Especially after your grandfather came in and told them he wasn’t going down without a fight.”
Ashley smiled despite herself. “He’s always been a fighter.”
“He has.”
“But cancer… it’s unpredictable.”
“So is the stock market, yet he’s managed to make it work in his favor.”
“True.” She turned away from Mabel, leaning against the stall. “Do you think he can fight this?”
“I think he’s going to give it a hell of a try.”
Emotion swelled inside her, tears pressing at the backs of her eyes. She tried to hold them at bay, but after everything that had happened with her grandfather, with Gabe and Carter, she just couldn’t. Tears flowed down her face in a constant stream.
“Geez, I’m a mess,” she muttered as Carter reached out, taking her hand and pulling her into his embrace.
“It’s a lot.”
“It just seems so unfair, you know? I’m finally back… and this could be our last Christmas here.”
Carter shook his head because even he didn’t believe that. “I promise you, it won’t be.”
“How can you promise that?”
Carter brushed the tears from her cheeks and smiled. “Because your grandfather is too stubborn to die.”
A watery laugh escaped her. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. Your grandfather is a man of his word, and he just promised his entire staff that he would fight, so I know without a doubt, he’s going to give it everything he has, and this new trial is promising.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? You told me about Gabe and what happened that night; why not tell me about this?”
“Because it wasn’t my secret to tell. You needed to hear it from him.”
“You’re right, and I’m sorry you were burdened with that. People seem to put a lot on your shoulders.”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Whether you can handle it or not, is not the point.”
His eyebrow lifted. “Then what is it?”
She stepped into him, resting her hand on his chest. “The point is that everyone seems to lean on you.” She looked up into his blue eyes. “Grandpa. The staff. My family. Me.”
“Ash—”
“No, let me finish.” She lifted her hand and rested back, absorbing his warmth. “You spend so much time making sure everyone else is okay that nobody stops to ask if you’re okay.” Her eyes searched his. “So, are you okay?”
He inhaled, his chest rising and falling beneath her hand. “Honestly?”
She nodded.
“I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time, but I’m also the most scared I’ve been.”
“What are you scared of?”
“Losing everything I love. Bill, Winterridge, the family I’ve made here, you.”
Ashley sucked in a breath as his gaze locked on hers.
“You’re not going to lose me.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I’m my grandfather’s granddaughter. I’m a fighter. And this time I’m ready to fight for you. For us. Whatever it takes.”
She was scared, too, but she wasn’t going to let history repeat itself. It took her eight long years to find her way back, and she’d been terrified she wouldn’t recognize Winterridge or that it would feel different. But it didn’t. That’s the thing about home—it waits for you.
Her eyes drifted to the hayloft overhead, hidden in shadow now. A lifetime of memories lived up there, but one in particular stole her breath.
“Why don’t we get the ending we should have had all those years ago?” Her gaze returned to Carter. Something warm flashed in his eyes, followed by a slow, mischievous smile. He bent and swept her into his arms.
A laugh escaped her. “Carter!”
“What?” he asked, already heading toward the ladder.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“And yet you love me, anyway.”
She did.
She always had.
Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her toward the loft, where old memories waited beneath the December sky, and new ones were ready to be made.