Trusting The Christmas Spirit (Preview)

Chapter One

Waking up in a silent house was a rare and treasured privilege for Cassidy Miller. She slipped out of the bedroom and down toward the kitchen. It was a matter of minutes before her siblings and parents would fill the house with noise—if she was lucky.

She always tried to get up early because her day started better if she had a few moments to herself before the chaos began.

Boylston was starting to experience cooler weather as Christmas neared, and like the rest of Colorado, it was getting chillier in the morning than they were all used to. 

Cassidy sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out her whittling knife and a small lump of wood. Her recently finished carving was sitting proudly beside a dozen others above the mantle. 

“Morning.” Sam’s voice interrupted the silence almost as soon as she relaxed in the chair. “Thought you were the only one up?” His eyes shone with mischief. 

“For a moment, I did.” Cassidy laughed. Like most big brothers, Sam loved to tease her and make fun. She pretended she hated it, but her life, as well as her sisters’ lives, would not be the same without their big brother. 

“Well, you’ll have to be up a little earlier if you want the title of the earliest riser. I saw Ma heading out to the hen house about twenty minutes ago to get the eggs for breakfast.” 

Cassidy shook her head. “The sun isn’t even out.” 

Sam shrugged. “What’s with you and getting up early, anyway?”

“Oh, I just enjoy the quiet, I guess.” Cassidy slipped the knife and bit of wood she’d intended to carve back away where they went. She wouldn’t be able to focus on carving if anyone else was there, talking or working in the kitchen. 

“You helping me with the milking this morning?”

“Sure, why not?” Cassidy stood and got her shawl from beside the door before they headed into the frosty morning. “I love this time of year.” 

“Same. It has a lot of good memories, doesn’t it?” 

Even though Sam was three years older than Cassidy, they’d always shared a close relationship. 

Their mother stepped out of the henhouse with a basket full of eggs. “Good morning. Hurry with the milking. You don’t want Sam to be late.” 

She rushed off to the house, not waiting for a response. Cassidy was used to seeing her mother hustling and bustling. Some people might think she was cold or uncaring, but Cassidy never saw it that way. 

Her mother had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, and she managed it the best way that she could. 

“Race you to the barn?” Sam asked. 

“I never win. What’s the point?” Cassidy eyed the distance between them and the barn. Maybe today would be the day. 

“Two-second head start?” Sam wiggled his eyebrows and Cassidy giggled. That was more generous than usual. Sam liked winning, but he had to know that without a competitor, he couldn’t win. 

“Fine.” Cassidy took off running as Sam started counting. Her feet slapped the ground, and the wind pulled her hair from her face. She felt like she was flying, and yet, even so, Sam flew right past her a second later. He doubled over laughing in front of the barn after he stopped. 

“Maybe next time. I think you’re actually getting faster.” 

“Sure.” Cassidy didn’t believe him for a second, but that didn’t matter. Racing to the barn was more about the act itself and not the person who won. 

Milking went quickly, and before she knew it, she was heading back into the house with a bucket of milk, humming a tune. The sound of happy chatter and conversation hit her as soon as she stepped into the kitchen. Rose and Victoria were discussing something at the kitchen table, and Eleanor was helping their mother dish up plates. 

Their father was already sitting, reading the newspaper and waiting for his breakfast. 

Cassidy set the milk down and joined her mother and Eleanor. Eleanor was only fourteen, but she already looked like a young lady, and Sam would often tease her about whether she’d found a young man who’d caught her eye. 

Cassidy put a plate of food in front of her father. 

“Thank you, dear. Is Sam coming?”

“Yes. He said he just had a few things to finish up in the barn and he’d be in in a few minutes.”

“Let’s say grace, then.” Her father bowed his head, and Cassidy bowed hers along with him. When they were finished with the prayer, Sam was back from the barn. He must have slipped in while they were praying to take his spot across from Cassidy. 

“Aren’t you going to be late to work, son?” her father asked with a frown. He worked at the wood mill in town, and Sam for a rancher who had just started his estate around thirty or forty minutes’ walk from there. 

Sam always left right after sunrise to get there on time. He ate with them instead of on the ranch with the other ranch hands because he lived so near. 

“I still have a bit of time. I’ll run the rest of the way if needed.” Sam grinned. 

“You’re too liberal with that job. You need to take it seriously, young man.” Her father’s voice was scolding, but he was proud of Sam. He always talked about her brother around friends or when he was in town. He would say how proud he was to have a hardworking son who was growing into such a standup person. 

“I know, Pa. I’m going right now.” Sam stood up, grabbed two biscuits and slapped some butter on them, then rushed out the door. 

Their family was poor and worked for everything they had, but they were blessed. They had each other to work with, and they made a good team. No matter what they faced, they would always have someone to lean on, and that was important. 

—*—

“Do you think this year will be the best Christmas ever?” Rose asked Cassidy. 

She was sitting across from Eleanor in front of the fireplace. They were playing a game of checkers, and Cassidy was winning. Rose and Victoria were sitting beside them watching. 

It was still early evening, but most of the day’s work was finished. Cassidy’s father was reading in the parlor chair nearby, and her mother was baking in the kitchen. She’d sent the girls to have a bit of free time before dinner after they’d all spent their day helping around the house. 

“I think we have a pretty good shot. I can’t wait to finish decorating the mantle, and I saw Mama making some stockings. This Christmas… I think it’s going to be great.” 

Cassidy meant it. They deserved a good Christmas after everything their family had gone through during the last two years. They’d lost their ranch and their home. They’d wound up with nothing but a huge debt over their heads.

They’d been able to start over with the tiny cabin and stretch of land they now lived on, right on the outskirts of town. Some kindhearted neighbors had gifted them chickens and even a cow. One cow turned to three when that cow had twin calves. 

“I can’t wait for Christmas! I hope I get a new doll. Luisa Mitchel has a doll. She’s been showing it to everyone at school. She got it for Christmas last year. She says this year she might get another doll, a better one. I don’t care if mine is fancy. Any doll will do.” Rose looked wistfully at the window, and even though the younger girls didn’t notice, Cassidy saw her father watching Rose. She wouldn’t be surprised if Rose’s doll was already in the plan for the many surprises everyone wanted to pull off this year. 

“I don’t want anything special, but I hope it snows so we can make snow angels.” Victoria clasped her hands in front of her with sparkling hope. 

Cassidy hoped Christmas would be everything her sisters wanted. They needed every bit of encouragement they could get. She hoped this would be the great year all of them had been hoping and praying for. The rest of the evening went smoothly, as many of them did lately. 

They were exhausting days, filled with work and movement, but it made the rest so much more appreciated and enjoyable at the end of it all. Cassidy lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling, weird shapes dancing around from the moonlight streaming in through the window. 

She was parched. She’d laid down for bed without drinking a bit of water beforehand, and she was now realizing that it had been a terrible idea. 

She sat up and gently left her bed, being careful not to wake any of her sisters. Eleanor turned over in her sleep, but Victoria and Rose seemed completely undisturbed by her leaving the room. The hall was dark, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. She tiptoed past her brother’s room but paused in front of her parents’ room when she heard the soft rumble of voices. 

“You should have heard her, she was talking about a doll, and they were all so excited. We have to do something for Christmas this year, even if it is simple.” Her father sounded upset and tired. 

“I know, dear, but we can’t afford the extra expense. We still owe money for half of this house, and I don’t want to lose everything a second time. It’s a miracle we were able to start over as well as we did after everything.” 

“I know, I know.” Her father sounded like he was pacing. The soft padding of footsteps went back and forth, back and forth. “Maybe I can get a second job.” 

“You don’t have to do that, Arnold. You work so hard already. I know it’s hard for the younger ones to understand, but we have to be tight with our money right now. Just until this spell is over—and then, things will get better.” 

Cassidy heard the soft squeak of the bed as her father must have sat down. 

“You’re right, my dear. You always are. We should get some rest.” 

Cassidy tiptoed past their room down to the kitchen. She hated to eavesdrop and overhear something they might not have meant her to. She worried about their financial state a lot, just like Sam did. 

Her mother was right. No matter how much they wanted a beautiful Christmas, they would all have to adjust to what was possible right now. Otherwise, they could end up losing the roof above their heads a second time. 

Chapter Two

Andy Swift sat on the fence post of the pasture connected to the barn. He spotted a figure running in the distance, coming closer by the second. It was no doubt Sam, one of two of his five ranch hands who chose to live at home rather than in the bunkhouse. 

He managed to be a tiny bit late every morning. That was one of the things he was consistent with. Sam skidded to a halt, nearly falling as he did so. 

“Sorry about that, Mr. Swift. I always think I’ll be here just in time, and miss by a few minutes. I think I’ll get it tomorrow.” 

“I doubt it,” Andy answered wryly. “As I was telling the others, we need to get the cattle in the west pasture taken care of and prepare a new place for a new group of cattle I’m getting next week.”

Andy went over the details, which he had just gone over with everyone else who actually did get there on time. He hated that some of his ranch hands came in late, but he didn’t care enough to start over with green ranch hands who knew nothing about him or his ranch. Despite his tardiness, Sam was a good worker. He got things done and moved every single second he was working. He was a good investment, and it was one of the reasons Andy tolerated his lateness. 

“I have a few things to check on in town, so Boyd is in charge. Any questions, ask him. Does everyone understand?” 

Collective nods went around the group, and when Andy was satisfied with their confirmation, he turned and headed inside for his coat. He needed to go into town, if not only to feel less suffocated by this ranch. He had to get away sometimes to avoid feeling like a fraud. He wished he could talk to his sister or his father about all of this, but that was not an option. He was alone in the world. Partly by choice, and partly by fate. 

Once he’d gotten his coat and his horse, he was on his way to town. He stopped by the feed store first, grabbing a few things they needed at the ranch, then he went to the sheriff’s office. He’d found an unlikely friend in Eddie, the sheriff of Laminton, Colorado. He hadn’t expected to find friendship when he’d randomly picked a spot in Colorado to start this life over. 

Every day, something unexpected would happen, and he would learn more about being on his own. The more he learned about the world, the more he realized what a sheltered life he’d led as a child and young man. 

He didn’t knock at the sheriff’s office; there was no need to. The door was hanging wide open and Eddie was in his normal spot, his feet propped on his desk and his newspaper spread across his legs. 

“There you are. It’s been a while since you came into town,” Eddie said without looking up from his paper. 

Andy grabbed the guitar leaning against the wall of the sheriff’s office and took a seat on the other side of Eddie’s desk. The first time he’d walked into the sheriff’s office, he’d learned what a relaxed place it could be. He had fought against any sort of friendship at first, but Eddie always treated him like a friend or a brother, and it had eventually gotten too hard to resist. 

“Same could be said for you. You haven’t been up to the ranch recently. Crime keeping you busy?”

Eddie chuckled and put his newspaper down. “Not if I can help it. What’s going on, Andy?”

Andy strummed the guitar, appreciating the combination of noises that flowed freely from it. 

“Not much. Just had one of those days where I needed to get away, you know? All my ranch hands, I keep expecting them to wake up one day and realize that I’m no rancher. I’ve never done this before. I’m giving them orders and trying to keep things running smoothly, but I feel like a fake while I’m doing it. If it hadn’t been for my uncle’s money, I never would have been able to start this ranch, much less keep it running. Having money has given me the ability to afford mistakes.” 

Eddie nodded thoughtfully as if he were taking every word Andy was saying and digesting it slowly. 

“You are no fake, Andy. You have a ranch and you need workers, and you have a vision of how things should work. That’s exactly how any ranch works. The owner tells everyone else how he wants things done.” 

“I suppose.” Andy wasn’t too sure. He hated the idea of any of the men who worked for him learning how little he really knew about ranching. All of this was one big learning project. 

“You supposed right.” Eddie leaned forward at his desk. “My ma has been planning Christmas dinner, she wanted me to invite you.” The change of topic was abrupt. 

Andy shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s one invitation I’ll have to turn down. Sorry.” 

“Come on, can’t you show up? My mother would be so happy. You’d add a little bit of something interesting for once, rather than a Christmas with just me and my brothers.” 

Andy chuckled, trying not to show how uncomfortable he was. Eddie knew a lot about him, but even he didn’t know why Andy hated Christmas, or the reason he’d moved from the city to East Laminton in the first place. 

“All right, all right. I see that you don’t want to commit to anything for Christmas yet, but why don’t you come to dinner tonight? We can play a couple of rounds of checkers and you can tell us all about your recent wins on the ranch. All right?”

“Okay.” Andy sighed in relief. Christmas dinner was a topic for another day. Eddie was right, he could use the distraction of going to his home and enjoying his family for a few hours. It was unlike him to do such a thing, but Eddie had made him come to a few family dinners before, and they hadn’t been all awful. 

“All right, then. I have a few more things to finish up in town, but I can meet you at your house in a couple of hours.” 

“That works.” Eddie grinned widely. “It’s good to see you again, Andy.”

“You too.” Andy was amazed at how much talking with Eddie for a short while grounded him. Eddie was a great friend. He knew how to lighten the mood with a joke, or how to just listen and lend a presence when someone was down and needed to vent. He was also the type of friend who could just be there silently if that was what you needed. 

As uncharacteristic as it was, Andy found himself looking forward to dinner at Eddie’s home.

—*—

Andy looked down at the letter in his hand—one of the rare ones he received from his mother. He looked forward to them, but they also made him feel bad in a way. It made him wonder if he’d made the wrong decision by coming west, instead of staying in the city with his parents. 

They had lied to him, and they’d said hurtful things, but it was hard to think of them as anything but his family. He was walking on the edge of the woods, not too far from Eddie’s house. 

He had picked up the letter from the post office a couple hours earlier. He decided that he’d waited enough, and tore it open. He unfolded the pages to find lines of his mother’s neat handwriting. 

He sighed before starting to read. 

Dear Andy, 

It’s been a while since I’ve written. I know you must think we’re still upset at you leaving, but your father and I understand you may need some space to process what you found out about yourself before leaving. 

Jessica came by the house the other day. She wanted to talk to you. She still comes by every once in a while; I think she hopes to accidentally run into you. She doesn’t know you aren’t planning on returning anytime soon.

As Christmas approaches, we’re all having a difficult time processing the hurts from the past. I just wanted to reach out to you and see how you’re doing. We’re doing well, and we love you, son. 

I hope to hear back from you. 

With love, your mother.

Andy read the letter over twice. He remembered the days when he could spend all day talking with his parents. The letter seemed so short. He was certain there was a lot more to be said, but his mother was holding back. He wondered if they’d ever be able to have the conversations that were needed to repair their relationship. 

He folded the letter back up and tucked it in his pocket. 

“Andy!” Eddie waved to him from the pasture near the barn. Andy waved back and made his way toward Eddie’s house. 

“Have you been walking by the woods all afternoon?” Eddie made a funny face. 

“No, I just came around half an hour ago. I got a letter from my… mother.” Even though the woman he called his mother was not the woman who gave birth to him, the name still fit. She was the one who cared for him, provided for him, and made him feel loved his entire childhood. 

“Oh, how was it? Are they coming to visit?” Eddie’s tone was neutral as if he were testing the waters with his comment. 

“I don’t think they’ll be visiting anytime soon. I didn’t exactly leave home on good terms with them.” 

“I know, but they’re your family, right? What’s being blood-related when the people who birthed you didn’t care enough to stick around?” Eddie shrugged, then his expression fell. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” 

“You’re right. I… Well, I haven’t really gone looking for them for that very reason. They chose to leave me on my parents’ doorstep. Who does that to a newborn child? I can’t help but feel like I was a mistake for my parents. They decided to keep me before they knew they’d be able to have my sister.” 

Eddie was quiet for a moment, and they started walking from the barn to the house. 

“They never said they didn’t want you or love you. From what you’ve told me, they were and are good folks. Maybe this is all a misunderstanding that time will heal.” 

“Yes, time.” Andy had thought about that a lot. He did need time to put what had happened behind him, or at least to accept it. There was so much he would never be able to fully leave behind. 

As they reached the cabin, Eddie’s mother came outside, wearing her red apron and a huge grin on her face. 

“There you two are; all of us are waiting for you. Dinner is getting cold. Come in, come in.” She ushered them out of the cool, evening air and into the warm, delicious-smelling cabin. 

Andy pushed the thoughts of his parents and his past behind him. He would think about all of that another day. He needed time to get his past in order and to build his ranch into something he could be proud of. 

Maybe Eddie was right and this crack dividing him from his family could still be healed. So much had happened between them. There were so many misunderstandings and secrets. It was a lot to sort through, and it would certainly take time. He wasn’t ready right now, and he might not be for a long time—but even so, the idea of a reunion with what was left of his family was still something he liked to keep in mind for the future.

---

“Trusting The Christmas Spirit” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

Cassidy’s family is looking forward to the first good Christmas they’ve had in a while, but when her father has an unexpected accident, she finds herself in desperate need of a job. Fate intervenes when she is hired as a housekeeper for the man who also hired her brother. She enjoys the job, but her boss, Andy, is a mysterious, yet handsome, man with a grudge against Christmas…

Is Cassidy going to unlock his heart and figure out why Andy is so afraid of Christmas?

Andy hasn’t celebrated Christmas since the fateful night that changed his life forever. When Cassidy comes to work on his ranch though, she brings with her a newfound joy that warms his heart. Despite his reluctance to embrace both the holiday and a romantic prospect, Andy finds himself mesmerized by Cassidy’s undeniable festive spirit. Yet, he must confront his past and decide if he can allow himself to finally find peace and happiness…

Will he be able to leave the ghosts that haunt him behind and follow the light of true love?

When someone from Andy’s past threatens to destroy his future with Cassidy, they must learn to trust each other and fight to save their relationship. Will they be overpowered by the odds and obstacles that are against them? Or will they be able to defeat the surrounding threats and discover that the true magic of Christmas lies in their hearts?

“Trusting The Christmas Spirit” is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Get your copy from Amazon!