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Darling Ranch. It was a family name in this town, a family business and a family way of life.
Over the past year, the place hadn't felt like family, or home, and I was barely staying in business.
My wife had died from an aneurism while pregnant with our first child. It happened one morning while I was out in the field tending to the animals. The doctors told me it wouldn't have mattered had I of been by her side, the outcome would have been the same. Still, I beat myself up. My best friend and neighbor, Gabe Bentley knew this. He let me mourn my own way, but now he's pushing me harder than ever.
"What's the rush?" I asked him one morning.
"I'm being deployed. I need to know my sister and the farm are taken care of....by the only man I trust in this town...you."
I'd known the army was recruiting again but I didn't know he'd been called upon. I also didn't know Cadence was back in town. I really didn't know if I could be the man, the friend, the rancher that he needed me to be.
What I did know?
No matter how much it pained me, I'd try to do whatever it took to make sure that I didn't let Gabe down.
Then I saw Cadence and for the first time since my wife died I actually thought I could heal. She made me feel alive, made the pain go away. So why did I feel so guilty? One minute I was longing to hold her, the next I was pushing her away, until I finally pushed too hard and sent her running.
I didn't want to fail my best friend, and I didn't want to fail Cadence. We all needed our Christmas wish and I decided to do whatever it took to make sure we got it.
*previously title My Darling Christmas*
About the author
S.L. Sterling was born and raised in southern Ontario. She now lives in Northern Ontario Canada and is married to her best friend and soul mate and their two dogs.An avid reader all her life, S.L. Sterling dreamt of becoming an author. She decided to give writing a try after one of her favorite authors launched a course on how to write your novel. This course gave her the push she needed to put pen to paper and her debut novel "It Was Always You" was born.When S.L. Sterling isn't writing or plotting her next novel she can be found curled up with a cup of coffee, blanket and the newest romance novel from one of her favorite authors.In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, sunny destinations, spending quality time with family and friends and of course reading.
