Page 24 of Christmas in Bridger Falls

I smile at the memory. Walker has always been that guy. He’s not even that much older than us. He came to Bridger Falls as a young single dad. And we all showed up for him, too. Babysitting and being his friend when he needed us. Walker’s the salt of the earth. And now he’s married to my friend Violet, Maggie’s niece. Maggie runs the Dogwood Inn, meddling and mothering everyone in town, including Mack and Walker. She’s an icon in our small town and is revered by all. Another pillar in this town that gets the credit for raising us.

The bell above the door jingles when I walk inside. The familiar scent of burgers, fries, beer, and barbecue immediately hits me.

God, I missed this place.

“JENNA!”

I barely have time to react before Maggie barrels into me. I laugh as she wraps me in a hug.

“Oh, my goodness, Sugar. You’re finally here,” she says as she pulls back and cups my cheeks.

“I’m here,” I say with a smile.

She squeezes harder. “You look beautiful, Sweet Pea.”

“Don’t make me cry,” I proclaim. “I missed you all, too.”

Maggie says, “I’m going to call the girls to all come down! We have to celebrate with drinks and appetizers!”

Before I can respond, another set of arms wrap around me. It’s Momma Mary. “Oh, honey. It’s been a spell since you’ve been back, hasn’t it?”

Momma Mary is a quiet woman who cooks in the back and takes no nonsense from anyone. She is like a wizard in the kitchen. She whips up all kinds of food at record speeds, and I still have no idea how she does it. But she does, and it’s always divine.

I immediately melt into her hug. “It’s so good to see you, Momma Mary.”

“Let me make you a hearty supper, honey,” she says sweetly.

I smile at her, and it feels so good to see her. She’s another one that I credit for my upbringing. Without her, I wouldn’t have been fed. She’d send food home for my brothers and me every shift I worked. She knew my dad didn’t keep food in the house. And our ranch had bare cupboards unless someone else helped fill them until we were old enough to grocery shop.

She pats my cheek. “I’ll get to it.”

A familiar voice comes from behind the bar in a teasing voice. “Well, I’ll be damned. The prodigal daughter returns.”

Walker. My heart instantly squeezes.

He gives me the same easy smile with his kind hazel eyes. He has a few more gray hairs in his beard than last time, but otherwise, he looks exactly the same. I cross the room and wrap my arms around his waist.

Walker hugs me tight, patting my back. “Good to have you home, Jenna Bean.”