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“My mother gave it to me. I didn’t listen to her for years. I regretted it. But the older I get, the more I heed her advice.”
“You mean the saying the older the wiser is true?” I questioned.
“Not necessarily. I mean you’re twenty-three but you’ve accomplished something that even Brice hasn’t.”
“What is that?” I asked.
“You got most of us together for an entire week without any incident. From what I’ve seen, no one is even discussing business. It’s practically unheard of in this family. The wives are thrilled. Shocked, but thrilled. And we have you to thank for that,” he said.
“I had help,” I said.
“Funny, Nicholas said it was all you. And so did Christopher.”
“I’m glad everyone is enjoying themselves,” I said.
“Me too. We may have all been related, but something about this week has made us all feel like family.”
“Yes, it has,” I said, and glad I’m part of it.
Allyson came down and sat on the arm of Cayden’s chair. “I was wondering where you went off to.”
“Just talking with my nephew,” he said. “Are the kids asleep?”
“They are.”
Cayden turned to me and said, “That’s my cue. Someone might need help with the horses.”
My thoughts exactly.
“Thanks for the advice, Uncle Cayden,” I said as they got up.
“Anytime. I’m only a phone call away,” he said.
“Mark, your uncle means it.”
“Thanks, Aunt Allyson.”
They went upstairs and I put my coat on and headed for the barn. Cayden gave me something to think about while I waited.
I must make myself happy to make others happy.
I had been doing the opposite. Even the courses I picked had been to make others happy. Just because I was good at it, didn’t mean that’s where my passion lay.
Would the family understand if I told them? They were all such big businessmen. Even my parents were successful in their own way. Hell, they owned a home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That was a prestigious area. But that’s not where they started. They struggled like most people did in the world.
Adilyn knew. I’d told her what my childhood had been like. My passport had more stamps in it from my youth than most adults ever would have. You’d think that was enough traveling for me. That I’d jump at the chance to settle down. Nope. Not me.
The sounds of the bells jingling from the sleigh grew louder and I knew Adilyn would be entering the barn shortly. My parents would’ve been dropped off at the lodge. I hated the thought that if I hadn’t come to look for her, she’d be out here all alone with the horse and whatever wildlife was watching. I’d told her about the dangers, and she reassured me that she was with one with nature. Glad she felt that way. I was still worried about her.
When the sleigh stopped in front of the barn, I stepped out and said, “You look cold.”
She smiled and looked as though she wasn’t surprised to find me there. “Not bad. I brought a thermos of hot chocolate for us. We must get the mares taken care of first and then we can sit and have a cup.”
I hadn’t been around horses much before this week, but she’d given me a crash course in how to care for them. We worked together and quickly got them settled and in their stalls.
When we finished, she pulled a blanket from the sleight and handed it to me. I spread it out inside the barn on a bale of hay. Adilyn poured us a cup of hot chocolate each. Even in the cold, you could see the steam rising from the mugs.
This seemed to have become our signature drink lately. Not what I’d have thought, but now I looked forward to it. Not the drink, but the company while sipping it.
