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UNKNOWN NUMBER:Mick, this is Molly.Erin and the family came to Sin Valley for Christmas.The rest is up to you.
I addMolly to my contacts.
Mick:Where in Sin Valley?
Molly:I should make you figure that out, but I’m feeling benevolent.The Flying G Ranch.
Mick:Thank you.I’ll be there as soon as I can.
I graba duffel bag and fill it with enough of everything to get me through at least a week.I’m going ready for a siege.I slip the two special gifts I got for Chloe and Erin into my jacket pocket and head out for Sin Valley.
TWENTY-THREE
Erin
I appreciateMick keeping his word and giving me space.But I’ve been feeling guilty about leaving Vancouver and not telling him where we were going.And worse, not inviting him along.Because it seems I didn’t really need space.I need him.
On top of that, I’ve been so unfair to Chloe.Introducing a man into her life who she connected with in a way she’s only ever done with my dad and Sam, and then yanking him away.
I can blame that damned Min-Ty records all I want, but I could have set better boundaries.And I didn’t.That’s on me.Oh, I know I should suck it up and at least text Mick.But it feels like the longer I leave it, the harder it gets.
I notice an extra place setting at the dining table when I go to the kitchen to grab a coke.I don’t think much more about it because there’s often an extra supper guest or two at Ruth and Sam’s, especially with it being nearly Christmas.
Molly has been kind of cagey all afternoon like she’s up to something.
“Hey,” I bump her shoulder with my elbow as I sit on the arm of her chair.“What’s with you?Did you go tell Andy to give that foal to Lindsay?”
“Shit.No, I totally forgot.I should go do that.”
“You’re up to something, Molly Green.Fess up.”
Before she can say anything, a vehicle pulls up outside.She pops out of her seat to open the door.And I’m not prepared for Mick to be standing there.
The moment Chloe spots him, she darts across the room and jumps hugs his middle.“Mick, I missed you.”
He leans down and kisses the top her head.“I missed you, too, Chloe-bear.”He looks over at me, and the hope I see there is my undoing.I walk over to him and he wraps Chloe and me into a big hug.“God, I missed you, Erin.”
“I missed you too.Let’s sit down,” I say, gesturing to the empty sofa.As soon as Mick sits, Chloe scrambles onto his lap.He pulls her in for another hug.
“I brought you a present.Maybe your mum will let you open it early?”
They both look at me, and I nod.
“I got you a present too, Mick.Maybe mumma will let you open it early, too?”
I just shrug and nod.Had no idea she’d done anything for Mick.
She runs upstairs and returns a few minutes later with a suspiciously well-wrapped package.I look over at Molly and raise an eyebrow.She just shrugs and sticks out her tongue.
“Open yours first, Mick.”Chloe is positively glowing.
He takes the gift and opens it carefully, revealing a black frame.
“I drew it all by myself.”
“It’s absolutely perfect.Thank you, Chloe-bear.”He holds frame up so we can see.I don’t miss the sheen in his eyes.She’d drawn a picture of the three of us riding horses on the carousel.
Mick reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small package he had to have wrapped himself.
