Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Danny walked into his apartment and dropped his keys in the bowl on the table next to the door. The scent of hay mixed with wood shavings and a hint of leather had become all too familiar since he’d moved into the one-bedroom place above the Jolly’s barn.

When he’d moved to Christmas Grove, there hadn’t been much to choose from in the rental department. There’d been a house with a leaky roof and what looked suspiciously like mold growing on the ceiling of the bathroom, a mobile home with windows that whistled anytime the wind blew, and a cabin that didn’t have running water. None of which had been suitable for habitation. Although he had money for a down payment on a house, he really wanted to buy land and build a custom home. With no rental readily available, he started to explore buying land with the plan to get a fifth wheel as temporary housing until he was ready to break ground on his forever home.

While he was looking at the lot next door, Frederick Jolly, the owner of the Make it Jolly Ranch, had stopped by to say hello. While they were talking, Frederick had mentioned the barn apartment, and Danny had rented it that day. He’d purchased the land next door, too, only now he didn’t have to live in a fifth wheel during the winter.

“Meow.”

Danny looked down at the sweet black and white cat that was intertwining her body between his ankles and rubbing her head on his shin. He quickly scooped Bells up and gave her some scritches on her head. “Hey, you. Miss me?”

She closed her eyes as she leaned into his chest and started to purr.

He kissed her head and made his way into the kitchen. After grabbing a bottle of water, he retreated to the bedroom, placed Bells next to his pillow, and got ready for bed. Fifteen minutes later, he was under the covers with Bells snuggling his side.

The kitty was just over a year old and had been the one who’d been there through losing his grandmother, moving to a new town, and abruptly changing careers. It had been a lot, but Bells had been the one constant who was always there, ready to show him unconditional love any time he needed it.

And tonight, he needed it.

All the fear he’d lived with while he was married to Marissa had started to come crashing back as soon as he’d processed the fact that she’d almost been attacked. Toward the end of their relationship, he’d been on edge every single day, waiting for the worst to happen.

His shoulders and jaw ached with tension as he stared at the ceiling, telling himself that she ran a bar. An altercation could have happened at any time. Of course she’d run into belligerent drinkers every now and then. And by the looks of things, she’d done that plenty of times in the past. She hadn’t needed him then.

But she had needed him tonight. At least that’s what his vision had told him. It made him want to stay glued to her side to make sure she was safe.

Danny grunted his irritation at himself.

Marissa wasn’t helpless, and it wasn’t his job to watch over her. Those days were long gone. And she clearly didn’t want his help. That didn’t mean he’d stand by and do nothing if he had another vision though. How could he?

Sighing, Danny checked to make sure his alarm was set, turned out the light, and curled up on his side next to his cat, waiting for sleep to take him.

The moment he fell under, the dreaming started.

The sun shone down on the pristine white snow, warming Danny’s skin as he sat in his porch swing, sipping his morning coffee. The peacefulness of the moment had settled in his bones, and if there was one word to describe him, it was content. His farmhouse was finally finished, and there was nothing he liked more than starting his morning at sunrise on his porch as he stared out at the mountains.

The door swung open, and a small sable-colored dog ran out of the house and straight for him. The sweet thing jumped up on his leg, excitedly asking for attention.

“You’re awfully perky this morning,” he said to the dog as he lifted her up to sit in his lap. She immediately bathed his face in kisses before settling down in his lap as he ran his hand over her soft, velvety fur.

“I see you two started your day without me,” Marissa said, smiling down at them as she joined them on the porch. She had the mug he’d made for her that had her logo on the front in her hand, and it made his heart full.

“Come here,” he said, patting the space next to him.

Without hesitation, she sat on the porch swing and curled in next to him. “This is my favorite place in the world.”

“Mine too when you’re here.” He wrapped his arm around her, pulled her in closer, and gave her a gentle, lingering kiss.

She let out a contented sigh, pressed her head to his chest just over his heart and said, “Merry Christmas, Mr. Garland.”

He stared down at her, and suddenly he knew now was the time. He pulled the small velvet box out of his pocket and placed it in her hand.

She jerked her head up, staring at him wide-eyed. “Is this what I think it is?”

His lips twitched into a tiny smile. “Maybe. Why don’t you open it?”

She sat fully upright, and with trembling hands, she lifted the lid. Tears sprang into her violet eyes, and she blinked rapidly as the diamond sparkled in the light.

Danny slid out from underneath the pup and kneeled on the ground in front of her. After taking the ring out of the box, he took her left hand in his and felt his eyes sting with his own tears as he held the ring up and said, “You’re the love of my life. I can’t imagine living this life another day without you and Pumpkin. Would you do me the honor of being my wife and letting me love you forever?”

A crash sent him bolt upright, his heart thundering in his chest. He blinked, looking around at the darkness. Taking in the bedroom of his apartment, he felt a sinking disappointment all the way to his toes. He wasn’t living in the new farmhouse that had felt so real in his dream.

There was no sweet dog.

And no Marissa.

He flipped the light on and squinted as his eyes adjusted. Bells was standing in the middle of the floor, licking her paw, seemingly oblivious to the broken lamp beside her.

Danny gritted his teeth as he got out of bed. The cold wood floor made him shiver as he quickly cleaned up the mess. “I’ve seen you navigate the dresser before,” he said, admonishing his cat. “Even in the dark you seem to be able to get around fine. Do you really think this was necessary?”

The cat ignored him.

But as soon as he finished his chore, she pressed her warm body to his leg and looked up at him with adoring eyes.

“You have zero remorse,” he said, scooping her up again. “Come on, little one. Let’s get back in bed. This time though, try to get some sleep instead of terrorizing my things, okay?”

She rubbed her head on his chest and purred .

Once he was back under the covers, he placed her on his chest, needing the weight of the small creature for comfort.

It had been years since he’d dreamed of Marissa. And even then, his dreams had never felt so real. He could even still smell her honey scent as if she’d just been right next to him. He’d almost be willing to believe that it had been a vision, but she’d called him Mr. Garland. Which was weird. His last name was Frost. Why had his subconscious come up with that? Besides, his visions hadn’t ever come to him as a dream before anyway.

No, this was just him missing her. Leaving her had left a hole in both his soul and his heart. Over the years, he’d learned to live with it, but now that they were in the same town and he could no longer pretend he’d never see her again, all of his emotions were coming to the surface.

He missed her.

And he still loved her.

That much was clear. But what could he do about it now? She hated him. And even if she didn’t, what if it became clear that having him in her life would still put her in danger? He couldn’t put either of them through that again. No matter how much he wanted her.

He let out a long-suffering sigh and closed his eyes, willing himself to fall into an unconscious oblivion. But it was a long time before he fell back asleep, and when he did, it was fitful. Finally, just before five, he got up, showered, and went to make the world’s largest cup of coffee.

Once he had caffeine in his system, he fed Bells and then got dressed, going through the motions as if he were in a fog. The dream the night before had felt so real. More real than anything he’d experienced in a long time. And the fact that it wasn’t had left him despondent. He could only hope that some fresh air and physical exertion would pull him out of his gloomy mood.

When he stepped outside, he welcomed the bitter chill, preferring to feel something other than the disappointment that had stayed with him after he’d woken from his dream. When he got into his 4Runner, he drove to the trail to meet Jackson as if he were on autopilot.

“Morning!” Jackson called, sounding more chipper than anyone had a right to at sunrise on a cold winter morning. He tugged his gloves on and grinned at Danny. “I hope you had a good night’s rest, ’cause I’m in the mood to put in some miles.”

Danny grunted his reply.

“Uh-oh. Sounds like a bit of a rough night,” Jackson said.

“Sort of.” Danny pulled his snowshoes out of the 4Runner and went to work on snapping them to his boots.

“Want to talk about it?” Jackson asked as they moved toward the trail.

“Not really.” Jackson worked for Marissa. He couldn’t exactly tell him that he was still hung up on his ex, whom he hadn’t seen or spoken to in the last sixteen years.

“Understandable, but if you change your mind, I’m a good listener.” He clapped a hand on Danny’s shoulder.

“Thanks, man. ”

Jackson nodded. They were silent for a few minutes before Jackson said, “Did I tell you that I used to be the regional vice president of Snow Valley Sports?”

Danny glanced over at the man who looked more like someone who’d spent his youth backpacking for months at a time instead of wearing a suit and answering to corporate overlords. “Seriously?”

His friend chuckled softly but then quickly sobered. “Yep. My dad was the CEO of a big financial institution. Growing up, I was very into sports. I ended up skiing competitively and almost made the Olympic team when I was a sophomore in college. Then a knee injury took me out, and that was the end of that. I lost my scholarship and my dreams all in one blow.”

“Damn. That’s rough,” Danny said. “I’m sorry, man. But you must have finished school if you ended up a VP.”

“Yeah, I did. But only after my father stipulated that I change my major to business.” He made a face indicating he was not thrilled with that development. “See, I was a sports and recreational management major. I figured once my ski career was over, I’d go run a ski resort or backpacking company. Something where I could spend my days outdoors. But my father absolutely refused to pay for college unless I switched to straight business. So that’s what I did. And the next thing I knew, I graduated and was on the corporate ladder.”

Danny followed Jackson around a bend in the trail and was amazed when a pristine lake appeared, set against the backdrop of the mountains. “This is something else.”

“Isn’t it?” Jackson stopped to stare out at the glassy water. “It’s the type of place where you can just feel the magic.”

There was wonder in the air. It was what Danny had felt the moment they’d appeared around the bend. Possibility. Joy. And hope. He slowly filled his lungs with the cold air, letting the beauty of the spot fill him.

“It’s settles you, doesn’t it?” Jackson asked.

“Yes.” Ever since the day Marissa had walked into his shop, he’d been a little bit on edge. Not quite right. Maybe even second guessing his decision to move to Christmas Grove.

“I knew at a young age that this was what I wanted to spend my life experiencing, but I let outside forces tell me what I should do.” Jackson stared at the lake as he spoke. “Corporate life was all consuming. A way to always acquire more . More power. More money. More things. The one thing it didn’t give me was what I needed most.”

“Happiness?” Danny guessed. He’d left his own unfulfilling job, after all. He was well acquainted with what it felt like to make a living doing something he didn’t enjoy.

“Family.” Jackson turned and looked at Danny. “It was just me and my father. My mom left when I was too young to remember. And when my father died from a heart attack at fifty-two, I looked around at my life and didn’t like what I saw. My father killed himself working, and he worked so much that he didn’t have any significant relationships. It was a wakeup call.”

“So you quit your VP job and moved to Christmas Grove?” Danny asked, fascinated to learn more about the man who always seemed as if he were just part of the fabric of Christmas Grove.

“Sort of. I actually quit and followed a girl. She’s the one who taught me to cook.” He winked. “That didn’t work out, but I did fall in love with this town. And now I have family. There are a lot of people who came to Christmas Grove looking for the same thing, and we share a bond. Marissa is one of them.”

Danny stiffened, suddenly on edge. “Do you have a thing for Marissa?” He’d said he hadn’t known Marissa to date anyone in the five years he’d known her. Was he hoping to be the one?

The other man laughed. “No, man. I’m just saying that I consider her family. That’s all.”

“Okay. Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to tell me something?”

Jackson’s lips quirked into a faint smile. “Maybe I am.” He waved a hand at the magical view. “This view and this town, it’s healing. It soothes the soul. But what’s really important is family. Find yours, and everything else will fall into place.”

Frowning, Danny watched as Jackson turned and started back on the trail.

When Danny didn’t follow, Jackson turned and called, “Are you coming?”

“Yeah,” he said with a sigh and hurried to catch up. When he got to Jackson’s side he asked, “Are you an empath?”

Jackson paused and looked at him. “Was I that obvious? ”

“Yes.”

Silence fell between them, and Danny desperately wanted to ask how Marissa really felt about him moving to Christmas Grove, but he kept the thought to himself. There was no way Jackson would tell him anyway. It would be a breach of privacy. Eventually he said, “I’m a seer.”

That stopped Jackson in his tracks. “Really? How does that work exactly?”

“I get visions of events that are about to happen, and then I can step in and change them… or not.” Danny frowned. “Usually, anyway.”

“Wow. That sounds like quite a burden.” Jackson seemed genuinely concerned.

“It can be,” Danny admitted.

Without Danny saying more, Jackson stared at him with clarity in his eyes and asked, “If you could get rid of the visions, would you?”

Danny hesitated a moment and then shook his head. If he helped even one person, it was worth it.

“I thought that was the case,” Jackson said. “It’s definitely a gift and a curse. I can sense that it weighs on your soul.”

That was an understatement. His gift had taken the only person he’d ever loved from him.

“You’re resentful, too.” Jackson studied him, looking troubled. “My advice?”

Danny nodded, because after his dream last night, he was either going to scream or break something .

“Don’t sacrifice yourself or your loved ones to your gift. Everyone loses then.”

It was good advice, but it came sixteen years too late.

“Come on. It’s getting late,” Jackson said as he continued on with the walk. “Let’s get moving so you can get to work.”

Danny nodded and followed his friend, but for the next hour, all he could think about was what would have happened sixteen years ago if he hadn’t let his visions rule his decisions.