Chapter Seven
It wasn't long before Jess returned to the main room. With his back to the others, he began to do something at the dining table. The brothers and Jonesy occasionally cast a curious glance his way as they continued their conversation. After a couple of minutes, Jess turned around and faced them.
There was a look of both determination and serenity on his face. "Jonesy, a while ago you said it was time I quit hidin' from the truth. Well, I figure it's time for somethin' else too."
Three sets of eyes watched him intently.
"I reckon there's a way to look at things that I ain't been seein' for all these years. Not till right now. Fact is… my ma wanted me to taste that peppermint candy. And now, I think I can do it. I should do it. 'Cause it's an experience that she wanted me to have." He paused and then quietly went on. "And I don't s'pose it'll take away any feelin's, or the picture in my mind of Ma and my family. Not now. In fact, I'll have a new picture to put with that one."
He looked at each of them. "A picture of my new family."
Andy and Jonesy smiled. Slim felt a surge of happiness and relief. He'd never been able to shake the concern that one day Jess would light out again. That no matter what he, Andy, and Jonesy said or did, the Texan still didn't feel like he truly belonged, that he could actually put down deep roots here. That he could stay.
But now, there was that cherished word: Family. Jess had referred to them as his family! That was the best Christmas present he could have given them.
"To make that picture complete, there's something I wanna do," Jess said. "Y'all come here."
Andy popped up immediately, and when Slim and Jonesy rose, they all walked over and stood beside Jess, watching him and wondering what he was thinking.
Jess stepped aside and motioned toward the table. They all looked in the direction he gestured. There in the middle of the tabletop lay a dishtowel. Beside it sat the gift box the candy had been in. It was empty.
"Okay, everybody take hold of a corner of the towel, and when I say 'now,' we'll all peel 'em back at the same time." Jess's expression was soft and sentimental. "Just like when I was a kid."
Smiling at each other, they gathered around the table, and each of them grasped a corner of the towel. Jess waited, savoring the moment. Then, almost reverently, he murmured, "Now."
Together, they all pulled their section of the towel. There in the middle of the cloth lay the four peppermint sticks.
"Take one," Jess urged as he reached forward, and the others followed his lead.
Jess raised his candy as though he held a glass for a toast. Slim, Andy, and Jonesy copied his movement and the four sticks were lifted high. They all glanced at each other, but three mainly fixed their eyes on the newest member of the family.
"All right," Jess said confidently. "Let's go ahead." And they all slipped the end of the candy sticks into their mouths.
The other three simply licked, but there was a sudden loud crunch as Jess Harper went full-bore into this moment just as he did everything else in his life, delving into his first taste of the peppermint confection. As he completely pulverized the sweet morsel, he looked from face to face to face. Each in turn keenly waited for his reaction, riveted to his expression.
Jess's eyes sparkled. "Dadgum!" A huge smile stretched his lips. "That's mighty tasty!"
He enthusiastically bit off another chunk, sucking on it, moving the piece around in his mouth with his tongue, and finally tucking the candy between his cheek and gum to let it melt. The others laughed at the unbridled enjoyment the Texan was experiencing. Slim absolutely roared when Jess, with an enormous grin and widened dark blue eyes, switched the candy from his right hand to his left, examining the sugary treat as he licked the sticky fingers on his gunhand. The formidable gunfighter had turned into an enchanted kid! And the tall blond rancher found the sight both heartwarming and hilarious! The amusement the others drew from his reactions didn't bother Jess at all. He was not in the least bit self-conscious about the pleasure of this sweet discovery that filled in a missing piece of his childhood.
Andy finally settled down from his chuckles. "You know something, Jess. Your ma would be smiling as bright as you are, if she could see ya right now."
The Texan's expression turned pensive, and his eyes held a soft look that matched his voice. "I'd like to think she can."
Then his eyes closed for a moment, and his smile returned. "And I can just see her, watchin' me and smilin'. And another pleasin', happy picture that is, too."
When Jess opened his eyes again, his line of sight landed on the decorated tree. From there, he swept his vision around the room, appreciating every aspect of the home he now called his. And, above all, cherishing the family that had taken him in and made him one of them.
Somehow, the simple act of recreating the unveiling of the candy, as was done with his beloved original family, made him feel like he had certified this group of wonderful folks as his family too. He now had a big brother, a little brother, and an uncle. And his feelings for them ran deeper and stronger than the Laramie River. Just like they should for family.
Jess's eyes met with those in each of the smiling faces that surrounded him. This Christmas—like the one from his youth—would always remain in his memories. Every moment from both occasions had become part of him, alive in his senses. He could even hear his ma's voice saying what she'd said when he and his siblings had gathered around that table… "If Christmas stays in your heart, you'll feel the love forever."
And Jess vowed that not only would Christmas stay, he would stay. Right here at Sherman Ranch.
Slim looked knowingly at his best friend. He understood what this day, and its revelations, meant to Jess. Placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder, he smiled. "Merry Christmas, pard."
With a full and grateful heart, and a big grin, Jess nodded. "Same to you, pard. Merry Christmas!"
