Letting Go (Triple Eight Ranch) - By Mary Beth Lee Page 0,18
made up her mind. She wasn’t staying. It didn’t matter what these people thought of her.
You can only run so far and you’ll never be able to get away from yourself.
Clarissa wondered why her subconscious voice sounded so crystal clear in moments like these and why it had to ring so true.
When she entered the kitchen, she was surprised by the warmth in Jed’s mother’s smile. “Come on in here, Dear. You sit and let me make you a plate.”
Clarissa didn’t bother arguing with the woman who finished wiping off a cabinet while she talked. She’d seen people like Susie Dillon before, and there was no winning.
Jed’s father, Paul, sat at the table, a steaming cup of coffee by one hand, a newspaper in the other. He folded the paper, put it on the table and said good morning, then watched her until she was seated. Like he was weighing something in her. But the look didn’t make her feel judged. Not exactly. It was almost like he was trying to see into her soul.
She prayed he didn’t see the truth buried there.
A few seconds later a plate full of food sat in front of her, and her stomach grumbled taking her mind off Jed’s father completely.
“I hope you slept all right,” Susie said. “Jed wanted us to let you know crews are working on the area around Pete’s. He’ll be back from taking care of some chores around the ranch in an hour, and he’ll drive you into town then.”
Susie said the words as if they were talking about who won the State Fair’s pie contest or how to make peach jelly. Part of Clarissa wanted to be put off by that. Instead, she took comfort in the knowledge that this woman who seemed so strong believed everything would be okay.
“Thank you so much for everything,” Clarissa said, and then she took a bite of a mouthwatering homemade biscuit and wondered why she’d been so determined to try to do life on her own. She’d made a mess of things over the years. It was nice to let someone else take care of her.
As she swallowed the bite, she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, something else she’d gone a long time without.
“I haven’t been where you are right now, Clarissa,” Susie said, “but I know it will work out. Things always do.”
Clarissa nodded because she couldn’t speak without falling into a squalling fit.
“Hey, Gramps, Moo’s in the front yard again, and this time it’s not my fault.”
Mackenzie’s words pulled the focus off her and on to what Clarissa figured must be a cow. Jed’s father jumped up and started limping toward the door at the same time Susie called out “use your cane!” and Mackenzie pulled back the curtain, waving her over. Sure enough, a black and white spotted cow was in the front yard eating orange and yellow marigolds.
“I swear that animal thinks she’s a pet,” Susie said and Mackenzie giggled then said “that’s ‘cuz she is,” before running outside to help her grandpa try to shoo the cow to the other side of the fence.
“She’s our light, you know,” Susie said nodding toward her granddaughter, and Clarissa heard an underlying current she wasn’t quite certain how to decipher.
“She’s really amazing.” Somehow Clarissa said the words over the sudden lump in her throat.
“It’s good you see that, sometimes people don’t.”
The phone rang and Susie Dillon left Clarissa alone in a sunshine bright kitchen at a wooden table where love and family were the expected instead of the fairy tale.
For a moment, Clarissa let herself wonder how different her life would’ve been if… but then she heard Susie’s conversation.
“Yes, Joan, we are so blessed that Jed and Mack are safe when the tornado came so close to the diner. The whole town is blessed.”
Joan. Anderson.
Somehow Clarissa knew where this conversation was going, so she grabbed her juice and stepped outside.
Warm summer air and bright blue cloudless skies reminded her that life did go on.
“Can I help,” she called, eyeing the cow suspiciously. It looked bigger now that she was so close, and it’s mouth looked giant.
“If you can get the gate, Mack and I can lead her back to her side of the fence,” Jed’s father said.
“And then I can take you out to meet Flower,” Mackenzie added.
Clarissa scrambled by Moo to open the gate the rest of the way.
The cow wasn’t all that interested in leaving her greener pasture, but they did finally get her out