Ice Crystals, Sun, And Frosty Breath by Buckskin

Word Count 1,055

No beta – All mistakes are mine

Tiny crystals of sparkling ice blanketed the land in a diamond-encrusted mantle.  He’d never seen anything quite like it before, and although cold, he found he did not want to leave for the warmth of the hacienda just yet.

 Johnny Madrid Lancer couldn’t stop grinning as he gazed at the spectacular scene below.  The magnificent hacienda, proud and resilient,  graced miles of gently rolling pastureland, heavily forested foothills snuggled against a backdrop of gray-purple mountains capped with fresh snow — home.

He would never tire of the view.  The highest point on Lancer provided the perfect place to contemplate, appreciate, and, most of all, heal any troubling thoughts plaguing him.  What was it Teresa had said that first day?  “There it is, as far as the eye can see.  The most beautiful place in the whole wide world — Lancer!”  And she was right.

Little did Scott Garrett Lancer or Johnny Madrid realize the significance of those words.  Now, almost two years later, the land continued to take his breath away and ease his heart and soul.  There was nothing else like it on Earth.  He was part of it, and it was part of him.

The wind was chilly, not the dry heat he was used to enduring, but somehow, the need to visit this spot drew him from the comfort and warmth behind those thick adobe walls and lured him to this place of comfort.  What drew him here, he didn’t know, but he was glad for it.

Johnny pulled the thick scarf around his neck and settled his hat firmly on his head; the sheepskin-lined coat kept his body heat in and blocked the chill that threatened to send him seeking refuge in front of the massive Lancer fireplace.  There was magic here; he could feel it.

He was born on this land, but without memory of his first two years, it didn’t feel like home when he first laid eyes upon it after Murdoch’s summons.  The security of a stable home was not his until months after he returned under that impressive arch.  Lancer.  His name, his birthright.

Johnny would never know why his mother left; what had sent her running away into uncertainty, dragging Johnny from a stable life and into the unknown?  He’d mulled it over a thousand times and never found an answer. 

Blowing out a frosty, billowing breath, he shook those morose thoughts aside.  He resolved he wouldn’t ruin the day agonizing over what was.  There wasn’t anything to be done about it now.  Instead, he would think of life going forward, a life with his family.  Family — it was most precious, and especially today.  It was Christmas Eve day.

It didn’t often snow at the hacienda, but an early morning dusting covered trees, grass, and brush in a shimmering blanket of those diamond-like crystals, leaving them blazing in the sun.  Pristine, pure, beautiful.  It made Johnny forget the cold and appreciate the breathtaking scene before him.  He was mesmerized by the sight and filled with a peace he’d not known before.  He didn’t want it to end.

His eyes followed the road leading to the hacienda that now bore Christmas trappings, painstakingly, quite literally, placed by Scott and Johnny as they indulged their sister’s wishes.  Pine greens and red ribbons adorned every fence post, and a huge pine spray, complete with large ribbons, was hung over the great adobe arch.

Teresa had decorated… everything!  The interior of the hacienda was filled with fragrant pine boughs and pine cones, red ribbons tied in cheery bows hung from doorways and added splashes of bright color on any available surface.  Every branch of the large tree held ornaments and strings of popcorn garland.  Teresa had to replenish the popcorn several times — How was Johnny to know it wasn’t for him to eat?

From where Johnny stood now, he watched the red ribbons attached to the fence posts fluttering in the gentle breeze that seemed to say, “Come this way!” guiding everyone to the front door of the hacienda.  Teresa finally took pity on her brothers and relented in her edicts after Scott and Johnny pounded their fingers with the hammer when the digits became too cold and numb while they diligently humored her in helping with the outdoor holiday decorating.

Showering them with sympathy, Teresa released them from trimming detail after tending to their injuries.  Then her eyes took on a sparkle, and she grinned as she held a box of silver and gold bells, each tied with small red ribbons, telling them she had enough left over from decorating to weave into Barranca’s and Remmington’s manes.

It was funny now when he thought about Johnny Madrid, gunfighter, riding a horse with little bitty bells tied on his horse with dainty red ribbons. 

“Dang, T’resa, don’t mention that ta Val!  He’ll never let me forget it!”

“Oh. Johnny, don’t worry, I’ll save some for Val’s horse, too!  That way, when you go somewhere together, you’ll match!”

After giving it more thought, Teresa turned an innocent eye on her brother.  “Well, Johnny Lancer, at least I’ll use red ribbons.  It will complement your shirt, and you, Barranca, Val, and his horse will be color-coordinated!”

Scott openly laughed.  Murdoch choked just as he took a sip of brandy.  And Johnny paled with shock.

Hmm, Madrid was just bested by his little sister… 

But it was Christmas andhumorous to think about… kind of.  Hmm, Johnny secretly hoped Val didn’t have a red shirt…

And now, Johnny smiled again, observing the beauty of the morning before him.  Sore finger, chilly wind, and red nose forgotten, the thought of friends and family gathering together for Christmas warmed his heart. 

“How’d I get so lucky, Barranca?”  Johnny took another deep, cleansing breath.  “Let’s go home, amigo.”  He gathered the reins, then stopped and turned to his horse. 

“An’ I promise I won’t let T’resa tie no bells on ya.  We’d be the laughing stock from here ta Texas an’ Mexico!”

But it was this peaceful time alone, alone with his thoughts and the sparkling crystals adorning the glorious morning, that held Johnny’s heart snug and secure.  Warmth, family, home.

It was Christmas Eve Day.

December 2024

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