Guest Blogger: Rayce Jasper of A Canine ChristmasThe problem with putting people on a pedestal is they eventually fall off. That’s what happened with my granddad. He was my hero when I was growing up—until Nana passed. Then he went dark.
My name’s Rayce Jasper, and I’ve come back to Shelbyville to sell Granddad’s farm. The plan is to get in and get out. It’s hard lingering at the old place when it’s riddled with memories. Otherwise, I could stay indefinitely. Of course, with all the repairs it’s going to take to get it ready to put on the market, no telling how long I’ll be around.
Took a leave from my marketing job, and I’m in no hurry to get back to it. Last ten years or so, the company I work for has taken on more and more projects that don’t line up with my Christian beliefs. I’m not a Bible thumper or anything, but I don’t much care for shades of gray—especially when it comes to my values.
Don’t suppose those values line up well with the hardness in my heart I’ve been carrying around for twenty years. And now that Granddad’s passed, it’s too late. Regret’s a bitter pill to swallow, and it keeps a person looking in the rearview mirror instead of to the future. I’ve been so wrapped up in anger and resentment, I haven’t even grieved over the loss.
Not Granddad’s death as much as the relationship we’d had when I was a boy.
Life on his farm would suit me just fine if I had a mind to stay. I like the quiet. Fact is, my last girlfriend accused me of being a hermit, which I guess I am. So, now it’s just me and Porter, my hundred-pound Cane Corso. A man and his dog.
Come to think of it, that does sound borderline pathetic.
Just when I think life on the farm will be uneventful, along comes a crazy mail lady. She’s not too keen on Porter, although considering how they met, I can hardly blame her. Amelia’s her name. Blonde, petite, and a little on the ditzy side. And pretty. Did I mention that part before?
If nothing else, having her deliver mail each day will give me something to look forward to other than ripping out the moldy bathroom tile and refinishing the hardwood floors. There is something about Amelia that makes me forget what it is I like about solitude.
Maybe it’s just a physical attraction, but that doesn’t make sense. A lot of pretty women out there and they don’t draw me the way she does.
Guess for once I’ll have to keep my eyes on the Lord and take my cues from Him. It beats stumbling along in the dark like I’ve been doing since Granddad went dark.
Relationships are hard. For a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift card and the ebook version of A Canine Christmas, what advice would you give Rayce? If you missed Monday’s, Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s, Thursday’s, and/or Friday’s posts, be sure to visit and comment for more chances to win the giveaway.
