Chadwick Ranch, Book 1: Winter Holiday Romance

by Bonnie Marlewski-Probert

  “I've got everything, thanks.” Adam juggled his large suitcase in one hand, his carry-on bag over his shoulder and his briefcase in the other as he walked up the sidewalk towards the front stairs of the Chadwick Ranch house.

  “Set your things down and come into the kitchen to warm up. I have Christmas cookies and hot cocoa ready and waiting for you. Adam I'm so glad you could make it in time for Christmas. This is going to be so important to your brothers,” she said, taking him by the hand after he set down all of his bags at the front door. In her enthusiasm Mary essentially dragged him across the dining room into the kitchen where Carter was already seated on a barstool.

  “Hey brother, welcome home,” Carter said, setting down his mug of hot cocoa on the bar before standing up and extending his hand to Adam.

  Adam shook his hand and then pulled him into a bro-hug, “Thanks, it's good to be back in Texas. Winter has hit the East Coast already, so the Texas weather seems like a vacation.”

  “Come and sit down at the bar, I'll make you a hot cocoa with a peppermint stick in it,” Mary said.

  “Thanks, you're the best,” Adam said.

  “Mary tells me that you’ve set a precedent around here Carter that’s going to be hard to beat,”

  “By the way, the delivery truck arrived a few hours ago and the great room looks like a department store brother. I think you topped me big time,” Carter laughed.

  “Oh, Adam, it was so thoughtful of you to do that. This is going to be such a special Christmas for the four of you. Tomorrow I'm making you a great big Christmas Eve dinner with turkey and ham and sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes and green bean casserole with the crunchy little onions on top and lots of gravy and lots of desserts. You’re going to be eating leftovers for a week and based on all the gifts you two Santas had delivered, the four of you are going to be unwrapping gifts for a week as well!”

  “After I got your message Mary and realized how much trouble you were going to in order to make this a special Christmas for the four of us, it was the least I could do,” Adam said smiling at her sincerely. Their eyes locked for a few extra moments which did not go unnoticed by Carter.

  “Do I need to leave the kitchen so you two can be alone?” Carter laughed.

  There was an awkward silence between the three of them for a moment or two before Adam asked, “So, where's Buck?”

  “He's out working cattle in the lower pasture but he should be back soon,” Mary said, smiling at Adam shyly. He could see her cheeks were flushed as she was embarrassed by Carter's comment. “Come with me, I want to show you the great room,” Mary said enthusiastically.

  “Adam, you're going to be amazed at what Mary and her son Beau did in the great room,” Carter said with pride.

  Adam got up to follow Mary when she said, “Don’t forget that Bear came with us to get the tree. Adam, bring your cocoa with you.”

  The three left the kitchen heading across the dining room through the foyer into the great room. “Oh my God, this is incredible!” Adam exclaimed, his voice filled with astonishment. His gaze wandered around the room from the doorway, trying to take it all in before he set his mug down on the nearby end table.

  “It even smells like Christmas in here,” Adam said.

  “Do you like it?” Mary asked. Adam turned his head to look her in the eye as they stood close to each other in the doorway of the great room.

  He took both of her smaller hands in his and said sincerely, “What you've done here for myself and my brothers is something really special. I don't know how to thank you for this. The holidays are always hard when you've lost family. You of all people know that. Our troubles are nothing compared to what you’ve endured and still, you've gone out of your way to make the holidays special for us, and I thank you,” he said, hugging her warmly as Carter watched. It was clear that there was something going on between those two and Carter hoped for their sake that it would blossom over the next six months.

  Later that night, while relaxing in his old bedroom that he’d had since childhood, Adam opened his laptop for the first time since arriving on the ranch. The administrator of his Ivy League College had recommended Adam journal his experiences on the ranch and possibly write a book about it. In academia, being published was important for acquiring and maintaining tenure.

  His first entry read:

  Moving back on the family ranch, my mind is filled with memories of days gone by. Of happy holiday moments shared with my mother and brothers before she passed. Of summer days galloping across miles of open ground with my brothers, the wind pounding our faces. Of hard, honest work that a man could be proud of when he laid his tired body down at the end of the day. The house is overflowing with the quiet whispers of memories around every corner… and then there is Mary. The girl I loved in high school who never noticed me because I never thought I was good enough for someone like her and now, the woman that I still love who is right here. If this is a gift from the heavens, I’m not going to waste it this time. Before my stay on the ranch is done, Mary Ferris is going to know how much I have always loved her.

  Chapter 8, Billy at Home

  Friday, December Seventh

  Because he still lived in town in a small, dingy apartment, moving back to the ranch was actually a step up for Billy. While Carter and Adam were walking away and possibly sacrificing their careers, Billy saw this as an opportunity to live rent-free for six months, leaving him with plenty of cash for partying.

  When his father kicked him off the ranch because of his wild ways, just after his 21st birthday, Billy had rarely returned to the ranch for any reason. He knew he wasn't welcome there any longer. His father wouldn't tolerate his presence so long as he was drinking and Buck, his brother, had a permanent scowl on his face whenever Billy was around. He couldn't stand the disappointed look on Buck’s face whenever he bumped into him in town or occasionally at the Silver Dollar.

  Since Billy had neither a career nor loved ones to leave behind, moving back to the ranch was as simple as loading a duffel bag with his clothing, giving his landlord notice and driving the 10 minutes back to the ranch.

  Billy had been adrift since he was 14 when his mother passed away. From that point on, he gave up on his art and wandered from job to job, girlfriend to girlfriend, bar fight to bar fight, unable to find any reason good enough to warrant changing his life. As a child, he was considered a gifted artist. He worked in oils and watercolors, creating beautiful landscapes that included many of the amazing vistas at the Chadwick Ranch. Several of these hung on the walls in the ranch house. His mother had been so proud of his talent with a brush and he knew she would be so disappointed to see him now, but he was unable to find that spark that used to get him excited when he saw a blank canvas. He hadn't felt that excitement since his mother passed and he was certain he would never feel it again.

  The very same day that Mary knew Carter would be arriving on the 23rd of December, she drove over to the garage where Billy worked as a mechanic to speak with him.

  “Hi Mary, are you having car trouble?”

  “No Billy. I need to talk to you for a few minutes about family matters. Can we sit in my car and talk?” Billy wiped his hands clean, exiting the garage and getting into the passenger side of Mary's small car which was clearly in need of many repairs, none of which she could afford.

  “What's up?” Billy asked.

  “I heard from Carter today that he's planning on flying in on December twenty-third to spend Christmas at the ranch and I want all four Chadwick brothers to be there for Christmas Eve dinner. Bear, Wynona and Crystal will also be there for dinner. Will you promise me that you’ll be there too?”

  “Mary I don't want to disappoint you …”

  “Then don't. There's a good possibility that this will be the only Christmas that you four brothers will ever share on the ranch for the rest of your lives. It's going to be important to you someday to be able to look back on this holiday, knowing that you shared it with your brothers.�
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  “The Silver Dollar is throwing a party on Christmas Eve. It's kind of a tradition for me to be there…”

  “I think you forgot that Bear Dalton has been dating Wynona for more years than I can count and both of them will be at the table on Christmas Eve for dinner. Don't make me call in a favor and ask Wynona to ban you from the Silver Dollar on Christmas Eve,” she said looking him dead in the eye. He could see she wasn't kidding.

  “You wouldn't dare,” Billy said with surprise.

  “Just try me Billy. If it's easier for you to make up your mind, I'll call her right now to confirm that you will not be allowed in the Silver Dollar on Christmas Eve,” Mary said without blinking.

  “Mary Ferris you’re more scary than a terrorist group!”

  “Thank you, as the mother of a small son, I'll take that as high praise,” she said smiling at him. “I'm being serious here, I don't have any dog in this fight, but I know what regret feels like and I don't want you to regret in the years to come that you screwed this up. If you won't do this for your brothers or for your dad’s memory, do it for me. Can I count on you to move back into the ranch house on the twenty-third and be there through Christmas?”

  “Oh hell Mary, I can't say no to you,” Billy said with resignation.

  “Does that mean you'll be there?” Mary said, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.

  “All right. All right. I'll be there!” Billy said, his voice filled with exacerbation.

  “I'm warning you now Billy, if you're not ready to move back into the ranch by dinner on the twenty-third, I'm going to come looking for you and when I find you, and I will, I'm going to drag your backside back to the ranch. I don't care if you're in front of all of your friends, or your boss at the garage, or if you're in bed with a woman. Are we clear on this? I'm trusting that you're a man of your word. Don't let me down,” she said in a menacing tone that only the mother of a small boy would appreciate.

  “Just so you know, Carter went Christmas shopping for everyone and shipped the packages to the ranch,” she added. “When I found out that he’d done that, I decided to decorate the house so you and your brothers will have a Christmas to remember. I'm cooking all of you a big Christmas Eve dinner. Wynona, Bear and Crystal will be at the table. The house is fully decorated on the inside and I've been baking Christmas cookies for all of you. I’m doing this for your dad who I had a lot of respect for and I know he’ll enjoy looking down from heaven to see you all together this Christmas Eve at the dining room table.”

  “You mean he’ll be looking up from hell to watch us,” Billy said sarcastically, noting the look of disappointment in her eyes. “Okay. Okay! I promise I'll be there by dinner on the twenty-third and I'll have all of my clothes with me so I can move back into the house on the same day. Will that make you happy?”

  “That will make me the happiest woman on the planet. Thank you Billy. Just remember, if you disappoint me, I’ll hunt you down like a dog and you’ll rue the day you crossed me,” she said with a straight face, her voice suddenly exuding a menacing tone.

  “I promise I'll be there by dinner time on the twenty-third.”

  “That'll be perfect, now get out of my car and go back to work.”

  “You know, you should really bring this car in for repairs, it doesn't sound very good.”

  “I will just as soon as I can afford it. As a single parent raising a growing young boy, there isn't a day that goes by that Beau doesn't need something. One day it's a new pair shoes, the next day the backpack for school, or another doctor visit. My life is about prioritizing things and Beau is my highest priority. The car has to come later, but I appreciate your concern. Now go back to work and I'll see you at dinner at the ranch. And Billy, thank you.” They smiled at each other before Billy exited the car. He watched Mary drive away before heading back into the garage where one of his co-workers was waiting for him.

  “Holy crap, are you tapping that? She's hot!”

  “Hell no, she's the housekeeper at the ranch,” Billy said defiantly.

  “If you're not tapping that, give me her number.”

  “Go to hell! Not only is she hot, she's the finest twenty-nine-year-old woman I know, and she's a widow with a young son. You and I can tap tramps all night long, but women like Mary, if we’re really lucky, you get them to marry you. She'd never have anybody like us. She's way out of our league. Guys like us need to stick around the Silver Dollar. That's where our kind of women hang out,” Billy said, the resignation and disappointment in his voice telling the full story.

  Billy spent the rest of his work day thinking about Mary's visit. He knew she was right about how important it was because this could easily be the only Christmas that he and his brothers would ever share together on the ranch. The more he thought about it the more he resolved that he would not just show up as promised, he would bring gifts as well. Billy decided that he would tap into his art skills to create small, meaningful paintings of the ranch house for each of his brothers. He thought that in the event that all four brothers agreed at the end of six months to sell the ranch, this would be something that would remind them where they came from.

  The minute he got out of work that afternoon, he headed straight to the art store to pick up canvases, paints and brushes. For the first time since his mother had passed, he felt a little spark of excitement about getting back to painting.

  As Billy was coming out of the art shop, he ran into Wynona, Bear Dalton’s long-time girlfriend.

  “Hey Wynona, how are you?”

  “Good, it looks like you’re up to no good,” she smiled.

  “I’m getting back into painting. It’s the first time since I was a teenager.”

  Wynona smiled warmly, “That’s great. What’s the occasion?”

  “I’m painting Christmas gifts for my brothers this year. Since there’s no way to know if the ranch will still be in the family six months from now, I figured I would paint each of them a rendering of special places on the ranch so they’d have something to remember.”

  “I hope you don’t mind, but Bear shared with me the codicil in your dad’s will requiring the four of you to live on the ranch for six months. I’m glad to see you’ve warmed up to the idea. It’s a really thoughtful thing you’re doing. I’m sure they’re going to love whatever you do,” she said. “I thought when you said you were getting back into painting that you might be painting something about the rodeo.”

  “I’m afraid my rodeoing days are behind me now. After I racked up my knee while bull riding in Wyoming, that was it for me.”

  “Do you miss being on the road?”

  “I miss the excitement of surviving an eight-second ride on a two thousand-pound bull that you know would be happy to kill you if given half a chance. I miss the comradery among the cowboys when we were all on the road chasing a paycheck. I miss the women who followed the rodeo and the partying but it’s not the kind of work you can do if you’ve been busted up. Bull riding is dangerous enough when you’re one hundred percent sound, but if you aren’t, it’s a trip to the coroner waiting to happen,” Billy said sincerely.

  “For what it’s worth, most people I know go their entire lives and never have the opportunity to chase even one of their dreams. You’ve had the chance to do two already and you’re not even thirty years old yet. Between Rodeoing and your art, you’re a lucky man for sure,” she said. “Well, I’m meeting Bear so I’ve got to get going. I guess I’ll be seeing you at Christmas Eve dinner at the ranch.

  “Yes you will. I’ll be there. Merry Christmas, Wynona.”

  “Merry Christmas,” Wynona said warmly.

  Chapter 9, Christmas Surprise

  Sunday, December Twenty-Third

  After Carter and Adam had arrived on December 23rd, Adam pulled his two brothers to the side while Mary was in the kitchen.

  “I'd like to suggest that we invite Mary and her son Beau to join us for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning, if that's all right with you.�
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  “Great minds think alike, Buck and I had already discussed that. We were waiting to ask if it was all right with you.”

  “Yes, of course it's all right with me. Who's going to ask her?”

  “I suggest all three of us invite her. She's in the kitchen right now. Why don't we ask her together?” Buck suggested.

  All three brothers entered the kitchen together, finding Mary peeling potatoes for dinner. “What can I do for you?” she asked, looking up from her work as she stood next to the kitchen sink.

  “Mary, can you put that down for a minute and come sit with us at the bar?” Adam asked.

  “Sure, is anything wrong?” Mary asked, sitting on one of the barstools that ran along both sides of the bar in the large kitchen.

  The three brothers looked at each other, trying to determine who was going to do the talking when Carter stepped in to take the lead, “Mary if it wasn't for you, we wouldn’t be sharing Christmas together here at the ranch. My brothers and I are in agreement on this, it's not going to be a Chadwick Christmas unless you and your son Beau are a part of it,” Carter said plainly.

  “I don’t understand. What are you saying?” Mary asked, looking at all three brothers.

  “What my brother is trying to say is that we want you and Beau to share our table for Christmas Eve dinner and we want you both back for Christmas morning. Bear and Wynona will be here, along with Crystal from next door for Christmas Eve dinner but it won’t be the same if you and Beau don’t join us as well,” Buck said.

  She was so touched that Buck, the gruffest of the Chadwick brothers was personally inviting her and her son to sit at their table for Christmas Eve dinner. She smiled, admitting to herself that this was proof that there was such a thing as Christmas miracles.

  “I know this sounds terribly unfair Mary but you're still going to have to do most of the cooking for the Christmas Eve dinner or we’re going to risk poisoning each other. But I'm happy to help in any way I can,” Adam said sincerely.