Chadwick Ranch, Book 1: Winter Holiday Romance

by Bonnie Marlewski-Probert

  “I'll pitch in as well. Just tell me what you want done and I’ll do it,” Carter said.

  “I'm not as nice as my brothers so don't ask me to cook, but I would agree to set the table if that would help,” Buck offered. Mary burst out in laughter at their offers to help in the kitchen.

  “I would be honored to share Christmas Eve dinner with the Chadwick brothers and I appreciate the invitation for me and Beau. I know he's going to like all of you and it would be a big help for him to spend Christmas Eve with grown men since his dad is no longer here. Thank you for the invitation and I accept,” Mary said, wiping away a single tear from her cheek.

  “It was not our intention to make you cry,” Adam said sincerely.

  “These are tears of joy. Tears of joy from a woman are always a good thing. Now, before I turn into a weeping willow, I'd better get back to making dinner for tonight. Thank you all again.”

  After grabbing three bottles of beer from the fridge, the three brothers left her alone in the kitchen. They moved into the great room to see if there was any football on TV.

  That night as Adam sat on his bed working on his laptop, he added a new entry to his journal:

  Something I never thought could happen, happened today. Two of my brothers and I came together to do something nice and there were no arguments. We invited Mary and her son to join us for Christmas Eve dinner and again on Christmas morning. Mom would have been proud of her sons today. The look on Mary’s face was priceless and she assured us that her tears were tears of joy, so it was okay. She looked so beautiful and radiant. Before Dad died, I never thought I would lay my eyes on Mary Ferris again in this lifetime. She was married and had a son so I knew I’d missed my chance, too cowardly to tell her how I felt in high school and then I was off to college and it was too late. She’d gotten married and had a son.

  If there’s one thing I’ve learned through the death of my father and the codicil in his will, it’s that you don’t get second chances very often and if you’re lucky enough to get one, don’t waste it. I intend to make the most of this second chance I’ve been given with Mary. I guess there are such things as Christmas miracles after all.

  Chapter 10, Billy Arrives at the Ranch

  Sunday, December Twenty-Third

  It was 5:30 in the evening on December 23rd when Billy arrived at the ranch in his pickup truck. Mary was in the kitchen, as everyone on the ranch knew dinner was served at 6 PM. Adam and Carter had arrived earlier that day so Mary was excited to hear another vehicle pull into the driveway because she knew it had to be Billy. She dried her hands, turned down the stove, called for the Chadwick brothers and announced, “Billy's here!”

  All three Chadwick brothers were sitting in the great room waiting for Mary to hit the dinner bell when they heard her call out. Surprised that Billy showed up at all, the three brothers headed to the front door with Mary, who was way ahead of them.

  “I’m so glad you made it!” she exclaimed, as he exited his truck.

  “I didn't want you coming after me and hunting me down like a dog,” he laughed pulling a duffel bag out of the bed of his truck. Billy was staggering slightly, making it obvious to everyone that he’d been drinking.

  “Did you threaten that you were going to hunt him down like a dog?” Adam asked in front of his brothers with a smile on his face.

  Mary looked at him and rolled her eyes, “Of course I didn't threaten him… I promised him I would hunt him down like a dog if he didn’t show up in time for dinner. I even told him that if he was sleeping with a woman I would drag him out of the bed.”

  Billy slowly climbed the stairs on the front porch heading toward Mary. She hugged him as she had his brothers, delighted that all four would be under the same roof for Christmas. She could smell alcohol as they hugged. He continued to hold her tightly in his arms until it became obvious Billy was crossing a line.

  “I'm glad you're home, but let me go. I need to finish making dinner,” Mary said, trying to diffuse the situation but Billy was clearly drunk and acting like a fool. He’d caught her off guard and things were quickly getting out of hand.

  “You're such a beautiful woman. We’re just about the same age, you and I, and we’re going to be spending a lot of time together over the next six months. I can't wait to see where this goes,” Billy said groping her ass.

  “That's it Billy, let go of me,” she said in no uncertain terms.

  While two of his brothers stood silently, too astonished to believe what was unfolding in front of them, Adam surprised everyone by stepping in and pulling him off Mary and slamming him up against the front door frame, “If you ever touch Mary again Billy, I'll put you in the hospital for a very long time. Do you understand me?”

  Everyone was shocked by Adam’s violent response toward his younger brother. Mary may well have been the most shocked of all. “Adam, it's okay. I don't think Billy meant any harm, he's just drunk,” Mary said, the shaking in her voice betraying the fact that she was unnerved by his advances.

  As if Billy could not have made matters worse, in his drunken stupor, he then said, “Mary, honey, my duffel bag is full of dirty laundry. When you get a minute, would you take care of that for me? God, living at the Chadwick hotel is going to be great.”

  “Buck do me a personal favor and beat the crap out of him while I take Mary back into the kitchen,” Adam said, shoving Billy hard against the door frame before putting his arm around Mary’s waist and leading her back into the peace and solace of the kitchen.

  “Happy to oblige brother.” Buck grabbed Billy by the back of his shirt, dragging him off the porch onto the front lawn before reeling back to deliver a single, solid punch that took Billy off his feet, dropping him like a stone on the front lawn.

  Bear Dalton happened to be driving past, heading over to the Silver Dollar to see Wynona. “What’s up?” he asked, stopping his truck and rolling down the driver’s side window.

  “Just taking out the trash Bear,” Buck replied with a smile before returning to the house.

  Once Adam and Mary were back in the kitchen, Adam asked, “Are you okay?” He held her hands, looking her in the eyes.

  “I'm okay. I wasn't expecting him to show up drunk. It's just going to take Billy longer to settle in I think,” she said, squeezing his hands. “I appreciate that you stepped in when you did.” Adam could see that her hands were trembling.

  “I'll make sure that doesn't happen again. His behavior is inexcusable, especially after you went to so much trouble to make this holiday special for the four of us,” he said sincerely, slipping a piece of errant hair behind her ear, studying her face.

  “Thanks, but you'd better get ready for dinner. I'll be out in a few minutes.”

  “Are you sure you're okay?” Adam asked sincerely.

  “I'm sure, thank you. It's nice to know that if I get in a jam, you've got my back,” she smiled at him.

  “I'll always have your back,” Adam said with a serious tone in his voice. “Know that.”

  When Mary returned to the dining room with a platter full of food, Billy was nowhere to be seen. “Where's Billy? Dinner’s ready,” Mary said, looking around the room before setting down the large platter filled with roasted chicken, potatoes and cooked sweet corn that she had canned earlier that season.

  “He's resting out on the front lawn,” Buck said in no uncertain terms.

  “You didn't kill him, did you?” Mary asked with genuine concern in her voice.

  “Mary you outdid yourself with dinner tonight, it all looks terrific,” Buck said, ignoring her question.

  “I'm pretty sure he's not dead. I saw him moving a few minutes ago,” Carter said hoping to allay her concerns. “But I don't think he's going to make it in time for dinner tonight.” Adam and Buck laughed in agreement with Carter’s assessment.

  “Okay as long as you didn't kill him,” Mary smiled, comforted to know that the Chadwick brothers had her back. “I'll go get the cobbler out of the oven while you enjoy
your dinner.”

  Later that night, alone in his room, Adam pulled out his laptop and added a new journal entry:

  Just when I thought there was hope for the Chadwick brothers, Billy arrived and made an ass out of himself by groping Mary. He’s lucky I didn’t kill him. Thankfully, Buck took him outside and helped him see the light, the Texas cowboy way. I couldn’t believe how kind Mary was toward Billy after that. She suggested it would just take Billy a bit longer to settle in.

  No matter how kind she was about the incident, it was clear she was shaken by it. When I took her into the kitchen, her hands were shaking. She went to so much trouble to make this Christmas special for the four of us and Billy ruined it by showing up drunk and crossing the line with Mary.

  If he keeps acting like an ass, he’s going to find himself settled into an early grave planted right next door to the father he wanted to stay as far away from as possible.

  Chapter 11, The Making of a Cowboy

  Monday, December Twenty-Fourth

  The next morning, all four brothers arrived at the breakfast table for their Christmas Eve breakfast as a family. It was clear that Billy was moving slower than usual, not so much from the alcohol he’d consumed the day before, but from the bone-jarring punch Buck delivered to him on the front lawn the night before.

  When Mary made her first appearance in the dining room with their breakfast, Billy stood and said, “Mary, I’d like to apologize for my bad behavior last night. I’m sorry. I hope you’ll accept my apology.”

  Mary looked at him with surprise, never expecting him to apologize for anything, “you’ll understand that I won’t trust you for a while, until you prove to me that you can be a gentleman, but I accept your apology. Now, eat your breakfast.”

  Just after breakfast, Adam called a Chadwick brother’s meeting. Mary had already left to take Beau out to visit his dad’s grave before they were to visit his grandparents for the morning. Adam knew she wouldn’t be back until at least noon to start cooking Christmas Eve dinner for everyone at the ranch.

  They all remained seated at the dining room table when Adam called the meeting to order. “Billy told me about his conversation with Mary at the garage. Her car is in need of repairs that she can’t afford to do because she has too many other bills to pay. I’d like to make a suggestion that we invite Mary to move into the in-law apartment at the back of the house, rent-free for the six months we’ll be staying at the ranch. She could save the money she’s burning each month on rent, and she would not have to do much driving in her dangerous car if she were living on the ranch where she worked. Also, since all four Chadwick brothers caught the school bus at the end of the driveway for all the years they were in school, I’m sure I can convince the school to do the same for Beau. What do you all think?”

  “I didn’t know she was struggling financially. She never said anything to me about that and I’ve seen her every day for years before Dad died,” Buck said.

  “Buck, need I remind you that you’re not the easiest guy to talk to?” Carter chimed in with a smile. “Your bedside manner could use some work.”

  “I have no problem with Mary and Beau moving into the apartment. No one is using it anyway,” Buck said.

  “I think it’s a great idea,” Carter added.

  “I like having her living on the ranch, pretty sure she’s going to find me irresistible in no time,” Billy smirked.

  “Billy, if you touch her again, I’ll kill you with my bare hands,” Adam promised. Everyone at the table was shocked by Adam’s quick threat. Of the four, Adam was far and away the largest and strongest of the brothers while Billy was the leanest and the smallest. If Adam went after Billy in a fight, his much larger size would surely end up putting Billy in the hospital or in the ground permanently and Billy knew it.

  “Chill out brother, I was only kidding,” Billy said with a laugh.

  “So, we’re all in agreement?” Adam asked, still watching Billy with a menacing look on his face.

  “Yes,” his brothers replied.

  “Okay, I’d like to ask everyone to come with me to clean up the apartment this morning. I ran over there last night and the place is covered in dust and needs a good scrubbing,” Adam suggested.

  “I’m game,” Carter said.

  “Count me in,” Billy replied.

  “I can’t help this morning. Bear and I are working cattle, but I’m all for her moving in.”

  “Okay then, let’s grab some cleaning supplies and head over there now. Hopefully, we can get a lot done before she comes back.”

  The three brothers spent most of the morning dusting, sweeping, mopping floors, cleaning toilets and scrubbing sinks. By the time they were done, even they could see a marked improvement. Although they all understood it would require Mary’s touch to make it a home, they felt proud that they had made a good dent in the mess, providing Mary with a head start which was sure to increase the chances of her agreeing to take them up on their offer.

  When Mary arrived back at the ranch, it was just after noon. She brought Beau with her. He was dressed in the same blue suit he’d worn to his grandparent’s home that morning.

  “I need you to be on your best behavior today. You can stay with me in the kitchen while I start dinner.”

  “Can't I go outside and play. I was stuck indoors all morning with grandma and grandpa. Can't I go outside to see the horses and watch the cowboys work?”

  “No, you cannot. The cowboys are busy and you're just going to get in their way. We brought your backpack with us. Why don't you go select a book out of your backpack, so you can read while I work here in the kitchen?”

  “Oh, mom!” Beau got up from his seat, stomping his feet impatiently as he headed out of the kitchen and into the dining room to get his backpack. Adam happened to be coming in the front door when he spotted Beau in the dining room.

  “Hi. You must be Beau, I don't think we've met.” Adam said, extending his hand as he entered the dining room. “I'm Adam Chadwick. I live here on the ranch,” he said, shaking Beau's hand. He was struck by how much Beau reminded him of himself as a geeky, awkward-looking young boy, replete with the wire-rimmed glasses and a skinny frame. The significant differences were Beau’s red hair that had a mind of its own and his bright green eyes.

  “Holy smokes, are you one of the cowboys?” Adam smiled, realizing that to this seven-year-old little boy being a cowboy was the greatest thing in the world, far more glamorous than being a professor at an Ivy League college.

  “Today I am one of the cowboys. Would you like to go outside and see the horses and cows?”

  “Yippee! Yes!” Beau exclaimed, quickly grabbing his coat off the dining room chair.

  “Wait a second, cowboy, we can't go anywhere unless it's okay with your mom. Let's go ask her,” Adam said recognizing immediately that Beau’s excitement was suddenly squashed.

  “She won't let me go! She just told me to come in here and get a book to read while she cooks in the kitchen. I don't want to read a book if I can be a cowboy,” Beau insisted.

  “One of the secrets you should know about cowboys is that we’re pretty persuasive.”

  “You are?”

  “Yes, we are. We can convince cows to move anywhere we want them to go. We can convince horses and cattle dogs to be our working partners on the ranch. Why don't we go in the kitchen together and see if we can convince your mom to let you be a cowboy this afternoon?”

  “You're never going to convince her, she's tough as nails!” Beau said with conviction.

  Adam smiled, “I'm willing to give it a try, how about you? Come on, a real cowboy never gives up without giving it their best try,” Adam said, heading for the swinging door into the kitchen with Beau close behind. Adam knocked on the door before pushing it open to give Mary some warning that they were coming.

  “Beau did you get into some trouble?” Mary asked.

  “No, he didn't get into any trouble. I just had the chance to meet Beau in the dining ro
om and asked him if he'd like to come out and see the horses but he said he had to check with you first, because you're his mom and you get to make the final decision.” Adam winked at Mary as she tried to hide the small smile on her face, realizing that to Beau, Adam was taking his life in his own hands by asking his mom to change her mind about anything.

  “Well … Beau if you promise not to get in the way and to not get your suit dirty, I guess it'll be okay. After all, it's Christmas Eve,” she said, smiling at Adam.

  “Yeaaah! Adam was right, cowboys can convince anybody to do anything!”

  Mary gave Adam a wry smile, and he in return gave her an embarrassing look. “What's the saying about out of the mouths of babes?” Adam said apologetically.

  “Well you two cowboys go out and have a good time. Beau, be sure to bundle up, it's going to be cold out there. Why don't you go get your hat and coat on while cowboy Adam and I have a quick word?” she said to Beau.

  “Yippee! Don't be long, cowboy Adam!” Beau said, dancing out of the kitchen and heading into the dining room.

  Adam looked at Mary expecting that at any moment she was going to scold him for usurping her parenting decisions. “Come over here,” she whispered in a demanding tone. Adam was prepared for the worst as he moved slowly across the kitchen.

  “How can I ever thank you? You just made my son the happiest boy in Texas!” She caressed his face in her hands, kissing him first on the right cheek and then on the left. Adam could hardly believe his good fortune. Certain he was about to get yelled at, instead this beautiful, smart, wise woman was kissing him and thanking him. He was speechless, barely able to think what to do with his hands as she kissed him. Adam stood silently, studying her. She could see the confusion on his face. “Did you think I was going to be mad at you?”