Chadwick Ranch, Book 1: Winter Holiday Romance

by Bonnie Marlewski-Probert

  Mary was overwhelmed by the painting, hugging Billy again. “You’re a good man Billy Chadwick, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” she said firmly, looking him in the eye.

  “Yes ma’am,” he said.

  “If any of you gives him trouble, you’re going to have to deal with me!” she warned, making Beau nervous because he knew what his mom was capable of if she was riled up.

  Mary opened an envelope from Billy, “It’s a gift certificate to fix your car for free,” he explained. She was speechless, mouthing, thank you to him.

  Mary made embroidered patches for each of their ranch jackets that said, ‘Chadwick Ranch’ in bright lettering, with each of their names on their individual patches surrounded by a royal blue background with a running steer at the bottom of each. She made one for each of the four brothers and one for Bear.

  “Wow, did you have these made?”

  “No, I did them myself. The first Christmas gift my husband ever got me was an embroidery machine which was something I’d always wanted. It came in handy. When you’re ready, I’ll sew them onto your jackets for you.”

  When the last of the gifts were opened, Adam announced they weren’t done yet. He handed Mary an envelope and said, “This is for you, from all the Chadwick brothers.” She looked confused, but opened the envelope. Inside, she found two things: a small handwritten letter and a gift card. She read the short letter silently, which was signed by all four brothers, staring at it for a long time until her tears hit the paper.

  “What is it, Mom?” Beau asked.

  “I have to go in the kitchen now but I’ll be back in a minute,” she said.

  “Oh no, she’s going to go have a cry,” Beau exclaimed with frustration. “My mom cries over anything. Did you get her a baseball card?” Beau asked not understanding what a gift card was.

  “No but that would’ve been a great idea. Maybe next year,” Adam said, getting up from the sofa. “I’ll go check on your mom to make sure she’s not disappointed that we didn’t get her baseball cards.”

  Mary was alone in the kitchen reading the letter again, it read:

  The four Chadwick brothers would like to ask you to move into the in-law apartment here on the ranch, rent-free for at least the six months we will all be here. Please accept this gift card to get whatever you need to make the apartment a home.

  The letter was hand-signed by all four brothers.

  Adam knocked on the kitchen door before entering, only to find Mary seated at the bar with her face in her hands, weeping, the letter opened on the counter in front of her with the gift card and envelope.

  “Are you okay?” Adam asked, approaching her slowly.

  She turned to him, her face wet from tears. “Whose idea was this?”

  “We had a Chadwick meeting the other day and we all agreed that if we were going to be held captive on the ranch for six months, we needed company!” he smiled. “We all want you and Beau to move onto the ranch and just so you know, we spent time in the in-law apartment cleaning it up. We’re not good at that stuff, but we did the heavy lifting and I don’t think we broke anything in the process. That gift card is for a thousand dollars. We all kicked in so you can get whatever you need to make it a home. Say you’ll move onto the ranch for at least the six months we’re all going to be here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely! Does that mean you will?”

  “If you’re all sure?”

  “We’re all sure. Say yes!”

  “Okay then, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes!” Adam hugged her tightly as she sat on the bar stool.

  “You’ll have your own entrance or you can use the one that leads into the main house if you prefer. You’ll have your privacy. The only difference is you won’t have to drive to work because you’ll already be here. Oh, and I took the liberty of calling the school to find out if the bus would stop here again as it did when we were all kids and the school said yes, so Beau’s all set.” Mary stood up from the bar stool, studying Adam carefully before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. He lifted her at the waist and swung her around as they both laughed. “Come on, let’s go tell the others. I’m sure Beau is wondering what in the world happened,” Adam said, taking her by the hand as they left the kitchen, returning to the great room.

  “She said yes!” Adam proclaimed.

  “She said yes to what?” Beau asked while the brothers all applauded.

  “The cowboys asked if we would move onto the ranch through the winter and into the summer. What do you think of that?”

  “WOW! You mean I’m going to be a full-time cowboy?”

  Buck said, “That’s what it means.”

  “Mom, why were you crying when you opened the envelope?”

  “I was crying because I was afraid they only wanted cowboys and since I’m not a cowgirl yet, I was afraid they didn’t want me.”

  “Did you talk Adam into it?”

  “Yes she did,” Adam said happily.

  “Then, Mom, you’re already learning how to be a cowgirl. You talked four cowboys into letting you live here on the ranch even though you can’t ride or rope or brand or herd cattle!”

  “I guess you’re right,” Mary smiled.

  Buck said, “We have one more gift for Beau now that you’re going to be living on the ranch full-time. Billy, can you get it?” Billy reached behind the sofa and pulled out a large box.

  “What is it?” Beau exclaimed.

  “You’ll have to open it to find out,” Billy said.

  Everyone enjoyed watching Beau annihilate the wrapping paper. Inside was a large, beautiful box that said Stetson on the outside. He carefully opened it to discover a tan-colored Stetson straw cowboy hat that had already been shaped and sized for him. “WOW! This is the best gift ever!” Beau exclaimed, pulling the cowboy hat out of the box and slipping it on his head.

  “If you run upstairs, there’s a full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door so you can check yourself out,” Carter suggested. Without saying another word, Beau ran up the stairs. Everyone could hear him shouting with joy, pretending to be a cowboy in the mirror.

  Adam whispered in Mary’s ear, “I have one more present for you too,” he said, handing her his phone.

  She looked up at him bewildered. “I have a phone.”

  “Click on the folder. Your gift is inside the folder.”

  She did as he asked and discovered dozens of photos of Adam, Beau, the other brothers, horses, cows and various places on the ranch from the day before. They represented the day when Beau was transformed from the sad little boy who couldn’t get over losing his dad to the happy, excited little boy of today.

  As Mary thumbed through the dozens of images on Adam’s phone, Beau returned and said, “Oh no, Mom’s crying again!”

  Mary looked at Beau and said, “Cowboy Adam just showed me the photos from your big day yesterday.”

  “Let me see!” Beau sat down on the couch by her side as they scrolled through the many photos, Beau explaining what each one was. As he was regaling about their adventures, Mary looked over to Adam and smiled with gratitude. She mouthed thank you.

  Now that Mary had agreed to move onto the ranch for six months, the brothers took she and Beau over to the in-law apartment so she could check it out.

  “It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It’s just shy of one thousand square feet and the kitchen has all the appliances. We checked and they’re all working. Oh, and the entrance we just used from the main house has a deadbolt on the inside so you can lock it to make sure you have your privacy and the other door is your outside door, if you want to use that one instead. It also has a deadbolt on it so you can use whatever is more convenient for you,” Adam said proudly, happy to see how excited Mary and Beau both were as they walked through the apartment with the four Chadwick brothers looking on.

  “Thank you all for this. I promise to be a good tenant,” Mary said as the four brothers erupted in laughter, knowing tha
t if anything, they worried that they would be the problem.

  Late that night, Adam sat quietly in his bedroom with his laptop, adding another journal entry which read:

  Christmas at the Chadwick Ranch was memorable. Everyone got along well. Each brother provided thoughtful gifts to one another. The house was beautifully decorated by Mary and Beau and best of all, Mary agreed to move onto the ranch and stay in the in-law apartment for the next six months. I can barely contain my excitement knowing that she’s sleeping on the other side of that wall.

  I can’t wait to see where this leads us in the months to come. We kissed again today and are getting closer with each passing day. I know she can’t possibly love me yet but I’ve loved her since high school and I’m willing to wait for as long as it takes.

  Chapter 14, Carter Finds an Accountant

  Wednesday, December Twenty-Sixth

  Her assistant buzzed Katherine Martin’s office that morning, “Katherine, there’s a Carter Chadwick on line one for you.”

  “What does he want?”

  “He said their family attorney recommended you to help them sort out the family books.”

  “Oh yes, I was expecting to hear from him. Put him through,” Katherine said, watching for her phone to light up. “Good morning, this is Katherine Martin, how can I help you?”

  “Good morning, this is Carter Chadwick. Our family attorney Johnathon Edwards gave me your contact information. We are in need of an accountant to help sort out the family business books and he recommended you highly.”

  “Please tell him thank you when you next see him.”

  “I will do that.”

  “So, what seems to be the trouble?”

  “My father passed away recently …”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” she said sincerely.

  “Thank you.” Having lived in New York City for a few years as a lawyer, Carter had to admit to himself that he was always surprised when people offered their condolences at his loss. “Unfortunately, a codicil in the will requires all four sons to live on the family ranch for the next six months or the entire spread is going to be donated to a charity.”

  “Ouch. Was he angry at all four of you?”

  “Who knows? I hadn’t seen him in years, but that isn’t the point.”

  “I’m sorry you and he were not close. If that isn’t the most important point, what is?” Carter was taken aback by her frankness.

  Carter was speechless for a moment before he was able to continue, “Ms. Martin, the point is that the four of us are now stuck on the ranch and while I’m here, I wanted to check on the financial status of the business. Unfortunately, when I did, I discovered there is no computer, no bookkeeping system in place, records are everywhere and I need a professional to help me sort out the mess. I need help building a general ledger, putting the business on computer and building the history of the books for as many years retroactively as we can piece together so I can ascertain the overall health of the business.”

  “You sound like you know what you’re doing. Why do you need my help?”

  “I’m an attorney from New York, not an accountant. As a fellow professional, I know when to seek out an expert and that’s why I’m calling you. Are you interested in helping me?”

  “Certainly. Tell me a little about the family business.”

  “The Chadwick Ranch is a beef cattle operation. We are about to head into calving season. This year, we have about one hundred head of first-year heifers calving so life is going to be very hectic around the ranch for the next couple of months.”

  “I don’t understand,”

  “During calving season, we have to do night watch on the herd just in case any of the heifers has trouble calving.”

  “And if they have trouble, what do you do, call the vet?”

  “Sometimes, but in most cases, we’re able to help them give birth on our own.”

  “You mean you’re midwives for cows?” Carter laughed at her assessment.

  “I guess you could say that. My brothers are going to get a kick out of that.”

  “So tell me more about the ranch,” Katherine asked.

  The property consists of twelve hundred-plus acres for grazing and supplemental crops. My brother Buck also breeds and trains the Quarter Horses used on the ranch. We have a fulltime ranch manager who’s been with the ranch since I was a boy and several part-time employees who help out at various peak times of the year. The ranch was created by my great-great-grandfather when he was in his twenties, handed down to my great-grandfather when he was in his twenties, then to my grandfather and finally to my father when he was in his twenties. Now, the four brothers are going to be running the place, at least until the six months are up.”

  “What happens after that?”

  “Does it matter to you?”

  “From an accounting standpoint, yes it does. If your intention is to stay on the ranch as a family, I would make recommendations that would put you in the best possible tax position and help you build a financial plan that would ensure a safe future for the next generation of Chadwicks. However, if you tell me you intend to sell the ranch after the six months, I would focus on building a short-term financial plan that would help make the property as desirable to buyers as possible and that would include building your books as far back as possible and making some fiscal suggestions that would position the property for sale.”

  She continued, “Depending upon exactly where the ranch is located, I'm guessing that a sale of the property would be of greatest interest to developers. In that case they don't care what your books look like; they would only be interested in the value of the ground. If it is your intention to sell the property at the end of the six months and you're all in agreement on that, I wouldn't worry about fixing the books. I would recommend instead that you focus your energy on finding a developer who was looking to build condos or apartment complexes or shopping malls. That would garner you the largest return on your investment.”

  Carter was a bit embarrassed now for insinuating that she had some nosy reason for asking, “I apologize for my abruptness. I’ve been working in New York City for the past few years where no one cares, or cares to ask about your motives. However, coming back to a small town in Texas has stirred up all the old memories of nosy, gossiping neighbors and I must admit, I’m a bit gun-shy.”

  “Well Carter ― may I call you Carter?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Please call me Katherine. Well Carter, it’s refreshing to hear an attorney apologize. I think there’s hope for you yet!”

  “So Katherine, do you feel you can help us?”

  “I’m sure I can. I’m going to transfer you back to Suzie, my assistant, and she can schedule a day and time that is convenient for both of us. Since the books are on the ranch, I’ll come to you for our first meeting, if that’s agreeable?”

  “Perfect. I appreciate you being willing to make the drive.”

  “No problem. As an attorney, you know those are all billable hours,” she laughed.

  Carter laughed at her comment as well. “Billable hours or not, I look forward to meeting you in person, Katherine.”

  “As do I.”

  At the dinner table that evening, Billy was noticeably absent. He had decided to drink his dinner at the Silver Dollar, rather than eat with his brothers. Carter waited until everyone had finished eating before he brought up the touchy subject, “Johnathon Edwards recommended an accountant from San Antonio. I called her today and she is going to be coming to the ranch in a few days to look over the books and help us put everything on computer so we know where we stand financially.”

  Adam cringed, knowing that any mention of change around Buck was likely to set him off and he didn’t disappoint, “What the hell did you do that for?” Buck shouted.

  “Look, whether you stay on the ranch or we sell it off, either way, we need to know its financial position.”

  “I already know its financial position and
I don’t need an accountant to tell me that. Just look out the damn window and you’ll see. Hundreds of cattle, a fresh crop of calves, thousands of acres of prime Texas land, and then there are the buildings and the legacy of three generations of cattlemen.”

  “You can’t pay income taxes based on that or pull operating capital loans from the bank based on that. We’ve got to know what the financials are, so, unless you can show me a profit-and-loss statement or a balance sheet for the past few years, we need an accountant to help us sort out the mess in the office. Like it or not, I’m buying a computer tomorrow and putting everything on it so we can pull reports.”

  Buck didn’t say another word. He stood up knocking his chair backwards on the hard wood floor and stormed out of the dining room, grabbing his hat before slamming the back door on his way to the barn.

  “Well, that went better than expected,” Carter smiled, looking at Adam.

  “Billy picked a good night to drink his dinner at the Silver Dollar. Wish I’d thought of it,” Adam said.

  Friday, December Twenty-Eighth

  It was 2:00 pm when Katherine Martin arrived at the Chadwick Ranch for her scheduled meeting with Carter.

  Watching her pull in the long driveway, Carter headed out the front door to meet her in the parking lot. “Katherine Martin I presume?” he said casually strolling down the front stairs of the ranch house, heading toward her sports car.

  “Yes,” she said, stepping out of her Mercedes Roadster and pressing the button to close the roof of the convertible. Carter was speechless when he noted the length of her gorgeous legs in her snug pencil skirt and high-heeled shoes. She had a body to die for and a face that men would happily kill for.

  “You must be Carter Chadwick,” she said, extending her hand to shake his. It did not go unnoticed that he was hot-looking in his blue jeans, cowboy boots and pastel polo shirt. Carter took her hand in both of his, holding their connection for a few seconds longer than one might normally expect. Their eyes locked for what felt like an eternity before Carter nervously cleared his throat.