by Verna Clay
She was mortified. Her attempt to appear calm and collected was completely blown. He followed her inside and politely remarked about how nice her place was as she motioned him toward the couch. "Make yourself comfortable. Would you like a Pepsi?"
"I'd love one."
Phoenix entered the little alcove that was her kitchen and opened the fridge. Moving slowly to buy time, she practiced what she was about to say while adding ice to their glasses and pouring their drinks. She returned to Justin and sat beside him on the couch. He sipped his soda and said, "So, what are your plans now? Have you attended any job fairs or received any employment offers?"
Gripping her glass tightly she said, "I haven’t been to any job fairs, but I have received an offer." The butterflies in her stomach tried to take flight. "It’s a great job, but it hinges on one thing."
"Yeah? What’s that?"
"Before I tell you, I want to say how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me."
Justin smiled. "You’ve already written and phoned about that. You really don’t have to thank me again. I wanted to help make your dreams come true." His smile softened. "You’re a special woman, Phoenix." He held her gaze. "So what does accepting your new job hinge on?"
She tried to inhale, found it impossible, and blurted, "You."
Justin's forehead creased in confusion. "Me?"
"Yes." She set her glass on the table because she was afraid she might drop it. Justin watched her movement and set his own glass beside hers, silently waiting for her response.
She finally inhaled and said on the exhale, "I’ve been offered an incredible position that will work into top management if I pass my trial period." She gnawed her bottom lip.
"And how do I fit into the picture?"
"The company is ChocoDrops. They're building a factory outside of Paxtonville."
"You’re talking about Dixie and Alligator Kosky, the former owners of Dixie’s Cuppa Joe?"
"Yes."
"They came into the coffee shop not long ago and said they were moving their headquarters from Denver to Paxtonville, but they didn’t say anything about you working for them. What’s going on?"
Phoenix couldn’t read Justin’s expression and began to panic, but rather than continue the guessing game, she decided to spell it out. In rapid fire she said, "I was reading the Paxtonville Weekly online and when I saw their help wanted ad, I contacted them. I explained how I had spent the summer in Paxtonville working for Dixie's Cuppa Joe and wanted to return there and surprise everyone. I told them I was about to graduate and looking for a job in management. They flew me to Denver for an interview and called a few days later with a job offer."
Justin leaned closer. "So how does the job hinge on me?"
"It hinges on you because I won’t take it unless we have a chance as a couple; unless you want me around because…" her voice cracked, "because I want to be with you." Her lips trembled. "I’m so sorry about prying into your life. I had no right. During these months away, I’ve come to understand that you do have a wonderful life. You have roots. You have friends. You love what you do. And I want to be a part of that with you. I want–"
Her words were interrupted when Justin leaned into her and whispered against her mouth, "Yes, Phoenix."
Epilogue
Christmas season at the Lazy M Ranch was always an extravaganza, and this year proved to be even more spectacular. The annual Christmas party for challenged children was in full swing with more children than ever before, and with the increase, a record number of locals had volunteered to make the event unforgettable.
Pausing a moment to regroup and catch her breath, Sarah Tanner stood at the back of the dorm's all-purpose room and watched the festivity. Her gaze alighted on her husband Sage who would soon be sneaking from the room to dress as Santa Claus, and although in his sixties, he was just as handsome as the day she’d met him thirty years earlier when he'd posed for the cover of her book, Dream Kisses. And even though he'd later angered her by doing something she now considered trivial, she'd still felt drawn to him. And then, weeks later, arriving at his dude ranch, not realizing he was the owner, she’d been unable to quash her growing attraction. Within a matter of days he and his daughter Julie had won her heart over. And although she'd made the huge mistake of leaving Sage because of self-doubt, his flashy marriage proposal in front of an audience of romance readers had transformed her life forever.
As if feeling her watching him, he glanced in her direction and did that thing that always made her heart somersault. He smiled with his eyes.
She returned his smile and then searched for the girl she had adored from their first meeting. Julie had grown into a wonderful woman and married the son of Ann Martinez, who was Sarah's best friend. Julie and Jacob would soon celebrate their twenty-sixth wedding anniversary and their children, Maudie and Missy, were extraordinary granddaughters that Sarah couldn't have been prouder of.
She searched for Ann and saw her laughing with her husband Jackson. Ann's path to happiness had been long and rocky, both before and after Jacob's father's death, but her marriage to Jackson was as solid as Sarah's was to Sage, and their daughter Angel's marriage to Eli Brightman was proving to be just as strong.
Thinking about Eli brought his parents to mind and Sarah scanned the room for Tooty and Miles. She saw Tooty encircled by enraptured children as she read The Night Before Christmas. Miles, in his wheelchair, had a boy and girl sitting on his lap and the girl said loudly, "Let me see that picture again, Miz Tooty!" and the boy echoed, "Me, too!" Sarah chuckled.
Against all odds the Brightman marriage had survived not only a significant age difference, with Tooty being eighteen years younger than Miles, but also huge social differences. Tooty had been an unwed twenty year old raising four year old Harris when Miles, an established best selling author, had hired her as his personal assistant. The bigger issue for Miles, however, had been his paraplegia caused by a car accident.
Now, watching the couple, Sarah barely remembered the three years of their estrangement when Eli was born. She almost laughed aloud thinking of the years since then. Miles and Tooty had five grown children and were hoping that Harris and Lucinda or Eli and Angel would soon make them grandparents.
As for Harris and Lucinda, what a storybook romance—boy meets girl; boy almost gets girl; girl betrays boy; boy rejects girl; girl shows up in boy's home town; boy forgives girl; boy thinks girl betrayed him again; boy loses girl; boy discovers girl didn’t betray him; boy finally marries girl and they move away to fulfill his dream of ranching, and her dream of starting her own newspaper. Sarah liked the scenario and thought it might play out as a storyline for one of her romance novels.
Laughter at the refreshment table arrested her attention and she saw Justin Blake and Phoenix Phillips joking with Sean and Tessa Barfield. Sarah had first met Justin when he started working for Dixie's Cuppa Joe years earlier, and for all of her effort, and the effort of the best matchmakers in Paxtonville, they had been unable to match him up with anyone. Now, to everyone's shock and delight, a city gal from California had stolen his heart and a March wedding was being planned.
As for Sean and Tessa, they also had a storybook romance, as did Sean's birthfather and stepmother, Mac and Cecelia MacKenzie. Sean and Tessa had met as teenagers, but their romance hadn't begun until they were over twenty and he was famous. And Mac's relationship with Cecelia had started when she'd botched a coffee delivery to his house and accidentally discovered he was a reclusive artist she had admired for years.
Sarah searched the room for Mac and Cecelia's girls, Goldie and Merry, and saw them helping Hank—cook at the Lazy M for years—replenish hors d'oeuvres on the buffet table. The girls, like their mother and father, had compassionate hearts and could always be found assisting others. Goldie, a victim of cerebral palsy, had been four years old when Cecelia first met her at a Lazy M Christmas party, and after Cecelia's marriage to Mac, the couple had adopted her. A few years later they had adopted Me
rry.
The dorm door open and Sarah watched a tall young man in Navy attire enter and remove his cap. He glanced around until he spotted Goldie waving to get his attention. It was no secret that Morgan Brightman, the third son of Tooty and Miles was crazy about her, and everyone wondered where their relationship would lead since Goldie was only eighteen.
Standing by the door Dirk Branigan welcomed Morgan by slapping him on the back, and Sarah couldn’t help but reflect on Dirk's slippery slope to happiness with Monica. It was a crazy one for sure. Monica had actually been Miles Brightman’s girlfriend "back in the day" in New York City before he'd met Tooty. However, several years after he and Tooty had tied the knot, Monica had resurfaced in a frantic telephone call to Miles because her life in New York had skid out of control. She'd been jilted and robbed by her boyfriend, laid off her job, evicted from her apartment, and, to cap it off, discovered she was pregnant. However, as unlikely as it seemed, Tooty had been the one to suggest a temporary solution to Monica's predicament—work for Dirk as domestic help while he recovered from a rodeo accident. And although reluctant, spoiled Monica had taken the job, but in so doing, upset Dirk's orderly life. And now their teenage daughter, Candi, who had inherited her mother's drive and her father's gift with animals, had become a force to be reckoned with. Following in the footsteps of her father, her uncanny insight as a horse whisper was receiving statewide recognition.
Sighing with joy, Sarah again sought out her own children and their families. Julie and Jacob and their girls, Maudie and Missy, had been joined by her twins Toby and Preston. Her sons were pillars of the community and Toby was even considering running for mayor.
Joining the group, Dovie held mistletoe above Toby's head and Freckles held some over Preston's. The men's laughter was followed by long kisses with their wives. Freckles, who was due to deliver another son any day and looked like a toothpick with a beach ball for a belly, handed her mistletoe to Julie, who raised it above Jacob’s head.
Sage, holding the hands of his youngest grandchildren, joined his family. Gus squealed and lifted his hands high in the air for his pawpaw to pick him up, and then Hope started crying and lifting her hands, too. Pawpaw laughed and reached down to scoop both children into his arms, jostling them and sending them into fits of giggles.
The dorm door opened again and Hannah entered with Alex. They had called earlier to say their hopper plane from Denver to Cortez was behind schedule, but they shouldn’t be too late. It had been two months since Sarah had visited her daughter and Alex at their estate in England and received the wonderful news that Hannah was pregnant. Now she was showing a baby bump and Sarah got a lump in her throat. Her daughter and son-in-law had almost lost their lives while working in a third-world country for the prestigious organization Border's Removed, and after the incident Hannah's future with Alex had appeared bleak to everyone but Sarah. She supposed that’s why she was a romance novelist. She was a firm believer in happily-ever-after.
Lifting away from the wall she started toward her loved ones, but paused in the center of the room to capture the moment. Turning slowly in a circle she memorized the familiar faces of family, friends, acquaintances, and children. She saw Sage watching her and he did that thing again with his eyes that somersaulted her heart. Releasing a long sigh of happiness she continued turning in a circle—the circle of life.
Author's Note
It's hard to believe the Romance on the Ranch Series is now complete. Of course, in my mind, I will often ponder the characters and imagine what's currently happening in their lives.
The fact that there are ten books in the series boggles my mind; I never expected more than three. However, after six years of writing about the wonderful people of Paxtonville, Colorado, I knew it was time for closure. The loveable, sometimes quirky, sometimes frustrating characters, have had free rent in my mind for a long time. I've experienced their joys and pains; successes and failures. And, as crazy as it seems, I sometimes imagine driving through southern Colorado, entering Paxtonville, and stopping for a Happy-Zappy at Dixie’s Cuppa Joe, and, of course, a Jalapeño ChocoDrop.
And since I'm in imagination mode, after leaving Paxtonville, I'll head to Oregon and the coastal town of Somewhere (Finding SOMEWHERE Series), then continue northward to Portland (Shapeling Trilogy), and finally south to Arizona and the small desert town of Oasis (Oasis Series). After that, St. Louis, Missouri is another option (Finding Home Series), as is Two Rivers, Texas (Unconventional Series).
The gift of imagination is a blessing that costs nothing, yet continuously gives. I hope I have stirred your imagination with my stories.
Verna Clay
SOMEWHERE by the Sea
Finding SOMEWHERE Series
1: Somewhere
WELCOME TO SOMEWHERE
by the Sea
Faith read the sign and couldn't believe she had actually arrived in the small coastal town of Somewhere. She drove past the sign onto Main Street, curious to see if the town resembled the photo she'd been studying for years. About a quarter of a mile from the sign she entered the town proper and inhaled sharply; it was even better than the photo. It was colorful and inviting, with vibrant flags decorating both sides of the street and the word "WELCOME" written in different languages on each one. Pedestrians strolled the sidewalks and entered brightly painted businesses of red, yellow, blue, green, and orange.
Faith was so caught up in what should have been a Norman Rockwell painting, that she didn't see the signal light turn green. A horn tooted behind her and she absentmindedly murmured apologies, even though the driver couldn't hear her. Slowly, she drove through town until she reached another light. After two more lights she came to a stop sign at the end of Main Street, which was intersected by a road that only turned south—Ocean Boulevard. On her right was the beautiful Victorian Bed and Breakfast from her picture book, but before checking in she decided to drive along Ocean Boulevard. She turned left at the stop sign to follow the shoreline and marveled at the azure sea mimicking the color of the sky. After passing a public beach and parking lot she reached a stretch of stunning homes on both sides of the boulevard, and then a marina. Tears stung her eyes as she said softly, "Hammond and Charlie, I'm here."
Gabby Evangeline Hope frowned at her son and replied to his remark, "Baxter, do you really think I don't know the plumbing needs updating?" She blew a wisp of hair off her forehead and smoothed her hands down her 1970s' style peasant blouse and tie-dye hippie skirt. At the age of fifty-seven she was several pounds overweight, but not concerned about it since she'd never been prone to vanity. She rarely wore makeup, or even visited Betty B. Breverton's Beauty Boutique. Her once brunette hair still reached her waist, but was now a lovely shade of silver. She supposed that by the time she was seventy, it would be pure white, and looked forward to that day.
Baxter said with exasperation, "Mom, why are you so stubborn? You know I have the funds to completely renovate this home." His voice rose in volume. "And if you don't do something soon you won't have a bed and breakfast."
Gabby's frown turned into a grin and she reached to cup her son's cheek. "It's not as bad as that, and you know it. You're a good man, Baxter, and I appreciate your concern, but you know I'd never take money from family members, especially my son. I've seen too many families torn apart by finances."
Baxter opened his mouth to counteract her, but Gabby continued, "Besides, I had a dream recently that things are about to change around here. I'm not sure if it's for the better or worse, but change is a comin'. However, if the plumbing fails, which it won't, I can always borrow money from the bank. Mr. Swift was telling me just yesterday that money is available if I need it."
Baxter puffed a breath. "Mom, the guy would give you the money. Why don't you just date him and put him out of his misery. He falls all over himself whenever you're around."
Gabby huffed, "Son, I can't believe you just said that. You know your father was the only man for me. He and I were polar opposites but never wa
s a marriage more stable than ours. Why, we–"
"He's been dead for six years, Mom, and you deserve more than just this home–"
"I love this home! After your father inherited it from his father, he and I worked side-by-side to make it so successful. Why, people come from all over the country, and even the world, to spend time here and on our private beach, we–"
"You're talking to the choir, Mother. All I'm saying is having a man in your life might be exciting."
"And who are you to talk? Where's the woman in your life? Where's the excitement?"
Baxter lifted his hands in surrender. "Point taken. But at least I date occasionally."
Gabby lifted her shoulders and stood as tall as her 5'5" frame allowed. "This conversation is over. Your room is ready for you and the account books are on the desk in the sitting room." She glared at her son. "You're staying the entire summer, aren't you?"
Suddenly, Baxter grinned and hugged his mother. "I always do. Besides, you know how much I love trying to untangle your accounting."
Gabby chuckled and returned his hug. "You realize, don't you, that we have a verbal sparring match every summer."
Baxter stepped back and held his mother's shoulders. "Looks like this one will be no different. It's going to be a long, argumentative one, Mom."
Gabby grinned. "I'm looking forward to it."