Gillian stammered over the hammering of her heart, “This is too big a decision to make on the spur of the moment. Bryce and I both have our own careers and our own lives to get back to.” No matter how empty and lonely they might be….
She watched Bryce swallow hard before taking up the cause.
“I can’t tell you how much it means that you would entrust me with the ranch that you’ve spent your entire life building, John. That’s not a decision to be made lightly.”
Obviously as moved as Gillian was, he seemed to choose his next words carefully.
“But…the truth of the matter is that I’m no cowboy. I’d be completely out of my element trying to follow in your footsteps. As Gillian said, times are changing, and as much as I hate to admit it, the days of working ranches around here are numbered. Taking that much cash out of your capital to appease your children could very well doom you to bankruptcy. If anything, instead of taking money out of the ranch, I’d recommend you pump more into it and take it in an entirely different direction.”
Stella came unglued at that.
“So you not only want our inheritance but our million dollars, too!”
Gillian winced. “Apparently a million dollars is a pittance—until it threatens to disappear altogether,” she said, shaking her head in disgust.
Rose appealed to her father on a purely emotional level.
“Can’t you see what he’s trying to do? He’ll tear the entire family apart in no time at all for his own personal gain and ruin everything you’ve worked so hard for in the process.”
“I don’t need anybody’s money,” Bryce said contemptuously. “I’m in the process of selling that little business that you like to speak of so disparagingly. In a couple of months I’ll be able to buy this ranch and ten more like it if I want to—I don’t have any reason to steal your inheritance. But I’d sure like to repay your father for the faith he put in me when I needed it the most by giving him all the money he needs to run the ranch and put a halt to your cold, calculating proceedings to declare him incompetent.”
Gillian thought she could almost hear her father’s heart break when he heard Bryce’s words. She caught him by the arm as he stumbled reaching for a chair.
“You’d really do that to me?” he asked his daughters, his voice barely audible.
“Of course not!” Rose said less than convincingly.
“H-how could you even think that?” Stella added.
Bryce hastened to assure his old friend. “As long as I have dual power of attorney, I won’t allow that to happen. You have my word. And if anyone’s foolish enough to try to push that through over my objections, I’ll use my last dime to fight you in court.”
As John Baron struggled to accept the thought of his own children’s betrayal, Gillian tried wrapping her own mind around Bryce’s news—he was going to be as outlandishly wealthy as he’d always promised her. And he’d done it on his own terms. Without her at his side.
Gillian couldn’t help but admire him for that. In spite of the personal tragedy that had derailed their marriage, Bryce had never lost sight of his dream. She was only sorry she hadn’t been there to share in his success.
“I’m proud of you,” she said.
“Me, too. Damned proud,” her father added.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he struggled to keep his emotions under control.
“But that doesn’t change my offer,” John continued. “A young man as ambitious as you doesn’t want to retire. What’ll you do with yourself? You’re not the type to be content filling your days with golf and endless travel. If you want to take this ranch in a new direction, I’d like to think I’m not so old that I can’t change.”
The brightness in her father’s eyes told Gillian that he wanted Bryce to accept his offer not just for her sake but also for his own. The two of them shared a rare respect that existed well beyond their common interest in her.
“It’s tempting,” Bryce admitted. “But as Gillian pointed out, we’ve both got our own lives to live. I intend to relax and take a good long while off before making any decisions about what to do with the rest of my life. I’ve been thinking about starting up another business, one that allows a better balance between my professional and personal life. As much as I once loved your daughter and desperately wanted things to work out at one time, we could never heal our marriage when family members—” he glared at Rose and Stella “—kept tearing us apart. I’ve got to tell you, sir, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”
Neither did Gillian. When her sisters didn’t bother denying the charge, Bryce continued philosophically.
“There’s a good woman waiting for me back in Cheyenne, and I made a promise to a little boy I can’t disappoint. I’m pretty sure the only thing more foolish than trying to start over with Gillian is denying myself the possibility of any future happiness with someone else.”
The defeated look that settled into her father’s features reminded Gillian of old Padre just waiting for someone to put him out of his misery. And made her wonder if he really hadn’t intended for her and Bryce to reunite all along.
Twelve
Whether the tears stinging Gillian’s eyes were from regret or resentment, she wasn’t sure. Only one thing was certain—not only did Bryce not need her family’s money nor want their most prized possession, the ranch, he didn’t need or want her.
In spite of all the progress they’d made in resolving their differences, Gillian had to face the fact that he truly was over her. Having just assured everyone in the room that reconciliation wasn’t in the cards, she wondered why she felt so betrayed. After all, she was the one who had initiated divorce in the first place. And she couldn’t claim ignorance about Vi and her little boy being a part of Bryce’s life before she had attempted to seduce him last night, either.
Gillian winced to see her father looking so defeated.
When had he gotten so old and frail? Who will watch out for him if not me?
Certainly neither Stella nor Rose. They looked so obviously relieved that Bryce wasn’t interested in their father’s money, Gillian couldn’t help but feel ashamed of them.
Unlike her sisters, Gillian wouldn’t simply tell her father whatever he wanted to hear in hopes of earning his favor. She would be there for him when he needed her—just as he’d been for her since the day she’d been born.
Lately she’d been battling a growing sense of dissatisfaction with putting in limitless hours at work just so she could avoid any kind of social life at all. Returning home was a poignant reminder of what was really important in her life, and it wasn’t making a name for herself in an industry that measured people’s worth by their credit rating. Nor making lots of money for some stranger to invest on her behalf because she was, quite frankly, too tired and busy to enjoy it.
A myriad of terrible images played in her head: her father falling, lying on the floor unable to reach the phone to call for help; sitting in a nursing home alone; his funeral on a cold and windy day.
Standing in the midst of her dysfunctional family and faced with the reality that Bryce wasn’t about to rush to the rescue, it became suddenly clear to Gillian what had to be done.
“I’ll do it,” she said.
Rose looked perplexed. “Do what?”
“Move back home and help Dad take care of the ranch.”
Bryce was shocked. He shook his head in disgust as Gillian’s sisters halfheartedly tried to talk her out of giving up the career she’d worked so hard to establish. They were frustrated that their plans for immediately taking over their father’s assets had fallen through, and Gillian’s offer to take him completely out of the picture opened the door to further machinations on their part.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Stella asked.
Bryce couldn’t keep from adding his thoughts on the matter. “I suggest you think long and hard about giving up your professional life—”
“Just to sacrifice your own life for
somebody who has already lived most of his,” John finished, although clearly moved by the selflessness of his youngest daughter’s decision. “You have no idea how much your offer means to me, but Bryce is right. That’s too much to ask of one person alone.”
Those words made Bryce feel suddenly small. He hated to let down the old man. Although his immediate plans were to take a long, well-deserved rest pending the sale of his business, he couldn’t deny that the thought of turning Moon Cussers into something extraordinary was intriguing.
When he looked at Gillian, he couldn’t help but think of the night before. He’d never wanted to hurt her, but he could tell that she was taking his words to John hard despite the smile on her face.
“Nobody needs to feel like I’m giving up anything that I don’t want to,” she said. “The allure of a full-time career is fading, and this opportunity gives me a chance to do something meaningful with my life—like being where I’m needed most.”
She turned to address her father specifically.
“There isn’t any place I’d rather be than here with you, Dad. If you’re willing to let me help you and the ranch without including Bryce in the package, I’ll give notice as soon as I get back to Cheyenne and start putting things in order. But before I do, I want your assurance that you won’t second-guess my decisions.”
“You have my word,” he promised. Tears clouded his eyes as he opened his arms to her.
Bryce had never heard the old man sob before. All at once he went from feeling pity for Gillian to feeling jealous of her. Once again he felt like an outsider looking in. His impending fortune meant little when compared to the love between Gillian and her father. He thought he would derive more satisfaction from breaking the news of his extraordinary success to the women who had helped destroy his marriage.
“This is wonderful news,” Rose squeaked, rushing over to throw her arms around them both.
Bryce looked on skeptically as Stella joined in their family hug. As long as their inheritance remained intact for the time being, he doubted whether Gillian’s sisters could care less about the sacrifice she was making on their behalf. After he was long gone, he supposed they would try to bully their sweet little sister into doing whatever they wanted.
He wasn’t sure how successful they would be in that endeavor. Gillian wasn’t the same naive little girl he’d married once upon a time nor the easy pushover Stella and Rose had manipulated in the past.
When he found it at last, Bryce’s voice was rough around the edges. “I’ll be leaving bright and early tomorrow, but I don’t want you to think I’m abandoning you, John. I’ll only be a phone call away. I’ll continue to be involved in your affairs for as long as you want me to be.”
Stella surprised him by assuming the unlikely role of peacemaker instead of taking exception to that remark as he would have expected.
“Now that everything’s settled,” she said, “what do you say we have an old-fashioned Christmas like those we had when Mom was here? Rose and I brought along as many presents as we could pack on a snowmobile.”
Rose’s voice took on a nostalgic note. “A real Christmas dinner just like Mom used to make….”
“Turkey with all the trimmings,” Stella continued.
“With pumpkin and pecan pie for dessert,” Rose said excitedly.
“With fresh whipped cream…”
Listening to them reminisce reminded Bryce of all that had been missing from his own childhood. Accompanying his parents on a cruise now couldn’t make up for all the sad holidays he’d spent as a kid, disappointed when Santa brought him socks, underwear and serviceable jeans instead of anything as extravagant as a new bike. Although he and his parents tried to get together on occasion, they would never be a real, loving family like the Barons, whose roots sunk so deeply into Red Rock Canyon that their blood was mixed into the soil for eternity. Despite his constant bickering with Stella and Rose, Bryce knew they loved Gillian and their father.
The next thing Bryce knew, he and John were being shooed out of the kitchen and into the living room with instructions to stay away while the women prepared a mouthwatering meal guaranteed to fulfill their every fantasy. Over the sounds of chitchat and laughter in the next room, the men relaxed in front of the television to watch a football game. Bryce had forgotten how much fun the Baron sisters could have when they all got together. They might be bossy, intrusive and opinionated, but they also shared a special bond that he couldn’t help envying. He supposed it was only natural that Gillian’s sisters felt threatened when she’d married a nobody from outside their tight circle of friends. A nobody with little more in his pockets at the time than dreams.
Dinner was a banquet that delighted all the senses at once. Since there hadn’t been time to thaw and cook an entire turkey, a succulent ham decked with pineapple and drizzled with honey served as the main course. Cheesy scalloped potatoes, steamed asparagus topped with hollandaise sauce and flaky biscuits baked to a light, golden hue were presented on the floral blue china that Virginia Baron had saved for special occasions. For dessert, they had a decadent pecan pie piled high with whipped cream.
After shamelessly stuffing themselves, Gillian looked at her sisters. “I already mailed my Christmas presents to you. I hope you got them before you took off. If I’d known you were coming, I would have mailed them here instead.”
Sheepishly Rose admitted to opening her gift the instant she’d received it rather than waiting for Christmas Day. “I love the cut-glass vase you sent me. It matches my pattern perfectly,” she gushed.
Stella had gotten her present as well but, a stickler for tradition, she had waited to open it. She thanked Gillian in advance, then directed everyone to take a seat around the Christmas tree and presented her father with an exquisitely wrapped package. Inside was a gold Rolex.
“It’s far too extravagant,” John protested, confirming her assumption that it was just the kind of luxury he’d never buy for himself.
A snide remark popped into Bryce’s mind about Stella using it to mark time until she tried collecting early on her inheritance again. He refrained, however, since there was no good reason to ruin the tentative truce they’d established at the holiest time of the year.
“Now I’m embarrassed to give you the flannel shirts I special ordered for you, Dad—even if you do desperately need some new ones,” Gillian said, appreciatively eyeing the Rolex.
“Your coming to live here with me is the best present I could ever hope for,” he assured her.
Something grabbed Bryce in the chest—hard—and refused let go of him. Until that very moment, he hadn’t realized how deeply he longed to take back his old life the way Gillian was.
He drew a small nickel-plated, ivory-handled revolver out of his pocket and presented it to Gillian’s father.
“I brought you something, too, John” he said. “Sorry I didn’t get around to wrapping it.”
The old man accepted the revolver reverently and examined it at length.
“A Colt dating back to the 1800s!” he exclaimed, reluctantly handing it back. “I’m afraid I can’t accept something this expensive.”
“You’ll hurt my feelings if you don’t,” Bryce told him.
“Then thank you,” he said, extending a hand in friendship. “It’s the perfect piece to add to my collection.”
Seeing the pride and happiness on his old friend’s face was one of the best gifts Bryce could have received that Christmas.
Gillian swallowed against the emotion clogging her throat, wishing that her relationship with Bryce had been as uncomplicated as his with her father. She wished there was a way to hide the last present she had under the tree without drawing attention to the act. She didn’t want her sisters reading anything more into that gift than was intended when she’d bought it as a token of appreciation for Bryce coming here with her on such short notice.
Rose got a funny look on her face as she withdrew the small, ornately wrapped package from under the tree and read
the gift tag aloud. She passed it to Bryce with all the temerity of a spy handing over a package of Grade A plutonium.
He looked just as surprised. Beneath the foil wrapping was an expensive business card holder. Carved from elk antler, it boasted a brass insert upon which an image of a grizzly was etched.
“If you’re going to be a bear…” Gillian said, recalling his old motto.
“You might as well be a grizzly,” Bryce finished for her.
They exchanged a look that made everyone else disappear. The room grew hotter as they gazed at each other.
“I feel silly,” she said. “Had I known you were selling your business, I never would have bought it,” she explained feebly.
Bryce leaned in, his eyes never leaving hers. “I love it.”
Those words were warmed by a gracious smile. Gillian could hear the thrum of blood rushing through her veins. Every nerve in her body was aware of the man sitting next to her.
“I’d better call Vi, wish her a happy Christmas Eve and assure her I’ll do my damnedest to get home tomorrow,” he said, rising to his feet and running for the safe haven of the next room.
Gillian felt torn between gratitude to the woman for loaning out her fiancée over the holidays and jealousy so ferocious it clawed at her guts. She pasted a false smile on her face only to realize that her family was either deliberately avoiding making eye contact with her, or studying her with expressions of pity.
When Bryce returned a little while later, he looked surprised to see Rose and Stella packing up their things.
“It was hard enough getting here in daylight. I hate to think about navigating the trail in the dark,” Stella explained. “And I don’t want to risk waiting around until another avalanche traps us here indefinitely.”
Once her mind was made up, arguing with the woman was useless. So despite her father’s insistence that they remain and Rose’s suggestion that they at least wait until morning and leave with Bryce, they were soon saying their goodbyes. John kissed them farewell and asked them to keep in touch more often. Stella even managed a polite “Merry Christmas” to Bryce before heading to her snowmobile with all the determination of a general deploying her troops. Mumbling under her breath, Rose followed behind.
The Millionaire's Miracle Page 9