Picking Up Cowboys
Page 14
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“Guess what I found, Mother?”
His mother’s voice trembled. “If you’re still at the ranch, I’d say the pox.”
Fury pumped through his veins. He’d wasted fourteen years of his life on bitterness over something that had never happened. He’d hated Mustang Claiborne with every breath he’d taken until he’d almost destroyed his relationship with Catherine. The sale papers had summed up his life nicely. A lie. It had all been a lie.
Mustang had paid a fair, more than fair, price to his mother. Enough that she could live in style in Boston for many years to come. Fair. How could he possibly have ripped her off, as his mother claimed, if he paid her fair market value?
“I know how much he paid you.”
His mother gasped and Gage felt satisfaction at the harsh sound. He loved his mother, but she’d nearly destroyed his life, his love for Catherine, with her lies. All the time wasted. The bitterness ate through him like acid.
“I did it for you, Gage.”
“No. You did it for you.”
“I wanted more for you than for you to be a farmer like your father.”
“A rancher, Mother.” She hated his world so much, she didn’t even know the difference.
“Whatever. Your father died because of that ranch. It sucked the life out of him.”
Or her constant battles with him had, Gage thought. He refrained from saying it, knowing some things shouldn’t be said because they can never be forgotten.
“I knew if I could get you away from there, you would do something important.”
Gage could hear the tears in her voice, but he let her talk. He needed to hear this, try to understand her viewpoint, if he was ever to forgive her.
“I didn’t want you to die young or work your life away.”
“The land isn’t the most important thing in my life anymore.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I thought you’d been bitten by the bug.”
The land was still important. It was part of his heritage from his father. But his goals had shifted. For Cat, he would happily leave this ranch. Follow her anywhere she would be happy, even if it was Boston. He pulled her closer against him.
“So, you’re not angry with me?”
“I’m furious. You’ve caused me to waste too much precious time because of my bitterness.”
Silence greeted his response. After a moment, he heard a gentle sob. Sympathy tugged at Gage. Love made you do crazy things sometimes, his mother was no exception.
“But I’ll forgive you long enough to let you attend my wedding.”
“Wedding?”
“Yes, I’m marrying Catherine.”
“I suppose you’ll be living there.”
“We haven’t discussed that yet. I’ll live wherever Cat wants.”
“At least I taught you something.” His mother’s voice sounded lighter. “Does this mean I get grandchildren?”
Gage laughed. “We haven’t discussed that yet either.”
“Tell her yes,” Catherine whispered against his ear, the feel of her lips brushing there nearly caused him to drop the phone.
“Cat says yes. You get grandchildren. But not for a while, I want her to myself for now.”
Gage finished the call and turned to take Cat in his arms. She snuggled against him. “I promise to make you happy, Cat.”
“You already have. You’re the family I never had. You gave me my first Christmas, my first snow cream, and my first—”
His lips claimed hers and Catherine giggled.
“I was going to say sleigh ride.”
She grew suddenly serious, her forehead puckering with thought.
“Don’t worry, Cat. We’re going to be a real family. We’ll have huge Christmases every year for our children but no fighting.”
“Actually, I wasn’t worried about that. I just had a wonderful idea.”
“Care to share?”
“We keep the cabins…no high-rise hotel…”
“Done.” He nibbled behind her ear.
“Stop distracting me.” She swatted at him.
“But, we add some resort type things to the ranch.”
Gage lifted his brows. “I think you may be onto something.” His hands roamed over her shoulders.
“Take winter guests.”
“Offer moonlit sleigh rides?”
“Add saunas and a spa.”
“I’ll keep you supplied with chocolate?”
“Now you’re talking.” Catherine allowed him to pull her back on the mattress and rain kisses over her throat.
“I’m only going to say this once, so listen closely. I love you to distraction and I will go wherever makes you happy and do whatever you want to this ranch.”
“Only once?”
“The ‘I love you’ part didn’t count in that.”
“I love you too, Gage. I’m only going to say this once—”
“Only once?” His grin was full of devilment and Catherine thought her heart would burst with loving this man.
“I will do whatever you want to this ranch, even build a high-rise resort if that’s what it takes to make you happy.”
Gage rewarded her with a long, lazy kiss. “I like your compromise.”
Catherine wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you Gage Maddock.”
“I love you too.”
Catherine snuggled in against him, fully intending to stay there the rest of her life.
PROLOGUE
“I would never have imagined I’d be so happy to spend the holidays at this ranch,” Gage’s mother said.
“We’re just happy that you and Anna could join us this year. We really missed everyone last year, but Italy was wonderful.” Catherine smiled as their six-year-old son swung one leg over the staircase banister and rode it to the bottom where Gage caught him and swung him in a slow circle. She rested her hand on her stomach, swollen with the life of their second child.
“It was easier for us to travel this year, dear.” Gage’s mother patted her arm. “Thank you for making my son so deliriously happy.”
It wasn’t always perfect. She and Gage still butted heads on how the ranch/resort should be ran and even on whether to add vanilla or chocolate to the snow cream, but it was always filled with love. At the end of the day, the two of them came together with love, laughter and a sense of family that she’d always wanted.
“Do you think Santa will bring me what I asked for?” Mustang asked.
Surprisingly, naming their son after her father had been Gage’s idea. Catherine vowed to always give the little Mustang in their family a Christmas like the elder Mustang had never given her.
“Yes, but remember that more important than what we get…” Catherine stopped to allow Mustang to finish the sentence.
“Is what we give,” he said dutifully. “But won’t it make Santa happy to give me what I want? So it’s a win for everyone.”
They all laughed at the logic of a first grader. Gage moved to her side, his hand resting on her pregnant belly. “I still think we should name her Silverton.”
She nudged him with her elbow. “No. It sounds like a stripper name. I am thinking a nice old fashioned name like Elizabeth or Rachel.”
He pulled her into his arms and gave her a slow, gentle kiss. “Whatever makes you happy, my beautiful wife. Now, what did you want Santa to bring you for Christmas this year?”
She snuggled into his arms. “I already have everything I ever wanted.”
No longer did Catherine focus on all the Christmases growing up that had been lonely and disappointing. Instead, she and Gage were building their own traditions and own happy memories. She’d never been more content or felt more loved. They would raise their children, run this ranch, and grow old side by side, perhaps seeing a bit of the world as they went. Catherine couldn’t imagine anything more simple or more perfect.
Recipes
Catherine’s Hobo Stew
INGREDIENTS
- ½ pound 90%
lean ground beef
- ¼ yellow onion chopped
- 1 bag frozen mixed veggies for stew (should include potatoes)
- 1 can whole tomatoes
- 1 serving beef base (Better than Beef)
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- 1 slow cooker liner
- Crock Pot
Brown ground beef. Pour frozen mixed veggies into lined slow cooker. Cover with water. Add beef base and stir. Add ground beef and can of tomatoes and chopped onion. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook on low for 6-7 hours and serve with crusty bread.
Gage’s Vanilla SNow Cream
INGREDIENTS
-8-10 cups of fresh, clean snow
- 1 cup of milk (whole works best for taste)
- 1/2 cup white sugar (granulated)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stir together everything but the snow. Use a whisk if you’d like to make sure it is all mixed completely. The mixture will be very runny. Add in the snow, stirring quickly and eat right away. Snow cream melts very quickly and does not freeze well, so you’ll want to eat it immediately.
To convert this into Catherine’s chocolate snow cream mixture, sub in 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup (you can also use hot cocoa mix). You can still add vanilla or not. Your choice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lori Soard has a Ph.D. in Journalism and Creative Writing but she’s hardly the stuffy, professor type. Her romantic comedies show that she doesn’t take life too seriously and is a romantic at heart. She loves to read anything she can get her hands on, adores animals and has two daughters, now grown. She also writes nonfiction books and articles as well as novels.
She loves to hear from her readers. You can email her through her website at lorisoard.com or at PO Box 97, Memphis, IN 47143.
ALSO BY LORI SOARD
Man of Means
Housebreaking a Husband
The Lipstick Diaries
Dear Viking (historical)
Cupid’s Quest (coming soon)