Christmas at Hope Ranch

by Loretta C. Rogers

  Who could say…maybe it was time to close the chapter on the fashionable part of her life.

  Shifting the direction of her thoughts, she perched on the edge of her chair. “From the look on your face, I’d say the news from Ruby is ominous.”

  “You could say that and more. Ruby’s sleuthing turned up a couple of corporations who swoop in like a bunch of vultures and buy up the paper on overdue mortgages and property taxes that are in arrears, especially those with large amounts of prime land involved.” Wade finished off the donut. “She also said these companies send representatives to small towns, usually the ones hanging on by a thread, with promises of job opportunities and putting the town on the map. Ultimately what happens is that all the mom-and-pop shops are forced to shut their doors because they can’t compete with the commercial stores. By the time the town fathers figure out they’ve sold their souls, it’s too late. The land has been raped, the rivers and lakes polluted, and crime that once rarely existed is on the rise.”

  Addison set the plastic fork aside and closed the lid on the to-go box. “Is Meadow Creek in financial trouble?”

  He wiped his lips with a napkin. “Not to my knowledge. However, tempting local government with millions of dollars is like dangling carrots in front of a starving horse. All it takes is for one person to sell out.”

  “You mean like Nell?”

  “Yep. Ruby emailed this link.”

  Wade opened his laptop and typed. He turned the screen for Addison to see. “Look at this.”

  The screen opened to a website for Megala Land Development. The banner showed an idyllic scene of hikers, a smiling couple in a ski lift, and a row of modern condos overlooking a pristine lake.

  A vague sense of impending doom filled Addison. “Scroll all the way to the bottom. Let’s see what names are listed.”

  Oh, no! Disaster number six. But why? She pressed her hand to her heart and willed it to not explode. Her eyes burned with angry tears. “He’s the lowest of slimy slugs.”

  Wade put his hand under Addison’s chin, forcing her to look at him. “Damn it, Addison. Do you know these people?”

  Her voice hitched. “Muhammed Ahmed Aslum and Rukn el Saddiq are pseudo names for Prince Rowan Sarkozy.” She drew a deep breath. “I asked him about it once, and all he said was not to worry my pretty little head over such trivial matters, that it was for tax purposes. I was always so busy and so focused on my career that I never gave it another thought.”

  When she risked a look at Wade’s face, she saw that he was frowning. “He’s doing this to get back at me for breaking off our engagement.” She buried her face in her hands. “Why would he hurt a harmless old woman that he’s never met, just to punish me?” She moaned. “This is my fault.”

  ****

  Leering faces of men with similar names flashed behind Wade’s eyes. Men he’d encountered when working counterintelligence in Afghanistan and Iraq. Men who dwelt in human trafficking, who sold weapons to rogue countries, who started wars for financial gain, and who operated under the guise of honest business men.

  He watched Addison intently. He reached out to take her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “Bastard,” he grumbled. He felt possessive, which was out of character for him. He understood some of what she was feeling. Maybe someday, when the time was right, he’d tell her about Gracie. Or…maybe not…

  “Don’t beat yourself up, Addison. Men like Sarkozy are unconscionable. Don’t let him win by blaming yourself.” He leaned closer. “You’ve pulled the rug out from under him—at least temporarily.”

  He studied her for several long seconds and could tell she was conflicted. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  She laughed without mirth. “I didn’t come here to create problems for Nell.” She stood and crossed her arms. “Ava told me about Nell’s heart problems, and that she’s in congestive heart failure.”

  She paced about the office and stopped to stare out the window. Meadow Creek was a town of about seventy-five thousand and depended on tourism dollars from the yearly bass tournaments, the gentle ski slopes for the less brave skiers, the hiking and horseback-riding trails, and the family-friendly annual Christmas festival. Meadow Creek was a true haven for the middle class without competing with the ultra-wealthy. “I owe Nell so much. Part of me wants to do whatever I can to save the ranch and make sure she lives out the rest of her life in the only home she’s ever known. The other part of me wants to catch a flight to New York and never look back. Tell me what to do… What would you do, Wade?”

  When he didn’t say anything, she glanced over to find him watching her with a look that made her a little nervous. She said softly, “What will happen to the ranch when Nell…you know?”

  “I expect she’s made a will and has named an heir. Don’t count Nell out so soon. She’s a tough ol’ gal and has a lot more miles left in her. As far as what you should do…only you can decide that.” He scowled. “Stay in Meadow Creek or return to New York? Whatever your decision, you have to be prepared to live with it long term.”

  Addison pressed her lips together. “It seems running away has become a pattern in my life. I ran away from Hope Ranch, I ran away from Rowan, and now I’m considering running away again. Sometimes I think I have no true purpose in life.” She continued, trying to keep her tone light, “Okay, I’ll stay…for a while…just long enough to keep Rowan from getting his sleazy hands on Hope Ranch and Meadow Creek. After that—no promises.”

  Wade gazed studiously at Addison. With that tone she might just as well have said, “See ya…bye.”

  Her beauty was remarkable even with the raw scar that creviced over her eye and down to her cheekbone. It wasn’t her beauty that attracted him—it was a sweet shyness about her. She probably didn’t know how smart and capable she was, and if he wasn’t careful she would steal his heart. “I admire your honesty, Addison. In the meantime, let’s put our heads together and come up with a plan to keep Megala Corporation from gobbling up Hope Ranch.”

  A gust of wind chilled the office. Freddie Sumner bounced in waving a white envelope. “It came, Wade. Thanks to your recommendation, my transfer came through.” The deputy rattled on. “Mother sent me a text that I had an important letter.” His voice squeaked, “I only took five minutes of company time. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

  Freddie glanced at Addison as if surprised by her presence. He snatched the cap off his head. The enthusiasm in his voice wilted. “Sorry, ma’am, I hope I didn’t interrupt something important.” He cut his gaze toward Wade.

  Wade responded in a calm, indifferent voice. “Freddie, meet Ms. Addison James…Addison, my deputy, Freddie, uh, Fred Sumner. He’s transferring to Maryland’s Crime Unit.”

  She smiled. “Congratulations, Deputy Sumner. I hope the big city meets all your expectations.”

  The office filled with polite silence until Addison said, “I’m sure Aunt Nell thinks I’ve forgotten about meeting her and the twins for hot chocolate.” She held her hand out to Freddie. “It’s nice meeting you, Deputy. Just remember—there’s no place like home.”

  Wade escorted her to the door. He gave her an easy smile. He leaned forward and touched her shoulder. “I’ll come by tonight. Nell needs to know. We’ll tell her together, and then we’ll devise a plan.”

  ****

  Her heart jolted at the feel of his strong hand touching her. She could feel the heat of it through her shirt, and it distressed her in every possible way. “When I was a kid and would ask where I came from or who my mother was, Nell would say, ‘What you don’t know won’t hurt you.’ The same is true for this situation. There’s no need to embarrass her or to give her false hope. Let’s use what little time we have to come up with a solid plan. We could each make a list and then compare them to see what we think is workable and what to rule out. Also, Ruby’s fiancé is a corporate lawyer. He might have some ideas, too. ”

  He gave her an appreciative look. Not that the look mattered. Nonetheless, it w
armed her insides. To divert attention from her emotions she said, “Did you read the twins’ letter to Santa?”

  “I did. The Red Cross is still waiting to hear back from the Army. I sure hope this is one gift my dad—um, Santa—can fulfill.”

  A twinge of sadness seeped into her heart. Her voice brimmed with commiseration. “I wonder if it was a difficult decision for their mother to go off and leave them.”

  “Like it or not, people do what they have to do, Addison.”

  She stared directly into his eyes, a hint of bitterness in her voice. “Sure, like abandoning your child in a bus station.” She jutted her chin forward. “I use to believe in all that fairy tale baloney. Every Christmas until I was about eleven I wrote to Santa, pleading with him to bring my mother to me.”

  She gritted her teeth, hating the hot flush creeping up her neck. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

  The sense of sexuality that had seemed so apparent moments ago had slipped away. Certainly Wade’s manner was empathic now.

  She threw him an apologetic look. “One more thing before I go—Nell promised to take us all to the woods tomorrow to cut down a tree for Christmas. Wade, with her heart condition, she doesn’t need to be wielding an ax or even a chainsaw.” She held out her sling. “I’m of no use. Will you or Emmett help?”

  Amiable, he pulled the door open. “It’s been a while since I went tree hunting. I’ll give Emmett a call, too.” His dark eyes settled on her face. He brushed her cheek with his thumb. He moved closer.

  She told herself to remember that she wasn’t ready for another relationship, that she wasn’t ready to trust another man with her heart.

  She hurried outside and down the steps toward BB’s Café. Foolish hope flared to life. She did her best to squash it, but it refused to die.

  Chapter Twelve

  Wade’s frown deepened. His lips pressed together. “I hope you’re giving a thirty-day notice, Freddie.”

  “Actually, I’m glad you asked, Sheriff. The letter states that I’m to report for duty on January second.” The deputy fumbled with his words. “I honestly didn’t think I’d get the job. I need to find an apartment, pack my stuff, and rent a moving van. Gosh, and with only three weeks left, I’m afraid next Friday’ll be my last day.” He shuffled his feet around while staring down at the tip of his spit-polished boots. “I hope you won’t hold it against me…my leaving you in a lurch. I mean, if things don’t work out in Maryland, I’d like to be your deputy again.”

  Millie set her book aside, her glare less than friendly. “Freddie Sumner, you’ve got some nerve. If things don’t work out, what do you expect Wade to do, fire the new deputy just to give you your old job back? Humph!”

  Freddie clenched his fist, his dark brown eyes bright with wounded pride. “Aw, shucks, Millie. You and my mother, you’re both alike. Can’t either of you be happy that I’m stepping up in the world?”

  Wade hid his skepticism regarding his deputy’s new position with a big city crime unit. “Don’t mind Millie. She’s scolding because she’s quite fond of you and hates to see you go. In fact, we’ll all miss you.” He stood up and clapped the bumbling deputy on the back. “Don’t worry about taking early leave. My dad is still a certified law enforcement officer. I’m certain he’ll be more than happy to fill in until I can hire a permanent replacement.”

  “You’re a stand-up guy, Wade.” Freddie seemed at odds with himself. He thumbed over his shoulder. “I’ll empty my desk and clean out my locker.”

  Later that evening, Wade helped his dad clear the dining table and load the dishwasher while his mother loaded a plate with homemade pecan balls and perked a pot of fresh coffee. Lucy Grey said, “Wade, add an extra log to the fireplace, and Ward, please bring the coffee and mugs?”

  Wade plopped a cookie into his mouth and washed it down with a slug of coffee. His mother laughed. “Just like when you were a little boy with confectioner’s sugar on your mouth.”

  Wade ran his tongue around his lips. “Mom, I have a question that I think only you can answer.”

  Lucy lifted her eyebrows. “You’ve piqued my curiosity. What is it you want to know?”

  “The subject of why Emmett and Nell never married came up this morning. Emmett’s comment was, ‘Who says I never asked her?’ It’s plain as day the man loves her—so what gives?”

  Lucy brushed at powdered sugar that had drifted to her son’s shirt. Her cheeks reddened as she crossed her arms over her chest in a hug. “I suppose after all these years it no longer matters.” She heaved a heavy sigh. “Viet Nam is what gives. You see, Emmett loved Nell more than any woman deserved to be loved, and the feeling was mutual. Poor Emmett was so bashful he could hardly speak to Nell without nearly fainting, much less ask her out on a date or propose marriage.

  “Lester Hopewell and Emmett were best friends, almost inseparable. Emmett deployed before Lester and was immediately sent to Viet Nam. Lester’s unit remained stateside. About a month later, Lester came home on leave, and he proposed to Nell. She accepted. I guess she got tired of waiting for Emmett to ask. Six months later, Lester was sent farther to Viet Nam. While the men were away, Nell opened Hope Ranch and began fostering children. I think she did it more to cope with the fear and loneliness than for the money. Long story short—Emmett came home. Lester didn’t. War changed Emmett from a shy boy to a stalwart man. He took over his dad’s ranch and worked as a deputy for your dad. Nell being a widow and him still loving her, he proposed. Before all that, she’d suffered a miscarriage and developed some female problems that resulted in a hysterectomy. In her mind, I suppose, she feared if she couldn’t give Emmett children he wouldn’t want her. Once, in a rare weak moment, she admitted she hadn’t loved Lester and said she loved Emmett too much to deny him the chance of being a father. Even though they’ve been on shaky terms for years, Emmett has always taken care of Nell, whether she wanted him to or not.”

  Wade said in a quiet voice, “Kind of selfish on Nell’s part.”

  Lucy kept her face resolute. “Maybe. Times were different then. The way of thinking was also different. There was a lot of social stigma against women who couldn’t bear children. Still is, I suppose.”

  After a few minutes of small talk, Lucy excused herself. “It’s time for Murder, She Wrote. I do enjoy clean, wholesome mysteries without all the blood and gore.” She sighed. “Freddie…I can’t help but worry about him. He’s a grown man, but so naïve.” She cast a pensive look toward her son. “It’s like when you joined the Marines. I don’t think I slept a wink the whole time you were deployed.”

  Wade reached over and clasped his mother’s hand and brought it to his lips. “I never meant to worry you, Mom.”

  Ward finished off his coffee and set the cup on the tray. “Here’s the thing…Baltimore has one of the highest crime rates in the nation. The crime unit he’s assigned to will either grow Freddie into a good cop or send him home in a pine box.”

  Lucy gathered the tray of mugs and the plate of leftover cookies. “It’s the pine box part that concerns me. I can’t imagine how his poor mother is coping. He is their only child, after all.”

  After she’d left the room, Wade said, “Pop I’d like to discuss one of your old cases.” He removed a folded copy of a news article from his shirt pocket and opened it. The headline read: Do You Recognize This Child?

  Ward pulled on his glasses and read. “Ah, yes. Your mother told me Addison was back in town. I hope she doesn’t step all over Nell’s heart like she did years ago.”

  He cleared his throat and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. “Best as I recall, she was found in the Boise bus depot. After Child Protective Services brought the child to Nell, she asked me to see what I could find out. As you’ve read, the details of her abandonment are sketchy.” He removed his glasses and leaned back in the recliner. “She was an exceptionally pretty girl, but Addison wasn’t the most pleasant child—threw temper tantrums, skipped school, and gave Nell a hard tim
e. As I recall, Ruby Raye was about her only friend. Those two girls were pretty much inseparable, but nothing alike in temperament. Ruby was a star student and excelled in sports, even won a scholarship to college. But I digress.

  “Even though it was out of my jurisdiction, I made a trip to Boise and paid a call on my old buddy Detective Stu Chatsworth. He’d worked the case, and he filled me in on what he knew. The bus depot’s security camera had been broken for a couple of months, so that was a dead end. The woman who found Addison sitting alone on a bench and sobbing had come in on a different bus than the child and whoever was with her. She took the girl to the station master, who called my buddy, Stu, who called CPS.”

  Wade leaned forward, his hands dangling between his knees. “Did he check the departure depots of each bus?”

  His dad replied, “Yep, and noted them in his report. Stu even interviewed as many passengers as he could locate from each bus that had arrived that day. No one remembered seeing anyone with a child or a toddler or anyone leaving a child alone in a seat. Same with the drivers—nothing.”

  Ward scratched the end of his nose. “The Boise Times posted articles in all the border states’ major newspapers, and it was on all the nightly news channels. After a while, with no results, the case went cold. At seventeen, Addison packed a suitcase and left the same way she arrived—on an out-of-town bus.”

  Wade pushed off the sofa. He walked to the fireplace and laid another log on the fire. He stirred the embers with the poker, then stood warming his backside. “In one sense of the word, she’s been running ever since. Without her actually knowing why she runs, I think it’s because subconsciously she’s searching—trying to find who she really is.”