Christmas at Hope Ranch

by Loretta C. Rogers

  As if of one mind the twins pointed and said, “There…see, Addison? That’s the brightest star.”

  Addison swallowed the welling in her chest. “I do see it. Remember, any time you feel sad or lonely, you can always find your gram.”

  “How do you know this, Addison?” the twins asked.

  Addison turned to see Nell wearing a misty smile. “A very wise woman told me.” She shivered. “Let’s go inside where it’s warm.”

  Emmett lifted Julie in his arms and clasped Joey’s hand. “I’ll hold you up so you can place the angel on top of the tree. That way she can smile down at all of us.”

  Nell wrapped her arm around Addison’s waist. “After all these years you still remember.”

  “I’ve truly missed you, Aunt Nell. It’s good to be home.”

  After admiring the tree and declaring it was the most beautiful Christmas tree ever, Nell tucked the sleepy-eyed children into bed while Addison helped Emmett clear the clutter from the floor. Even as he lifted the bins, saying he’d stick them back in the attic, he pierced Addison with a no-nonsense gaze. “I may be gettin’ on in age, but I’m nobody’s fool, Addison. What’s all this cloak-and-dagger stuff about me comin’ for lunch tomorrow?”

  At Addison’s hesitation, he squinted hard at her. “I’m an old man, and my patience ain’t as long as it used to be.”

  Keeping her voice hushed, Addison moved close to Emmett. She made a tick-a-lock motion against her lips as a way of asking him to keep quiet. “Nell is on the verge of losing the ranch. The meeting tomorrow is for putting our heads together and creating a plan that’s more than a Band-Aid solution to her finances.”

  “What the hell…”

  “Shh…you promised!”

  “Why didn’t she come to me?”

  Addison lifted her eyebrows. “Same reason she didn’t come to me or any of the others.”

  He grabbed his hat. “Yeah—same reason she refused to marry me—stiff-necked, stubborn pride.”

  The expression on Emmett’s face told her that he was as surprised by his admission as herself. She touched his arm. “Don’t leave, please. We’re all treading on the same thin ice with Aunt Nell. Let’s not give her a reason to make a decision that could leave her homeless and put this beautiful ranch in the hands of money-grubbing land developers. Don’t forget your property adjoins hers.” She drew a breath. “At least stay for a goodnight cup of coffee.”

  At that moment Addison made a decision to get in touch with Ruby Raye as soon as possible. She had made a decision that, good or bad, would affect her future and possibly the rest of her life. Not to speak of putting a huge dent in her savings account.

  Emmett followed Addison to the kitchen and helped her set out the cups. In a few minutes, Nell joined them. She settled on her usual stool at the large island with its white quartz countertop. “I sure will miss those young’uns when they’re gone. Until today it hadn’t dawned on me how empty and quiet this house has grown over the years.”

  Addison realized she couldn’t remember the last time she had felt the sense of family. How sad that she had allowed those opportunities to slip away by not visiting Nell, especially on special occasions like Christmas and Nell’s birthday.

  Emmett’s voice awakened Addison from her reveries. “Reckon I’ll mosey on. See you tomorrow for the…um…meeting.”

  She remained at the kitchen island while Nell showed Emmett to the door. Once she returned, Addison said, “Has the festival ever held a fashion show?”

  Nell lifted her eyebrows. “Not as long as I’ve served as chairwoman, and that’s been over twenty years. Activities have gotten stale after all this time, and the crowds have dwindled. Tell me more about this idea of yours.”

  Addison was filled with renewed energy. “A fashion show with children—the twins would be adorable. T.J. Elsworth has daughters, and surely you know of others with children. To keep it cute and fun, we’d set the age limit at anyone between six and twelve years old. Maybe several store owners will donate outfits, and of course, it would be great advertisement for them.”

  Nell’s brown eyes twinkled. She clapped her hands like an excited child. “By jingles, I love the idea and know the others will, too. What else you got?”

  Addison took a sip of coffee, her mind whirling. “Hmm, here’s another idea. Have you ever auctioned off dinner with a bachelor…say, start the bidding at twenty-five dollars, with donating a portion of the proceeds to a worthy cause? We could ask the restaurants if they’d be willing to donate the dinner. It could be a tax write-off for them.”

  Nell winked. “Smart girl, and another fun idea. Maybe we can recruit Wade and Emmett, and then there’s Lars Johansson, Howard Fedderman… I’ll make a list. With only two weeks before Christmas, we need to get clicking. When’s our first committee meeting?”

  “We can meet at the library, to make it convenient for everyone. What about Saturday at one o’clock?”

  “Saturday should work. One suggestion—Brenda has a private dining room in the back of her café. We could meet and eat at the same time.”

  “Great idea, Aunt Nell.”

  Addison helped Nell clear the kitchen before excusing herself for the night. She peeked in to check on the twins, then headed upstairs to her room. She removed the sling from her arm and managed to undress herself and then slip into a pair of flannel pajamas. She climbed into bed and reached to turn out the lamp. Lying in the dark, she thought if the festival committee approved of auctioning off an evening with a bachelor she would definitely bid on Wade. She admitted part of her wanted him, and wanted him to want her. Her skin erupted in icy prickles merely thinking about him—his gray eyes, the way he stood, the sound of his voice, and the sensual scent of his cologne.

  Addison gently rubbed the healing scar on her forehead to ease the itching. Sighing, she questioned her judgment. Unfortunately, Rowan had taught her a bitter lesson that all men were not what they seemed. In her mind appeared the image of her matron of honor, mauve silk gown shoved up to her shoulders, and Rowan with his tuxedo trousers and suspenders puddled around his feet, his hands squeezing the woman’s hips while he pumped furiously in and out, and the damned bitch, her best friend, begging for more.

  She had stood there, watching in shock, her brain not registering what she was witnessing, and her first inclination was to laugh because the scene reminded her of a television commercial where a guy was vigorously using a plunger to clear his clogged toilet. Then she remembered screaming, “You bastard—it’s our wedding day! For God’s sake, we’re in the church!”

  Addison covered her head with a pillow trying to obliterate the vision that seemed permanently branded in her brain. The pillow muffled her cries. “How could you…damn you…damn you both to hell…how could you betray me? Why…why…why!”

  She reminded herself that she was no longer a gullible young woman and had to stifle thinking about Wade in a romantic way…or was it purely sexual yearnings? If I know what’s good for me, I need to throttle these fantasies and never let them get away from me. Besides, he called me Gracie. I won’t be duped again.

  Lost in misery, she didn’t hear the bedroom door open.

  “Addy, honey, are you having a bad dream?” Nell stood silhouetted in the moonlight.

  Like a dam that had burst, Addison sobbed, “Oh, Aunt Nell. I will hate him forever.”

  “Who? Tell me.”

  Propped against the headboard, in the light of the moon, between sobs and hiccups, Addison released her pent-up anguish and anger and the reason for her broken engagement to Rowan Sarkozy.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Addison had applied her makeup with extra care to hide the telltale evidence of last night’s sob fest. She was thinking of today’s meeting and how to save the ranch and the work to be done afterward. She wondered if she should forget the entire business and fly back to New York—perhaps start her own agency. After all, she wasn’t without knowledge about the world of fashion. She knew how to
book modeling gigs.

  She stood at the kitchen sink and stared out the window. A herd of elk ambled out of the forested mountain slope and toward the river. I could live here, she thought, staring out at the graceful animals and the vast blue sky. Maybe I belong here.

  She smiled a little as she watched Nell stir a simmering pot of hamburger soup. Strands of gray mingled with auburn hair pulled back in a bun, faded jeans, a blue plaid flannel shirt—Addison didn’t recall ever seeing Nell in a dress. She wore a smidgen of makeup and yet, at age seventy-five, was an attractive woman.

  The telephone interrupted Addison’s musing. She listened to the one-sided conversation and watched the moods on Nell’s face shift from mild to angry and then mystified. Nell said, “On a Sunday?”

  She nodded, and the conversation ended with, “What’re we supposed to do with the twins?”

  And then, “Okay, if you think it’s for the best. We’ll be ready.”

  Nell’s frown concerned Addison. “What’s happened?”

  Nell hung up the receiver on the old-fashioned wall phone and turned off the gas burner. “That was Wade. Apparently something drastic has happened concerning my mortgage. He said Emmett is on the way to drive us to the bank and that we’re to go to the rear entrance. Let’s get the young’uns ready. T.J. said to drop ’em off at his house.”

  Addison listened as the woman grumbled almost under her breath, “People messing in my business. Don’t like it. Don’t like it at all.”

  Addison’s heart plummeted to her stomach. “It must be dire for T.J. to give up his Sunday. I’ll help you get the twins ready.”

  Minutes later, Boomer’s whining yips echoed and his toenails scratched against the wooden floor as he raced to the front door to greet the visitor. Emmett called, “Hello.”

  Nell herded the twins down the hall. She groused, “Let’s get this show on the road so we can get it over with.” She pointed to the black lab and commanded, “Stay and guard the house.”

  Two concerned voices said, “Won’t he get cold outside, Aunt Nell?”

  Her face softened. “Boomer’s a smart boy. He’ll go to the barn and bed down with one of the horses.”

  Emmett whistled a Christmas tune as he assisted everyone inside the cab of his pickup. Addison wasn’t feeling the spirit of yuletide and good cheer any more than any cheerfulness about the meeting with T.J.

  Julie sat in Addison’s lap with Joey tucked tightly between herself and Nell. She slanted a look at the woman who sat rigid as a rock next to Emmett. She was saying, “It’ll be a treat for the two of you to visit with someone your own age. Kassi is seven and Kelli is five. There are two other girls, Kali and Karli. They’re a little bit older.”

  “All girls!” Joey whined.

  Addison ran her hand over the thick mop of the boy’s blond hair. Her lips curved into a smile. “Remember what Emmett said about being a gentleman. Besides, I’ll bet the girls have a lot of games and coloring books that you and your sister will enjoy.”

  She settled back and during the rest of the ride tamped down unease about the bank’s vice president calling an emergency meeting.

  Emmett maneuvered the truck up a circular driveway decorated with tall wooden candy canes. Before he could switch off the engine, the front door opened. An attractive woman in her early thirties raced to the truck, hugging a sweater close to her body. Addison rolled down the window.

  “Hi, I’m Kate, T.J.’s wife.” She peered inside. “Joey, Julie, we have hot chocolate. We’re also going to toast marshmallows in the fireplace.” She looked at Nell. “I hope that’s okay, Mrs. Hopewell.”

  “They’ll like that, Kate.” And then to the twins as they jumped down from the truck she said, “Remember to mind your manners.”

  “I won’t keep you. T.J. is waiting.” Kate took each twin by the hand and rushed them toward the festively decorated front door.

  ****

  The large conference room was totally silent. Nell toyed with the cup of coffee. She could feel Addison and Emmett both watching her, waiting to see her reaction to whatever T.J. had to tell her. The door opened, and Wade walked in and apologized for being late.

  Nell merely nodded. She crossed her arms as if for protection. In reality she knew there was no one to blame but herself for getting head-over-heels in debt and then sticking her head in the sand like a damned ostrich, hoping that by some miracle the loan would pay itself off. Foolish and stupid. I’m a foolish and stupid old woman. She berated herself for not swallowing her pride and asking Emmett for help. Instead she swallowed back the silent scream stuck in her throat, refusing to allow such frailty to show. Beneath the table, where no one could see, her hands twisted into sweaty knots.

  Her voice cracked when she spoke. “If the meeting is so all-fired important, then where did T.J. disappear to?”

  The door opened again. T.J. held a laptop in his hands, while behind him followed a lanky man of about fifty. Donald Plough apologized as he set his briefcase on the table and then shrugged out of a brown jacket and removed his brown toboggan hat. He shook hands with Wade and Emmett.

  Nell’s breath came hard. She needed to be home, to bury her head under a pillow. She glanced from T.J. to the man who reminded her of an underfed scarecrow.

  For her benefit, the banker introduced the man. “Aunt Nell, this is Donald Plough. He’s a real estate lawyer.”

  Plough took a seat and removed his laptop from the briefcase. While the lawyer set up his computer, T.J. said, “It’s easy to see the anxiety on all of your faces, so I won’t bandy words. The reason for this urgent meeting is that late Friday the board of directors met to discuss a new offer from Megala Land Development Corp. Their CEO, a Mr. Rukn el Saddiq, has offered to buy Nell’s mortgage, and he is also interested in the adjoining property.” He drew a breath. “That would be your ranch, Emmett.”

  Emmett skewered the banker with a go-to-hell look. “That explains the black limousine with its tinted windows that was spotted driving back and forth in front of the property a few days ago. That jasper Saddiq was scoping out my place. Well, I’ll tell you this—he’ll play hell getting it.”

  The banker said, “Simmer down, Emmett. I assured Mr. Saddiq there were no liens on your ranch and that he’d have to deal with you personally.”

  Emmett banged both fists on the table like two thunderbolts. “He’ll do it at the business end of my shotgun.”

  Wade reached over and laid a hand on the old man’s arm. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, Emmett.”

  Emmett hissed, “All right, then. Let’s get on with it.”

  T.J. cleared his throat. “Mr. Saddiq also requested that, since the loan has been in arrears for nearly a year, once the account is cleared Nell is to vacate the property within twenty-four hours. He feels she’s had adequate time to make other arrangements and will request an eviction notice be served if necessary.” T.J. cleared his voice. “Nell, if it hadn’t been for Addison bringing the loan out of arrears plus paying it two months ahead—ˮ

  Nell burst out, “You did what, Addy? How many times do I have to say that I’m not a charity case? With a little time I could’ve come up with the money.”

  Emmett rolled his eyes. His voice firm, he said, “Shoulda, woulda, coulda, didn’t. It’s a little late to get all indignant, Nell. Be thankful Addy saved your bacon. Now hush your mouth and listen.”

  Nell covered her face with her hands. She was in mental pain. She had been pierced clean through.

  The attorney spoke. “The plain truth, Mrs. Hopewell, is that even with Ms. James bringing the account current, the bank’s position is that you are a bad risk and thus your mortgage is officially in foreclosure. With Megala dangling the golden carrot, unless you come up with the full five hundred thousand in the next seventy-two hours…” His voice trailed off. “It’s out of his love and loyalty to you that T.J. called this meeting. Because of your deliberate lack of compliance, the bank has no further obligation to you.”

 
; Nell gave a long, exhausted sigh.

  Addison slapped her hand on the table. “Please, stop. Can’t you see how painful this is for her?”

  Plough said, “It’s not personal, Ms. James. It’s business.”

  She narrowed her eyes to angry slits. “Then let’s get down to business. Aunt Nell, I’d like to purchase Hope Ranch. Name your price. I’ll pay whatever you ask and satisfy the loan in full—today!”

  The silence in the room was mud thick. A nervous smile quivered Nell’s lips. And then with a little catch in her throat, she replied, “Mr. Plough, T.J., Emmett and Wade, you are my witnesses…Addison James, I will sell you Hope Ranch and all that goes with it for the total sum of one dollar, to be paid in cash, today.”

  Addison reached into her purse and withdrew her wallet. She pulled out a dollar bill and laid it in front of Nell. “Mr. Elsworth, will the bank accept my personal check to satisfy Nell’s loan?”

  Nell sucked in her breath. “Addy, do you have that kind of money?”

  “I’ve done well for myself over the years.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Mr. Elsworth?”

  The bank’s vice president cleared his throat. “Actually, for such an amount, the bank will require a wire transaction from your bank to ours.” He hesitated, looking intensely concerned. “However, since these are extenuating circumstances, yes, I will accept a personal check and hold it in good faith until you contact your bank to wire the funds. Once those funds are received, we’ll void your check. Mr. Plough is prepared to have all parties sign a real estate contract for sale. Am I correct?”

  Plough opened his laptop. “In anticipation of this, we’ve already completed the title search. Give me ten minutes and I’ll have a contract ready. To expedite the sale, we’ll do an electronic signing, and due to the mitigating situation, we’ll forego the usual thirty-day closing period.”

  After what seemed like an eternity, the contract was signed and the transaction was completed. T.J. said, “I will drive out with the satisfied deed and personally hand it to you, Aunt Nell.”