Christmas at Hope Ranch by Loretta C. Rogers

Author:Loretta C. Rogers [Rogers, Loretta C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Adopted hero; Foster Home; Foster Mother; Friends as family; Christmas; horses; Army; betrayal; Contemporary; model; romance;twins; traumatic pasth
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2020-06-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Wade offered to drive Addison home while Emmett and Nell collected the twins. “You’re awfully quiet. Not having buyer’s remorse, are you?”

Without revealing a change of heart, Addison simply sighed. “If I can’t make the ranch pay for itself, I’ll have to sell it and hope to recoup most of my investment.”

He stared at her. “I take it you have a plan or you wouldn’t have stuck your neck out like you did.”

She waved away his words. “I have a few ideas. Let’s wait until Emmett and Nell get to the house so I can share with all of you.”

An hour later, with lunch out of the way and the children down for a nap, the adults gathered in the living room. Comments passed back and forth about the great job everyone did decorating the Christmas tree and whether or not Wade had any word from the Red Cross about the twins’ mother.

When the chit-chat died out, Addison said, “Nell, the ranch is still yours. I hope you know what happened at the bank today was purely a formality to keep Magala Land Development from getting their grubby hands on the property.” Addison went on to explain that her ex-fiancé was the actual CEO and the money force behind MLD. “With Rowan, it’s all about the money. He doesn’t care who he steps on to get what he wants.”

Addison blinked rapidly to hold hot tears at bay.

Nell sounded dubious. “But you do have ideas about how to keep this place afloat?”

Wade raised his eyebrows. He’d removed his jacket and gun holster. There was a solidness about him that made Addison feel as if he could handle any situation that arose. Her heart fluttered. They looked at each other and then away. She had to take a steadying breath as her stomach tipped again.

“As a matter of fact, I’d like to form a corporation, an LLC with me as the CEO and Nell as the vice president. It will take most of a year to do all I’ve planned, and I hope we can be ready with the first phase by summer.”

Anxiety tinged Nell’s voice. “Do what, Addy? Stop talking around your tongue and get to the point.”

Addison opened a manila file folder and pulled out a sketch. She held it up for all to see. Its title was Hope Ranch…Your Destination to Adventure.

She explained, “Hope Ranch will become a vacation resort. We will build a gazebo for wedding ceremonies. Couples will have optional packages to choose from, one of which will include a honeymoon cottage down by the river. We can add a couple more cottages accessible to the river for renting during bass tournament season. We’ll get the Christmas tree farm up and running again, and offer sleigh rides to the farm so customers can cut their own trees, with hot chocolate afterward to warm them up. We’ll also open a gift shop and sell honey, cider, and jellies, plus T-shirts and other items on consignment from local crafters.

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