Holly for Christmas Read online

  “Mighty nice to see you again too, Logan. I’m pumped up to rest and relax. Dad’s doing great. He’s in Hawaii with my stepmom, Sylvia.” Cal looked around at the ranch as they walked, taking in the gorgeous blue sky, the open prairie land, the mountains in the distance, and the fall leaves in the tree lines changing colors. It was exactly as he remembered it before, only Logan explained the new indoor waterpark and pool was now finished, and autumn was in full bloom. The trees boasted clusters of leaves in shades of red, purple, gold, and greens. It was jacket and sweater weather to take the chill off, but Cal wouldn’t be wearing any sweaters. Flannel shirts, cowboy boots, and jeans suited him just fine.

  Logan chuckled as they climbed into the front seat of the shiny pick-up. “Hawaii sounds great. Don’t tell Jill, she’ll ask me to take her there next. We did manage a trip to Ireland as part of our delayed honeymoon about a year and a half ago.”

  “Okay, I won’t mention Hawaii. Ireland is awesome,” Cal nodded, remembering a trip he’d taken there recently. He’d enjoyed exploring the castles, the countryside, and the sea cliffs.

  “So, you’re pumped up to rest, that’s funny, but I know exactly what you mean.” Logan fished around for his keys before finding them already in the ignition.

  “Doctor’s orders, this time. He said I’ve turned into a regular workaholic. Wants me not to do anything until after January except enjoy life.” Calvin put his seatbelt on and Logan turned the key in the ignition after Joey finished loading his luggage.

  “I’m sure Davis Ventures keeps you on your toes. My guess is you’re taking on more and more of the work for your dad. Am I right?” Logan glanced at him.

  “And how!” Calvin nodded. Davis Ventures, Inc. included a multibillion-dollar portfolio of everything he’d inherit one day from his father as the sole heir, including an anti-virus software company, loads of primarily commercial and some residential real estate, and the family estate, Honey Ridge Farmstead, where it all began. “I stopped near Yellowstone on the way here to look at becoming an investor for another property owned by one of my long-time best friends, Blake Corbett.”

  Blake had spent half of his time growing up playing with Cal at Honey Ridge, which boasted one of the finest horse farms and thoroughbred training stables in all of Montana. When they weren’t at Cal’s childhood farm, they were at Blake’s. He and Blake had grown up playing cowboys and Indians, camping out in tents, and riding horses when they weren’t in school studying. They’d attended the same local, private Christian school together. They signed up to play all the same sports too, baseball, hockey, and football. Their moms had even signed them up for archery and swimming lessons. Somehow, they’d remained best of friends through all these years.

  More than five Derby winners in the last two decades had come from Honey Ridge Farmstead. Several in his grandfather’s generation had taken the Triple Crown. Their winnings had built up Davis Ventures, Inc. to what it was today.

  “Yellowstone is beautiful this time of year,” Logan commented. “Did you enjoy your time there?”

  “It sure is and I did, other than an incident with someone who trespassed and scared some of the ladies at the lodge. We had a sheriff out there and everything. The guy may have been squatting or just passing through. The police weren’t really sure.” Cal wondered why he’d brought the incident up, but maybe it was still on his mind.

  “Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place for some peace and quiet. We’re a little slow at present. It’s not busy again until just before Christmas.” Logan steered the truck toward the long zigzag rows of log cabins. “It should be peaceful and easygoing for you.”

  “Good to know and glad to hear it.” Cal was surprised when Logan pulled to a stop at the first cabin.

  “Here we are. It’s one of our best cabins on the property, but they’re all nice.” Logan cut the engine and climbed out to help him with one of his two suitcases.

  Calvin normally packed light, but since he planned to be there for almost eight weeks, he’d packed a little more.

  Logan reached the front porch first and unlocked the door. He placed one of the suitcases inside and then handed him the key. “Here you go. Dinner’s at seven o’clock at the chuck wagon site near the covered bridge. Do you need anything else? A ride to pick up a rental car or anything?”

  “Naw, if I do, I’ll call the front desk. I think Pippa, my secretary, arranged for a rental to be delivered here tomorrow.” Calvin smiled and they shook hands again. “Thanks, Logan. Tell Jill and the family I said hello.”

  “Sounds great and I hope you enjoy your stay with us. Remember, my office is the first door on the left inside the main barn-shaped house if you need anything. You can probably tell Jill and the kids hello in person if we see you at dinner tonight, or breakfast in the morning at seven, or anytime on the ranch. Micah and Savannah, our youngest two, are going to be so surprised and happy to see you.”

  “I can’t wait to see them, too.” Calvin chuckled, leaning on the doorway frame to the cabin. He’d really enjoyed bonding with the Haven kids, all five of them.

  Logan adjusted his hat, patting it more firmly in place. “They’re going to want more of those piggy-back rides, so brace yourself. Oh, and you know Jill and I have a toddler named Christy now. She’s almost a year old.”

  “Congratulations, Logan. Oh yeah, I remember Dad mentioning the birth announcement. You two must really have your hands full.”

  “We sure do. Life is never dull. Pretty soon it’ll be your turn. You wait and see.” Logan grinned with one of those knowing looks and then headed back to his truck, leaving Calvin to settle in.

  He waved to Logan and then went inside, thinking how amazing it would be if he could find the right person to settle down with and have a family. He deeply wanted what Logan and Jill Haven had. They were the real deal. He’d love to have someone in his life who wasn’t after his billionaire status. In any case, he was going to enjoy this vacation, if he could figure out how to relax. He hadn’t had a long, non-working vacation in years. It felt odd to him, but he knew he needed it.

  Three

  ***

  “Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams.”—Ben Carson, American Scientist.

  Two & a half Weeks before Thanksgiving, Lander, Wyoming

  Holly stepped out of her new four-seater, red Mazda Miata after finding a parking space at Bubba’s Burgers. Saying good-bye to Chad had been difficult, but once she had her sports car on the open highway, her fears began to melt into the exhilaration of her new adventure. It’d been a long drive and she’d stopped each evening at a hotel along the way. She was glad to have finally reached her destination. She’d had a great night’s sleep at a local Lander hotel the night before, followed by an interview that afternoon. In fact, she was still wearing her power suit, a black ensemble that made her look and feel her best. Now she’d celebrate having a job. Everything was beginning to fall into place.

  Once inside the restaurant, the smell of wonderful foods cooking on the grill wafted through the air. A waitress with her hair pulled back into a blond messy bun greeted her and seated her at a table near a window with a nice view of the mountains in the distance.

  “Wow, it’s beautiful here,” Holly breathed, barely glancing at the menu she’d handed her.

  “You must be new to Lander,” the waitress replied, pushing her eyeglasses up on her nose.

  Holly nodded. “I heard this place has great burgers.”

  “They’re the best.” The waitress pulled out her order pad and paused with her pen, poised to take her order. “Would you like to try one?”

  “Sure. I’ll have a cheeseburger with the works, onion rings, and a soda. Do you have root beer?” A western tune Holly recognized began playing. A group of lively young teens a few tables over seemed to be having a fun time even though they were a little rowdy. She didn’t mind. It was nice to hear their voices after being in the car on such a long drive and sta
ying in hotels by herself.

  “Root beer? We do. My name is Reece. I’ll have that out for you in a jiffy. Just give me a holler if ya need anything. It’s starting to get busy tonight.” The waitress scribbled her order on the ticket, brought her root beer out, and then disappeared to help another waitress take more orders and seat more hungry patrons.

  Reece returned with a delicious cheeseburger in less than ten minutes. “Need anything else?”

  “No, this looks great, thanks.” Holly smiled appreciatively and the other waitress called her away just then, so Reece disappeared to help. She whispered up a blessing of thanks for the meal and her new job.

  Holly stared at the snow-capped mountains as she slowly ate her food, savoring every bite. She could barely contain her excitement at the prospect of exploring the area, thinking about all the stories she’d uncover.

  A little while later, after she’d finished her meal, Reece came by her table. “Can I get you a piece of pie or anything, ma’am? I’m sorry I was gone for so long. We’re short on help and I have a new waitress tonight to train, LuAnne.”

  “Oh no, thanks, just the bill. I’m full and it was delicious.” She smiled, patting her tummy, glancing at the new waitress Reece indicated beyond them. The new girl looked a little bewildered, but Holly noticed the brown-haired girl was trying to take orders efficiently and bring patrons their drinks without too much delay. “My first job was as a waitress in a diner, so I understand.”

  Reece appeared relieved. “Where are you staying? Need any recommendations on hotels or anything?”

  “Well, my new boss at The Lander Chronicle suggested The Sweetwater Ranch for a temporary home until I find an apartment or something,” Holly explained.

  “The Sweetwater is beautiful. You’ll love it. I agree with your new boss. Are you a reporter or something? How exciting! If you need any stories, stop by and ask me. We hear just about everything working here.” Reece chuckled as she gathered up her plate and slid the bill onto the table.

  “That’s good to know. Sometimes we do run out of ideas and leads for stories.” Holly was glad she’d stopped by Bubba’s Burgers. She’d made a friend. Someone like Reece could possibly be a helpful source of information.

  “Stop back in anytime. I’m sure I’ll see you around. Looks like we have more people coming in, so I better get moving. Enjoy your evening, uh...?”

  “Holly, Holly Williams,” she replied as the waitress nodded and then hurried away to greet the new customers. She pulled out her phone and did a search for The Sweetwater website. If the ranch looked half as appealing as it appeared in the photos, she’d be very content there. She quickly filled out some information online to reserve a room in the main guest house. Then she texted Lexie and was happy to receive an immediate reply. She left a few extra dollars on the table for a tip when she was finished texting, and then headed toward the cashier to pay for her meal.

  ON THE DRIVE OUT TO the ranch with her suitcases and few possessions crammed into her Miata, Holly thought about the interview she’d had that afternoon. The newspaper had loved her and the chief editor had hired her on the spot. He’d given her a decent starting salary, and a shot at having her own column since he loved her idea for “Holly’s Happenings.”

  If he liked her first ninety days of stories, she could keep the column. Her first edition would be due in a few weeks on a Friday. She had the distinct impression they didn’t find many writers living in Lander. Perhaps she thought that because of the way he’d cleared his calendar when the receptionist had announced someone with newspaper experience was filling out an application. Maxine, the receptionist, had been delighted to see her resume.

  “Just wait until Al sees this,” she’d promised with a wink as she chewed her gum noisily while looking over her resume.

  “Al?” Holly had repeated.

  “Al Redford. He’s our Editor in Chief, or Chief Editor. Both titles work around here. Or, just boss is fine, too.” Maxine, a dark-haired lady who appeared to be in her late forties, had blown a huge bubble with her pink chewing gum and then popped it. “Just you wait and see. He can’t seem to find many experienced reporters. He’s trained the last few hires himself. He’ll be delighted to interview you.”

  “Thank you.” Holly nodded, hurrying to fill out the rest of her application. “That’s great news, very encouraging.”

  “No problem. I’ll return, but don’t leave. I know he’ll want to hire you.” Maxine hurried away toward the door to her left, knocking before she disappeared inside. Sure enough, a few minutes later, she returned to usher her into Al’s office.

  Al Redford was in his fifties. He was half-bald, had a wide girth, and icy blue eyes with sharp intuition appearing in them. He wore a navy blue sports coat over a pair of khaki pants with a light blue oxford. His office smelled like cherry licorice, one of her favorites. He made her laugh when he held up a box containing shoestring licorice as he beckoned her inside. “Licorice?”

  “Thank you, maybe some other time,” she’d smiled, sitting down as he shed his sport coat for the interview.

  Holly could tell she was going to like working for the small paper at once. He even gave her a small office of her own beside a long row of reporters with their own similar offices, something she hadn’t had in Ohio.

  The room at the ranch would only be temporary, until she could find something permanent. As long as it was clean, comfortable, updated, and quiet so she could write, that’s all she cared. She’d asked for a room with a view, and they’d assured her they had something accommodating.

  As she continued on the drive further outside of Lander city limits, she also thought about her texting conversation with Lexie after eating the best cheeseburger she’d tasted in years—:

  Hey, I’m in Lander, Wyoming. (Central part of the state...) Just wanted you to know I landed a job for the local newspaper. I left Ohio a few days ago and am excited about my new adventures. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell Cole anything and haven’t seen him around in ages. For now, I’ll be staying at The Sweetwater Ranch for a while.

  Lexie had replied:

  You’re in Wyoming? What a fun surprise! Congrats on your new job. I landed one too, as an art teacher in a small town. Maybe I can visit when I’m sure it’s safe.

  Holly had texted back:

  That’s great! Keep in touch. I’m worried about you.

  Lexie had replied again:

  I’m fine. Don’t worry.

  Driving on the stretch of highway leading out of town toward the ranch as she followed the directions on her GPS was peaceful. It gave her the much needed time to think. The leaves had turned into a symphony of fall colors, the air crisp and exhilarating. Harvested fields reminded her Thanksgiving and then Christmas were both right around the corner. Celebrating them without her mom, family, and her best friend might be a little hard, but hopefully her new environment would yield new friends.

  It was easier said than done not to worry about Lexie. She couldn’t help but wonder exactly how things had gone down and exactly what had happened to push her to relocate in complete secrecy. She knew some details from the one time her friend had finally explained a little more. What had Cole done to her in addition to pulling a gun on her and hitting her once? Had Lexie blocked out other memories? Where in Wyoming could Lexie be? How had she not been able to help her friend before it had come to this point? Would Cole hunt Lexie down for the rest of her life? She prayed for her friend’s safety and whatever healing might be necessary as she drew near the ranch, doing her best to push the concerns from her mind.

  Soon she was pulling up the long lane at The Sweetwater. It was easy to focus on the beauty of the ranch unfolding before her. She parked near the front porch of the large barn-shaped guest house. A handsome wrangler came outside to greet her as she stepped out of her red Miata. She was still wearing her black power suit, consisting of a jacket, dress slacks, a white blouse and a brocade magenta scarf for a splash of color. She was thankful for th
e scarf as the early evening chill in the air hit her as she walked around her car to shake hands with the handsome wrangler. She took in the view of the front porch decorated for fall with pumpkins and mums. “Hi, I’m Holly Williams.”

  “Welcome to the Sweetwater. I’m Bronson. Can I help with your luggage?” he asked.

  “Nice to meet you.” She opened the trunk to hand her suitcases to him. “Thank you, yes.” What a handsome, strong fella he was. Maybe Wyoming had more cowboys who looked like he did.

  She carried a few smaller bags slung over one shoulder inside to the Customer Service front desk, following the wrangler. In a few minutes, since she’d already completed all of the paperwork online, a nice lady named Jill Haven led the way upstairs to her room, Bronson following with her suitcases.

  “Let us know if you need anything while you’re here,” Jill said as they stepped down into a sunken living room. Then they turned right to cross the middle of the spacious room. Jill led them up a staircase, chatting as they went. “That’s the main dining room to the right of the staircase where most of the meals are served, and the kitchen is straight ahead on the first floor. There’s a library on the first floor, too. Ah, here we are at the top. To the right are our family quarters. If you’ll follow me to the left, your room is this way.”

  “Do you offer valet parking?” Holly inquired as Jill reached her room and unlocked the door.

  “Got you covered. I’m happy to park your vehicle for you. I’ll leave the keys at the front desk.” Bronson set her luggage down inside the room and tipped his hat.

  “Thanks, Bronson.” Holly handed him a ten-dollar bill and the keys to her Mazda before he turned and headed downstairs.

  Hearing a meow, she looked down in time to notice a sweet cat purr and rub against her legs. Holly giggled, scooping the creature into her arms. “Whose cat is this?”