“No. That can’t be true.” Jordyn put her hand over her mouth, feigning surprise.
“Sorry to break it to you.” He pointed to the bulldozer up on the hill. “What do you think that’s for? Chad took that thing out there in the middle of the night and dug the hole. Right on the other side of the hill I guess so no one would see or hear.”
Jordyn almost burst out laughing, but successfully resisted the urge. When Chad said he had other things to do, she hadn’t known what he’d meant. But it all made sense now. If a horse had died, they would either need to produce a body or a grave to make it believable. He’d gone the extra mile to make it look like a horse had been buried on the property.
“I’m surprised he didn’t tell you.” Judd said, as he eyed her with a calculating expression. “Maybe he’s trying to cover up his own incompetence.”
Jordyn put her face in her hands. “I can’t believe it. Not Bell.” She peered at him through her fingers. “How do you know what happened? Did you find her?”
“No. The bad thing is, it was one of the guests...so it probably won’t be kept quiet for very long.” Judd tilted his head as if assessing how she would take that news.
“Oh, no. Which one? Maybe I should have a talk with hi....ask him to keep it quiet.”
“You can try, I guess.” Judd crossed his arms across his barrel chest. “His first name is Ricky. That’s all I know.”
“Does he wear a black checkered bandana?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.” He leaned forward with squinty eyes. “How’d you know?”
“I heard him introduce himself to someone.” Jordyn quickly tried to cover her mistake, and then tried to dive for more information. “What did he do when he found her? That’s so terrible.”
“Well, of course he ran out and tried to find someone to help. I was the first person he ran into since everyone else was still at the Lodge celebrating and enjoying their holiday.”
Jordyn didn’t need to ask the next question on her lips.
“But before I could get over there, I saw Chad heading into the barn, so I decided to just let him handle it. There was nothing that could be done according to what Ricky said.”
“It’s so sad.” Jordyn wiped away a make-believe tear. “Thanks for telling me.”
Chapter 16
Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.
– Ruth Carter Stapleton
Jordyn made her way back to the house, hoping she would run into Chad. The ranch was a beehive of activity now with everyone having a job to do—either making sure the guests were having a good time, or preparing for the Gala that was set to kick off in mere hours.
It wasn’t until much later in the morning that Jordyn caught a glimpse of the man she’d been wishing to find. She’d just finished giving the private tour to the couple in the cabin and was walking back toward the barn. With a smile on her face, she walked over to the small corral and leaned her arms on the top rail of the fence.
“Howdy, cowboy,” she said to the young boy who sat in the saddle in front of Chad as they walked by her.
“I’m riding! I’m riding!” The boy’s smile was so big and his face was so bright, she wished her father could be here to witness the scene. Yet, in a way, he was. She could feel his spirit taking part in the Christmas magic he’d helped create.
Jordyn knew there was no such ride on the schedule, and that Chad had a thousand other things to get done today. But he must have noticed the wishful look in the young boy’s eyes and offered him a ride. That was Chad. Fearless and charming. Gentle and tough. Kind and charismatic.
Turning her head, Jordyn noticed the boy’s parents standing near the gate beside an empty wheelchair. Their faces were beaming almost as brightly as their son’s, although they both seemed to be brushing away tears. “I’ll open the gate if you want to get some pictures,” Jordyn said to the parents.
“Yes. Please! We can’t believe he’s riding a horse. We didn’t even think he would touch one.”
Jordyn led them into the center of the ring, as Chad asked, “Ready to go a little faster?”
When the boy nodded enthusiastically, he urged the horse into a slow trot and then a gentle lope. The boy squealed with pure delight as Chad held him firmly in the saddle with one strong arm, while the other hand guided the horse around the enclosure.
Finally, Chad handed the reins to the boy and let him pull the horse to a stop. “Good job,” Chad told him. “You’ll be a regular cowboy in no time.”
In that moment, Jordyn understood what the Grinch felt when his heart grew three sizes that day—only hers seemed to be melting. To see the robust, muscular man in the saddle put everything aside to give this family a few minutes of joy, almost brought her to tears as well. Chad wasn’t the type of man to show emotion, yet his gentle and generous spirit was too strong to be hidden.
As the parents went up to greet their son, Jordyn offered to take family pictures in front of the horse, which they enthusiastically accepted. Chad was the only one who disagreed.
“I’ll dismount and stand on the other side.”
“No. We want you in the picture,” the boy’s mother insisted.
Jordyn snapped picture after picture, until at last the father walked back to the gate to get the wheelchair. Jordyn held the boy in the saddle as Chad dismounted, then he effortlessly lifted the boy and placed him back in his chair.
“I don’t know how to thank you for this.” The mother threw her arms around Chad with tears flowing down her cheek.
“It was my pleasure, ma’am. Merry Christmas.” He tipped his hat courteously, but looked extremely uncomfortable.
The father stood beside Jordyn and leaned close. “You probably don’t know this, but he’s never talked before.”
Jordyn’s gaze darted over to his as she recalled the boy telling her that he was riding. “But he—”
The man nodded, and now he had tears in his eyes too. “If I had known that all I had to do was take him to Painted Sky Ranch, I would have done it years ago.”
Jordyn swiped a tear from her own eye as she thought once again about her father. His dreams really had turned to reality. Thanks to Chad, this ranch had truly conveyed something tangible and perceptible. Some might even call it Christmas magic. She wished everyone could experience this heartwarming feeling and understand how a simple act of kindness could change someone’s life so drastically.
Jordyn watched Chad walk away, his head bent down against a strong north wind, his leather chaps making a familiar flapping sound that had once been so familiar to her. His figure exemplified power, fortitude, an innate inner calm, causing her to realize how gentle and kind a truly strong man could be.
Memories and recollections of her earlier years with Chad came flooding back, along with a new revelation.
Chad had not only been her first love.
He was her only love.
Chapter 17
Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
– Peg Bracken
After Jordyn had said her own goodbyes to the couple, she headed for the barn and found Chad already busy at work in the tack room.
“I have some news,” she said.
He continued cleaning a bridle without looking up. “So do I. Go ahead.”
“Judd is definitely in on it.”
She watched the brim of his hat slowly rise as he met her gaze.
“How do you know?”
“He told me Bell was dead. He showed me the bulldozer as proof.” She smiled and gave him a compliment. “Nice touch.”
He met the statement with a blank stare. “So the bandana guy is working for Judd, and Judd is working for the McClatchy Group.”
“What?” Jordyn thought back to where she’d heard the name. “The McClatchy Group is the corporation that wants to buy the ranch.”
“That figures.” Chad shoved his hat off his br
ow a little. “I did some research last night, called some friends who still live in the area. They said the McClatchy Group bought the Bowden and Carlton ranches over the past three years.”
“The Carlton Ranch borders us to the South.”
“And the Bowden Ranch borders you to the North. Painted Sky is right in the middle and it’s the only one of the three that has frontage on the river.”
“If someone wants it, why don’t they just make a legitimate offer?”
“Probably because they know its value is much higher than what they’re able to pay. Plus, they must have assumed that your mother is vulnerable. She’s got her hands full and she’s getting older. They probably figured if they could just pile things up right at the most stressful time of the year, she’d throw her hands up and sell.”
“What a terrible thing to do...and at Christmas no less.” Jordyn put her hands on her hips. “How do we prove that and get rid of him?”
“I’ve been trying to figure that out.”
“Well, you have Ricky, the bandana guy on tape. All we have to do is link the two of them.”
“I may have already done that.” Chad looked up.
“How?”
He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “I was going over some paperwork, and thought it was a little strange that Judd would volunteer to go pick up one of the guests at the airport.”
Jordyn cocked her head and looked at him with confused eyes. “Ricky?”
He nodded. “That made me even more suspicious, so I had a good friend of mine do some digging.”
“Is that legal?””
“He’s a private investigator. Everything he found is public information.”
“And?”
“Believe it or not, the last known employer of both men was the McClatchy Group—and neither one has an end date.”
“So you’re saying, they still work for them?”
“That’s what the paper trail suggests.”
“Let’s go look at Mom’s contract with Judd. The information you found should provide a sound reason for dismissal.”
They started walking toward the house, but Jordyn pulled Chad to a stop when they got to the porch. “I want to thank you again, Chad. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here.”
He stared at her a moment as if trying to figure out what to say. “That’s what friends are for, right?” He turned and kept on walking.
Jordyn wasn’t sure if she should be glad he considered her a friend again...or disappointed they weren’t more than that. Yes, ten years had passed, but she felt as comfortable with him now as she had the day she’d left. She trusted him. She admired him. And she respected him more than any man she’d ever met other than her father.
She wished he could forgive her, forget the rift between them, and at least try to go back to the way it was.
By the time he pushed open the door, Jordyn came to her senses and realized there were more important things to take care of than a broken relationship. Her mother happened to be walking by and stopped as they entered.
“What are you two up to?” Her worried gaze darted back and forth between them, as if trying to determine if they brought good news or bad.
“We think we might have an answer to your dilemma,” Jordyn said.
“You told Chad?”
“Some of it. He guessed the rest.”
“We’d like to see the contract you have with Judd, Mrs. Dunaway.” Chad had his hat in his hand, and was wiping his feet before entering.
Mrs. Dunaway started walking toward the office. “You’re welcome to look at it, but I already told Jordyn, it’s ironclad. My lawyer told me I needed justification to let him go.”
“What if he already works for someone else? Would that be justification?”
Mrs. Dunaway stopped walking and turned around. “What are you talking about?”
“He’s employed by the McClatchy Group.”
“But that’s who I got the letter from.” Mrs. Dunaway appeared both confused and angry.
“That’s a bit of a conflict of interest, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I’d say so.” Mrs. Dunaway entered the office and sat down at the desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out a folder. “Here it is, but my attorney told me that firing him because I don’t like the job he’s doing is not adequate cause under Montana law.”
“He was probably right about that,” Chad said. “Montana is the only state that protects employees to this extent.”
“Yes, that’s what the lawyer told me,” Mrs. Dunaway said. “Something about the Montana Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act.”
“Right. But if we can now prove that he is actually employed by someone who is trying to purchase your ranch, I think that will fall under a lawful termination.”
“What about Ricky?” Jordyn reminded Chad that it wasn’t just Judd they had to worry about.
“Who’s Ricky?” Mrs. Dunaway asked.
“He’s one of the guests. But he’s here under false pretenses, too.” Jordyn didn’t go into the fact that he’d almost killed a horse in order to convince her to sell.”
“I think we should call the police,” Chad said. “And then I’m going to go have a talk with both Ricky and Judd.”
“No. I’m not sure you should do that.” Mrs. Dunaway shook her head. “Judd will put up a fight. I know he will. It’s Christmas Eve. I don’t want to cause a scene. It will look terrible.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to them in such a way that they’ll be happy to quietly pack their bags and get out of here without being in handcuffs.
“You’re going to just let them go?” Jordyn asked.
“I didn’t say that.” Chad spoke with a slight smile on his face, but he didn’t expound upon what he meant.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you two here.” Mrs. Dunaway threw her arms around both of them. “I’m so lucky to have you both here.”
Chad returned the hug with one arm, and wrapped the other one around Jordyn, causing a lump to rise in her throat. Jordyn felt pretty lucky herself at that moment to be holding onto the two people she loved most in the world. Not only that, but it was Christmas Eve and she was home. A sense of bottomless peace and contentment seized her making Jordyn feel blissfully happy and fully alive.
When Mrs. Dunaway finally pulled away, she wiped a tear from her cheek. “But how are you going to get them to leave without causing a scene?”
“Don’t worry Mrs. Dunaway,” Chad said, turning toward the door. “I have a plan.”
Chapter 18
If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.
– Bob Hope
Chad stood quietly behind a pine tree about fifty feet away from the ranch manager’s cabin, while staring at the screen on his phone. Ricky had just arrived and was talking to Judd on the porch.
The conversation was taking place just out of earshot, but Chad watched Ricky reach into his back pocket and pull out a slip of paper. He waved it in the air and pointed to it as he questioned Judd as to what it was about.
As predicted, Judd was shaking his head confusedly. He didn’t know anything about the note requesting Ricky to come to his cabin because he hadn’t written it. Chad had.
It was all part of the plan.
Everything was running right on schedule, including the slow advance of Jordyn from the isolation barn over the hill. She was riding Bell bareback with her legs dangling in a relaxed manner. The two men didn’t even notice her until she smiled and waved. “Look what I found. Isn’t it wonderful? A Christmas miracle!”
The two men standing on the porch didn’t seem to think so.
Chad turned up the volume on his phone as their gazes went from Jordyn, to the horse, and then to each other. When she had disappeared from sight, Judd’s hands tightened into fists. “Isn’t that the horse you told me was dead?”
Ricky stared blankly in the direction where the horse and rider ha
d since disappeared. He seemed stunned, as if he didn’t quite believe what his eyes were telling him. “There’s no way...”
“There’s no way? But you just saw her! And she looked fine.”
“But I pulled the plug on the catheter just like you told me to. And I watched the blood dripping out. No, it can’t be...”
“It was Chad, I bet.” Judd talked as if to himself. “Trixie didn’t keep him occupied long enough. He must have gone in there and reattached it.”
Chad’s head shot up at that. So Trixie was in on this too. He hadn’t considered that possibility, even though he’d been suspicious of her appearance and her sudden need for him to take a look at a warning light in her car.
“What are we going to do?” Ricky crossed his arms. “We’ve lost a lot of leverage without having a dead horse. She’ll never sell this place unless she’s desperate. I’ve already started spreading rumors that they ain’t taking care of their horses, but without any evidence, no one’s going to believe it. Those horses are better fed than I am half the time.”
“Darn it.” Judd took his hat off and hit the side of his leg with it. “You bungled this big-time and now Chad is probably onto us.”
“What do you mean?”
“He pretended the horse was dead to see what we would do, didn’t he?”
“But he doesn’t really know what’s going on.” Ricky sounded confident. “He might suspect something. But he ain’t that smart.”
“I don’t know about that.” Judd shook his head. “He don’t like me. I can tell. I think he knows that all the little things going on around here started when I arrived. He’s smart enough to know that’s no coincidence.”
Chad took that as his cue and started to whistle as he walked closer to the cabin. The men stopped talking immediately, but he pretended not to notice. “Merry Christmas.” He smiled and waved.
“Yeah, ahh, Merry Christmas,” Judd mumbled, slightly flustered at his sudden appearance.
“You two look like you’re having a serious conversation.” Chad came to a stop in front of them as if he just happened to be walking by.
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