Her Billionaire Christmas Secret (Texas Ranch Romance Book 4)

by Sophia Summers

  One morning in March, she watched Sam get on the bus and then quickly put a load of laundry in. The month before, a hospital bed was delivered, and Mitch had started sleeping in the spare bedroom. She spent most of her nights in there, as well, on the recliner. She went to the kitchen to make a protein smoothie for Mitch and started the dishwasher. As she was coming down the hall, she took a sudden intake of breath. And she knew. She looked at his bedroom door, and her heart filled with fear. Mitch, not today. She put the drink on the hall table and continued to his door.

  As she came in the room, she knew he was going to leave her. “Mitch, stay!” She sat gently on his bed and held his hand. “Don’t go!”

  He shook his head and whispered. “I love you, Dani. Tell Sam.” His breath was ragged, but his face filled with peace.

  “I love you too. I will, I will.”

  He turned his head and looked at the doorway and smiled. “Hey, Grandpa.”

  And then he was gone. Her heart clenched. The fell across his chest and ached for the life he could have had, for all the missed years, for afternoons of throwing the football with Sam, everything he would have loved and was gone. She ached for his humor and even his strength in his life, before that too had dwindled over the years. And she cried for her own burdens. For the moment she would have to tell Sam. She held his hand until it felt cold and then she called the hospital.

  Everyone in the town attended the funeral. Her parents and all of Mitch’s extended family flew in from all over the country. The minister knew Mitch growing up and told a few football stories from his glory days. He shared scriptures of the promised resurrection. Dani kept thinking about Mitch’s last words. He’d definitely thought he saw his grandfather. She kept thinking about it. Had his grandfather come to get him? That was a very reassuring thought.

  At the end of the service, people filed up to the front and greeted the family. The last person came forward just as she was telling Sam he could go sit down. She looked up and gasped. “Peter. Peter!” She took his hand.

  “Dani, I was so sorry to hear about Mitch. The funeral was a great tribute to a great man.”

  “Thank you.” Seeing Peter in person was far more powerful than seeing his picture. He was a force. Dani felt weak. He was so much taller than she was. But then, out of nowhere, irritation surged.

  “You never answered my letters.”

  “I didn’t think I would get chewed out for that the first time I saw you. I thought I would be safe at the funeral at least.” Peter laughed.

  “This is funny?” she asked. He has such a great smile, and he looks so happy. I am being such an idiot.

  “I’m sorry,” Dani apologized. “That was a long time ago.” Dani was genuinely happy for Peter. She hoped he would be very happy with the girl he’d mentioned to her parents. It was comforting to see him.

  “A lot has happened, Dani. Sometime I would like to get together and share it with you.”

  “I’m going to spend a few months at my parent’s ranch in Texas. They’d love to spend time with you again, I’m sure. Maybe then?”

  “Maybe. I look forward to seeing you again.” He smiled and turned to leave.

  She stood there deep in thought, watching him as he walked out the front door of the church.

  The usher escorted her to the limo where her parents and Sam were waiting.

  The small town cemetery looked like a pasture with white board fencing all around. All the headstones were flat against the ground, so from a distance, it truly did look like a lovely green pasture. There were large oak trees providing shade at each corner. She really hated the idea of having Mitch put in the ground, even in such a lovely spot. His family had asked that he be buried in their family section of the cemetery. Dani was happy with that. She reached down and put her arm around Sam. They walked over to the burial spot and sat in the chairs by the casket.

  Sam took the handkerchief Dani handed to him and blew his nose. “I am glad that he isn’t sick anymore, Mom.”

  “Me too.” Dani put her arm around him. “How would you like it if we went to stay with Grandma and Grandpa for a while?”

  “Can I bring my bike?”

  Dani smiled, he was going to be okay. “Yes, honey, you can bring your bike and any toys you want.”

  Mitch had been a good husband and father. They loved each other and had made the best of their situation. She had no regrets. She had done everything she could to be a good and supportive wife. Mitch had thanked her for that many times. Now here she was, beginning a new chapter of her life. It would be good to go home to Texas to heal, to remember him, and take stock of her options.

  Dani rented a small U-Haul trailer. Sam’s toys took up most of the room, but she had a few things she needed to bring as well.

  She had planned to create some photobooks of their family pictures but never had the time. Now that she was going to be at the ranch she hoped she would have time. I am going to keep your memory alive, Mitch. The books were the first step. It would be healing to go through those memories.

  As she walked through her house one more time, she had a feeling she would never live there again. What her future held was in the unknown realm, but whatever it was, she was determined to grasp it and hold on.

  It took two days to drive down to the ranch in Texas. She laughed as she drove along the highway in front of her parents’ resort. It looked shabbier than ever. They were really taking this private resort thing seriously. No one would think this was a place celebrities would actually stay.

  Sam looked wide-eyed. “Is this where Grandpa lives?” He was probably too young to remember.

  “Sam, Grandpa likes to play dress-up with the ranch. He pretends it’s a really old, broken-down place.”

  As they got out of the car, Dani’s mom came running with her arms open wide. Sam jumped out of the car and into her loving arms. “Grandma! I love it here already. You have real horses!”

  Dani’s dad, Henry, walked up. “Wait till you taste her cookies!”

  Dani collapsed into her dad’s arms. “Oh, Dad, I have missed it here so much. You and Mom have made a little paradise. It will be good to stay a while and regain my balance.”

  “You can stay as long as you want. That little house out back is yours. We had it all remodeled, and everything is new. If you don’t like the furnishings, just come over here and choose what you want.”

  Carson walked over and gave Dani a hug. “I’m sorry to hear about Mitch. He was a good man.”

  “Thank you, Carson. I have missed those riding lessons.” She turned to her son. “Sam, this is Carson. He is the cowboy I was telling you about.”

  Sam peered up at Carson. “Are you a real cowboy?”

  “I sure am, and I need a partner around here. Are you interested in the job?”

  Sam looked up at Dani with eyes begging her to say yes. “Sure, Sam,” she said, “But ranching is hard work, and being a cowboy is the biggest job there is.”

  “Waahooey!” He ran to the car to get his cowboy hat.

  Henry turned to Carson. “Can you get some hands to unload this trailer at Dani’s house out back?”

  Dani’s mom, Mary, gave her a hug and called them all into dinner. “Carson, you come too.”

  After dinner, Dani said goodnight. She walked down the path to her little house nestled back in the trees. There was a big welcome home sign on the new front porch. “Oh look, Sam, we have a front porch.” He ran up and climbed into the porch swing. The front door opened, and Juanita, the cook, and her daughter came out with empty grocery bags. “We stocked your cupboards and refrigerator with lots of good food. I hope you don’t mind that we also got you unpacked.”

  “Oh, Juanita, you are wonderful! Thank you!” Bless these women. The house was perfect. The cute little kitchen had the newest appliances available. She noticed they had put in a new picture window in the living room, facing the woods. They had also opened up the kitchen wall with sliding doors to a newly built deck. “Wow, Dad w
ent to town on this one.” She jerked in alarm when she almost stepped on the bear’s head in the office. “Oh no, another bear rug.” She wondered if this bear was any relation to the bear that chased her and Peter that day.

  Sam was thrilled, running room to room. Finally he settled down and went to his bedroom to read. Dani took a few minutes to set up her computer. She sat down and sighed, and for the first time in days, relaxed. She immediately fell asleep in the office recliner.

  Chapter 6

  When James came to Peter with an idea for a boys club, Peter loved it. There were many boys out there who didn’t have a Dugan family to help them. The building they purchased had everything a typical YMCA would have—a swimming pool, tennis and racquet ball courts, and a game room. They hired a manager with childcare credentials and met with him weekly to plan the activities they would offer. Peter came to the meetings at James’s request, but he had full confidence in James to oversee the project. His charitable character and business sense were just what the club needed. Since they began the project, James seemed happier and had added purpose to his step.

  Seeing James happy made him happy. The man had been like a father to him. And he struggled. James’ triumphs over his own addictions were a constant beacon of hope to Peter.

  And with his own work under control, life was going pretty well.

  Then one morning at breakfast, his aunt looked over at him with a small, tentative smile. “Peter, I would like you to meet with an accomplished woman who has a good business idea for the city.”

  Oh no, another matchmaking attempt.

  “Sure, Aunt Meredith. I was looking for something to work on for the city.” He wasn’t ready to date anyone, but figured, why not. His heart had already been given to Dani, and he didn’t see that changing. But he was open to the possibility of someone else, someday. He didn’t plan to stay single forever. So he dressed with particular care and drove into the city.

  That evening Peter walked into Le Bernardin, the Midtown restaurant his aunt raved about, famous for its French seafood dishes. The atmosphere was luxurious. He loved seafood, so he would at least enjoy the meal portion of this meeting.

  Peter was shown to his table and had only waited a few minutes when he looked up and saw a beautiful woman walking toward him. She was tall and slender with long red hair that was lightly highlighted. She looked directly at him and smiled. He stood up while she was seated. She reached out her hand, business-like. “Hello, I am Jessica Wixom.”

  This was the first time he’d been at a business meeting that was also a prospective date. He took her hand. “Thank you for coming, Peter Jacobs.” This woman was a force all her own. She seemed totally confident of her place in this world.

  He ordered a dish with a variety of fish presentations. It all looked good. She ordered a salad. Women could be so impractical. She was here at a great fish house and she ordered a salad that she could get anywhere. Surely fish wasn’t outside the bounds of whatever diet she was on. He sighed.

  When they had eaten, he asked her about her business proposal. She went into an overly rehearsed pitch. “We need backers for a bike rental system throughout Manhattan, similar to the luggage racks at the airport.”

  He tried to bring her out of her pitch and back into a conversation. “Have you checked into city approval?”

  “Not yet, I want to go to them with a proposal backed up with funding.” She jumped back into her monotone pitch. Peter looked at his phone, no messages. She continued her speech, much of which Peter wasn’t listening to. He looked at this woman and imagined Dani sitting there. She would be animated if she were giving this presentation, and she wouldn’t put up with his indifference for a second. And if he’d looked at his phone, she probably would have taken it away. He laughed at that.

  Jessica stopped, confused. “We were hoping you would be one of them.”

  “I am sorry, Jessica, I do like this idea. Why don’t I have my lawyers take a look at it? They have contacts on the city council, and we will see where it goes from there.”

  He stood and helped her with her chair.

  “Thank you, Mr. Jacobs. I really appreciate it.”

  “I will have my secretary contact you once we talk with the city council.”

  After the dinner, she went her way and he asked his driver to take him downtown. Driving was always a good time to reminisce. Being with another woman this evening only brought on thoughts of Dani. She always had a big project she wanted to do. They used to spend hours planning, and they’d always executed their plans. Not to do so would have been a disaster in her eyes.

  His mind drifted back to their time in Washington. At the cabin, Dani decided to read the travel guide. “In order to save our lives—since my parents are unconcerned about our safety—I have decided to read up on this place.” While reading, she discovered there were lots of caves in the area. That was all she needed. This time, as they headed out for the day, they had flashlights, compasses, matches, and a pair of binoculars along with their lunches. They were going caving. Every day for three days, they scoured the mountains. On the fourth day, she finally spotted what looked like a cave.

  Dani handed Peter the binoculars. “Here, Peter, look up there.” She adjusted the direction he was looking. “No, over there. See that dark spot?” He looked and finally found it. Her excitement was persuasive, and they both headed up the mountain with a jump in their step, at least for the first mile. The woods were getting darker as they hiked. Birds were screeching their objection all along the way, but all of a sudden it became quiet.

  Peter stopped. “Something is wrong. It’s too quiet.” They looked around and decided to hide just in case. They climbed under the bottom branches of a smaller pine tree until they were sitting next to the trunk. It was kind of cozy under there, and they were completely covered. Then they heard something coming through the woods. As it got closer, they could hear voices. Dani’s sharp intake of breath caused his gut to twist.“Look, Peter, it’s a cougar. They killed a cougar.” The men had the legs of the mountain lion tied around a stick they were carrying between them on their shoulders. The cougar was hanging from her feet. It was plain she had been nursing kittens. A profound sadness descended upon him. “I feel horrible.”

  He looked at Dani; she had tears running down her cheeks. She leaned over and curled up against him. He carefully put his arm around her while she cried. After a time, she sniffed and wiped her eyes. “We’re going to do something about this. Come on!”

  They climbed out and started up the mountain, following the heavy footprints of the hunters. “If we follow their trail, maybe we’ll find her kittens. The mommy cougar would be happy that we saved her babies.”

  “What if there is a daddy cougar?” After the bear episode, he was not too keen on making friends with wildlife.

  “I don’t think the daddy stays home. The mom chases him away, I think.”

  They had only gone about ten feet when they saw two tiny cougar kittens following the path their mother had taken down the mountain. Her blood was still fresh in the grass and dirt. Peter immediately sat down in the middle of the path. He put out his hands and called to the kittens. “Come on, kitty, we will help you. Come on, kitty.”

  The kittens both stopped then took a tentative step toward Peter. Dani dropped down as well and started calling softly. It took about an hour, but finally they were comfortable enough that Dani and Peter picked them up and wrapped them in their jackets.

  They stood up and looked at each other, eyes sparkling. “We did it!” Even in Peter’s wildest imaginations, he had never thought anything like this would ever happen to him.

  “Yes, we did it. Now how are we going to make Mom and Dad let us keep them?” As they walked down the road to the cabin, Dani came up with a plan. “We will keep them wrapped up in our jackets and head straight upstairs to the bedroom.”

  They managed to get up to her room unobserved, but the kittens were starting to squirm and complain. “We have to
feed them,” Peter said. He was starving too.

  “I think they eat milk. I’ll go down and get a glass. You stay here and watch them.” Dani glanced down as she headed to the door. “Ick! One pooped.” She picked it up with a tissue and flushed it on her way to the kitchen. Dani came back with a bowl and a glass of milk, but the kittens just ignored it. “Why don’t we put some on our finger and drip it in their mouth.”

  She tired it and jerked her hand back. “Ouch! He bit me!” She pinched her finger. “Look, I’m bleeding.”

  Peter picked up the offending kitten and put him on the bed. Both of the kittens immediately started yowling. Dani picked up her kitten and wrapped it back up in the jacket and started bouncing and humming a lullaby. Peter did the same with his kitten.

  They were both bouncing and humming when the door opened, and there stood the Dugans with amazed looks on their faces. After a minute of stunned silence, they burst out laughing.

  “Where did you get these little fellas?” Mary reached out her hands and took the one Dani was holding but the scruff on the back of his neck. “Here, let me see him. Oh, he is just adorable. Ooh, sharp teeth however.”

  Peter kept bouncing and cuddling the one he had, and Henry came over and petted its head. Peter offered him the kitten, but Henry shook his head. “You’re doing a good job there, Peter. You keep him. So, tell us how this happened.”

  They described the whole experience, and Henry explained that those men were poaching—illegally hunting.