Majestic Mountain Romance Series: Books One through Seven! (Clean Western Romances)

by Zoe Matthews

Her inconsiderate boss had only wanted to give her two days!

  Stephanie had insisted on having a week off, and agreed to use some of her coveted vacation days to help cover her absence. Her boss had been less than thrilled but eventually agreed to let her go for the week.

  Stephanie had been waiting at Denver International Airport for the small jet service that flew over to Pinedale when she’d received a very nasty, and unprofessional, email from her boss.

  She was accused of sabotaging another client’s wedding, and her boss attacked her viciously and without even giving Stephanie a chance to answer the accusations.

  In a rash move, Stephanie had sent back her immediate response – I Quit. She’d been hassled by her boss to the extent that she’d begun to hate her job and felt like she was being picked upon and was being treated very unfairly. She was tired of it and still reeling from the news of her father’s death, she quit!

  Now, here she sat in her Denver apartment, trying to pack up her belongings so she could move back to the family ranch. So many things had happened in the last few days, she still hadn’t really taken time to let them all sink in. Maybe I need to take a small break.

  Chapter 2

  Stephanie got up from the floor, made herself a cup of tea, and then sat down on the sofa and looked out the third story window. She’d been renting a furnished apartment, so moving was relatively painless and easy, if one wanted it to be that way.

  She looked at the white fluffy clouds in the sky and thought of her father. Richard Collingsworth had not been an overly affectionate man, but he’d been her father nonetheless. His absence was going to leave a large void in her life. Not because of the man he’d been, but because of the man she’d always hoped he would become.

  He’d been a good provider and kind to her. But he’d also been emotionally detached from his children and a very private individual. The housekeeper and her husband who helped with the cattle had done more to help raise the six children than their own biological father had ever done for them.

  She took a sip of her tea and then closed her eyes, replaying the meeting in the attorney’s office the day after the funeral…

  “Now that everyone is here, let’s get started,” Blake Anderson said to the six siblings sitting around the law office.

  Her siblings had asked some questions, but Mr. Anderson had simply asked them to wait. Thirty minutes later, Stephanie and her siblings had been apprised of their father’s machinations. She still wasn’t sure where her father had come up with over three million dollars to invest.

  His attorney had confirmed what they all knew before arriving to this meeting. Sheridan, her eldest brother, had inherited the family ranch. There was the money to be given to each of his children, but not all of her siblings were happy about the requirement to receive it.

  Stella had accused her father of trying to control them from beyond the grave. While Stephanie partially agreed with that assessment, she felt that this couldn’t have come at a better time for her.

  The will required the siblings to reside, together, on the ranch for six months. This was to be accomplished within one year of his death. Failure to do so meant their portion of the money would be given away to a local charity that their father had chosen.

  Mr. Anderson had also handed each of them a sealed envelope, containing a letter from their father. They were instructed not to open the letters until they were home and alone. Stephanie glanced over at the kitchen counter where she’d laid her unopened letter upon arriving back in Denver. She knew she needed to open it, but so much had been happening, she hadn’t found that quiet moment to do so yet.

  She knew several of her siblings had opened theirs after their last meeting in the Great Room of the family Ranch House. Sheridan had actually read some of his letter to everyone else.

  With cattle ranches closing left and right due to the economy, Sheridan had been after their father to convert the ranch into a Dude Ranch for quite some time. In his father’s letter to him, he’d been given his father’s blessing to do just that.

  That was the turning point in regards to meeting the conditions of the will. Everyone was excited about the prospect of taking the ranch to a new level, and they not only agreed to the six months, but to helping make the Dude Ranch successful.

  Stephanie had planned to return to Pinedale and the ranch in a week after the reading of the will, but all of that changed once she returned to Denver. Her landlord, Mr. Tipton, was a mousy little fellow unless money was involved. Then he became a roaring lion who gave no quarter.

  “Miss Collingsworth, you signed a 2-year lease on that apartment. You still have four months remaining on it and unless you are prepared to pay the remaining rent due in full, I’m afraid there is nothing I can do.”

  Instead of returning to her apartment to pack, she’d hit the local coffee shops and laundry mats, pouring over the message boards to see if anyone was in need of short-term housing.

  One week quickly turned into ten days, when she finally happened upon a young couple doing their laundry one afternoon, bemoaning the fact that they were still in need of a place to reside until their house was finished.

  “Excuse me, but I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation,” Stephanie interjected with a smile.

  “No problem. Sorry for bothering you with our problems. I didn’t realize we were talking so loudly,” the young woman answered back.

  “Well, you actually weren’t. But I was wondering if I might offer a solution.” Stephanie went on to tell them about her predicament with needing to move back home and her landlord not being willing to let her out of her lease.

  The young couple agreed to come by her apartment and look at it the next morning, and by noon, she had successfully sublet the remaining time on her lease.

  “So, when could we move in?” the young man asked, not wanting to pressure Stephanie, but knowing he and his wife were going to be homeless as of June first.

  “Well, since the most of the furniture in the apartment isn’t mine, it won’t take me long to finish packing my stuff. I could be out by the weekend,” Stephanie offered, not wanting to remain in Denver any longer than she needed to. No job! No boyfriend! There was no reason to remain here any longer.

  She emptied out her checking account and then finished packing up the rest of her belongings that she wanted to keep. Several items she set in the hallway with a sign that said Free and some of her neighbors happily carted them off.

  She rented a small U-Haul trailer to pull behind her Subaru, and by noon the next day she was packed and ready to head out.

  Seeing that it was a three hour drive to Pinedale, and another hour out to the ranch, she opted to spend one more night in her apartment and leave first thing in the morning. As she prepared for bed the last time, her eye caught the one piece of personal property she had yet to pack away. The letter from her deceased father.

  Chapter 3

  Stephanie took the letter in her hands and sat upon the edge of the bed. She turned it over in her hands several times, looking at the familiar scrawl of her name across the front. That’s father’s handwriting.

  A wave of sadness swamped her as she thought about the fact that her father would not be at the ranch when she arrived.

  Taking a deep breath, she slowly slid her fingernail beneath the edge of the envelop flap. She carefully opened the envelope and then withdrew the letter inside.

  It was folded in thirds, and had been carefully typed and then signed by her father at the bottom. She had been putting off this moment because she really wasn’t sure she wanted to read it.

  Unfolding it, she smoothed it out on her lap and started to read –

  My Dear Stephanie:

  If you are reading this letter, then you will already have mourned my passing. Please don’t grieve too much for me. I am with your mother now and that is where I want to be.

  I am leaving the ranch in good hands with your older brother, Sheridan. He might choose to make some
changes to the ranch, ones that he had discussed with me before. I encourage you to support him in his ideas and help him when needed.

  I’m sure you are wondering why I have insisted that you all need to be together on the ranch for six full months to collect your inheritance. I hope when this is over, you will thank me. I do not believe I did a good job in encouraging you to be there for each other. Each of you have been through a major life-changing event within the last few years. The saddest thing about that isn’t the events themselves, it is the fact that each of you felt you needed to deal with those events on your own. I know I was not a good father in this area. I think I probably encouraged you to stand on your own two feet too much. You and your siblings learned to keep your problems and struggles to yourselves in order to not inconvenience the other members of the family. I know now that this was wrong on my part and I am hoping I can make this right by insisting that all six of you spend some time together.

  Please use this time to get to know all of your siblings and help each of them when they need it. Give them a chance to get to know you. Let them help you. When it comes right down to it, family is all we have to help us get through this life.

  I want you to know, I love you very much. You have a true gift for organization that is going to help you in the future. You have accomplished many things in your life through perseverance and hard work; don’t be thrown off course if other’s don’t always recognize your gifts. You will find the place where you are supposed to be. Be patient and don’t be afraid to go in a new direction.

  Love, your father

  Stephanie had tears running down her cheeks by the time she finished reading the letter and she sat there on the edge of the bed for quite some time thinking about her life and all of the changes that were coming. Several weeks ago, she thought her future included being part-owner of a bridal shop. Now she was heading back home to embark on the next chapter of her life.

  ****

  Stephanie didn’t immediately go to the ranch. She’d left Denver several days earlier, but had decided to do some sightseeing along the way. She’d lived in Colorado all of her life, but there were still several places she’d driven past numerous times but never taken the time to stop and visit. That was not the case now.

  On June first, she drove up to the ranch, happy and smiling with the knowledge that here was where she was supposed to be. At least, for the next six months.

  “Stephanie, I’m so glad you’re here,” Sierra greeted her as she exited her vehicle.

  “I’m glad to be back. I ran into a few problems with my apartment, but I’m here now. Is everyone else here?”

  “Everyone but Spencer,” Sierra told her.

  “Well, that’s not surprising,” Stephanie responded dryly.

  “No, it isn’t. Come on into the house.”

  Stephanie greeted Kathy as she made her way up to her suite of rooms. The housekeeper had been more like a mother figure during her formative years and she hugged the woman warmly, “Hi.”

  “Glad to have you home, Stephanie,” Kathy said as she returned the hug.

  “I’m going to put this suitcase in my suite and then I thought I’d try to find Sheridan,” Stephanie said.

  “He’s in your father’s office, although I guess it’s Sheridan’s office now,” Kathy informed her.

  “Great. See you later.” Stephanie put her suitcase in her rooms, deciding to leave unpacking the U-Haul trailer for later. She’d been doing a lot of thinking over the last few days, and she knew exactly what contribution she wanted to make to the ranch conversion. She wanted to talk to Sheridan about it as soon as possible.

  She tracked Sheridan down in his office, seeing the door partially open and tapping on it before pushing it open and stepping inside. It felt weird to see Sheridan behind the large oak desk rather than her father.

  “Stephanie! Glad you could make it,” Sheridan told her with a smile of welcome. He stood up and walked around the desk to give her a hug.

  “Thanks. Do you have a minute?” she asked.

  “Sure. What’s up?” Sheridan returned to his chair and indicated she should sit on one of the chairs in front of his desk.

  “Well, I’ve been doing some thinking about the changes here. I would like to oversee the housekeeping for the guests, as well as the operations at the lodge.”

  Sheridan raised an eyebrow and then grinned, “I was hoping you’d be interested in those duties. Honestly, you are probably the only one of us who would enjoy those jobs.”

  Stephanie smiled at him, glad that he agreed with her. She then added, “I also want to be in charge of decorating them.”

  “I don’t have a problem with that. I don’t think anyone else will either.”

  “Great. I also thought we should start making some weekly plans and such. I can make sure everyone gets an updated list every day of what should be done each day. That way everyone will know what needs to be accomplished each week and we won’t get behind.”

  Sheridan laughed, “You really think everyone needs a list to keep on task?”

  Stephanie leveled a look at him and then asked, “Tell me you haven’t found yourself reaching the end of the week and still having things that didn’t get done.”

  Sheridan shook his head. “I wish I could. There’s just too many things to do right now.”

  Stephanie smiled. “I know. Let me help get everyone and everything organized during this process. It will take a lot of stress off of everyone.”

  “Fine. But I’ll let you introduce this new concept to your brother and sisters. Provided your other brother ever arrives, that is.”

  Stephanie stood and headed towards the door. “I’m sure Spencer will be here. He knows what’s at stake.”

  Chapter 4

  Spencer did arrive later that evening, right in the middle of dinner, and in a plane that he was piloting. The entire family had left the table when they heard the plane fly over the Ranch House. They all ran outside and headed towards the hanger where their father had kept his plane. Spencer spent a few minutes showing off his new plane to the family as he explained his ideas of using the plane to pick up guests who fly into the small airport in Pinedale, but who don’t want to drive up the winding canyon to their Dude Ranch. He was also planning on offering to do sky tours of the surrounding mountains.

  Sheridan wasn’t too thrilled with his ideas and Stephanie knew that one of the reasons was because their father hadn’t wanted any of them to learn to fly, even though he had flown small planes for years. His reason was because they weren’t safe. He had lost a few good friends in small planes they had piloted. Obviously, Spencer didn’t let their father’s concern stop him from taking piloting lessons.

  It was hard for Stephanie to see Spencer guide his new plane into the hanger her father had used, but she thought his ideas of using the plane to help the Dude Ranch were good ones.

  The family soon assembled back around the dining room table to finish their dinner. They talked about what each of them wanted to help with. When Stephanie told everyone her plans, Stella and Sadie teased her mercilessly about her need to control everything with lists. They were both younger than her, and for as long as they could remember, their sister had been a list maker.

  “So, what do we get if we get everything on our weekly lists accomplished?” Sadie wanted to know with a grin.

  Stephanie looked to Sierra and asked, “Have you got any extra gold stars? Sadie might need a little encouragement.”

  Sierra nodded her head, “Would you like me to make a chore chart as well? That way…”

  “Oh, knock it off, you two! I was just teasing her,” Sadie whined with a smile.

  “We know!” replied Sierra and Stephanie in unison.

  ****

  The next few weeks were busy for everyone. Sheridan had hired his friend, Logan, to be over the horses, and he arrived with his two sons and younger sister towards the end of May, before Stephanie had even arrived. Her brother also hired a man na
med Bridger to be over all the construction and he showed up with his crew in the middle of June. Things were moving along with their new business.

  One day towards the end of June, Stephanie found herself sitting with Sierra on the porch for a few minutes. She’d always been closest to Sierra, probably because they were the two oldest female children.

  She’d served as Sierra’s maid of honor when she married Paul, and cried with her when her husband was laid to rest. Now, if rumors were to be believed, it seemed that Sierra might be looking at starting up something with the man who’d been hired to work with the horses.

  “So, tell me about Logan?” Stephanie asked.

  “Well, he seems to be very confident around the horses.”

  Stephanie looked at her sister and then shook her head, “You know that’s not what I was asking.”

  Sierra shrugged her shoulders, “There’s not much to tell.”

  “Of course there is. Your darling daughters spilled the beans about seeing you kissing him.”

  Sierra groaned, “Great!” After a brief pause, she added, “You know I promised that I was never going to marry again. At least not until the girls were all grown up.”

  “I do know that. But tell me about Logan. Do you like him?”

  Sierra sighed and then softly answered, “I think I am in love with him.”

  “That’s good, right?”

  Sierra took a while answering and then nodded her head and smiled. “We have actually talked about marriage. We are going to spend the next few months getting to know each other better, but I think we will eventually marry. Our kids are very excited. Logan’s boys, Mason and Noah, are a handful, but I am already starting to love them like they are my own.”

  “I think it’s great you have found love again. I don’t think Paul would have wanted you to be alone the rest of your life,” Stephanie commented. She was very happy that her sister was blessed to find love with two good men, and she felt a twist in her heart that she herself hadn’t been able to find someone. She had dated many men off and on throughout the last few years, but none of them had left a big impression on her. She hadn’t found a man she would want to spend the rest of her life with.