Cowboy's Christmas Carol_An Older Man Younger Woman Christmas Romance Read online

  That’s it. They’re a chop shop. Here today. Take your cash. Gone tomorrow.

  My phone rings.

  I look and see a Santa Fe number, but it’s one I don’t recognize and don’t have stored in my contracts.

  “Hello,” I say.

  “Hello. I’m trying to get ahold of a Carol Walker.”

  “This is she,” I say.

  “Hi Carol. I’m Susan from Santa Fe Art International. We’ve recently created a position for a global representative here and we’re looking to bring someone on to help us promote the work of Georgia O’Keefe worldwide.”

  This is totally out of nowhere. “Well, um…I’m not sure what to say, Susan. I hadn’t really been looking for that kind of employment.”

  “If you’re not interested I understand. I definitely don’t want to take up your time if you’re not, but if you are I’d love to tell you more.”

  I pause. Where is this coming from? How did this woman get my phone number? This seems like too much of a coincidence.

  “I am interested. Thanks. I’d love to hear more.”

  Over the next few minutes Susan proceeds to explain everything. The opportunity sounds amazing although it’s not really my field of study. It comes with some nice perks like a gym membership, but there’s one perk that strikes me as too tailored to my interests to just be random. There’s an option to take free advanced horse riding lessons or have free weekly riding sessions outside of town included. Hmmm. How did that get in there?

  I tell her I’ll think about it and I’ll get back with her within forty-eight hours. She tells me I’m the only one she’s been in contact with and will keep it that way until she hears back from me.

  She said a friend referred my name to her. I didn’t press for the source, but I’m wondering if it’s Colt or my dad. I can see reasons both might be interested in me coming back home, but those reasons would be totally different.

  I sit back down on the couch and try to process what she said, but my mind keeps being drawn back to those contracts.

  I spend the rest of the day reading through them and researching the structures they’ve set up. Finally I can’t take it anymore.

  I Google a very particular number. I stare at it a good three or four minutes.

  Part of me says to sleep on it, to make sure.

  The other part of me knows I’m right, even though I don’t have experience with this kind of thing.

  I reach for my phone and tap the numbers on the dial pad.

  Now it’s down to two buttons. Green to call or red not to.

  I think about the ramifications of each. If I’m wrong and this sweeps the nation I’m doomed. If I’m right it may not be much better. Big business will absolutely hate me.

  I just think of all those brave women who have come forward lately with their stories about any number of things. Sure most were about sexual harassment, but the bigger picture is they are all about stopping people with power from abusing that power. It’s the kind of injustice I hate the most.

  I stare at my phone a bit longer. It’s now or never.

  CHAPTER 19

  Carol

  I stumble out of bed well past noon. It took me forever to fall asleep after the phone call. I felt like I’d done a great thing and then I felt terrible. I don’t want any attention, but I had to give my name so they could vet my story.

  I take a shower unsure of what the day will bring, if anything. They’ll probably just file it somewhere and it will never see the light of day. I’ll have to keep fighting if that happens.

  After my shower I pour a bowl of cereal and plop down on the couch. I reach for the remote and turn on the TV.

  The cereal bowl hits the floor as I see my university picture on the screen up in the right corner followed by a split screen below of two talking head media personalities.

  “That’s right. This is breaking fast. We are talking about widespread fraud, corruption, and abuse of power.”

  “And this girl is the one who broke the story, correct Wolf?”

  “That’s right. Her name is Carol Walker but to so many she’ll soon be known simply as a hero.”

  My mind and body don’t even register what’s happening right now. My entire body is covered in goose bumps and I feel like I’m not really even in my own body. I’m on the couch but I see myself on TV. It’s an indescribable, surreal feeling.

  I watch as they show pictures from my Facebook and describe me as a “sweet girl who likes to ride horses and loves animals who recently graduated with a degree in finance from the University of Chicago.”

  Oh…my…god. Am I ever happy I never posted any questionable photos online…not that my activities are ever that questionable…except the whole dad’s best friend thing.

  The screen flashes over to my LinkedIn page and shows that I used to work for the company they’re discussing. Then the screen displays federal investigators entering their building.

  What have I done?

  I see Jared and Mister Dudley being escorted out in cuffs!

  “And Wolf, do we know what’s going to become of those contracts the farmers and ranchers signed?”

  “Well they’re clearly fraud, not to mention these are grossly negligent when it comes to KYC laws.”

  “You’re referring to know your customer laws, correct?”

  “That’s right. There’s no way anyone will believe these guys had any idea what they were signing. One gentleman even signed with nothing more than an X.”

  “Unbelievable,” the lady says.

  CHAPTER 20

  Colt

  I keep my hat tipped down low in the front and stand back from the tarmac. I want to be here to see Carol return to a hero’s welcome, but I certainly don’t want to create any problems.

  I’m not here to get into anything with her dad, nor am I looking for publicity.

  Seems the media has taken to referring to me as “Mister X.” They said I only have an eighth grade education, which isn’t entirely true. I’ve got a degree from the School of Hard Knocks and that includes a workingman’s PhD.

  I signed up for some trade schools once, but even the welding and woodworking teachers told me I was wasting my time. They told me I already knew the coursework like the back of my hand and that I wouldn’t learn anything new.

  It’s okay though. I know making me out to be a dumb hick or a redneck sells more newspapers, or clicks on the Internet or whatever it is that people read these days to get their so-called news.

  I see Carol exit the plane to a swarm of photographers.

  “Look at her,” I say quietly. She went to the big city and she won. She fought for the little guy and now she’s back home where she belongs. Too bad she’s not home with me. That’s where she really belongs.

  People are asking her questions left and right. I smile and know she’s on her way to a bright future in whatever she chooses.

  And that’s what matters most. All I really want is for her to be happy. Whether she stays in Santa Fe or pursues her big business dreams I’m happy for her either way. I just wish her future included us, but things don’t always work out like you want.

  “So is life,” I say as I turn to slide on out of there. I pretend it’s over, but I know deep down it’s never over. I’m not going to let her getaway, at least not without putting up the fight of my life. I need to get my two cents in, but first I need to come up with a plan. McCoy’s aren’t quitters. I just need a minute to regroup and when I do I’m gonna show her I’m the only man for her.

  I need her so bad I’d even sell the farm and move to…a city. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make her mine.

  CHAPTER 21

  Colt

  I finish up for the day and make my way inside.

  I open the fridge and realize the options are getting a lot slimmer, but I can only smile. If it wasn’t for Carol those big banker type fellas would have run me out of house and home within a year. I’m just fortunate to still have what I g
ot, and aside from her, a simple life here was all I ever really wanted.

  Bacon and eggs was mighty delicious for breakfast so there’s no reason it won’t be might fine for dinner. Somehow I worked right through lunch.

  I hear a knock on the screen door and go to see who it is.

  “Look what the cat drug in,” I say.

  “Figured we still had a date for Chinese,” she says holding up a bag with what looks like some cartons of rice and sure smells like szechwan.

  “I ain’t gonna argue with that.”

  I open the door and welcome her inside. As much as I want to wrap her up right here and now and give her a big ol’ hug I know I need to take things slow.

  I go to the kitchen and grab some bowls and silverware.

  “Did you learn to eat with chopsticks while you were in the big city?”

  “Kind of,” she says. “But I’m not in the big city anymore.”

  “Bon appetite,” I say and we clink forks. She smiles.

  “Not anymore meaning for the future or for a time?”

  “Well that’s the crazy thing about me these days,” she says. She takes a bite. “The future and the present are one in the same.”

  “How’s that?” I ask.

  “Well, this excitement will all blow over in a couple days…if it hasn’t already. Once it does it’s back to normal.”

  “Can it ever be back to normal?”

  “Well, not exactly,” she says. “At least not for you and I.”

  I nod. “I understand.”

  “The reason being is…the ranch is paid off and now that it is I was hoping maybe we could live on it together.”

  “You want to live here? With me?” I say. I put down my fork.

  “Well, they gave me some reward money for whistleblowing…that’s what they called it, even though that’s just what I always thought the trains that came through did. Anyways, I walked the check over to the bank and paid off the mortgages. Yours and dad’s. And there’s still some left over to get started on whatever we want.”

  “You paid off the ranch?” I ask.

  “I did.”

  “That ain’t right. That’s not for you to do.”

  “If it wouldn’t have been for your contract in my bag none of this would have ever happened in the first place. And not only that I was hoping that it wouldn’t turn out that I was paying off your ranch, but maybe one day this could be our ranch.”

  “Girl, you are amazing. Wait one second.”

  I jump up from my seat and go into the bedroom.

  I open my boot box and dig to the bottom, removing something very, very special. “It’s time, grandma,” I say.

  I walk back into the living room, but it feels like I’m gliding.

  “One day? How about today?”

  Carol raises her hands to her face.

  “I wasn’t really prepared for this, but it doesn’t matter. That and if you’re gonna live here with me I’m gonna make an honest woman outta ya.”

  I give her a wink and get down on one knee.

  “Carol. This is my grandma’s ring. She gave it to me years ago before she passed, but before she did I had to promise her I would only ever give it away once. Only when I knew I had met the one. Then and only then.”

  I pause and watch as Carol is over the moon with joy. It feels so good to see that I’m making her this happy.

  I take her right hand in mine.

  “I’ve met the one.”

  The tears are streaming down her face. I’m starting to wonder myself if someone’s peeling onions, but I can’t much blame the neighbors for that when the houses next door are miles apart out here. I manage to keep my eyes dry…barely.

  “Will you marry me?”

  She nods. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you and we’ll live here on the ranch where we both belong.”

  I slide grandma’s ring onto her finger making it hers, and making her mine just before she falls into my arms.

  “Just promise me one more thing,” I say into her ear.

  “Anything,” she says.

  “You said ‘we’ll live here.’ By we, promise me you mean the two of us and all the little bronc ridding buddies and my little pony ladies we can create in a lifetime.”

  “You got yourself a deal, cowboy.”

  “Good, because we’ve got a lot of land and that means we’re already prepared for a lot of kids.”

  “I can’t wait,” I say. “I…can’t…wait.”

  EPILOGUE

  Colt

  Two months later

  “You sure are hungry today,” I say.

  “Well, this barbecue is just so tasty,” Carol says.

  “Nobody q’s better than Volt,” I say putting my hand on his shoulder.

  It took some time, and we’re doing our best to keep the public displays of affection out of his face, but Volt had come around sooner or later. Once I proposed he realized this really was something real.

  We had a good heart to heart about it a week after she accepted my marriage proposal. I apologized about not asking for his permission explaining how it all just happened so quickly.

  He understood, but it took some time until he actually accepted it. It’s still an ongoing process although I think he’s ninety percent of the way there.

  It doesn’t hurt that every time we go fishing I anchor the boat in a position where he can cast right into the best fishing holes. Or when I make sure to leave the best barbecue for him. Or bring him over some fresh cheeses and smoked salmon. Or just about anything these days. I save the best for my best friend, but he gave me more than I could ever give back. He gave the world the best woman ever to set foot on this earth, and I made her mine. He trusts me to treat his daughter like the princess she is…until she soon becomes my queen.

  But that’s the great thing about Volt. You can’t buy his trust, you have to earn it. I spent years doing just that, only to temporarily throw it all away one day like a knucklehead. I guess that’s what happens when you fall in love. You lose your darn mind in the best way possible, except for that one tiny detail. If I had approached him from the outset maybe things would have been different. But that’s the thing…there was no outset. I went to Chicago to find out what was happening with my ranch only to find love.

  “As long as y’all keep eatin’ ‘em, I’ll keep grillin’ ‘em,” he says.

  “Well I hope you got a lot of meat because there’s no way I’m planning on stopping anytime soon, and it looks like Carol’s thinking the same.”

  “That’s a lot for one young woman your size to eat,” Volt says.

  Carol puts down her paper plate and reaches for a wet wipe. She wipes off her hands and looks at her dad and then at me. She’s up to something.

  “You’re right dad. It is a lot for one young woman my size…but it’s not so much when you factor in it’s going to feed two mouths and not one.”

  “Two?” Volt says.

  “Wait a minute!” I say. “You mean to tell me?”

  She nods. “Yes!” She holds out her arms and I set down my plate as quickly as I can, wrapping her up in a hug. Somehow I manage to keep my hands balled up in fists to not cover her shirt in barbecue sauce.

  “Now I know why you cleaned off your hands,” I say.

  “Yep,” she laughs, just before a tear starts streaming down her cheek.

  “So this is really happening. It’s starting. We’re gonna populate this planet with a whole bunch of McCoys.”

  “A whole, whole bunch,” she says.

  “We just might have an excuse to play poker and smoke cigars soon,” Volt says. “Or at least the cigar smoking part. Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”

  “I think we should wait,” Carol says.

  “I agree. Everything has happened so fast, let’s let this enjoyment play itself out a little. Let’s savor this one.”

  “Like a glass of whiskey,” Volt says.

  He runs inside and comes out with four shots. He hands me
two and keeps the other two for himself.

  “Thank you,” Carol says. “Everything is for two now.”

  “For two,” Volt says as he raises two glasses. I meet his glasses with mine and Carol brings in her two pinky fingers for our toast.