Christmas with the Rancher. Mary Leo

and nodding their greeting as they headed up the stairway at the back of the lobby, the old wooden stairs creaking as they climbed.

      Bella waited to reply to her dad until the guests were far enough away. Then she said, “Pay them time and a half for a couple days.”

      “I won’t be solving this by throwing money around. Besides, what’s the hurry? I might be able to get someone to take charge in a couple days at their normal pay once that person prepares for it, but not today. And didn’t you tell me this would be a smooth transition and my guests would never know the difference? Throwing them out only days before Christmas isn’t exactly a ‘smooth transition.’”

      She’d been having some emotional trouble with that aspect, as well. TransGlobal had decided to gut each inn in order to give them their own unique look. That would require shutting down Dream Weaver Inn during the renovations, something she wasn’t exactly ready to spring on her dad just yet. She had envisioned never telling him the details of the sale, figuring once he was settled in his fabulous new condo, enjoying the warm weather and the sandy beaches he’d never think about this silly inn again.

      She was counting on it.

      “Dad, this wouldn’t be a problem if you had cancelled all the reservations and told your guests the truth. TransGlobal is a customer-satisfaction company, meaning the customer always comes first. They pride themselves with five-star service and ambiance.” She hoped her logic and calmer disposition would have the effect she needed.

      “Well, then, taking their lead, there’s no rush to boot everyone out of here and make them uncomfortable.” He picked up the paperwork. “I’ll just take these here documents up to my room and start reading. We can meet tonight at Belly Up for a steak and I’ll hand over the signed docs. But first we should apologize to Travis. He put a lot of work into this place. TransGlobal’s getting a nice piece of property.”

      She wasn’t liking any of this, especially the part about kowtowing to Travis Granger. She didn’t want to see him again, much less tell him she was sorry for anything.

      “If you want to apologize, go right ahead. I still contend this is none of his business. And as far as my staying, that’s out of the question.”

      “You can go on ahead and leave if you want to. But you’ll be leaving without me or this deal.”

      She watched as he walked to the front door, slid his coat off one of the brass hooks and slipped it on completely ignoring her, and trumping her ultimatum.

      She let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine! I’ll change our flight, but it’s only for one more night as long as you can promise me I won’t have to see Travis again.”

      “That boy’s been a part of this family since he was a kid and I don’t want him feeling as if that’s changed none. Whether you see him again or not isn’t something I can control. It’s a small town.”

      She pulled in a deep breath and slowly let it out trying with everything that was in her not to simply walk out to her truck, start it up and never look back. She should get someone else to handle her dad. That would be the smart thing to do...the prudent thing...the best thing for everyone concerned.

      But she knew she couldn’t do that.

      “All right! Have it your way. I’ll stay overnight. In the meantime, I have no idea if we can get on another flight out of here tomorrow, but I’ll try.”

      “I’m sure you will. And if you can’t, we’ll fly out the next day or the next. I’m in no hurry.”

      “I have to meet with TransGlobal on Christmas Eve at my office in Chicago with all the paperwork signed. Nothing can get in the way of that.”

      He gave her a dismissive hand wave. “Not a problem. We have an entire week. Seven full days.” And he walked out the door leaving her to doubt herself for agreeing to spend the night in Briggs...where just about anything could happen.

      * * *

      TRAVIS BUSIED HIMSELF with securing a life-size reindeer to the bed of his pickup as Nick approached. He had hoped to get out of there without having to speak to Nick again, fearing he might say something to him he’d regret later. If only that darn reindeer had cooperated and Colt hadn’t partially secured it to the front lawn. When Colt did something, he made sure it was done right the first time.

      Dang him!

      “I’ve got nothing to say to you, Nick. So you might as well turn right around and head back inside and pack.”

      “Now hold on there, son. It’s not how you think.”

      Travis stopped pulling on the rope he was using to secure the reindeer and looked across the truck bed at Nick. “No matter what I think, it’s none of my business. Bella made that crystal clear.”

      “You can’t take what that girl says to heart.”

      “All I can go on is what she says, and so far it’s been nothing but grief.”

      “We need to give her time to readjust to Briggs, to me and to you. Right now she’s still running on big-city time. It’s all she’s known for the past fifteen years. It’s going to take a few days for all that citified haughtiness to disappear.”

      “And how does that work if you two are leaving today?”

      Nick smirked, and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. “That’s been put off.”

      Travis picked up his toolbox from the snowy ground and placed it inside the truck bed next to the reindeer’s head along with the now coiled rope and harness from the roof. He was ready to leave, but he knew Nick had other plans for him, plans he didn’t want anything to do with.

      “How’d you manage that? Tie her to the tree or something? She seemed pretty hell bent on leaving.”

      “Told her I had to read the paperwork before I’d sign anything.”

      Travis opened the door on the driver’s side of his truck. “Great, so that takes a couple hours.”

      “No, you’re not understanding.”

      “I think I understand everything just fine. You agreed to sell your inn to make your daughter happy even if it means you’ll be miserable. I get it. A parent will sacrifice everything for their kids. The thing I don’t get is why you didn’t tell me before I enlisted my family and half the town to help save your inn when you knew all along you were getting ready to sell it. That’s not like you, Nick.”

      “That’s not why you’ve got your spurs in a knot. You’re mad ’cause you had your heart set on spending this Christmas with Bella, like you did when you two were kids. And she can’t get out of here fast enough.”

      Travis always wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to Bella and anyone with half a brain could see it...except maybe Bella. Well, this time he wasn’t going to admit to those emotions. This time he wasn’t going to be made the fool.

      “There’s where you’re wrong. I couldn’t care less if Bella stays or goes. It’s the inn I’m upset over.”

      Travis made himself comfortable behind the wheel of his silver pickup, turned over the ignition, ready to blow this mess. He’d had enough.

      Nick came around to his side. “That’s just it. I’m trying to save my inn, and show my daughter what she’s been missing here in Briggs. I thought a little welcome-home party at Belly Up might help.”

      “The state she’s in, she’d never agree to it.”

      “No need to tell her every detail.”

      “And when are you planning on hosting this little shindig?”

      “Tonight, around eight. It would mean a lot to me if you could be there to sort of help her transition along.”

      “What kind of transition are you talking about?”

      “The kind where