Barbara Dunlop: A Cowboy Comes Home

Reed frowned at him. “Why not?”

“I think we should be partners.”

His brother shrugged. “Keep half of it if you want. But you’re on the hook for the years we have a loss.”

Caleb shook his head. “The ranch is yours. Danielle’s already drafted up the papers. But I’ll buy half of it back from you.”

Reed scoffed out a laugh. “Right.”

The champagne cork popped, and Abby laughed as the foam poured over Travis’s hand.

“It’s been recently appraised,” Caleb noted. “So there’ll be no trouble establishing a price.”

Reed stared levelly across at him. “You think you’re going to give me fifteen million dollars?”

“Fourteen five, actually. I hear the water rights are screwing with land values.”

Abigail and Travis began handing around the full glasses.

“I’d take the offer,” Seth told Reed.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Reed countered.

“I’d play hardball if I was you,” said Abigail. “Where’s he going to find another ranch with such terrific neighbors?”

“Play hardball,” Mandy agreed with her sister. She bopped the side of her head against Caleb’s chest. “Give him the fifteen.”

Then she sat up straighter and accepted a glass of champagne from her sister.

Travis handed one to Reed.

Reed brandished his own glass like a weapon. “I’m not taking any money for the ranch. And that’s final.”

“Mandy,” Caleb intoned.

“Yes?” she answered, twisting her head to look at him.

“Please meddle.”

She grinned, leaned in and gave him a very satisfying kiss on the lips. “Whatever you say, darling.”

Caleb crooked his head to one side to paste Reed with a challenging look. “She’s my secret weapon.”

Seth raised his glass. “Congratulations, Caleb. You are the luckiest man in the world.”

“Agreed,” Caleb breathed.

Reed spoke up. “To the Jacobs and the Terrells. A new family.”

“Here, here,” everyone agreed, clinking glasses all around, then taking a drink.

“To my beautiful bride,” Caleb whispered, gently touching his glass to Mandy’s.

Her green eyes glowed with obvious joy. “Do you really want me to convince Reed to take the money?”

“Absolutely. Go get him, tiger.”

writes romantic stories while curled up in a log cabin in Canada’s far north, where bears outnumber people and it snows six months of the year. Fortunately she has a brawny husband and two teenage children to haul firewood and clear the driveway while she sips cocoa and muses about her upcoming chapters. Barbara loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through her website, www.barbaradunlop.com.