Mistletoe Rodeo (Welcome to Ramblewood) (15 page)

“Who was that?” Jean asked.

“I think I just found the missing link to clear Joe Langtry’s name once and for all.” Nola had struck pay dirt. “I need to call this woman back. Go on to breakfast without me. And please don’t say anything to anyone about this. I need to be sure before I get the Langtrys’ hopes up.”

Her family gave her a group hug before they left, a gesture that was starting to feel very natural to Nola. Dialing the woman’s number, Nola silently prayed this was the answer they’d been searching for.

“Jennifer, this is Nola West. Thank you for calling me back.”

* * *

C
HASE
DIDN
’
T
APPRECIATE
having to wear an elf costume in the rodeo arena. “Why does Cole get to be Santa Claus and I’m an elf?”

“Because Cole’s the oldest,” Tess huffed. “Now put on your ears and your pointy toes and quit bellyaching. You have an ostrich to ride.”

“Great.” Chase flopped down on the bench. Being relegated to riding a big bird dressed as an elf in a Christmas show was a far cry from his rodeo days. “Thanks.”

“Look at me.” Abby lifted his chin. “The doctor didn’t clear you to ride a bronc or a bull. As your physical therapist, it’s my job to keep an eye on you. You were given the okay to ride an ostrich. It doesn’t buck, it’s closer to the ground and all you need to do is sit down, shut up and hang on. I have faith in you, Grumpy Elf.”

“Wasn’t Grumpy a dwarf?” Chase asked.

“In your case, he’s an ostrich-riding elf.”

Chase didn’t even want to look at himself in the mirror before he strode out of the makeshift dressing room. “Where is my fine feathered friend anyway?”

“They’re on the way.” Shane flipped through the pages on his clipboard. “They hit some traffic on the interstate—not the birds themselves, you know what I mean—and we’re figuring at least an hour more. I’m going to move Hunter’s division up and that should buy us some time.”

Chase shook his head, the bell on the tip of his hat jingling. “I have to wear this thing for an hour?”

“Sorry.” Shane shrugged. “You have to admit, it is kind of funny. Since you’re dressed for it, why don’t you go rile up the crowd while I get things together?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No, Chase, I’m not.” Shane started to laugh. “I’m sorry. I can’t get mad at you when you’re dressed like that. You owe me anyway for skipping out for two hours this morning.”

“I got held up at the brunch. Your wife put me to work.”

“Well, now I’m putting you to work. Cochairs have to get dirty, too.”

Luckily for Chase, the ostriches arrived a short time later, and after a quick refresher course—he hadn’t ridden one since he was sixteen—Chase felt a little more secure and less like—what? An elf riding an ostrich?

“Who’s my opponent?” Chase glanced around the holding area.

“I am, and don’t you dare say a word.” Lexi climbed up and over the fence wearing a ridiculous red and gold elf suit. Abby and Tess must have had to hog-tie her in order to get the false eyelashes and inordinate amount of blush on her cheeks. “My husband is so dead for this.”

“At least you make me feel better about myself.” Chase laughed.

“Come on, you—” Cole took one look at the two of them together and then looked away. “There are no words. Follow me.”

In the center of the arena, the ostrich handlers helped Chase and Lexi mount the birds within the confines of the corral. Firmly seated on its back, Chase gripped the bird’s wings and leaned back. He squeezed his legs around the ostrich’s midsection, and the gate swung open.

Oh, hell!

* * *

N
OLA
HAD
RUN
from one end of the fairgrounds to the other and she still hadn’t found Chase or any of the Langtry brothers. Hearing cheers from within the arena, Nola showed her Mistletoe Rodeo all-events wristband at the gate and walked down the corridor between the bleachers.

Then she saw them: Lexi and Chase, dressed as the world’s most deranged-looking elves racing each other across the arena on ostriches. She whipped out her phone and quickly began to record the spectacle.

This will look amazing on my new television.

Lexi won the race, and in her excitement, she waved her arms in the air, promptly falling backward off her ostrich. Seeing Lexi on the ground, Chase’s ostrich stopped short, sending him up and over his bird’s head.

“Oh, my God!” Nola’s hand flew to her chest. She ran to the fence rails for a better view, only to find Lexi and Chase laughing hysterically in the dirt.

“Ladies and gentlemen.” Shane walked into the arena dressed as Santa Claus with a microphone in hand. “Please give our two riders a hand. My brother Chase and my wife, Lexi.”

The crowd applauded. Nola watched Chase help Lexi up and then say something in her ear. She nodded and then both elves took off running after Santa. Poor Shane was at a disadvantage with oversize black boots on and a belly full of stuffing getting in the way.

When they caught him, they called out for help. Hunter, Cole and Jesse ran into the ring. The five of them carried Shane back over to the ostrich corral while a wrangler made sure one was in position. Lifting him up onto the bird, they sent Shane on a ride of his own. To his credit, he stayed on longer than either Chase or Lexi had.

The crowd loved it and if Nola didn’t know better, she’d have thought they’d rehearsed the whole thing earlier. Nola waved to Chase but he turned away before he saw her, heading toward the Junior Rodeo crowd. There wasn’t any way she’d be able to talk to him now. Her news would have to wait until the charity dinner and auction.

* * *

C
HASE
STOOD
BESIDE
his mother and brothers at the entrance to the newly constructed Ramblewood Food Bank addition. After a touching speech by Evelyn Koch, Kay held the ribbon up as Evelyn wielded a giant pair of scissors and cut it in half.

The doors swung wide to reveal a large open room with a vaulted oak beamed ceiling. Rows of tables elegantly draped in red and white linens created a dramatic backdrop for the dusting of rose petals and flickering silver candles. This was the culmination of Chase’s and his mother’s efforts, along with those of an amazing team of volunteers.

Chase escorted Kay into the room, and she took in what the town had accomplished. “This place will help so many.”

“I only wish Daddy was here to see it,” Chase added. “He would have loved to be a part of this.”

“I know he would have.” Kay rested her head against her son’s shoulder. “And I hope one day we can clear your father’s name, removing any doubt. I haven’t told any of you this, but I remember the day your father finally acquired those mineral rights. After all that time Joe finally had a piece of Scott David, and I wondered how he’d done it. I even asked him if it was on the level, and he swore to me that it was. Now I have two choices. Either continue to believe my husband, who’s no longer here to defend himself, or accept that he deceived an elderly man. Either way, love and understanding come into play.”

Across the room Chase spotted Nola standing with her family. She was wearing a black sleeveless dress and her hair was gracefully swept up, exposing her delicate neck. She’d never looked more beautiful. He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her how he felt about her. But now wasn’t the time. They’d have their moment later tonight. He’d make certain of it.

* * *

W
HEN
EVERYONE
WAS
seated for dinner, Kay stepped onto the makeshift stage at the front of the room. She looked regal as she gazed over the crowd in her breathtaking emerald-green gown.

“Words cannot begin to express the gratitude I feel toward all of you. Your generous support and contributions created this very room. You made this. All of you, together as one. And even when we’re long gone, this building will remain as a reminder to always lend a helping hand to your neighbor. Thank you.”

Cole escorted his mother back to the table and Chase took the stage. Looking devilishly handsome in his black tuxedo, he cleared his throat and smiled at Kay.

“My mother and father have always been excellent role models for my brothers and me, and even today, my mother is still teaching us life lessons. She said something to me earlier—when you’re faced with a choice, love and understanding come into play.” Chase’s eyes found Nola’s. “She’s right. It’s something we don’t see enough of in this world, and if we all took a step back when faced with a difficult decision and applied a little love and understanding, I think we might see things more clearly. Life isn’t black-and-white. Everyone has a past, and we all need to work together to build our futures. None of us is perfect—we’re perfectly flawed. And once we learn to accept our differences and come together, we can create the most beautiful of families. Thank you for coming together in support of the Ramblewood Food Bank and this great community it serves.”

Nola wanted to run to his side and tell him what she’d discovered—to tell him everything was all right. But he disappeared moments after his speech, probably getting things ready for the auction.

Today felt as if it had been an ongoing battle to catch up with Chase and Nola knew of only one way to get his attention this evening. It couldn’t fail.

* * *

C
HASE
WAS
EXHAUSTED
.
He wanted nothing more than to call it a day, take Nola by the hand and go someplace private where they could talk. No interruptions. He wanted to tell her how he truly felt. There were only a few hours left until all the day’s events were over, and then he’d have his chance. Right now, it was his turn on the auction block.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have Chase Langtry, owner of the Ride ’em High! Rodeo School, and he’s offering one month of personal rodeo training. Bidding begins at one hundred dollars.”

“Dad, please. I want to go to the rodeo school,” cried a preteen boy who was sitting near Nola.

The father held his finger to his lips, shaking his head. “No, son, we can’t afford it.”

The auctioneer began. “One hundred dollar bid, now two, now two, will ya gimme two?”

“Five thousand.” Nola stood, and a blush crept into her cheeks as the whispers became a dull roar. Taking a few steps forward, she stood next to the father and the preteen. She placed a hand on the boy’s shoulders. “For him. The lessons are for him if you’ll give me this time—right now—to hear me out.

Chase froze in place on the stage, afraid to move. A KWTT camera crew made their way toward the front of the room, startling Nola at first. Then she laughed.

“That figures. After covering the news for years now I am the news.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve been trying to tell you this all day, Chase, but you’ve been a hard man to catch up with. I received a phone call today from a woman who visits Nate David on a regular basis. He was a good friend of her father’s, and when her father died, she continued to look in on Nate daily. She told me that while Nate had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s seven years ago, he was only in the early stages of the disease back then. Three years later it had progressed to where it began to affect his day-to-day activities and he hired a live-in caregiver. He had been lucid and in control of his faculties up until he went into a nursing home last year. Nate spent many birthdays and holidays with her family and she has home-video footage from those occasions that prove that Nate was of sound mind at the time of the sale. He actually discusses the sale on one of the videos. Joe Langtry is one hundred percent innocent, and this woman will testify to that.”

“Oh, my.” Kay stood and walked toward Nola. “You’ve done it. You’ve cleared my husband’s name.”

“I had help.” Nola bobbed her head. “A whole team of my own, but yes, Joe’s name is clear.”

The audience she’d forgotten about began to clap as Chase stepped off the stage and made his way toward her.

“Thank you.” Chase pulled her into his arms. Lifting her chin, he gently placed a kiss on her lips. “You have no idea what you’ve done for my family.”

Reclaiming her lips once more, Chase crushed Nola to him, wishing the moment would never end.

Chapter Thirteen

“Mom.” Cole stood and motioned for everyone to gather around the Langtry living room. “We wanted to do this at the Mistletoe Rodeo, but we know how you get about having attention on you in public, so we decided to wait until it was just us family.”

“Grandma.” Ever handed Kay a plaque. “This is from all of us. We love you and appreciate you, every day of our lives.”

Tears spilled onto Kay’s cheeks as she accepted the gift. A red enamel rose adorned the top. It was a replica of the red rose she wore on a pendant around her neck—a gift from Joe on their first wedding anniversary. She wiped her eyes and read the plaque aloud. “
Kay Langtry. We wouldn’t be a family without you.
Oh, my word, it has all of your names on it, too. Thank you. Thank you all so much.”

Chase couldn’t believe Christmas was only a few days away and Nola was standing beside him. After yesterday’s Mistletoe Rodeo, Kay had asked her and her family to join them for tonight’s dinner. He and Nola still hadn’t had the chance to talk privately, but after their very public gestures to one another at the Mistletoe Rodeo, Chase finally felt as if things were falling into place.

* * *

N
OLA
WASN
’
T
THE
only visitor they were expecting that evening. And Chase wasn’t quite sure how to react considering the man almost cost them—him—everything.

Earlier in the day, Clay Tanner had discovered the geological study Joe had ordered shortly after he had purchased the mineral rights. It matched the one Scott David had commissioned a few months ago. There was nothing under Nate David’s fifty thousand acres. It had been a bum investment on Joe’s part, one meant to teach Scott David a lesson.

When Jon contacted Scott about the geological study and video proof Nola had uncovered, the man broke down, saying all he had ever wanted was to have his family’s land back intact. He admitted to making numerous mistakes when he had first gone into business, including ruthlessly going up against Joe whenever possible. The land had been the David family’s original homestead and Scott wanted to retain that legacy for his own children. Shortly before his grandfather had gone into the nursing home, Scott had discovered the mineral rights had been sold to none other than Joe Langtry and it had become personal.

Scott had asked if he could apologize in person, and that was when Kay had asked him to join them for dinner.

He wasn’t at all what they had expected when he arrived. The photographs of him online looked cold and even menacing at times, but Scott was an extremely personable and very well-read man. The woman they had called his trophy wife wore the pants in the family. Juanita was as kind as she was beautiful, insisting that she help in the kitchen before, during and after dinner.

Once everyone relaxed, they realized Scott wasn’t that different from them.

“I didn’t mean to put you through so much hell.” Scott sat on the couch next to Kay. “My family is my world. Pop and I had a strained relationship at best. We never saw eye to eye on anything business related. When he went into the nursing home and I found out he’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s I was livid. Mainly because I hadn’t known, but also because I thought my enemy had taken advantage of my father. I never should have handled it the way I did.”

Kay held his hand in hers. “We’ve all made mistakes. My boys and I could have ended this by offering you the mineral rights before this ever escalated. We were just as stubborn as you were. And heaven knows my Joe was no saint. He never should have gone after those mineral rights in the first place. We’ve decided collectively as a family to sell them to you for one dollar. The way I see it, we’re fixing a long-overdue wrong. It’s our gift to you in the spirit of Christmas.”

Scott’s face became flushed. “That’s very generous of you, but I’d like to pay you what Joe paid for them. I know they’re worth substantially less since the geological survey indicates nothing of value beneath the land. But I insist.”

“Scott, just say Merry Christmas,” Kay said.

“Merry Christmas.”

* * *

N
OLA
FOUND
HERSELF
on the verge of tears once again. The Langtrys and their Hallmark moments got her every time. Excusing herself to the front porch, Nola sat in one of the antique rockers, looking onto the pecan grove of twinkling lights.

“And finally we’re alone.” Chase stepped out onto the porch.

Nola pulled her jacket tighter around her without looking up. “I was just thinking that this is where it all began. I think I knew then how much you were about to mean to me. As much as I didn’t want to admit it.” Chase was close enough for her to touch, and as much as she ached for him, she was equally afraid. “Would you believe I had two job offers today? One from News Channel 16 and KWTT once again offering me the co-anchor position. I lost you because of that job. It’s not worth it. I don’t want to report the news anymore.”

“What do you want?” Chase’s voice was barely louder than a whisper.

“I want to go back to school and follow the dream I had when I was a kid—to be a translator. I have no idea where to even begin, but I think now is a really good time to find out. I’ve always done what I was told to do. It feels good to actually think for myself for a change.”

Chase stood in front of her and gently pulled Nola to her feet, the heat of his touch almost causing her to sag against him. “Tell me what else you want.”

“I want to live.” Nola stroked his cheek with the back of her fingers. “I want to experience life...with you by my side.”

“I want the same thing, Nola.” Chase brushed a strand of hair from her face. “I know you don’t want children and that’s been a real battle for me, but I’m not without children. I have my niece, nephews and all my rodeo school kids. Family isn’t just about DNA, and I’m sorry I didn’t accept that sooner. I tried living without you and I failed miserably. I love you, Nola. I don’t want to spend a single day without you. And if that means no kids of our own, I can live with it.”

Nola couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. Chase was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice...for her. It touched her very soul, and she’d never felt more loved in her entire life.

“What if I said you didn’t have to?”

“What are you saying?” Chase searched her face imploringly.

“After spending time around your family, I like the idea of having one of my own, but that’s only if you’re willing to explore all of our options.”

“Yes, Nola, yes.”

“I love you, Chase Langtry. Thank you for giving me the gift of family this Christmas.”

“I love you, too. Merry Christmas.”

* * * * *

Keep reading for a bonus novella by Laura Marie Altom, A HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.