you. I can’t take any credit for how gorgeous you are. Kyle sees it too. And you know what? He never once mentioned the scars. They’re like freckles to him, he just doesn’t see them. That’s another thing I love about him.”
She snuggled against his back. “Thank you, Dean. This was just what I needed. But we should talk, now. I have something important to tell you.”
* * * *
Miranda had her bags packed and waiting by the door. Dean’s father was due soon, and she’d be leaving shortly after that. She wasn’t as sad as she’d feared. Dean and Kyle had already made arrangements to come to her apartment the next weekend and spend two nights. Two glorious nights . She could hardly wait.
“Wonderful to see you, Mr Fortune.” Mrs Carson led him in.
“You look fit,” he told the housekeeper. “I hope things are going well, and the job’s not getting to be too much for you.”
“Not at all. Of course, we’re just looking after these two.” She nodded to where Dean and Kyle sat. “If we brought in guests, that would change things very much, wouldn’t it?”
He smiled. “Yes, I suppose it would.” He turned his dark-eyed gaze on Miranda. “Hello, Miz McCabe. How did you enjoy your week at the ranch?” He extended a hand, and she shook it.
“It’s a beautiful place. I enjoyed my time very much.” She tried not to look at Dean or Kyle, though she envisioned them both smirking.
“Son.” The elder Mr Fortune shook hands with Dean then Kyle. “Kyle. How are things running from your end? Smoothly?”
“My end is nice and tight, sir. Couldn’t be better.”
Miranda thought she might burst. She didn’t make eye contact with either Dean or Kyle, but could almost sense the smiles behind their eyes at that moment.
Dean’s father motioned for her to sit, and they all took seats.
“I’ll leave you,” Mrs Carson said.
“No, Frances, this concerns you too. Please stay.” He waited for her to sit, then began. “I think you all know that the ranch is floundering financially. I was given a suggestion that the best way to pump money back in would be to make the place a guest ranch. We’d allow families to come and stay, ride horses, do all the cowboy stuff that city folks don’t get to experience. We’d have to plan activities, so it would require some additional staff.”
“Additional housekeeping staff as well,” Mrs Carson added.
He nodded. “And when the demand outgrew the rooms here in the house, we’d have to build cabins for other guests to stay in. That will be costly, so I need to make sure this is the right plan for us going forward.”
“I don’t believe it is,” Dean said bluntly. “This is our home. I don’t want strangers staying here, night after night. Snotty-nosed little kids breaking our things. It sounds horrible to me.”
Kyle spoke up. “I’d have to agree. I understand the need for additional income, but for what you’d be giving up, that money comes at too great a price.”
Dean’s father waved a hand. “A little bit of privacy. No big deal.”
Dean challenged him. “Not for you, since you no longer live here. It’s a very big deal to me.”
Before he could reply, Miranda said, “I came up with another idea. I’ve spent the last couple of days crunching the numbers and talking with other stables to determine the feasibility. I truly believe it’ll work.”
Everyone looked at her.
“Riding lessons,” she said simply. “We could start a riding academy. There’s a huge demand for that right now. People in Los Angeles pay top dollar to give their kids lessons. Adults take them too. It’d require very little in the way of changing the structure of the ranch, and it won’t affect the main house. I believe you could hire one person to run the operation, and utilize the grooms who are interested in making a little extra income.” She handed some paperwork to Dean’s father. “You’ll see with these calculations, there’ll be some
She snuggled against his back. “Thank you, Dean. This was just what I needed. But we should talk, now. I have something important to tell you.”
* * * *
Miranda had her bags packed and waiting by the door. Dean’s father was due soon, and she’d be leaving shortly after that. She wasn’t as sad as she’d feared. Dean and Kyle had already made arrangements to come to her apartment the next weekend and spend two nights. Two glorious nights . She could hardly wait.
“Wonderful to see you, Mr Fortune.” Mrs Carson led him in.
“You look fit,” he told the housekeeper. “I hope things are going well, and the job’s not getting to be too much for you.”
“Not at all. Of course, we’re just looking after these two.” She nodded to where Dean and Kyle sat. “If we brought in guests, that would change things very much, wouldn’t it?”
He smiled. “Yes, I suppose it would.” He turned his dark-eyed gaze on Miranda. “Hello, Miz McCabe. How did you enjoy your week at the ranch?” He extended a hand, and she shook it.
“It’s a beautiful place. I enjoyed my time very much.” She tried not to look at Dean or Kyle, though she envisioned them both smirking.
“Son.” The elder Mr Fortune shook hands with Dean then Kyle. “Kyle. How are things running from your end? Smoothly?”
“My end is nice and tight, sir. Couldn’t be better.”
Miranda thought she might burst. She didn’t make eye contact with either Dean or Kyle, but could almost sense the smiles behind their eyes at that moment.
Dean’s father motioned for her to sit, and they all took seats.
“I’ll leave you,” Mrs Carson said.
“No, Frances, this concerns you too. Please stay.” He waited for her to sit, then began. “I think you all know that the ranch is floundering financially. I was given a suggestion that the best way to pump money back in would be to make the place a guest ranch. We’d allow families to come and stay, ride horses, do all the cowboy stuff that city folks don’t get to experience. We’d have to plan activities, so it would require some additional staff.”
“Additional housekeeping staff as well,” Mrs Carson added.
He nodded. “And when the demand outgrew the rooms here in the house, we’d have to build cabins for other guests to stay in. That will be costly, so I need to make sure this is the right plan for us going forward.”
“I don’t believe it is,” Dean said bluntly. “This is our home. I don’t want strangers staying here, night after night. Snotty-nosed little kids breaking our things. It sounds horrible to me.”
Kyle spoke up. “I’d have to agree. I understand the need for additional income, but for what you’d be giving up, that money comes at too great a price.”
Dean’s father waved a hand. “A little bit of privacy. No big deal.”
Dean challenged him. “Not for you, since you no longer live here. It’s a very big deal to me.”
Before he could reply, Miranda said, “I came up with another idea. I’ve spent the last couple of days crunching the numbers and talking with other stables to determine the feasibility. I truly believe it’ll work.”
Everyone looked at her.
“Riding lessons,” she said simply. “We could start a riding academy. There’s a huge demand for that right now. People in Los Angeles pay top dollar to give their kids lessons. Adults take them too. It’d require very little in the way of changing the structure of the ranch, and it won’t affect the main house. I believe you could hire one person to run the operation, and utilize the grooms who are interested in making a little extra income.” She handed some paperwork to Dean’s father. “You’ll see with these calculations, there’ll be some
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