Lakeshore Chronicles [10] Candlelight Christmas by Susan Wiggs

“You don’t mean it.”
    “I do,” he said, “completely.” The surprise was not the offer he’d made. The surprise was how clear he was on this decision. He did intend to help her. “Look, you’re probably not going to need my help,” he said, “but if you do, I’m here.”
    “Really?” she whispered, still not moving. “Seriously?”
    “Seriously. If your kids need to stay with someone, I’m here.”
    “An angel, that’s what you are.” Tears rolled slowly down her cheeks. “You’re a flesh-and-blood angel.”
    He laughed, trying to lighten the moment. “Don’t lay that on me. Believe me, I’m nobody’s angel.”

Part 3
     
    M an Food
    A lot of business is done over beer and food. It helps a man think better.

Beer-Cheese Spread
     
1 (2-pound) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon hot sauce
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (12-ounce) bottle amber beer, at room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:
thyme sprig
    Beat together first 5 ingredients at low speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended. Gradually add beer, beating until blended. Beat at medium-high speed until blended and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill. Garnish with a thyme sprig. Store in refrigerator up to two weeks. Serve with crackers, or use to make grilled cheese sandwiches.
    [Source: adapted from Southern Living, 2007]

Chapter Four
     
    F ollowing through on a crazy impulse was often the right thing to do.
    As soon as the workweek started, Logan got together with his two best buddies, Adam Bellamy and Jeff Bailey, Suzanne’s husband. They hooked their mountain bikes on the back of his Jeep and headed up the winding road that curved around the mountain.
    “Hope you’re up for a screaming ride,” Logan said. “And then a business meeting.” He’d told them about his idea of taking on the resort at Saddle Mountain. In the bright sun of a September morning, the wild hills around Willow Lake were clad in a crazy quilt of colors. The drive up to the ski resort filled Logan with nostalgia, for the boy he’d once been, and for Charlie, the boy he’d raised.
    The boy who was moving half a world away.
    Logan had worked nonstop on the new enterprise, meeting with the retiring owner and sketching out a detailed business plan. There was only one glitch—money. He needed lots of money, more than any one guy had. He needed investors. He’d been on the phone and email constantly, talking with bankers, brokers, private investors. Thanks to his business in town, he knew a lot of people, and there was serious interest. He was working with an expert in ski resort financing, who told him the preliminary financials looked good. There was a lot more work to do, but Logan was determined.
    He’d told his father his plan, and had received the predictable wet blanket treatment. Still, he did want his dad to see the place, and had persuaded him to drive up to the mountain today for a meeting about the idea. He’d even offered Al a stake in the enterprise. Al, of course, had assumed he was joking, but he’d agree to pay a visit, just to see.
    But first—the ride. He, Jeff and Adam spent an hour careening along the trails that, when the snows came, would be ski runs. As he churned over the bumpy terrain, his mind went into overdrive. Once he took over, this was going to be a year-round resort. The trails would be waymarked and graded for mountain biking, and they’d modify the main chairlift to take riders to the top. This new direction felt, to Logan, kind of like falling in love. He woke up each morning thinking about it, fantasizing, knowing in the deepest part of his gut that he could make it work. He’d heard people talk about finding their life’s passion. This, he was fast discovering, was his.
    The runs were swaths of green, veined by forest and rock. Streams cut through some of the runs; in winter they would be frozen over