Chadwick Ranch, Book 1: Winter Holiday Romance Read online

  As Adam released her from his embrace, their eyes met again, “I didn't mean to upset you.”

  “You're a good man Adam Chadwick. You're an idiot along with your brothers, but you're a good man in spite of that.” They both smiled. As she gathered her wits about her once again, she said, “I have dishes to do. You have a breakfast to eat and the four of you idiots need to make some important decisions so you’d better get to it.”

  Adam smiled. “Okay, I'll get out of your hair.” As he turned to leave the kitchen Mary smiled, realizing Adam's back was covered in soap suds.

  “Adam?”

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you. You're a good man.”

  “I'm trying, even though I'm an idiot.” They both laughed as he exited the kitchen, returning to the dining room with his brothers.

  “Is Mary okay?” Buck asked.

  “I think so,” Adam said, walking around the table to return to his seat, which allowed his three brothers to note the soapsuds on his back.

  Carter turned to Billy, who had a big grin on his face and said with a warning tone in his voice, “Billy, shut up. Don't say a word. You've done enough damage already this morning little brother.” Adam had no idea what Carter was talking about but he let it go and returned to his breakfast.

  Later that morning the four Chadwick brothers met in the great room. Adam and Carter had reservations to head home the following day, but it was time for decisions to be made.

  “Mary’s gone for the morning running errands so now is the time for we four idiots to make a decision,” Carter said.

  “What’s it going to be? Are you in or out?” Buck asked.

  “I’ve got a life back on the East Coast but I’m not going to walk away from my family just because it’s inconvenient. I’ll figure out things back home but I’m in,” Adam said.

  “Carter, what about you?” Buck asked.

  “I’ve got a career and a chance to make partner this year which is going to be shot to hell but, like Adam, I’m not going to turn my back on my brothers, no matter how effed up I think Dad was to put that codicil in the will. I’m in,” Carter replied.

  “That leaves you little brother. Are you in or out?” Buck asked, turning to Billy who was sitting quietly on one of the overstuffed leather chairs in the great room.

  “I want to say for the record that I don’t give a damn about Dad and his will but I’m paying rent for my apartment and if I move back here for six months, I’m living rent free which will leave me with more dough for booze and babes, so, I’m in,” Billy laughed.

  While Buck was incensed by Billy’s disparaging remarks about their father, he replied, “just for the record, little brother, the will said that we all had to reside on the ranch for six months. It didn’t say you had to be alive. Keep it up and I’ll bury your sorry ass under the house.”

  Adam and Carter laughed heartily at his remark while Billy didn’t find it as funny. “As Carter pointed out, no one is going to know why Dad put that codicil in his will but I suggest we all focus on doing what needs to be done for the next six months and make it as painless as possible.”

  “You just threatened to murder me!” Billy protested, “That is hardly making the next six months as painless as possible.”

  “It would make it painless for the three of us,” Carter interjected.

  “Okay, all bullshit aside, the four Chadwick brothers are in agreement. Everyone will be moving back to the ranch by January first. Agreed?” Buck asked.

  “Agreed,” Carter replied.

  “Agreed,” Adam said.

  “Agreed, but you better not try to murder me you son of a bitch,” Billy said under protest, directing his comment to Buck.

  “Don’t give me a reason and you’ll have nothing to worry about,” Buck replied with a smile.

  Chapter 4, Carter at home

  Thursday, December Sixth

  Two days after the will was read, Carter caught a flight back to New York City, where he took a taxi back to his apartment in the city that he shared with his girlfriend of more than a year, Andrea Wise.

  “How did it go baby?” she asked, kissing him as he entered the apartment and set his luggage down along the foyer wall. Andrea was also an up-and-coming attorney who worked at a different law firm in the city. She was just as ruthless and eager to climb the corporate ladder as Carter. A gorgeous, dark-eyed, tall, slender, workaholic with no soul, she and Carter would joke from time to time that she would be willing to ‘cut her mother’ for a partnership.

  “I missed you!” Carter said, taking his coat off and throwing it across the sofa before taking Andrea in his arms and kissing her passionately. She purred with approval, draping her arms around his neck, dragging her fingers through his hair.

  “I missed you too,” she whispered. “Do you want to talk about the trip?”

  “Later. I want to have sex first.” He scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them. Although the couple had known each other for more than a year, they were still hot for each other when it came to sex.

  “Baby, I missed this while you were in Texas,” she said masterfully removing his clothing almost as quickly as he was removing hers. They touched, tasted, fondled and enjoyed each other's bodies as each piece of clothing fell to the floor about their feet. Once fully naked, they tumbled onto the bed, their legs and arms a tangle of greed and impatient need.

  Carter climbed on top of Andrea, pressing her legs open as he lowered himself between them, settling into familiar territory. Andrea reached down and took hold of his hard cock, guiding him into her. She wrapped her legs around his back, encouraging him, “make me know your home,” she demanded.

  “Count on it,” Carter said before thrusting himself into her grunting loudly as he did so. She cried out at the intensity of the sensation.

  “Baby, that feels good. I want more!” Andrea wrapped her hands around his head, kissing him passionately as Carter continued to drive himself into her, thrust after thrust, relentlessly driving them both to a level of sexual heat that would soon grow into a wildfire of desire.

  Carter raised himself up on the bed pinning her wrists to the mattress while driving himself in and out until she was screaming for more. “Don't stop baby. Don't stop,” she demanded. “I'm almost there. Keep going. Harder!” She struggled to free her wrists, but Carter was unmovable. He enjoyed watching her come apart beneath him.

  He continued to pound himself into her until he was certain they were both on the brink. He leaned forward and growled in her ear, “Come for me baby, don't make me take it from you,” and could feel her instantly gripping him from the inside. Moments later they both crashed headlong into what was, for them, the usual amazing release.

  As they lay side-by-side in the bed, catching their breath, Andrea kissed his nipple and whispered, “So tell me about Texas.”

  Carter wrapped his arm around her, drawing her body closer to his before saying, “The funeral was fine but I got some bad news while I was there.”

  “What was it?” she asked, looking up at him for the first time, trying to gauge the expression on his face.

  “My father put a codicil in his will, requiring that all four brothers live on the ranch for six months or he's going to donate the entire spread to a charity.”

  “Is that all? So when are you filing a lawsuit to contest the will?” she laughed.

  “I’ve already looked at it. His attorney actually told me during the reading of the will, that my father knew I would contest it so he made sure it couldn't be successfully challenged.”

  For the first time he could hear concern in her voice. “So what are you going to do?” she asked.

  “I checked with some realtors while I was in Texas and found out that the ranch is a multi-million dollar property that I'm not prepared to give to a charity.”

  No longer cradled in his arms, Andrea sat up in bed, pulling the sheets around her. She was an attorney and un
derstood all too well the difference between pillow talk and business. “You're not actually thinking of moving to Texas for six months, are you?”

  Carter replied confidently, “I am. If for no other reason, my three brothers are going to lose out if I walk.”

  She looked at him incredulously before saying, “You don't owe them a thing! It’s been years since you spoke to any of them so why do you care what happens to them? If you walk away from the law firm for six months, you're not going to have a shot at partner for at least another couple of years.”

  “I'm well aware of that. In fact, I called my boss from Texas, who pointed out the same thing. He also suggested that I walk away from the ranch and screw my brothers in the process. He cited the same logic you have used.”

  “Well, I'm glad to see that your boss has the same good sense that I have!”

  Carter looked at her with a perplexed look on his face. “They’re family Andrea, I can't just screw them.”

  Now it was Andrea who had the perplexed look on her face. “Trust me, you can screw anybody who gets in your way. We both do it for a living and I’m happy to say, we’re both very good at it. What the hell happened to you in Texas, have you lost your balls?”

  “I think I just proved that my anatomy is all in good working order. Andrea, it would only be for six months. You could stay here at the apartment. I could fly in on the weekends so we could spend time together or you could fly to Texas. We both work long hours during the week anyway, so I'm not sure we would actually be sacrificing that much time together.”

  Andrea cocked her head, looking at him before saying, “I don't think you understand, Carter. If you leave New York for even two weeks we’re done. You and I are together because we’re both on the fast-track to partner in our respective law firms. We make the perfect power couple. If you throw that away by heading to Texas for six months out of some twisted sense of obligation to your family, you're throwing the potential partnership and me away as well.”

  “Baby it doesn't have to be that way. You and I can weather the storm. I can spend six months in Texas, take care of my brothers and then head back here to New York. I might be behind the curve on the partnership track, but I'll get there. Does it really matter to you if it takes me a couple of extra years to make partner?”

  “I'm not interested in having a man in my life who isn't focused on getting ahead. Taking six months out because of some misguided family obligation is not an honorable thing in my world, it's a show of weakness. You and I both know in the law there's no room for weakness. You decide what you want to do but be clear on this: I'm not negotiating. If you go to Texas, there will be no one waiting for you when you get back.”

  “Is that your final decision?”

  “Yes. You either choose your family in Texas who you have never given a damn about or you choose your partnership, your future, and me in New York.”

  “I'll admit I was pissed off when I got the call that I had to go to this ridiculous funeral. I was even madder when I had to spend a few days on the ranch waiting for the will to be read, but I have to say it was an eye-opening experience.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “My own father passed away and not a single person from my law firm called to send their condolences or wrote a note or sent flowers to the funeral.”

  “Why would you expect them to do that? You hadn’t spoken to the man in years. The man is dead. You buried him. Move on!”

  “Living in this environment where everyone is chasing the next rung on the career ladder, I forgot that I'm also supposed to be a human being. At least, I forgot it until I got back to Texas. Do you have any idea how many people showed up to my father's funeral?”

  “No?”

  “There were hundreds of people who showed up. That man left a mark in his community. There are people there who will remember him. When you and I die or when anybody from either of our law firms dies, do you think anyone is going to remember us?”

  Andrea laughed, “Who cares if they do or don't? I'm a lawyer, I can't afford to care what other people think of me.”

  “And therein lies the rub. You and I both sold our souls and our humanity to chase partnerships in our respective law firms and at what cost?”

  “What the hell happened to you in Texas? Where is the competitive lawyer that I sleep with every night? And who is this weak, pathetic excuse for a man that showed up looking just like him?”

  Carter was seeing Andrea for the first time with fresh eyes and he didn't like the view. “Andrea thanks for helping me clarify things. Let me just make this clear for you. I'm going to Texas for six months. I’m going to do right by my family while I’m there if I can. I'm going to move all my belongings into storage and I'm going to put this apartment on the market, so I suggest you start shopping for another place to live. We’re done.” With that, Andrea climbed out of bed defiantly and started to put her clothes back on.

  “What are you going to do about your position at the law firm?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, I haven't decided on that yet, but based on how I'm feeling right now, odds are I won't be coming back to New York. I don't like who I was when I left New York City and now that I've had the opportunity to realize that, I don't want to slip down that rabbit hole again. I don't want to end my life with nothing to show for it except expensive apartments, fancy dinners, and big job titles, surrounded by people I neither trust, respect or love. There has to be something better than that and I'm going to Texas to see if I can figure out what that is.” By now, Andrea was fully dressed, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting her shoes back on.

  She picked up her purse and keys and headed for the front door before saying, “I might as well tell you now, I've been sleeping with someone else for the last couple of months anyway. You and I both know as good lawyers, our job is to make sure we always leave our options open. I've been hedging my bets for months now.”

  “Were you at least having protected sex?” Carter asked with concern.

  “He’s a partner at your firm. Lawyers don’t get STDs, we have no blood running through our veins to get infected. I'll send somebody to collect all of my things next week,” she said dismissively.

  Carter smiled, not at all surprised by her response. He got out of bed and stood naked in the doorway of his bedroom before saying, “In Texas we have a saying; rattlesnakes don't mate for life. It's no surprise that you’ve been sleeping around. I hope you find your happiness. I'm heading home to Texas and I hope to find mine.”

  Chapter 5, Carter Arrives at the Ranch

  Sunday, December Twenty-Third

  According to the will, all four brothers would need to report to the ranch by January 1st. Since it was so close to Christmas and Carter now realized he had nothing keeping him in New York City, he decided to do a little shopping, shipping all of his gifts to the ranch, well ahead of his arrival. He called the ranch that very day to let Mary know he planned to arrive on December 23rd.

  When Mary heard a car approaching the farmhouse that morning, she peeked out the window, excited to see it was Carter. She met him at the door with a warm hug. “I'm so glad you made it home before Christmas,” she said sincerely.

  Carter was surprised by her warm greeting, especially since his greeting in New York City had been as cold as any East Coat winter. “Did the packages arrive yet?”

  “Oh yes, come and see,” Mary said, taking him by the hand and leading him into the great room where she had set up a massive Christmas tree using all of the family decorations she’d found in the attic. “Carter when your packages arrived I realized even though your dad and mom are gone, the Chadwick brothers needed a Chadwick Ranch Christmas. I took Bear with me and my son Beau and we got the biggest tree we could find. Beau and I rooted around in the attic and found boxes and boxes of family decorations. Isn't it beautiful?”

  Carter was silent for a moment as he looked around the great room. Memories of happy Christmases bef
ore his mother passed flooded his mind. “I can't believe you did all this for the idiot Chadwick brothers,” he said hugging her warmly as he took in all of the different decorations.

  “I'm so glad you like it. When your gifts arrived, that sweet gesture gave me the idea to make a Christmas for the four of you. I even put all of the packages you sent under the tree, so you see, you're actually responsible for this, Mr. Fancy New York Lawyer,” she said, smiling up at him warmly as they stood side-by-side, taking in the splendor of the room.

  “It even smells like Christmas in here. How did you do that?”

  “It's a live tree, of course, so we can enjoy the pine smell. But I also added cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon sticks in the teakettle on the stovetop, so the whole house smells like Christmas. Come in the kitchen. I've made Christmas cookies for you and your brothers.”

  “You did all of this because I sent gifts?” She looked up at him with a perplexed look on her face.

  “Carter I don't think you understand. I did all of this because you cared enough about your brothers, the people who are your real family, to do something special for them. I did all of this because I wanted to do something special for you. I know your life in New York City is nothing like life here in Texas. I know that you and your brothers are going to have a tough row to hoe over the next six months. What you did was really nice and I wanted you to know I respect you for it, even if your idiot brothers don't, and they probably won’t,” she admitted. “Now come on into the kitchen and I'll get you some Christmas cookies and hot cocoa to take the chill off. You’re home now and even if they won't say it, and they probably won’t, your idiot brothers are glad you’re finally home too.”

  Carter followed Mary into the kitchen, still stunned by the transformation she'd made to the house. “What did Buck think of your decorations?”