Page 77 of Daddy's Little Farmer

“Oh?”

“Yes. I want to build you a house on my land and have you guys move down here.”

“What?” Tony exclaimed.

Rafael laughed. “You’re the only grandparents we’re going to have, and we need you to be closer.”

There was silence on the other end, but he could tell Tony was trying to get himself under control.

Tony cleared his throat. “This is so unexpected. The thought of being part of your family is a lovely idea. Let me talk to Betty and see what she says. I’d get her on the phone, but she’d just start crying.”

Both men laughed.

“That’s fine. Call me back. Give me your email. I have a friend drawing up three house ideas for you to choose from.”

“Now, wait. This is a lot…”

“Tony. I have plenty of money, and if I can do something for Mara that makes her happy, Iwill. The fact I’ll get to see you all the time is a bonus. I know it’s probably selfish to ask because you probably have a life and friends there, but I have to try. I totally understand if you decide it wouldn’t be best for you. Mara has no idea about this, so she can’t get disappointed.”

“I’ll talk to Betty and look at the house plans.”

“If you don’t like any of them, please don’t hesitate to tell me. I just asked him for the three, but there are hundreds of options."

“What can we give you? I can help.”

“You being here is enough, but Mara is going to get more animals, so you might want to help with that.”

“I’d enjoy that.”

“Betty and Ms. Bailey will become friends. She’s the one that feeds all of us. There are other women I think she’ll like, so she won’t get bored.”

“My Betty doesn’t get bored. She has more projects than I can count, and it will take three lifetimes to finish.”

Rafael smiled. “That’s good to know because now we have to give her a large room for things.”

“She would love that. Hell, I would love it. Her craft stuff is all over the house right now,” Tony said.

“Talk to her and think about it. You might tell her we get very little snow and never below-freezing temperatures.”

“She’s always complaining about her old bones and the cold.”

Rafael laughed. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Even if it doesn’t work out, I thank you for thinking of us. It means the world to me.”

“Hey, I know Mara would be thrilled. We both miss you.”

“We miss you, too. Talk to you soon.”

Rafael sat back and grinned. He had a good feeling about this idea, and he couldn’t wait to see the look on Mara’s face when she found out.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Within a week, Tony and his wife agreed and chose which house they wanted, and Rafael got Porter on it and knew construction was already happening. He’d have them moved down before Christmas. He planned on flying them there and hiring movers, so they didn’t have to do anything. He wanted to make it as stress-free for them as he could.

Mara asked what was being built when construction crews and building materials kept driving past. He and Porter just told her that a house was being built for a friend, but they never told her who, and she never asked.

He had taken her to an animal rescue, and she brought back several horses, a donkey, and a few older barn cats that had never been adopted. He couldn’t believe what a difference it made in her. Mara had also gone shopping with the girls under the supervision of Darian, his driver, and a few guards. She came home exhausted but glowing with happiness.

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