Page 24 of A Surprise Wedding for the Cowboy

Grandfather waved his hand. “I’ll send your father to collect her in the private plane.”

“That will work.” At least, it would be entertaining in a chilly sort of way. His parents had stopped yelling at each other years ago. Now it was icy silence all the way.

“The photos on the web will be bare bones at first. We’ll bring in a photographer as soon as we’re in full swing to take new ones, and then we’ll create additional advertising. Brochures. Ads in travel magazines. Online.” Grandfather scratched his chin. “We may need a social media manager.”

Graham tapped into his keyboard.

So did Tate. His to-do list was growing with every word out of the boss’s mouth. Still, Grandfather’s vision was infectious. This obviously wasn’t a whim, but something he’d been plotting for a while.

Hmm. “Sir?”

The old man’s eagle eyes fixed on Tate. “Yes?”

“How long have you been planning this? When did you find out about the Klines?”

“January. But I didn’t want to jump too quickly. For one thing, you were all still mourning the death of your brother, as was I.”

Tate nodded, grief at the loss of Wally stinging his eyes and clenching his heart for a brief moment.

“I was in the office when Tammy buzzed to tell me a Nadine Kline had come to see me on a personal matter. I had no idea what it might be, of course.” Grandfather rubbed his forehead. “But she refused to go away, so I relented, and Tammy sent her in. Nadine told me she believed I was her father, based on DNA testing. At first, I thought she was trying to dupe me, but I soon realized that was not the case. She’d confronted her mother, and Eleanor finally confirmed that Nadine had uncovered her secrets. Eleanor begged Nadine not to come, but Nadine told her she had no right to keep a daughter separated from her father.”

Tate and Graham exchanged a look.

“My first instinct was to deny everything, but there she was, carrying irrefutable proof. I’ve never been a coward, and I wasn’t about to start then.”

“So… you bought this ranch as a gesture of peace, of good will?” Tate asked.

“Nadine’s husband passed away last summer. They lost their ranch amid all the medical bills. She was floundering. Their sons were floundering…”

That maybe explained Weston’s rudeness. Jude’s reticence.

Grandfather nodded at Tate. “Your assessment is spot-on. Her boys are my grandsons every bit as much as the rest of you. I do understand what a shock this is to everyone, though. It was to me, as well.”

Graham tapped into his keyboard. “Is Maxwell bringing in his own contractors for the renovations? What’s the order of business there?”

“There are six cabins in good shape on Dragonfly Lane. They’re ready for reservations other than fresh linens.” Grandfather poked at his tablet as Tate recorded the information. “The six on Firefly Lane are the oldest. Max’s crew will evaluate those and make sure they’re good to go. I’m sure some updating will be on the agenda, preferably over next winter.”

Tate glanced over at the resort map on the wall opposite the large screen.

“Ladybug Lane is where they started building but ran out of funds. There are RV and tenting sites on Butterfly Lane. Jude will go through the washroom and shower buildings in that area and make sure they’re up to par, and Bryce will begin his focus on landscaping over there as well. We do have some reservations for recreational vehicles starting Memorial Day.”

“Treehouses.” Graham leaned forward. “We should build some.”

Tate swung to look at his cousin. “Seriously?”

“Absolutely. There are a few resorts that do something similar. They’re a big draw. We should at least give it careful consideration.”

Grandfather studied Graham. “Put a proposal together for me. No idea is automatically out without consideration.”

“Conestoga wagons? Yurts?”

“Uh…”

Tate chuckled. “It’s called glamping, sir. Glamorous camping. They make them up with all kinds of luxury, but people still feel like they’re camping… with all the comforts of home, plus a few more.”

“Your generation is strange. Put together a proposal.”

“Anything else for this morning?” Grandfather looked between them. “Nadine is setting out coffee in the other wing. I’d like you two to get to know your new cousins. They’re fine young men. They just haven’t grown up with all the opportunities you’ve had.”

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