The Billionaire’s Christmas Contract by Laura Haley-McNeil

Chapter 12

Leah sat in the office of the Mardale bank’s vice president, Isaac Lewis, and gave him a stunned look. “What do you mean I’m a financial risk? My condo is worth almost as much as the Johnson and my parents’ ranch combined. I have a good job.”

“Let’s start with the condo. It’s mortgaged, so you don’t own it outright. After you sell, you’ll have to pay off the mortgage,” Isaac explained patiently. “As for your job, you haven’t worked there long enough to prove you’re not a financial risk.”

“I’ve been there for six years.” Leah forced a calm she didn’t feel into her voice.

“But not as an associate professor. You said you would switch your status to an online position, which could mean a reduced salary.”

Leah’s breath caught. Was that why the dean hadn’t agreed to her teaching remotely? He had mentioned nothing about reducing her income. She was counting on her salary and future pay raises to cover ranch expenses, which would be high. If she hired a couple to continue with the foster care, she’d pay them a salary, and the general care for the boys wouldn’t be cheap.

Lord, what had I been thinking? Her face went hot with humiliation. She hadn’t been thinking, and she hadn’t sought the Lord’s guidance.

“If the college agrees to your teaching online, we’ll contact them for salary confirmation,” Isaac said, his voice pleasant but not encouraging.

“I have a pension. I could cash that in.” Her mind whirled. There had to be a way to make this work.

“I wouldn’t advise it.” Isaac looked at her over the top of his glasses.

“There has to be a way to make this work.” She bit her lip.

“Maybe you should forget about it until after the holidays.” Isaac gave her a sympathetic look. “A new year. A new outlook on life. We can set up a meeting …”

She didn’t hear the rest of what he said. Nodding, she rose, shook his hand and left.

Outside, the sky was gray with clouds building along the mountain range. The weatherman had forecasted snow for the afternoon. Maybe he was right for a change. Snow would make it seem more like Christmas.

Cool air brushed against her cheeks, and she moved down the sidewalk toward the truck she’d borrowed from her parents. She greeted friends as she passed them, but Isaac’s words echoed in her head.

She’d made an offer to Holly Johnson, which wasn’t as much as Bryg had offered, but Holly had agreed because she wanted the land to be preserved. She’d have to tell Holly and her parents she couldn’t buy the ranches now, but she’d think of a way.

That wouldn’t help Holly. The older woman couldn’t work her ranch much longer. Leah couldn’t forget how tired Holly had looked when Leah had brought the boys to church for the pageant rehearsal. She couldn’t call Holly. She had to be honest and up front with her friend.

If Leah couldn’t buy the Johnson ranch, what would Holly do? Leah felt wretched. The older woman was ready to retire. Unless Leah found a way to buy the ranches, Holly would sell to someone else … like Bryg.

Snow fell, the flakes big and wet, and Leah rushed to the truck. Should she wait until after Christmas and see if she could figure out a way to buy the ranches, or should she call Bryg, tell him she couldn’t buy the ranches, and ask him if his offer were still good?

Or she could find another buyer, someone who wanted to buy a ranch and keep it as a ranch. How hard would that be? Maybe the ministry that had offered to send a couple to raise the foster boys knew someone who could buy the ranch and raise foster children.

Heavy snow clung to Leah’s hair when she climbed into the truck and turned on the engine. She dialed Holly’s phone number, but it rang to voicemail. Leah glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Tonight was the Christmas pageant. Holly was probably at church getting everything set up.

Leah had told her parents she’d take the boys to the church and help them get ready so her parents had a moment to relax. When she took the boys to church, she’d find a moment when she and Holly could talk. In the meantime, Leah would find a way to make her plan work.

* * *

Leah parkedthe van in front of the church. The boys talked and laughed and leaped out of the van. Even Zeke was excited about his role as a shepherd in the pageant. Leah often heard him in his room reciting his lines.

Inside the church, the boys called to their friends and thundered down the stairs to change into their costumes. Leah followed.

In the center of the large room, Holly helped shepherds and angels slip into robes and adjust headpieces. She looked at Leah, the corner of her mouth curving.

Leah took a deep breath.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Holly said softly. “I already heard.”

Leah’s eyes went wide. She’d forgotten how quickly word spread in a small town―not that different from the campus. Hadn’t half the faculty known she’d broken her engagement with Charlie even before she’d thrown a suitcase into the back of the taxi and headed for the airport?

“I’m so sorry,” Leah murmured.

“We tried,” Holly said on a rough exhale. “I called the broker, and he already found someone who wants to buy it.” Her mouth tipped, and Leah knew then what had happened. Bryg still wanted Holly’s ranch.

Leah had tried so hard to make sure the ranch land would be preserved. She had challenged a billionaire. She hadn’t lost yet, but it didn’t look good.

“In fact …” Holly looked past Leah to the practice room entrance.

Leah looked over her shoulder to Bryg. Her heart was a hot stone plunging through her chest.

When the boys saw Bryg, their surprise turned to barely contained delight, and they raced to him, except Zeke, who tossed his hair, even though it was too short to fall across his face. Hands in his pockets, he sauntered across the room and stood behind the others. He smiled at Bryg, who tapped his shoulder with a closed fist. Bryg said something Leah couldn’t hear with all the noise filling the room. It made Zeke laugh and drop his gaze.

Leah’s chest squeezed. The boys liked Bryg. In fact, everyone in town seemed to. Several people chatted with him, and he showed genuine interest in whatever they said.

Leah turned back to Holly and saw the older woman watched her.

“I’m glad Bryg is still interested in buying your ranch,” Leah said and tried to keep her voice steady. Maybe Bryg was still interested in her parents’ ranch, too. Knowing they could retire and get the rest they needed would make it easier for her when she returned to Braxton. Whatever God’s plan for Mardale, she’d accept it.

“This will all work out,” Holly smiled at her.

The lights in the room flickered, announcing the start of the pageant.

“I better get my shepherds and angels lined up for the performance,” Holly said and glanced at the ceiling. A boy tangled in his robe rushed to her, and she unwrapped the mantle from around his shoulders.

“I’ll get my boys,” Leah said. Getting the boys meant she’d have to talk to Bryg. She released a slow breath. May as well face the music.

The boys, flushed with excitement, talked at once, making sure Bryg knew what they’d been doing, and what they’d accomplished. Bryg listened, his face intense with interest. When Leah approached, he looked at her, and his mouth curved. At least, he didn’t seem angry with her. The boys turned to her.

“This is your cue, guys.” Leah adjusted Frankie’s robe, then Harry’s. “Everyone ready?”

They shouted at once, and Leah told them to line up with the other shepherds. They elbowed each other and rushed to the back staircase that led to the altar.

“Thanks for coming,” Leah said to Bryg. “The boys are glad you’re here.”

“What about you?” he asked, his voice low but clear. His gaze felt as if it brushed against her skin.

“I’m glad you came,” she stammered and set her jaw. They may be rivals when it came to the future of the valley, but weren’t they also friends? She remembered the night in the barn, when they’d been so close. Her walls went up. It was best if she and Bryg were just friends. “Would you like to sit with us?”

“Yes, I would,” he said.

She turned away and saw they were the only ones left in the practice room. She looked over her shoulder at him, “We’d better hurry.”

“Leah.” His voice made her still.

She didn’t speak. Slowly, she turned to him.

“I’m sorry your plans to buy Holly’s ranch and your parents’ ranch didn’t go through,” he said, the sincerity in his tone giving her a little comfort.

“I can’t give up hope that there’s still a way to make it work,” she said on a rough exhale,” but I haven’t thought of anything yet.”

“That’s what I like about you,” he said with a soft laugh. “Determined to the end.”

“Or too stubborn to know when to quit.” She smiled slightly. Maybe this was the lesson she needed to learn―that God knew what He was doing.

The lights in the room flickered again announcing the final seating call.

“I guess we’d better hurry,” Bryg said, his voice husky. He extended his hand, indicating he’d follow her up the stairs.

People packed the sanctuary as guests from neighboring towns always attended the Christmas pageant. Bryg greeted several people, which made Leah smile. In the short time he’d been here, he’d made a lot of friends.

Leah looked over the sanctuary and saw her parents standing in a pew and chatting with a couple surrounded by three children. Her mother looked up when Leah and Bryg entered the sanctuary and waved to them.

“I see Mom and Dad.” Leah nodded toward her parents. “We can sit with them,” she said and moved down the aisle.

Leah greeted the couple talking to her parents and introduced Bryg to them. They were aware of the changes he’d make to the community and were interested in his plans.

Leah listened as Bryg explained his ideas. She tried not to think of what the development would mean to the meadows where she’d ridden her horses. Everything was part of God’s plan. She wouldn’t be in Mardale after the holiday. She’d return to Braxton. What happened after she left shouldn’t matter.

Something hot filled her chest. Whatever happened in Mardale would always matter.

The pastor stepped to the podium. The lights dimmed. Everyone grew quiet, and the pastor opened the pageant with a prayer.

A young man’s voice, Frankie’s voice, sang the opening song. Leah trembled slightly at the words that promised hope and peace. She felt Bryg’s gaze and looked at him. His brow lifted in question. She gave him a reassuring smile, but couldn’t ignore the warmth and tenderness she felt whenever he was near. For a moment, she wondered what it would be like to always feel his presence.

She pushed that thought from her mind. Why was she thinking anything about Bryg? Before the holidays, she had to return to campus for two weeks, then she’d return to Mardale Christmas Eve and stay until the winter quarter started. This Christmas break would be her last chance to see the valley in its pristine state. After the construction started, it would be difficult to return to Mardale.

The tension building in her chest almost made it hard to breathe. She tried to relax. She was here to enjoy the pageant, not think about Bryg’s plans for the community she loved.

She lifted her gaze to the shepherds. Her parents’ boys strolled onto the stage. The robes didn’t hide the tough personas they had formed in the homes where their tenuous lives had begun, but their performances spellbound the audience. Leah wondered if the shepherds who had visited the Christ child had been tough men.

She glanced at Bryg and saw his gaze riveted to the stage. As if he felt her look at him, he shifted his eyes to hers. The smile spreading over his face made her heart warm. What lucky woman would see that for the rest of her life? Why wasn’t he seeing someone now? Every picture of him on the internet showed him with a different woman.

With a start, Leah realized who Bryg wasn’t―he wasn’t the man the media portrayed, the man she had assumed he was. On the websites, he was portrayed as a jet-setter.

Leah flushed at her preconceived notions. She’d never given Bryg a chance. She’d made up her mind about him and didn’t even know him.

Bryg Winslow was warm and caring and concerned. How many times had he reworked the development to make sure it met with her parents’ approval?

And her approval. She wouldn’t live here, yet he’d taken her opinions into account.

The cast singing the final song brought Leah’s face up. When the song ended, the cast spread across the stage. The sanctuary lights grew brighter, and the cast bowed. The audience stood and applauded.

Bryg stood next to Leah, and she glanced at him. When she saw his admiration for the performance shining in his eyes, her heart squeezed tight. Would he ever marry and have a family? If he did, he’d be a wonderful father. She remembered how he played ball with the boys. He had the energy to keep up with them. She released a slow breath. She wouldn’t think about Bryg’s future. She wouldn’t be part of it, so Bryg’s life shouldn’t matter to her.

The applause faded, and the performers dashed down the stage to greet family and friends. The boys raced through the crowds to Leah, her parents and Bryg.

“You were fabulous.” Leah hugged each boy whose eyes brightened at the praise.

Her parents and Bryg echoed the admiration. They moved downstairs with other audience members to an open area set up with tables laden with punch and cookies. The boys were too excited to eat and dashed around the room with their friends. Frankie stood in one group, the pretty girl Leah had seen talking to him before at his side. Leah’s heart sighed at the look of young love―not that she was old, but looking at Frankie and the girl made her feel ancient.

Even Zeke stood with a group of guys. Leah smiled when she saw him check out a girl across the room. The girl shyly showed her interest in him, and who wouldn’t? With his dark eyes and his powerful build, Leah was surprised only one girl showed interest in him.

When Leah turned back to the conversation, she noticed Bryg watching her. He looked past her to Zeke and then looked at the girl. He smiled. Did he remember the time when he’d first noticed girls? She shoved the wistful thought from her mind and hoped those girls realized how lucky they’d been to catch the eye of Bryg Winslow.

The surrounding conversations lessened, and Leah noticed families bidding friends goodbye and walking up the stairs.

“I’ll get the boys,” Leah said to her parents.

The boys had calmed from their post-performance excitement. Harry and Carl looked like they were ready to drop from exhaustion. They all talked at once as Leah, her parents and Bryg guided them up the stairs.

Bryg walked out of the church with them.

“Are you coming by the house?” Zeke asked him.

“Well,” Bryg said slowly. His gaze moved from Leah’s parents to Leah.

“You’re welcome to stop by.” Leah glanced at her parents and saw that they’d like it if he did.

“I have room in my car, if you want me to take a few passengers,” Bryg said.

“I want to go.” Frankie stepped forward. The other boys chimed in―including Zeke.

“If it’s okay with Vern and Mavis, it’s okay with me,” Bryg said.

The boys jerked their gazes to Leah’s parents, who nodded their consent. Shouts rose above the group, and they dashed across the parking lot to Bryg’s SUV.

“I was going to ask you to come, too.” He looked at Leah.

A soft smile teased the corner of his lips, and she tried to slow her ricocheting pulse.

“I’ll meet you at the house,” she said. Amazing how calm she sounded.

Bryg followed Leah’s parents’ van to the ranch and parked in the gravel circle in front of the house. The boys piled out, exhaustion evident in their movements when they thanked Bryg for the ride, walked into the house and up the stairs to their rooms.

“Thanks for giving them a ride and for coming to the performance tonight,” Leah murmured when the others had gone inside.

“I was glad to give them a ride, and as for coming tonight, I wouldn’t have missed it.” His voice soft, he looked straight at her. “What are your plans?”

“I’ll do what I had originally planned to do.” She gave a dry laugh. “I’ll fly back to Braxton and tie up a few loose ends.” Namely, talk to Charlie⸻she couldn’t put that off any longer. She wanted to have a plan to buy her parents’ ranch and Holly’s ranch, but she had to trust God. What was His plan? “But I’ll be back for the holidays.”

Would Bryg? She wouldn’t ask him. If the answer were no, it would break the boys’ hearts … to say nothing of hers. But why would he want to come back after the wrench she’d thrown in his plans? Yet, he’d come to the pageant tonight, much to the boys’ relief.

Face it. It was for your relief, too.

When she returned to the ranch, it would be different than in previous years. Bryg could’ve started his development on Holly’s ranch. Could she stand seeing bulldozers and survey stakes impaled across the beautiful meadows? She swallowed and tried to quiet the emotions that tangled around her heart.

“I wish you’d trust me on this project,” Bryg said, his eyes filled with an intensity that made her breath catch. He took her hand. The warmth in his touch flooded her.

Air rushed from her lungs. Never had a man’s touch felt like this. Confusion gripped her. For a moment, she could almost believe that his look was more than wanting her approval for the development.

She needed to clear her head. Being this close to Bryg sent her thoughts into a tailspin. She stepped from him. His hand fell away, and she tightened her jaw against the cool air stealing his warmth. Bryg would develop Mardale, and then he’d leave. Her heart ached to make room for this dynamic man who showed care and concern for others.

She could tell Bryg cared about her, but for how long? She had thought Charlie had cared for her, and maybe he had in the beginning.

Her throat closed. She hadn’t guarded her heart against Charlie because she hadn’t realized how painful love could be. Now she knew. Never again would she drop her guard. And if she never married?

That gave her a start, but she had her career. It didn’t keep her warm at night, but the accolades she received almost made up for a life of knowing a man loved her and that she had children who loved her.

Almost.

“What is it, Leah?” Bryg’s voice was hoarse, his gaze intense.

“What do you mean?” Frowning, she shook her head. She was careful. She knew she hadn’t given anything away.

“Whenever we’re close, you pull away―as if you can’t trust me.” He didn’t move closer, but he seemed closer.

She took a step back. “I don’t think I’m pulling away.” If she weren’t pulling away, why had she put distance between her and Bryg?

His mouth flattened. His gaze narrowed. He didn’t believe a word she’d said.

Neither did she.

“My mistake,” he murmured.

Leah’s heart thrashed inside her chest. Pressure built within her. Why hadn’t she told him the truth? He knew she didn’t want the town to change. He’d had his staff redesign the development three times. Each modification was better than the last, and the first had been perfect.

But how did she confess that she wasn’t ready to let the town of Mardale go? She definitely couldn’t let her heart go. Christmas Eve was supposed to be her wedding day.

She tried to still the ache in her heart. She wasn’t sad she and Charlie wouldn’t get married. She was sad she wouldn’t be married. She was ready―ready to start a family. If she hadn’t walked in on Charlie and his assistant, she and Charlie would marry in two weeks. She would’ve made a terrible mistake.

Slowly, so slowly, Bryg reached for her hand and tugged her to him.

She didn’t pull away, and her heart fell. She loved the warmth and feeling in his touch. Even if for a moment, she wanted to be close to this powerful and compassionate man. Canceling her engagement to Charlie had toughened her. When she and Bryg went their separate ways, she wouldn’t hurt as much as she had when she’d set her engagement ring on Charlie’s bookcase and walked out of his office while he and his assistant sat frozen and stared after her.

“I don’t know what happened, and I’m sorry someone could be so callous to damage your heart.” Bryg’s voice was rough with emotion. He set his hands on her shoulders. “But I hope someday, when you aren’t afraid to heal, you’ll call me, and let me know you’re ready. Promise me that.”

Leah stared at him, stunned. How could Bryg be so in tune with the turmoil churning inside her? He was Bryg Winslow. He ran a multi-billion-dollar corporation. In a week, he’d be so caught up in another development, it might take him awhile to remember who she was.

“If you’re thinking I won’t remember who you are, you’d be wrong.” Lowering his head, he pressed his lips to her forehead. The touch was warm, soft and filled with compassion. His lips lingered a moment, then he stepped back. His hands slowly slid away from her shoulders.

The kiss was like an electrical current bouncing from her toes to the crown of her head. She looked at him and tried to draw air into her lungs.

“Goodnight, Leah,” Bryg said. Turning away, he walked to his SUV. At the driver’s door, he hesitated and looked back at her.

Make him that promise. The day you’re ready, you’ll tell him. The voice inside her head pounded like a war drum.

She couldn’t. She couldn’t give her heart to someone else, especially someone as powerful as Bryg, because at that moment, she knew the pain she’d feel when he walked away, would send her to her knees.

* * *

Bryg lookedin his rearview mirror when he drove away from the Rendell ranch house. Leah still stood in the gravel circle and watched after him.

His chest squeezed when he turned the corner and couldn’t see her anymore. Would he see her again? Probably. She’d come home for Christmas and he’d be here overseeing the development. He hadn’t planned to be, but now he’d make sure he was.

He knew when he saw Leah again, their moments together would be strained. He wanted to reach her, but the wall she’d built around her heart strengthened every time he tried.

His entire life he’d faced challenges. Nothing appealed to him more than someone telling him no, a word that had never been in his vocabulary. Very little stopped him. When he felt a deal slipping through his fingers, he worked hard to keep it. He’d lost a few, but not recently.

Until now.

Leah was slipping through his fingers. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her―her thick, dark curls spilling over her shoulders, her golden eyes alive and vibrant, especially when making a point. The curve of her neck when she tipped her head. The subtle fragrance of her skin that made him want to pull her into his arms and taste her full, soft lips.

That she spoke her mind made him want to be near her even more. She had what few women he’d met had―a toughness that didn’t hide her femininity. Leah Rendell was all woman and a caring woman. Her inner beauty had drawn him to her. He wasn’t ready to let her go, but in her eyes he saw the fortress was in place. It would take an army to bring it down.

He tapped his closed fist against the steering wheel. His mouth tight, he drove down the country road. What man had damaged Leah so she couldn’t trust? If Bryg ever met the guy, it would be hard for him not to want to take a swing at him. Bryg may have left the streets, but the streets hadn’t left him. As a kid, he’d learned to defend himself. He made sure he never lost a fight. He doubted the man who’d hurt Leah would know what to do if he and Bryg ever faced each other.

Bryg took a breath, filling his lungs and pressing them against his heart, something he’d learned to do as a kid whenever someone bigger threatened him. He won those battles by keeping a cool head.

That was the only way to Leah’s heart. It had to be her decision. She had to be ready to make that choice. What would that decision be? To walk away?

He released a slow breath. Whatever she decided, he’d have to accept it.