Chapter 27
27
"He's driving off without me again."
Frankie's voice dropped as she watched Joe's truck disappear down the snowy path. She was supposed to join him for their morning rounds, but it seemed like Joe had other plans. He had been distancing himself more and more the past few days, and it hadn’t gone unnoticed.
As the festive season surged on, a familiar routine settled in. Joe, Nick, and Chris dove into the rush of holiday preparations, cutting down pines and guiding guests through the bustling tree parcel. The rhythm of the work was steady, but Joe’s focus wasn’t as sharp as it usually was. His eyes frequently strayed to where Frankie and Ethan strolled through the snow-dusted grounds, their heads bent in easy conversation.
Each time, Frankie would catch Joe’s eye, flashing him a bright smile, her wave full of warmth. Joe, however, only managed a stiff nod before turning away. He was careful not to linger too long, pulling himself deeper into his work as if it could shield him from the growing knot of frustration in his chest. Every glance at them felt like an echo of something unresolved, tugging him further into isolation.
But Joe wasn’t the only one noticing.
The holiday spirit inside the lodge showed no signs of slowing down. The group worked alongside one another, bustling around to open up more space in the dining area. Partitions were pulled back, tables were rearranged, and the air hummed with the promise of more guests arriving. Laughter and holiday music floated through the space, keeping everything light and festive.
Joe, however, remained on the outskirts. He handled the heavy lifting with practiced ease but slipped away as soon as his tasks were done. He grabbed food from the kitchen with barely a word each time, disappearing out the door before anyone could pull him back into the fold. While the rest of them buzzed around in the heart of the holiday cheer, Joe’s quiet distance left an unspoken gap no one quite knew how to fill.
Ethan's presence gnawed at Joe, a thorn that wouldn’t go away. Time and again, Joe found himself catching glimpses of Frankie with Ethan in the lodge’s common area — smiling, laughing, sharing those small, comfortable touches that spoke of familiarity. Joe stood back, watching as she hugged Ethan before he disappeared upstairs. There was an easy flow between them that stung more than Joe was willing to acknowledge, leaving him frustrated, a feeling he couldn’t seem to shake.
Joe sat in the common area, half-listening as Ethan droned on about some paperwork details that didn’t seem to matter. Across the room, Chris, Nick, Frankie, Abe, and Gloria lingered by the front desk, fidgeting with papers, glancing at phones, or rearranging the same set of keys. But their focus wasn’t on their tasks. Their eyes kept shifting toward Joe and Ethan, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife. Everyone pretended not to notice, but curiosity hummed in the air as they silently speculated about what was going on in Joe's head. The weight of unspoken thoughts loomed large, crackling between the glances shared across the room.
As the days crept toward Christmas, the tension mounted. Joe gathered the group in the common area, handing out folders with the offer on the table. He had mulled it over endlessly, but now it was time for their input.
"That’s the offer," Joe started, his voice steady but serious. "It’s good, but I want your feedback. I need all of you to agree."
Abe shook his head. "Oh, that’s a decision for you three to make. I’ll support whatever?—"
"Nonsense," Joe interrupted. "You’re part of this family, Abe. You always have been, and your input matters. Please."
Abe nodded, reluctantly opening his folder and leafing through the pages. Chris let out a slow whistle as he scanned the details.
"It seems he really likes the place," Chris said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Joe sighed. "Frankie had a lot to do with that. According to him, she’s the one who sold him on it."
Nick’s brow furrowed. "So, she was in on the purchase?"
Joe shook his head. "No. I think she was just trying to help us out. And it worked."
Chris looked up from his folder. "When do we have to give an answer?"
"As soon as possible," Joe replied, his voice tense. "You’ll see they’ve included offers for some of us."
Nick blinked, flipping to the page that caught his attention. "They want me to stay on as head chef?"
Joe nodded. "Your broadcast thing you did the other day impressed him."
Nick stared at the figure written in the salary section, then whistled again. "I couldn’t stay. It wouldn’t be the same."
"There’s a separate salary –– a big one –– that comes with the contract," Joe pointed out. “Abe, there’s a contract for you and me as well. Salary and benefit packages are all in here.”
“This can’t be serious.” Chris deadpanned as he scanned the documents in his folder.
Joe simply nodded, “It is. They want to partner with your company as part of their new marketing approach.”
“Looks like Frankie made sure we were all taken care of and then some.” Abe smiled warmly.
Nick set his folder down, rubbing his temples. "I can’t. I can’t do it."
“You aren’t obligated to stay on. Those are just incentivized offers to stay –– the sale happens regardless.” Joe explained.
“No. I mean, I don’t think I can sign off on the sale.” Nick admitted, running his hands through his hair.
Chris closed his folder, too, nodding. "Thank you. I was hoping I wasn’t the only one. I can’t either. Being back here… it’s been life-changing."
Joe's face tightened. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You mean to tell me, after all these years, you suddenly take interest in this place?"
Joe closed his folder and slapped it against his lap in a huff. “You can’t just waltz in here, create chaos with your live videos, and play Inn Keeper for a few weeks and change everything.”
“It isn’t that.” Nick began, “Look, I know this is out of left field, but something has changed. We’ve changed.”
Chris jumped in. "I agree. Look, you don’t have to stay, Joe. Go. Live your dream. It’s your turn. We can do this."
Nick nodded. "You’ve made it pretty foolproof. We can run the ranch, Joe. We can hire a few extra hands, but…”
Joe stood abruptly, his chair scraping across the floor. "Stop. Do you know the kind of work I had to put in to make this thing run the way it does? This hasn’t been easy."
Abe cut in. "I can attest to that. Joe has worked his fingers to the bone, making this place what it is.”
Joe shook his head, pacing. "It isn’t as easy as just taking over because you know how to run the kitchen or… how to dye yarn."
Nick leaned back, his tone softer but determined. "We know. Okay? We still have a lot to learn, but I want to learn it.”
Chris nodded, "Me too. Let us do this for you, Joe. Why can’t we have both — the ranch and your freedom?"
As Chris adjusted in his seat, the portfolio perched on his lap slipped, tumbling to the floor with a quiet thud. Papers scattered, fluttering around like fallen leaves, drawing the room to a sudden halt. Joe, Nick, and Abe froze, their eyes widening as they saw what spilled out — colorful drawings of a young boy and his fluffy dog bordered with festive holiday decorations. The bold title on the front page read: Nick Christmas .
The room seemed to hold its breath. Every set of eyes turned to Chris, the unspoken question hanging in the air. It seemed he had a secret project that was no longer just his to keep quiet. It was out in the open, and everyone had questions… especially about the character on the page that looked oddly similar to their brother, Nick.
Frankie strolled along the ranch grounds, her footsteps light as she made her way toward the lodge. The crisp air invigorating, and everything about the day seemed peaceful — until she spotted Ethan at the shuttle pick-up, his suitcase at his side and his phone pressed to his ear. His casual stance, paired with the way he talked, suggested he was making final business arrangements.
Without thinking, Frankie walked over to say goodbye, but just as she neared, Ethan’s words stopped her cold.
"It’s a lowball compared to what it’s worth,” Ethan said into his phone, his tone sharp and calculating.
Frankie froze in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat. Shock rooted her to the spot as she stood behind him, out of his view.
"Right. Condos, and plenty of them. We’ll keep the important elements, but the rest, we develop."
Her stomach dropped. Condos? Develop? That wasn’t the plan. Was it? She quickly ducked behind a tall shrubbery near the building, her mind racing as she struggled to process what she was hearing.
"The private airstrip will make everything we change that much more valuable," Ethan continued, his voice carrying a hint of smug satisfaction. "No one will recognize this place when we’re done."
Frankie instinctively covered her mouth with her hand, stifling the gasp that threatened to escape. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing — everything Joe, his family, and the ranch stood for would be destroyed.
Ethan suddenly paused, his head turning slightly as if he’d heard something. Frankie pressed herself tighter against the building, her breath shallow as she hid in the shadows of the shrubbery. He glanced around, bewildered, but thankfully didn’t spot her.
"You were right about Frankie," Ethan said, a smirk audible in his tone. "Didn’t see it coming. She was instrumental in putting together the offers and had no idea. She won’t get in the way."
Those words hit harder than anything else. Frankie felt like she’d been punched in the gut. She leaned against the building, trying to steady herself, the realization sinking in like a heavy stone — Ethan had used her. He’d used her to push through a deal that would destroy everything she loved about the ranch, and she’d been none the wiser.
The sound of the shuttle pulling up pierced through her daze, and she peeked out from behind the shrubbery just in time to see Ethan hanging up his phone. "My ride’s here. I better go. I’ll fill you in after the holidays. Talk to you later, Olivia."
Olivia. Frankie’s heart twisted as she heard the name of her dear friend. How could Olivia be involved in this? Her shock turned into a hollow ache as she watched Ethan board the shuttle, her mind spinning. He disappeared inside, the doors closed, and the shuttle drove off, leaving a whirlwind of emotions in its wake.
Frankie pulled out her phone, her hands trembling as she typed. There was no turning back now. She had to do something — anything — to stop this before it was too late. Determination coursed through her as she turned and marched off, her steps quickening as her mind raced to figure out what to do next. How was she going to save the ranch?