Chapter 28
28
“It’s about... me?” Nick’s voice broke the silence, eyes wide as he stared down at the pages in his hands.
Chris shook his head, smiling sheepishly. “No. It’s inspired by you. Like you, Nick Christmas travels the world and learns about Christmas traditions everywhere.”
Nick chuckled, the grin spreading across his face. “Like I learn about the food.”
Chris nodded, excitement barely contained in his voice. “You’re all in there. A lot of our traditions, childhood, growing up on the ranch — it’s all part of the story.”
Joe, who had been silently reading over his own page, raised an eyebrow. “His trusty sidekick, Joe.” He held up the paper for the others to see, revealing a sketch of Nick Christmas standing next to a loyal dog. “I’m the dog?”
Chris laughed, shaking his head. “Joe is the best secondary character and sidekick there is. He’s loyal, trustworthy, salt of the earth type.”
Joe wasn’t about to let him off that easy. “And he eats kibble and has an odd affection for fire hydrants?”
Abe chuckled deeply as he flipped through his own pages. The easy banter filling the room lightened the air between them all.
“Not once does Joe have an encounter with a fire hydrant,” Chris replied dryly. “No fleas either.”
Joe couldn’t help but smirk as he rolled his eyes and laid on the sarcasm. “I stand corrected.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Chris added, the humility in his voice clear. “You guys weren’t meant to see these.”
Joe’s expression softened. “You always talked about writing. I just thought it would be the great American novel.”
Chris shrugged, a touch embarrassed but proud. “Turns out, I have a knack for children’s books. It’s just for fun.”
Abe, looking through the story in his hands, beamed. “For fun? Chris, this is fantastic. It’s magical and fun. Even I want to read these. Especially the part about the Wiseman, Abraham.”
Joe rolled his eyes. “You get to be the wise man?”
Abe grinned, unable to hide his amusement. “Keep reading, Joe. You save the day. You’re the hero of the story.”
Joe quickly flipped through more pages, his expression changing as he read. “I am. I am the hero.”
Nick snickered. “Fitting.”
Chris gave a small, genuine smile. “You’ve always taken care of us for as long as I can remember. You took care of everyone. Nick Christmas can’t go on adventures without you.”
Nick nodded. “Wow. Ain’t that the truth? You’re the backbone of everything we do.”
Joe cleared his throat, uncomfortably brushing off the emotion that threatened to settle in the room. He handed the pages back to Chris, his voice low. “That’s... that’s real nice, Chris. Real nice.”
Abe glanced around at the group, a thoughtful look on his face. “May I ask a question?”
Chris raised an eyebrow, teasing. “When have you ever asked permission for anything?”
The group laughed, the tension melting further away.
Abe wasn’t done, though. “Why are these tucked away in this floppy thing? Why aren’t these on shelves in every bookstore, Son?”
Chris hesitated, looking down at the portfolio. “I don’t know. Publishing is a pretty big step. It’s also uncertain and risky.”
Joe scoffed lightly. “What have you got to lose?”
Before Chris could answer, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed across the room. Frankie appeared, her face set with determination, moving toward the group with purpose. She didn’t even pause as she grabbed the folders Ethan had left and marched straight to the trash can.
“Stop!” she commanded, tossing the folders in with a loud thud. “Don’t do it. You can’t. You can’t sell.”
“He said all that? An airstrip? Here?” Joe’s voice brimmed with disbelief as he set down his fork, leaning forward in his chair. The weight of the moment was palpable as the group gathered around the table in his cabin.
Frankie nodded, still grappling with the unexpected revelation herself. “I’m as shocked as you are, though I shouldn’t be. The signs were all there. The break-up passed over for the promotion I was a shoo-in for...” She trailed off, shaking her head.
Always quick to defend, Gloria chimed in from her seat beside Abe. “This was their plan all along once they found out you had a connection.”
Frankie’s gaze darkened as she met Gloria’s eyes. “And they knew I would never support something like condos and the kinds of changes they want to make here.”
Joe’s brow furrowed as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “That’s why they kept it quiet. I’m really sorry, Frankie.”
Frankie gave a tight smile, though there was strength in her voice. “I’m not. I’d rather know who I’m working for now rather than later.”
Nick, always passionate, slammed his hand lightly on the table for emphasis. “This is our legacy. We can’t let this happen to the ranch or Bethlehem Falls. It’ll be overrun with tourists.”
Chris, sitting across from him, nodded. “And lose its charm and draw.”
Joe sighed, glancing between his brothers. “Okay, so we don’t sell to this company, but what about the next one? It’ll be more of the same.”
Nick’s eyes burned with determination. “We do nothing. I’m serious when I said, don’t sell. I’ll do whatever it takes, Joe.”
Chris chimed in, the same resolve clear on his face. “Count me in too. The idea of selling made sense at first, but I just can’t imagine it not being ours.”
Nick turned to Joe, his voice softening. “It’s okay, Joe. You don’t have to want to stay, but it’ll always be here if you want to come back.”
Joe shook his head, rubbing his temples. “I don’t think you understand. It isn’t as simple as just running it as is. There’s constant change, and you’ll have to keep up, or it fails.”
Frankie’s phone lit up in her hand, a glint of determination in her eyes. “I can help with that.” With a few taps, the phones of the three brothers pinged, each lighting up with notifications.
“Check your phones,” Frankie instructed, leaning forward.
The brothers pulled out their phones, eyes widening as they scrolled through images. The rest of the group peeked over their shoulders, curiosity piqued.
Joe blinked in surprise. “Wow. These are incredible. These are the pictures you took?”
Frankie nodded, a smile forming. “Yep. And they’re all marketing gold. Listen, I was able to sell most of the ideas in your offer letters to Ethan because I believe in this place. I believe in you guys.”
Joe raised an eyebrow. “That’s great, but how do these pictures help Nick and Chris grow the business?”
“They don’t,” Frankie replied with hesitation. “I do. I am confident I can build a business plan that makes this place a year-round destination — for the whole town.”
Joe leaned forward, intrigued. “I’m listening.”
“We broadcast what Bethlehem Falls is all about — we market it,” Frankie continued, her voice steady. “Appeal to every demographic.”
Chris’s grin widened. “Just like you did to Ethan.”
“Exactly how I did to Ethan. He went back to my company with all my ideas. They were buying my ideas, but with a twist, I didn’t foresee.”
Shaking her head in disbelief, Gloria muttered, “He’s a rotten one, that guy.”
The group chuckled, easing the tension. Frankie tapped at her phone again, sending more notifications. Chris’s eyes widened as he read through the details.
“We have bike trails in the spring and summer?” Chris asked.
Nick glanced up, nodding. “Horseback adventures?”
Joe squinted at the phone. “No. We don’t. This isn’t our site.”
Frankie grinned. “But it could be. I took it upon myself to redesign it, streamline it, and update your web presence and efficiency.”
Chris stared at her in awe. “You did all of this? Since you’ve been here?”
She nodded again, determination flashing in her eyes. “It can be changed back, but traffic is already up, especially since Nick did his live broadcast.”
Nick chimed in, proud. “You can book adventures, dinner reservations, and your stay on here. It’s all automated.”
Frankie added, “Whoever did your previous site was a bit amateur, used dated tools, and, to be honest, it lacked luster.”
Joe leaned back with a smirk. “I designed it.”
Frankie flashed him an apologetic look. “Technology was never your strong suit.”
Joe shrugged. “Point taken. This is all great, but now we have reservations for horseback riding we don’t offer.”
Frankie leaned forward, eyes shining. “You have pastures full of horses who pull your sleighs in the snow. You have sled runs that are bare trails when the snow melts.”
Nick’s face lit up. “They double as the bike trails, too.”
“Precisely,” Frankie confirmed.
Chris jumped in, energized. “I have access to publications all over — travel publications. We can use those contacts to market this.”
Sam, always ready to help, piped up. “I can get started on this right away, boss.”
Nick nodded toward Joe. “Use me too — my name. It’s already working with a quick live video.”
Joe looked between them, impressed. “I get it. You have a plan for everything according to these maps on the site of things we don’t even have.”
Frankie’s voice softened. “I feel so bad that I almost ruined this place — this town.”
Joe shook his head, his voice firm but gentle. “It isn’t your fault. You had no idea what they were planning. They played you as much as they did us.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Frankie said, her voice thick with emotion. “I thought I was helping and almost hurt the ranch and your family. Let me help.”
Nick’s voice was resolute. “Don’t sell.”
Chris nodded. “Team, don’t sell here.”
Frankie’s eyes met Joe’s, filled with sincerity. “Don’t sell, Joe. Go on your big adventure and know this place is always here, waiting for you.”
Joe sat in silence, scanning the faces of the people he loved most in the world. He sighed, glancing down at the papers on the table.
Chris leaned forward, his voice hopeful. “We can do this. You don’t have to stay.”
Nick nudged him. “Say something, Joe.”
Joe’s lips twitched into a smile. “I’ll have to dig out my tool belt because we’re going to need more cabins if we’re expanding.”
The room erupted into cheers.