A Snow Country Christmas (The Carsons of Mustang Creek #4)(33)

Raine needed to rein in all this speculation. “Mick’s well beyond the time in his life when he’s going to ask without careful consideration, and he certainly would not ask me. I come with a daughter, a giant cat and a big blundering dog. Most of the time I live in faded jeans that are genuinely faded from being washed like a million times, and a handful of T-shirts. I decided when I was about twenty that high heels were overrated and haven’t looked back. Besides, I live here and he lives somewhere very different. I will never be glamourous and I don’t apologize for it, but he could get glamourous if he wanted it.”

“Do you think that’s the type of woman he wants?” Hadleigh considered her carefully. “It doesn’t seem to me it is. He could have had that at any time. He’s dated actresses, debutantes, and if I remember correctly, a very famous professional female athlete.”

Raine weighed her words. “He’s fallen in love with Wyoming.”

“Or you.”

Bex added, “Or both.”

She wasn’t convinced yet, despite his earlier declaration. “Maybe. I could be a passing fad, like when we were in high school and decided blue mascara was the way to go. That didn’t last too long.”

He’d said it though. I’m falling in love with you.

Her artistic bent seemed to fascinate him, and his desire to write did the same for her. Mick Branson had layers, and she needed that. He wasn’t just Mr. Boardroom, he was also polite and thoughtful. That he’d wanted to make dinner for both her and Daisy was a winning strategy, that was for sure. He’d earned some definite points there.

She added, “He did fix me dinner.”

All three of her companions glanced at each other and said in unison, “We know.”

Of course they did.

Melody commented, “He’s a goner. Ask the wizard.”

“Goner,” Hadleigh confirmed sagely, and Raine smiled, shook her head and gave up.





11

MICK READ THE entire manuscript in one day. Other than an extremely quick lunch with Raine that had ended with a brief and unsatisfying goodbye peck on the cheek because she was in a hurry and they were in a public place, he’d spent the rest of the time reading in his room. Dinner was room service, eaten almost absently as he read.

It was an indulgence for him and the unfinished work was fantastic.

No pressure.

It brought him back to his childhood when he’d read those first Matthew Brighton books. Being reminded of his father was welcome when he was now committed to changing his life.

Loyalty. Fidelity. Integrity.

He’d absorbed those lessons without need of a lecture. He’d bet most people thought his parents were frivolous due to their wealth, but they absolutely were not. His father had been demonstratively diligent as a family man, and as a businessman. Both he and Ran had learned a lot from him. Their father wasn’t successful because it came naturally, it was because he worked at it, and his example had stuck.

Don’t ever screw someone over and think that’s okay.

They didn’t.

When it goes south, regroup and think about how to fix it. It might seem like the end of the world, but it isn’t.

Deal with hard guidelines but make them fair. No one loses that way.

Take time every single day to make sure you appreciate what you have. Ambition is fine, but avarice is not.

Raine was 100 percent on that one. It was clear she liked her life. Mick liked his, too, but recognized that the missing elements had nothing to do with money and everything to do with taking more time to simply enjoy himself. He didn’t like busy airports and congested freeways yet had to put up with both on an almost daily basis and both of his houses were nice by any standard and luxurious by most, but a waste since he didn’t use even half the space.

It was time to just sell them and move on. He realized now he’d been thinking about it for some time, even before his keen interest in this part of Wyoming had arisen. Maybe ever since he’d picked up his first Matthew Brighton novel and sat down to read.

His father would no doubt approve.

The last paragraph of the manuscript was: He was a man of action and it wasn’t in his nature to sit idly by and just let things happen. They happened on his terms and that was that.

Mick dealt with talented people on a constant basis. That was his job, to win sponsors, to create backing for plays and films like the ones Slater did so well, to decide what was innovative and new, and what wasn’t going to go over with a large viewing audience.

Now the tables had turned and he was the one sitting there on the creative edge...

Tentatively he opened a document on his computer and began to type. He was daunted, yes, but it was out of the question to not at least give it a try. Two hours later he had some words down and wasn’t displeased with the result—not that he was impressed with himself, but it had come far easier than he imagined.

He sent Raine an email. Mission Aspen Trail conclusion has begun.

It was now after midnight, and of course she typed right back immediately. You’ve been busy.

How was the meeting?

It was good. We’re all pleased with the number of applicants. The scholarship is evolving into more than we imagined. There are a lot of good students out there who deserve the chance to make their dreams come true.

A very Raine sort of sentiment. The woman who preferred to give away an expensive piece of property.