Page 31 of Fighting Happily Ever After

She couldn’t sell the ranch. It was his home. It was where he worked. What he did.

It was what you used to do.

Too agitated to sit, Logan jumped up and paced. “But if you sell it, what will I do?”

It was incredibly selfish and he knew it, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from asking the question.

“You’ll figure something out,” she answered calmly. “You seem to like working with Faith at Ever After, and I’m sure—”

“But what will you do?”

It was the better question, and he was more than a little disappointed he hadn’t asked it first.

Her face split into a broad smile. “Travel,” she said simply. “I’ve always wanted to see the world and hearing about some of the places Hope and Levi had been, well, it just made it all the more real for me.”

“Travel?”

Debbie nodded. “As much as I can. Your father never wanted to go anywhere, and as much as I miss him, I think it’s also time for me to live my own life.”

He couldn’t argue with that.

“And you and Katie are both moving on and have different interests now. It’s not fair to saddle you with something you don’t even want.”

Did hewantthe ranch? He didn’t even have to think about it. As much as he’d loved growing up there, and all the memories they had, he didn’t want to be a rancher. It wasn’t the lifestyle for him.

“Katie said she had a bunch of ideas about things. Have you spoken to her?” His sister had just finished taking her degree in business online, and throughout the whole process was compiling a list of ideas to improve the running of the ranch and their operations. Now that he was thinking about it, Katie had never shared that list with them.

“No.” Debbie shook her head. “And now she has her own business to concern herself with. Besides, it wouldn’t matter. I’ve made up my mind.”

Logan sat again and stared at the wooden plank of the picnic table. It needed to be sanded and stained. In fact, most of the things on the ranch needed some upkeep. And he sure as hell didn’t feel like doing any of it.

He nodded and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, he asked, “Does Katie know?”

“Not yet.” His mom reached over and took his hand. “You okay with all this?”

Logan didn’t hesitate. He stood, walked around the table, and pulled his mom into a big hug. “I just want you to be happy, Mom.”

“That’s my line.” She laughed. “And speaking of being happy, how are things going with Faith?”

ChapterTwelve

It didn’t take longfor Stephanie to pack her few bags into the back of her rented SUV and check out of the Big Rock Inn. It had been a comfortable hotel, and despite the fact that it was nothing like the five-star spa resorts she was used to staying at, the small-town charm of the Big Rock Inn might have been her favorite accommodation in a long time. Nothing prestigious or arrogant about it. Just quality comfort.

Still, Stephanie was looking forward to moving out of the small space, to move into the Turners’ household for a few days. She probably should have felt weird about moving in with virtual strangers, but she didn’t. Not even a little bit. From the moment she’d met Faith and then Hope—maybe even from the moment she’d seen the article online—she’d felt a connection to them.

It was hard to explain, or maybe even impossible, but she felt as though she’d known the sisters and their partners all her life. As if they were family. No doubt, Dax would think she was crazy. And Terri, her assistant, would lose her mind if she knew where she was going to stay. Terri was beyond protective and cautious. And maybe she was crazy. But it sure didn’t feel that way. It felt right. Even if it was only for a few days, she could pretend to be part of a family. A big, loud, loving family. Like she never had.

But she couldn’t show up empty-handed. She needed to take something. Like a hostess gift. Something appropriate. But what?

Stephanie gazed down the main street and took it all in. Glacier Falls really was the perfect small mountain town. A variety of shops lined the street, each with large baskets of flowers out front and trees on the boulevard that made you feel as if you were in the middle of a Hallmark movie. People everywhere waved and stopped to say hello, and not once had she been treated the way she was in Hollywood. Sure, people had asked for her autograph, which she’d happily given out along with selfies, but no one had hounded her, or hunted her the way the paparazzi did in California. It had been a refreshing break, and more than a little eye-opening. There were other places to live. Maybe she didn’t need to be in the thick of the craziness anymore. Maybe she could finally choose where she wanted to be.

She wasn’t the only one choosing to leave the chaos of Hollywood behind, either. Cal McCormick, another major movie star who’d made his fame in Australia, had moved a few years ago to a town called Cedar Springs that was only about an hour away from where she was now. Sure, the show he was starring in was filmed there, but it was also where his entire family was, and his partner, Milena. But still, if he could do it, why couldn’t she?

Stephanie couldn’t wait to show Dax Glacier Falls so he could fall in love with the town, the same way.Soon, she reminded herself.As soon as he was done with his shoot.And one of the first things she was going to show him was the bakery, Sweetie Pies, and their famous honey buns. Her eyes landed on the bakery, but it was her nose that picked up the delicious scent first.

Honey buns would be a perfect gift to take the Turners. From what she’d seen, no one could resist them.

A few minutes later, after chatting with the bakery owner for a few minutes, she had a box wrapped in string and full of the delicious treats in one hand and a chai latte in the other. She still wasn’t in a rush to head over to Ever After; she didn’t want to look too eager, after all, so she found a little table on the sidewalk patio and settled in to people watch.

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