Last-Chance Marriage Rescue
Autor
Catherine Mann
Lecturas
19,4K
CapĂtulos
16
Nina and Douglas are certain it's over between them. They're about to step into a parent trap of their twins' making! Nina and Douglas Archer are on the verge of divorce. He's retreated from her since his brother's death, and their dairy ranch is on the brink of bankruptcy. But they're both determined to keep it together for one last family vacation, planned by their devious ten-year-old twins. They're surprised to find themselves giving in to the romance of evening hikes and family cookouts. Still, Nina knows she needs an emotionally available husband. Will a once-in-a-lifetime trip show them the way back to each other?
Prologue
Kacie Archer swirled the lasso over her head, eyeing the blasted target.
Her twin sister, Kelsey.
Her perfect sister.
Except today Kelsey was being sneaky for once, using the computer in their dadâs barn office when it was strictly off-limits. A total shocker since she never broke the rules. Sheâd always one-upped Kacie since the day she was born first. Kelsey even skipped ahead to the fifth grade this year, while Kacie was still struggling not to fall behind in the fourth. The only thing she did well? Rope and ride.
Things she wouldnât get to do anymore once they lost their familyâs dairy farm. Who knew when and where they would move?
This year might be her last chance to win the fall festival roping competition. And win in a higher age division.
Her version of skipping a grade.
She kicked through the bit of scattered straw on the pine floor and wondered how many more times she would get to hang out in her dadâs barn office. She picked through memories of time spent in the office. Under the desk playing with Waffles when he was a kitten. Watching through a hole in the door as her dad delivered a calf. Wearing her uncleâs favorite Stetson as a reward for doing her math homework. Uncle Tyler had always said he was cowboy at heart, not a dairy farmer.
Focus. Practice. Kacie finessed the rope snaking in lazy circles with just the right speed to keep it aloft, timing her motions in sync with the click, click, clicking of the milking machines beyond the office door. She took in the years of photos of the dairy farm covering the planked walls and willed away the urge to cry. Being angry at Kelsey was easier.
Kacie launched the lasso at Kelsey. The rippling loop soared like a dream in flight, just waiting to land, to grab hold and contain the target. Closer, closer, closer still it rippled.
And missed.
The rope smacked the old wood desk, startling the snoozing tabby cat into motion, which toppled a tin can full of pens. Waffles dodged markers and highlighters as they flew onto the computer keyboard.
Her twin shot to her feet, blue eyes flashing as pens rolled off onto the planked floor. âHey, be careful. Iâve been working on this flyer for two hours.â She grabbed the can and knelt in the middle of the mess. âI need to finish before Mom and Dad come back here.â
âWhy? Because youâre scared youâll get in trouble for using the computer for some dumb school project without permission?â Kacie reeled in the rope.
âOf course Iâm afraid of them finding out what Iâm doing.â She reached deep under the desk, her blond braids swinging forward. âYou should be, too, since youâve been sitting around watching me when youâre still grounded for putting your backpack over that kidâs head on the bus. Now finish cleaning up so I can get back to work.â
âDo it yourself.â Kacie adjusted the slipknot on her lasso, huffing a hank of hair off her sweaty forehead. âThereâs no way Iâm helping you with anything after how you ratted me out.â
âNot even if what Iâm doing is to save our family?â She placed the can in its exact same spot on the desk, between a lamp and a paperweight made of horseshoesâa Fatherâs Day gift Kelsey had made in art class.
âLast time I checked,â Kacie said, âyou werenât some magic genie able to give out miracles.â
âWell, duh.â Kelsey started typing again. âBut I was looking around on the internet and found this place called the Top Dog Dude Ranch. Itâs in Moonlight Ridge, Tennessee. Doesnât that sound dreamy?â
Kacie grunted, using one foot to corral some highlighters into a pile.
Kelsey continued, âThey do more than getaways for couples. They advertise family vacations. I think if we get them away from all the stress here, Mom and Dad will remember they love each other.â
Fat chance of that.
âI thought you were the smart one. Those places cost a lot of money.â She jammed the markers sheâd gathered back into the can, then slithered her rope along the floor to lure Waffles from the windowsill.
âThatâs why Iâve been working on a fundraiser. Weâre going to wash dogs. Itâll be a secret, though. No spoiling the surprise.â Kelsey turned the computer monitor toward Kacie, the screen filled with a picture of the two of them bathing their family dogs, their mom and dad smiling as they watched.
What a joke.
âI think thatâs a stupid idea.â She knew it wasnât fair to snap at her sister. It wasnât Kelseyâs fault she was so darn perfect. But there was so much sadness in their family these days, and a trip was only going to make it worse. âDonât you remember the last time we went on a vacation? They fought so hard over where to stop for lunch, we had to turn around before we even made it to the campground.â
Anger chewed up her insides just thinking about that day. Sheâd been looking forward to exploring a cave like her parents promised. Just another broken promise because they got mad at each other.
âBut the Top Dog Dude Ranch is special. Some say itâs even magical with how they help families get better.â
Frustration and sadness bubbled over. âThatâs bull. Theyâre just trying to steal your money. Youâd be better off saving up for a new tablet so you donât have to use Dadâs computer or the schoolâs Chromebook.â
âDonât you want Mom and Dad to get back together?â
âI want them to stop fighting,â she cried, then bit her lip. Hard.
She was tired of being sad all the time. Sad over her parents arguing about money. Sad because they were going to lose the farm since they were broke from taking care of Uncle Tyler after he got sick. Sad over Uncle Tyler dying.
Everything was changing.
Kelseyâs shoulders sagged in defeat. âFine. Keep playing with your rope. But just at least think about helping me.â
âWe would have to wash all the dogs in the entire state.â Although that was the only halfway fun part about her sisterâs plan. Kacie loved dogs.
âIâve done the math. Itâs cheaper since we would only have to drive two hoursâwhich is also less time for Mom and Dad to fight in the car.â
Her sister kinda had a point with that one. âI still think itâs a scam.â
âIf youâre right about the Top Dog Dude Ranch being a hoax, then theyâll spend the whole week bickering and you can say âI told you so.â Will that make you happy?â
âMaybe.â Anything was better than how she felt now. At least people would quit pretending things might change for the better with her parents.
âDonât you want to prove youâre right?â her sister taunted.
âHow?â
âIâm glad you asked.â Kelsey clicked more computer keys and the printer fired up, spitting out papers. âHelp me raise the money and we can see which one of us is right.â
Somehow sheâd walked straight into the trap of helping her anyway. She sighed all the way to her feet, curling her rope back into a circle.
âOkay then.â She clunked the lasso on the edge of the desk. âEven if we raise enough money to go, Iâm not going to help you matchmake with some silly games that wonât even work and will probably just make them fight with each other.â
âYou can do whatever you want once we get there. Iâve got the magic of Moonlight Ridge, Tennessee, on my side.â She turned back to her seat. âIf you keep throwing like youâre doing today, youâre gonna need some of that magic to win the competition.â
Kacie dropped into a seat beside her sister and started folding flyers. âYouâre gonna eat those words when I win your stupid bet about this trip to the Top Dog Dude Ranch.â
And in a flash she knew that going on this trip really was what she wanted most. What she wanted even more than winning that lasso competition. She wanted to stop waiting for the next explosion that would end everything. She was tired of never knowing when it would be time to move. So she was going to do everything possible to make this ill-fated family vacation happen.
After all the stress and tears over the last year, she wanted her parents toâfinallyâcall it quits.
