LITMIR.BIZ

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coffee table had books about exotic places to travel and a decorative ceramic bowl with stone balls inside that matched the earthy color theme of the room.

      Russ stopped before the windows and after a few seconds, turned. “Bernard and Marion Hadley have lived on a neighboring ranch for nearly as long as we’ve been here running this resort.”

      “Yeah, they have.” Decker couldn’t begin to guess where his father was headed with this. Surely he wouldn’t suggest he and Decker take on forest management.

      “Bernard’s been successful. He’s made millions running that company.”

      Russ did respect people who made successes of their lives. He’d raised Decker to do the same. But why single out the Hadleys?

      “How did you meet the woman who just left, Decker?” his dad asked.

      “Online.”

      “That doesn’t seem to be working for you.”

      “Not with her,” Decker said.

      “What would you think about reconnecting with Kendall?”

      He hadn’t even thought about reconnecting with her, least of all as a love interest. “I think I need a break from women. Cynthia took up too much of my time, and I need to concentrate on The Lodge.”

      “You do well multitasking, son. What I have in mind is actually related to business. If two families as affluent as the Hadleys and the Coltons joined forces, The Colton Empire would become even greater than it is.” Clearing his throat, he pinned Decker with a hard stare. “We have to think of our future and the future of family yet to come. We’re doing well now, but I want to plan for the next century or two, maybe more. As long as I’m breathing I won’t stop working to increase Colton wealth. It’s security.”

      Decker couldn’t disagree there. His father had noble intentions. He wasn’t fooled, however. His father’s main interest was money.

      “You want to arrange for Kendall and me to become romantically involved?”

      Russ stepped closer, his serious face warning Decker to brace for impact. “I’d like to suggest more than that. I’d like you to consider marrying her.”

      “Marrying...” Flummoxed, Decker had to assemble his thoughts. “You want me to marry her?”

      “You said it yourself, Cynthia took too much time away from you. And you’ve had to resort to online dating because you don’t have time to find a woman who will be able to put up with your work schedule. You’re getting older. Don’t you want children?”

      “Yes.” He did want that. He also wanted a family. Wife. Kids. A full house to come home to after a long day at work. His dad was right but what he suggested seemed radical.

      An arranged marriage?

      “Kendall has her own career. She’s an only child. When her parents go, she’ll be the sole beneficiary.”

      There his dad went again on his drive for wealth and prosperity. “She’ll never agree to it.” What smart woman would? Kendall could have anyone. Why would she agree to an arranged marriage...with him?

      “Have you spoken with her?”

      “No. But when I ran into her father, we talked a while. He mentioned you and Kendall knew each other from high school and made a comment that the two of you would make a fine couple. He said he always wondered why you never hooked up in high school.”

      Kendall had been a year behind him in school. Her standoffish nature had deterred him from considering asking her to prom or even out on a date. She hadn’t been standoffish in a snobby way. She had been more untouchable, as though she had not wanted anything to do with certain crowds of people. She had seemed more interested in learning and her own circle of friends. He didn’t even know if she ever dated anyone in high school.

      “You’re thirty-four, son. You should start a family soon. Don’t wait too long.”

      Was he crazy for actually considering what his father proposed? He turned and walked toward the kitchen, rubbing his chin in agitation. Was he about to do as his father asked as he always had? Or had Russ Colton just come up with the perfect solution?

      * * *

      Kendall arrived back home well after dark. She’d spent the day observing a small pack of gray wolves. The sighting had been a rare treat. These wolves were endangered and most sightings had been unconfirmed. She had learned of one kill north of Kremmling where a man thought he killed a coyote but it was a gray. She’d be busy working on protecting them. If they wandered too far, there would be no telling what ranchers fearing for their livestock would do.

      Wearily she removed her coat and boots and then went to get ready for a shower. Removing the tie from her long blond hair, she heard the doorbell rang.

      Who would stop by at this hour? Her parents were usually in for the night by seven, and it was nearly eight. She was hungry and longing for a bath.

      Peeking out the window, she saw her dad. She opened the door with a questioning look.

      “Sorry. Where were you all day?” He entered and shook off snow that had spotted his outerwear. He must have walked from the house.

      “It’s my day off. I went for a hike.” She shut the door as he removed his jacket and hat. “I spotted a small pack of gray wolves. They were so beautiful and they look pretty healthy.”

      “Huh.”

      Her father’s aloofness when it came to the environment sometimes annoyed her. “I reported their location to the Parks and Wildlife service. They’re going to try to tag one.”

      “I need to talk to you about something important.”

      “Dad,” she complained.

      “Gray wolves. Yes. That’s wonderful, honey.”

      “They’re an endangered species. Do you know how significant it is that there’s a pack in Colorado?” She’d seen only four but that was probably more than anyone had ever seen in several decades.

      “That’s wonderful, honey.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I know how much you love nature.”

      She forgave him his indifference—as always. “What’s up?”

      Kendall went into her kitchen. She lived in a house she had built on her parents’ property. It was large for one person. A four-bedroom stone Tudor, it had steep rooflines and lots of white-framed windows.

      “You’ll never guess who stopped by earlier today.”

      She took out the ham salad she’d made last night and began preparing a sandwich. “Who?”

      “Russ Colton.” Her dad took a stool at her two-seat island.

      Russ Colton? As in, Decker Colton’s dad?

      “Do you want anything?” she asked, reaching for a bottle of water in the fridge.

      “No thanks. Your mom and I had dinner and tea afterward.”

      She cracked open a bottle and took a drink.

      “Russ and I got to talking about you and Decker.”

      Gosh. She hadn’t seen Decker in years. She’d thought about him when she’d first arrived home, wondering if he’d changed. She’d had a crush on him in high school, not that he ever noticed. He’d been insanely popular and very active in school programs. Smart and ambitious too. Tall and well built, he had thick, black hair that would probably never recede and dark eyes that held an intensity that had magnetized her. All the girls wanted him, though, and that had shied her away.

      “He’s running The Lodge now, isn’t he?” She already knew he was. Decker had always sparked her interest and curiosity. She felt that same unruly excitement she had when she was in high school, as though knowing he was out

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