Read Online Finally Home by Dawn Michele Werner - Free Book Online

eating their eggs and sausage. Finally, when Mr. Ellinger excused himself for a moment, Amanda turned to Noah. “How could you do this to me?”
    He shrugged. “Do what to you?”
    “ Come on, Noah. You tricked me into coming for breakfast so we could talk about the ranch with Mr. Ellinger.”
    “ He just dropped by this morning, Amanda. Unannounced.” He buttered a piece of toast and crunched on it while Amanda shot him an incredulous gaze.
    “ So you naturally invited him to stay for breakfast when you knew I was coming,” she spoke lowly.
    “ What’s the harm? You may be fascinated by his proposal once you hear it,” he brushed a crumb from her lip.
    She jerked away from him in anger. “I’m leaving.”
    “ Oh, Miss Brookfield, going so soon?” Mr. Ellinger entered the room and slithered toward the table.
    “ No, she’s not,” Noah answered. “Why don’t you tell Amanda about the offer you have for us.”
    “ I don’t want to hear it,” Amanda shook her head, glowering at Mr. Ellinger. “I am not interested in selling the ranch. So, I’m afraid you’re just wasting your time, Mr. Ellinger.”
    “ You haven’t even heard my offer, I can promise you--”
    “ Don’t promise me anything. I don’t trust you,” she admitted. Pushing her chair from the table, she ignored Mr. Ellinger’s scowl and Noah’s disbelief.
    “ Amanda, I want to sell the ranch,” Noah stated.
    “ And I don’t,” she looked at Noah with concern. “I wish you could see how much it means to me...how much it meant to your father.”
    Noah trailed her to the door. “You don’t understand, Amanda. This is not a choice for me. I have to sell it.”
    She peered at him through narrowed eyes. “No choice? Explain to me what that means.”
    He hesitated, darting his eyes behind him at Mr. Ellinger. Then he lowered his head to whisper near Amanda’s ear. “I can’t explain right now.”
    Her skin tingled when Noah’s breath caressed her ear. Ignoring this pleasurable feeling, she moved closer to the front door, grabbing the gold knob tightly in her trembling hand. “Then come to me when you can. I want to know what Mr. Ellinger is holding over you, Noah.”
    Before he could respond, Amanda opened the door and walked onto the porch. She rushed down the steps and down the front walk, perplexed by what Noah meant by having no choice. Even though he hadn’t confirmed her statement about Mr. Ellinger holding something over him, she had a gut feeling she had guessed correctly.
    Not ready to return to her work just yet, Amanda decided to explore the ranch. She wondered how easy it would be to restore it to its old luster. The days she remembered as a child when Moonlight Ranch entertained fifty guests a week during the summer...those days seemed to be lost. She knew that the main business of the ranch had migrated to horse breeding a couple of years ago but hoped with some good advertising...and a stunning web site...maybe Moonlight Ranch could thrive again. Of course, she would have to persuade Noah to agree with her ideas. And that would be a battle if he still insisted on selling the ranch.
    “ Hi, ma’am, can I help ya?” a large bearded man appeared from one of the ranch’s spacious barns and removed his ragged leather gloves.
    She smiled politely. “Just looking around.”
    He peered at her with interest. “Hey, ain’t you Miss Brookfield, the lady who lives in the Welch’s old place?”
    “ Yes, I’m the lady,” she nodded. “The Welch’s are my grandparents.”
    “ Well I never knew them personally. My papa used to work with Mr. Welch and only had good things to say ‘bout him. I just started workin’ as a hand a few weeks ago. My papa’s retired now,” he held out his hand. “My name’s Amos.”
    “ Glad to meet you, Amos,” she shook his hand.
    “ Guess we’ll be seein’ ya around here a lot more since ya own the ranch with Noah.”
    “ How do you know about that?”
    “ Ah, Noah told all of