Page 39 of Take Me Please, Cowboy (The Calhouns & Campbells of Cold Canyon Ranch #1)
I n the end, it was the Wyatts who helped Rye and Ansley find their dream house.
With Lachlan deciding to move to the Campbell ranch, Rye and Ansley spent the next few weeks diligently looking for their future home despite November’s wind and chill.
The snow from the storm a week ago still covered the ground in white and for a girl from Texas, Ansley was learning about driving in snow and on black ice.
Every weekend, Rye drove to Marietta so he and Ansley could see different communities and different properties.
There were a few possibilities, but none were quite right and then one day just before Thanksgiving, Sam Wyatt called Ansley, and said a place was coming on the market and it was special.
He and Ivy knew the owners and they thought Ansley and Rye should see it right away, as they didn’t expect the house to stay on the market long.
Rye drove down that evening, and early the next morning, Ivy and Sam met Rye and Ansley at the Howe property, along with the Realtor.
Unlike some of the other real estate they’d looked at, this wasn’t a ranch or a farm, but it did have seven acres and it lay halfway between Bozeman and Marietta, making it convenient for everyone.
Ivy knew the Howe family well as she’d worked with their daughter Ashley for years, helping her ride again after a terrible riding accident left the young teenager paralyzed.
The family had adapted the home, the barn, and even the walkways to make everything accessible for Ashley, but with Ashley now at college in Southern California, the parents wanted to move west with her, and had made an offer on a small ranch in San Juan Capistrano, a thirty-five-minute drive from Chapman University.
Because they’d made an offer, the Howe’s wanted to sell their Montana property as quickly as possible and were pricing the place aggressively to make a quick sale.
When the Realtor didn’t seem very confident in giving the tour, Ivy took over, showing off the large four-bedroom house with the vaulted beamed ceilings and enormous windows with views of the nearby mountains.
The house, just fifteen years old, was full of light and all modern conveniences.
It had also been modified four years ago to accommodate the daughter’s wheelchair, and the new accessible features would be ideal for Jasper.
Ansley and Rye glanced at each other again and again.
It was without a doubt the nicest house they’d seen—not just spacious—but downright luxurious with gorgeous finishes, a huge professional stove, a roll-under sink, pull out lower drawers for the dishes, marble kitchen counters, heated limestone floors in the bathroom, and a large fully accessible bedroom suite with a proper accessible bathroom for Jasper, including a roll-in shower.
Ansley was sure the house—even without the attached land—would be way out of their budget, but Sam and Ivy seemed so excited to show them the house that Ansley kept her fear to herself.
Leaving the house, they went down a wide paved path to a lovely little mother-in-law house which had been used as a rental property, first by college students, and then later by a traveling doctor.
But now, the house and the mother-in-law quarters were empty, and Ansley followed Rye through the adorable tiny house with its own kitchen, living room, master bedroom and a tiny guest room.
Like the main house, the tiny house had matching windows and a vaulted ceiling and tons of charming touches.
Rye took Ansley’s hand and gave it a squeeze. She knew what he was thinking. She was thinking the same thing. This would be perfect. If only…
They still had to see the large clean barn, and then finally, the small stand-alone building which had been the gym, which had played such an important part in Ashley’s rehab.
Like the rest of the house, the gym was empty and while it wasn’t very large, it had a high ceiling, big windows, and a small half bath—accessible, of course.
Just as it had been Ashley’s gym, Ansley thought it would be an ideal space for Jasper. He could stretch in here and do his necessary therapy. The walkway between the gym and the house was paved, allowing Jasper to move about the property with the freedom he’d never had in Eureka.
“This would be yours,” Rye said, hooking his thumbs over his belt. “It’d be your own studio. Your private space.”
Ansley shook her head. “No, this would be better for Jasper. He needs it more.”
“He doesn’t. He’s getting a huge bedroom. You’re not. Take the studio. I would, if I were you.”
Through the open door she could see the house and barn, the tiny house, and the paddock. It was a truly amazing place, but it wasn’t something she could, or should, want, not when finances were so tight. She drew Rye out the door so they could have some privacy.
“I love how much you love me, Rye, but I don’t need all this. It’s breathtaking, and there’s the barn for you and the studio for me, but truly, all I need is for your family to be comfortable and happy.”
“They’d be so comfortable here, believe me.”
“But how would we afford it?” She took his hands, pressed them to her chest. “Neither of us wants to carry lots of debt.”
“We won’t. Selling the house and business in Eureka gives us enough for a decent down payment, and that’s without touching any of your money. I think if we pool our resources, you contribute some of your income and me with mine, we can swing this.
Ansley searched his eyes. “I don’t want you to do this for me.”
“It’s not for you, it’s for us. But if this isn’t the right place, we can keep looking. We’re not getting married for another month, and once we’re married, we still don’t have to rush.”
“Have you really looked at the numbers?” she asked.
“Sam and I had a long conversation before I drove down. I didn’t want to get your hopes up if it wasn’t in our budget.”
“It’s such a nice place,” she breathed. “It’s really beautiful.”
“It is.”
“But you don’t have a new job yet so doesn’t that make things… difficult?”
“Last week, Lachlan offered me a job, working the Campbell ranch with him. I haven’t said yes yet, but it’s an intriguing idea. Not sure what you think of it.”
“I think you should do what makes you happy.”
“I am. I’m marrying you very, very soon. And you know I like being outside. I’m not cut out to be a desk guy.” He hugged her close. “So, what do you think? What’s your gut saying?”
She pressed her cheek to his chest. “My gut is saying this is perfect. It’s perfect for your family. It’s perfect for us. It’s close to Marietta, close to Bozeman, close to Uncle Clyde and the ranch.”
“And you could keep painting,” Rye said, kissing the top of her head.
“And we’d all be together,” Ansley answered, snuggling closer. “One big happy Calhoun family.”
Rye laughed softly. “One big happy Calhoun and Campbell family because we’re not leaving our families, we’re just bringing them together.”
“Oh, I like the sound of that,” she cried, lifting her face for a kiss.
He was happy to oblige her. He loved her mouth. He loved everything about her. “Me, too.”
The End
There’s so much more happening at the Cold Canyon Ranch. Don’t miss Rye’s sister, Josie’s story in Bear’s Heart (The Calhouns & Campbells of Cold Canyon Ranch #2)
Turn the page for a sneak peek of Bear’s Heart …