Six Months in Montana (Montana Sweet Western Romance Series, Book 1)

D
edicated
in loving memory to my mother, Marcia Merrick Ford, and my Grandfather, Kenneth L. Ford.

I
am so excited
that you are here! Thank you for coming and I hope you enjoy this story. I chose the setting of Montana after a very close friend decided to move there after visiting once and falling in love with it. She took a big risk moving to Bozeman, with no family and only one friend who lived hours away. But, it truly was meant to be as she quickly found a great job and shortly after joining a local kayak club, made a new friend who a year or so later became her husband. So it seemed fitting that the fictional town of Beauville, which I set about 30 miles or so from Bozeman would be the setting for this romance.    ~Pam

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lick
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“
T
his is a joke right
?” Christian Ford looked at his lawyer and best friend, Travis Jones, in disbelief. Now he understood why Travis had insisted that he come by his office for an official reading of his grandfather's will. “Are you seriously telling me that he changed his will less than a month before he died, and added this condition?”

“I’d love to tell you I’m kidding, but your grandfather was very clear about what he wanted.” Travis added, “I tried to talk him out of it. Told him you haven’t even seen her in years. But he was insistent, said he ran into her at the market last month. She was home for a quick visit, and they got to chatting.”

“Doesn’t she live in New York City now?” Christian hadn’t seen, or thought of Molly in years.

“She does. Works for one of the large hotel chains. Sounds like she’s done pretty well too.”

“So this makes absolutely no sense then. Her life isn’t here.” Christian glanced around the office, not really seeing the varnished dark wood bookcases, or the view out of the window behind Travis, which overlooked Main Street in Beauville, Montana, a small town just outside Bozeman. Main Street served as the center of town, and most of its small shops and businesses were along this stretch.

“Your grandfather seemed to think she’d be better off here.”

“It’s absolutely ridiculous. She’ll never agree to it. Why would she?”

Travis leaned back in his plush leather chair and picked up the will, shuffling the pages until he found the passage he was looking for.

“Well, you just have to stay married for six months. She’ll be free to go after that if she wishes, and it might be worth her while.”

“Have you called her yet?” Christian was having a hard time wrapping his head around this. His grandfather had always marched to his own drum and had had plenty of ideas about how Christian should do things, but he’d never meddled to this extreme before. 

“I spoke with her briefly yesterday. She’s on her way here, meeting us in an hour at Delancey’s.”

“We’re not meeting here, in the office?” Delancey’s was the best restaurant in the area.

“Given the situation, I thought the least we could do is buy her dinner.”

M
olly Bishop was
tired and annoyed, though admittedly curious. It had already been a long day. She'd juggled her schedule a bit, going in to work earlier so she could duck out and catch a four o'clock flight. She made it, just barely, and it was an hour into the flight before she felt herself finally starting to relax. With the two-hour time difference between New York and Montana, she'd just about make it to dinner by seven. She'd also arranged for someone to fill in for her tomorrow and, truth be told, she could use this short break. Molly loved her job as assistant general manager at the Clarendon Hotel in Manhattan, but on a good day it was stressful, and lately there had been more fires than usual that had needed to be put out.

The hotel was an impressive one, but it was old and badly in need of renovating. In the past few months that had become painfully evident, as one major breakdown after another had needed attending to: the water heater had burst in the basement, creating a huge mess; two stoves in the kitchen had stopped working in the same week and, most damning of all, a famous reviewer had described the Clarendon online as 'old and drab, like a beautiful woman who is unfortunately showing her age'.

Molly thrived on the pace and excitement of running a top hotel in New York City. The energy there was like nowhere else. Things were always happening, and she was right in the middle of it, making sure that everyone who stayed at The Clarendon was well taken care of. That was noted in the same critical review: ‘Though the hotel is desperately in need of a face lift, their standard of service remains as excellent as ever’.

Molly put a copy of the review in her scrapbook and had high hopes for her own career review next week. She was overdue for a promotion to general manager, the dream job she had been working toward for years, and it felt like it was finally about to happen. Obviously, it couldn't take place unless there was an opening for her to move into, but the current GM had been with the organization for seven years, a long time in the hotel world, and Molly hadn't been able to help but notice that Paul had recently been in several hush-hush meetings with the hotel’s owners. Change was definitely in the air.

When the plane landed and Molly stepped outside, she immediately felt the sense of peace that always swept over her when she returned to Montana. As much as she loved New York, Montana still felt like home.  The air here always had a calming effect on her. She tensed up a bit though, as she got into her rental car and started driving toward Beauville. Travis hadn't said much on the phone, just that there was something in Christian Ford's grandfather's will that concerned her, and that they should meet immediately to discuss it.

She couldn't imagine why Christian's grandfather had thought to include her in his will. When she’d run into him last month at the grocery store, it had been the first time she'd seen him in almost ten years. Once they’d got to talking though, the years had fallen away, and it seemed like only yesterday that she and Christian had been next door neighbors and best friends. They’d even shared a dog. Toby had been a stray that showed up one day and stayed, going back and forth between Molly's house and Christian's. When Molly was just fourteen, her father had died suddenly of a heart attack, and although Uncle Richard, her father's brother, lived in Beauville, her mother had had no other family in the area. They’d moved to New York two months later, to Brooklyn, where her Aunt Betty lived, and it had been decided that Toby would stay with Christian. Once a dog had enjoyed all that Montana could offer, how could he live in the city? It had made perfect sense at the time…But now Molly saw dogs everywhere she went in Manhattan.

Molly pulled into Delancey's parking lot at a few minutes before seven. It looked like they were doing a good business for a Wednesday night. Delancey's was one of only three restaurants in town and was without question the best. They were known for steak and Molly's stomach rumbled at the thought of it. She'd missed lunch and hadn't eaten on the plane, except for a small bag of pretzels.

She grabbed her purse and headed into the restaurant. Travis and Christian were already seated at a corner table and waved her over. She recognized Travis immediately, as she'd seen him briefly the last time she was in town. Both her mother and Aunt Betty were living here now. They'd come to visit one of her mother's friends a few years ago, and after just minutes in Montana, Aunt Betty had fallen in love and easily talked her mother into moving back to the area. Aunt Betty loved to entertain and half the town was at her most recent party, including Travis.

Both men stood when Molly reached the table, and Christian pulled out a chair for her. He held out his hand and said, "Thanks for coming." Molly shook both of their hands before settling into her seat. She was surprised that Christian seemed a little nervous. It had been many years since she'd seen him, and he'd grown into an impressive looking man. He smiled and she caught her breath. He still had the cutest dimples, and when he smiled the effect was devastating. Molly had heard that he'd done very well running his grandfather's business and, over the years, had expanded, so that now he had almost fifty men working for him. She must have imagined that he looked nervous.

"Christian, I am so sorry for your loss. Your grandfather was a special man."

"Thank you." They made small talk for a few minutes, as the waiter brought Molly a glass of Cabernet and then they put their orders in. The wine was excellent, rich and smooth, and she'd just taken another sip when Travis got down to business.

"I figured we might as well get this out of the way first, then we can relax and enjoy our steaks." It seemed as though he was trying to make light of something, which Molly found odd. She'd thought it was sweet that Mr. Ford had thought to include her in his will. It had been wonderful to bump into him last month; he’d been as feisty as ever, even though it had also been clear that he had slowed down quite a bit. Still, Molly never would have guessed that he'd been sick. He’d been ninety-four when he’d died, and had lived well right up until the end, when he’d gone to bed one night and never woken up. She was more than surprised she featured in his will, and imagined he'd left her a small token to remember him by, maybe one of his crystal animals. He’d had quite a collection and Molly had always admired them as a child.

"As I mentioned on the phone, Mr. Ford thought very highly of you." Travis paused for a moment, glancing at Christian, before turning his attention back to Molly and clearing his throat before continuing. His voice was a little shaky as he continued—Molly had never seen him so flustered. Travis was always so cool and collected. This wasn't like him at all.

"Yes, so as I was saying, Mr. Ford liked you, quite a bit actually. So much so that he thought it would be a very good idea for you to marry Christian."

Molly almost spat out her wine. "What?" By the look on Christian's face, he didn't look too happy about the idea either. "I don't understand."

"After Mr. Ford ran into you, he stopped by my office the next day and added a provision to his will, a condition under which Christian will only inherit the Ford ranch if the two of you get married immediately."

Molly was speechless. No wonder Travis was a little flustered. If he didn't look so uncomfortable, she'd wonder if he was joking, but it was obvious that he was quite serious.

"This is ridiculous. Why would he do this?"

Travis looked at Christian, who then explained, "My grandfather approved of almost everything I've done, except when it came to dating. I haven't really been serious about anyone in years, and he wasn’t thrilled about the ones I have dated. He'd been after me for a long time to settle down. I told him that you can't rush these things, but truthfully I have no interest in getting married and he knew it."

"Okay, but why me? No offense, but why on earth would I agree to this? You both know I live and work in Manhattan. My life isn't here."

"He always liked you, and knew we used to get along."

"We were just kids." Molly protested.

Travis jumped in to further explain, "It's really not that bad. You just have to stay married for six months. If you both want out after that, there's no problem."

"Yes, but even if I were open to doing this, I couldn't. I have a job and an apartment clear across the country. Unless a long-distance marriage would be okay?" It was a lame attempt at humor on her part, a way to lighten the mood. The whole thing was too surreal.

"No, that wouldn't work." Travis pulled the will from a manila folder and flipped to the last page, where the terms of this arrangement were apparently detailed. "According to his instructions, you need to marry within the month, and live together as husband and wife for at least six months after that."

"He was quite the matchmaker. This is obviously not at all what I expected. I was thinking, maybe, one of his little crystals to remember him by."

"I know this is a lot to take in," Travis sympathized.

"It's flattering that he thought so highly of me, but it's a bit puzzling too. Honestly, you don't expect me to really do this? I'm sorry, but it just doesn't make sense for me. I'm not in a position to put my life on hold for the next six months."

"I understand," Christian said. "I don't blame you at all."

The waiter arrived with their steaks, and Christian immediately cut into his and started eating. Travis didn't.

"There's more to this. What you decide to do could affect others."

Molly's steak was delicious, but this remark caused her to put her fork down and pay closer attention, as Travis continued.

"The Ford Ranch employs nearly sixty men, all locals, most of whom have families here. I believe your Uncle Richard is among them. There is a sizable bank account that goes with the ranch and there's money there for operating costs, payroll and other emergencies. But if Christian doesn't inherit the ranch, he won't have access to the bank account and no way to meet payroll."

"That's awful!" But something didn't add up here, Molly was under the impression that Christian was a wealthy man. She was about to ask about this, when Christian spoke up, almost as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Almost all of my money is tied up in the ranch." He explained. "Just this past year, I took out a personal line of credit to expand and improve the main house, where I live. I'm maxed out."

"But surely the business has a line of credit?" Molly asked. The look on Christian's face tugged at her emotions and her first instinct was to help, but how could she? It was really too much to take in.

"The bank won't approve releasing additional funds until the matter of ownership is made clear. And there is a potential buyer." Christian added in a clipped tone.

"That would be a last resort." Travis explained. "This buyer is known for buying ranches at a deep discount, cutting costs drastically by laying off up to fifty per cent of staff and then reselling a year or two later at a huge profit." He paused for effect before adding, "I don't think I have to tell you that would decimate our town."

"Why would your grandfather do this to you? To the town?" Molly's memories of Mr. Ford didn't include someone who was this manipulative.

"He always boasted about being a good judge of character. I think he was counting on you to say yes." Christian looked serious as he added, "You don't have to, though. None of this is your fault. It's not fair that my grandfather expected us to do this, especially you."

"It's a lot to take in." Molly agreed, and half-heartedly cut into her steak. She'd been so hungry when she arrived here, but now her appetite had vanished.

"I think he meant well; he was a romantic at heart." Travis said with a smile, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

"Tell her about the Rose Cottage." Christian shot a look at Travis