The Surprise Millionaire Makes Four

By Tabitha Foster

Recently divorced, single mom, Taylor Baxter, desperately wants to reconnect with her two sons after a tumultuous past few months. A few weeks at a ranch in a small New Mexican town seems like the perfect opportunity to rebuild her family and put the pieces of their lives back together. When she meets Jesse Martinez, a ruggedly handsome ranch hand with a heart melting smile and an instant rapport with her boys, she experiences an awakening of romantic stirrings she had begun to doubt she’d ever experience again. Can she summon the courage to once again open her heart to another man when the sting of her divorce feels so fresh?

Still struggling with the guilt over a recent tragedy that ironically also changed his station in life, Jesse is immediately taken with not only Taylor’s sun-kissed natural beauty but her devotion to her children as well. The more time he spends with the visiting family the more he’s reminded of the life he’s always longed to have. But will he forgive himself for what happened one stormy anguish filled night so he can truly move on and make his dreams a reality?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chances Press, LLC
• Release date: Mar 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311642189

Book preview

The Surprise Millionaire Makes Four

by

Tabitha Foster

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Published by Chances Press, LLC

ISBN: 9781311642189

Copyright 2015 by Tabitha Foster

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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Also by Tabitha Foster:

Short Order Daddy, Surprise Billionaire

The Billionaire’s Surprise Christmas Twins

The Billionaire’s Surprise Virgin Pregnant Bride

Sweet Temptations and the Surprise Billionaire

The CEO’s Surprise Christmas Family

Connect with Tabitha Foster on Facebook.

***

Chapter One

Without emotional pain there can be no true appreciation of beauty, Taylor remembered one of her art professors in college saying as her car traveled down the desert highway in the middle of Arizona. If the quote held an ounce of truth, she should have quite a keen eye for the beautiful these days, she thought.

She looked over at her sixteen year old son Brandon who stared out the window. He looked put out since his phone died an hour earlier, and the charger was packed in the trunk. Taylor had refused to stop with their destination only another couple of hours away.

Enjoy the scenery! she had pleaded, hoping to get him out of the habit of just scaring at the tiny phone screen.

Her younger son, Sam, who had just turned six, appeared to be fascinated with the desert landscape which was so different from the coastal Los Angeles suburb in which they lived. He sat in the backseat staring out the window in wonderment.

Wyoming! he yelled out as a red SUV passed by. For the past six hours, he’d made it a game to try and see as many different state license plates he could see on the trip.

Brandon, obviously over the game, groaned.

Look. We’re almost there, Taylor said.

"I don’t know what we’ll do once we’re there. I looked at the website, and there’s nothing to kill time. It’s in the middle of nowhere."

Taylor sighed loudly.

"We’ve been over all of this before. This is for family time," she reminded him.

"Without Dad," Brandon huffed.

In the rearview mirror, Taylor saw Sam’s expression change at the mention of his father. She knew the divorce had been hard on both of her children, and they expressed it in different ways. After a rough resolution that included a nasty fight for assets, Taylor had been eager to try and come up with an idea to spend time to reconnect with her children. She knew the divorce took a toll on them as much as it had her. After a lot of thought, she decided a couple of weeks out of Los Angeles with a complete change of scenery might do them all some good.

You know that wouldn’t be possible, Brandon, Taylor said, before adding, It just…wouldn’t. Your dad and I need to start…

I know, Brandon interjected, running a hand through the curly chestnut brown hair that matched her own in color and texture.

You said we could ride horses, huh? Sam asked from the back.

That’s right. Horses. Hiking. Swimming. They’ll be a lot to keep us busy for us to have fun. It’s just going to be different that being back home, but that can be a good thing.

She cut her eyes over at Brandon who said nothing, and then she took a quick glance at herself in the rearview mirror. Her lack of good sleep over the past few weeks showed itself in the bags under her eyes. And she had just pulled her hair back in a loose, haphazard ponytail. She’d be the first to admit that since the divorce she hadn’t done as much as she’d usually done in the grooming department. In fact, she’d been in a bit of a rut for a while now.

You’re only thirty-seven. Far too young to throw in the towel in the romance department, her best friend Lindsay had told her recently over lunch and right before the trip she scheduled with her boys to try and reconnect.

Taylor had shook her head and said, I’m not ready for that yet. Not at all.

It certainly hadn’t stopped her ex-husband, Dan, who moved to Dubai with his much younger secretary.

This is the exit! Sam excitedly screamed out and brought her back to the present.

The road sign read Three Rivers, Arizona. And Taylor swerved the car off the highway and down to the small two lane road. About half a mile later they found themselves driving straight through the middle of a tiny picture postcard town. There appeared to be only the one main road, and on one side were a small grocery and general store and a few offices. On the other were a couple of restaurants, one fancier looking than the other, and some gift shops. What really caught her eye though was the handful of art galleries that dotted the road. During her research, Taylor had read that the town, which was about an hour and half from Sedona, had in the past few years started to become something of an artist’s retreat, and she secretly hoped it would spark the creative drive that had been dormant within her for many years.

Looks like a blast, Brandon grumbled.

They have an ice cream parlor! Sam, so easily entertained at his age, exclaimed.

Maybe after dinner tonight we can walk here and get a scoop, Taylor replied.

Sam clapped in enthusiasm while Brandon stayed silent.

Soon after, they drove by a sign highlighted with a picture of two horses that read Rancho Santa Rita- Next Right.

This is it! Taylor exclaimed.

She turned their cobalt blue Prius down a dirt road, and a large two story adobe ranch house came into view immediately. On one side was a stable with several horses lazily eating hay, and on the other side were wildflowers of the most spectacular purple leading out to a tranquil lake and pier. It looked just like it did on the website, and Taylor hoped it would give her family the reprieve they needed.

As she drove closer, she noticed a very strikingly handsome man step off the porch of the house and approach her car. He looked to be around six feet tall, Latino, and with a perpetual five o’clock shadow. He wore a cowboy hat, well-worn jeans that were just tight enough in the right places, and a red plaid shirt that showed off his fit upper body. The guy personified the sexy cowboy stereotype, and for the first time in a very long time Taylor felt a stirring of attraction.

When she parked the car in front of the cabin, the man walked closer, and opened her door for her. He was even more handsome up close, and she noticed he had a dimple in his right cheek.

Welcome to Rancho Santa Rita, he said with a wide smile. He briefly looked at her with an perplexed look that suggested he may have recognized her. Taylor tried to place his handsome face, but he didn’t look familiar in the least. He blinked and quickly composed himself. My name is Jesse.

Nice to meet you. I’m Taylor, she replied, immediately feeling self-conscious. She knew it was ridiculous. She certainly wasn’t here to flirt, and the last thing a guy this good-looking would be into was a single mom with two kids one of which was a grouchy teenager. But still she couldn’t help feeling flustered in the presence of a man who exuded such an easy and intoxicating masculinity.

Sam jumped out of the car and immediately ran over to Jesse.

Hi. I’m Sam! he said, in a very mature voice while extending his had to be shook.

Nice to meet you, Sam, Jesse said, shaking his hand.

Are you a real life cowboy? Sam asked excitedly.

Jesse grinned, tipped his hat for added effect, and answered, In a roundabout way I guess you could say yes.

Sam, obviously impressed, replied with a Wow!

Can you open the trunk? Brandon grumpily said, as he got out of the car.

Taylor couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She knew he wanted the charger on his phone. What did she have to do to get him to look at something besides that three by five inch screen?

Reluctantly, she opened the truck. She had no desire to have a fight at the beginning of their vacation.

Let me help you with your luggage, Jesse said.

Thanks, Taylor answered, feeling flustered for more than just the ruggedly handsome man who greeted them.

While Jesse took their baggage out of the trunk, Brandon reached in and grabbed his backpack for his charger.

She caught Jesse cutting his eyes over in her direction again as if he were still trying to recognize her. But how could that be possible?

Welcome Baxter family! an older woman, mid-sixties probably, with snow white hair called out as she made her way onto the front door. She walked the help with crutches, and her right was encased in a cast.

Hello! Taylor called backed.

She took Sam’s hand and began walking them towards the cabin.

I’m Bea. We spoke on the phone when you made your reservation.

Oh, yes, Taylor said, walking up on the front porch with Sam while Jesse stood at the bottom of the steps with their luggage next to him. She remembered from the website that Bea was the owner of the ranch. Nice to meet you.

You as well. Unfortunately, I took a little tumble down the stairs while trying to do one of those text things on my phone. That’s what I get for trying to up my technology level. Jesse here has been kind enough to help us out for a bit.

Taylor glanced over at Jesse and caught him looking at her with a smile that she thought could have bordered on flirty.

He’s just being welcoming. To think any more would be ridiculous. It was his job to be friendly.

She couldn’t remember the last time a man had looked at her in that way. Or if one had, she certainly hadn’t noticed it with all that had been going on the past few months.

I’m Taylor, and these are my sons, Sam and Brandon, Taylor said.

Hi! I’m Sam, Sam cheerfully waved at Bea while Brandon just stood there with his hands stuffed in his pockets and looking impatient.

Nice to meet you, little man, Bea replied with a huge grin before looking back at Taylor. Jesse will show you to your room so you can get settled. It’s the second cabin behind the main house.

That’d be great. It’s been a long drive, Taylor replied.

You can say that again, Brandon said, half under his breath.

Taylor shot him a "not now" look.

At that moment, a pretty and fresh-faced teen girl around Brandon’s age with long wheat blonde hair and big brown eyes