Back From Hell (Marine For You Book 2) (Contemporary Military Veteran Romance) by Marissa Dobson Page A

since Clifford was the ranch manager. If they kept him on in the same role, he could handle some of the things to give her more time to spread her focus.
    “Are you planning to tell your mother that we’ll be a little over two hours from her?”
    “Do I have to?” she grumbled and looked up from the notebook where she had been working on a business plan for the last several hours.
    “I think so.” He sat one of the income logs aside and adjusted on the bed so he could look at her. “She’s going to press as to why you didn’t visit her today. It would be best to just come out and tell her that we’re purchasing the ranch.”
    “Before then, I want to work out the details with you. Then I’ll tell her and I’ll make sure Colin is there too because I have a few choice words for him about his deceitful plan.” She leaned back in the chair and watched him. “I received the official word that they will make exceptions due to the circumstances and I can take my final exams when we return. I’ll graduate just as planned.”
    “I figured they’d allow for that.”
    “I love the ranch and I’m so grateful for what you’ve done.” She paused because she wasn’t sure how to phrase what was running through her mind.
    “I hear but coming.”
    “I have an idea on how to make two of my loves come together as one and to continue work like I do at the hospital.”
    “That would be?”
    She pushed back from the table and went to sit next to him on the bed. “Mr. Cline downsized some of what he was doing since his wife got sick. There are still the stables for boarding, horse training, the riding lesson areas, and the important parts. But that other large building on the far side used to be additional living quarters. The rooms upstairs were small suites sometimes used for out of town guests. As you saw, the structure is still there but could use some work. I have the perfect idea for it.”
    “Well, do tell,” he pressed when she paused.
    “I want to set up a wellness retreat. I’ll do physical therapy and Heather’s a psychotherapist. I’d like to bring her on. You have taken great strides in the last several months, even spending time with some injured military personnel. You could offer great support for an amputee who came to the program. I think the three of us could make it a success.”
    “How does this tie into the ranch?”
    “Neither one of us are going to put Clifford out of work. Which means a good majority of running the ranch won’t be our daily responsibility.” She was still working through all the thoughts that were jumbled up in her mind but it seemed like her plan could work. “This is what I went to school for and, while I always had the end game of owning the ranch, I thought I’d use my degree before owning this place. Now I see I can do both. The land surrounding the ranch is beautiful, amazing views, and trails that could be explored. It could be a place of feeling. With the three of us, we can do things the hospitals can’t.”
    “What about a doctor? Medical staff? Those are important aspects as well.”
    “There’s a doctor in town and maybe we can work something out with him that he’d come to the ranch. I just started outlining a business plan but, what do you think?”
    “What you’re putting together here is something that will be a great benefit to people like me when they come back from overseas.”
    “What we’re doing,” she corrected. “You really think I can get military service members to come to the ranch.”
    “Why not? Horses are great therapy animals, only beat out by dogs. This ranch will be beneficial to everyone. With the PT on site, you can do physical injuries, and with Heather, you open yourself up to more by being able to treat those with PTSD and other combat trauma.”
    “Then I want it to be veteran focused in honor of you, my dad, Weber, and all of those who didn’t make it home.”
    “Not me but for the others. I’m no