Her Twins' Cowboy Dad

by Patricia Johns

  “First things first, though,” Mr. Davis said cheerily. “It’s going to take a week before all of this becomes finalized. Then you can both talk to your banks and decide upon a course of action.”

  “The inheritance is for my girls, though,” Jane said. “You said I’m allowed to sell the cattle?”

  “Beau has his will set up in such a way that you, as their mother, can manage their inheritance—the cattle or the money gotten from the sale of them—until they are eighteen. At which point, whatever is left will be divided between them. He wanted to make sure that you could provide for them in their formative years.”

  “Okay...” That was particularly kind of her late father-in-law. Jane didn’t want to deprive her girls of their rightful inheritance from their grandfather, but she did need to care for the girls in the meantime. At least there was some ability for her to do that.

  “Why did he do this?” Colt broke in.

  “That’s a good question,” Jane agreed. “We’re going to have cattle and nowhere to put them, and Colt is going to have a ranch and no cattle!”

  “I think that’s the point, isn’t it?” Mr. Davis asked. “An earlier version of the will had the cattle going to Josh, not the girls. Beau was hoping that when he passed on, Josh might...come home.”

  “And we’d work together,” Colt concluded.

  “Yes,” Mr. Davis said with a nod. “That was his hope.”

  Colt grunted, and Jane glanced over at him again. If this had been a plan to reunite the cousins, it was too late for that.

  “So why leave the cattle to my daughters after my husband died?” Jane asked.

  “The ranch was remortgaged,” Mr. Davis said. “There was a lot of debt, and he didn’t want to cut his grandchildren out of his will. He didn’t have any cash to leave to them, and quite honestly, he was hoping that after a few years, he’d have built up a little more wealth, gotten past the rough patch. Then he could have reworked his will again. He didn’t get the chance, unfortunately. This was his worst-case scenario, I’m afraid, but he still hoped that his granddaughters would have a connection with the family again.”

  “He wanted my girls to know their family,” she breathed.

  “That’s what he told me.” Mr. Davis smiled gently. “But that’s no pressure on you, okay? We all have a certain number of years in our lifetimes in order to make up for our mistakes. Beau ran out of time, as sad as that is. But that doesn’t mean that you owe him anything.”

  No, she didn’t owe Beau anything—he’d done nothing more than send her a couple of emails after the girls were born, neither of which had been terribly warm. She could see where her husband’s emotional distance had come from. She’d loved Josh dearly, but being his wife hadn’t been easy. If nothing else, by her brief communication with Beau, she’d understood why her husband had been so unwilling to reconnect with his father. But still, her daughters had family out here—and that would mean something to them one day. Their cantankerous grandfather was dead, but there were other family members that the girls might want to know. Perhaps even their “uncle” Colt. He was a relative, at least, and being considerably older than them, she wasn’t sure what else to call him.

  Suzie clutched at Jane’s dress and she absently reached down to pick the toddler up. She’d come to the town of Creekside on faith. Josh’s death had been difficult to deal with. Those vows had tied them together on a deep level, and while being married to Josh had been hard, she couldn’t just walk away from him when it got tough, either. He’d never been an easily affectionate man, but she’d known how much he loved her. The stuff he saw in the army had left wounds that never healed, and she had only wanted to support him, let him know that she’d love him no matter what. Jane hadn’t realized how much of herself she’d lost as she struggled to maintain her marriage until she was forced to look at life without her husband in it. Coming out to Creekside was both an act of faith and a desperate leap. She’d take anything God provided. She’d come all the way from Minneapolis with her toddlers in the back of a ten-year-old sedan to see what God had in store.

  And right now, she had to wonder if that had been a mistake. Maybe she should have stayed in Minneapolis and put her energy into finding an apartment instead of driving out here on a wish and a prayer. But what did she have to stay for? The house was gone. She’d been laid off from her job. She could have afforded to rent a tiny apartment while she tried to sort out her future... But that phone call from the polite Montana lawyer had sparked some hope inside her. He wouldn’t say what the girls had been left, but he’d said it was part of the ranch, and he called it significant, and definitely worth coming out. Her husband had told her that his dad had cut him out of the will, so this was completely unexpected, and she’d had nothing at all to lose.

  “I realize that you both have a lot of thinking to do, plans to make,” Mr. Davis said, standing up. “For my part, I’ll get these papers submitted and that will put the land into your name, Colt, and the cattle into yours, Jane. Unless you have any other questions, I believe that takes care of our business today.”

  They were being dismissed. Jane smoothed a hand over Suzie’s soft curls, and her heart sank inside her. She had enough money for a few nights in a cheap hotel, and then she was out of cash. She had an emergency credit card, but she was afraid to start using it. She knew firsthand just how easy it was to slide back into debt. What she needed was a job that would allow her to care for her daughters at the same time. That was a tall order...especially out here in Creekside, Montana, where she knew absolutely no one.

  “Thank you,” Jane said, reaching out to shake hands with the lawyer.

  “Thanks, Steve.” Colt did the same.

  Jane picked up her bag and rooted out sippy cups of juice for the girls. Sometimes keeping their hands full helped them to cooperate a little better. Jane guided the girls toward the door. Colt got there before her, and he opened it and let her pass through first.

  In the hallway, the girls clambered toward the window that overlooked the street. They weren’t tall enough to look out, but someone had left a magazine there, and they squatted down next to it, playing with the glossy pages. Even though Jane couldn’t see it from where she stood, she knew that her car was parked just outside that window, packed to the gills with everything she owned.

  “Did you know what was coming?” Colt asked as he pulled the door shut behind them. He was a handsome man, but not in the same way her husband had been. Josh had been full of laughter and jokes, while Colt looked more serious. Josh’s hair had been the same bright red as his daughters’.

  “No, I had no idea,” she replied, tearing her gaze away from him. “Although, I think you expected to get the ranch.”

  Colt didn’t say anything, but those dark eyes drilled into hers. She sighed. What was she going to do—pick up her late husband’s fight with his family? Beau could leave that land to anyone he chose, and he hadn’t chosen Josh.

  “Your uncle was an interesting man, wasn’t he?” she said after a moment.

  “You don’t know the half of it,” Colt growled.

  “Losing the cattle isn’t good for you, is it?” she asked.

  “No,” he admitted. “I know your husband was cut from the will, but I worked my tail off on that land. I don’t have much else, either. So cutting the herd out from under me isn’t good for me at all.”

  “I’m sorry about that.” And she was. “I suppose you could sell, too, if you needed to.”

  “Not a chance,” he retorted. “I’ve worked that land with Beau for twenty years. I’ve invested too much into the ranch, and I’m finding a way to hold on to it. Beau wanted that land in family hands.”

  “Yes, Josh told me about that.” She could sense some bitterness there when Colt mentioned Josh. She’d known there had been a lot of family tension, but she hadn’t been sure what she’d walk into, exactly.

&n
bsp; “It was Beau’s choice, not mine,” Colt said.

  “I know...” She sighed. “What do we do? I’m serious. I have no idea how to even start. I mean—”

  “We wait,” he interrupted. “We have to get everything in our names first.”

  “Yes, but then what?” she pressed. “I assume you’ll want your cattle back.”

  “Yeah, that would be good,” he said, and a wry smile turned up one corner of his lips. “I’ll have to talk to the bank and see if I can get a loan...and buy you out.”

  “How much are four hundred and eighty head of cattle worth?” she asked.

  “A fair bit.”

  “Oh...” Jane’s gaze moved over to where her daughters were playing, their sippy cups on the floor next to them. It was a relief to know that her daughters would be provided for. She felt guilty enough using the death benefits to pay off all the debt. There was nothing left to put aside for them. Josh would have wanted them to have something.

  “Where are you staying?” Colt asked.

  “I don’t know yet,” she replied, and she felt her chin tremble and tears well in her eyes. She looked away, trying to hide the rise of emotion.

  “Are you okay?” Colt asked, his tone dropping.

  “I’m—” She swallowed hard. “I’ll figure it out.”

  “I saw a car out the window—packed full of everything but the kitchen sink,” he said. “That yours?”

  Jane managed to blink back the tears and she nodded. “That’s mine.”

  “Are you moving out to Montana? Is this just a short trip? I’m just wondering how things stand.”

  “I’m not sure yet,” she said honestly. “It’s been really hard since Josh died. We’d just bought a house that needed a lot of work, and I couldn’t make the payments alone. Josh’s death benefits helped me to get out of debt, but I had to sell the house. So... I haven’t decided where is best to land right now. I know that the way your uncle split this isn’t good for you, but him remembering my girls—it’s going to help a lot.”

  “Hmm.” Colt nodded slowly. “Look, I’m not thrilled that my uncle did it this way, but this doesn’t have to be the end of the world for me. We’ll just have to iron it out. Are you willing to let me buy the herd back from you?”

  “Yes, definitely. I have no use for cattle.”

  “I’d really like to get this taken care of as quickly as possible. I have some cows ready for market, and keeping this ranch afloat relies on that income. So the sooner I can get this sorted out with you, the better. Can you afford to stay in town for a couple of weeks?”

  Jane sighed and looked away. “Not comfortably.”

  “Do you need to get back?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. “Because I have an idea. I don’t want to overstep, but if you want a place to stay until it’s resolved, you are welcome to stay at the ranch.”

  “Are you sure you want us underfoot?” she asked. “We’re strangers.”

  “I want to buy back my cattle,” he replied. “And if having you underfoot makes that happen faster, I’m happy with it.” He shot her a wry smile. “I don’t bite. Technically, I’m family.”

  Family—Josh’s family, at least. She’d never met these people in her three years of marriage to Josh, or in the three years since his death. They were just a jumble of stories she’d heard. Beau might have wanted some sort of family reconciliation, but that didn’t mean the rest of the Marshalls did.

  “I don’t want to stay for free,” she countered.

  “If you really wanted to pitch in, we need to clean out Beau’s house. If you’d help me with that, I’d be grateful. Beau’s sister is staying with me for a few weeks while we clean it out, but she has a few health issues, and I’m not sure how much she can get done on her own...”

  “That might be a bit personal. I didn’t know Beau,” she said. “Are you comfortable with me going through his things? Would his sister be okay with that?”

  “She’ll be fine with it. She wasn’t really eager to do the job, either. She and Beau had a falling out some years ago. She’s willing to help me, personally, but...” He sighed. “Look, maybe you’ll find some stuff that pertains to Josh. As for me, I don’t have time to do it all myself, and as Peg can tell you, Beau wasn’t real close to that many people. Everyone who wanted a keepsake from Beau has already taken something. The rest just needs to be boxed up for Goodwill.”

  “Well...” She paused for a moment to consider. Maybe there would be some hints about Josh’s childhood, or pictures that might be nice to keep for the girls. Who knew? This was her chance to connect with her late husband’s family, for better or for worse. And with Peg on the scene, she wouldn’t be alone on a ranch with this uncomfortably handsome Colt.

  “Where would I stay?” she asked.

  “There’s an in-law suite in the basement of the house,” he said. “It’s got a whole separate entrance and everything, and that’s where I live. So you and the girls can stay with Peg upstairs in Beau’s place. What do you say?” he asked, fixing her with his dark gaze.

  What choice did she have?

  “I’d be happy to.”

  Chapter Two

  Colt led the way back to the Marshall ranch, Jane driving in her little silver sedan behind his red Chevy. Maybe it would be known as the Hardin ranch from now on, and he could take down the sign and put up a new one. He wasn’t ready for that yet, though. This still felt like Beau’s land, and he still felt like the nephew who should be grateful. And he was—he always had been. Maybe a little guilty, too, because he’d known all along that his uncle was making a mistake in his fight with his son. Both Beau and Josh had been stubborn idiots. And now Jane was in the middle of it all, and he felt a little sorry for her. This family’s problems had nothing to do with her, and he really hoped that he hadn’t reacted too badly... Had he? He couldn’t help but wonder how she was feeling about all of this.

  The pasture on either side of the highway rolled out in low, green hills. Cattle grazed, tails flicking, and Colt’s practiced gaze estimated that the calves were already triple in size from when they were born. As he drove, he kept an eye on the strip of barbed wire fencing, looking for holes or weak areas. He’d always done this, but today, it felt like an honor instead of just the smart thing to do. This was his land now. He was still wrapping his mind around that.

  Colt glanced back at her car in the rearview mirror. Jane was still there, pacing him as they sped down the cracked highway. He’d wanted this—not his uncle’s death, but definitely a chance at running his own ranch. Beau had promised to leave him the ranch for years—reiterating it every time he ranted about his son’s life choices—but Colt had always imagined butting heads with the old guy for a good many years longer than this. Beau’s fatal stroke had taken everyone by surprise. Colt might have worked this land, but Beau had built it up from a few scrubby acres into the viable ranch it was today. Viable, and underwater with a second mortgage. His uncle had been open with him about the financial situation, at least, if not about his plans for his will. Hopefully Beau hadn’t been hiding anything else.

  Strange to think that Beau had put so much thought into reconciling him and Josh, though. Why not reconnect with his son himself? But Colt could appreciate that Josh’s daughters would benefit by the will. It might complicate Colt’s life right now, but it had been the right thing to do.

  The Marshall ranch was about half an hour’s drive outside Creekside. He had driven a little slower than usual to make sure that Jane could keep up with him, and as the turn came up for the ranch, he slowed and signaled.

  The drive wound around a copse of trees and led to the single-story ranch house. It was painted white, with a traditional wraparound veranda. There was a strip of basement windows showing—and those were the windows that let some light into Colt’s part of the house. He parked in his regular spot beside Beau’s black truck, and Jane pul
led up next to him. As he hopped out of the truck, Jane’s car door opened, too, and she got out of the car and looked around herself.

  “Wow,” she breathed. “This is gorgeous.”

  He followed her gaze. The front yard had a couple of ancient birch trees towering overhead, providing sun-dappled shade in the July sunlight, and beyond were the fields that stretched out in undulating hills, warmed by the summer sunshine. A sheet of sparrows flapped up from a copse of trees in the distance, billowed, then landed again.

  “It’s a beautiful area,” he agreed.

  Jane opened the back door of her car and disappeared inside as she unbuckled the toddlers. Some local ladies had dropped off some casseroles for him, so he had food to feed her, at least. He wasn’t sure how much tuna casserole a toddler would consume, but he’d leave the problem up to Jane. She was best equipped to handle it anyway.

  The side door to the house opened and Aunt Peg, as she preferred to be called, poked her curly iron-gray head out.

  “You’re back. And you brought company, I see,” Peg said. She always sounded no-nonsense, and it was hard to tell if she was approving or not, much like her brother had been.

  “Yep, this is Josh’s wife, Jane,” Colt said. “And his little girls.”

  Peg blinked at him, straightened and then stepped outside, letting the screen door bang shut behind her.

  “Josh’s family?” Peg said, her voice tight. “Really?”

  Peg wore a flour-powdered apron over a ’70s-style housedress, and she came closer, peering into the car until Jane emerged with one of the toddlers. She put the girl down and shot Peg a smile.

  “Hi, I’m Jane.”

  “Pleasure.” Peg have her a nod.

  “She’s here for a week or so while we iron out an inheritance issue,” Colt said. “She’ll stay upstairs with you, if you don’t mind.”

  “We’ll work something out.” Peg pressed her lips together into a thin line. “What’s the issue with the will?”