by Janet Dailey
The lawyer’s eyes narrowed. “As you know, Mr. Platt was a man of few needs and simple tastes. But the Tylers paid him a fair wage as the foreman of the Rimrock. Almost every paycheck he earned, he invested over the years. His bequest to the Rimrock is in the amount of four hundred eighty-three thousand dollars and sixty-two cents.”
Erin felt a moment of light-headedness. Then the tears came, flowing like rain down her cheeks. Oh, Jasper—we loved you so much. You were not of our blood, but you were our father, our grandfather, our dearest friend. And now, again you’ve saved us!
Luke reached for her hand and held it tight as the lawyer continued. “I’ll leave you with a copy of the will. All that remains is for you to tell me how you want the funds distributed.”
“If you can wait until I’m out of the hospital,” Erin said, “I’d like to open up a special account for the money. Then you can do an electronic transfer. Is that possible?”
The little man smiled. “Entirely possible, my dear. I may be an old fossil, but this is the twenty-first century. Just let me know when you have the account and we’ll make the transfer.” He handed Erin a photocopy of the will, with his card attached, shook both their hands, and walked out.
* * *
Erin collapsed in Luke’s arms and sobbed—healing tears for her mother, her father, Jasper, and the ranch that would stay in their family—hopefully forever. Luke held her gently, taking care not to hurt her broken ribs. Erin had her miracle, and she was his.
As they broke apart and he kissed her tear-streaked face, a deep rumble quivered in the air. A drop of wetness spattered the outside window, then another and another.
Luke walked to the window and raised the blinds to give them a view of black clouds roiling across the sky. “I’ll be damned,” he said. “It’s raining.”
EPILOGUE I
Gatesville Women’s Prison
Two weeks later
“HERE’S YOUR GOURMET LUNCH, GIRL. EAT HEARTY.” MAVIS, who was doing time for selling meth, slid the tray through the slot in Marie’s cell. Cold hot dogs and canned beans again. Marie would have told the woman to stuff it, but after a week in solitary, any voice was better than the silence.
“Any news from outside?” she asked.
“Just the usual.” Mavis wasn’t supposed to talk to the prisoners in solitary, but if no guards were around, she didn’t mind breaking that rule.
“Listen, I need a favor.” Marie pressed close to the bars, keeping her voice low. “Can you get word to Stella Rawlins, tell her I’m here?”
“Stella? Oh, honey, you haven’t heard, have you?”
“Heard what?” Marie asked.
“Stella passed away last month, in the infirmary. She’s gone to hell, or wherever she deserved.”
“Oh, damn.” Marie had no pity for Stella, but her death meant that even if she’d succeeded in killing Erin Tyler, Stella wouldn’t have been around to tell her about the drug stash.
“Somethin’ else, I heard,” Mavis whispered. “I talked to a girl who was workin’ the infirmary when Stella died. Stella wanted to give you a message. She said, ‘If that bitch Marie ever comes back here, tell her there wasn’t ever any drugs. I told her a lie.’ ”
Marie sagged against the bars. “That’s what Stella said?”
“That’s the story I heard,” Mavis said. “She said it, and then she died laughin’.”
EPILOGUE II
One year later
ERIN TYLER MADDOX SAT ON THE FRONT PORCH WITH HER HUSBAND, holding hands between chairs and watching the sun set over the escarpment. This year the land was green again. Cattle fattened in the grassy pastures. Blackbirds flitted among the cattails in the marshland. The playa lake where Jasper had loved to hunt wild turkey lay like a mirror, its silver shallows reflecting the fiery sky.
The two of them had just come back from a dinner at Rose’s place. This year, the pretty log house was surrounded by vegetable and flower gardens. Chickens supplied eggs not only for Rose but for the Rimrock. And a small herd of goats, which Rose had to fence out of her garden, gave milk that she made into delicious cheese.
“Do you think Rose is lonely over there, alone?” Erin asked, thinking out loud.”
“I think Rose is perfectly content,” Luke said. “She has everything the way she wants it. Besides”—he patted Erin’s rounding belly—“in a few months she’ll have a little honorary grandson to babysit and play with.”
Erin laughed. “She’s so excited about our having a boy. She only had girls, you know. Oh—she mentioned her daughters are coming for Christmas this year. She’s going to have a houseful.”
“I’d say Rose is doing just fine,” Luke said. “And we’re going to have a houseful, too, with Beau’s family coming for a visit next week.”
“I’m so glad they’re coming. April will have a blast, running around the ranch with Sky’s kids. And I can get some much-needed baby care pointers from Natalie while I enjoy her little one.”
“Beau promised to take me bird hunting in Jasper’s old spots,” Luke said. “We’re going to take his old shotgun with us.”
“I’m sure Jasper will be with you in spirit,” Erin said.
“And I believe that Dad, wherever he is, will be glad we mended fences with his brother. Speaking of Dad and Jasper, do you think our son will be okay with the name we’ve chosen?”
“Jasper Williston Maddox? He’d better be. He’d better do it proud—and it’ll be up to you to tell him what those names mean. Come here, you.” He pulled her gently out of her chair and onto his lap.
Erin curled against him, with her head on his shoulder and their baby between them. Things wouldn’t always be this perfect, she knew. There would be good years and bad, fences to mend and heartaches to endure. But they knew what truly mattered. In the words that Bull Tyler had spoken and passed down through the generations, Land and family. Family and land. Forever.