“And the consequences of selling the land. The jobs that would be lost. The potential for the land to be developed and not preserved for future generations.”
“It’s more than money at stake,” Dex confirmed.
He might have said those words, but she spent the next half hour going over bank statements, investments, and signing new signature cards for everything to be in her name. By the time she left, those facts and figures circled her head. She couldn’t believe she owned so much, had more money than she ever thought she’d earn in a lifetime, more than a top CEO made, and held the power to hold on to a legacy, let it go, and change people’s lives. Hers included.
Chapter 11
Simon and Josh stood in the living room, looking around at their father’s home, the house they grew up in, wondering what the hell they wanted to keep and toss, when what they really wanted was everything.
“I can’t believe she gets the house and ranch and we’ve got to jump through fucking hoops for a place that’s been ours since the day we were born.” Josh picked up a crystal vase their mother used to keep fresh flowers in but which had stood empty since her death years ago. He tossed it against the wall, shattering it into tiny bits across the tile entryway.
“You’re cleaning that up,” Simon bit out, irritated that Josh’s instincts always went to destruction and taking what he wanted without any thought to anyone but himself. The guy didn’t know how to be subtle. Simon did. Luna would never see him coming.
Josh shook his head. “I can’t believe you gave up your job to work here. You hate this place as much as I do.”
“Not enough to let her take the whole damn thing. I can do it for a year and a half and then coast.” He had a plan. He just needed some time to settle in on the ranch and with Luna so he could get close enough to his target and get what he really wanted.
Aunt Bea and Uncle Harry pushed the front door open wide and walked in, their shoes crunching on the shattered crystal all over the floor. Aunt Bea glanced down at the mess, then looked up and frowned at both of them.
“Why are the movers standing outside doing nothing?”
“We’re looking around to see what we want to take.” Josh rubbed his hand over the old sofa and frowned.
“We are not leaving anything for that girl. Take what you can load. I’ve already got an appointment with an auction house to sell whatever you boys don’t take to save you the trouble of having to dispose of it yourself.”
Simon and Josh exchanged surprised looks. They already had furnished houses. Most of this stuff they’d have to store, sell, or donate. This would save them time and a hell of a lot of work. Her plan made better sense.
Josh nodded to their aunt. “Good idea. Give Simon and me some time to go through the house and pick what we want.” Translation, Josh wanted to get his hands on everything worth the most amount of money.
Simon fell in line because he really only had a few sentimental things he wanted to keep. Mostly pictures of his dad and mom, him and Josh as kids. As he sorted through pictures, Josh took a few as well.
His aunt held the office door handle and rattled the door. “Why is this locked?”
“We can’t go in there. She gets that room and the library.” Josh’s face contorted into another mask of pure rage, the same one he wore every time she came up.
“Is that so?” Aunt Bea scoffed.
“Yep,” Josh bit out.
“What are you boys going to do about this?” she demanded.
“Show her that she’s not welcome here and that selling is her only choice if she wants a peaceful life.”
Aunt Bea smiled at Josh with approval. “That is the only prudent option.”
Josh nodded. “Damn straight.”
Simon didn’t think they’d actually convince Luna to sell this place and give up all that money. She wasn’t stupid. Neither was he. He’d get what he wanted and none of them would be the wiser about how he did it right under their noses.
Chapter 12
Luna wrapped the last coffee mug and tucked it into the box at her feet. She stared around her shoebox apartment, happy to be moving to a new, much bigger place, but feeling a bit sentimental. This had been her first home away from home. Everything in it, she’d done herself. From the wood walls to the updated countertops. It might not have been much, but it had been hers. And thanks to Colt, she’d come home the last few nights to her brand-new light. Why that simple little thing touched her so much, she didn’t know, but it did. Probably because he’d been looking out for her. It had been a long time since someone looked out for her. As a child, she’d always come second to her older brother. She understood why. His disability, outbursts, and needs came first for a reason. Still, little girls, children, wanted to be the most important thing in the world to their parents. Too often, she felt forgotten, or at least an afterthought.
Her cell rang. She picked it up and smiled. “Are your ears burning?” she asked her mother.
“Talking about me?”
“No. Thinking about the past, giving up my place, and moving on to something I’m not quite sure about yet.”
“You’re going to do great. I still can’t believe he left it all to you.”
“Believe it. I have all the papers and bank statements to prove it.” She placed her hand on the six-inch stack of files Mr. Manning gave her at their meeting a few days ago. A meeting that lasted three hours. Way more time than she ever thought she’d need to put all of Wayne’s assets into her name and sign checks for the inheritance owed to each of the family members and employees at the ranch. Checks so big, she’d never thought she’d write one that large, let alone have the funds to back it up.
Being overwhelmed at the reading of the will turned to outright terror when she went through the papers and saw the accounts, the amount of money left to her, the overwhelming task running a ranch the size and scope of Rambling Range would be. Unprepared didn’t begin to describe how she felt. It left a stone in her gut the size of a cannonball.
“I still can’t fathom why.” Her mother’s voice held an edge of suspicion. “I mean, you aren’t family. You’re not a rancher. It seems so odd.”
“Mom, I told you, he was a close friend. And no, I wasn’t sleeping with him, for God’s sake.”
“I never thought that, sweetheart.”
She said the words, but Luna still heard her mother’s Maybe just a little in there.
“Goodness. I’m just saying, things like this don’t happen,” her mom continued.
“Believe me, that phrase has been rattling around my head for days. It did happen. It is happening. What time will you be here to help me move in?”
“Well, that’s why I’m calling. Your brother—”
“Enough said,” Luna snapped, not meaning to. The stress was getting to her. She softened her voice. “Sorry, Mom. I know he needs you.”
“You need me, too, and I’m sorrier than I can say that I can’t be there right now to help you with this transition in your life. I really do want to see your new place, help you pick out paint colors and new furniture.”
She’d always known she was loved, admired for her independence, and appreciated for her unwavering help with her brother. But sometimes, she’d like to come first. She’d like her parents to see that although she could do it on her own, she’d like their help, if for no other reason than they wanted to be a part of what she was doing. Witness it firsthand so she didn’t have to fill them in later. Some things lacked the proper description, depth, and emotion when told. Sometimes she felt that if they weren’t there, it didn’t matter if she told them about it later.
“You’ll come soon, right?” That “right?” was the little girl inside of her hoping for her mother’s attention.
“As soon as I can.”
“I want to find something for Tanner to do at the ranch. Once I’m settled in, I hope to make a place for him there.”
“Your father and I talked about it last night. We hoped you’d try
to do something. He misses you so much. Your father and I could use a break.”
“You’ll get one. Give me some time to get settled and see what works.”
“Um, we got the check you overnighted to us.” The hesitation in her mother’s voice made Luna’s shoulders tense. As if they didn’t ache enough with all the stress she was under.
“Yeah.”
“Thank you,” her mother whispered, her voice choked up and filled with tears.
“Mom, don’t cry. It’s not that much. Only what I could send without you having to pay taxes on it.”
“It’s not the money, Luna, it’s that it makes things easier.” Yes, and nothing had been easy for her parents since their little boy turned two and his developmental delays took on a whole new meaning for him and her parents’ lives.
“If you need more . . .”
“No.”
“If you’ve got specific bills that need to be paid, you can send them to me. I’ll pay them. I can pay them.” Yes, she could afford to do anything she wanted now. Buy anything she wanted. She knew that, but at this moment, it really hit her. She could do something for someone and make their life better.
She’d do it with the equine therapy program, too.
“We’ll talk about it later when you’ve had time to settle into your new life. Like you said, maybe there will be a place for Tanner at the ranch that will give him what he needs without interfering in what you want to do with your life.”
“Mom . . .”
“I understand, Luna. You love him, but he makes your life harder sometimes.”
“He makes it better, too, Mom. He makes me a better person. At least, I want to be.”
“You are, Luna. You’re kind. You care. You love with your whole heart.”
Tears gathered in Luna’s eyes and spilled over. The last few days had been too much—losing her friend, inheriting a future she couldn’t quite see yet, stumbling through all the details of taking on Wayne’s life, and now her mother not coming to help her move but still finding a way to tell her she was loved and make her feel it even through the phone.
“Hey, honey, where do you want us to start?”
Luna turned to the cowboy with the deep voice that resonated through her like a homing beacon. Drawn to him, she took a step closer, but stopped herself when his eyes narrowed on her face and his mouth set in a grim line.
“Mom, I have to go. My friends just showed up to help me move. I’ll call you later.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom. Say hi to Dad and Tanner.”
Colt closed the distance between them, coming into her home for the first time. He cupped her face, swiped his thumbs over her wet cheeks, and pulled her into a hug, wrapping his strong arms around her like he did last week when he escorted her to her car.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.” Better than fine with her cheek pressed to his chest, his heart thumping against her ear.
“People who are fine don’t cry.”
“Uh, we’ll come back in a few minutes,” Ford said from behind Colt. “But I’m taking the muffins with me.” Ford grabbed the platter off the counter and headed back out the door, pushing Sadie out on his way.
Luna leaned back and stared up at Colt. His hazel eyes remained narrowed on her. “Hey.”
“Hi. Why the tears?” he demanded.
“I got a little sentimental with my mom on the phone. Really, it’s nothing.” She swept her bangs away from her eyes.
Colt caught his breath and held it. His body tensed beneath her hand still pressed to his side. She set her other hand on his shoulder and simply stared into his eyes, searching for some magical answer to what it was between them that seemed so familiar, right, and too much to put into words.
“You’re in my house,” she blurted out.
Colt’s gaze scanned the room with all the boxes and stacks of wood planks she’d taken down from the walls.
“It’s not yours for much longer.” He stepped away, releasing her all at once.
Luna felt his absence all the way to her bones. She wanted to be wrapped in all that strength again. She wanted the heat that pulsed through her when he touched her. He must feel it, too. Right?
The second she questioned it, his gaze roamed over her face, down her chest and navy blue T-shirt to her hip-hugging jeans with the frays and tears on her thighs and calves put there by the manufacturer and made even more well-worn by her. His gaze stopped on her bare feet, and a soft smile touched his lips and brightened his eyes.
“Nice toes. Never seen ladybugs.”
She’d finished packing yesterday afternoon. With nothing to do, she’d painted her toes with red and black polish.
“I got bored yesterday.”
“You should have come up to the house. To visit Sadie,” he added, though he made it sound more like he wanted to see her.
“No, I should have called you to see if you wanted to go out for that beer. Lord knows, you won’t ever want to see me again once you have to move that huge armoire down the stairs.”
“Saturday. I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“All right, you two, let’s get a move on. Time’s a wastin’.” Sadie walked right into Luna’s kitchen and grabbed one of the boxes on the counter.
“Drop it.” Luna pointed at her until Sadie did as commanded.
“What?”
“My pregnant friend is not lifting boxes and carrying them down the stairs.”
“But . . .”
“No buts. Sit.” Luna pointed to the chair she left next to the counter. She went to the microwave and set it for one minute to heat the tea she’d made for Sadie just a little while ago.
“What’s with all the wood?” Rory stepped into the room, Ford hot on his trail, with only three muffins left on the plate.
“Luna salvaged it from her dad’s old place. It goes with us.” Colt took a muffin from the plate and bit into it a split second after he pulled the wrapper free.
“Good Lord, Colt, get the paper all the way off before you inhale it,” Luna scolded.
“If I don’t eat it fast, these two will eat them all.” Colt nodded toward his brothers.
Luna took the plate from Ford, handed a second muffin to Colt and the last to Sadie. She pulled the cup of tea from the microwave and set it in front of her. “Now you have everything you need to supervise.”
Sadie smiled and eyed Rory. “Oh, I love watching him work.”
Luna shook her head, laughing a little under her breath at the way Sadie openly adored the big man standing in front of her.
“First, let me thank you guys for coming and helping me out. I really appreciate it. Everything is packed and marked. If you brought all three trucks, we can probably do this in one run.”
“Where’s the rest of your stuff?” Ford asked.
Colt smacked his brother on the shoulder. “This is it.”
“No shit?”
Luna had to admit how sad it was to realize her whole life came down to fifteen boxes stacked against the wall, an armoire, TV stand, futon, and a couple of armchairs. It had taken her two full days to pack. Half of that time she’d spent going through her things, organizing them, and discarding anything she didn’t want or need anymore.
“This is it,” she confirmed. “Oh, be very careful of that wrapped-up picture. It’s my favorite thing.”
“Since you have so few favorite things, we’ll try not to break any of them,” Ford teased, but she caught a trace of concern in his voice that she didn’t have more.
Colt stepped forward, the two muffins she’d given him long gone. “You take the boxes to Ford’s truck, honey. We’ll get the furniture in mine and Rory’s. You’ll be all settled at Rambling Range by the end of the afternoon.”
“Hell, we’ll have her set up by lunch,” Rory teased.
“Luna, what is all of this?” Sadie asked, flipping through the folders on the counter beside her.
“My
new life in print. Everything of Wayne’s transferred to my name.”
“Wow.” Sadie put her hand on the stack of files. “That’s quite a pile of stuff you own.”
“You have no idea. I have eleven pickup trucks. Eleven. A Cadillac. Three separate businesses, soon to be four if I go forward with the equine therapy program.”
“Why wouldn’t you?” Colt asked.
“I need to learn ranching, farming, and horses before I can take on something new.”
“You’ve got some of the best land and cattle in the state,” Rory praised. “You’ll have no trouble keeping the business running well. Colt said he’d check in with your men. He’ll make sure everything is as it should be.”
Luna turned to Sadie. “Did you hear that? I have men.” She shared a laugh with Sadie while all the guys groaned. Colt gave her a menacing look that quickly changed to a smirk when she poked him in the gut and said, “Just kidding.”
“Are you two finally seeing each other?” Sadie asked, earning her a head shake from Rory to keep her mouth shut.
Luna didn’t mind their interest. Sadie would get all the details. It was in the best friend agreement. “We have a date on Saturday night. I’m taking Colt out for a beer.”
“We have plans that day, too,” he added, picking up the rolled-up rug and hoisting it over his shoulder to carry down to the truck.
“We do?”
“Big horse sale.” He turned his back and nearly knocked Ford down when he swung the rug around.
“Watch it.”
“Sorry.” Colt glanced over his shoulder at Luna. “Pull the papers from my pocket.”
Luna took a minute to stare at his very fine Levi’s-covered ass.
“Are you going to take them or what?”
“Just taking a moment to admire the view.”
Ford and Rory groaned even louder this time. Each took a side of the couch and lifted it. They headed for the door. She grabbed the papers and unfolded them.
“These are horses for sale.”
Her Renegade Rancher EPB Page 10