Especially since Ford had once thought to go off on his own to start his own place with the girl he fell hard and fast for long ago. But he’d given that and her up to save the ranch when they hit hard times. Rory and Grandpa Sammy didn’t know that, but Ford got drunk one night and unwillingly spilled his guts to Colt. Sometimes, Colt still saw the haunting heartbreak in Ford’s eyes.
“Ah, so where does that leave you? Is that it?”
Colt didn’t like change. He liked things the way they were. He was happy for his brothers, but he wanted things between them to stay the same, too. Then again, he was thinking of making his own changes.
“I’m still needed here. Ford will need me at his new place.”
“But all of a sudden, it feels very much like theirs and not yours anymore. Or at least not the three of you anymore.”
“We’re going in separate directions.”
His brothers had great new things in their lives. So did he. But it wasn’t easy for him to grab hold of it and believe it would all work out.
“That’s life, Colt.”
“I guess I’m wondering, if Rory is staying put, Ford is moving on, do I find a new place here, or somewhere else?”
“Seems you’ve made a good start with Luna. I thought the two of you were getting real close. You haven’t slept in your bed in a long time. It’s not like you to be gone more than a night.”
His grandfather’s diplomatic way of saying he’d been a hound dog out chasing tail, but always coming home alone. Well, Colt was damn tired of being alone, living his life each day on this ranch with his brothers, working his ass off, only to see them moving forward in their lives while he felt adrift in his own. He thought the tether he had to this place would never be broken, but it sure did feel like he’d become the odd man out.
“Everything between Luna and me is great. I don’t like her being in that house alone at night after what happened.”
“Do you prefer being with her than being here?”
Colt couldn’t hide the grin. “I prefer sleeping with a beautiful woman than without.”
“That’s not true. You prefer sleeping with her than without her. That’s different.”
That did sound about right. The knot in Colt’s gut that came from thinking about not having her in his life agreed with his granddad, too. “She’s different,” he admitted. “I’m different with her. Better. I want something different between us than I’ve ever wanted with anyone else. But what am I supposed to do? This doesn’t feel like my place anymore. It feels like Sadie and Rory’s. Even Ford will be moving on. I thought I’d build a new house here, but Luna’s got her place there.”
His grandfather’s eyes narrowed. “So you want your place to be with her?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Why? You just said you wanted something different with her.”
“I do. Luna and I are just getting started, but sometimes it feels like I’ve known her every day of my life. I don’t want to rush things, and I want to hurry up all at once.”
It made his gut tighten to think of leaving this place, his parents’ legacy, because it felt like another loss of the connection he had to them, but he admitted, “I’ve been thinking of ditching my plans to expand the horse business here and go to work for Luna.”
“She talked about Toby retiring the other night when she came by to help Sadie pick out things for the registry. I think you were still out in the barn. Anyway, she said Toby’s been talking to her about a good time for him to leave.”
“So soon?”
“He wants to move to where his daughter and grandchildren live in Arizona. He’s tired of the long winters here.”
“I knew he wanted to retire, but I thought he’d wait until Luna was ready to run the place.”
“Does she really want to be a full-time rancher?”
Colt shrugged—he didn’t really know. The equine therapy program was important to her. She’d probably like to spend more of her time doing that than actually running the ranch.
Grandpa Sammy held up a hand, palm up. “You know everything there is to know about the business. More than Rory and Ford about the horses. You could really do well at Rambling Range if you ran things.”
“And leave Rory high and dry?” More than losing his connection to his parents and this ranch, he didn’t want to disappoint or be disloyal to his brother. Rory had sacrificed to keep this place and a roof over their heads, allowing Colt the chance to grow up and repay him by working hard next to his big brothers when he was old enough to pull his own weight. It felt like a betrayal to leave their ranch to work another, even if it meant he got to be with Luna.
“Rory wants you to be happy.”
True. Colt fell back in his seat. “I don’t even know if she’ll hire me.” They’d only been seeing each other a short time. This would be a huge leap forward. Were they ready for that kind of commitment? He was. But what about her?
“Why wouldn’t she hire you?”
“Because how will that look?”
“Like she hired the right man for the job,” his grandfather suggested, deadpan. “You’ve never cared what anyone thought about what you did. Not even your family really. So why do you care now what anyone thinks?”
Colt threw up his hands. “I don’t care what anyone thinks.” He pointed past his grandfather. “I care what she thinks.”
His grandfather sat back, completely relaxed. “Then why don’t you ask her what she thinks.”
Because as much fun as they’d had over the last few weeks, and no matter how close he felt to her or how much he saw that she felt the same way, she’d never actually asked him to stay or take the lead with the ranch. He’d stepped in to do both and she’d gone along, grateful for his presence at night, when she was the most nervous about something happening, and his making sure the ranch didn’t fall apart around her. Not once had she asked him if he’d be interested in taking over for Toby.
“I’m sending him to you right now,” Sadie spoke into his phone and walked into the office. She disconnected the call and held the phone out to him. “She’s been calling you for the last half hour.” Colt didn’t need to be scolded. He mentally kicked his own ass for forgetting to pick up his phone from the counter after he came in and washed his hands. He’d been so diligent about keeping his phone close and charged just in case something happened or Luna needed him. “Luna’s on her way to Mr. Manning’s office for a sit-down about the will with the Travers family. She wants you to meet her there.”
Colt closed the laptop and stood, pulling his truck keys from his pocket. “The terms of the will are set. What’s there to talk about?”
“She’s tired of being on the defensive. Easy enough to look past the petty vandalism, but spying on you guys, another horse falling ill is way over the line.”
“Another one?” Colt swore under his breath, hoping the Traverses had nothing to do with hurting the horses, that it was just an illness and not something more sinister.
“She’s going to put them on notice that she won’t put up with any more of their threats.”
His grandfather slapped him on the shoulder as he headed for the door. “Talk to your girl. Straighten things out.”
“What’s going on with you and Luna?” Sadie asked.
“Nothing. We’re fine,” Colt bit out, pulling the front door open, more interested in getting to Luna before the Traverses arrived than explaining his ever-changing life and mind.
He hoped his grandfather kept quiet about Colt’s feelings about Rory and Sadie getting married and what that meant for Colt. He knew they’d never ask him to leave, but that didn’t mean they wanted him to stay either.
How would Rory really feel if he went to work for Luna?
He leaped into his truck and gunned the engine, tearing down the driveway, desperate to get to the woman who turned his world upside down and righted it all at the same time. He didn’t know how she did that, or why he didn’t mind, but he’d be damne
d if he let the Traverses mess with her again.
Chapter 22
Luna stood in Dex’s conference room confronted by a wall of Traverses, minus Bea and Harry’s daughters, standing outside the interior glass windows, glaring at her. Her gut went tight and fluttered with nerves. Time to put them on notice. She wasn’t going to take any more and let them get away with it.
Simon walked in first. They’d avoided each other for the most part since Simon had come to the house about the cop’s late-night wake-up call. Mostly because she’d been stuck in the stables watching over her sick horses.
Josh followed Simon, sweeping a dirty leer up her body to her face. She tried to ignore him, but couldn’t fight off the creepy feeling dancing over her nerves, or the way her stomach pitched and soured just thinking about him standing outside her window, watching her and Colt make love.
Bea and Harry walked in together. They seemed to be a tight couple, though Harry tended to look to his wife for direction.
Bea stood just inside the entry, her head high, her silvery blonde hair swept back in a sleek style. Her gaze settled on her nephews, and for a moment her eyes filled with sadness.
“I see so much of Wayne in them,” Luna said, hoping to connect with this woman on some level so they could speak amicably.
“Stupid fool.” The words held a wealth of anger overlying the deep hurt Bea tried to hide, but which showed in her eyes when she looked at Simon and Josh.
So, amicable is out the door. Actually, it never arrived, judging by the thick hostility in the air they’d all brought with them.
“Please everyone, have a seat. My attorney will be here shortly. May I get you something to drink?” Luna swept her arm toward the counter behind her and the coffee and water Dex’s assistant brought in for the meeting. Her mother taught her to always mind her manners, even when people were rude.
“We want you to do the right thing,” Bea snapped, plopping her ass in the chair at the head of the conference table.
“My guess is that what I think is right differs greatly from your interpretation.” Luna tilted her head and scrunched up her mouth. “Like I don’t think it’s right to vandalize someone’s home.”
Bea didn’t even flinch. But her husband’s eyes shifted to his wife, and his lips pressed together just enough to tell Luna that Bea, in all her snobbish ways, might not be above petty pranks.
With her head high, shoulders tight and straight, Bea kept her steely gaze locked on Luna. “Taking what doesn’t belong to you isn’t right.”
Luna kept her head up, gaze locked with Bea’s. “Wayne left the ranch to me. It is mine. It will remain mine.”
“Because you have no intention of turning over half to Simon when he completes his father’s outrageous demands.”
“If Simon meets the terms, he’ll get what’s coming to him.”
“So you’ll do as my brother asked, despite how it is tearing this family apart.”
Overdramatic, but Luna tried to make Bea understand where she was coming from. “Wayne and I were very much alike in certain ways . . .”
“He liked looking at the stars with you?” The innocent tone in Josh’s words only made the statement that much more disturbing. A shiver danced up her spine. He’d made that threatening and creepy call to her. If she could prove it, she’d have the asshole arrested.
“Shut your mouth, or I will shut it for you,” Colt said from the doorway.
Just to piss off the Traverses, Luna plastered on a bright smile for Colt and said, “Honey, you made it.”
“He doesn’t belong here,” Bea scoffed, her outrage building to the point her ears turned red.
To prove he did, Colt walked past the Traverses and straight to her. He leaned down and kissed her, holding it for just a few second longer than was suitable in front of others to let them know their relationship was solid.
Josh grabbed Colt by the shoulder and spun him around. “The both of you are fucking in on this together.” Josh planted both hands on Colt’s chest and shoved him.
Colt stepped back on one foot but came back swinging. He punched Josh right in the jaw, snapping his head sideways and sending the man to the carpet. “You start a fight, I’ll finish it.”
Luna grabbed Colt’s arm to stop him from going after Josh again. Completely unnecessary. Colt remained in complete control.
Josh jumped up from the floor, shook his head like a wet dog, then tried to rush Colt. Simon jumped in front of him and held him back.
Josh held one hand to his bright red face and used his other to point a finger over Simon’s shoulder straight at Colt. “Asshole. I won’t let you take everything just because you’re screwing her and she’s too stupid to see you’re using her.”
“I’d be careful what you say about her.” The tension in Colt radiated off him, but he didn’t move, just vibrated with pent-up anger.
Simon gripped Josh’s shirt and shook him. “Shut the fuck up. You’re only making things worse.” Simon ushered Josh across the room and shoved him into a chair two down from their aunt, putting distance between Josh and Colt.
Josh glared at Colt and worked his bruised jaw.
Luna sighed out her relief that the two didn’t go at it again. She held her hand against Colt’s face and stared up at him in a silent conversation, letting him know she appreciated his restraint and hated that he’d had to resort to punching the idiot.
Colt took her hand and kissed her palm.
Bea rose from her seat and held her hands fisted at her sides, her arms rigid. Apparently, the fight wasn’t over. “You can’t live with her at the ranch.”
Colt stepped to Luna’s side and hooked his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his side. He gave Bea one of his good ol’ boy charming smiles and winked. “Are you sure about that? Because I’ve got a bed with my name on it and a woman who wants me in it every night. Now, I’m a smart man, and I do what she wants. Am I right, Harry?”
The congenial tone set Bea’s teeth to grinding.
A trickle of sweat ran down the side of Harry’s face. He eyed his wife, not saying a word.
“You called us here. Why, if not to discuss the will?” Bea bit out, even more frustrated Colt turned all easygoing instead of arguing with her.
Luna stepped out of Colt’s embrace and faced off with Bea. “I will not tolerate any more vandalism, trespassing, or threats. If you don’t stop, I’ll have no choice but to get a restraining order and file charges against you.”
“You can’t prove that we did anything that’s happened at the ranch,” Simon spoke up for the first time.
True enough. She had nothing but bluster at this point, because the cops couldn’t prove that any one of them had done one or all the stupid things they’d done, each of which pointed to them collectively but not one of them directly.
She wanted to punch Simon in his smug face.
“You haven’t been that subtle about it.” Luna glanced at all the Traverses, her gaze settling back on Bea. “Why are you still involved in any of this?”
“To protect my nephews and stand up for them and their rights.”
Sounded reasonable, except Luna didn’t buy it. Not one word. “They’re big boys. They can stick up for themselves. Their father left them quite a sum of money. Their houses are paid off, they’ve only got their living expenses. They’ve received more than enough to cover them and not have to work too hard. Simon is working at the ranch. He earns a good salary and has the opportunity to earn half the ranch. What more do you want?”
“Sell the ranch and pay out the ten million,” Josh snapped.
Luna turned to Simon and pinned him with her gaze. “Is that what you really want?”
Simon planted his hands on the back of the empty chair beside Josh’s and leaned over, but turned his steady gaze on her. “This is where I differ with my family. While I don’t object to you selling if that’s what you choose, I see more . . . benefit in getting my half of the ranch.”
“E
ven when that leaves your brother out of getting anything more?”
“He’s made up his mind on what he wants. I’ve made up mine.”
Dex walked in and came around the table to stand by Luna and Colt. “What have I missed?”
“Colt decked me,” Josh spat out.
Dex looked back at Colt, standing there without a care in the world.
Colt actually shrugged off Josh’s implied accusation that he’d done something wrong. “He thought he could push me around.”
Dex looked Colt up and down, then turned to Josh. “Good luck with that.” Dex studied Josh’s dark red jaw. “You got off lucky.”
“Fuck off.” Josh continued with his brooding glare but didn’t make a move to start the fight all over again.
“I want to see the missing pages from the copy of the will you sent to all of us,” Bea demanded.
Luna shared a look with Dex.
“No.”
“No,” Bea spat out, her outrage getting the better of her again. She wasn’t used to being told no. She almost stomped her foot, making Luna hold back a laugh, though nothing about this situation struck her as truly funny. “We are entitled to see the entire will.”
“No, you’re not. The portion of the will that pertains to you has been provided. The other pages are specific to Luna and the terms of her keeping the ranch.”
“Are you saying there’s a chance she won’t get to keep it?” Simon asked.
Josh eyed the lawyer, eager to hear what he had to say.
“Luna is fully aware of all her options, the stipulations, and the benefits and consequences. As things pertain to you all, you’ve been made aware of what you receive, how, and that some of it is based on Luna’s discretion.”
“This is the part of the will you’re not allowed to talk about?” Colt asked.
Luna’s gaze shot to Dex’s, the silent exchange a reminder that she couldn’t tell Colt anything about what was on those missing pages.
“Yes. They have nothing to do with the Travers family, but everything to do with the decisions I make.” She glanced at Dex, who nodded that her answer was okay and not too revealing.
Her Renegade Rancher EPB Page 20