Zack shook his head. “No. The charges were dropped by the owner of the house McPherson allegedly broke into, the day he was apprehended by Texas Ranger Wyatt McPherson.”
He jerked in surprise. “His own brother arrested him?”
Zack nodded once and sipped his Coke.
“Who the hell would drop the charges?”
“Elizabeth Sinclair.”
He puckered his brow. “Any relationship to Sinclair Development and Land Management?” The urban development company was grabbing up ranches around Forest County and the neighboring counties like candy from a broken pinata at a kid’s party.
“The CEO.”
“Wow. She dropped the charges?”
“After Leon Ferguson presumably talked to her. Seems Ferguson and Miss Sinclair had been having dinner at Ferguson’s Dallas penthouse when the call came in the thief was apprehended. Anyway, according to Wyatt, Ferguson accompanied Sinclair to the Dallas PD. As soon as he found out who the burglar was, Leon and Sinclair asked the detective questioning them if they could talk privately. Afterward, she dropped the charges, saying she’d found the missing property. Despite the fact Kyle had already sold the electronics.” Zack shook his head and sneered. “With her denying the proof, the cops had to let him go.
Although the news should have shocked Dylan, it didn’t. “We all should know Ferguson has the developer in his back pocket. He’s gotten every construction contract in the county. Put a few of the smaller operations right out of business.”
Zack chuckled. “I’m not sure back pocket is the right analogy here, but I have to agree. The rumor Wyatt heard is they’re more than just business partners. I’d bet my shiny tin star Leon is holding a noose around Kyle’s neck. You’re probably right to be worried.”
Dylan swore under his breath. “I should fire his ass.”
“Does Charli know you suspect him of poisoning her cattle?” Zack glanced out the door again. Amanda wandered away from his line-of-sight. He got up and went to the door. After reminding her to stay put, he came back and took his seat again.
“No. I haven’t told her.” Dylan took another swig of his Coke. “Uh...we were going through some personal stuff, too, at the time, and I didn’t want to add to her worries.”
“Fair enough. I think you should mention it now. She’s cut her ties to Ferguson, I presume.”
“Affirmative. What do you have on that son-of-a-bitch?”
“That’s the other thing I wanted you to know.” Zack rubbed the dark growth of beard on his chin and took a deep breath. “I had an interesting visit from Ella Larson this morning.”
“Ella? What does she have to do with anything?”
“She told me something that, if it’s true, could change a lot of things.”
“Will you stop beating around the bush?”
“According to Ella, sixteen years ago she was Leon’s lover. She told me something about your grandfather’s will.”
“What the hell are you getting at, Zack? What does one have to do with the other?”
Zack cleared his throat and looked out the door at his daughter. “Leon forged your grandfather’s will, Dylan.”
He leaned heavily back into his chair, the breath whooshing out him. “You know what this means if it’s true, don’t you?”
Zack twisted the half-empty bottle of cola in one hand for a moment before pinning him with a meaningful gaze. “Pandora’s Box is about to fly open. What are you going to do?”
“Afraid I’m going to break the bastard’s neck?”
Zack scoffed. “Thought has crossed my mind. You special ops types always have been half-crazy.”
“Tell me exactly what Larson told you.”
Zack glanced out at Amanda before responding. “About seventeen years ago, Ella worked on Oak Springs.”
“Yeah, she was a maid in the house and did some of Granddad’s paperwork. She witnessed his will. Jeremy Greenberg trained Granddad’s cutting horses before your dad stole him away from Oak Springs.”
“When your granddaddy had his stroke, Leon wrote up a new and improved will. A forger signed it as Jason Ferguson, and since Ella had witnessed the original, Leon approached her to sign the forgery.”
When he found his voice, he growled, “That’s how she could afford to open the diner.”
“Probably. She agreed to never go to the police, if he promised to never lay claim on her daughter.”
“Annie?”
Zack grinned, though it never reached his eyes. “Yep. She’s Leon’s. And apparently, he’d wanted to raise her as his protege.”
“Holy shit.”
“And then some.”
“Where does this leave Mom, Tracy and me?”
Chapter 20
For a long time after Zack left, Dylan sat at his desk and stared out the window at the pasture behind the old bunkhouse. A mile and half away, as the crow flew, Oak Springs Ranch lay out beyond the gradual roll of the land, and bordering both ranches to the west was the CW. At one time the three ranches were a whole lot larger and joined to form one of the biggest ranches in this part of Texas.
In 1865, three cousins–Cole Cartwright, Elijah Blackwell and Dylan Ferguson–returned to Texas from the Civil War half-starved and disillusioned. They’d found themselves in the cowpoke town of Dallas, hoping to find a way to buy enough land to raise longhorns. Dylan, the youngest of the trio from the cotton country of East Texas, talked his cousins into pooling what little money they had, and Cole, the eldest, agreed to play in an epic poker game. The gamble paid off. Cole won over one hundred-thousand acres of land–what later became Forest County. They’d gone into business together and Cole’s Town, which eventually became Colton, soon followed.
Dylan shook his head. How did things get so messed up?
Greed. He answered his own question. Greed and the loss of the family connection that had kept three cousins alive while fighting on the losing side of a war and made them rich men raising cattle.
He didn’t understand that kind of greed. He knew it existed and had seen it in places far more desolate than Colton, Texas. However, being on the possible losing side of such greed made him fighting mad. The real inheritor of Oak Springs might be his mother, or it might be Leon’s mother, but he would bet it wasn’t, since Leon had forged the will.
He reached for his cellphone. After noticing it was dead, he picked up the receiver of the desk phone and dialed his parents’ number. He needed some advice and hoped his father was the man to give it. His mother answered on the second ring.
“Hello.” Eileen’s soft Texas accent resonated down phone lines and bounced off satellites, bringing a smile to his lips. Even after all the years away from Texas, she’d never lost the twang in her voice.
“Mom, it’s me.”
“Dylan! It’s good to hear from you. I got your flowers for Mother’s Day. They were lovely.” He sent her flowers every year, although he would have probably skipped this year if it hadn’t been for Tracy’s reminder two days before the holiday. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you liked them. How’re you doing?”
“We’re fine. Dad’s out in the yard with the pooches. I just got home from golfing with some friends. How are you, Dylan?” She softly asked. “The job working out?”
“I’m okay.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The job’s perfect.” He chuckled. What an understatement.
“Dylan?”
Sobering a little, he assured her. “Mom, don’t worry about me. I’m better than fine. I actually have some news.” He’d originally wanted Charli to be with him when he announced the baby and their living together, but now might be better. Besides, his mother wouldn’t stop bugging until he told her something about why the job was going so well. “Great news.”
Just as he was gearing up to tell his mother he was going to be a father, a loud ruckus sounded in the background on his mother’s end. He recognized the noise as his mother’s two Yorkshire terriers. The
thought of his father riding herd on the two sissified dogs made him smile. His mother spoke to his father, then to him, she said, “Here’s Dad, I’m going to put you on speaker phone.”
“Hello, son,” his father said after she’d pushed the appropriate button on her phone. “Your mother told me you have good news?”
“Hi, Dad.” Taking a deep breath, he plunged headfirst. “Yeah, I do. I’m seeing someone. She’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
“Oh, Dylan,” his mother gushed.
“Who is she?” his father asked. Leave it to Robert Quinn to sound suspicious.
“No one either of you know.” He paused again. Why did he feel like a teenager asking to borrow his parents’ car to take a girl out for the first time? “She’s my boss, actually. Charli Monroe. We’re living together.”
“Your boss?” The general didn’t keep the disapproval out of his voice. “Sounds serious, and damned complicated.”
“We’re going to have a baby,” he said as if it would explain everything.
“Oh!” his mother choked. Crying? “We are so happy for you.”
You may be, but Dad’s already wondering how long it will last and how his son could ever cross the line of propriety by falling for his boss. He forced the negative thoughts out of his mind.
His parents hadn’t even met Charli, but there wasn’t anything about her not to love. She was caring, loving and the most sincere person he knew. Sure, she had probably done things that were illegal, but her persevering despite a possible hellish past on the streets of Las Vegas was admirable–and one of the things he loved most about her. She inspired him to rise above his own hell.
“We’re pretty happy about it, too.” He had stopped doubting the baby was his, and couldn’t wait for him or her to be born. He might not ever be a great father, but if he did his best, that was all anyone could hope for.
Maybe his father had done his best, too.
His mother got her tears under control. “Put her on.”
“Charli’s not with me at the moment, but I promise I’ll call back as soon as possible so you can meet her.”
“Good.” His dad cleared his throat. “When’s the wedding?”
His mouth was as dry as a West Texas summer. “We haven’t decided to get married–yet.”
“Why the hell not?” his father barked. “If you’re living with her and you’re happy about a baby, why aren’t you getting married? I know times have changed and people live together all the time, but dammit, you owe it to the baby to give it a stable home and your name. You aren’t not marrying her just because of that ridiculous idea of yours not to have kids, are you? If you aren’t man enough–”
“Bob, please.” His mother broke in. “This is Dylan’s life and we have to let him live it.”
“Marriage is the right thing to do,” his dad said.
He tried to unclamp his jaw. Now, he remembered why he hadn’t wanted Charli around when he told his parents about them. He’d known his father would react like this. “I think the decision is between Charli and me, sir. We’ve both been burned. Badly. So, we decided not to rush into marriage. I didn’t say we’d never get married. We’re just waiting to make sure it is the right thing to do.”
He should stop, but before he knew what was happening, he said, “I never was man enough for you, was I, Dad? Never the perfect son.” He tightened his hand around the receiver. “Have you ever considered the fact that maybe you aren’t perfect yourself?”
Silence. Had his parents hung up on him? “I know I’m not perfect, son.” His father’s deep voice rumbled over the phone. “I missed so much of yours and your sister’s lives. I could have been a better father. And I’m sorry you thought I–” He paused for a moment, and he could almost see the general run his hand through his hair–a habit Dylan had when he was nervous. “I swore I’d never become a pompous, overbearing ass and treat my own kids like my father treated my sister and me. I guess I broke that vow.”
Had his father admitted to being wrong about something? He wasn’t sure he could take many more surprises for one day.
He cleared his throat and got down to the business he’d called about. “There’s another reason I called.” He closed his eyes. How to explain? He’d always been a straight shooter, so why change now? He turned his chair around and looked out the window. “The sheriff has come by information suggesting Granddad’s will was forged.”
“What?” his parents said at the same time.
He reined in his hatred for Leon and his frustration with his father and explained how he’d come by the information.
His dad was the first to recover on the other end of the phone. “If this is true, there may be grounds to contest the will.”
“I should have known Daddy wouldn’t have completely cheated us out of an inheritance.” Eileen’s voice was as hard as he’d ever heard it. “Daddy had often talked about you running the ranch, Dylan. It shocked and hurt me when Leon got the place lock, stock and barrel.”
He may have Butterfly Ranch with Charli and their child, but Oak Springs was in his blood. He was more Ferguson than Leon ever could be. His namesake was the youngest of the lucky poker-playing cousins.
He gritted his teeth as his mother said, “I should have contested it after he died. Why didn’t I?” She broke down, and he heard her soft sobs in the background. This time the tears weren’t happy ones, and they poked at the hatred twisting his gut for Leon Ferguson.
After his father murmured comforting words to his mother, Dylan loosened his jaw enough to ask, “Dad, do you think you could help us out? You have contacts I don’t. Zack Cartwright is already doing what he can as the sheriff, but I don’t trust anyone else, except for maybe Lance and Logan Cartwright, if I need a lawyer.”
Bob Quinn didn’t hesitate. “I’m already thinking about it. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out anything. But I think you already know, finding the real will is crucial, or everything will either be held up in the Texas courts or will go to Madeline.”
The last thing he wanted was his grandfather’s widow getting the place.
“Affirmative.” He gave him Charli’s landline number. “Thanks, sir.”
“Dylan.”
“Sir?”
“We aren’t in the Army anymore, son.” His father’s words sank in, his voice gruff. “I hope everything works out with you and Charli. You deserve to be happy. I never got along with your grandfather, but I never thought Jason would do something as cruel as build up your dreams of running the place just to shoot them down. If the ranch is supposed to be yours, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you get it.” He was quiet for a moment. “Son, I just want you to know, I’m damned proud of you.”
He couldn’t fight the sting in his eyes and blinked several times to clear his vision. Before he found his voice, the phone on his parents’ end went dead, but he spoke anyway. “I’m proud of you, too, Dad.”
He hung up the phone and sat there for a long time replaying his father’s admissions in his mind. He thought about his reasons for not wanting kids. Were they really because he was afraid he wouldn’t be a good father, or were they because he hadn’t met the woman with whom he wanted to have kids? Had he always known Brenda wasn’t right for him?
He wanted to marry Charli. He loved her more than he’d ever loved Brenda, and he even wanted more than one kid with Charli. If only he knew for certain how she felt about him.
He shook his head at the Chinese puzzle laying before him. He was afraid to tell her he loved her, without her telling him first that she loved him. If she hoped for him to say the words first...
They could be together sixty years and have a passel of great-grandkids before either one of them said those three little words to the other.
But before he could contemplate a diamond ring and words of love, he had to deal with Leon.
* * * *
With her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she considered Leon’s threats,
Charli paced the kitchen floor for a solid three hours after he’d left.
She didn’t doubt he’d do everything in his power to carry them out.
Leon Ferguson might have wealth, he might have the respect of an entire state, but he was the same kind of lowlife Ricardo Rodriguez was. Motivated by greed and cruelty, men like Leon and Ricardo intimidated and controlled by force to get what they wanted, and when that didn’t work, they committed murder to get it.
She paused and looked out the window behind the table. The barn stood across the wide driveway, freshly painted white, the new metal roof gleaming dark red in the setting sun. Only four short months ago, she’d looked out over at that same barn and wondered if it would ever be functional again.
Now cattle and horses grazed in the pastures. Her house was again beautiful and her gardens bloomed.
When she saw Dylan heading around the stable, her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught. If he hadn’t believed in her, she’d have fallen for Leon and all of his crap. She smiled at that. Dylan liked things straight up, he’d said, no bullshit to get to the truth.
She lost the smile.
Dressed in old Wranglers, cotton plaid shirt, scuffed work boots and a battered brown hat, Dylan limped toward her. She loved him, and she knew without a doubt he loved her. He wasn’t like any other man she’d ever known. Greed didn’t motivate him. He wasn’t power hungry or cruel. He lived by a code of ethics and had impeccable honor and honesty.
Could he ever forgive a liar such as her?
When he entered the kitchen, she met his gaze and knew she couldn’t risk losing him by not telling him about her past and Leon’s threats.
However as they stared at each other, she couldn’t force the words over her frozen vocal cords. After his arms swallowed her whole and his mouth came down onto hers, hard and hungry, she could do nothing but give and take in the soul-healing kiss.
Words were impossible.
Much later, as they lay within each other’s arms, Dylan said, “I called my parents this afternoon and told them about us and the baby.”
Gambling on a Secret Page 27