“Somehow I doubt that.” She hugged herself again.
Rex saw that her short nails had been buffed to a high sheen. And each one dug into her skin. It was a wonder blood wasn’t trickling down her arms by the time Tyler pulled to a stop in front of the ranch house.
Tessa wasted little time exiting the vehicle. Tyler was by her side in an instant, cupping her elbow in a show of support. Sure strides took them up the granite walkway and the steps to the deep-set porch. There she paused to push the hanging swing into motion and watched it, lost in thought. Memories assaulted him. The three of them on that swing, happy, with not a care in the world.
Rex cursed Mike Ford a thousand times over.
Tyler opened the screen door and pushed the inside door open. She acknowledged the courtesy with a small smile. Rex saw Tyler freeze and was glad to see he wasn’t the only one affected by the woman. Tyler’s gaze followed Tessa into the depths of the house. Rex took a step back to give Tyler some time to compose himself. Nate came up beside him.
“There’s something you need to know.”
“Whore!” a woman shouted from inside.
Tyler slammed the door against the house and rushed inside. Rex took the four steps in one stride. Nate was on his heels. They jerked to a stop at the living room entrance, forming a guard around Tessa as she faced down the rotund woman struggling to the edge of the love seat cushion—Derek’s aunt by marriage, Carmen. Her son Heath sat beside her. Rex was hard-pressed to say which of them was the lazier. Maybe it was a tie. Heath was edging up on forty and couldn’t hold a job. But then, Carmen was near sixty, and work wasn’t in her nature. The fruit didn’t fall far from the tree.
Derek’s attorney sat on the couch across from them, forearms braced on his knees, papers spread on the coffee table in front of him. Moisture from a glass of iced tea soaked the cork coaster underneath it. Yet Kevin Drummond had the nerve to sit there in a gray pinstripe suit and tie and not break a sweat. Even his dark blond hair looked fluffy and freshly washed.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of their company?”
Rex heard the cold disdain leach from Tessa’s voice as she made her way to the worn leather recliner like a queen picking her way through a field of daisies.
Kevin tapped one of the papers before him. “Derek wanted them here for the reading of the will to make sure there were no misunderstandings.”
Carmen smirked, though she looked as if she were wringing the skin off her hands. Heath’s look said fuck you. A look Rex had no problem returning in full force. They were vultures, here to pick over the bones of the dead. Derek had a pretty soft heart, but Rex couldn’t believe he’d been foolish enough to leave the money-grubbers anything. They’d fallen on hard times yet again a while back, and Derek had briefly taken them in. Not one of his better moves. Heath was worthless around the ranch. Carmen had been just as bad, trying and failing to do some housekeeping for the retreat. Hell, she hadn’t even tried. The arrangement lasted less than a month. Rex hadn’t been sorry to see them go.
“Very well, then.”
Tessa smoothed her hands over the armrests and kneaded the soft brown leather like a cat settling in…or preparing to sharpen her claws. Nate edged up behind her, arms crossed, on guard, looking badass all over again. Rex resented him having the prime spot behind Tessa.
He slung his sunglasses onto the half-moon junk table just inside the entrance and plopped into one of the two dining room chairs Kevin had placed in front of the wall-sized entertainment system—the only truly modern furniture in the place. Everything else was early-American style, a hideous faded gold floral design that dated back to the seventies. At least it was better than the red laminate fifties-era stuff in the kitchen.
The chair creaked with his weight and wobbled. He prayed it stayed in one piece. Tyler had better luck with his.
“It’s been a long day already, Kevin,” Tyler said. “Tessa Fairchild, Kevin Drummond.” He motioned between the two of them with his halfhearted introduction. “Now could we please get this over with?”
Kevin gave Tessa a nod. “Ma’am.”
She acknowledged him with a tilt of a nod as well.
Kevin passed his gaze over all of them, then said, “All right.”
Dread formed a knot in the pit of Rex’s stomach.
“I’ll be quick and cut to the chase.” Kevin touched the document front and center. Even from a distance, Rex could see the words Last Will and Testament.
“It’s simple,” Kevin said. “I can read it verbatim if you like.”
Everyone shook their heads. Carmen licked her lips, like a hyena anticipating a fresh carcass. Hard breaths heaved her massive bosom. Greed personified.
Kevin’s eyebrows lifted with his intake of breath. “Derek’s interest in the lodging business known as Rustlers Retreat Inn goes exclusively to his partners, Rex Williams and Tyler Coltrane.”
Relief melted through him. They were good. Thank God.
“All personal bank accounts and stocks held by Derek are to be divided equally between Tessa Fairchild, Rex Williams, and Tyler Coltrane. ‘To the best friends a man could ever have.’”
That was fair. Rex found himself nodding. No surprise there.
“Carmen Ford and Heath Ford are to receive nothing, and he was very specific about that.”
“What?” Carmen shot upright—quite a feat considering her bulk. “We’re his family!”
“Well, you could argue that point in court.” Kevin scrunched up his face. “You are his uncle’s widow. But I believe there’s a question of paternity with your son?” He stabbed his finger on another document and hauled it next to the will. “As this DNA report indicates.”
Rex glanced up in time to see Tessa hide a smile behind two fingers dancing slowly over her lips. He had to fight his own. How long had Derek been holding on to that little jewel of information? The reward was sweet. Rex could almost hear him cackling with glee.
“So they get the ranch too?” Carmen gestured toward Rex and Tyler.
And it was about to get sweeter.
“It’s not part of the will.” Kevin locked a stare on Carmen. “The ranch and all it entails, with the exception of the inn business, belong to Tessa Fairchild. It’s been hers since Mike Ford died.”
That sucked the air out of the room.
The attorney continued. “If you’d been here for the reading of Mike’s will, you would know that.”
Rex couldn’t hide the smirk that went with Kevin’s words. But then dread seeped in. They owned the inn, but Tessa owned the land on which it sat and the ranch that provided their livelihood and partial claim to fame. Fame Rustlers had earned, thanks to Tessa’s hard work helping them bring it up to par and beyond.
“She has no right.” Carmen’s arm jiggled with the finger she thrust Tessa’s way. “She wasn’t even married to Mike Ford.”
“She doesn’t have to be,” Kevin calmly replied. “According to Mike’s will and yet another DNA report, she’s Mike’s daughter. He made that clear in his will, which I understand you weren’t here for.”
Please don’t tell them Derek wasn’t his son. They’d suffered enough without Carmen knowing that. Derek deserved a little dignity.
Rex watched as Tessa slowly crossed one jean-clad leg over the other and leveled cold blue eyes toward Carmen and Heath. “And as the owner of this property, Carmen, it gives me immense pleasure to tell you and your charming son to pack anything you may have brought into this house today and get off my land.”
Tessa didn’t play around. It gave him untold thrills. She’d also made it very clear this was her land. Rex could appreciate that. He was deadly serious about going after what he wanted too. Trouble was, he couldn’t decide which he wanted more right now—the land or her. He was thinking her.
Chapter Three
Tyler felt the electricity crackling in the atmosphere. He loved the way Carmen’s eyes bugged out. Hated that Tessa essentially had them all by the balls, as he’d su
spected.
The inn was his and Rex’s now, as they’d hoped. But the building sat on land Tessa owned, along with the ranch and aviary that helped entertain their guests. Considering what happened a year ago and her absence since, why would she want anything to do with any of it? She’d made it clear how much she hated the circumstances and wanted nothing to do with it all. With Derek gone, she could force their hand and shut them down. Plus, her landownership put a serious crimp in everything they’d planned for the place. They couldn’t move forward with any type of expansion without her approval. The townsfolk were starting to show up the way he’d heard they used to back in the ranch’s heyday. Rex and Tyler chalked that up to the draw of the Aviary, damn good food, and fun things for the whole family to do. He shuddered at the thought of all the wedding events planned for the aviary in the coming months. Rustlers’ aviary had garnered quite the reputation with wedding planners.
Tyler ordered himself to remain calm. There were options. He and Rex had been prepared to buy her out if Derek left his share of the inn to her. So they’d offer to buy the ranch and land they needed instead. Though God knew where they’d get that kind of money. Maybe they could lease the inn and continue on as always. How would it hurt, since she was never around?
Tyler knew that answer. It’d hurt him just like it had every day since she’d left. He’d cried every night for a week over it all. Then it had been the bone-deep ache that had kept him awake, an ache that had returned with a vengeance when he’d seen her step off the plane. The knife thrust to his heart when he’d seen her boyfriend had nearly brought him to his knees. It still hadn’t stopped him from wrapping his arms around her, though. One part of him begged her lover to fight him, even now, just so he could have the pleasure of taking his frustration out on someone.
He watched her standoff with Carmen. Tessa had developed some lethal claws over the last year. Having your world turned upside down did that to a person. He couldn’t wait to see her take a piece out of Carmen and her worthless son, but the last thing Tyler wanted was to have those claws turned on him.
The woman could definitely play with the big guns. Hell, she probably owned big guns of her own now—like the man standing behind her. Tyler would play nice, make friendly—he glanced at Nate—for now.
Tyler looked at Kevin, waiting for the attorney’s next move, waiting for the ax to fall and all manner of hell to break loose. Kevin’s gaze was on Tessa, and there was a gleam in his eyes that Tyler couldn’t decipher. Pride? Humor? Lust? Tyler could sure understand the last. He’d been lusting after Tessa since the second her feet touched the ground—he bet he’d find each toenail buffed to perfection just like her fingernails. One look at her midnight-blue eyes further enslaved his aching hard-on. When she’d slipped her hand in his, she might as well have been wrapping her strong fingers around his cock. The effect was the same. Even at this moment, with their business on the line and those shrewd eyes of hers tearing into the hapless twosome on the love seat, scaring Tyler more than a little, Tyler still wanted to push the boundaries a tad and let Tessa have her way with him.
“You little bitch!” Carmen spit out.
Again with the insult. It pissed him off and brought Tyler to his feet. But since Tessa didn’t rise to the bait and Nate didn’t blink, Tyler left her undefended. But he remained standing. He could play guard just as well as Nate Bridger.
Carmen turned a mottled shade of purple at Tessa’s calm facade. She wriggled her bulk to the edge of the love seat, thanks to an extra push from her loser son.
“And if we don’t, you’ll get your men to throw us out?”
Tessa steepled her fingers before her. Regal. Deadly beautiful.
“First of all, none of the gentlemen here are my men. Secondly, I can do my own dirty work. Would you like a demonstration?”
She edged forward, looking damned formidable even in jeans and T-shirt.
“Trust me, it would be my pleasure,” she added with deadly precision.
Heath looked ready to piss himself. Carmen heaved a breath through her flared nostrils. Tessa never blinked.
Tyler’s heart raced. His cock thrummed. He wanted to be the man standing behind her, silently ready to back her up in whatever she ordered. He would have if things hadn’t gone all wrong.
“Come on, Mama.” Heath stood and hoisted Carmen to her feet.
“You haven’t heard the last of this,” she spat at Tessa.
“Oh, I think we have.” Rex stood and hiked his thumb toward the front door. “I can assure you that the No Trespassing signs around the property will be aggressively enforced.”
Carmen tried to shove her face into his. She reached only as far as his chest. “This isn’t your property to protect.”
One side of Rex’s mouth lifted. “But my business sits on it, and I will do anything to protect that and the land it occupies. Like any good cowboy, I will defend this ranch to my last breath.”
Heath looked like he was going to be stupid enough to take a swing…until Tyler edged closer. Heath flinched and ducked away.
“Now, Mama.” He steered Carmen toward and then out the door.
“They arrived after me,” Kevin said over the thunder of steps as they traipsed across the porch and stepped off. “The house was still secure. I talked with a few of the hands, and they hadn’t seen anyone earlier. I doubt Carmen and Heath got in the house. They parked their truck around back.”
“That doesn’t mean they weren’t getting ready to move in or take what they wanted.” Tyler walked over to the window and shoved the gold brocade drape to one side to monitor their departure. Heat poured through the glass, kicking off the air conditioner.
In minutes Heath’s truck rattled past the window, shooting up dust and no doubt shaking loose a few nuts and bolts in his haste. He saw Carmen inside the truck, flailing her arms about, yelling at Heath. Heath stoically endured her tirade, jaw tight.
Tyler dropped the curtain. “They’ve cleared the gate and are down the road.”
“I’ll let the crew know they aren’t welcome.” Rex sank into the love seat but didn’t lean back. “But it’s a huge property. There are hundreds of ways they can sneak on and stay hidden. Though why the hell they’d bother…”
Tyler opted to return to the dining room chair. The rigid back kept him more alert and focused, helped him hide his hard-on. Sinking into the depths of the love seat would only lead to other thoughts best left unexplored for the moment, like Tessa stretched atop him on said love seat or anywhere else for that matter. They had business to discuss. The sooner they could do so, the better. She unnerved him in good ways and bad. Tyler couldn’t afford the distraction or the disappointment of being shot down when she crushed him under her sneaker.
His erection thrummed against his jeans. Inappropriate. Inconvenient. One of his best friends was dead, his business was on the line, and all Tyler could think about was having sex with Tessa, or rather… Tessa having sex with him, taking control, loving him from head to toe and all parts in between.
“There’s a mistake,” she told Kevin. “I signed a quitclaim deed on the property last year.”
She had? All this time, he and Rex had been worried for nothing. So where did that leave the property now?
“He never filed it, Tessa.”
Back to square one.
“Then find it,” she told him.
For the first time, Kevin looked away, his attention solely on the papers laid out before him. “He most likely destroyed it. He said nothing about one when he came to me to prepare his will. He indicated the property belonged to you as Mike’s daughter. When I asked about his rights as heir, he told me there was no blood tie between him and Mike. His concern was dividing what he had and ensuring the business remained intact. Even if I did find a quitclaim deed, think of the legal nightmare it would create. Clearly, this is how Derek wanted it. He often said he wouldn’t have any of it without you.”
Emotion clawed at Tyler’s throat. Tessa had t
ried to do right by Derek, give him the land he was entitled to. It made no sense that Derek hadn’t grabbed at the chance. Derek had covered his reaction well when the news came out that Mike wasn’t his biological father, while Tessa had been inconsolable. It was a dirty move on Mike’s part—cutting out the man he’d raised like a son, embracing the woman he’d previously ignored as his daughter. There were better ways Mike could have handled it. Yet he’d chosen to ruin lives. The truth had cut Tessa deep. Sadly, she’d taken it out on him and Rex.
“And so it’s done.” Tessa’s voice shocked Tyler into the real world. She edged forward to tap the coffee table. “I would like to give a portion of the land to Rex and Tyler.”
Nate slipped his hand onto Tessa’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Tyler fought the urge to yank it away.
“No. Sorry.” Kevin shook his head. “There’s a covenant on the land. It can’t be divided. It must be sold or passed in whole.”
Rex made eye contact with him. Surely he wasn’t thinking they could buy it all. They’d never be able to afford it. But if she was willing to sell, she would be willing to lease a portion to them as well.
“Which also brings the issue that needs to be clarified,” Kevin went on. “While Rex and Tyler own the inn business, the physical property and all it entails belong to Tessa. It’s part of the land and ranch.”
Well, fuck. Tyler damned his inattention. He should have realized that was coming. His mind was too scattered on other things. Tessa owned them, and not in the way he’d lustfully envisioned.
Rex leaned back, an elbow braced on the armrest, and stared into space. Tessa sat slumped forward, her gaze locked onto the papers spread out before Kevin.
Tessa edged forward and tapped the coffee table again. “Rex and Tyler have more right to this land than I ever did. I will do whatever it takes to ensure it goes to them.” She shoved to her feet. “They can have it all.”
“Tessa, think about what you’re doing,” Nate sing-songed behind her. “Think about what you’re giving up.”
Lies That Bind Page 3