by Tinnean
As he entered the back door, the telephone began to ring.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Will!” To his shocked surprise came the shrill tones of his sister, Katrina. “Guess what?”
“What?” he answered, his voice sounding dry and wary.
“I’m getting married!” she squealed.
“Married?” Will sat down. “To whom?” He decided to play dumb and see what Katrina would tell him.
“Oh, Will, you’re not going to believe this.”
“Oh, I would believe almost anything where you are concerned,” Will cut in.
Hearing from Katrina after all this time and after all of their bitter fights, it just didn’t make much sense. Katrina was after something. She was never this nice unless she had to be.
“He’s rich.” Katrina began to squeal again and giggle uncontrollably.
“Who is he?” Obvious question since Will believed he already knew his name.
“His name is Martin Hunter. He owns a huge ranch here in Montana. He has horses, cattle, sheep, and a string of businesses. He’s the wealthiest man I’ve ever known. We’re talking millions here, Will. Millions!” She screamed so loud that Will had to take the receiver away from his ear.
“I’m very happy for you,” he responded curtly. “Do you really need millions? I thought Mother and Father had left you plenty of money.” His bitterness was evident, but Katrina chose to ignore it.
“You can never have enough money,” Katrina stated coldly. “The reason I’m calling,” she added—Time to cut to the chase, Will thought bitterly—“is I’d like to have you at the wedding.” Silence ensued as Will tried to figure out why Katrina wanted him there. It wasn’t sibling love, he knew that for certain. He figured it had to have something to do with that angry man who called earlier. Will wanted to ask questions but really didn’t want to get any more involved than he already was.
“What’s the use of marrying a millionaire if you can’t show off to someone,” Katrina said, and Will started to laugh. Now that sounded more like the sister he knew and loathed.
“That’s a valid concern,” Will said sarcastically. “If one is going to the trouble of marrying someone for strictly monetary reasons, then they should have their friends and family close at hand to witness the event.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Katrina whined. “I just want you here. You’re the only family I have.”
“Okay, sure,” Will said. “I’ll try to be there.” He had no intention whatsoever of attending that wedding. If Katrina was trying to blackmail some Montana rancher, there was no telling what would happen. Those people had the tendency to settle disputes the old-fashioned way: with fists and firearms.
“Thank you.” Katrina’s tone had softened considerably. “I’ll call you and let you know the exact date on Friday.” It might as well be the twelfth of never, Will thought, because I won’t be there.
WILL HAD just gotten home from work on the following day and was about to relax in front of the television, when his telephone started ringing. He never received this many calls, so he assumed it must be Katrina calling with the date of her wedding.
“Will?” It sounded like Katrina, but she sounded very different.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew.
“I’ve changed my mind, I don’t want to marry Martin Hunter,” Katrina blurted.
“Okay,” Will said and waited for her to continue. There were things he would like to have asked, but he decided that, for the sake of his own sanity, he really didn’t want to go there.
“Will, I need your help.” Katrina’s voice picked up a grave seriousness that grabbed Will’s attention. “They won’t let me go.”
“Who won’t?” He knew better than to get involved, but there was something about that man on the phone that he couldn’t get out of his mind. He was so furious at Will and Katrina. Could he possibly be carrying out some of the threats he had made on the phone? Will really didn’t want to be a part of any of this, but he also couldn’t just stand by and let Katrina be hurt or mistreated. Katrina was an awful person, self-centered and shallow, but the way that man exploded during their conversation, Will was naturally concerned as to how severe his retribution would be. He held very little regard for Katrina, but she was his little sister, and he couldn’t turn his back on her if she were truly in danger.
“Elijah Hunter won’t let me out of the contract I signed.”
“You signed a contract?” Will asked in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that Katrina would be that stupid.
“I have to marry Martin Hunter or pay them $500,000 for breach of contract.” Her voice quivered slightly as she finished.
“Who is Elijah Hunter?”
“Elijah is Martin’s older brother.” Will was fairly sure that he now knew the identity of the irate caller.
“Why don’t you want to marry Martin? I thought he was the catch of a lifetime. What changed your mind?” Will asked, confused. Yesterday, Katrina was practically squealing with excitement over her pending marriage.
“He’s not a millionaire. He’s wealthy but not as wealthy as I thought. All the money, the ranch, everything belongs to his brother. He just works for him, basically.” She sounded disappointed. “I’m not interested in a ranch hand. I will not marry a simple laborer,” she stated emphatically.
Will brought her back to the point of her call. “You said you needed my help. What is it you want me to do for you? You got the entire estate, remember? I hope you’re not asking me for a loan, because I don’t have it.”
“I need you to come here and talk to Elijah. You’re intelligent and levelheaded, he’ll talk to you.” She was whining again.
“I think I already had a talk with Elijah,” Will explained. “He called here yesterday. He blamed me for your behavior.” He paused, hoping that Katrina would admit to implicating him, but that was way too much to hope for. “I doubt that he would be interested in anything I have to say on the subject.”
“I know he called you,” Katrina stated. “He said that if I could convince you to come here, he would consider letting me out of the contract.”
“He told me that you would marry Martin over his dead body. So why is he now holding you to a contract that forces you to marry him? I don’t get it. This isn’t making any sense.” Will immediately sensed big trouble. “Mr. Hunter said that you were blackmailing them, is that true?”
“Sort of, I guess,” she hedged. “He wasn’t going to propose, even though I’d given him everything, if you know what I mean. He wasn’t going to marry me. So I pretended to be pregnant. That’s all I did.” She was minimizing, of course, but was sure she’d included enough of the truth to be believed. Martin wasn’t the first man she’d given everything to, but he was the first millionaire she’d been with. Or at least she thought he was a millionaire when she slept with him. As it turned out, she should have gone after Elijah and not his brother, but who knew?
“I can’t believe that old pregnancy ploy is still being used. I thought you considered yourself a modern woman?” Will was appalled, but didn’t want it to show.
“Don’t be sarcastic with me. I need your help, Will.”
“Why does he want me to go there? Does he still believe I’m involved?” He paused and then added, “Does he still think this was all my idea?”
“He wants to have it out with you in person, I guess. I don’t know what he will do to me if you don’t come.” Katrina tried to be as pathetic as possible, saying Elijah had been adamant that she get her brother there or else. “Please, Will, do this for me. I need your help.”
Will relented. “I’ll see what I can do.” He hung up, wondering what on earth he was getting himself into as he went to bed.
Elijah’s obviously still blaming me for her stunt, he thought, as he lay in bed unable to sleep. If I go there and speak to him about it, he might let her out of the contract, or he might call the authorit
ies and have us both hauled away in handcuffs. It definitely felt like a very bad idea, but he couldn’t just leave her there. She really sounded scared this time, and Katrina didn’t scare easily. If it got Katrina off his back and out of his life once and for all, then it might well be worth the trip. He laughed out loud at himself, and Todd jumped.
He patted his head. “It’s okay, boy, go back to sleep. I’m just losing my mind.”
“Katrina always gets what she wants,” he muttered and fell into a restless sleep.
IT WAS early morning when Will boarded the small plane in Billings that would take him to a remote airfield near the Hunter estate. There were only five people on board: three older women together, an older man by himself, and a young man, also alone. The older gentleman seated across from him attempted to engage him in conversation almost immediately after they boarded the plane.
“Where you headed?” he asked.
“To visit my sister.” Will didn’t maintain eye contact and hoped the man wouldn’t pursue it any further. He wasn’t in the mood to discuss this matter with a planeload of strangers. But, unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be.
“She lives pretty far off the beaten track, doesn’t she?” The man smiled as he continued his idle questioning.
“She’s staying with friends.” Will knew it wasn’t exactly true, but didn’t know what else to say without telling more than he should. Will again tried to avoid eye contact and began reading a pamphlet, but the questions persisted.
“Who is she visiting? I know most of the folks in this area.”
“She’s staying with the Hunters.” The silence fell hard. He could feel the speculation circulating through the plane like a tornado. Before, everyone had been talking amongst themselves; now, everyone was listening to them. The plane was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
“Elijah Hunter?” the man asked, considerably taken aback by his statement.
“Yes, she’s staying with Elijah and Martin at their ranch.” Will again tried to end the conversation but the man was tenacious.
“Do you know the Hunters?” he asked, his eyes searching Will’s face as if he wasn’t sure how to proceed.
“No, I don’t know them at all.” His tone was a little sharp, but the man did not pick up on Will’s irritation.
“Elijah Hunter is a hard individual to get close to. He’s a self-made man, you know,” the old gentleman began without prompting. “He built that small ranch into an estate that is the largest in the county and one of the largest in the state.” He pondered a moment before continuing. “Elijah is a formidable man and not someone to trifle with, I’ll tell you that. Ask anyone who has dealt with him and they will tell you he can be as hard as a rock and as tough as nails.” He sounded as if he spoke from experience. “Martin, his brother, isn’t so bad. Martin can be reasoned with, and he has an even temper. Elijah is cold and unpleasant, every day of the year.” He paused for a few minutes. “Your sister must be very special. Elijah doesn’t usually tolerate guests.”
“Oh, she’s special, all right,” Will answered sarcastically.
The man rambled on for quite some time, or so it seemed. He explained that Elijah was very suspicious and even antagonistic with most people, strangers in particular. He’d had a long, hard life and it had taken him many years to achieve his present financial level. Will continued to nod appropriately throughout this conversation, which made it appear as if he were actually listening. There wasn’t anything that the man was telling him that he was at all interested in. He couldn’t care less how Elijah built his fortune or what his opinion of others were based on, but he continued to listen and nod. All that was expected of him was to meet with Elijah, see if he could be of any help to Katrina, and then leave. Will had no intention of remaining at the Hunter Ranch any longer than absolutely necessary. Besides, it seemed like the entire situation would be best handled legally. Katrina didn’t have $500,000 left and probably had little prospects for more, so what could they really do? If they couldn’t prove the blackmail angle, then all they had was breach of contract.
It seemed like days before the plane finally landed rather than the actual twenty minutes it took to arrive. Will was thankful to leave behind that prying old gentleman. The young man who sat directly behind them had also interjected a comment here and there throughout the course of the flight. He had informed Will that Elijah was thirty-four. He also told him that Elijah had taken custody of his brother at the age of eighteen; his brother was nine at the time. He didn’t elaborate as to the reason for this, which left Will wondering what had become of their parents. He didn’t care enough about it to ask.
The airfield, to his relief, had a car-rental service. He chose a small, compact Ford Focus. Katrina had given him directions to the ranch, but Will wasn’t very good at finding his way in unfamiliar territory. As he drove on with nothing in sight except fields and fences, trepidation and slight nausea began to rise in his stomach. I shouldn’t be here, I shouldn’t be getting involved. What the fuck am I doing? His thoughts began to wander back to the initial phone call from Elijah and that follow-up call from Katrina.
Her initial call was simply to brag, and her second was to ask for help. Elijah’s call was much more intriguing, and though it embarrassed Will to admit it, that was part of the reason—or maybe all of the reason—he had agreed to come. Will wanted to meet Elijah face to face. He wanted to see if he was as intimidating in person as he was on the telephone. Elijah had needed to blow up at someone, Will supposed, and it just happened to be him.
But Will wasn’t about to be the fall guy for Katrina’s mistakes, and that was why he had hung up on Elijah. It probably irritated the hell out of him that Will had the audacity to end the call so unceremoniously. He obviously considered himself lord and master and wasn’t used to being cut off. That is most likely why he wants this showdown, demanding to see me in person. Will smiled to himself at the thought of Elijah’s ridiculous accusations. How dare he accuse me of concocting Katrina’s whole scheme, the nerve of some people. Will wondered how Elijah handled the news of Katrina’s pregnancy and how the contract came into play. He knew he should have asked Katrina more questions when she called that second time, but the statement that Elijah would only consider releasing Katrina if Will would come to the ranch and speak with him personally had been completely unexpected and bewildering. Trying to figure why Elijah would force him to the ranch was foremost in his mind. It was probably just a power play.
Will’s thoughts continued to run in this general direction until suddenly, he heard a loud bang, and the car pulled hard to the left. “Damn!” he declared hotly. “Not a flat tire.” He pulled off the road as far as he could and got out to survey the damage. Flat tires were nothing new to him, and he was more than able to change it, but he would certainly get filthy in the process. He’d dressed carefully that morning in a white cotton shirt with the top button undone and dark blue slacks. His medium-length blond hair was styled to perfection. Would his look, so thoughtfully put together this morning, survive a tire change on a dusty road? Probably not, but his choices were limited, so he carefully removed his jacket and placed it in the backseat. That way, if he made a mess of his shirt, he could attempt to cover it up with a clean jacket.
He had the car jacked and was in the process of attempting to loosen the nuts when he heard a car approaching from behind. It was a large, black car with tinted windows. There was more than enough room for them to have passed him on the right, but instead they pulled up behind his vehicle and stopped. Will stood up, brushed the dust off of his pants, and ran his fingers through his hair, which was now sticking to his face in sweaty tendrils. A very tall, dark man exited the vehicle. Although Will always considered himself rather tall, this man made him feel small as he looked up at him. His clothing was dark—black pants, gray shirt, black jacket, and black boots. His face was partially hidden by a black hat, like a cowboy hat, but not exactly. He removed the hat, laying it on the roof of Will�
�s car, and ran his right hand through his short black hair. Will could now see radiant blue eyes that stared down at him with humor and… was that a little superiority or condescension he saw there? The man suddenly smiled at Will, and he found himself drawn into the man’s gaze, and before he could stop himself, he smiled back.
“May I help you?” the man asked. His voice was deep and quiet. Will was surprised and a little appalled at his own reaction to his presence. Why was he feeling so breathless and why was his heart racing? If only the man had ignored him and just kept going, were Will’s thoughts as he struggled to respond.
“No, I can handle this, thank you,” he stated, breathless yet firm, but it was as if the man hadn’t even heard him. He casually took the tools from his hands, pinning Will with his gaze as he did so. It was a challenge that he did not question or resist. Something told him it would be useless. Will continued to back up as the man moved toward him until he was gradually and completely edged out of the way.
Without another word, the man began changing the flat tire. The lug nut which Will had been struggling with for some time came off with ease under his pressure. He completed the job in silence, but as he finished tightening the last lug nut and began lowering the jack, he asked, “Where are you going?” The silence had been intense from the moment he began working. Will had been staring at him, watching him work quickly and easily with minimum effort, and his sudden question startled him. He stared at Will, and he was no longer smiling.
“The Hunter ranch.” He considered telling the man to mind his own business, but something told him that would not be a good idea. Just stay cordial and get this over with, he told himself. “My sister is there,” he added without any forethought.