“Do you have to go?” she asked. Her need grew with each touch. She wanted to drag him onto the floor and do the things they’d done to each other on the floor of the cabin. There was a lock on the door. No one would be the wiser. She pulled his hand, but he resisted.
“Need to face the music,” he said.
“When did you become such a loyal employee?”
His eyes flashed, and he crushed her lips in a devastating kiss.
“I learned it from you.” He stepped away from her. She watched him gather himself together. He straightened his collar and tie, put on his jacket that he’d lain across a chair, and took a deep breath.
“Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.” She stepped back as he strode out of the office and down the hall.
He said later that the meeting had gone better than expected. Robin had informed Gabe that she accepted a new position in Fort Worth and would be leaving immediately, not even giving a full day’s notice. Gabe finally admitted that she was the one who had filed the complaint.
Zeke stopped by Sophie’s office to tell her he’d be out for the rest of the day and would see her later. He’d pecked her on the lips absent-mindedly and hurried away. She wondered what he could be up to, but chalked it up to his mind being on his new career more than this one.
Chapter Thirty-One
Zeke watched Sophie as she flew through her house, getting ready for dinner with her parents. He'd wanted to gauge her reaction to his suggestion, and, as he'd thought they would, they'd argued when he'd tried to invite himself over. She had no legitimate excuse, simply said no to his request. He relented quickly, this time. But the next family dinner that came around would see him sitting at the Malloy's table, come hell or high water. He was going to make sure of that if he did nothing else before he died. She admitted that she feared her family's reaction to him, and he understood how difficult family dynamics could be. He wasn't telling her about his findings on the land dispute until he knew what his family's response would be. As far as she knew, he would be taking it easy at his place while she was at her parents’ house.
He had spent hours at the county courthouse researching old land grants and plot maps without telling her what he was up to. It had taken a lot of persistent digging, but he'd found what he was looking for. He concluded that the Malloys were right in their assertion that his great-grandfather had put his fence on their property. The fence was almost an acre inside the line and ran North/South through thirty acres of land until it connected with a county road. It had effectively cut the Malloy's land off from public access on the south end of the property. He could sympathize with Sophie's family for being upset. He'd found several instances where the same judge had ruled in his family's favor. He copied all the evidence and planned to take the matter up with Gabe, Nat, and his father. He wanted to set the issue to rights. He hoped his family would agree. He had set up a meeting when Sophie told him she was going to dinner without him.
He pulled up at Gabe's house and took a deep breath as he gathered the paperwork he'd assembled.
"Come in," Gabe said at the door. "I'm anxious to hear why you called this meeting. When was the last time you requested to meet with Tucker?" He stepped aside to give Zeke access. Nat was already there spread out on the couch watching an Astros baseball game.
"Me too. What's the big secret?" Nat asked. His bandage was gone. Zeke could see scars where the dog bite had been, but his brother's hand wasn't damaged as he wrapped his fingers around a long-neck bottle of Dos Equis beer.
"I'll tell you when Tucker gets here." Zeke went to the kitchen and pulled a beer out of the refrigerator. Gabe already had his own.
"Is he on his way?" Zeke asked.
"Yeah. He texted when he left the house. Should be pulling up any minute now," Gabe said. "Are you sure you don't want to fill us in first?" He drank some beer and set the bottle down beside the sink. He was dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt but wore no shoes. Zeke seldom saw his brother so relaxed.
"It can wait." Zeke sat at the dining room table and both his brothers joined him. Nat drummed his fingers on the table impatiently while holding his head in the other hand. Gabe sat quietly until he could stand it no longer. He reached over and stilled Nat's drumming by squashing his hand on the table.
"Can you please cut that out?" he asked. Nat shot a snarl at his brother, but stopped the noise. Tucker arrived about that time, so the brothers didn't get into a fight like they usually would have.
"What's so damned important that you guys pulled me away from my favorite team playing ball? I've got money on this game. The Astros better not let me down tonight. If they do, I'm blaming you guys for pulling their biggest fan away." Tucker's voice was as loud as a howler monkey in the jungles of Central America. Zeke rolled his eyes. He hated the way his father threw his weight around.
"I'm the one who called this meeting. You can blame me if your precious team takes a dive. Want to have a seat?" He pulled a chair out for his father and waited for the man to sit down. Gabe put a beer in front of Tucker and sat beside him.
"We're all clueless," Gabe said to his dad.
"I'll get right to the point. I've found out about some bad blood between the Malloy family and us. Anyone here know about this?" Zeke looked each man at the table in the eyes.
Gabe and Tucker nodded. Gabe seemed ashamed, but Tucker could have been playing poker for all the emotion on display. Nat looked confused.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Nat said. "Where'd you hear this?" His head was swiveling between Gabe, Tucker, and Zeke.
"Tucker, Gabe, want to fill us in?" Zeke asked. He sat back and waited.
"I'm your father. If I've said it once, I've said a thousand times, don't call me Tucker."
"Don't get puffed up and off the subject. Answer the question." Zeke said. He folded his arms across his chest, holding in the anger.
"I've heard about it," Gabe said. "A claim was made in the 1880s by the Malloys. They say that our family stole some of their land."
Tucker shifted uncomfortably but kept silent. The man looked guilty to Zeke.
"Father?" Zeke asked. He tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice but was afraid he failed when his father gave him the evil eye.
"I've heard the same claim," Tucker said. He had his arms crossed in a defensive pose, so Zeke thought he probably knew a lot more than he was admitting.
"I've done some research, and it seems their claims are true." Zeke pulled the packet of paperwork out and laid it on the table. Everyone but Tucker leaned forward and scanned the pages as Zeke pointed out what he'd found.
Nat and Gabe followed him as he explained his findings. Tucker sat stoically, watching his boys but giving no indication as to his feelings on the matter. His jaws were clenched, and Zeke could see a vein pulsing on his father's forehead. This was a clear sign that Tucker was unhappy.
"We need to make this right," Nat said when Zeke finished talking. Zeke patted his brother's back and nodded. He had counted on his little brother's support and felt proud to have it now.
"It's not that easy," Gabe said. He sat back and scratched his chin absent-mindedly.
"Why not?" Zeke asked. He wondered what machinations were running through his brother's mind.
"We've had that land for years. We've made improvements to the grasses. We're currently running cattle, and we've got a barn, pens, shoots. It also has one of the only gates with access to the county road." Tucker nodded at Gabe's answer.
"I know that. But it's all on land we don't own." Zeke said. It seemed black and white to him.
"That's a lot," Nat said. He sat back in his chair and watched the ceiling as if waiting for an answer from above.
"So, you're taking their side now?" Zeke asked, disappointment dripping from his mouth.
"I didn't say that." Nat stood and opened the fridge door. He pulled out another beer and sat back down. As he unscrewed the cap, he said, "I just meant that Gabe was right when he said it wouldn't be that easy
to fix the situation."
"We're not fixing anything," Tucker said. "This was all settled in court years ago."
"By a crooked judge," Zeke said. "How much did we pay him?" He looked to Gabe for the answer, knowing his father would be no help.
"I'd have to look it up," Gabe said. Typical lawyer answer, Zeke thought.
"How long have you known about this?" Zeke asked.
"I found out when I took the job of General Counsel. I had to be informed of any and all lawsuits in the past or pending in the present."
"And you didn't think we should do anything about it?" Zeke couldn't sit any longer. He got up with his hands on his hips. Gabe didn't get a chance to answer, because Tucker had finally decided to put his two cents in, loudly.
"Let sleeping dogs lie," Tucker said. "Why stir this up now?"
"Because, I'm dating Sophie Malloy. She is hiding our relationship from her family. She's terrified of what her dad will say or do when he finds out. I don't plan to stop seeing her, so we have to make this right. It's the only way." He turned to his father. "You always told us that Harts don't lie, but I'm finding out that not only do we lie, but we also cheat and steal. And you've lied to us for years. You hypocrite."
Tucker pushed his chair back and got in Zeke's face. His hands were fisted, and his nostrils flared.
"Don't take that attitude with me, boy," he said. "All this over a girl? Man up."
Zeke stepped forward into his father's space and said, "Back off."
"I can still whoop your ass in a heartbeat."
"Try it, old man." Zeke pulled his arm back, ready to swing.
Nat and Gabe jumped up. Nat pulled Zeke back, and Gabe grabbed his father by the arms to keep him from pulling a punch.
"Stop acting like children," Gabe said. For once, Zeke was glad that his brother was the eternal voice of reason. He needed his father to cooperate, not give him a black eye.
The two adversaries were breathing hard, but Zeke stepped away from Nat and shook his arms as if to shake off the anger. Tucker was still fuming, and Gabe hadn't let go.
"Can we talk about this without resorting to violence?" Nat asked.
Tucker nodded. He shrugged Gabe off, but he didn't look happy to be sitting back down.
"Let's say we did want to make this right," Nat said, "What would we have to do?"
"Give it back," Zeke said.
"And what about all our investments in the property?" Tucker asked. The look in his eyes could have cut two by fours in half.
"It's all from ill-gotten gains. Let it all go." Zeke saw this as the only solution. He continued by saying, "If we give them the property with all the improvements, what complaint would they have? And we can well afford it."
Nat was nodding, but Gabe and Tucker weren't.
"What?" he asked Gabe.
"I'd have to think about this. There are many legal ramifications."
"Well, think about it. Figure it out. Fast." Zeke said. He purposefully didn't address his father. If Gabe decided it was the right thing to do, he'd convince Tucker. Zeke could always work on another angle. He would go to his mother if push came to shove. Phyllis was well respected in the community and loved her social standing. He was sure she'd want to help. He'd save that ace up his sleeve until he needed it, though.
"I'm going home. This is too ridiculous to contemplate. I didn't raise you boys to throw money down the drain. You think this over real good before you go doing something stupid." Tucker stood and put his hat on his head.
"Could you wait? We need to discuss this." Zeke had his hands fisted again and was ready to punch Tucker in the nose.
Tucker's presence dominated the little dining room. He looked at each of his sons with disdain. He was almost shouting when he said, "I'll tell you this. If you boys decide to do this thing, I'll have nothing to do with it. And you will owe me whatever amount of money we lose. Understood?" He stomped out of the house and slammed the door shut.
"Well?" Zeke asked.
"Let me look into it," Gabe said.
"So, you agree with Nat and me?" Zeke asked.
"I guess. It seems only fair to give back their own property. Should we give them all the improvements? I don't know. I'll need to see how much we're talking about."
"What would be the alternative?" Nat asked.
"Sell them the barn? Charge them for the improved grass expenses?" Zeke asked. "Impossible. All that was done without their permission on their land. We have no claim."
"Let me look into it, I said." Gabe pounded the table to get their attention.
"Do it," Zeke said. "Do you need this?" He indicated the paperwork he'd brought along.
"Sure. Leave it. I'll get to work on it first thing in the morning."
"Thanks, Gabe. I owe you one." Zeke said.
"You owe me more than one," Gabe said. "You almost got your nose broken tonight."
"Oh, he's all bluff, besides, he's old now. I could take him in a heartbeat." Zeke was bluffing now. He knew that his father would have hit him, and probably would have broken his nose, if Gabe hadn't held him back. The man's temper was legendary within the family circle. He might be getting older, but he was still a force to be reckoned with.
"You're welcome." Nat laughed at Gabe's sarcasm.
"Can we watch the game now?" he asked.
Gabe and Zeke nodded.
They picked up their drinks and went to the living room to settle on Gabe's reclining sofa and watch the game on his sixty-five-inch screen. Zeke felt sure Gabe would figure out an amicable solution. He needed his brother to come through, and he didn't give a fig what his father thought about the whole thing. He wasn't paying any money back. The money wasn't theirs. And despite the duplicity perpetrated in the past, he was one Hart who didn't cheat, steal or lie.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Thursday night rolled around again, and Sophie had grave apprehensions. Zeke would accompany her to her parents’ house for dinner, after much cajoling. He’d never asked for much from her, so she eventually caved in and said yes. She was sure the evening would end in disaster. She dressed casually and was surprised to find Zeke wearing a business suit when he came to pick her up.
“Why are you still dressed for the office?” she asked.
“I want your parents to like me.”
“They’ll think you’re stiff and stuck-up if you go in there looking like that. Maybe we can stop by your place. You can change into jeans.” She kissed his lips tenderly, but he shook his head.
“Nope. This is it.” He set his jaw, and she knew she wouldn’t change his mind.
“Your funeral,” she said. She gathered her purse and keys and walked out with him. He opened her door like a gentleman, but she knew he was checking her legs out as she slid into the passenger seat. She liked his attention, so didn’t let on that she knew his secret.
“I’m optimistic about tonight. You might be surprised. My natural charm can be quite overwhelming, you know.” He grinned as he turned the key and pulled out of her driveway.
“We’ll see.” She was nervous and couldn’t keep her hands still. Zeke reached across the console and took her hands in his.
“Calm down. It’s going to be a great night.” She watched him in profile. Such a strong face. His self-confidence was almost enough to convince her that all would be well. When they pulled into her parents’ drive, she sighed deeply.
“Here goes nothing,” she said as Zeke helped her out of the truck. He took the casserole she’d prepared from the back seat and walked to the front door with her. As she opened the door, he could hear the television going. Sean was seated next to his fiancé, Patrice. Zeke was anxious to meet her. She’d gone to the same high school as he and Sean but had been several years behind them. He’d heard nice things about her since Sophie told him about the impending nuptials.
“Hey,” Sophie said as they stepped in, and Zeke shut the door.
Sean’s mouth fell open. Sophie glared at him, so he snapped it shut and said
nothing. Patrice seemed confused, but she didn’t get a chance to say anything before Billy walked into the room. Sophie tensed up as her dad walked toward her.
“What’s the meaning of this?” he asked her without looking at Zeke.
“Pops, give me a chance to explain,” Sophie began.
“Actually, I have something I’d like to say to everyone here before you decide to throw me out the door,” Zeke said as he stepped up beside Sophie. Her mom had walked into the room, so Zeke held out the casserole, and she took it from him.
“Let me put this in the kitchen,” she said and darted off with the dish. Sophie watched Pop’s face go from pasty white to bright red. She was surprised he was holding his temper as well as he was.
“Start talking. Harts aren’t welcome here,” Billy said.
“Pops, Zeke’s my guest.”
“What were you thinking? Bringing a Hart here.” He shook his finger at her emphatically.
“Can we all sit down for a minute? What I have to say shouldn’t take long.” Zeke held his hands out imploringly as he walked to the couch and sat beside Sean. They nodded to each other. Sophie saw Sean squeeze Patrice’s hand and lean over to whisper something in her ear. She kept a poker face. The same could not be said for Billy.
“I’ll stand, thank you very much,” he said.
“Have it your way. It’s your house,” Zeke said in a kind voice. Sophie had no idea what he planned to say or do, and it worried her enough that she might just lose what little food was in her stomach if this situation didn’t improve quickly.
“Soph has been telling me about the land issues our families had back in the 1880s, so I looked into it.”
“You son of a bitch. Don’t come in here talking about issues. Your great-grandfather was a thieving rascal and …”
“If you’ll let me finish,” Zeke interrupted. “I found out that my great-grandfather was a thieving rascal, as you put it. He also paid off a judge so that his theft would go unpunished. It’s my understanding that the Harts have acted as if the land he stole was theirs to do with as they pleased for over a hundred years. With that in mind, I’d probably throw me out if I were in your shoes, Mr. Malloy.”
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