by Judy Duarte
“That’s right. Henry and Jack McGee were old friends. In fact, my husband prepared all three of Jack’s wills.”
“Three?”
“That’s right.”
“Are you sure?”
She smiled proudly and nodded, the silvery strands in her hair glistening in the morning sunlight. “I worked with my husband ever since we got married, back in 1981. So I’m familiar with most of his clients and the work he did for them. I was out on disability leave when Alana came to the office, but my husband kept me in the loop.”
Talk about a stroke of luck. Alana had a witness who could corroborate her story.
“Please, come in,” Doris said, as she turned and limped to a floral-printed, overstuffed chair. “Have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”
Clay closed the door and sat on the matching sofa that faced her chair. “So you and your husband are both retired?”
“I suppose you could say that, although we’d planned to work another year or two. I had a knee replacement last winter, then got an infection and had to have it redone. So I took some time off to heal, and Henry hired a woman from the temp agency to fill in for me. But I was working the day Henry came in and told Jack that he’d met his granddaughter, and he was ecstatic. You see, he and his late wife only had one child—a daughter they both adored. But they had a falling out years ago.” She leaned back in the chair. “Well, if you’re Alana’s friend, you probably know all about that.”
“Yes, some of it. She and her grandfather found each other through a DNA registry site.”
“That was a real blessing. Jack hadn’t been very happy the last few years. And he’d been lonely after his wife died.” She sobered. “But I get the feeling that’s not why you’re here.”
“You’re right,” Clay said. “I had a few questions I wanted to ask your husband, but I heard he was having a few memory issues.”
“That’s true. We thought he was coming down with Alzheimer’s or the like. Turns out it was a brain tumor. Benign—thank the Lord—and they got it all.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Clay said.
“Since I was his paralegal, I might be able to answer your questions.”
“I hope you can,” Clay said. “Olivia McGee claims that Alana took advantage of Jack when he was sick and on pain medication. She’s contesting the will.”
“That’s a shame,” Doris said. “I have to admit, Henry’s memory isn’t quite up to snuff, so he might not be a good witness for Alana. But I’d be happy to set the record straight as much as I can.”
“That’s good to know,” Clay said. “What can you tell me?”
Doris placed her hands on the edge of both armrests and sat forward. “Jack originally left his estate to his brother, Larry. But six years ago, after Larry died, Jack changed the will.”
“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”
“Jack loved his brother. But he never did like Olivia. Thought she was a gold digger. So he told Henry he’d be damned if he’d leave that woman anything. So he decided to give everything to the Boys & Girls Club in Kalispell. But then he told us how he’d found Alana through that DNA website. We’d never seen him so happy. That is, not in the years after Janice, his daughter and only child, ran off. He loved that girl with all his heart, and when she up and eloped with the Perez boy, it darn near killed him.”
“So that’s why he changed his will a third time and left everything to Alana?”
“You got that right. She’s a good girl. A lot like her mama used to be. But not likely to chase after a loser.”
No, Clay thought. That wasn’t at all likely. And all he had to do was convince Alana that he wasn’t the kind of man she thought he was.
“If I go back to the office,” Doris said, “I can give you a copy of the three wills. Henry was of sound mind for all of them, even the one he did just after Jack found Alana—I can vouch for that.”
“That would be great.”
“Better yet...” Doris broke into a grin. “I’ve been converting Henry’s documents into electronic files, and I can email those wills to you.”
“I’d appreciate it. And so will Alana. Thank you.”
“Can I offer you a cup of coffee?” she asked. “Or maybe a glass of sweet tea? It won’t take me long.”
“I don’t mind waiting. And sweet tea sounds good.”
Thirty minutes later, Clay drove to Kalispell to see Darrell Grimes, Olivia’s attorney. Fortunately, the heavy-set older man had time to see Clay and invited him back to his private office.
Once Clay was seated in front of the man’s polished oak desk, he said, “I’m not sure if you know this, but your client is going to battle without any bullets.”
“What makes you say that?”
Clay told him what he’d learned from Doris Dahlberg. “I can provide you with copies of all three wills.”
“You don’t say.” Darrell leaned back in his leather chair, the springs creaking from the strain of his girth, and folded his arms across his chest. “I truly believed Mrs. McGee’s claim, that your friend Alana had taken advantage of a lonely old man. And that she’d used an old small-town lawyer who was suffering from dementia to help her pull it off. But apparently, my client doesn’t have a leg to stand on. I’ll give her a call and suggest that she drop the case.”
Clay hoped Olivia would take her attorney’s advice. Either way, Alana had a strong case. And he couldn’t wait to tell her.
* * *
Alana woke early on Tuesday, eager to drive into town and to cast her vote for Ramon. Leon may have dropped out of the race, which meant Ramon was sure to win, but she wanted to show her complete support of Callie’s new husband. Then she drove home and spent the rest of the morning cleaning out the bedroom where Clay had once slept, determined to turn it into a nursery. That is, if she was still living at Rancho Esperanza when the baby was born.
She’d no more than packed up the last of Grandpa’s clothing into a box when Rascal and Licorice began to bark, letting her know someone had driven into the yard.
She didn’t have to look out the window to know it was Clay. She’d figured he’d come back, especially since she’d told him she was pregnant with his baby. And while she wasn’t ready to talk to him, like it or not, she’d probably be tied to him in one way or another for the next eighteen years, so she’d better get used to dealing with him.
After taking a deep, fortifying breath, she went to the front door, where she found him standing on the porch, his hat in hand. One that hadn’t belonged to Grandpa. His shirt and jeans were new, too.
“What do you want?” she asked—and not very nicely.
“We need to talk about a lot of things, mostly the baby. But first, I’d like to solve your dilemma.”
He was her biggest dilemma. She crossed her arms, resting them on her baby bump. “I’m not selling my ranch.”
“I know that. I’m not offering to buy it.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
He handed her a letter, similar to the one the process server had given her from Olivia’s attorney.
She cocked her head slightly and frowned. “What’s this?”
“A letter stating that Olivia McGee is dropping the case.”
As much as she’d wanted to punch Clay’s lights out last night and wail at him earlier this morning, she couldn’t help but soften. “Are you sure?”
“I spoke to her attorney this morning. I also talked to Doris Dahlberg, Henry’s wife and paralegal. Olivia’s claims are completely unmerited, and Doris would have been happy to testify in your defense if Olivia hadn’t agreed to withdraw her suit.”
“I...” Alana glanced down at the letter in her hands, at the law firm’s return address. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Rest assured, Alana, no one is going to take this ranch away from you.”
“But what about the lien?” she asked, hesitant to believe him yet desperate to hang on to the best news she’d heard in months.
“I stopped by the roofing company, too. It appears that one of their subcontractors failed to sign a lien release. I’m not entirely sure how that happened, and we might not get to the bottom of it until Monday, when the bookkeeper gets back to the office, but I’m on it.”
She stiffened. “I don’t need your help.”
“Maybe not, but you’ve got it anyway. And that has nothing to do with my father’s interest in Rancho Esperanza. I told him it wasn’t for sale and insisted that he back off and leave you alone.”
She merely stared at him, her lips parted.
“I’m sorry for not coming clean when my memory began to return, but honey, I’m on your side. Not my father’s.”
She wanted to believe him. But...
“Ever since I passed the Texas bar, I’ve been working as the family attorney. And I’ve just begun to question my loyalty to my father.”
“I don’t understand.”
“My dad has been purchasing ranches around here because he thinks the state might put a highway through the area. And if that’s the case, they’ll pay you for whatever stretch of property they might need. And there’ll be a lot of businesses springing up, making some properties near Fairborn a lot more valuable than people think. But I know you like the ranch the way it is.”
It all made sense. And she wanted to believe him, to trust him. But she didn’t want to make another mistake by pinning her hopes and dreams on someone unworthy of her love.
“I’ll admit,” Clay said, “that my father sent me to Colorado to meet with you and to convince you to sell. But from the moment I saw you, all bets were off. Not only were you far more attractive than I’d been told but you were honest, genuine and—” He paused.
“And what?”
“Damn, Alana. I’ve never met anyone like you. And before the night was over, I realized that I didn’t care whether you sold the ranch or not.”
“And now?”
“I’m even more convinced that Rancho Esperanza belongs to the McGee family—and that it’s rightfully yours.”
God, how she longed to believe him.
He reached out and, using his knuckles, stroked her cheek. “When you suggested that we make love, my conscience rose up. I wanted to say something then and there, but I was so caught up in the moment, so swayed by you, that I went along with the idea. I promised myself that I’d tell you who I was in the morning.”
“And then I left. While it was still dark.”
He nodded. “When I woke up and found you gone, I felt an emptiness that left me stunned. And for the first time, I was at a complete loss as to what to do.”
“So you waited to find me for four months?”
“Yes, but for what it’s worth, your rejection really stung. More than anything I think I’d ever experienced.”
She knew how that felt. Seeing him and his father in the yard yesterday, hearing them talk, realizing that they’d been plotting against her...or, at least, believing they were.
“Alana, I’ve been trying to fit in and be accepted by my father and half brothers for so damned long that I made up my mind I wasn’t going to chase after you. I chalked up that evening to a one-night stand—as memorable as it was. And, believe it or not, I encouraged my father to focus on buying another Montana ranch, although he was dead set on having yours.”
That fit, she supposed. And while she might be too naive, too stupid when it came to him, she wanted to believe him. Needed to believe him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I hope you’ll forgive me.”
She didn’t have to think about that very long. The sincerity in his eyes reached deep into her heart and soul. “I forgive you.”
A slow smile stretched across his face. “I love you, Alana. And I want to be a part of our baby’s life. I want to live with you here. On the ranch. But whether you desire a romantic relationship with me or not, know that my loyalty belongs only to you and to our son or daughter. You two are the only family I hope to be a part of.”
She not only believed him, she saw the love in his eyes, felt it deep in her own heart, and she was lost. “I love you, too, Clay. I think I fell for you the moment you asked if you could sit at my table. And I’ve only come to love you more each day.”
“You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to hear you say that.” Then he took her in his arms and kissed her, sweetly and soundly.
When the kiss ended, he placed his hand along her cheek and gazed into her eyes. “I’m taking you out to dinner tonight to celebrate.”
“I have a better idea.” She reached up, took his hand from her face, and just as she’d done the night they met, she led him down the hall and to her bedroom.
* * *
“I like the way you celebrate,” Clay said, as he walked with Alana to her room.
“I thought you might.” She tossed him a happy smile.
“But I still want to take you to dinner tonight,” he said. “Someplace special.”
“All right, but I’m not hungry right now.”
“I am. Hungry for you.”
As she began unbuttoning the front of her pale green dress, she kept her eyes peeled on him, watching him as carefully as he was watching her.
Damn, she was beautiful. And sexy. He was itching to touch her, to kiss her, to make love with her again. Over the past few days, he’d had a lot of memories come to mind, but none of them were as real or as memorable as the sight of sweet Alana wearing only a white lace bra and matching panties. This vision would be branded in his brain and in his heart for as long as he lived. “You take my breath away, honey.”
She placed a hand on her baby bump, as if covering it from his view. Did she think it might be a turnoff? No way. It made her even more appealing.
He placed his hand over hers, where it rested over their child. “Don’t hide your pregnancy. Not from me. I like seeing you that way—and knowing I took part in creating our baby.”
A flood of emotion swelled in her eyes—appreciation was one. And love was another. But passion burned bright.
The heat rushing through his veins damn near set the room ablaze, and he couldn’t wait to celebrate what they were feeling for each other.
He removed his shirt and tossed it aside. Then, after shedding his boots, pants and boxer briefs, he kissed her again, taking it tantalizingly slow and easy, savoring the taste of her, the feel of her in his arms, the warmth of her touch.
He slid his hands along the curve of her back and down the slope of her hips.
She leaned into him, against his growing erection, and a surge of desire shot clear through him. When she drew her mouth from his, he felt an instant loss. But as she began to remove her bra, freeing two beautiful breasts, his blood began to pound a primal beat.
Once she removed her panties and had bared herself to him, she kissed him again. Her breasts pressed against his chest, skin to skin, heart to heart.
He continued to stroke her soft, silky flesh, to caress her curves. When he reached her breast, he brushed his thumb across a taut nipple. Her breath caught, and a liquid flame shot through his bloodstream. He continued to fondle her breasts, first one, then the other until he couldn’t stand to prolong the foreplay any longer.
As if reading his mind, she slid out of his arms, climbed onto the bed and stretched out on top of the comforter. Then she opened her arms, silently inviting him to join her.
She didn’t have to ask him twice. As he lay beside her, he kissed her again, taking up where they’d left off. Tasting, touching, stroking until he thought he might explode.
He hovered over her and searched her passion-glazed eyes. “Are you ready?”
“More than ready, Clay.” She opened for him, reached for his erecti
on and guided him...home.
He entered her, and she arched up to meet each of his thrusts. A climax built until the world stood still and they came together in a sexual explosion that turned him inside out—and every which way but loose.
He’d had other lovers before, but he’d never experienced anything like this. Anyone like her.
As they rested in an amazing afterglow, Clay turned to the side. They faced each other. Neither of them spoke. They just lay there, amazed at what they’d shared and the future that awaited them.
He reached out and touched the soft spot at the bottom of her throat. His fingers trailed along her chest, between her breasts and lower, to the growing bulge where their baby grew.
“Would it be okay if I went with you to your next doctor’s appointment?” he asked.
“I’d love that. I’m glad you want to be involved.”
He did, but it was even more than that. “I need to make sure you’re healthy, that the baby is healthy. And I’d like to meet the doctor.” He went on to share how his mother had lost a baby and how he didn’t want anything to happen to her or to their child.
“Just a heads-up,” he said. “I’m probably going to be worried the entire time.”
“I’m glad you’re concerned about us, but I don’t want you to worry. I have a good doctor. She’s one of the best in the area. According to her, the ultrasound looked fine, the baby’s growing. So things are moving along as expected.”
“That’s good to know.” He brushed a strand of hair from her brow. “I’ve been thinking about something else, too.”
“What’s that?”
“I’d like to help you make a go of the ranch. But I’d also like to take the Montana bar exam. I want to practice law in Fairborn. I might only work part-time, but I want to offer my services to people who need legal aid but can’t afford it.”
“That’s very cool. I’d like that. We can rebuild the ranch together. And you can help others rebuild their lives.”
That’s the way he saw it, too. He’d found his soul mate. The woman who’d be his best friend, his life’s partner and his lover.
