Accidental Homecoming

by Sabrina York

  His words trailed off when he saw Danny and more gaping ensued. Honestly, if it was going to be like this with everyone he met, he might just walk back to Vegas now.

  “Hello, young man,” he said at long last, thrusting out a hand. “I’m Bill Watney. Welcome. Right on time, I see. We...ah...need to wait for everyone else to arrive.”

  Everyone? The thought sent prickles up his nape.

  “Mark, why don’t you take Daniel to the meeting room while I collect the papers?”

  “Sure thing, sir.” Mark nodded his head at Danny as he led the way. “Come on. More comfortable in here.”

  Frankly, the meeting room didn’t look any more comfortable—it was easily as fancy as the entrance, if not more—but it had the benefit of privacy. Or at least the pretense of it. When Mark closed the door behind them, Danny shook his head. “I never imagined my presence could cause such a kerfuffle.”

  He shrugged. “Life moves slower here. Some of us have more time to gossip than we ought.”

  Small town life. Awesome.

  The two men sat for a while in the plush room, sharing small talk and sipping the lemonade Gladys brought them, along with the news that Samantha, the sister, was on her way. It was a pleasant respite for Danny, who was still beset with thoughts of Lizzie and Emma, and struggled to embrace the surreal fact that he had...a family.

  It was clear Mark was doing all he could to make Danny feel at home, which was damn nice. A far cry from the rancorous welcome he’d expected.

  But when he heard a female voice in the other room, his tranquility fled. He leaped to his feet and faced the door, his heart thudding and his stomach in a knot.

  He was about to meet his sister. Half sister.

  Why was that such a terrifying prospect?

  The door swung open and Samantha Stirling stepped through. Though short in stature, and rather petite compared to Mark’s bulk, it was clear she was a force to be reckoned with. Her jet-black hair was cut in a long bob that complemented her heart-shaped face. Her eyes were wide and bright and blue, fringed by dark lashes, and she had that signature dent in her chin. Her expression was fierce. She was, in a word, intimidating.

  She stared at him for a moment, looked him up and down, crossed her arms over her chest and then...grunted.

  Mark chuckled. “Get it now?”

  In response, she glared at her brother. “I’m not a complete idiot.”

  “So you say.”

  Pointedly, she turned her back on Mark and thrust out a hand. “I’m Samantha, but everyone calls me Sam. Welcome, Daniel,” she said in a tone that was decidedly unwelcoming. But Danny couldn’t blame her.

  “He goes by Danny,” Mark interjected.

  “Danny.” She studied him some more and then said, “Where are you staying?”

  The conversational pivot caught him off guard. He’d expected a grilling of a completely different kind. “Um...at the hotel in town?”

  “The hotel?” Her ferocity took him aback. “You’re not staying there.”

  Danny blinked and glanced at Mark, who shrugged.

  She whirled back to Mark. “He’s staying at the house.”

  “Uh, I’m okay at a hotel. I don’t want to be a bother.” A lie. He could hardly afford the hotel. At least, not for a prolonged stay.

  Sam snorted. “I’m not having the entire town think you’re not welcome under our roof.” Again, she spoke with distinct pique.

  “The house is huge,” Mark said. “You’ll be much more comfortable there. Plus, it will give us all a chance to get to know each other better.”

  “Are you sure the others won’t mind?” Danny asked.

  Sam rolled her eyes. “It hardly matters. As a family, we need to present a unified front.” She didn’t say it, but Danny could hear the unspoken part of the sentence. Whether we want to or not.

  “Great. It’s settled then,” Mark said cheerfully.

  “What’s settled?” A gravelly voice filled the room, and Danny turned to see the entryway shadowed by two more enormous men, dwarfing an old woman between them.

  When the men’s gazes landed on him, he wanted to shrink into the floor. And he’d thought Sam was intimidating? Holy hell.

  The taller man’s eyes narrowed and little lines crinkled around his mouth in a way that telegraphed his displeasure. The other man, only slightly less tall, had a similar response, which was only a little more menacing due to the scar traversing his right cheek.

  They both remained silent.

  The tiny woman between them, however, did not.

  She broke the awkward pause by scurrying forward with a sprightliness that belied her age and, avoiding all efforts to corral her to the safer side of the room, rushed into Danny’s arms.

  Well, not his arms per se, because he hadn’t been prepared for a hug. Other than that far too-brief embrace with Lizzie this morning, no one had hugged him in a long time.

  But this woman did. She smelled of lilacs and perfumed soap, which was, to his surprise, kind of comforting. She seemed both frail and ferocious.

  “Daniel. You’ve finally come home.” She took his hand and led him to the divan, oblivious of her guardian’s glowers. Then again, the glowers were meant for Danny. However, had he been of the mind to refuse her guidance, he doubt he could have broken away from that iron grip. Once they were seated, side by side, she patted him incessantly and prattled on about how thrilled she was to see him.

  All while the two men glared at him.

  Mark, once again, saved him. “Danny, this is Dorthea, our grandmother. And these are our other brothers. This is DJ.” He nodded to the taller one, who stiffened slightly in greeting.

  “My name is Daniel Stirling the third,” he said. “Most people call me DJ.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Given the circumstances, I think we should stick to that.”

  O-o-okay. Danny couldn’t help thinking DJ’s tone could have iced a beer.

  But Mark wasn’t done introducing surly people yet. “And this is your other brother Luke.” He gestured to the scarred sibling.

  “Uh...nice to meet you guys,” Danny said with a nod.

  “Half brother,” Luke muttered.

  “None of that. Remember?” Sam snapped. “We agreed. A united front.”

  Luke blew out a breath and raked back his hair, revealing more scars. Danny forced away his gaze. It probably wouldn’t help the situation to stare.

  But what would help this situation?

  “Look,” he said to everyone, “I’m only here because I was asked to come. I don’t want to cause any trouble. As soon as all this is wrapped up, I’ll be on my way.”

  He had no idea why DJ and Luke exchanged a sarcastic glance.

  Or maybe he did.

  Maybe that was what they would expect of an outsider. To sweep in, rake up some cash and be gone.

  Which was the plan, so there was no need for that little ping of pain in his chest, was there? Why should he care what they thought of him?

  But somehow, even though he’d only just met them, he did.

  “Oh, look, Bill,” Dorthea warbled as William Watney entered the room juggling a stack of papers. “Daniel has come home.”

  Watney glanced from Dorthea to Danny and nodded. “How nice.” He dropped his burden onto the cherrywood desk at the far end of the room. “Shall we begin?”

  “Please,” DJ said crisply.

  As DJ was the one the lawyer had addressed, Danny realized that, in this family, he was the leader of the pack and he filed that bit of information away.

  “Excellent.” The others all sat. Danny couldn’t help noticing Luke’s limp as he made his way to a chair. Watney cleared his throat in a way that made his wattle wobble. “Ahem. As you all know, Daniel Stirling Senior had a very particular belief about life—”

  “Here we go,” Luk
e muttered.

  Watney sent him a quelling glance, but given the mustache and muttonchops, Danny was doubtful he made his point.

  “At any rate, he has always been very particular about the importance of family.” He paused and glanced at each of them in turn, as though waiting for some other rebellion. When it was not forthcoming, he continued. “This belief is reflected in his will.” Watney fished through the papers and pulled out an official-looking document. “In short, he has left everything to his five living heirs, to be split equally, five ways—”

  “Isn’t that sweet?” Dorthea cooed.

  “What?” Luke bellowed. “Five ways?” He glared at Danny. “How do we even know he is who he says he is?”

  Which got Danny’s dander up. Without thinking, he sprang to his feet. “Now wait a damn minute. He’s the one who asked me here.” He pointed at Watney, who rolled his eyes. “Last week, I didn’t even have a clue that any of you existed, which, quite frankly, was fine with me.”

  Luke leaped to his feet, as well. “Are we not even going to ask for a blood test?” he asked the room at large.

  Watney raised his hand, asking for silence, perhaps. Everyone ignored him.

  “You want a blood test?” Danny bellowed. Somehow they were now nose-to-nose. “I’ll give you a damned blood test.”

  “Both of you, sit down,” Watney hollered. Though they continued to glower at each other, both Danny and Luke took their seats. Once they were settled again, the lawyer continued. “A blood test, in this situation, is irrelevant.”

  Danny’s pulse thudded. “What?”

  Everyone’s attention swiveled back to the man with all the information.

  “What do you mean?” DJ asked.

  Watney shrugged. “A blood test is irrelevant, from a legal standpoint. Daniel Diem is named in the will as an heir. He’s not named as a grandchild, so whether he is Stirling blood or not doesn’t matter. He’s an heir, just like all of you.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Luke growled. “I demand a blood test.”

  Sam frowned. “You know what it will tell us. Look at his face.” She waved in Danny’s direction.

  “I don’t care. I want his DNA.”

  “Calm down,” DJ barked. He nodded at Watney to continue.

  The lawyer harrumphed a little, as old-time lawyers tended to do, and then repeated himself. “Your grandfather has left everything to his five living heirs, to be split equally. The only codicil is that all five heirs must work at the ranch for a period of three years before receiving their inheritance.”

  Danny’s heart jerked. Three years? Trapped here? But what about Emma? What about Lizzie?

  “Son of a—” Luke bounded to his feet and began to pace, his limp even more pronounced. “He’s still doing it. Even from beyond the grave. That man can’t help but control every damned thing!”

  Sam was more prosaic in her reaction. She frowned at the lawyer. “What if one of the heirs doesn’t want to stay three years and work on the ranch?” And, yes, her gaze skittered to Danny.

  Watney looked down at the papers, but more to avoid her gaze than anything else.

  “Well?” DJ asked.

  The lawyer fiddled with his mustache for a few moments and then sighed. “He was very clear that you must all work on the ranch. And if any one of you refuses to adhere to the terms of the will, the ranch in its entirety reverts to...Johnson Cage.”

  A heavy silence fell. And then, all hell broke loose.

  All the Stirlings leaped to their feet and began talking at once. All except Mark, who threw back his head and laughed...bitterly.

  Luke mostly swore because, apparently, he had no intention of staying in this godforsaken town for three years and Sam turned to DJ to ask if they had the assets to buy someone out. For his part, DJ tried to calm everyone down, to no avail.

  “Who is Johnson Cage?” Danny asked when the hubbub had quieted enough to be heard.

  “Who is Johnson Cage?” Luke snarled.

  DJ cleared his throat. “He was our grandfather’s partner—”

  “Ex-partner,” Sam said with vitriol.

  “They had a falling-out. Decades ago. Split the ranch in half,” Mark explained. “Never spoke again.”

  “He hated Johnson Cage.” Sam shook her head. “Why would he do this?”

  “Don’t you get it?” Luke snarled. “It’s just his way. He can’t bear for us to have any peace. Even after death he feels obliged to control us.”

  As the conversation roiled around him, Danny’s mind spun. Part of him registered the fact that Daniel Stirling Senior, his grandfather, was indeed attempting to force his grandchildren to work on the ranch, together, for three years. Why else would anyone threaten to leave everything to a sworn enemy?

  The other part of his brain was dealing with the monumental realization that he’d just inherited one fifth of a fortune. He could pay off Mikey. Get his car out of George’s garage. All his financial worries were solvable now.

  But there was more than that. There was Emma and Lizzie, too. He would be able to take care of them now. He could be a real father. He could—

  “May I finish?” Watney bellowed over the din.

  To their credit, the Stirling clan settled down, though Luke still glared in Danny’s direction.

  “Thank you.” His jowls quivered a tad.

  Luke interrupted before the older man could continue. “Let’s focus on the ridiculous requirement that we work the ranch for three years.” A red flush rose on his cheeks. He glared at Watney. “Isn’t there some legal precedent here?”

  “Yes.” Watney speared him with a somber glance. “Your grandfather stated the terms of his will. You either comply or you don’t.”

  Luke paled, making his scar more pronounced. “This is blackmail,” he said.

  Watney sighed. “I was your grandfather’s lawyer for over thirty years. I knew the man as well as you did. Are any of you really surprised?” When no one responded, the lawyer continued. “The fact of the matter is, these are his wishes. Why don’t you all take a few days to process this, and then we can meet again?”

  It was pretty clear that Watney understood this was a lot for them to take in, let alone getting acquainted with their new half sibling. He collected his copious papers and left them alone in the room, nodding to the group as he shut the door.

  A fresh and febrile awkwardness descended. At least, on Danny. Because everyone else—other than Dorthea—turned their attention to him.

  “So,” Luke said—rather pointedly, Danny thought. “What are you going to do?”

  Danny blinked. “I—I don’t know. I’m as surprised as all of you.” Honestly, he’d expected much less. Little to nothing, to be precise. He needed time to work through all of this. Time without these people staring at him. Thank God, Lizzie had stayed. He’d never needed to talk to her more.

  “I think we should head back to the house,” DJ said. “We have a lot to discuss and I’d prefer to be somewhere private.”

  Everyone nodded and they all stood. As Luke gave a hand to Dorthea, he pinned Danny with a dark, incomprehensible look. “You, too, brother,” he said on a hiss.

  Oh? Oh, really? Now that they needed him? For their inheritance? Too bad. As low as his bank account might be, he had other priorities.

  “Sorry,” Danny said as nonchalantly as he could. “But I can’t stay.” He glanced at his watch, just to make a point, even though he wasn’t wearing one.

  Sam’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding? Where else could you possibly need to be right now?”

  Danny’s annoyance mingled with a strange sense of satisfaction as he took in their affronted expressions. Was it wrong that he kind of enjoyed irritating his...siblings?

  He turned to DJ. “If you want to talk about this with me, it will have to be later.”

 
DJ gave him a stern look, but nodded. “Will you come over for supper?”

  Danny frowned. “I suppose.”

  “Great.” Mark wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “I’ll pick you up at the hotel around five. Will that work?”

  “Yeah.” He couldn’t be standoffish to Mark, who was the only one who seemed to be making an effort at any sort of friendship. “All right.” He nodded to all of them and skedaddled as fast as he could.

  He was new to this whole sibling thing, but he’d learned one thing right off the bat. Family was best taken in small doses.

  Chapter Five

  Danny was still a little dumbfounded when he walked into the B&G after the meeting with his family. It took him a minute to find Lizzie waiting for him in a booth. When she saw him, she waved.

  “So how did it go?” she asked as he slid into the booth. She passed her coffee to him and he took a long sip.

  “Thanks.” He slid the mug back. “Wow. It was something.”

  “So you do have a family?” Her eyes were bright, beautiful and slightly amused. He could tell she was dying to know. She probably thought it would be wonderful for him to finally have a real family. Yeah. He’d thought the same thing. Until he’d met them.

  “I suppose.” He let out something that was almost a laugh. “I’ll probably have to take a blood test for that, too, but the blood test for Emma comes first. I promise.”

  Lizzie’s smile faded into a glower. “Did they ask you for a blood test? Seems a little harsh for a first meeting. You’d think they might want to at least get to know you before asking for bodily fluids.” Even after everything they’d been through together, she was loyal to a fault.

  His mother was probably right: he didn’t deserve her.

  He set his hand on hers to calm her, at least a little. “Well, the lawyer said the blood test doesn’t matter. He said I was specifically named in the will. Besides, I don’t mind giving them their blood test, if they want it.”

  “So who asked for it?”