Heels clicked against the tile floor. Lois. She could make out her shadow, outlined by the light in the hall. Lois seemed to be moving past the door when Tacy’s foot jerked and bumped the bottom of the credenza.
Whoosh.
The drawer slid out from the cabinet.
The footsteps stopped. Tacy’s eyes darted toward the doorway. Uh-oh. Lois was paused on the threshold.
Tacy froze in place, hardly daring to breathe. Maybe if she stayed still, Lois would turn and leave.
But no. There was a click, and the room was bathed in a golden glow.
“Tacy?” Lois stood next to the light switch. “What are you doing in here in the dark?”
“I—I—” She struggled to answer.
Lois moved with surprising quickness across the room, clutching something long and sharp in her right hand. “Good grief, child. Did you walk all the way over from the bunkhouse? With your hurt leg?” She tucked the object she was holding behind her back. “You can’t be fully recovered yet after last night’s ordeal.”
“I’m fine. I stopped by to get something I left here in all the rush, and I...um...was passing by the study. And I...”
Lois shifted her arm, and Tacy saw a flash of silver glinting in the light.
“Yes?” Lois said. “And you what?”
Think. Think.
“And I wandered in for a closer look. This place brings back so many memories. I heard you come in, and I would have called out to let you know I was here, but I didn’t want you to see me crying.”
“Oh, my dear. I know exactly how you feel.” Lois turned just enough to reveal the ornate silver letter opener she held in her hand. A smile crested on her face as she set the opener down on the table. “Sometimes it’s the little memories that are hardest to bear.”
Relief bubbled in Tacy’s throat that her excuse had been accepted. But her mouth went dry as Lois’s gaze lit upon the open drawer.
A ghost of a frown bent the corners of Lois’s lips as she stretched out her long, thin arms and beckoned Tacy forward. “It looks like someone needs a hug. Come here, my dear.”
Tacy wiped her damp palms against her jeans and looked toward the door. Surely Lois wouldn’t try anything here in her grandfather’s office.
Or would she?
Lois closed the gap between them. She pulled Tacy close and squeezed hard.
Wow. Lois is strong. Tacy squirmed sideways and tried pushing back, but Lois’s long fingernails dug ridges in her skin.
Oh, that was tight. Too tight.
But just as she was about to cry out in alarm, Lois released her grip.
Tacy recoiled from her grasp. “Thanks. But I think I should head back to the bunkhouse.”
“Of course, of course. At the very least, can I offer you a ride?”
“No. I’ve been looking forward to taking a walk in the fresh air.”
Lois didn’t seem convinced. “Well, if you insist. But you must promise to have a lie down when you get there. You’ve had a bit of shock, just like me.”
Sucking in a mouthful of air, Tacy turned and walked out of the room.
She rounded the corner and came face-to-face with her reflection in the mirror in the front hall, her face white and her eyes bleary with anxiety and confusion. What had just happened? And why did she feel like she’d barely escaped with her life?
* * *
Barge in or wait? Seb was considering his options when Tacy appeared in the doorway and began limping slowly down the drive. He followed behind her, keeping well to the side, hidden behind a border of bushy shrubs, just in case Lois was watching.
Tacy was waiting in the passenger seat of the truck when he climbed in. He looked at her and shook his head. “I almost lost it when Lois showed up.”
“I wonder why she didn’t go with my grandfather to Bismarck. It was almost like she knew that something was up. I did manage to find some stuff in the files, so I guess the whole thing was worth it.”
Worth it? No. He could only hope that the documents held some answers.
He put on his turn signal and merged onto the main road. “What do you say we stop at Dot’s and look at what you found?”
Inside the restaurant, the place was bustling. Customers perched on stools at the counter and crowded the tables facing out toward the street.
Tacy claimed a booth in the back, the one where they used to meet when they were teens. He slid in on the other side of her.
“Like old times, huh?”
Worry lines crisscrossed her forehead, and the set of her mouth revealed her concern. It was a far cry from the happy, hopeful expression she had worn that spring afternoon ten years ago when the two of them met to discuss the future. If memory served, they had been sitting in this same booth when he had proposed the idea that they ought to get married when she turned eighteen.
How strange it was to think back to that moment. They were both so young and immature. He was halfway through his training as an MP and Tacy was a senior in high school, smart and ambitious. But all they could think about was being together, no matter what the stakes.
And there were stakes. Keith Tolbert’s plans for Tacy didn’t include her getting hitched—especially not to a Hunt. His military service was another strike against him. Keith believed that his daughter was destined for better things than life on an army base, pinching pennies on an enlisted soldier’s pay.
But at the time, they felt like Romeo and Juliet. Without the sad ending, of course. And since their families disapproved of them being together, they would have to run away. They’d ask for forgiveness, not permission. The power of their love would soften their parents’ hearts, and after a while, everything would be okay.
Seb looked across the table at Tacy. Her eyes were troubled as she recounted her run-in with Lois.
“There was an eerie subtext to our entire conversation. Her words were loving and caring, but she also seemed anxious and suspicious. I had a moment when I imagined that she might just use the letter opener she was holding to stab me in the chest.”
What? “Tacy, I should never have let you be the one to...”
“I’m starving. Should we eat first and then look at the papers?” Tacy ran a finger along the laminated menu, looking totally engrossed in the offerings, which was funny since the selection hadn’t changed much in the years since she had last been there.
“Sure,” he said. “I want a hamburger. How about you?”
“Same,” she said.
Once they had placed their orders, he leaned sideways and looked around the restaurant. “Wow. This place is still the same. Is there a spot like it in Denver?”
“No. Dot’s is special. But Denver has a lot of good restaurants, and everything’s close by, or just a bus ride away. I found a really great place to worship that’s only a couple miles from my apartment. How about you?”
Tacy had never been one to be subtle about wanting him to have a relationship with the Lord. But he was touched by how quickly she leaped right in with the question. “I still go to church, if that’s what you’re asking. For a couple years, I took a break. But then a buddy got me back to reading my Bible, and it all kind of grew from there.”
“I’m glad,” she said.
“Yeah. I figure that no matter how many times I stumble, God will always be there to offer me a second chance. I think my mom is hoping I’ll sign up for one of the small groups that meet on Thursday in the church basement. And, of course, she has big plans for the picnic on Sunday after services.”
“Right.” The worry lines once again crept across Tacy’s forehead.
“What’s wrong? I mean, except for the fact that someone is trying to kill you and that you just had a close encounter with our number one suspect.”
She smiled, and then her face got serious. “I keep thinking that none of this would have
happened if I hadn’t agreed to deliver my father’s letter. The strange thing is that I don’t even know what it said. My grandfather seems to think that it’s nothing more than a recital of the same old issues he and my dad argued about before we left. But I don’t know. My dad was pretty emotional those last couple weeks.”
“He knew he was dying.”
“Yeah. I was the one who didn’t want to believe it. I always hoped he’d be around to see me try my first case. He always said he wanted to be around to see me become a justice on the Supreme Court one day.” Tears threatened to fill her eyes, but she held them back. “I know that you always thought he pushed me too hard. But he made so many sacrifices to help me along the way. I can’t imagine having a better dad.”
Seb took a deep breath. It hurt to see Tacy so broken up when she talked about her father. Even though he and Keith hadn’t seen eye to eye in most matters, it was hard to deny the fierceness of Keith’s love for his daughter.
A smile wobbled on the sides of her mouth, and a feeling of familiar longing thudded in his chest. This was it, the chance he had been waiting for, the opportunity to continue the conversation they had started while waiting for the rattler to be removed from her car. He still wanted to explain why he had left while she was in the hospital, to lay out all the reasons he had gone back to Texas without talking to her first.
He wanted to explain that he had tried to stay. He had called his CO and begged to extend his leave. But the terror threat level had been raised to red, and all personnel were being ordered to return to base immediately. Keith was supposed to explain all that to Tacy, but did he? Seb knew Keith had held him responsible for their secret marriage, their thoughtless deception, and especially for the decision to go climbing on the cliffs.
But he couldn’t blame Keith for everything. The thought of his own ineffectiveness swept against him. Sure, he wrote letters and left messages on Tacy’s phone, but his efforts trailed off not long after Tacy and her dad moved to Colorado. For a while, he’d check the flights to Denver and imagine showing up and sweeping Tacy off her feet. But in the end, he always found a reason to stay put. Work filled his hours, and so did the classes he took in his free time to get his degree. When she failed to get in touch, to respond to his messages, he convinced himself that their short marriage been a false start, a mistake that had somehow been rectified without much effort on either of their parts.
He forced himself to smile into Tacy’s eyes. “The way things ended between us wasn’t right. I’m glad I got the chance to tell you that you’ll always be my friend.”
He might have said more if the waitress hadn’t returned just then with their burgers and fries. He watched Tacy fold her hands to offer a quick prayer of thanksgiving and then take a bite from her sandwich. He wanted to bring the conversation back around to discussing the giant hole she left in his heart when she sent him the divorce papers, but he couldn’t find the words, and the moment passed. A strained silence fell between them as they ate.
He finished his burger, and took a long sip of soda. “So, uh, I guess we should look at the papers you grabbed. Anything catch your eye?” His voice sounded forced and too loud.
“Actually, yeah.” Tacy set down the fry she was nibbling on and wiped her fingers on the napkin. “I found a purchase agreement, but I can’t tell if it is the most current offer.”
“Did you recognize the name of the buyer?”
“PTP, Inc. We could check this out at the office of the North Dakota Secretary of State, but we probably can’t get their articles of incorporation until Monday. I also found a copy of an old deed.” Tacy reached into her backpack and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. She smoothed it out on the table. “Do you see what it says?” Her finger jabbed at the words on the page.
He leaned closer to read. The document was dated nine years ago, and, if he understood it correctly, Carl seemed to be using it to give Keith a share in the property. He looked up at Tacy, whose eyes were narrowed and thoughtful. He didn’t get it. Keith had an interest. But Keith was dead now, so what, if anything, did it mean?
“Even if your Dad is a part owner of the property, how does that affect anything now?”
“Don’t you see? It says that the property is conveyed to my grandfather and father as tenants in common.”
“You’re going to have to help me out here, Tace. I don’t understand legal jargon.”
“There are two ways to deed property to more than one person. As joint tenants or as tenants in common. Joint tenancy is used mostly for married couples because it includes a right of survivorship for either party. If one of them dies, the ownership of the property is wholly retained by the surviving spouse. But in the case of tenants in common, if one of the parties dies, his ownership in the property passes to his heirs. My father left everything to me. So—”
“You’re a partial owner of your grandfather’s ranch. Which means that you could benefit from the sale. Or even stop it.”
“Not really. What I found in the file is just a copy. For it to have any legal effect, it would have to be recorded. But it doesn’t matter either way. I’d never interfere with my grandfather’s plans. The ranch is his to do with as he pleases.”
“Still, Tacy, it’s a pretty good motive for someone wanting you dead.”
“Maybe. But who would even know about this?”
He looked at the document again and felt a smile twitch on his face. There was one person who might know.
All he’d need to do is ask.
ELEVEN
On the drive back from Dot’s, Tacy slid a glance over toward Seb.
“You okay, Tace?” he asked.
Not okay, but somehow convinced that it was time to make things right between Seb and Timmy. It was pointless to continue to hide the truth from her son. She needed to be practical. There had already been five attempts on her life. If the next one succeeded, Seb would become Timmy’s primary caretaker.
But how would Timmy react to the news? Would he be angry? Confused? Upset? Probably all of the above. She stiffened her resolve. It didn’t matter. As soon as they got back to the ranch, she’d find a quiet moment to talk to her son.
“I was thinking about what you said at Dot’s. About God always being there when we stumble. And I realized that He also offers us a chance to rectify our mistakes. I think it’s time to tell Timmy the truth.”
“About what?”
“About you being his father.”
The pause made it clear that Seb was surprised...but when he spoke again, she couldn’t miss the pleased—though cautious—tone in his voice. “I’ve been on board with that from the start, Tace. You were the one who wanted to keep it a secret. What changed your mind?”
She shrugged. It was a feeling that was difficult to explain.
“How do you want to do it?” Seb pulled to a stop at the bottom of the drive and turned to face her.
“Sandy ought to be back with Timmy at any minute. I’ll take a moment alone to talk to him. And then you can join us, and we’ll get it all straight, okay?”
“Get it all straight?” Seb raised a brow. “That sounds overly ambitious. Just begin with the truth and see where it goes.”
She nearly had a change of heart when Timmy arrived at the bunkhouse. He seemed so happy and innocent—a situation that was bound to change when he found out his mother had kept such an important secret from him. “Did you have fun making cookies?” she asked once Sandy said her goodbyes and headed home.
“Yep,” he said. “Sandy said we could bring them to the picnic.”
Hmm. The picnic. Had they definitely decided to attend?
“We can talk about that later. But I have something to tell you now that might be a...surprise.”
“A surprise?” Timmy’s forehead creased.
“A good surprise. Remember last year when you asked me about your dad, an
d I told you that he was in the army and that he moved around a lot from base to base?”
Timmy nodded. “I told Oliver that, but he said it didn’t make sense. He said that if my dad was in the military, he could still come and see me, even if he was stationed overseas.”
“You never mentioned that to me. But Oliver was right, in a way. The real reason why your dad didn’t come to see you wasn’t because of the military—it was because he didn’t know that you were born.”
“Huh?” Timmy looked more confused than ever.
“Ten years ago, I got married, honey—but it didn’t end well. Your daddy and I split up, and when I found out that you were on the way, I didn’t tell him. He had no idea...until a couple of days ago.”
Timmy frowned. “You mean you told him a couple of days ago?”
Tacy shook her head and managed a shaky smile. “I didn’t have to tell him—as soon as he saw you, he knew.”
“He saw me? I met him?”
“You sure did. Seb’s your dad, Timmy. That’s why we came here to stay with him. But it wasn’t his fault or your fault that you didn’t get to meet him until now. It was my fault, and I’m sorry.”
Timmy looked up at her and nodded. “Okay.”
Okay? That was it? “I’m glad you feel that way. Because Seb is waiting outside, waiting to hear what you think. Seb! Can you come in here a minute?” she called through the screen door.
Seb burst inside. “Hey, kiddo. Did your mom tell you our news?”
“You’re my dad?”
“That’s right. And I want you to know that I’m really excited about that.”
Fatal Ranch Reunion Page 10
