His Dry Creek Inheritance

by Janet Tronstad

  The lawyer shifted and continued, “Eli figured most of it as back pay for the years Mark worked on his ranch without compensation. The rest is to pay for Mark to help out on the ranch until both babies are born and the will is applied.”

  Mark inhaled and his grasp of her hand weakened.

  “I can’t believe he’s paying me for those years,” Mark murmured. “He never thought he owed me.”

  “I think his conscience was bothering him on that point,” the lawyer said. “Eli wanted to make things right when he died. He knew you were due regular hired hand wages, especially in your teenage years. You were a hard worker, he said.”

  Everyone was silent at that.

  “What was the other bequest?” Bailey finally asked.

  The lawyer looked at Gabe now as he spoke. “Eli is giving a hundred thousand dollars to build the bell tower for the Dry Creek church. He wants Gabe to oversee the project.” The lawyer raised an eyebrow at Gabe. “In fact, that’s a condition of the bequest, I’m afraid, you have to handle it or it doesn’t happen.”

  “Of course, I’ll do anything,” Gabe responded. “Eli was the only family I had left after my father died.”

  The lawyer nodded. “You’ll be paid ten thousand dollars for administrating this. Eli wants you to get hold of the Amber Cast Iron company and hire them. One of the regrets Eli said he had in his life was the way he treated this company when they came to Dry Creek a decade or so ago to build that very bell tower.”

  Bailey felt her stomach flutter and she looked over at Gabe. His face had gone pale. They both remembered that time.

  “Eli had a big argument with them,” Gabe said. “Yelled at the father and insulted the daughter. I didn’t know what it was about, but I was there shortly after the words were said. She was crying. It was so bad. She was only twelve or thirteen. They might not be willing to come back.”

  “You’ll have to convince them if you want that church bell tower,” the lawyer said. “You’re authorized to offer them more money if needed, but you’re not permitted to find a different company. They probably wouldn’t want to start until spring or summer anyway so there’s some time to think about it. I have a sealed envelope that Eli left for you about this. You need to come to my office and sign for it in front of a notary. Other than that, I know you can offer them a cruise or something if they don’t agree at first. Sort of a signing bonus. Find out what they might want and make it happen.”

  Gabe nodded. “I’ll try.”

  Bailey noticed Gabe didn’t look very happy about his task. It struck her that none of them were going to be pleased with this will—except for, maybe, Mark. She glanced over at him. He was stoic. She never had been able to read him when he was upset. She didn’t know if he’d planned to stay in Dry Creek for any length of time at all.

  Bailey turned to Mark and asked, “Can you do this with your army duties?”

  He nodded. “I’m pretty flexible right now.”

  “That covers the high points then,” the lawyer said as he started to pass out the copies of the will. “There is more in the document about percentages and who gets what in what scenario. Call me if you have any questions. I think Emma and I better get back before the roads start to ice over.”

  “You don’t have someone on your list who is from Bozeman, do you?” Bailey asked anxiously.

  The lawyer shook his head and seemed to know what question she was asking. “That young lady was not—ah—in trouble.”

  Emma eyed Bailey. “Who’s that you’re asking about?”

  “No one—not really.” Bailey saw no reason to add to the other woman’s grief. She wondered if Emma still loved Junior.

  Everyone sat still for a bit and then the lawyer and Emma both stood and started to walk out of the room.

  “Wait, let me get you those sandwiches,” Bailey said, but when she started to rise, Mark gently pressed her to stay seated.

  “I’ll get them,” Mark said as he rose.

  “I’ll help you,” Gabe said.

  Together, the two men left the room following the lawyer and the young woman who thought she’d been married to Junior and had no idea that the man who she thought had married her already had another wife and a spare girlfriend.

  Bailey sat there looking around at the artwork the preschool students had made. Bold strokes of crayon formed trees and mountains and more than one sun. She wished life was that easy to depict.

  “You really messed up, Junior, didn’t you?” Bailey whispered to the walls. “You lied to that woman. And you’ve got us all twisted up in it.”

  Bailey felt sorry for herself, but she felt even sorrier for Emma.

  Bailey listened to the footsteps of the lawyer until it sounded like the man was at the door leading up to the main floor of the church. She couldn’t hear Emma’s footsteps. She thought the young woman was wearing sneakers. She was likely walking right along with the lawyer, just taking silent steps.

  Then Mark poked his head into the room. “They’re gone.”

  “And they have a sandwich with them?” Bailey asked.

  “Two hearty meatloaf sandwiches each,” Mark said. “And a few apples, as well. Mrs. Hargrove put everything in two brown paper bags. I think she snuck in a small carton of milk for Emma, too. She used big bags.”

  Bailey nodded. “Thanks.”

  “Mrs. Hargrove says the rest of the food goes with you and Rosie,” Mark said. “She’s packing it up now.”

  Bailey looked up. “And you? You’ll come with us, won’t you? Gabe is staying in the room over Mrs. Hargrove’s garage so there’s no available rooms in town, but the bunkhouse is empty now so there’s plenty of room out at the ranch.”

  Mark nodded. “I guess that’s what Eli wanted so I may as well get myself settled there.”

  “We can read over that will and figure it out better later,” Bailey said. “I’m not sure I got it all.”

  “First thing tomorrow,” Mark said.

  “Tomorrow’s Sunday,” Bailey said. “Rosie and I go to church.”

  “Then the first thing tomorrow afternoon,” Mark said. “And I think you could use a nap this afternoon, too. It’s already been a long day.”

  Bailey smiled as she stood up. “The longest.”

  Together they walked out into the main room.

  Bailey knew she hadn’t pressed Mark on going to church. She was only coming to a timid faith of her own. She’d have to talk to him about it. Maybe after her nap. Right now, she was tired. Not that she was likely going to be able to sleep with thoughts of that will in her mind. At least Mark was here. She felt better just remembering that.

  Chapter Three

  A couple of hours later, Mark stood on the steps of the bunkhouse and looked out at the Rosen Ranch. It was starting to grow dark. He had his winter coat on and he’d found a pair of work gloves in the nightstand beside his old bed. Even in the poor light, he could see that the whole place had been neglected. Everything here used to be in fine shape. Sometimes when he hadn’t been able to go to sleep in the military, he’d remember every detail of this ranch. He’d always assumed Junior was taking care of it.

  Now, even with the light snow covering everything, he could see the scars that came from lack of attention. The corrals by the barn had a rail lying on the ground, likely rotting in the damp. A cow must have rubbed against it on some hot summer day, scratching her back until the nails loosened. No one had fixed it and eventually the rail had fallen down. The barn itself needed painting. A metal garage had been added between the barn and the house. The field behind the structure was filled with nothing but dead weeds. It didn’t look like a crop had even been planted last fall. A plow certainly hadn’t turned over any of the ground.

  And, thinking of cows, Mark had only seen two. The others might be out in the back fields, but he wondered who was feeding them this time of y
ear. They’d need hay. He wondered if Eli had given up on raising cattle. Most ranches here focused on growing wheat, but he saw no evidence of that either. Josh and Arnold must have been gone since late last summer. The absence of any signs of occupancy in the bunkhouse meant no one had replaced them.

  Mark started to walk out to the barn. He had always liked ranch work. In fact, he’d saved his pay for the past six years hoping he’d have enough to put a down payment on a small ranch when he left the military. He hadn’t had quite enough when his leg had been blown apart, but with the thirty thousand dollars Eli was giving him, he should have enough. He’d work his two or so months here at the ranch and look around for a likely place to buy.

  He was still officially in the army on medical leave, but before he left Afghanistan, he’d started the process for a discharge. Unless he pulled the plug in a few weeks, it would go through. If he stayed in the army, it would mean a desk job and he didn’t want that.

  For the first time, the timing for all of this felt right to him. If he had a ranch in this neighborhood, he could keep an eye on Bailey and Rosie. That realization cheered him up considerably. He’d be here for the new little one, too. From the sounds of it, Bailey didn’t have any plans to get married right away again so he’d have some time with them before another man came on the scene.

  He frowned at that thought. Bailey hadn’t shown much sense so far when it came to picking a husband. He definitely should stay and give her some guidance. Make sure she found a solid man this time. He didn’t like the thought of her hooking up again with someone like Junior.

  Just then he heard the grinding gears of an overworked engine. He looked back and saw an old pickup turn in to the Rosen Ranch lane. The driver had to shift down as the vehicle headed right up to the main buildings.

  Mark guessed it was some rancher’s wife who had not been able to get her casserole to the church on time and was now dropping it off for the family. He didn’t know how they would eat all the food they’d already been given, but he knew the drill. He’d smile and thank the woman profusely. They all needed the goodwill of their neighbors more than they needed food.

  The pickup window was open and he saw at once that the driver wasn’t a woman.

  The vehicle came to a stop and Josh Spenser stepped out. He’d changed out of the suit he’d worn earlier and was in range clothes that looked a lot like the faded ones Mark was wearing.

  “Good to see you,” Mark greeted the man as he held out his hand to Josh. “Thanks again for carrying the coffin today.”

  “It was an honor,” Josh said as he took Mark’s hand. “Eli was always a fair-minded boss.”

  Mark grunted. “He was a hard, demanding boss. He didn’t pay a penny more than he had to.”

  “Yeah, well,” Josh said, his lips curving up slightly. “I grew up here, but when I got out of prison he hired me when no one else would have. I didn’t have a very good attitude back then. I owe him for that.”

  Mark nodded. He wasn’t about to ask any more questions of either of the ranch hands. “I’m guessing you’re here to see Bailey.”

  “No,” Josh said, looking nervous. “At least, I wanted to see you first.”

  “Oh?” Mark said, trying to sound encouraging.

  “I got to thinking,” Josh said. “Since you’re back and all, there might be a need for another hired hand on the place.”

  Mark grinned. “You mean now that you don’t have to be here with just Bailey?”

  Josh looked sheepish. “You know how folks love to gossip.”

  Mark nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

  “Besides, I’m tired of staying with my uncle and his family,” Josh said. “The bunkhouse looks pretty good about now. It’s at least quiet.”

  “I’d be all in favor of working with you again,” Mark said. “But I think the decision is Bailey’s—at least for now. The will apparently gave her some expense money for the ranch.”

  “It wouldn’t need to be much,” Josh said. “She could owe me some of it until everything is settled.”

  “Speaking of the ranch,” Mark said. “Do you know where the cows are? Eli surely didn’t sell them all, did he?”

  “They’re at Durham’s place. In that section bordering our far pasture,” Josh said. “Durham has been feeding them from the haystack over there. He doesn’t cotton to it much though, especially with his rheumatism and all the snow this year. In fact, he’s been talking of retiring. I’m guessing Eli had to pay a pretty penny to get him to do the job. It’s cold as blazes some mornings.”

  “We could bring the cows down to the section behind the barn,” Mark said. “Might need to fix some fences, but calving will be in full swing soon and we need them close anyway.”

  “Durham would be relieved and we would save money,” Josh agreed. “I check on the cows when I drive over that way—just on my own like—and they look lonesome. Sometimes I give them a holler and they come over to see me. I think they’d like to come home.”

  Mark considered that statement for a moment. Women liked that kind of sensitivity. They were all about fixing lonesome beings. He took a long look at Josh. The man might have possibilities. He’d come a long way in the past few years.

  “Well, let’s go ask Bailey about all this,” Mark said as he started toward the house. She had wanted him to wake her up about now anyway if Rosie hadn’t already done so.

  “How have you been doing?” Mark asked as they walked together across the frozen ground.

  “I don’t have a job.”

  Mark nodded. “I mean, in your—ah—personal life.”

  Josh shook his head. “I’m trying to figure my life out actually. Quitting my job here made me realize I need a better plan than just working for someone else forever.”

  Mark stopped and faced the other man. Not only was Josh sensitive, he was strong and moderately handsome. Sounded like he had ambition, too. Mark looked a little closer. The man’s hair had been blown around in the wind, but it was straight and shiny black. It went good with his green eyes. He even had a dimple. Of course, Josh had a suspicious look on his face now that they were standing out here in the cold talking about things men never even whispered about normally.

  “Why?” Josh asked finally. “Worried if I’m up for the job?”

  “You don’t have any illnesses, do you?” Mark questioned. He needed to press on. “Problems with the heart, feet, teeth—that sort of thing.”

  “Not a thing.”

  “No genetic problems.”

  “Not that I know of.”

  “Good,” Mark said. He felt relieved. “You’ve got lots of work years ahead of you then.”

  They stood there silently, looking at each other.

  “I was never asked these questions when I applied to work here before—not even with my time in prison,” Josh finally said, a slight frown on his face. “I don’t think it’s really legal, you know.”

  Mark looked close to see if the man seemed upset. He didn’t—at least not much.

  “Just thinking a man your age should be looking to his future—like you said,” Mark replied, trying to sound casual. He rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension there. “I suppose you have a girlfriend.”

  Josh shook his head slowly. “No—not to speak of.”

  “Okay,” Mark said as he started walking again. “Good.”

  Mark realized that setting Bailey up with a new husband was going to be more difficult than he thought. Maybe he needed a written questionnaire. That was what they would do in the army. He knew he couldn’t assign someone to the task, but it didn’t hurt to know which recruits were available.

  * * *

  Bailey was hanging up the telephone when she heard footsteps on the porch. The airlines had called to say they would deliver her suitcase to the back door of the café in Dry Creek tomorrow morning before nine o’clock. Si
nce the café was closed, no one would see it until she came. Finally, she thought, she’d be presentable when she went someplace. She could change in the restroom at the church before the service.

  “I’ll get it, Mommy,” Rosie said before Bailey even heard the knock on the front door.

  “Wait for me,” Bailey called out as she hurried over to catch her daughter. If it wasn’t for the pickup she’d heard a few minutes ago, she would assume it was Mark at the door. Even at that, though, she didn’t want Rosie answering any doors unless she knew for 100 percent sure who it was.

  “It’s Markie!” Rosie squealed in delight as Bailey opened the door.

  “His name is Mark, sweetie,” Bailey said as she placed a hand on Rosie’s shoulder to keep her from spinning around. “Either that or Mr. Dakota.”

  “Oh,” Rosie said, looking at the floor.

  “I’ll answer to Markie,” the man said as he stood there in the open door, looking impossibly handsome, Bailey thought. It must be her hormones going into overdrive with the baby. The collar of his coat was up and snow had gathered on his Stetson. He had shaved since she saw him earlier. He also looked like he was on a mission. She remembered that expression on his face from their childhood. He was up to something.

  “Well, then, please, come in,” Bailey said, opening the door wider and only then seeing there was another man with Mark.

  “Josh!” she exclaimed in genuine pleasure. “I had no idea you were here.”

  Bailey stepped aside so she wasn’t blocking the doorway. “Both of you come in where it’s warm.”

  Mark stepped inside and then Josh did the same. Both of them stood huddled on the rug in front of the door.

  “I don’t want to get your floor wet,” Josh finally said.

  Mark nodded, beaming. “He’s well trained. Knows about housework and all.”

  A look passed between the two men that she didn’t understand.

  “I’m not applying to be a maid,” Josh said curtly.

  “No, of course not,” Mark said. “Being tidy never hurt anyone though. The army requires it.”