Tracing his fingers up and down her arm, he broke the silence. “What do you think about what Chance said? About being a family?”
She pushed away from him and stood to grab the railing. Then she looked out across the mountains. “I’m not ready for anything like that. I can’t—”
Jericho came beside her, his shoulder pressing against hers.
“I’m so afraid,” she whispered.
“I won’t hurt you again, Ali. I promise. I won’t leave.”
Swiping at her eyes, she turned away from him. But he caught her arm. “Hey, don’t run off. We don’t have to talk about that right now. I want to be by you is all. We can talk about something else. Anything. Tell me about your day. What did you do with Chance gone?”
Warmth spread through Ali as she stared into his soft eyes. He wanted to be by her. He cared about the mundane happenings in her life. He loved her.
“I had two riding classes. Went to the bank to clean out my mom’s safe deposit box—”
He snagged her hand. “Safe deposit box?” Then he laughed. Scooping Ali against him, he spun in a circle. “You’re a genius.”
He set her down. He fished into his pocket and pulled out a small key. “Pop gave this to me when I first went to visit him. I’ve been carrying it around all this time wondering what it opened. Go figure. I never thought about a safe deposit box.”
“Do you have any idea what your dad would put in it?”
“No, but I’m going to find out tomorrow.”
Chapter Twenty
Ali blocked the sun from her eyes as a car maneuvered down the pothole-ridden driveway. She batted at a horsefly.
Chance scampered up beside her. “Is that Dad?”
Ali’s heart fluttered. Dad. Chance found every opportunity to say the word.
“No, honey. That’s Tripp’s car.”
“Aw, man.”
Ali rested her hand on his head. “We like Tripp.”
He shrugged. “He’s all right.”
Before Tripp could climb out of the car, Chance raced to his window and popped his head inside. “Hey, Tripp. Guess what?”
The man slid out of the car and smiled at Ali. “What, Chance?”
“I have a dad.”
Tripp’s smile disappeared, and his brows plunged. “That so? Well, we all have fathers, but some of us never get to have a relationship with them.” He leaned down and tapped his chest. “I had a dad too, but I didn’t get to know him or live with him, either. He never claimed me as his. But know what? I had other people in my life instead, like you do.”
Chance scrunched up his face. “But I have one.”
Tripp walked around Chance, briefcase in hand. “Hi, Alison. Hot day. Do you have a moment?”
Chance trailed after him. “My dad is Jericho Freed.”
Tripp stopped. “Wh-wh-what did you say, son?”
“Jericho is my dad, and we wrestled down calves together. He took me camping and said I’ll like it better next time. And he’s living with us now.” Chance started to spin.
Tripp’s eyebrows arched. “That so, Alison?”
Ali closed her eyes. “He is not living here. He’s just sleeping on the couch for the time being. Until we know all the threats have stopped.”
“Stopped? But you fired Rider?” He raked a hand through his hair, then motioned for her to follow him to the porch. “Why didn’t I know about all this?”
Megan stepped out of the barn to wave at them. Chance sprinted over to join her.
At the base of the steps, Ali laid a hand on his forearm. “We’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”
When they reached the porch, he captured her wrist and tugged her into the house. “You told Jericho about Chance? They both know?”
“I couldn’t lie anymore. It didn’t feel right. Besides, Jericho’s a great father. I was cheating Chance out of something special by not telling them.” She pulled away from him and crossed to the sink. She started rinsing the plates from breakfast.
“How could you? You have no guarantee he isn’t going to pick up and leave again. Now you have a child who’s going to be damaged by that. Do you know what it’s like to not have a father, then to find out who he is and have him not want you?” Tripp’s voice caught, and he turned his back to Ali.
“Tripp?” She wiped her hands on her jeans. Stepping near him, she touched his shoulder.
He took a deep breath. “It’ll devastate Chance when Jericho rejects him. He’ll leave, and Chance will wonder his whole life what he did wrong to warrant his father’s abandonment. And Jericho will leave. I can promise you.”
“I’m tired of basing my decisions on fear. I had to tell him. What if something happens to me?”
Tripp thumped his chest. “You don’t think I would take care of Chance? Didn’t I tell you I’d adopt him? I’d be a father to him. But that wasn’t good enough for you. I wasn’t good enough for you, either.”
“Oh, no. Tripp, no. It’s not like that.” She moved toward him, but he stepped back.
“Don’t you realize? You’ve ruined everything. Everything.”
With his lips pulled into a snarl, Ali didn’t know how to soothe Tripp. Why was he so angry? They both knew he didn’t love her. But then what would make him so upset?
* * *
“Good morning, Mr. Freed. Are you here about your business?” Miss Galveen, the loan officer, greeted him as he entered the bank.
“No. Everything is set there.” Jericho looped his hand around his neck. “Actually, I’d like to look at a safety deposit box, if I could.”
The spikes on the heels she wore echoed against the marble floor. “Are you interested in getting a safe deposit box, or do you already have one and need to check it?”
Fishing the key from his pocket, he held it out to her. “If this looks familiar, I need to see this box. If not, I need to figure out which bank uses these keys.”
She hovered over his hand. “That’s one of ours all right.” A single eyebrow quirked. “But you didn’t know you had a box? How remarkable, Mr. Freed.”
“It’s not mine. It’s my pop’s box, and he gave this to me. He wants me to open it.”
“What’s the number on there?”
“One thirty-nine.”
Miss Galveen crossed her arms. The tight bun on top of her head made her look twenty years older than she was. “I’ll have to see if you’re authorized.” Snatching the key from his hand, she disappeared behind the employee area of the bank.
Jericho rocked on the balls of his feet and resisted the urge to whistle while he waited for her to come back. He dropped down into a leather chair and adjusted his watch.
The click-clack of heels against the floor announced Miss Galveen’s return. Using the arms of the chair, he heaved up his body to stand. Working with Chance on the ranch had made his knees numb.
“You may follow me, Mr. Freed. According to the paperwork, you’re fully authorized to open this box. I’ll take you there now.”
He shadowed her across the hall, down a flight of stairs, through some twists and turns and onto the lower level. She pointed at the metal boxes sunken into the wall.
Jericho shuffled forward. “How does this work?”
“I need you to sign this paperwork.” She thrust a clipboard and pen at him. “We’ll unlock it together, then you may do whatever you want with the contents. When you’re done, we’ll lock the box together, as well.”
After she left, Jericho held the metal container in trembling hands. What could Pop have in here? The latch creaked, and a single piece of paper rested inside. He unfolded it and started to read.
“‘This is my Last Will and Testament. I, Abram Freed, being of sound mind and body, leave the entirety of my worldly possessions, my ranch
and my wealth to the father of Chance Silver. This Will revokes all prior Wills and Codicils.’”
Jericho’s hands shook, and his eyes darted down the page. According to the date, Pop had made the new will a year after Jericho left town. He licked his lips. But then that meant...
“He forgave me. All those years ago.” His legs threatened to collapse. The area lacked a chair, so Jericho wobbled over to the wall and leaned against it. “I should have come home so much sooner.”
Dropping his head, he squeezed the bridge of his nose. So many wasted years, while a family waited.
Smoothing out the paper, he scanned the information again. Not that he needed the money or cared about Pop’s land. But the gesture of mercy rocked through him. How many times had he told his father he hated him? Hated the Bar F Ranch. But it would be his.
He rubbed his jaw. An emblem at the top drew his attention. Mahoney and Strong. That was the firm Tripp worked at. Ali told him that Tripp worked as an associate there.
But then that meant...? His mouth went dry.
Jericho charged up the steps and ran through the bank lobby while Miss Galveen called after him about locking the box. The heavy front doors smacked behind him as he yanked out his keys and roared his Jeep out onto the street.
* * *
Swinging into the driveway, his wheels spit gravel. He squinted, trying to identify the car near the house. Tripp’s. His grip tightened on the steering wheel. He was surprised his teeth didn’t bust at how hard as he clenched them.
Throwing the Jeep into Park, he hopped out and charged toward the house.
Chance appeared, bouncing at his elbow. “Hi, Dad.”
He stopped and dropped down to hug his son. “Hey there, buddy. Where’s your ma at?”
The boy rolled his eyes. “Inside with Tripp. He’s real angry.”
Jericho bolted up. “I need to talk to him. Stay out here. Okay, Chance?” He shoved through the front door.
Tripp’s voice carried from the kitchen. “Sign it, Alison. It’s the only way to keep Chance safe.”
“Safe?”
“Freed can’t be trusted. Look at his past record. Your troubles didn’t start until he got here. I hate even suggesting it, but have you thought that he might be the one causing problems around here?”
“He’d never—”
“He’s always been a master at playing you, ever since we were kids. These occurrences have given him ample opportunities to gain your trust. He always seems to be around at precisely the right moment. You don’t find that odd?”
Jericho hovered near the kitchen entrance, a tickle running down his spine. Would Ali defend him? Or had he shattered her trust?
Silence. His stomach dropped into the toes of his boots. Wishing he could see her face, he pressed his palm against the door.
Tripp cleared his throat. “Divorce is your only option. He has been nothing but heartache for you your entire life. Cut the dead weight. Choose a new start. Choose me.”
Enough. Jericho burst into the kitchen. He bounded toward Tripp and ripped the papers out of his hands. “Like fire that’s her only choice!” He whirled toward Ali, shaking the divorce papers in his hand. “Were you gonna sign? Be straight with me.”
Her eyes widened. “What are you doing here?”
“Know why he wants you to sign these?” Jericho crumpled the legal documents. “He wants to marry you. And let me guess, he wants to adopt Chance after the wedding. Am I right?”
Tripp and Ali spoke at once.
“Don’t answer him, Alison.”
“Well, yes.”
Jericho’s lip pulled up. “’Course I’m right. Know why? Because Tripp here knows about my pop’s will. Don’t you, Tripp? Found yourself a bit of a loophole. Didn’t tell Ali that little tidbit, did ya?”
Ali’s gaze ping-ponged from Jericho to Tripp, back to Jericho. “Will someone just spit it out? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“He’s the one who’s been manipulating you. You and Chance are as good as dollar signs in his eyes.” Jericho tugged the will from his pocket and shoved it into Ali’s hands. She folded back the page, her eyes scanning the paper.
Tripp growled. “How’d you get your hands on that, Freed? That’s not public knowledge until your dad’s death. How’d you weasel it—did you break into the firm? I could have you arrested.”
“My dad’s smart enough to secure his own copy.”
Ali shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why would your dad...?”
Jericho took his wife’s hand. “Don’t you see? Pop figured Chance was mine. Plus Pop knew, before I even knew, that I’d come back. But Tripp just wanted my dad’s money. He doesn’t love you, Ali, not like I do.”
Tripp made a lurch for the will, but Jericho jerked it away. “I wanted it because your dad’s money is rightfully mine.” His face reddened.
Rocking back, Jericho crossed his arms. “And how do you figure that?”
With a deep breath, Tripp clenched his fists. “Because, as the oldest, I’m the rightful heir. That’s how these things work, and Abram just disregarded that, after everything.”
Ali squeezed Jericho’s arm. “Heir?”
Bracing his hands on the counter, Tripp looked Jericho in the eye. “Meet your older brother.”
Jericho’s mind spun like a carnival ride. Being plowed over by a charging heifer would have hurt less. “I don’t have a brother.”
Ali jammed her finger at Tripp. “So it was you all along. You killed Denny, didn’t you? You stole money from Big Sky Dreams. You know what that means to me—to the children. How could you?”
Tripp’s eyebrows dove. “Absolutely not! Freed’s turning this all around. You can’t trust him. How long has he had the will in his possession? How can you be certain he’s not the one manipulating you? It seems like quite the coincidence. Funny, he came home when Abram is close to dying, and there is a will naming him sole heir if he wins you back. He simply has to get you to say Chance is his son. When something is that convenient in the courtroom, we call it what it is—guilty.”
Jericho crossed his arms to hide his fisted hands before he struck the man. “I’m finding one problem with your logic. There’s no motive. I don’t need the money, and I could care less about that ranch.”
A wicked gleam lit Tripp’s eyes. “I heard that you do need money. Lots of it, actually. For a little business venture you’re doing. Bet he hasn’t told you a lick about that, has he, Alison? He told the people at the bank weeks ago he had a lot of money coming to him. Interpret that for me.”
Ali gasped.
Jericho seized her arms. “Don’t listen to him.”
“Did you say that to someone at the bank?”
“I did. I have no clue how Tripp would know that. But—”
She yanked out of his grasp. “I want you both out. Now.”
“Ali. Let me explain.” Jericho took a step toward her.
She stopped him with her palm to his chest. “I don’t want to hear it. Get off my property. I don’t know who I can trust anymore.”
Tripp rounded the counter, but Ali put a hand up to him, as well. “I’m serious. Both of you leave right this second, or I’m calling the cops. You’re not welcome on my land.”
* * *
Jericho snatched the divorce papers from his passenger seat and ripped them until it looked like snow. Would she have signed? It rankled him that she could disregard the entire last month. Like it meant nothing that he’d told her he loved her.
But she’d never returned the words.
His muscles ached like after a hard run. He scratched his head.
Meet your older brother.
Tripp? Jericho did the math—they were what, three months apart in age? Tripp and Jericho had the same
build, the same piercing blue eyes. Why hadn’t he noticed before?
He stumbled out of the Jeep and into the nursing home. Swirls of over-musked perfume and cafeteria food rushed past as his boots clapped down the familiar hallway. He trudged into his father’s room.
Jericho took a deep breath and dropped into the chair beside his dad’s bed. “How you doing today, Pop?”
Pop’s brow wrinkled halfway.
“Yep. I’m having that kind of day, too. I figured out the key you gave me.”
His father pointed at the picture of Chance on his nightstand. Jericho scooped up the photo and ran his thumb over the glass. “You knew all along that I had a son. Why didn’t you try to find me?”
Pop grabbed Jericho’s knee and gave a gentle squeeze.
“I know. You can’t tell me. But Pop, I missed out on seven years. All the time, I had a family waiting.”
He took off his hat, placing it on the end of the bed. “I found out something today. I want to check it with you first.”
Pop nodded.
The words stuck in his throat. Jericho licked his lips. “I’m just going to spit it out plain.” He took a breath and worked his jaw. “Is Tripp Phillips your son?”
Pop bowed his head for a moment. “Yeth.”
Lightning rattled through Jericho’s chest. “But then, that means you cheated on Mom before she got pregnant with me?”
Pop rubbed his eyebrows. “Yeth.”
“Why didn’t I know? Why didn’t you tell me? I should have known I had a brother.”
“Ith. Ino. I dondt know.”
Jericho closed his eyes. “No wonder Tripp always hated me.”
Elbows on his knees, Jericho buried his head in his hands and blew out a long stream of air. Life had been perfect yesterday. How did it go all topsy-turvy in less than twenty-four hours? Feeling the touch of his father’s hand on his head, he glanced up. Pop’s eyes brimmed with tears, and Jericho’s mouth went dry.
He took his dad’s hand again. “Don’t worry. I’m still here.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Ali ached like blood pooling behind a bruise.
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