by Joanna Blake
I’d been quaking in my boots when he threatened to leave. I was sure it would’ve been damn near impossible to find a competent and honest replacement who could also manage a crew of rowdy ranch hands. He’d quickly shown me that it was an empty threat. As fast as he’d said it, he changed his mind and made tormenting me his life’s mission after hours.
Now he was back, strutting around inside the homestead half naked.
His behavior was more than mildly inconvenient, especially now that Peyton and I had grown used to having the entire house to ourselves. We quite liked the living room. I’d begun to enjoy stretching out on the floral patterned velvet sofa every evening, reading or watching TV with Peyton curled up at my feet.
The couch was ancient, probably older than me. But it felt a little like home in here, like I was a little closer to Mom and my uncle. Every childhood memory I had of this house included time in this room, seated on this particular sofa. And it was still just as comfy. No wonder my uncle had held onto it after all these years.
Maybe James wouldn’t have bugged me as much if I hadn’t given it up to him. Twice. If I hadn’t enjoyed the sight of him, or basked in the heat of his touch, or reveled in the way our bodies felt so right together, maybe then I might’ve had no problem ignoring him. But that wasn’t the case.
James did have his moments, though. Like tonight. After dinner, he found me flipping through an old album. I’d been so engrossed, staring intently at a picture of Mom and Uncle Hank as kids, at how much they looked alike, how close they were, I barely noticed he was standing there, but I must’ve. I didn’t startle when he rested his large, callused hand on my shoulder. He’d done that a few moments after I’d muttered to the picture that I hoped they were reunited as a family, if there was such a thing as an afterlife.
“I hope so too,” he said, giving my shoulder a squeeze, and left the room as quietly as he’d shown up.
But those moments were rare. At this point, I didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting by or coexisting in the same house with this man. Not peacefully, anyway. And certainly not without being aroused whenever we were in the same room.
I hated that part.
But what I detested the most were the nights I woke up wishing this warfare would end so we could be tangled up in his bedsheets again.
Three Months Later
It was finally here. I wasn’t sure how I’d survived the last six months. In less than an hour, we were scheduled to meet Mr. Edwards again. There were so many unknowns. Would James keep fighting for his share? Was there any progress with my request to challenge the will? Was there any possible way to end the madness by finding the funds to buy out James’s share of the ranch? I personally didn’t have that kind of money, but my uncle owned some shares and other assets. Anything was possible with enough motivation. All I knew was a lifetime of living like this on the ranch with James would be intolerable.
There had to be another way.
I drove along the main road into town with James’s truck filling up my rear view mirror for the entire trip. I hadn’t spoken to him this morning, but we ended up leaving the house within a few minutes of each other.
I rolled my eyes when he parked beside me on the street outside the lawyer’s office. He was not going to let me forget he was in the picture, not even for a second.
I put some cash in the meter and bolted toward the office entrance. At the door, I caught a glimpse of him beside his truck, hands shoved into his pocket, seeming to search for coins. The waiting room was empty today, and the receptionist led me straight into one of the meeting rooms instead of making me wait. Mr. Edwards appeared at the meeting room door a minute later, and was joined by a smiling James at his side. That smug, stern look on James’s face as he took a seat had me worried.
“How has your time been at your uncle’s?” Mr. Edwards asked me.
“Good!” I said, trying to keep it positive. “Quite a learning experience.”
“I can only imagine.”
Being in this room felt like déjà vu. We were all in the same spots around the table like the last visit, papers spread out in front of us, and Mr. Edwards soon had his eyes glued to the laptop screen.
“Mr. Longhorn, would you like us to wait for your attorney, if you have one?”
“I don’t have one, so no need to wait.”
“Does this mean you won’t challenge any pending action initiated by Miss Sheridan?”
James kept his eyes on the document in his hand and shook his head. “A lesser man might stop at nothing to fight for such an inheritance. I’m not the litigious type, so the answer to your question is no. That being said, I’d like to think Miss Sheridan is a reasonable person, respectful of the law and more importantly, willing to abide by her uncle’s wishes.”
“What exactly are you saying?” I asked.
“The point is, I’m entitled to half of the ranch, but I’m not planning to go off half-cocked, hiring lawyers and sitting in courtrooms for months or years to get what was bequeathed to me.”
Mr. Edwards closed his laptop lid and fixed his gaze on James. “If you’re suggesting that you want to relinquish your share, Mr. Longhorn, I would strongly suggest that you confer with legal counsel before signing anything.”
James clenched his jaw. “What I want to do is go back to the ranch and do my job. What I want is to keep it afloat so my men can have jobs next week, next year, and for years to come. Hank believed in me, in my abilities, and wanted to find a balance, I suppose, an arrangement that would allow for such a future while also providing for his niece. But I see now that this arrangement is untenable the way it is.”
“At least we agree on something,” I added.
He kept his eyes on the lawyer as though I wasn’t in the room. “I reckon Miss Sheridan doesn’t see that same future that her uncle saw. And I sure as hell won’t be the one sticking around to fight for that future, while she burns through ranch assets to have whatever’s left to herself. She can have it all. I’ll sign whatever needs to be signed as long as my men can keep their jobs. Consider this my last day working for the Sheridans. All I need is a few hours to remove my things from the premises.”
As he pushed his chair back and got to his feet, Mr. Edwards held up two sealed manila envelopes toward us. “Please take this with you and read it at your convenience. Each envelope includes a personal letter from Hank to each beneficiary. His will stipulated that our firm was to supply each of you with these documents at this six-month meeting, once you had both resided at the ranch for that period of time. Feel free to take them with you. Mr. Longhorn, do contact me at your convenience. You’ll receive some documents from my office by courier in the next week or so.”
James piled his papers together and took the envelope from Mr. Edwards, striding out of the meeting room without another word.
I rolled my chair back to leave, but Mr. Edwards pointed at the envelope now in my hand. “I would advise you to read the contents before you go, Miss Sheridan.”
“Do you know what it says?”
He shook his head and gathered up his things. “No. It’s possible that Mr. Sheridan has enclosed additional instructions to me for action on your behalf. If that’s the case, let me know before you head out.”
“Sure.”
After the lawyer left the room, I made a small tear at the top of the envelope. Inside was a smaller letter-sized envelope. My name was handwritten on the outside. Removing the note, my eyes scanned each paragraph, then returned to the top to re-read each word in detail.
My dearest Kate,
I was meaning to write you a longer letter, but as you can probably tell from my poor handwriting, my health is waning. By the time you read this letter, I will no longer be on this earth.
For starters, I want you know that I was and still remain the proudest uncle around. I loved you from the day you were born. From the instant your momma put your tiny swaddled body in my arms, I made a promise to myself to protect you
and be there for you whenever you needed me. I was around to see you take your first step. I was there the first time you skinned your knee when your momma took the training wheels off your bike. But after she moved out of town, I missed a lot of your life’s firsts. First communion, your sweet sixteen, prom, and high school graduation. For that I’m truly sorry.
I know my passing may mean that I’m leaving you, my last living relative, alone in the world. It tore me up that your father wasn’t man enough to be in your life, and it pained me deeply when your mother crossed over. This is the reason I wanted to organize my affairs in a way that would never leave you wanting for anything after I was gone.
By now, you’ve read my will, met James, and both of you have lived and worked to keep the ranch going. James is a good man in every sense of the word and, although he’s not related to me by blood, he’s been like a son to me. Not a day has gone by that he put himself ahead of this ranch. He’s rough around the edges, I’m sure you’ve discovered that for yourself. And he can be a stubborn ox sometimes, but his heart is in the right place.
You might be confused about why I left half of the ranch to James. I did that for both of you. Life is hard enough as it is. But it’s easier with someone in your corner. The way I see it, neither of you have to go it alone.
I hope that, in time, you’ll accept, understand and embrace my decision. Heck, maybe it’s in God’s plan for the two of you to grow closer. If you give it time, you might even begin to see each other as family. Time will tell.
So, before my handwriting turns into chicken scratch, I wish you all the happiness and love you wish to have, Kate, and for a better life tomorrow than you had yesterday.
Your loving uncle,
Hank.
With hands that wouldn’t stop shaking, I brushed away the stream of tears flowing down my face. I leaned back in the swivel chair, letting Uncle Hank’s message sink in. It took me some time for my head to clear, and for the words of his letter to stop swimming around in my blurry vision from tears that refused to stop flooding my eyes, but by the time I collected my things, I knew what I had to do.
15
James
I pulled out the dresser drawer and emptied it into my suitcase. Damn that woman! I’d had no intention of leaving, of giving up my share of the ranch I loved, but when I’d walked into that office, when she hadn’t protested my statement that I would go, I knew that I couldn’t do this anymore. I didn’t want to stay where I wasn’t wanted.
Especially since what I wanted was her.
Not that she gave a damn about anything. She’d ruin this place in less than a year, I guaranteed it. And I was the one leaving the only damn place I’d ever called home!
Home. Hank had been like a father to me. It was too bad she didn’t care about his wishes in all this. But I’d done my best. I’d tried. It was time to move on.
I grabbed my jacket and felt something in the pocket. I pulled out the letter the lawyer had given me and stared at it. I sat down heavily on the bed and opened the envelope.
James,
If you are reading this then you’ve been running the ranch for six months, and I am gone. I am sorry I was never one for words. But right now, it seems a lot easier to write them down.
You have been a bright spot in my life. I never married or had children of my own, but I have loved you like a son. I only wish I got to know you when you were younger and all alone in this world.
Now my niece Kate is like you. I don’t want to think of either one of you out there all alone. I hoped… well, I hoped you might grow to care about each other. Maybe even something more.
Maybe this is an old man overstepping, but I thought it might be a good thing for you and Kate.
Look after her if you can, son. And look after the ranch.
Yours fondly,
Hank
Well, damn it all to hell. Now I was tearing up like a woman! But the old man had got to me.
He wanted this.
He wanted us to each… have someone.
Damned if I didn’t want the same thing.
I ran for the door, ready to fling it open and tell Kate I wanted her. For real this time. We needed each other and I wasn’t going anywhere dammit.
She would just have to get used to me, one way or the other.
But when I flung the door open, I was in for a surprise.
Kate stood there, another crumpled envelope in her hand.
I took one look in her eyes and I knew. Hank had worked his magic on both of us.
I pulled her into my arms and kissed her hard. She froze for a second. Then her arms were around me and she was kissing me back.
Sweet, heavenly relief.
I cupped her cheek and smiled at her, not letting her scoot away even an inch. Then I scowled.
“Woman, why did you make me wait so long?”
She laughed, tears spilling down her cheeks.
“Why did you make me wait?”
I shrugged a little, biting my lip.
“Well, I guess I’m kinda… shy. When you get down to it.”
“You? The shirtless wonder?”
“Oh, so you liked that, did you?”
She nodded and I scooped her up, dropping her gently onto the center of the bed just feet away from the front door of the small, one-room cabin.
I started pulling my clothes off. At first I was being playful but then our eyes caught and held. I could see my whole life in those eyes. Weddings and anniversaries and little babies.
“I want another chance to do this right. I want to do your uncle proud. And I want to take care of you.”
She nodded.
“I want that too.”
I crawled onto the bed and over her body. I kissed her deep, my fingers busy with the buttons of her shirt. I groaned as those buttons came free and her glorious curves came into view.
“Woman, what are you doing to me?”
“I don’t know. What are you doing to me?”
I stopped messing with her bra to stare into her eyes.
“I’m making you mine.”
Her pretty mouth opened in surprise and I took her lips, slanting my mouth over hers with an urgency I’d never felt before. I got that bra of hers off, then worked on her jeans and panties.
It only took a few minutes to strip her down, but it felt like forever. I dipped my head low, running my tongue up and down her already slick pussy lips.
“I can’t wait…”
“Good.”
Her hands were tugging me up. So she wanted it quick and dirty too. Well, all right then.
I was more than happy to oblige.
My cock needed little guidance notching itself into her hot, wet sweetness.
“Woman… how can you feel this good?”
She put her arms around my neck and pulled my head down.
“Cowboy?”
“Uh huh.”
I slid a little deeper, flexing my hips carefully.
“You talk too much.”
I grinned and gave the lady what she wanted. Long, slow, deep strokes that were sweet and dirty and the same time. Filthy, but pure. Full of love.
Raw. Primal. Fucking outstanding.
I realized it just as we both started to come.
Goddammit, I loved the woman.
I grunted like a stallion in season as my shaft pulsed hot seed deep inside her. Her body clenched down on me spasmodically, milking me for every damn drop. I kissed her neck as we finished, waiting for her trembling to stop. I didn’t want this to end.
But then I realized… it didn’t have to.
“Kate, I have to tell you something.”
“Uh oh. Do you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest?”
“What? No! Woman, be serious!”
I leaned on one arm so I could look down at her. Her face was flushed from our lovemaking. Her hair was wild and spread over the pillow.
I thought she’d never looked more beautiful.
“I�
�ve never said this before.”
Her eyes got wide as saucers.
“I don’t know if I’m doing this right. But I think… I think…”
Her fingers came up to trace my lips and I kissed her delicate fingertips.
“What do you think?”
“I think I love you, woman.”
She smiled and the tears started. Good lord, we were a soppy mess today! But I could see the love shining in her eyes, so I didn’t much mind.
“Oh, James…”
My heart was beating fast, suddenly worried that she wasn’t going to say it back. And then she did and my heart felt so full that it might burst.
“I love you too.”
Epilogue
Kate
Five Months Later
“Don’t peek!” I told James as I led him to the dining table. “Keep those eyes closed or you’ll spoil the surprise.”
“They’re shut tight,” he said with a chuckle. “But I usually don’t like surprises, Kitty.”
“It’s your birthday, love,” I exclaimed, filling the hallway with giggles. “That’s a darn good reason to surprise the most important man in my life.”
“As long as there isn’t a roomful of people waiting to wish me a happy birthday all at the same time, we’re good. You know I’m happy to spend the evening with just the two of us.”
“Hold your horses, cowboy,” I told him when he made it to the right spot at the dining room table. “Stand right there. Don’t move and don’t open your eyes.”
“All right.”
Eyeing his face carefully, I lit the red and white birthday candle and pressed it into the creamy frosting spread smoothly onto the chocolate cake I’d baked from scratch. I straightened the red envelope beside it, and placed the large wrapped gift box there too.
