by A. C. Wilson
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Her words were stilted and she was afraid they sounded unfeeling, but from Garrett’s honest perusal, she knew he wasn’t offended. It seemed he was as uneasy saying those words as she was hearing them. It didn’t mean she didn’t like hearing them, but it could change a great many things if they even held the smallest grain of truth.
“Before Scott Valentine gets here, you should probably know that he and I have some history. I’m not sure he’ll bring it up, but if things get a bit tense, you won’t be surprised.” Garrett picked up the discarded pillows and pulled the sheet back up over the mattress. Rayne’s eyes widened. The revelations kept on.
It’s really no surprise that he knows most everyone around here. He grew up here. Her conscience was a helpful reminder in times when she wasn’t sure what to think. Rayne picked up the quilt and gave it a shake. Garrett took two sides and helped her drape it over the sheets. She sighed mentally. The bed almost looked like nothing had ever happened there. Physical memories could be wiped away when the mental ones remained.
“Should I meet him alone?” She wondered out loud and only by his pointed look did she realize she’d said them. He shook his head most adamantly.
“Hell no, you shouldn’t be alone with him.” Garrett raised his eyes and plunged a hand through his dark hair. “I’m sticking around. If you don’t want me to say anything, I’ll do my best, but I’m not leaving you alone with him.” Determination made those chocolate brown eyes harden and she could only think about those depths as they made her desire him more. She offered a soft smile.
“It’s nice having someone have my back, Garrett.” She walked into his arms and felt the world right itself when he slid his around her waist. Ironically she’d been searching for a safe place and she’d found one in the arms of a South Dakota cowboy.
“I’ve always got your back, darlin’.” He pulled her snugly against his chest and rested his chin on top of her head. For a few moments, nothing bad could touch her. She absorbed all of it greedily.
Who knows when such things disappear? Rayne didn’t want to find out.
Chapter 17
Rayne tried to collect herself as she went to open the door as soon as there was a knock. Mr. Valentine was indeed punctual and more than a bit too eager to share what he had for her. She tried to slow her racing heart with a deep breath, but it didn’t help. She didn’t think there was any other day in the recent past where she wanted it to end about as soon as it had began.
“Ms. Randall, I am Scott Valentine.” The man who stood before her was about as slick and rakish as they came. She’d had minimal dealings with attorneys but Valentine took the cake. He smiled with near perfectly white teeth, a thin, straight nose, and piercing greyish green eyes. His nearly black hair was artfully styled. She hadn’t seen another man who must have had more hair products than she did.
“I figured as much. Please, come inside, Mr. Valentine.” Rayne stepped out of the doorway to allow him to enter. He smiled again and stepped past her. A smile twitched at her lips. Shiny black shoes to match a suit with not even so much as a wrinkle from sitting in his car. She glanced out the door before she closed it.
Lincoln. Go figure! She might have expected a BMW or an Audi in a more largely populated area, but here in Hot Springs, South Dakota a Lincoln was high fashion. Clicking the door shut, Rayne turned to see a manicured brow lifted to her and a smirk on Valentine’s rather handsome face. She couldn’t let all of her cards fall on the floor, so she indicated that he should follow her into the living room.
“I do apologize about meeting today. I am sure your father’s funeral was emotional. My condolences again, Ms. Randall.” Valentine, ever the lawyer, sauntered his way into the living room. His voice cracked just a bit towards the end when he noticed he and Rayne were not alone. She could have kissed Garrett right then for not leaving her to deal with this snake on her own. Something about her father’s lawyer sent alarm bells ringing in her head.
“Mr. Valentine, this is Garrett Johnson. He’s agreed to be my foreman on the ranch until I decide what to do with it.” Rayne made a quick decision to keep her plans vague. Valentine’s questioning glance in her direction said he was already wondering what was going on between Garrett and her.
“I wasn’t aware you had acquired a foreman, Ms. Randall. As it so happens, I do know Garrett. He and I went to school together.” His voice remained flat, but it was hard to mistake the energy that had built between the two men. It crackled and snapped.
“Scott. It’s been quite some time.” Garrett didn’t move and he didn’t reach out to shake the lawyer’s hand. A slight nod of his dark head was all the acknowledgement Scott Valentine got. Rayne watched the two men, each one different in demeanor as well as the physical. Valentine was thin and willowy, his eyes hooded and he was supremely self-important. The suit, dress coat, and very shiny shoes underscored that tone. Garrett’s chocolate eyes watched carefully and gave very little away. He was relaxed, except for the tension in his broad shoulders. Dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt, he was all country boy without any cares. She warmed even more to that impression, but she knew he was taking in everything that was said and done. He’d promised to let her handle the discussion of her father’s property.
“Not nearly long enough, Garrett.” The snide remark would have raised the hackles of a lesser man, but Garrett only grinned back. Clearly it wasn’t the reaction the lawyer expected, because his eyes widened. She had to wipe off the smile that threatened to break out as she took the bull by the horns. One fleeting glance spoke volumes about these two men. There certainly wasn’t any love lost here.
“Mr. Valentine, I am anxious to hear what you need to tell me about my father’s will and property. You have implied that it cannot wait, so please have a seat.” Rayne frosted her humor and let the lawyer find a seat in one of the chairs. He looked first at one and then another. It seemed he was gauging just how sturdy and clean the old, rickety chairs really were. Rayne had to look away before she burst out laughing. A haughty sniff and a creaky squeak told her he had found a seat.
“Yes, I do think it is important for you to know just what you are dealing with here. The Randall Ranch is your inheritance, but I do understand your need to get out of this back water town.” Valentine pulled a thick envelope from inside his wool coat and set it on his lap. Rayne eyed the envelope, but didn’t make a move to sit or come forward. She simply waited. It was clear the man had more to say. “You did sound anxious to sell and be on your way. As I understand it, you’ve not been here since you were a young girl. The ranch holds no ties for you and there are wonderful opportunities to be had for a skilled woman like yourself.” Valentine smiled smugly, his eyes darting over her body. She pressed her lips tightly together and hardened her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Garrett coming out of his relaxed state. He hadn’t missed the innuendo in Valentine’s words.
“Skilled, Mr. Valentine?” She was careful to emphasize his name. His speech didn’t bother her as much as the familiarity of his tone and the sweep of his eyes. The smile remained on his thin face and his eyes seemed to take on a greener hue. Rayne had the fleeting vision of a cat’s eyes glowing in the night.
“I’ve done my research, Ms. Randall. You are only two years out of veterinary school. You did well at Kansas State University. That is also where you met your husband, wasn’t it?” Ever the thorough investigator, but anyone could find out that information. Rayne braced her hands on her hips. She didn’t dare look at Garrett.
“Ex-husband, but I imagine you knew that already too. I do have a hard time understanding what my personal life has to do with my father’s will and estate. Perhaps we could speed this visit along now, Mr. Valentine.” She kept her eyes on the lawyer, her heart rate a close second to the racing thoughts in her head. It was clear the man was a snake and Garrett had had every right to think he’d try something if she was alone with him. Even if they hadn’t put Ruger in the upstairs bed
room, she still didn’t think it would have deterred this oily man much.
“Of course. Forgive me for being too intimate with the details.” Those grey green eyes were laughing at her and she didn’t appreciate it at all. Her irritation rose. Valentine opened the envelope and brought out the folded sheaf of papers. “There isn’t much here for you to inherit, Ms. Randall, but debt. Your father had fallen on hard times much like the rest of the ranchers around here.” He pulled out a piece of paper. Rayne took the opportunity to look at Garrett. His slight nod affirmed the truth.
“What exactly does the debt entail?” Rayne asked, trying to narrow down the facts. Facts were good. They were solid and legitimate. She could work with the truth.
“The land itself has been mortgaged to the maximum allowance. There were no savings to pad the fall. All the cattle and horses were sold off to pay the mortgage payments that were in arrears.” Valentine ticked off the points on his fingers. She wondered if he was enjoying this report. His features remained politely aloof, but his eyes, those green eyes said so much more.
“Obviously my father didn’t sell off all the horses. Maverick is still in his stall and it looked like there were at least two others. Where are they?” Rayne asked, questions filtering through the maze she’d put up ages ago. Questions that weren’t reconciling with the facts being presented.
“Yes, the sorrel remained your father’s, but the other horses were his foreman’s. They were moved last week back to Mr. Rodriguez’s barn.” Valentine folded the papers back up and put them into the envelope. “I can’t say for certain what your father was planning to do, but I think it was just a matter of time before he sold the ranch. Property taxes were coming due and he would have had no way to pay for them.” Green eyes watched her take in the information. She felt her stomach twist into an extraordinary knot. She’d come back with the sole expectation to sell the ranch and move on. Now that she was facing that event, Rayne couldn’t deny the irritation at not having the choice. As bizarre as that sounded, she wanted to make the decision to let all of the past anger, pain, and feelings of abandonment go with the single stroke of a pen. Now that choice might be taken from her and it didn’t sit well.
“How much is the mortgage on the ranch, Mr. Valentine? Is it manageable as a working operation?” She raised her hand the moment the lawyer began to argue. “I realize there isn’t livestock on the property, but the land could be leased to an operation who needs the grass.” That didn’t seem to sit well with the plans Valentine was making. Garrett remained in his spot near the hearth, but he was following just as closely as she was. His dark eyes shifted between Valentine and her.
“With the back taxes and current mortgage, you are looking somewhere in the ballpark of fifty thousand dollars.” The man enjoyed sharing that tidbit and Rayne felt her jaw drop.
Nothing like asking to get blood from a stone! The sum was far worse than she imagined. Without anything to leverage, she couldn’t come up with that much money, especially having the school loans she did. Rayne ran a hand over her face and felt the color draining from it. She felt a bit light-headed as well. She had no idea what to say to that and she could see the door closing before she could close it herself.
“I believe it would be beneficial to allow Ms. Randall some time to think on this, Valentine. It has been a long, emotional day.” Garrett was suddenly at her side and she welcomed the arm that slid supportively around her waist. An inner voice grumbled deep inside.
So much for handling this on your own. She ignored it and allowed herself to be comforted by a cooler and more logical head than she had at the moment.
“Absolutely right. There’s no reason to rush things, except taxes are due at the end of the month.” Scott Valentine looked positively beside himself with glee. The man was truly a different breed altogether and it made Rayne physically sick. She had three weeks to figure out what to do. Even if she could put the money together to save this place, there wouldn’t be enough time. That little voice snickered in the depths where all the past years’ torment lived.
Why would you want to save it? Leave it to rot! Her courage to rally sank so low she might have stepped on it if she moved. Garrett’s fingers tightened on her hip. She looked up into his face, concern and question etched deep in his forehead. Valentine was bowing out, but not before taking an estimation of what was going on between the deceased owner’s daughter and her new foreman. Rayne wished she could have missed the devious glare and blatant leer on the man’s face. If she had thought something shady was going on before, she was pretty damn sure it was now. Her stomach flopped and squeezed. She heard the kitchen door slam as Scott Valentine exited the ranch house. Closing her eyes, she let Garrett hold her and she thanked him for his quiet strength.
~~~
A revelation smacked Garrett upside his thick skull. Standing there in the living room of the ranch house, holding Rayne tight against his side and feeling her turn into him, Garrett was aware that only by keeping her with him did he feel complete. Without that connection, the world spun at an alarming speed on a course he was certain would shatter all he had ever wanted for his life. When she was confronting the scumbag of an attorney, Garrett wanted to shield her and protect her from the crap that man was spewing. Some of what Scott Valentine had said was true, some had truth that was warped into his own devices, but there was poison in the logic. All Garrett seriously wanted to do was throw the man out on his pompous backside, but not before breaking that too-straight nose.
Lifting Rayne’s chin with his index finger, he gazed into the troubled golden eyes of his blessing. He smiled slowly at the thought. It was that or run for cover. He’d heard stories about how the Black Hills could be the keepers of a man’s soul. The spirits of the Black Hills could be fickle in their discretion in granting the true desire of a man’s heart. His senses quivered in the all-encompassing caress of the golden glow. Rayne was his Black Hills blessing. A wish made by his soul and granted in the damnedest way. He ran the pad of his thumb over the apple of her cheek and was surprised when she trembled beneath his touch. He swallowed and tried to pull back from the depths of his thoughts.
“I guess I don’t need to ask how you feel.” Rayne almost whispered. Garrett nearly jumped out of his skin at her words. He felt like a deer caught in the oncoming beam of headlights.
Shit. Am I that easy to read? His heart pounded heavily in his chest.
“You don’t?” He nearly stuttered in his words and he felt like such an idiot.
Smooth, Romeo! Garrett inwardly grimaced with the thought. He really wasn’t putting his emotions in the best light, but heck, he had just started to acknowledge them to himself.
“No. I know you don’t trust him and I completely agree. There is something off. Maybe not so much about the information, but he almost seemed happy to share it.” Rayne shook her head, her eyes troubled. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement.
“You have that part right. As long as I’ve known Scott and his family, they take too much joy in the detriment of others. I suppose it was too much to hope he was different.” Garrett rubbed her upper arms and took a step back from their connection. His body craved to hold her, press her soft body to his, but it sure made it hard to think.
Well, about anything but being sunk hilt deep in her warmth. Just those thoughts had his abdomen tightening in anticipation. He felt like a teenager with his first crush. Garrett turned from her and stepped towards the kitchen window to see the yard empty.
“It’s hard to grow past what is in your DNA. I imagine we are predisposed to the actions and tendencies of our parents.” Her voice hovered on the edge of sadness and resignation. Neither of which he wanted to hear or have her experience while he was with her. Garrett turned back to her and leaned a shoulder up against the wall.
“I don’t think you really believe that, do you, Rayne?” He watched her struggle with her answer. He knew inside she was broken. A pain like that would take a lifetime to fix
.
What wouldn’t I give for that lifetime? Maybe he shouldn’t be shocked by the avenue his thoughts had taken. His gaze roamed over Rayne. Every inch that was before him and every inch that wasn’t, he wanted to know. He wanted to know her. He just wasn’t sure if she would let him.
“I’m not sure what I believe any more, cowboy.” She turned her head away, but glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She let out a deep breath and bowed her head. “Damn it, Garrett, from the moment I stepped foot on this place, I questioned what I was doing. Now with you, I question everything. I don’t know what is true and what has been the lie. I thought that I had been lied to my whole life, when the truth could be just as horrible, or worse.” Her voice rose as she looked at the wall above the fireplace. He kept still. He thought if he moved, she’d stop speaking and if she stopped speaking, he’d not have a prayer of opening her up again.
“Sometimes lies become our truth. They comfort us when our world is obviously upside down. You’ve been walking on the ceiling for so long now, Rayne. It’s no wonder that you feel gravity pulling at you here.” Garrett hoped she didn’t question that he was in her corner. He didn’t want that.
“Walking on the ceiling? That’s a good analogy for being messed up.” She chuckled darkly and it sent a shiver down his spine to hear it. “Am I irredeemable?” She turned to him and her golden eyes were filled with tears. The far off look into those depths made him ache all the more for the little girl who grew up without a mother or a father. He saw the youth and childhood snatched away with the finality of a breath. The last life of hope and dreams crumbled when Rayne lost both parents that day. His own faith shook as he saw pain in the woman he loved.
