“What have you two ladies been talking about?” Jordan asked, coming over and sitting beside Skyla.
“How lucky we are to have such hot-blooded men.” Skyla’s voice was laced with sarcasm. “You know, the kind who run off into the distance on their horses. Not exactly white knights, are you?”
“I knew you could take care of yourself,” Jordan assured her. “I know how you would hate for me to think you a damsel in distress.”
“Of course.” Skyla raised an eyebrow.
“Unless it’s when you have a flat tire,” Jordan said. “Then you are more than willing to play that card.”
Skyla kicked water at him from out of the pool, and he put his hands up to defend himself, laughing at her indignant expression. “Once. Once I called you to help me. And if you hadn’t done the lug nut up so tightly, I would have been able to take care of it myself.”
“I’m joking.”
“And I’ve lost my sense of humor since I’ve been married to you,” Skyla told him sweetly.
“It’s good to see you have a healthy relationship,” Adam said to Jordan and Skyla. “I was worried it was so perfect none of us would ever be able to match it.”
“Perfect?” Skyla asked. “You grew up with him. You know about his aversion to admitting he is ever wrong?”
“I do.” Adam sat down next to Lynn, and placed his hand over hers. Skyla was right; he did burn hot. His hand should have been freezing cold, but it wasn’t, it warmed her. Lynn shuffled a little, trying to hide the sensations that crept through her body at the thought of this man being hers. Watching him swim in the pool, seeing his large, well-muscled arms carve their path through the water, had made her stomach flip with longing.
“Thanks, what happened to family sticking together?” Jordan asked. He’d sat down next to Skyla, his arm resting on her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Would she ever get to that stage with Adam? With anyone?
“Which is kind of what I want to talk to you about,” Adam began.
Lynn’s breathing went shallow as she waited for the conversation about the ranch to begin. It was hard not to feel like an intruder, a voyeur on this family’s private business. As she watched Jon, Sam, and Jordan turn their attention fully to Adam, and saw Skyla stroke her husband’s back, as if comforting him, it was hard not to want to be part of this, to be part of a group of people who obviously cared for each other, to learn all the minute interactions that made a family work.
For Lynn, it had been her mom and dad’s rules. Sometimes subtle rules, but she had never had the backup of brothers or sisters to help support her. Always outnumbered, that was how she had slipped into a routine of always going along with what they wanted.
Until the keys to the Hawkins Ranch landed in her hands and she took them and ran.
“Go on, Adam, it looks as if you have something you need to say,” Jordan said.
“I do. It concerns the ranch and its future.” He raked his hand through his wet hair, and for a moment Lynn wondered if he was going to go through with it. This was difficult, she imagined, because the two men here were strong men, with strong personalities, and Jordan had already made his opinion clear when he relinquished his claim to the farm as the eldest son.
“You don’t want the farm?” Jordan asked, as the silence stretched on.
“Yes, and no. I want us to have equal shares,” Adam finally blurted out, with no more preamble.
“I appreciate the sentiment,” Jordan said. “But my life is in Bear Bluff, and always will be. I have roots there, the same as you all still have your roots here. The ranch was never for me. Sure, I love the place, but my life is not going to be spent in the saddle. My accident was just a way of me seeing that for certain.”
“But we do appreciate the offer,” Skyla cut in, her voice choked with emotion. “I know Jordan thinks the world of you three and your parents. Even if he is not always good at expressing his emotions to you.”
“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.” Adam glanced at Jon, who had remained quiet. “I want us to have equal shares, as if this was a company. And then, if Jon and I work the ranch, we get paid a wage.” He took a deep shuddering breath, and then laid it out plain and simple. “I don’t feel it’s right for one of us to inherit what we all love. I know how I felt when it passed to me, after you let it go, Jordan. I’d worked here all my life, I always thought I’d be a hired hand, and then when it became mine, something shifted, and I looked at Jon, and thought how unfair it was. We’ve worked here together for so many years.”
“Don’t sweat it, Adam. I always knew the place would never be mine,” Jon told his brother.
“But why shouldn’t it? Why should it matter who was born first or last? I know Dad wants to keep the place together, and I’m all for that, but not at the expense of my brothers.”
“And what do you think of this, Lynn?” Jon asked, his face serious.
“Oh, it’s nothing to do with me,” Lynn said. “This is a family matter.”
“And you will be part of this family one day. You, as Adam’s mate…”
“Jon, don’t…”
“Sorry. Let me rephrase it. If you were Adam’s fiancée, would you be happy about him giving up his inheritance? This whole place could be yours and Adam’s and now, instead, you are part of a company board with votes and choices made, which you might not agree with.”
Lynn shuffled uncomfortably as all eyes settled on her. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her nerves, making sure she had full control of herself; if they wanted her opinion, then she was going to give it. “My mom and dad were never big on choice. And I have no siblings, so this is difficult for me to have any perspective on. But I know it means a lot to Adam, and I also believe that children should not be forced into what their parents believe is right. Things move on, children change.”
“And you would be happy for your children to inherit a third of the ranch, rather than all of it?” Jordan asked.
Wow, these guys were serious, talking as if she was one of them, as if this truly was her choice too.
“I think that if I had four boys, that they should all be entitled to part of their home, if they want it.”
“We do,” Jordan murmured.
“Thanks, Adam.” Jon stood up. The three brothers hugged, and then turned to Samuel, who was seated a little apart from them. “Sam?”
Samuel nodded his agreement. “All we have to do now is tell Dad.”
“And that is for you boys to do. I think we should get back, and after dinner tonight, you lock yourselves in a room and don’t let him out until he agrees,” Skyla said.
“We may be in there a while. Dad has always been hell-bent on the ranch staying together, and the Hawkins Ranch being part of it. The thought of there being any small risk of it being torn apart is going to be difficult for him to handle.”
“Then we persuade him that brothers stick together and we won’t make the same mistakes as his father did. This way no one is tied to it. But we all reap the rewards.”
“I never knew I had such a smart brother,” Jordan said, patting Adam on the back. “You have a good man there, Lynn.”
“If you’ll have him, of course,” Skyla teased.
As they rode back through the late afternoon, Lynn came to the conclusion that having Adam would be a good thing. A really good thing.
Chapter Twelve – Adam
“I promised you I’d help you clean,” Adam said, as they arrived back at the Hawkins Ranch. The others had gone into the main house at the Homestead, and she had been asked to join them, but Lynn declined the invitation. Adam wasn’t sure if it was because she wanted to avoid his father, or she was displeased about being dragged into the discussion about the ranch.
“Why not take a rain check? On the cleaning.” She opened the door of the truck, about to slip out. He had the terrifying image of her slipping out of his life forever.
“I’m sorry. About today.” He was nervous, uns
ure. Having Lynn in his life was so important, so precious, that any thought he might lose her made him feel like grabbing hold of her with this strong hands and never letting go. Yet he knew this had to be her choice, that she would be unhappy if he forced himself into her life.
Hadn’t he witnessed firsthand how she had rebelled against her parents and their idea of what her life should be?
“I’m not,” she said, her feet touching the ground, and her hand resting on the truck door. “It was fun.”
“You’re not mad, about being caught up in the discussion?” Adam asked.
“There was nothing to be mad about. You all seemed to be of the same thought. I figured there would be some kind of argument, at least.”
“That will be tonight. With my dad.”
“And that is why you need to go. Be with your brothers. Family is more important than cleaning.”
He opened his door and got out of the truck. Adam moved so fast, letting his other side, his bear, help him—it was part of the shifter gift, and he welcomed it now, pulling a shocked Lynn into his arms. “I can’t tell you how good it is to have you in my life.”
“As your mate?” Lynn asked.
“Yeah, about that…” What was he going to say? I’m a bear shifter and you are mine.
Sounds good to me, his bear said.
That would send her running back to her mom and dad, Adam answered.
Are you so sure? his bear asked. Lynn might like the idea of us always wanting the best for her, of always fighting for what she wants.
Let’s give it a little more time, Adam told his bear.
“It’s OK. I know you probably do things differently around here. And I’m an outsider, you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” Lynn said.
“I’d like to explain everything to you,” Adam told her. “Later tonight?”
“If you have time,” she replied.
“I’ll always have time for you.” Adam stroked her cheek with his fingertips, letting the sensations she evoked in him wash over him. Then he leaned forward and kissed her, pouring all the love and need he had for her into it, hoping to make her experience, in some small way, the way he felt for her.
Their kiss deepened, and Lynn threaded her hands around his neck, holding him close, no longer a passive bystander. Maybe he had awoken something inside her. It might be passion, or lust, or love. He would take whatever she offered, and plant it as a seed, and nurture it until she agreed to be his wife, to be his mate. To be his woman for the rest of eternity.
Adam slid his hand down her back, and lower, pulling her close, so that their bodies were pressed tightly together, her soft curves against his work-hardened muscles. They would always complement each other in life, rough and smooth, soft and hard.
“You should go.” Lynn pulled away from him.
“I have a little more time before dinner,” Adam assured her.
“If you don’t go now, I’m likely to drag you in the house so we can make out on the lumpy sofa,” Lynn said.
He chuckled. “I am well-known for my big appetite and always turning up in time for any meal. But an offer like that? I would miss breakfast, lunch and dinner for.”
She giggled. “I am a bad influence on you.”
“No, you are changing me. I actually have something on my mind other than the price of beef and whether we have enough grain to feed the livestock.”
“Let’s hope your dad doesn’t think I’m changing you for the worse when you tell him your new plans. He’s probably going to think I have been sent here to undermine him. To try to split the ranch up even more. Like it’s in my genes, or something.”
“True.” He kissed her again, his lips lingering on hers. He would rather stay here. He would rather make love to her on her lumpy sofa. But his family was waiting for him, and no matter how much he wanted to be with Lynn, this had to be dealt with now.
Tearing himself away, he kissed her cheek, and watched her walk to her front door, where she turned and waved to him, while he went back around his truck and yanked the door open. Then he climbed in, his heart aching to be with his mate, but his head telling him it would be better to get this all finalized and out of the way.
One less obstacle to overcome. And once it was dealt with, he would be back here, racing through the trees, and across the open plains, to spend the night with his mate. That was what she offered him, wasn’t it?
He’d come back later, and see what happened, he had all the time in the world. Today had taken him one step closer to being with his woman. And he would take it, and then take one step more, and then one more, until they were married with kids, and living… Where? The ranch, or here?
These were the things he mused over, as he drove back to the Homestead. So much he had taken for granted in his life, and the arrival of Lynn had tipped it all upside down. He had always thought, as had his father, that when they found mates, the Williams boys would all live under the same roof.
With Jordan living in Bear Bluff, and Lynn living in the Hawkins Ranch and planning to run a business from there, it seemed as if Jon and Samuel would get the Homestead all to themselves one day. Unless Samuel decided to go live as a mountain man.
How strange things turn out, he said to his bear.
Strange indeed, his bear agreed.
***
Those were probably the same thoughts that were going through their father’s head, after the Williams men had gathered in his study after dinner. Judy had taken Skyla to sit outside on the veranda. She knew what her sons had planned, and was happy with any decision that they all agreed on, and which left everybody happy.
Adam was unsure if everybody was going to walk away happy from this meeting. Their father had not exactly taken the news well.
“Is this some kind of conspiracy? After everything I’ve done for you all growing up, you stab me in the back?” Russell was nursing a scotch, shaking his head, while looking at his sons each in turn with a long, penetrating look.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Adam said.
“Dramatic! Growing up, if there was one thing you all knew, it was that the eldest inherited. That the Homestead would not be split down in any other way. That is how I lived, I walked away, happy my brother inherited.” He took a gulp of his scotch and winced. Russell was not a big drinker; it played havoc with his stomach, and the drink in his hand showed more of his mood, than his words.
“I know, Dad. And we don’t plan to split the Homestead up,” Jordan said patiently. “In fact, if we plan it correctly, this move will make sure it stays together. You can have it written into contracts that the Homestead is never to be split.”
“But what about the money the ranch earns? What about the buildings, the land? Who says what happened to all that?” Russell was asking.
“We set it up so that we each take a share of the profits. A small share, after what money is needed for upkeep and new machinery is taken.” Adam had it all figured out in his head, but was not always as eloquent as he would like to be when it came to passing this information on to another person. It often came out jumbled and he would then have to explain it again. “And salaries, too.”
“Salaries?” Russell asked.
“Adam’s idea is that whoever works the ranch gets a salary. At present, that would be Jon, Samuel, and Adam,” Jordan said. “I would maintain an interest in the ranch, but would only get a share of profits, if there are any. Those profits would be split four ways. And when the farm passes to our children, those shares get passed on again.”
“And if one of you wants to sell?” Russell asked. “My father tried to keep his brother happy in this same way. And look what happened.”
“No one is going to sell, no one will have the right to sell,” Adam said.
“So this is your idea?” Russell accused. “What, you don’t want to work the ranch but you want to hang on to a share in the place instead of the whole Homestead being passed to Jon?”
“No. My life is here. My work
is here. But it’s not sitting well with me, not since Jordan said he didn’t want to inherit.” Adam tried to keep his voice even, but he could feel his temper slipping. He thought of Lynn, calm and sweet, even in the face of the flooded kitchen, and drew on her strength.
“Why? It’s yours by right,” Russell said.
“But I want it to be shared between us.”
“That’s what we all want, Dad,” Jon agreed, and Jordan nodded. They were leaving their father no choice, and he knew it.
“You are holding me to blackmail. If you all agree, there is nothing I can do.” Russell was not pleased.
“Unless you want to disinherit us all,” Jordan told him. “And I know that it is important for the ranch to go to us. This is fair, you just need to have some time to get your head around it.”
Russell put his glass to his lips and tipped it up, downing the tawny liquid, and then gasping. “I know it’s fair. But I also promised my dad I would make the ranch whole again. Since the Hawkins girl wouldn’t sell, I figured I’d already failed him once. Now it feels as if I’m failing him again.”
“You aren’t, Dad,” Adam said. Then he decided to come clean with the rest of his news. “And the Hawkins Ranch will be part of the Homestead again, if not legally, then at least by marriage. If I can get Lynn to agree to being my wife.”
“Hey, son. You don’t have to marry someone just to make the Homestead whole. I would never ask that of you.”
“I know, Dad. But it’s OK. Lynn Hawkins is my mate.”
“She is?” Russell exclaimed. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Congratulations would be a good start,” Jordan said, getting up from the window seat he had been sitting on. Since they had returned from the ride, he had spent a lot of time looking out of windows at the fields and hills that surrounded them.
“Of course, congratulations. Why didn’t you say before? When you first met her, you must have known.”
“I did,” Adam admitted. He took a sip of his own scotch, which he had hardly touched; he wanted to be completely in control of his thoughts and actions when he went back to see Lynn later. “But you were so damned caught up in that old feud.” He placed his glass down on his father’s desk, where he had been perched during the conversation. “I want you to know, the ranch is Lynn’s. It will remain Lynn’s, even when … if we do get married.”
Hero Bear Page 20
