by Holla Dean
“Hush now… Everything is going to be all right.”
“No,” she cried. “Everything is not going to be all right. I wanted to try and talk him out of his crazy idea of us getting married. This ranch should be mine, it’s my birthright, I shouldn’t have to marry you or anyone else for it to be mine.”
He was surprised by the little finger of hurt that pierced his heart to know that she definitely wasn’t interested in marrying him. It was pretty clear that if she did agree to marry him, it would only be so she could have the ranch.
That wasn’t what he wanted. Having come around to thinking that marrying Julie might not be the worst thing in the world, he hoped to build a true marriage with her, to have a partnership in running the ranch, and having a family, and a good life together. He wanted to lead and guide his family in the right direction. He had a feeling she thought all he wanted was to control her and that wasn’t the case at all. What he wanted was to help her become what she wanted to be and to be the best of what she wanted to be. Would he be able to convince her that leading was not the same as controlling? He intended to give it his best shot in the thirty days he had.
*****
“Hey, we’re going to have to get Jason to the barn. Do you think you can help me with that?”
“I’m not putting Gramps out in that cold barn!”
“Julie,” Seth said in what he hoped was a soothing voice. “We can’t leave him here in the house.”
“But I can’t leave him out in the barn with the animals,” Julie whined even though she knew Seth was right. The body would decompose rapidly in the warm house. Still, putting Gramps out in the barn all alone just didn’t seem right.
Seth gently led her from the room, taking her to the living room and telling her to sit on the sofa while he built up the fire. Once he had the fire blazing, he went and sat down next to her.
“I understand it’s a hard thing to do, but Jason loved the barn and loved the animals. He spent a lot of time in there mending the tack as he became less and less able to actually work with the animals. I think he’d be happy if he knew that’s where his body would be spending the next few days until we can bury him.”
Julie nodded. She hated that Seth was right, but there really was no other option. Gramps could not stay in the house. It was either the barn or outside in the snow where animals could possibly get to his body.
They moved to the kitchen where Seth started making a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon while Julie put two pieces of bread in the toaster. She didn’t have much of an appetite but managed to get down about half of what Seth put on her plate.
“I can get him ready,” Seth offered. “I’ll wrap the body in an old sheets and then cover it with a plastic tarp before we take him out.”
“No,” Julie protested. “I want to dress him in his coveralls first. He wouldn’t want to be buried in just his boxers, nor would he like wearing his Sunday best. He was most comfortable in his coveralls and I think that’s what we should put him in.”
Seth agreed and he went to the small storeroom off the kitchen while Julie went to the linen closet to dig out a few old sheets. Back in Gramps’ bedroom, Julie found a clean pair of overalls, a light blue denim shirt, and fresh socks. She tried to push away the thought of his feet getting cold out in the barn by reminding herself it was just the shell of his body. It wasn’t Gramps; his soul was no longer a part of his body.
Together they dressed the body, then wrapped him in the old soft flannel sheets followed by the tarp. Seth sealed the seam with duct tape and then carried the body to the back porch where there was a sled to haul things back and forth between the house and the barn. He gently tied the body to the sled and then they grabbed hold of the rope between the two buildings and pulled the sled to the barn
It was slow going, but once there Seth put a couple of planks on top of two saw horses and they laid the body on the planks in an attempt to keep any mice from chewing their way through the tarp and the sheets. Julie put her hand where she thought her grandfather’s chest would be on the bundle.
Seth stepped away to give her some privacy. He checked the animals and made sure they had food and water and then he cleaned up their stalls. When he went back to check on Julie, he saw her eyes were dry and he gently said, “We should get back to the house now. I’m sure he’ll be fine here.”
“It’s hard to leave him here,” Julie said forlornly. “Even though I know his spirit isn’t with his body any more, I worry about him being cold.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and said, “Let’s cover him up with a few saddle blankets. Will that make you feel better?”
Giving him a small sad smile, she nodded her head and went to the tack room to find the cleanest blankets for her grandfather.
With one hand on the guide rope and the other holding Julie’s hand, Seth led them back to the house. He wasn’t sure what to do now. Should he try and engage her in some activities or should he just let her be in her grief?
Julie made the decision for him by telling him she wanted to be alone for a little while. She went to her room and shut the door. Rolling on her side, she softly cried herself to sleep.
Chapter Five
They were stuck there for three days before Seth felt it was safe enough for him to attempt to reach his ranch through the snow. The time was spent cautiously tip-toeing around each other. Julie didn’t want to do anything that would make the Neanderthal cowboy go into spanking mode and Seth wanted to show her she didn’t have to be afraid of him. All she really needed to do was to treat him with respect and stay out of dangerous situations.
He politely made suggestions on a better way to accomplish certain tasks and she bit her tongue to keep from telling him to fuck off and leave her alone.
They rehashed the terms of the will over and over and tried to find some way to avoid getting married and still have Julie keep the ranch. They could think of no solutions and would have to wait until they were able to speak to Jason’s attorney.
Seth looked at the sky on the third day and felt it was time to go to his ranch and see how they had fared through this latest storm. He didn’t want to leave Julie all alone and suggested she accompany him. At first she protested but when he asked if she was sure she’d be all right alone for what could be more than a few days, she changed her mind and agreed to go with him.
What normally was a two-hour ride on horseback took them nearly twice as long. He took Julie into his ranch house which was a little smaller than Jason’s but it was newer and more modern.
Once he made sure Julie was settled in the guest room, he made his way to the bunkhouse to talk to his hands. The cattle were all in one large pasture and they were planning to head out and check how the animals had gotten through the blizzard. The horses housed in the barn were all fine. Seth told them about Jason’s death and that he didn’t want to leave Julie alone just yet so he wouldn’t be joining them to assess the situation with the cattle.
Julie tried to keep herself busy but it was difficult. Her mind kept turning to Seth. She always found herself wanting to go to him. She didn’t understand why, and she didn’t really care. She wished he would just sit with her and talk. She was tired of the feeling she had of walking on eggshells. It was that damn kiss making her feel this way.
The first night she spent in the guest room was nearly a sleepless night for her. She could not get the kiss they shared out of her mind. How she had almost completely surrendered to him. And since then Seth had not made one move towards her.
The following day was a restless one for both of them while they waited for the ranch hands to return from checking the cattle. Even though she’d been given the guest room, in the wee hours of the morning, after having no luck falling asleep, she went into his room and climbed into his bed.
“Is something wrong?” Seth asked when he felt her backside bump up against his back.
“No, I just don’t want to be alone.”
Flipping t
o his other side so he was now spooning her, Seth asked, “Do you want me to hold you?”
“I think I’d like that,” Julie whispered softly.
Lying there with his arm around her waist, Seth knew when she drifted off to sleep and hoped she hadn’t felt his dick getting hard against her bottom as they spooked together.
After that first night of sleeping with Seth, Julie made her way to his bed every night. Always in the early morning hours after trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep in the guest room. And every night, Seth simply rolled to his side and wrapped his arm around her waist. He was always careful not to make any unwanted advances. He knew she just needed to not be alone.
Four days later they were back at Jason’s ranch and Seth was digging a grave using the tractor from his ranch with a scoop attachment. The ground was hard and it was slow going, but once it was done, Seth sent one of his hands to town for the preacher and they had a small service. Some of Jason’s old friends came and Julie was inundated with casseroles and stews from the surrounding community.
It was time to look over the will and talk to Jason’s attorney. Julie read the will first to make sure she knew what she should ask questions about. It looked like Seth was right. Jason had decreed that Julie would not inherit the ranch unless she married Seth. It would be her sole property with Seth sharing the proceeds of the ranch, but in the event they should divorce, the ranch would belong to Julie. However, if they divorced before their tenth anniversary it would have the same effect as though they’d never been married. The ranch would be sold and the proceeds split between Julie and Seth. Unless they had children. Then the ranch would be held in trust for their offspring with Julie and Seth as the executors until the oldest child was twenty-five.
In other words, if she wanted the ranch she would be tied to Seth for a minimum of ten years and if there were children it would be for twenty-five years. Why on earth would Gramps do something like this? She had always been under the impression he wanted the ranch to remain in the family. So why make it so difficult for her? And not just her, but Seth too. Why should he have to be forced to be shackled to her for as long as twenty-five years just to get paid for his services for the last several years?
There was no choice. Unless the attorney had some way to circumvent this crazy will, she’d have to marry Seth and make the best of it for at least ten years. She made an appointment with the attorney for the day after the funeral. He would come to the ranch in the early afternoon and meet with her and Seth.
She spent the morning going through her grandfather’s things in his room. She filled two lawn and leaf bags with clothes to be donated to a shelter. A third bag was filled with things too worn out to be usable. There was a small wooden chest on top of Jason’s dresser and when she opened it she saw it was filled with letters. On the envelope of the top letter was written To my beloved granddaughter, Julie.
Julie plucked it out of the chest and went to sit down on the worn-out upholstered chair sitting by the window. She stared at the envelope for several minutes wanting to open it and yet afraid of what might be in it. Sliding her fingernail along the seal, she bent back the flap and pulled out the single sheet of paper. It was written in the familiar scraggly hand that his arthritis had reduced him to.
My dearest Julie,
If you are reading this, I am gone. Please don’t spend too many tears on my passing and especially I don’t want you to feel any guilt about not spending enough time here on the ranch. I wanted you to experience life in the city and know something other than just this ranch.
But I also want the ranch to be yours and to remain in the family. I want your children to be able to grow up here or at least come here and ride horses, herd cattle, and be comfortable in the country way of life. I suppose that may be selfish of me and it may be far from what you want for yourself and your children should you have any.
I know you love this old place and I’m worried that you may decide to attempt to run it yourself. It would be a hard life for a young woman alone and that’s why I’ve written my will in the way I have. I’m sure you’re aware of its contents by now.
You may think me a crazy old coot for attempting to force you into a marriage with a man you barely know. But Seth is a good man. He’s a hard worker and has been more than kind and helpful in running this ranch. He’s never asked for a dime and I’m deeply indebted to him.
Having the two of you marry and eventually combining the two ranches into one will be a great legacy to leave to the future generations of our family. Both ranches are profitable in their own right and combined into one could grow into something wonderful.
I know I’m putting you in a tough spot, but should you choose to not marry Seth I will understand. He will have the opportunity to purchase it when it goes up for sale and my attorney has special instructions to help Seth with that purchase in case he can’t qualify for the loan.
Please consider my request carefully and give yourself a little time to get to know Seth before you dismiss him as a possible husband and the father of your future children. Just know that I love you and I’m trying to make sure that the ranch stays within the family if at all possible and Seth is compensated for all his hard work in running the place so profitably.
You have always been a shining light in my life.
Your loving Gramps
Julie was in tears by the time she finished reading the letter and she pressed it against her chest as memories of her grandfather raced through her mind. He’d been so much more than a grandfather to her. After her parents had died, he had become like a father to her. He had a way of making things much less complicated than they seemed in her crazy teenage years. He always knew how to put things into proper perspective and always led her onto the right path.
She dozed off in the armchair and when she awoke she saw it was almost time for the attorney to arrive. A sense of peace had settled both in her mind and her heart and somehow she didn’t resent the position her grandfather had put her in with the demands of his will. She knew now what she wanted to do and the first thing was to go and find Seth and talk to him before the attorney arrived.
Pulling on her coat, boots, and gloves, she went outside and grabbed hold of the rope connecting the barn to the house. The blizzard had long since stopped and she could see the barn clearly, but the snow was so deep it was nice to have something to hold onto as she made her way following in the footsteps Seth had left in the snow.
“Seth?” Julie called out when she reached the barn. “Are you in here?”
“In the tack room,” came his reply.
“The lawyer’s due here in less than an hour and we have to talk.” Julie was out of breath from stomping through the snow. “Are you busy? I mean, can we talk now?”
She saw him glance at her and he gave a one shoulder shrug. “Have you figured out how to avoid marrying me?”
“No, of course not. Well, maybe there would be a way but I think we should get married.”
“And just exactly what has caused your change of opinion on marrying me?” Seth continued working on the halter repair and didn’t even glance her way again.
“Gramps left me a letter and I just read it. Then I dozed off and when I woke up it just seemed like all the pieces fell into place and this is what we should do. We should get married. It doesn’t have to be forever, and who knows—maybe it’ll end up working out anyway.”
He looked at her and she thought she saw a little bit of suspicion in his eyes. Something told her he didn’t completely trust her. Who could blame him? After all, she’d been quite adamant about refusing to even consider marrying him.
When he didn’t say anything, she asked, “Did you change your mind? You don’t want to get married now?”
“I’m not sure. I wonder what your grandfather wrote to make you change your mind so suddenly. Let’s talk to the lawyer and we’ll take it from there. Our thirty days is long enough for about three weeks of getting to know each other, so let’s just ta
ke it slow before we rush into anything we might both regret.”
Disappointed in his lack of enthusiasm for her turnaround on the subject of marriage, she tried to sound nonchalant when she said, “Sure, whatever you say. He should be here in about a half-hour.”
Chapter Six
Seth watched her leave the barn and wondered if there was any chance she’d let him read Jason's letter. He put away the halter he was working on and went into the house to clean up for the meeting.
The attorney spent more than half an hour explaining the terms of the will and the only thing Seth learned was that he had interpreted the will correctly when he had first read it. He supposed he should be glad about Julie’s decision to capitulate to the terms of the will and consent to marry him.
The trouble was he didn’t want a marriage based on an old man’s last will and testimony. He wanted a certain type of marriage and if Julie wasn’t prepared to enter into that kind of marriage then he wasn’t interested at all. Considering they’d have to remain married for at least ten years he felt he should at least have the sort of marriage he desired. If she couldn’t agree to that, then he would just chalk up all the help he’d given Jason as simply having been the neighborly thing to do.
If Julie couldn’t accept him as the head of the household and the one to make all final decisions, then he would continue operating as he was until the ranch sold. He would start taking steps right away to find out if there was any way he could qualify for a loan and purchase the ranch. If they were going to be married then he would just have to look at it as a business transaction and move forward from there.
It wasn’t like she would be left homeless. Hell, if the ranch were sold, other than what Seth would get for his services for the last few years, Julie would get all the proceeds as Jason’s sole remaining relative. She would most likely just go back to her previous job and live in the city. They had just over three weeks to decide and he thought the best thing to do would be to spend that time getting to know each other and finding out if they could be on the same page as far as what they each wanted out of the marriage.
