by Jane Jamison
Joe held his head high. “Because it’s the right thing to do. Windy Hills needs to stay in the hands of people who love it.”
DJ ran a hand over his eyes, wiping away the tears as Heather rushed to hug Joe.
“You okay, little brother?”
DJ scowled at Brandon. “Of course I am. Can I help it if it’s allergy season?”
* * * *
Heather squeezed harder, hugging Joe for several minutes. Once again, Joe had come to help her.
Joe released her, putting her at arm’s length. His smile was both beautiful and bittersweet. “You remember what I said, okay? And take your time. I’ll wait for you in the car. That is, unless you find another way home.”
“Don’t worry about her, Joe. We’ll take care of her.” DJ stood and took Joe’s hand to shake. “Thank you for everything.”
“Don’t mention it.” Joe nodded again then turned and exited the club.
Heather took a deep breath and tried to get her emotions in check. If it took her the rest of her life, she’d repay Joe for caring for both her and her mother. Gathering her courage, she faced Brandon.
What is he thinking?
Heather could tell that DJ had forgiven her for telling them the lie. Even Rick had given her a smile as he’d accepted one envelope after another. But Brandon was a different matter. But at least he hadn’t scowled at her.
“Look, guys, this is your chance. Listen to what she has to say. Okay, Brandon?”
Caitlyn asked the question, but Heather sensed that she wasn’t going to abide by any answer other than “yes.” She walked over and gave her new friend’s hand a squeeze to thank her for not only bringing all the people out to help the Bannings but for setting up the perfect time to ask them to forgive her.
DJ bumped Brandon’s shoulder. “Of course he will. We all will. But maybe it’s better if we do it in private.”
“No problem.” Caitlyn jerked her head to the side. “Let’s let them have some space. That includes you, Rob.”
The manager of the club had remained so quiet that Heather had forgotten he was still there. He started to protest Caitlyn’s order then obviously thought better of it when she shot him a pointed glare.
Heather waited as they left them alone then turned back to the men. “I’m sorry. I really am. It’s just that sometimes when I meet a man, they get hung up on my name. Instead of seeing me for the person I am, they see John Cumming’s daughter. I didn’t want that to happen with you.”
“Or for us to know that you’re handing the sale.” Brandon’s tone left no doubt even though he still kept his gaze averted. He wasn’t asking, he was telling.
“Okay, sure. That was part of it, but not for the reasons you think. When I met Rick and DJ at the ranch, I’d just been told by my father that I was choosing the winner. But I knew he had to have a trick up his sleeve. He’s got to have a buyer set up that he knows will have the best offer. The only reason he gave me this awful responsibility was to make me think I had any say in what would happen to the ranch. Not to mention making it illegal for me to make an offer. But after this, I swear I’ll never let him tell me what to do.”
Brandon jerked his head up, a slight smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “According to you, you’ve never let anyone make you do anything you didn’t want to do.”
She straightened her back. “That was another lie. I’ve always gone along with whatever my father wanted. It was just easier. But at the same moment that I said that about not letting anyone tell me what to do, I realized it was also the truth. It was the truth of my future. After I open the bids later this afternoon, I’m done with my father.”
Brandon met her gaze, with Rick and DJ coming to stand beside him. “You’re telling us more than you should, you know. If any other bidders got wind of this, they could call foul play.”
“Let them.” She blinked, his words only now settling in. “Does that mean you’re going to submit an offer?”
“Yeah. We are. We’ll be there come hell or high water.”
Chapter Ten
Heather sat at the long table that workers had positioned on the front lawn of the ranch. Her father sat next to her, his phone to his ear, discussing one deal after another. She watched as people assembled, taking the folding chairs that were set out in rows.
Lifting her gaze to the clear blue skies above her, she struggled to keep the tears from her eyes. A light breeze lifted her hair from her shoulders, and although she’d worn a lightweight suit for the occasion, she felt the weight of what would happen resting on her shoulders.
How can I let him do this? I should’ve thought of a way to save the ranch. Maybe as a historical site? If I’d refused to handle the sale, I could’ve gathered investors to help me purchase the land. Although the men received a lot of money, they still probably won’t have enough to win.
She closed her eyes. No investors would’ve added their money to the monthly stipend her father gave her for her work anyway. Not without expecting a hefty return for their dollars, which would’ve meant turning the land into commercial real estate.
Where are the men? Did they change their minds?
“Heather, it’s time.”
She opened her eyes but kept from looking at her father. As far as she was concerned, he was no longer any relation to her. She’d lost him years ago, along with her mother.
She picked up the sealed envelopes containing the offers. Standing, she cleared her voice and addressed the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, according to the rules set out in the agreement to sell Windy Hills Ranch, which you received in advance, the buyer will be chosen based on two conditions. First is the amount. However, if another bid is within twenty thousand dollars of the highest amount and, in my opinion, has a better plan for the land, then I may choose to accept that second offer instead. My father and owner of Windy Hills Ranch has given me the responsibility of selecting who will buy our—I mean, his—ranch. As such, I’m now accepting offers for the last time. After this, the bidding process will be closed.”
Where are they?
She skimmed her hand along the side of her jacket, wiping her clammy hands. If they didn’t get their bid in during the last few minutes, they’d be out of luck. She paused longer than was acceptable and heard her father clear his throat, signaling her to get on with it.
“Are there any questions?”
She scanned the group and saw that there was only one hand raised into the air. “Yes, miss?”
The brunette stuck out from the rest of the crowd. Her clothes were obviously not as expensive or tasteful as the others’, but she held herself tall and straight when she stood. She lifted an envelope into the air. “I have another offer to submit.”
A quiet murmur started within the crowd as curiosity about the woman went wild. Wearing a very short skirt and a too-tight top along with heels that had to be at least five inches, she wobbled toward the table with her heels digging into the ground and making it difficult for her to walk.
“I didn’t know I was supposed to give this to you before now.”
Heather took the envelope, smiled at the girl, then searched the crowd again. The Banning brothers had lost their chance. “No problem.”
She waited until the woman made it back to her seat before going on. “Very well. The bidding is now closed.” Her heart tore at her as she gazed at the bid. Could she really do this?
Sitting down, she looked at the five envelopes on the table. Maybe if she closed her eyes and prayed really hard, everything would go back to the way it was before her mother died. But she had no choice.
Taking the first envelope, she opened it, took out the offer, then passed it to her father. Her father scanned it, snorted derisively, then gave it to his assistant, Betty, to log into the register. Heather opened two more envelopes and gave them to her father.
So far all the bids were from corporations or individuals that her father knew. The land would be developed for either housing developments or strip m
alls. She took a deep breath and checked again for Brandon, Rick, and DJ.
Even if they didn’t want to submit a bid, why didn’t they show up to support me? They had to know this would be hard for me.
She searched the crowd and found Joe standing at the edge of the crowd. He smiled at her then placed a hand over his heart.
At least Joe didn’t let me down.
Dropping her gaze to the next envelope, she opened it and saw the name of the land developer that Duke Simpton represented.
The amount was well above the other offers. Her gaze flew to Duke, who sat in the front row, and his smile widened. He knew he’d put in the largest amount. She pushed down the urge to flip him the bird then passed the paper along to her father. He studied it, nodded in satisfaction, then let Betty have it.
Her beloved Windy Hills Ranch would be torn apart to develop the country’s largest shopping mall. The number of parking lots alone would ravish the land. She swallowed back a cry and held her head high. If nothing else, she’d finish with the awful task with as much class and pride as she could muster. Her mother would’ve wanted it that way.
One last bid remained to be opened. But that was from the woman who could no more afford to buy the ranch than ninety-nine percent of the people in the country. Resigned, Heather opened it and read the offer.
She had to read it twice to be certain she hadn’t missed any detail. After doing so, she reread the part where the bidder had specified what would happen to the land. Trying to contain her glee, she turned to Betty but kept the offer in her hand.
“Betty, could you please let me see the last bid we gave you?”
Her father arched an eyebrow, his dark eyes glittering with suspicion. “What’s going on?”
She took the paper from Betty and examined both offers. “I’m just making sure that I’m not missing anything. We wouldn’t want to make a mistake.”
“Heather, give me that—”
“No, Dad. You gave this task to me, and I’m doing it.” She stood, ignoring her father’s outstretched hand. “Ladies and gentlemen, I have made my decision.”
The crowd grew restless. She looked at Duke, and, knowing that he’d recognize that she was showering him with the first sincere smile she’d ever given him, she shook her head, making sure he understood her meaning.
“I have two bids that are within twenty thousand dollars of each other. The first bidder has noted his intention to develop a large shopping mall. The type of mall that, in my opinion, would not fit in with either the lifestyle of the citizens of Passion or benefit the economy of the town. In my opinion, it would no doubt cause the demise of several of our most treasured and long-standing small businesses. Therefore”—she slid her gaze from Duke to her father—“I am rejecting the larger offer in favor of the second-closest bid.”
The noise of car doors slamming brought her attention to the drive behind the spectator section. Rick, Brandon, and DJ strode toward them, their cowboy hats pulled down and their long legs eating up the distance. They all wore simple T-shirts, faded jeans, and worn boots and were the sexiest men she’d ever seen.
She went on, making sure to speak as loudly as she could so they would hear her. “The second and accepted bid is from Brandon, DJ, and Rick Banning. They have elected to keep Windy Hills Ranch as it is and turn it into a working horse farm. Ladies and gentlemen, this meeting is over.”
She turned and faced her father then bypassed him to hand both offers to Betty to record. Her father stood as Duke rushed forward, his face a mask of fury.
“Cumming, you’d better get this straightened out and now. My employer isn’t going to stand still while you screw him over. You had a deal and accepted monetary compensation for that deal. I’ll be damned before I let you cheat us.”
“Shut up, Simpton.” Her father clutched Duke’s shirt, dragging him forward to put his face inches from the irate man. “You’re making a scene. Do you want to go to jail?”
He thrust Duke away and confronted Heather. “You won’t get away with this. I’ll cut you off for good. In fact, consider yourself terminated from your job. And get your ass out of the townhouse by the end of the day or I’ll have you thrown out.”
“You should do as he says, Heather.”
Brandon and his brothers came to stand with her, giving her their support. She took DJ’s and Brandon’s hands while Rick stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. Relief that they’d forgiven her swamped her, making her knees weak. But she held her head high and stood her ground.
“Oh, I intend to, Father. I don’t know where I’ll go, but anywhere is better than taking anything from you.”
“You’re staying right here.”
Was Brandon serious? He squeezed her hand, letting her know that he was. “Here? At the ranch?”
“If that’s what you want to do. As far as we’re concerned, this is your home now, too.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. Were the men going to let her live at the ranch for the rest of her life? Did they mean that they wanted her to live alone or with them?
“Are you fucking this lowlife scum?” Her father’s contemptuous glare jumped from one brother to the next. “Or are you fucking all three of them?”
She’d never seen her father so angry. But, as sad as it was to admit, she wasn’t sorry.
“Watch who you’re calling scum, man.” Brandon eased forward, putting himself slightly in front of Heather as though he planned on defending her should her father physically threaten her.
“As the new owners of Windy Hills Ranch, we had planned on giving you the customary thirty days to get out, but I think, after what we just heard, that we’re going to demand you get your scrawny old ass off the place immediately. You can send movers to collect whatever you want from the house later on.”
“Listen, you punk, you can’t tell me what to do.” Spittle formed at the corners of her father’s mouth.
“Actually, we can.” DJ moved up, putting his shoulder next to Brandon’s. Rick stepped around her to confront her father.
Her heart swelled with pride as she watched her men stand up to him. Turning to Rick, she started to thank him but stopped, stunned at the amber glow of his eyes.
Amber eyes? Where have I seen eyes like that before?
When he noticed her watching him, a change swept over him and the amber disappeared. His soft brown eyes returned.
“Cumming, what the hell are you going to do about this?” Duke looked like he was about to explode.
Heather held her hands up. It was time she stood up for herself. “Mr. Cumming, I’m ordering you and Duke Simpton off their land. If you don’t leave immediately, I’ll be forced to call the authorities.”
She leaned closer to her father and whispered, “I don’t think you want anyone digging around and finding out what you and Duke’s employer had planned. Now do you?”
Her father opened his mouth to speak, and, for the first time, he had no retort to give her. Instead, he gathered his briefcase, lifted his upper lip in a snarl, and walked away, ordering Betty to follow him. The older lady swept up the register, shot Heather a wink, then hurried after her boss. Duke was on her father’s heels as he rushed toward his waiting limousine.
Sadness swept through her as she watched her father walk out of her life. Even though she’d lost respect for him and didn’t like him as a person, a part of her still loved him for the father he’d once been.
“Hey, baby. How about showing us around your new home?”
“But the ranch is yours.” She reached out and touched each of them, one by one, as though she still couldn’t believe they’d really made it to the meeting.
“If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have raised enough money to buy it. All our friends came through for us, and we wanted to come through for you.”
“So the money you were paid back was that much?”
Rick laughed. “Actually, no. But, after you left, another friend that we’d helped get started in
a business came by our condo. Seems he decided it was time to repay the favor and the loan we’d given him. His business is booming, and he was more than happy to give us a loan for the remainder of the money without financing. We’re buying the ranch with cash, which puts us in deep debt, but we have the ranch.”
“And you, we hope.”
DJ took her around the waist and led her toward her home. Once at the front door, she pulled the key from her pocket and opened the door. Brandon pushed it wide then surprised her by picking her up and carrying her over the threshold.
She laughed even as the few onlookers that still remained clapped at the sight. “Put me down. People are going to think we just got married.”
“So?” Brandon’s dark eyes sparkled.
“So I don’t want even a hint of impropriety holding up the transfer of the land to you.”
“Who cares what they think?” DJ waved at the people then closed the door behind them.
Brandon settled her on the huge couch that dominated the rustic room with its Western-style furnishings, Southwestern throws and pillows, and a large stone fireplace. He sat down next to her.
“We need to talk.”
She made a funny face. “Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.”
“We hope it will be.” Rick took a seat on the huge wooden coffee table while DJ stood in the middle of the room, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Does this have anything to do with the way your eyes change?”
She’d caught Brandon and DJ by surprise, but not Rick. “I lost control and shifted a little, and it changed my eye color out there. I think her father was too angry to notice, but she did.”
“It’s time we told her the truth anyway.” DJ walked around the room, closing all the curtains.
“I’ve seen eyes like that once before. And I’ve heard the stories all my life.” She studied the men and, all of a sudden, knew it was true. Hadn’t she half believed the stories before now? Especially after seeing the wolf on top of the car? But could it be real?
