“The paramedics took him to the clinic with Matt along for the ride. He’s been charged with unlawful confinement and attempted murder, crimes he committed here.” Adam nodded. “The Austin police have been notified and will arrive shortly to pick him up to face the charges there. It’s safe to say Mr. Vance will be a guest of the state for years to come.”
“What was the purpose of bringing Brody Carp here?” Jeremy Bishop asked. “You said he was looking for Jenny?”
Connor grinned. “Vance had borrowed heavily from Carp. The money he got from his great-aunt was enough to repay that debt, but Vance thought to have the entire estate. He hired an investigator who then told Carp the man was looking for an heiress. We decided to bring him here, too, so he could see Vance fail and get arrested. Also, we wanted him to understand that no one here had ever heard of Marissa Jayne Featherstone.” Then he looked at Grandma Kate. “And to tell him that an entity he’d never heard of, a mysterious group called LTT LLC had enough power to manipulate even an estate lawyer and fake the existence of an heiress. And, of course, to give him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
“What sort of offer was that?” Marcus asked.
“One he readily accepted. Very shortly he will leave this great state of Texas, never to return.” Connor Talbot looked pleased with himself.
“Connor loved playing the bigger badder bad guy.” Admiration laced Mel’s tone. “He even scared me. It was awesome.”
Grandma Kate smiled. “Good job, gentlemen. Vance will be behind bars, unable to do a thing about his late great-aunt’s estate. And Brody Carp now believes that the entire episode was a game to draw Vance out, and since he’ll soon be out of the state, he’ll cease to be our immediate concern.”
Jenny was pretty certain that if Carp ever set foot in the Lonestar State again, the Lusty Town Trust, aka Grandma Kate, would learn of it.
Then Grandma Kate turned her attention to Jenny. “And aside from the fact that you now know who your mother was, and that there’s a lawyer in Austin waiting to speak with you, I think you learned something else, as well.”
Jenny met Kate Benedict’s gaze. How could she have known the one doubt Jenny had harbored about herself all these years?
“I did. Over the last several weeks I learned things about myself I never believed could be true.”
“Sweetheart?” Dale had his head tilted as he waited for her to say something.
“I guess I do have a bottom line after all—and that when I have to, I can stand firm. I can take control of my own life and my own destiny and make something happen. I’m not a spineless push-over, after all.”
“Aw, Jenny.” Just her name, on a sigh. Parker lifted one hand and kissed it. Dale repeated the gesture with her other.
“Sweet Jenny, Dale and I never had a doubt in the world, and we’ve never thought you were a push-over.”
“That’s true,” Jackson said. “Your men warned me that you wouldn’t be manipulated where you didn’t want to go. And that was a while ago.”
“No…I think I was a bit of a push-over, in the past. It’s kind of all tangled up in having been adopted, and the way I used to think about that when I was a child—and a classmate named Petra, who had also been adopted.” How odd that I might end up living poor Petra’s most cherished dream.
Jenny shook her head. She might only be twenty-four, but already she realized that life could be very strange. She looked around at the group of people, all of whom, in essence, had had her back. “So, what happens next?”
“That’s up to you, sweet girl.” Grandma Kate’s tone had softened. “If you like, we’ll get you in to see Robbie. Then, when those DNA results are in, we’ll make an appointment for you with that lawyer in Austin. But it’s up to you. It’s your decision.”
Jenny nodded. She looked at each of her men. Parker offered her a small smile, and Dale’s expression was one of encouragement. She knew that whatever she decided to do, these good men would back her up one hundred percent.
Jenny turned back to Grandma Kate. “All right. Let’s do that, and see where it takes us.”
Chapter Twenty
Sitting between her guys, Jenny felt her tension increase the closer the GPS said they were to their destination. Then Parker put on his right turn signal and pulled into the gated driveway. The gate was open, and there was no mistaking the house number welded to the black bars.
Both of her men whistled when the house came into view. “This must be the place,” Dale said. Parker put the truck in park and turned off the ignition.
Jenny sat forward for a moment, her gaze taking in the enormous house before her. Painted white, two-story, with eight pillars and a pretty porch, the house nearly took her breath away.
“It’s at least as massive as the Big House back in Lusty,” Parker said.
“It looks like it, doesn’t it? Remember, Mr. Mathers said it was built in the late eighteen hundreds, so it’s about the same age, too.” Jenny should have been prepared for this, for the size of it, the exclusivity of it. But she wasn’t, not even after her appointment yesterday afternoon with Rodney Mathers, the senior partner in the law firm of Mathers, Chambers, and Horne.
The truth was her mind was still swimming over the enormity of her inheritance.
She’d had issues as a child, teen and a young woman, issues that had been a result of her adoption. But they’d been issues wrapped around her sense of self, caused by words she’d heard when she was too young to discern their meaning properly.
Unlike Petra Shane, Jenny had never thought there was a wealthy family looking for her. She’d always considered herself blessed to have the parents who’d adopted her.
Dad is going to swallow his tongue when he sees this place. And she had an inkling of an idea, then. It would all just depend on how things went over the next hour or so.
Jenny and her guys had left Lusty a couple of days ago. They’d driven to Dallas, when they’d left the first day. Yes, Dallas really was out of the way traveling from Lusty to Austin. But Jenny had wanted to tell her parents, face to face, about all that had happened and that the DNA test had proven she was indeed a Featherstone by birth. Jenny had assured her parents that nothing had changed between them—that she loved them and, that in her heart and in her mind, they were still her real parents.
Her mom and dad had reassured her they never doubted that. They told her she would always be their baby girl—their greatest blessing and the light of their lives. Her dad had summed it up best.
“Baby, look at this situation as if you’ve won the lottery. A lottery that gives you not only material things, but a look into your own personal history.” Wise words indeed, daddy. Words, and an attitude, she had immediately adopted as her own.
“Are you ready, sweetheart?” Dale took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
She nodded. “Yeah, okay. I’m ready.”
The guys flanked her as they made their way to the porch and then up the steps, toward the front door. Jenny rang the bell and stood back, not quite knowing what to expect.
The door opened, and a woman stood there, wearing a tailored black skirt and white blouse, with her silver hair in a knot on top of her head. Her face looked smooth, a detail that belied her advanced years. Mr. Mathers had told her the three members of the household staff were all past sixty and had lived here for more than thirty years. They all had known her birth mother and had been devoted to Amanda Featherstone, a woman who’d treated them more like family than staff.
The older woman smiled, and Jenny knew in a heartbeat here was a woman for whom smiles and kindness came easily.
“You must be Miss Collins. I’m Eugenia Novak. Please, come in.”
The woman stepped back, using her arm to beckon them. The woman shut the door behind them, and Jenny turned to face her.
“I’m so pleased to meet you, Mrs. Novak.” Jenny shook hands with her and introduced her to Parker and Dale. She simply gave the women the men’s names. They’d decide
d to keep their relationship to themselves.
“Mr. Mathers told me you’d be bringing friends with you. I’m happy to meet you both, gentlemen.” The woman shook their hands and then nodded behind Jenny.
She turned around and blinked because standing at attention near the staircase were two older gentlemen, the other members of the household staff.
“This is Archibald Kramer and Carl McBride. They served as gardener and chauffeur to Miss Amanda.”
Mathers had told her about the two other retainers and that the estate was allowing them to remain in residence until, as he put it, “decisions were made.”
“I’m happy to meet you, gentlemen.”
“We’re both very pleased to meet you, miss. Knowing about you gave Miss Amanda great comfort and peace in her final days.” Mr. McBride’s words put a small catch in Jenny’s throat.
Life indeed could be very strange. She knew herself well enough to understand that, now she was here, now that she was about to hopefully learn about her grandmother, her emotions would be engaged. She had no doubt that she would mourn the fairly recent passing of a woman she’d never met, a woman of her own blood.
That’s not a bad thing at all.
“Miss Collins, I’ve prepared some fresh coffee and pastries. I thought I could take you on a tour of the house and then we could settle in the dining nook and talk.”
“I’d like that, Mrs. Novak.”
Jenny followed the woman, with Parker and Dale trailing behind, as she got her first look at the home where her birth mother had been born and raised and where her grandparents had lived for all of their married lives.
It was lovely, if dated, and pristine. It felt like a home that had endured the gambit of human experiences—joy and sorrow, happiness and heartache. For all of its luxury, this house had the feel of a home.
As Jenny viewed each room, she learned that Amanda Pearl Featherstone had been born Amanda Pearl Ambrose and that this house had actually been in her family since it had been built in 1850.
The library was filled with shelf after shelf of amazing books. Some appeared quite old. This is an awesome place, absolutely teeming with history.
She didn’t keep track of the rooms. Mr. Mathers had provided her notes on the place. Later she would read those notes and recall the rooms as she did so. Finally, they arrived at the dining nook. It was a glassed-in room off the kitchen, more intimate than the formal dining room, with a wonderful view of the perfectly manicured back lawn and beautiful gardens.
Mrs. Novak waited until they were seated. “I’ll just go get our refreshments.”
“Will Mr. Kramer and Mr. McBride be joining us?” Jenny asked.
“They can, if you’d like.”
Jenny smiled. “Yes, please. This is their home. This is your home. As far as I’m concerned, that makes all of you family. You all knew my grandmother.” Jenny smiled. “I have so many questions about her, and about Mandy.”
Mrs. Novak gave her a wide smile. “They’ll be pleased to join us. I’ll just go and get them, and a couple of photo albums I took out, in case you were interested.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Novak. I’m very interested.”
* * * *
Parker was so damn proud of Jenny. All that she’d been through, just since they’d known her, had shown him and Dale her heart and her soul. Jenny Collins was a beautiful woman, inside and out.
He held her chair for her as she sat down at the large dining table. They’d arrived back from Austin that morning and had been invited to supper at Jackson, Cord, and Ari’s.
They’d all been surprised, and pleased, to see Grandma Kate was in attendance. Since they’d come to Lusty, he and Dale had found all that they’d been hoping to find—everything they’d felt a little naïve in hoping for that day at Jake’s Steaks. They’d found not just work but family, and a place to belong. A place where people were built up and not torn down.
He and Dale would always love their parents and, yes, even their brothers. But Lusty was home to them now, and these Benedicts were their family.
Once the food—brisket, rice, corn, and fresh biscuits—was served, eating shared center stage with conversation.
“Jenny, have you made any decisions about your inheritance?” They were all family, and Parker would have been surprised if Jackson or Cord hadn’t asked that question.
“Some. I have more research to do. My biggest dilemma was what to do with the mansion. But I think I’ve figured it out.”
All eyes were on Jenny. She glanced at him, and he smiled his encouragement. Then he saw her look at Dale. They both liked that she did this—included them in the conversation even when they remained silent.
We’re three parts of a whole.
“You may or may not know that my grandmother was born in that mansion and that it had been in possession of her family, the Ambrose family, since it was built in the mid eighteen hundreds. So, I’ve consulted with the current residents—Eugenia Novak, Archibald Kramer, and Carl McBride. They were Amanda Featherstone’s household staff—her family. That mansion has been their home for a very long time. I didn’t feel right asking them to leave. What would they do? Where would they go? It bothered me—until I saw the house itself, and then I knew what to do.” Jenny looked around the table. Because she was sitting next to him, he could feel her excitement.
“We’re going to turn the house into a museum. We’re going to call it the Ambrose-Featherstone Mansion. Eugenia, Archie, and Carl have agreed to help in this endeavor. My dad is heading up the project.” Jenny grinned. “He just retired recently and had been wondering what he was going to do with his time and had been looking for something to hold his interest. He and mom are going to split their time between Dallas and Austin. He’s going to consult with a team of experts, as there are safety standards and upgrades to be met. Then, when it’s open to the public, our three residents will be in charge of running it. I told them, no matter what, they could consider the place their home for the rest of their lives.”
“Oh, I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Grandma Kate beamed at her. “I bet your father is thrilled. He’s quite the amateur historian, isn’t he?” She winked at Jenny, and his woman just nodded.
I wonder what that’s about. He’d try to remember to ask her later.
“As to the financial inheritance, I have earmarked some to be put away and invested for the future. But the bulk of the estate is going to go to some of the charities that my grandmother favored, as well being put into a foundation that will be devoted to helping women who were in the position my birth mother was in. She’d turned her life around but never really had the chance to get that second chance.”
“I’m very proud of you, Jennifer Collins,” Grandma Kate said. “You’re a good woman.”
Dale looked at him. He saw the expression on his twin’s face. People said that only identical twins shared a connection, a kind of knowing what the other thought or felt. But he and Dale both knew that wasn’t true. Parker gave him a slight nod and then looked at Grandma Kate.
“She is, isn’t she?” He turned to Jenny. Sitting on her left, he picked up her hand and kissed it. There must have been something in his gaze that alerted her. She set down her fork, and Dale, on her right, picked up her other hand.
It sure wouldn’t be a bad thing at all if she learns to read us. We’d never have any secrets from her, and that’s fine.
Parker tried to steady his nerves. He was shaking inside, his palms were beginning to sweat, and his stomach pitched as if he was on the back of a bucking horse. And then he met Jenny’s gaze, and his world turned right. In fact, it had never been this right in all his life to date.
“Jennifer Collins, you’re not only a good woman. You’re the best woman—and the only woman for us. Sweet Jenny, I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?”
Her gaze widened, and he didn’t worry about the misting he saw there, the beginning of tears. He was pretty sure those would be happy tears.
<
br /> Dale used two fingers under her chin to turn her attention toward him. “Jenny, I love you with all that I am. I want to grow old with you and have babies with you. Will you marry me?”
Jenny gave a little sob and then looked back at him, tears now streaming, even though her smile beamed, simply radiant.
“Yes! Oh, yes! I want very much to marry you both.”
Cheers, whistles, and applause accompanied the moment he bent down and kissed his fiancée for the first time. Then Dale kissed her, too. Ari practically jumped out of her chair, came over, and hugged Jenny—then handed her a napkin to mop her tears.
In the midst of the happy chatter that followed, Parker heard a knock at the door. Jackson got up to answer it and returned moments later, a strange look on his face—as if he was trying to keep a poker expression but finding the task difficult.
“Parker? Dale? Can you come here for a moment, please?”
Parker looked at his brother, who must have been as curious as he.
Dale shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Parker cast a quick glance around the room. No one seemed particularly concerned about the interruption.
“You best go see what’s up,” Grandma Kate said.
Parker nodded, gave Jenny a quick kiss, and followed Jackson. Dale was close behind him.
Outside, a hundred or so feet from the house stood a Ford dually. Stencilled on the driver’s door were the words Jeb’s Horse Haulage. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t pull the memory close. The Ford had a large double horse trailer attached. Standing with two men he didn’t recognize were his and Dale’s coworkers—all their coworkers.
Dale shook his head. “What the hell?” he asked softly. Parker doubted anyone else could hear him.
“You coming down here, or what? Don’t be shy, girls. The horsies won’t bite you.” Chase Benedict laughed. That bit of cousin-speak was just enough to get them moving.
They approached the group standing around the trailer. As if they’d been waiting for just that, Jesse and Barry opened the doors and slid the ramp out.
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