It was one of the few areas they had in common and didnt clash about.
Is that a gun? Miles asked.
Nick nodded, replaced his sidearm in the backpack.
Can we see it? Mason said, his voice growing excited.
Giving his cousins son a long look, Nick shook his head. Hands off. I never let another man handle my sidearm.
The boy pouted a little until hearing the word man.
Dad wants to take me hunting, but Mommy says guns are dangerous, Mason said.
They are, if you dont know how to use them. Maybe your dad can convince your mom to let you go hunting next year, when youre a little older.
Daddy keeps a gun under his pillow, Miles told him, but clammed up when Mason frowned at him.
Odd. Dan had always been a bit squeamish around guns. Necessary on a ranch, but his cousin let Silas do the shooting. Why would he feel the need for home protection with a gun, especially with vulnerable children living here?
Next he removed a small black velvet box and opened it, studying the gold winking in the lamplight.
What is that? Mason asked.
Nick removed the pin and showed them. Thats my Budweiser, my Navy SEAL pin. Only real Navy SEALs get these.
The boys examined the pin with avid interest while Nick went to the window. He lifted the curtains with the back of one hand, peering into the darkness at the twin carriage lights on the garage. Shelby lived out there. Cute, curvy Shelby, who had turned his world upside down ten years ago with that killer kiss...
If youre sleeping here tonight, make sure to lock your window. We all have to make sure the house is locked tight before we go to bed, Mason told him.
Nick recoiled. He glanced down at the ground two stories below. Why?
So no one breaks in, like they did last month.
Crime, here at Belle Creek? What happened?
Someone went into Mommy and Daddys bedroom. Mason looked troubled.
Nick squatted down by the solemn little boy. What happened?
Daddy says not to talk about it outside the family, Miles told him.
Nick smiled. Im family. You can tell me.
Miles seemed to consider. Someone stole Mommys favorite pen.
Pin, Mason amended. They went into our parents bedroom and took Moms jewelry. Her favorite pin. It had a silver horse with emerald eyes. It was right after that when Readalot died
Daddy was real upset, Miles interrupted.
Ill tell it, Miles. Mason looked at Nick. Readalot was our champion jumper. He won lots of competitions. Shelby went into the stables and Readalot was dead in his stall. He was our champion jumper. Hank, the ranch hand, say the horse was healthy as an ox. Someone killed him.
He needed to find out what the hell was going on around here. Then he remembered he didnt live here anymore.
Nick ruffled the boys hair. Dont worry about it. Do as your mom and dad tell you. Im sure things will be fine.
But they stared at him with those big eyes. Will you stay here? Maybe if we have a real Navy SEAL stay here, the bad things wont happen.
Tightness formed in his chest. Bad things happened all the time, and he couldnt do a damn thing to prevent them. But these were young, innocent kids, and while they didnt deserve lies, they also didnt deserve adult worries. Well see, he said vaguely. Ill do everything I can while Im here, okay?
The words were more BS than the droppings in the pasture, but both boys looked relieved.
Now, go downstairs to your mom. Im sure shes worried about you being up here with big, bad cousin Nick. He winked at them and they grinned in pure male camaraderie of doing something they shouldnt.
When the boys left, Nick fingered his SEAL pin. Hell of a price paid for getting it, but not as much as his brothers in arms, who had paid the ultimate price with their lives. The pin meant everything to him. But hed left the teams after his hospital discharge, when he knew he couldnt perform up to par, knew he would never be at the top of his game again.
And now he felt more lost than when hed stormed away from the ranch and Silass iron grip when he was nineteen, never looking back.
No reason for him to stay now. But as he gazed out the window, he saw a car pull into the driveway by the garage. Light from the dual carriage lamps showcased a woman climbing outa woman with dark hair and a gentle sway to her hips.
Shelby. The mouth-watering, kissable Shelby.
He watched her walk across the drive toward the house. Nick checked his appearance in the mirror, finger-combed his hair and went downstairs as the doorbell rang.
Miss Shelby Stillwater. His blood surged, hot and thick. He thought of that kiss and how it had made every cell inside him alive and aware.
Maybe it was time to stay. At least until he could figure out what the hell was going on around here.
Chapter 3
The funeral had been a quiet, dignified affair. No one shed a tear, except her.
But as shed stood by the graveside, watching the others throw flowers on the casket, she saw Nick rub his eyes. Maybe he and Silas had been on bad terms, but the man was his father.
Shelby had sidled over to Nick, who was standing alone and looking lost, and clasped his hand. Hed looked startled, and then a little grateful.
Now, as they sat in Silass downstairs study in the farmhouse, Nick looked neither. Guarded, perhaps. No...wary. And quite uncomfortable, as was she. The last thing she wanted to do, after the emotion of the funeral and the strain of helping to host the reception at the house afterward, was to listen to the reading of the will. She only wanted to collect Timmy from the downstairs rec room, where he was playing with Mason and Miles, then go to her apartment. Maybe take Timmy riding on his pony later.
Lord knew they needed to return to some form of normalcy.
Normal certainly had not been last night, when shed gotten Timmy from this house. Nick had been in the hallway, leaning against the staircase, his long, muscled body looking hot as sin as hed hooked his fingers through the loops of his belt hoops. He looked ready for sex.
It had taken all her willpower to murmur a polite greeting and tear her gaze away from him instead of ogling him like a schoolgirl. Fortunately, Felicity had been in a hurry and practically threw Timmy into Shelbys arms. Shed made a quick introduction of Timmy, and then fled with her nephew as if a blond devil was on her heels.
Todays somber occasion reminded her that Nick was only here temporarily. Shelby was certain hed leave right after this. Perhaps even faster than the last time hed gone away, leaving only the angry rubber of his tread marks on the front drive.
Silass lawyer, Kurt Mohler, had gathered them together in this room. Shelby sat straight in the leather chair, trying to keep her nerves from jumping like water on a hot skillet. She doubted Silas had left her anything in his will, but her main concern was keeping her little apartment above the garage, at least until Heather and Pete returned from Iraq.
On the leather sofa, Dan and Felicity and Dans younger brother, Jake, looked attentive.
She and Nick perched on the wing chairs near the sofa, while Kurt, who seemed restless, paced before the fireplace. Finally the lawyer turned.
Silas made his last wishes very plain and clear. Daniel, I want you to know that as the family lawyer, if you wish to contest his will, you have the right to do so. However, it will be a lengthy court battle, which is something Im sure you cant afford.
Her stomach clenched in tight knots. This wasnt a good start.
Dan frowned. Why would we want to do that? Uncle Silas was always good to us.
Kurt removed a gold pen from his suit pocket and began fiddling with it. As you know, the ranch is deeply in debt.
She watched Nick frown, his gaze sharp as he scrutinized the attorney. Judging from his reaction, Nick had no idea how bad things were around here. Having done the books for the ranch, she thought she knew. But Silas also liked to handle the familys personal bills himself and there was the matter of the ranch mortgage.
Hed never let her know the exact amount, only muttered that hed take care of it.
How much in debt? Nick demanded.
Dan stiffened. Thats not for public knowledge.
Without his gaze leaving the attorneys face, Nick snapped, Im not the public.
All parties in this room need to know what liabilities Silas faced, as well as the assets he owned, Kurt assured him. Its why I asked all of you here.
The attorney looked at Nick. Silas took out an equity loan on the house to pay for repairs, using the ranch as collateral. His estate owes the bank two hundred and fifty thousand dollars on the mortgage. Im afraid he fell behind in payments.
Dread curled through her. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars! Shed known it was bad, but not that bad. Silas had been nonchalant when hed mentioned he owed money. No wonder he always looked so pinched and worried.
What about the assets? Felicity asked.
The woman had a poker face. If she had shed a single tear, Shelby hadnt seen it. Felicity hadnt always been this cold and brittle. Not until all the mysterious incidents started around the ranch, and Silas had mentioned that money was tight.
Secretly Shelby wondered about the odd coincidence of the sabotage happening concurrently with Silass announcement. Dan managed the ranch. He knew Silas owed money, and maybe hed mentioned it to his wife. Felicity had high standards. Shed insisted on the elaborate renovations to the house. Was she also behind the vandalism as well, acts designed to make Silas sell the ranch?
The assets are the ranch and the house and all the outbuildings, a life insurance policy, a policy to pay for the funeral and all associated costs only, and a very small investment account. Kurt stooped and looked at them grimly. There is a very good offer on the table for the ranch, and the house, from Chuck Beaufort. More than enough to pay off the loan, with a nice sum to purchase a new house in a good part of town.
Dan looked uncertain. Felicity reached over and squeezed her husbands hand. What does Mr. Beaufort plan to do with the ranch? Hes a developer, not a farmer.
Kurts gaze was impassive. He has plans for a theme park, which will bring in plenty of tourists and new business to town. The view of the mountains is splendid from the pasture.
Clenching her teeth, Shelby fisted her hands in her lap. Chuck Beaufort would take the serene pastures and the wild, overgrown forest, with its tangle of brush, and bulldoze everything. The Belle Creek had been in the family for generations. Maybe she didnt have any kind of family connection to the place, but it had been the only real home shed ever had.
How could the lawyer propose they sell? Had he ever ridden over the lush pastures at dawn in spring, fresh dew beading the grass, the leaden sky bursting into gold as the sun peaked over the mountaintops of the Smokies?
Had he ever hung on a fence railing, listening to the wind sweep over the hills, watching the children play in the yard as the horses peacefully cropped the grass? The air was so pure and fresh here, it hurt her heart to think of the ranch turning into a concrete playground for wealthy people.
Her hands clenched tighter. Barlow was a sleepy community, a typical small town, except for when the country-music convention came to town. It offered nothing to her. She planned to leave for the bright lights of Nashville when Heather and Steve returned from Iraq. Heather promised theyd all get a place in the city big enough for Shelby while she pursued her dream of traveling to Paris to learn art.
But shed always imagined the Belle Creek would be here if she ever wanted to visit. She couldnt imagine Barlow without the sprawling ranch.
She also couldnt imagine it without Silas. He was the heart of this place. Fresh grief made it hard to swallow past the thick lump in her throat.
A deep frown touched Nicks face. The ranch always made money in the past. What happened that the old man got into such debt?
The question was directed at Dan, who avoided looking at Nick. When Nick swept his gaze around the room, the lawyer also didnt meet his eyes.
This is a good working ranch with a reputation for producing excellent studs and show horses. Nick leaned forward, his gaze hard. The Belle Creek always had at least two dozen horses boarded here to provide a steady monthly income and we won hard cash in equestrian jumping competitions. Silas was a hardheaded businessman who pinched pennies. Theres no reason for it to be operating that much in the red.
Silence draped the room. Jake grinned, but it looked forced. We have only three boarders left, Nick. Things are not always as they seem, cuz.
His brother ignored the statement and gestured to the room. Mr. Mohler, Im not selling the Belle Creek. Uncle Silas told me five years ago when he named me as his trustee that I should never sell the ranch, no matter what. It had to stay in the family.
Relief swept through Shelby. She found it oddly appealing that Dan was a champion of the old man, when theyd clashed over managing the ranch in the past.
Nick rubbed a hand over his chin. He looked uncomfortable. Shelby felt a dash of pity for him. Even though he had abandoned his family, it had to hurt, knowing his father had overlooked him in favor of a cousin.
The lawyer cleared his throat. I have here a letter from Silas to you, Nick.
As he handed over the envelope, Nick looked at the letter as if it was a snake.
I suggest you read it in private, when we are done here. Ill want to meet with you soon in my office downtown, Nick.
Felicity frowned. What does Nick have to do with any of this? We know Dan is the trustee. Silas told us he was leaving everything to Dan, with provisions for Jake.
Kurt looked uncomfortable. Silas came to me six months ago to update his trust and his will. There is a small provision for Dan and Jake, amounting to a total of twenty thousand dollars to be divided evenly. That provision comes from the life insurance policy, so that is solid cash. Both of you will also receive a few acres of land each.
Shelbys stomach did a flip-flop. She had a bad feeling about this.
Then who gets the house and the ranch? Jake demanded.
Kurt looked right at Nick, the man who couldnt care less about any of this, who hadnt been home in ten years. The will states that Silas left almost everything to Nick. The house, the ranch, the horses, all the assets. It is his to do with as he pleases. Including the investment account, which Im afraid only amounts to ten thousand dollars.