Page 55 of Whispers of My Skin

“Yeah, at least now I know,” he says, folding his arms over his chest and looking at me ominously. I think I’d be in a lot more trouble if I wasn’t laid up in a hospital bed. Which reminds me of how I landed up here, and why I was so desperate to speak to Joel.

“I think what happened with your truck wasn’t an accident,” I blurt out.

Joel freezes, looking at me with wide eyed surprise.

“What makes you think that?” he demands.

“I was explaining to Fermin everything that’d gone wrong, starting with the death of my father, which was never properly explained, then all the shitty things that just kept on happening, to the point where I actually wondered if the ranch was cursed or something. Anyway, when Fermin asked if I could think of anyone who might wish me out of the way… suddenly things fell into place and it all made sense, you know?

“Go on.”

I close my eyes, inhaling deeply as I try to put together a cohesive explanation. But I’m still not feeling great, my head is woozy and muddled, and I can’t think very clearly.

“My father died in a street bar fight. It was very out of character for him to visit a place like that, and looking back, it was odd that the police never really carried out a full investigation. But at the time my mother and I were grieving, so we just gratefully accepted Oscar’s offer to handle everything for us. We trusted him because he was a friend of my parents.”

As he listens, Joel is restlessly pacing round the room like a caged animal.

“Joel, can you please just keep still?” I plead. “You’re making my headache worse, so just sit down and listen, okay?”

Joel exhales noisily, runs his hands through his hair, but then sits on the chair next to the bed. Now at least I’m able to focus my attention on him without moving my aching head.

“So, tell me more about what happened after your father died. What exactly went wrong?” He takes my hand, running his calloused thumb back and forth over my knuckles. Guess his nervous tension still needs some kind of outlet, but this I’m fine with.

“More a case of what didn’t go wrong. Things just kept going from bad to worse. We couldn’t get a reliable foreman, there were endless problems with the workforce, crops kept failing. You name it, really.”

“You were never tempted to sell up?” Joel prompts when I pause.

“We did receive an offer for the ranch last year, which Oscar strongly advised me to accept. However, even I realized it was a ridiculously low offer, so I rejected it out of hand, much to the frustration of Mom and Oscar, but I’d never wanted to sell up anyway. Oscar was furious, in fact he actually went kind of crazy, like totally nuts, when I refused to accept the offer. He told me that I was a stupid, stubborn, brainless girl who couldn’t see a golden opportunity when it was laid out right in front of her.”

Joel thinks for a few moments. When he speaks, his voice is low and quiet. “Tara, does your mom’s husband have any kind of financial interest in Redlands?”

“Not as far as I know.”

“And your mom didn’t inherit any part of the ranch?”

I shake my head.

“Isn’t that a bit odd?”

“Not really,” I say. “My great-great-grandfather specified that the ranch was only to be passed down to direct family descendants. The only way a spouse could inherit was if there was no remaining blood family.”

“And therein lies your motive, Tara. I think deep down you suspected something was wrong all along, that it was more than just bad luck dragging you down. I’m right, aren’t I?”

I sigh, close my eyes, take a breath, and nod.

“And that was why you came and found me, because you believed I was the only one capable of digging you out of this whole mess. But, more than that, you knew I was the only one you could trust to save you, as well as your ranch.”

“My original plan was just about saving the ranch, Joel. But when you insisted we had to get married, I agreed because I realized that meant even when I died, you would carry on looking after Redlands. I knew you’d never allow anyone to go against my wishes, because of the kind of man you are, what’s in your heart. And I also knew you’d take care of my mom and Camille, because you’re a good man.”

“I still think there’s more that you’re not telling me, Tara,” Joel insists. “So I suggest you come clean and tell me everything going on in that head of yours.”

“I have! I’ve already told you everything,” I protest.… Well, almost everything.

“I don’t believe you have,” he murmurs, leaning over me, his breath whispering on my skin. “Try again, my love.”

“Joel...”

“Tara,” Joel says my name like both a challenge and invitation, as he holds my head in place so he can look right into my eyes. “Tell me the whole truth, baby.”

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