Page 9 of Stalked at Rescue Ridge

“She’s alive, thanks to you,” Chloe said.

Too bad Zeke couldn’t say the same.

Kade’s smile faded as he stepped out of the barn and into the sunlight. He blinked as the bright sun practically scorched his eyes. His sister was right about one thing. Bad news traveled in threes. What the hell was going to happen next?

The walk back to the office was quiet. Kade opened the back door, letting his sister walk in first. He followed, closing the door behind them. Chloe gave him a look of solidarity before heading toward the hallway that led to Beaumont’s favorite room.

The low hum of chatter hit him the second he stepped onto the tile. He searched for the right way to come at this discussion about selling the ranch, in case he needed an angle. Then again, knowing Beaumont, he might’ve written an ironclad will that would make selling impossible.

Still, there had to be a loophole. A way to undo any damage Beaumont intended to inflict from the grave.

Guidry wiped sweat from his forehead with an embossed handkerchief. His gaze widened the second Kade entered the room. He did his best to slip in behind Chloe. “Once everyone is seated, we can proceed with the reading.”

Kade bit back the urge to ask if they should expect any more surprises. He sized Beau up out of the corner of his eye. There was something to being the oldest in Beaumont’s eyes. Was there any way Beau had been born first?

Guidry cleared his throat before picking up the thick envelope on top of Beaumont’s desk.

Here we go.

“I have a copy of the last will and testament to give to each of you along with a letter from your father,” Guidry stated.

Beaumont was no father. Hearing the word come out of Guidry’s mouth left a bitter taste in Kade’s. Besides, wasn’t this supposed to be a reading? Like now?“Maybe I misunderstood why we were made to drop everything and show up here at the same time.”

Guidry nodded. “Your copy of the will is for your records. I’ve been instructed to read a statement from your father.”

Kade shifted in his seat, uneasy at hearing the wordfatherfor the second time.

After everyone had their copy along with an envelope addressed to each one in Beaumont’s handwriting, Guidry continued. “It is my last wish for my children to take their rightful places at Sturgess Enterprises.”

Not happening, asshole.

“Anyone who refuses to obey these wishes condemns the others by causing everyone to forfeit their inheritance.”

Sonofabitch.

“Where would the money go instead?” Kade asked as grumbles sounded.

“To the Sturgess Foundation,” Guidry said.

“You mean to funnel money that continues to destroy parks in favor of development.” Kade used his fingers to put air quotes around the worddevelopment.

“Creating housing for the population boom has always been important to your father.” Guidry needed to stop throwing around the wordfatherso freely. Beaumont had been a taskmaster, a manipulator, and an abuser, but he’d never been more than that to Kade. If he took a poll, he figured the others would have the same opinion. Though, no one had felt safe to speak those words out loud while Beaumont had been alive.

Beau leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and smirked. “Looks like we’ll be one big happy family after all.”

Kade wouldn’t cause Chloe and his brothers to lose out on their inheritance because of his own stubborn streak. He pulled out his cell phone and canceled the meeting with the surveyor. There had to be a way around this clause. Until then, he’d lay low on moving forward with the sale. The other call he’d made had been to accept a job in Alaska. He’d planned to leave the minute the boot came off. “Does it stipulate a timeframe?”

“All the details are in your copy of the will and specific instructions, along with a personal message, are in the envelope,” Guidry said, setting the paper down. The lawyer looked a little too comfortable behind Beaumont’s massive Brazilian Rosewood desk as he steepled his fingers. “Kade, as the eldest, has been given the honor of being named executor. However, I’ve been retained to stay on to ensure the spirit of your father’s wishes is carried out.”

Kade grunted. “First of all, you can refer to your client as Beaumont, Mr. Sturgess, or asshole, but you need to stop referring to the man as our father.” Kade couldn’t help himself. He’d been a teakettle about to boil over since stepping into the office. His question about who was the eldest had been answered without having to interact more than necessary with Beau, which was a bonus. “And second of all, don’t I have the power to decide who represents the family?”

Guidry looked momentarily thrown off, hurt even. “Wh-wh-why would you want to change representation? I’ve been with your f…”

Kade shot a go-to-hell look.

“Mr. Sturgessfor most of your life,” Guidry finished, flustered.

“Exactly my point,” Kade stated. “It’s time for fresh blood around here. If we’re going to do this together, we need to put our handpicked resources into place.” It was also the best way to use the ranch profits to pay for a change in representation. To his knowledge, none of his siblings had taken a dime from their father. Nor had Beaumont offered to help, which was the reason Kade had gone into the military, Chloe had worked in a bar at night as a waitress, and the others had jobs from the age of eighteen. Beaumont had believed college a waste of time, so he’d been clear from day one—earn a scholarship or pay your own way.

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