Page 7 of More Than Anything

“Had a heart attack.”

“Did he make it to the Bahamas?”

The woman scowled. “Bahamas? He was going to the Bahamas?”

Avery nodded. “That’s what he told me he was going to use the money for.”

Her brow wrinkled in the cutest way. “What money?”

“The money I paid him for the farm.”

She laughed loudly. “Well, whatever you paid to rent this place, I’m sure the estate can give it back to you once we sell the farm.”

It was Avery’s turn to laugh. “Sell the farm? You can’t sell this farm?I own this farm.”

That blond hair rippled as she shook her head. “No. Our family owns the farm. It was left to us in his will.”

“Sorry, but that won’t fly. He sold it to me. Hang on?I have the title to it somewhere here.” He reached behind him to the table by the door where mail was piled up and dug around until he found the deed, then held it up so the woman could see it. “See? It’s mine.”

The look that passed over her fine features was nothing short of explosive. “You know that won’t hold up in a court of law, right?”

Avery chuckled. “Not what the attorney who drew it up seemed to think. But go ahead. Try it out. And make no mistake, I’ll sue you for the attorney fees if you lose. So fair warning.”

“Tell you what. How about you just admit that this is never going to go in your favor and tear up that title?” she asked, dropping her hands to her hips and glowering at him.

“And how about you just admit that I’ve got a title to the land and this has nothing to do with me?” Avery countered.

The look she gave him would’ve melted titanium. “Never happening. You’ll be hearing from my attorney.” With that, she whipped around in her impossibly-high heels and stormed off the porch?well, it was a tottering sort of storming, but storming just the same. Avery watched her beautiful heart-shaped ass sway as she went and tried hard not to laugh out loud.

And as soon as that car of hers disappeared out the driveway, he called the attorney who’d drawn up the title. The secretary put him right through, and the gentleman assured Avery that the title was legal and binding in the state of Texas. No one had any rights to the property except him.

Avery popped the top on a bottle of beer and sat down in the glider on the front porch. This was going to be an interesting place to live. And that was one beautiful little woman. It was a shame his chances with her were less than zero.

* * *

The letter showedup a few days later, so he took it straight into town and dropped it off at his attorney’s office. The secretary assured him the office that had sent the letter would get one from them in return and the matter would be quashed quickly.

While he was in town, Avery went to the extension office again and talked to them about crop plans and the like. The agent there was very helpful, but then he dropped the bomb. “You had a visit yet from LydiaKinsey?”

“So that’s her name! Yeah. She came out and threatened me, then got some attorney in Dallas to send me a threatening letter ordering me off the farm. My attorney says not to worry about it because they don’t have a leg to stand on.” Then Avery paused and thought before he asked, “How did you know about that?”

“Oh, word gets around,” the extension agent, CletusBooth, told him. “It’s a small town.”

“Yes, it is.” That was one thing Avery had noticed. Every time he came into town, people stared at him. TuckerCity was a tiny place, so they were all curious about him.

Maybe it’s time I started getting to know some more of the local folks and branch out a bit, Avery thought as he left the extension office. And where would the best place be to do that?

On Sunday morning, Avery pulled out his best chinos, an oxford cloth shirt, and a blue and tan striped tie, and took himself to the local Methodist church. He hadn’t even made it inside when a man approached him and stuck out a hand. “Name’s WalterCox. You new in town?”

“Yes, sir,” Avery answered, giving the man’s hand a hearty shake. “I’m AveryHolcomb. I bought the old Kinsey place from Sirus.”

“Oh, yeah! We heard all about that! Seems Lydia’s all stirred up about it,” the man replied, laughing.

“Yes, sir, seems she is. But I have a legal title to the land.”

“Good thing. That youngun’s like a bulldog when she wants something,” Walter said, still laughing. “She doesn’t give up easily.”

“Neither do I, sir,” Avery assured him.

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