Page 16 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
“Unanimously?” That word sounded absurdly daunting. “Shouldn’t it be majority rules?”
Mr. Billman shook his head. “Frank was very clear. He wanted all of his children to have an option to keep the land and he won’t let you sell unless all seven of you want to. If you can’t reach a unanimous vote, then the property will continue to be managed by Nash Donahue and the profits each year will be split seven ways.”
All of his children. The phrase seemed to hit a snag in her brain and she couldn’t move past it.
All of his children. All of them. Allsevenof them.
Mr. Billman’s gaze was fixed on her with clear concern.
She took a deep breath. “What kind of profits?”
“The ranch does okay for itself.” He shrugged. “It’ll be a supplement income.”
She rubbed her temples, trying to focus on the logistics rather than the emotions that threatened to drown her. “But split seven ways?”
“With his other investments and the interest running over each year, it’ll be enough for each of you to take a luxury vacation every year.”
Emma nodded. Money was easy to think about. Facts and figures were almost soothing to focus on in comparison to the bombshell that had just landed in her lap.
A supplemental income. That sounded luxurious in and of itself. Lizzy would be ecstatic at the thought of a five-star vacation. And Emma wouldn’t be opposed to supplementing her teaching salary either. She wouldn’t spend it on luxury vacations, but if she squirreled the money away, she might be able to afford a place on her own after Lizzy married and moved out.
“And how much is the property worth if we sell?” she asked.
“Uh…” Mr. Billman shuffled more papers around. “I can’t give you exact figures, but I’d guesstimate around the ten million mark.”
A squeaking sound escaped. “E-excuse me?”
Emma scrambled to work out the math, her brain exploding at the exorbitant figure.
Mr. Billman chuckled. “Exactly. I don’t think getting an agreement from your sisters will be a big challenge, Emma. Do you?”
As she continued to stare with wide, unseeing eyes, he put all the paperwork into the folder and held it out to her.
Emma dropped her stare to the folder. “You wantmeto arrange it?”
He nodded with an apologetic shrug. “You’re the only daughter to show up, so the responsibility now rests with you, I’m afraid.” He pushed the folder in her direction again. “Here are all the details I have, although I’m not sure how up-to-date they are. I tried contacting every sister and managed to reach four of you. And you were the only one willing to come see me.”
She found herself staring at the folder in his hands warily, like it might bite. “I don’t...I don’t know how to do this.”
It was a silly thing to say, and it made her sound much younger than her thirty-one years. But for a second, she felt like a child.
A child who’d just been betrayed by her father.
Which was ridiculous. She couldn’t be betrayed by a man she barely knew, right?
She took a deep breath and took the folder that was still hovering in mid-air between them. The paperwork couldn’t have weighed much but it felt like a million pounds. She eyed it with a shake of her head. “I’m only here for a short time, to see the property and get it ready for sale.”
She wasn’t even sure why she was protesting. This was her problem now, that was basically what the lawyer was telling her. And yet, some part of her was hoping for a way out of this.
Why did she have to be the one to reach out?
For the first time, she found herself thinking that Lizzy had the right idea. She should’ve just stayed home and focused on her own life, a relaxing summer vacation—or Lizzy’s wedding, at least.
A wave of self-pity hit her hard, not only because she’d drawn the short straw, but because the most exciting plans she had in life were helping to organize her little sister’s wedding day.
“I’m sorry, Emma,” Mr. Billman said gently. “But you might need to block out a little more time on your calendar, or be prepared to hold onto the land for longer than you thought.”
She slumped back in her chair. For a moment she sat there in silence, and Mr. Billman did the same, giving her time to declutter her chaotic thoughts and get her emotions under control.
