Page 80 of The Texas Sterling Collection
At the implication, I balled my fists so tight they ached. My muscles vibrated. Self-control and the presence of witnesses kept me from leaping across the table and throttling Mitzi.
Smug Mitzi sat with her chin jutting out and arms crossed in defiance. Confidence oozed from her pores.
“Very well.” Sam nodded at me. “I wish to confer with my client this evening. May we schedule a further meeting in the morning?”
Cromwell sought permission from Mitzi. “Agreeable, Mrs. Sterling?”
“Fine,” Mitzi glared at both Sam and me.
Sam rose from his seat and motioned for me to rise as well. “We will return tomorrow morning at 9:00.”
“Nine o’clock.” Cromwell stood from his seat to show us out.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
ROD
After a busy day on campus, I drove home thinking of Wyl. I steered toward the Bonner house in town before remembering I now lived on Sterling Ranch. Twenty minutes later, I pulled into my garage.
A quiet emptiness surrounded the place in Wyl’s absence. Adapting to this house would take time, but I belonged on this ranch with Wyl. After changing clothes, I strolled to the kitchen and poured a glass of wine. The comfy leather chair in the den surrounded me as I picked up my MacBook and opened my email. The list of messages included one from Wyl.
Hi Roddy. Mitzi’s attorney thinks he has everything figured out. He claims that half of the ranch Walt inherited from my folks was part of Walt’s assets at the time of the divorce. Walt and Mitzi divorced before our parents died, which is why Walt did not own the property. Walt and I each owned a quarter, and our parents owned the other half. I’m so pissed at Mitzi, and her lawyer can fall into a rattlesnake pit for all I care. Sam and I go back in the morning to work something out. I’ll call you from the hotel after dinner. I need your thoughts and ideas on how to protect our ranch. Oh, and I have a surprise for you. Something I got here in Dallas.
I reflected on my ignorance of the law. Still, I remembered the ambulance-chasing lawyer ads and how they always found ways to get what they wanted. I took another sip of wine before pulling on my boots. It was time to check on our horses.
The barn door creaked as I opened it, and the horses poked their heads out of their stalls. Grabbing three apples out of the bin, I sliced them with the new pocketknife Wyl gave me. As I fed each horse, I talked to them as if they understood, and on some level, I think they did. I was sure Cessna missed Walt, so I spoke to him while feeding him the apple half. As far as I knew, Beauty hadn’t been ridden in a while. She was shared between Wyl and Walt, plus each had a preferred horse. I fed Beauty her apple and assured her we would ride her soon. Princess was the horse spooked by a rattlesnake before Walt fell and hit his head. She was a beautiful white horse. I fed her the apple half, stroked her muzzle and neck, and whispered that we loved her. Sarge was his own horse, but he had adapted to my presence since I was always around when Wyl rode him. I fed him his apple half, rubbed his muzzle, and whispered that Wyl would be back soon and we would go riding. I had an affection for Blanket. As I fed him his apple half, I softly thanked him for letting me ride him and for being such a good horse. I knew nothing about horses or caring for horses, but Wyl would show me. At the moment, the horses were my one connection to the man I loved, who was taking care of business in Dallas. I waved to the horses as I left the stables.
I ate the last apple half as I strolled toward our house. When I reached the back door, the phone rang and I ran for it.
“Sterling Ranch,” I gasped.
“Hi, babe.” The smile in Wyl’s voice made me smile too. “You sound out of breath. Everything okay?”
“Yes, fine,” I panted. “As I walked into the house from feeding our horses, the phone rang. I ran to pick it up.” I panted a bit more, then my breathing evened out. “They are magnificent creatures.”
“Ourhorses, eh? Do you have any idea how remarkable your taking possession is? I’ll make you into a cowboy yet.”
A wave of love for Wyl flowed through me. “I’m looking forward to the challenge. Oh, and I read your email. Sounds like trouble. Are you okay? I’m worried about you, babe.”
“Shit shit shit. The bitch-troll-from-hell and her lawyer think they found a loophole. I want to offer a settlement to Mitzi to make this thing go away, but I need your okay before I say anything.”
“My okay?” That Wyl needed my approval caught me by surprise. I didn’t have part ownership of the ranch. The thought frightened me a bit as I had no experience in ranching.
“Honey, anything I do impacts you as much as me. Your opinion means everything.”
I paused, glowing in Wyl’s confidence but still a bit apprehensive. “What are you thinking?”
“The ranch belongs to us now, and I need you to be honest about anything related to our holdings. I rely on your business experience to help us make sound decisions.”
“Wyl, you manage much larger portfolios than I ever thought I would encounter, so give yourself credit.”
“Babe, you hold my heart, and thus you impact every decision I make. Whether or not you have a legal interest in the ranch, as my soulmate, I rely on you to help me. I always relied on Walt, but now he’s gone.”
I paused to let the words sink in. Wyl had a point about Walt. I needed to step up and be what he needed me to be. “What will make Mitzi go away?”
“I want to offer her half a million dollars to drop the suit. They can either take the money or risk losing in court and having to pay court costs. I think the bitch will settle. She’ll have no part of the ranch.”
“Your idea sounds generous. Is getting rid of Mitzi worth that much?” My brain fogged when talking about dollar amounts that included the letter m.
