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“Come on, boy.” Shane whistled for the dog, called him back, and let him into the house. As the bull calmed down, to stand quivering and blowing in the pen, Casey shook his head.
“Looks like we might have a problem.”
“I should have warned you about that,” Brock said. “I don’t know how much Tess has told you, but when we found that bull as a youngster, he was alone in the desert fighting off a pack of coyotes. That dog of yours must look like a coyote to him.”
“Well, we’re not getting rid of the dog,” Lexie said. “We’ll just have to keep them apart. I hope you know what you’re doing with that bull, Tess. He’s not going to be an easy one. And we don’t have a lot of time to train him. We need to get him into the arena.”
Tess scooped a tamale onto her plate and slipped off the corn husk wrapping. Usually tamales were her favorite, but now her appetite had vanished. Nobody had anything good to say about the bull she’d chosen.
After the meal, Maria took a plate outside to her father, who was still watching the bull. Pedro went off to do some chores. Casey, as if to make it clear that he wasn’t a legal family member, went down the hall to work out with the weights. Val’s gaze followed him as he left the room. Seeing her sister’s expression, Tess felt the tug of worry. Something was wrong between those two people who loved each other. And it wasn’t just Val’s fears about Casey’s work.
Tess, Val, Lexie, and Shane sat down in the living room with Brock to talk about the proposed transfer of the hayfield property to the Alamo Canyon Ranch. Hanging over them all was the awareness that Brock was pressing Shane and Lexie to come and live with him. But for now, that issue was put on hold.
All of them had read the proposal. Tess allowed Shane to lead, knowing her sisters wouldn’t hesitate to chime in with their own concerns.
“We know there’d be some advantages for us if we accept this,” Shane began. “But if you were to take a piece of property that you own and make it part of the ranch, that would make you part owner of the ranch. It would give you a measure of control that makes us all uneasy.”
“I understand,” Brock said. “But the way this is written up wouldn’t give me any ownership of the animals, the house, or the outbuildings and equipment—only the land.”
“But if we do this, and we needed to sell, we couldn’t do it without your approval,” Lexie said.
“That’s right. But you’d have the same control over the hay fields. I couldn’t sell any part of that property without your say-so. But with my hayfields an actual part of the ranch, I’d have an interest in protecting the whole parcel. You’d never have to worry about back taxes, loans, or anything that could force you to sell. I have enough money to keep the ranch secure for all of us.”
From where she sat, Tess studied Brock’s ruggedly chiseled profile. The man was as smooth as a snake oil salesman, and she had yet to detect any lies or flaws in his argument. Still, her instincts told her not to trust him. Brock always had his own best interests at heart. And she had a ranch to protect.
Val cleared her throat. “Tess mentioned that you might be facing some legal action. If you get sued and lose or have to settle, how would that affect this arrangement?”
“Not at all. My name wouldn’t be on the property except as an investor. Legally it would be yours.”
“And what about that old house?” Lexie demanded. “The man who lived there murdered our stepmother. It needs to be burned to the ground.”
“Our agreement would give you the right to do just that,” Brock said. “Then we could arrange to build a new house.”
“One more thing,” Shane said. “Our pastures could use a sprinkling system and a well, like the hayfields have. Would you be willing to pay for that?”
“I don’t see why not. It could be added to the contract.” Brock looked around the group. “Any more questions? If not, we could sign the papers now.”
“Hold on.” Tess rose to her feet. “It appears you’ve covered most of the bases, Brock. But before we make a decision, I’d like to run all this past a lawyer friend of mine. She helped us with dad’s will, and she’s close by, in Ajo. I could leave it with her tomorrow—unless, of course, you have some problem with that. In that case, you’ve wasted your time and ours.”
* * *
Brock had done his best to give the Champions an honest proposal and to answer their questions truthfully. They were smart people. If he lied or even fudged the truth, they would be on alert. And his motives were honorable. He wanted to protect his property and theirs from the threat that was hanging over him. And he wanted to make sure that no strangers ever got their hands on this choice little ranch. Wasn’t that honorable enough?
But Tess had surprised him—not with her caution but with her vehemence. Brock had known all along that she didn’t trust him. But he’d underestimated her. In defense of her home, the woman was as fierce as a mountain lion.
Her defiance stirred his male urge to protect her—to use his resources and influence to make her life safe and easy. It was a pleasant fantasy—having her on his arm and in his bed, making her a rich man’s plaything, without a care in the world. But he knew that Tess would never willingly accept a man’s protection, especially if it might mean control. She was the most stubborn, independent woman he’d ever known.
She was more than that. She was damned magnificent.
“Of course, you can show your lawyer everything,” he said. “Take your time. Give her my number in case she has any questions. We won’t sign this agreement until—and unless—ever yone is satisfied.”
Standing, he laid the folder with the contract on the coffee table. “It’s time I was leaving,” he said. “Let me know when you’ve come to a decision. If it’s a yes, I’ll be back to put things in motion. Oh—and whatever you decide, you have my permission to burn that house down anytime you want.” He turned to Tess. “Do you mind walking me out to my truck?”
“Of course not.” Tess stepped ahead of him as he held the screen door for her. Outside, Quicksand was still tossing and snorting in his pen. Ruben stood outside, watching him.
“Good luck with that bull, Tess,” Brock said as they neared the spot where his rig was parked. “You’re going to need it.”
“I know.” She turned to face him. “Nobody seems happy about having him here. But I see something in him. Maybe in time, everybody will see it. I’m sorry about Cannonball. Have you learned any more about what happened?”
