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“Well, let me see.” Albert hoisted himself out of his chair and ambled over to an old wood filing cabinet. He flipped through the files in the top drawer, humming as he went. “Hold on. Your file is here somewhere.”
That was not entirely reassuring, but Heath couldn’t bear to give Albert a hard time. The man was kind and had a near encyclopedic knowledge of the law, especially as it pertained to oil rights.
“Here we go.” Albert returned to his desk, put on a pair of reading glasses and flipped through what was a remarkably thin file. Had Heath made something out of nothing? Judging by the paltry number of documents, he was certainly wondering. “It’s right here. And yes, you’re right. One year. Almost to the day.”
Heath blew out a frustrated breath, then sat forward and reached for the file. He needed to see it himself, but the confirmation only made him that much angrier. All he could do was imagine Victor Grandin Sr. and Augustus Lattimore signing that worthless piece of paper and presenting it to his mother as though it was of great value. “What do you suggest?”
Albert sat back in his chair and shrugged. “It really depends on your goals. And before you reply, let me remind you that revenge is not a goal. At least, not from a legal standpoint.”
“I know that.” Heath shifted in his seat, feeling uncomfortable. “What about a lawsuit, though? Based on the merits of those documents?”
“What are you going to do with more money, Heath? I already know you don’t spend it on yourself, aside from maybe buying a new car every year.”
“I’d like to fund an endowment for Ashley’s foundation and get a therapeutic riding center off the ground. I’ve spoken to Lexi Alderidge-Bowden over at Alderidge Bank. She works extensively with nonprofits and she walked me through the specifics. It would mean that I could not only set it all up, but it would outlive me. I would never have to wonder whether Ashley’s dream had been fulfilled.”
“That is completely doable. And realistic. Although, I also know that you could fund an endowment on your own, right?”
“Well, sure, but I plan on paying to build everything. And it’s the principle of the thing. Ashley spent her entire life being a good person and trying to make the world a better place. She could have done even more good if the Grandins had acknowledged that she was part of that family and given her everything she was entitled to.”
Albert nodded. “Of course. Whatever you decide to do, I’m here for you. I just need you to give me the go-ahead and I’ll start drafting a suit.”
Heath glanced out the window. The sun was shining as bright as could be. His mind immediately went to Ruby. She was an unexpected bright spot. Despite his bluster when they’d first met in person, Ruby had been patient with him. She’d listened. And she seemed to understand what he was struggling with. That alone had been enough to dial down his anger and frustration about the oil rights. And then she kissed him, and, well, that had been enough to make him think harder about what he wanted for himself. Everyone in Royal assumed that he was hounding the Grandins and Lattimores because he enjoyed stirring up trouble. That couldn’t be further from the truth. He longed to leave it all behind and move forward. Ruby only made that desire feel a bit more urgent. “Let me think on it, okay?” Heath rose from his seat and reached over to shake hands with Albert.
“Of course.”
“I’d like to extend your retainer for another three months, if that works.”
“Anything for you. And I appreciate the business. Just let me know what you decide to do.”
Heath walked outside and decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather with a stroll down the main drag of Royal. Every step was another reminder of the past, especially when he passed people and they shot him glances and mumbled under their breath. Funny how this town had been home for his entire life, and he’d always been content here. He’d never had a desire to get away. He’d spent years completely dumbfounded by his brother’s decision to leave Royal behind. Now that he’d been forced to wrangle with some of the more unpleasant forces in this town, he could understand a little better why Nolan had stayed away.
A block or so into his walk, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye that made him stop dead in his tracks. A blonde woman. Was that Ruby? In the Rancher’s Daughter? The woman in question wasn’t fully visible—he could only see a sliver of her between the clothing displays, and the view was of her back, but the hair looked to be the same. Her height, creamy skin and posture all made him think it was definitely her. But the dress this woman was wearing was the sticking point—it was so sexy it made his head spin, clinging to every inch of her appealing frame. It was also far more formal and dressy than anything he’d seen Ruby wear.
He stepped closer to the shop window for a better look, and that was when she turned to the side and he definitely knew it was her. His heart broke into an inconvenient sprint, making his pulse race. Why was he feeling like this? He’d only known her for a few days. Of course, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. She was smart, beautiful and kind—everything Heath admired in a woman. It would be so easy to get lost in her. His vision went fuzzy at the thought of touching her again. Kissing her.
Just then, another woman popped into view, and his stomach sank. He would’ve known that red hair anywhere. It was Morgan Grandin, the youngest of the Grandin kids. It wasn’t a big surprise that she was there—it was her shop, after all. But it still put Heath on edge. Like every other time he’d seen Morgan, her mouth was moving at full speed. What in the world was she saying to Ruby?
He sucked in a deep breath, wondering about his next step, when Ruby turned toward the window and spotted him. Her eyes flickered and an effortless smile bloomed on her face. She waved. And that left Heath with no choice. He had to go talk to her. He pulled on the door and an electronic chime sounded as he walked into the boutique. He immediately headed in Ruby’s direction.
“Speak of the devil,” Ruby said, standing next to Morgan. “We were just talking about you.”
Dammit.His worst suspicions were true. Morgan had been running her mouth about him. He could only imagine what she’d said.You’re going out on New Year’s Eve with Heath Thurston? He’s bad news, Ruby. Pure evil.It wasn’t a stretch. Her family not only hated him, Morgan’s fiancé, Ryan, had gotten downright ugly about Heath’s crusade over the oil rights. He’d confronted Heath at Chelsea and Nolan’s wedding, for God’s sake. These people were so predictable—if money and pride were involved, they’d drop down into the dirt and fight like hell rather than admit they’d done something wrong.
It would have been so easy to tear into Morgan. Heath had real ammunition against the Grandins now. But he wasn’t ready to show his cards, and he certainly would not sink to the level of a Grandin. Not today. Not in front of Ruby. Heath sidled up to her. To his great surprise, Ruby gripped his biceps and kissed his cheek. It was a sweet gesture, but it made his blood run hot. “So that’s why my ears were burning.” He nodded at Morgan. “Hello, Morgan.” It took everything he had to keep the venom out of his mouth when he said her name.
“Hey there, Heath. Funny that you should show up. Have you ever been in my store before?”
“I have not.”
“I’m just doing a little shopping.” Ruby’s eyes darted back and forth between Morgan and him as she clearly tried to assess whether somebody was about to kick up some dirt. “I need something to wear for the New Year’s party at the TCC. I don’t have anything that’s good enough for a place like that.” She turned back to face the mirror, turning and twisting in front of it and eyeing herself.
Heath was blown away that she was making plans for their date, and so soon after he’d asked her, although he supposed the clock was ticking. The thirty-first would be here in two days. “I don’t know what else you’ve tried on, but that dress looks spectacular.”
“This is the first one. Morgan picked it out. I can’t believe how perfect it is.”
Morgan slid him a smile, which on the surface gave him some far more positive feelings about her, but he also had to wonder if she was happy merely because his approval meant she’d make a big sale.
“The dress is great, but you’re what makes it special.” Heath swallowed hard, wondering if he was laying it on too thick. He didn’t want to mess things up with Ruby. Or put any undue pressure on her. She’d been through a lot.
