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My eyebrows shoot up. “Daisy hired you for this?”
“That was her stupid mistake. She didn’t realize that you were the real thing and all that other stuff was bullshit.” He smiles and he looks like he’s lighter, like a burden’s lifted from his back. “She also didn’t think I’d outsmart her, but here we are.”
“What did you do?”
“I went behind her back and told a few lies like I always do, but this time I did it for a good reason.” He turns away and gets into his truck. “I’m sorry, Melody. I said what I came here to say, and now it’s all up to you. If you want to get back to Daisy, there’s your ammunition. If you want to let your family fight over the ranch and tear each other to bits, throw those papers away and wash your hands of all this. And if you ever want to talk—well, Ford will be able to find me, assuming I’m still alive.” He pauses and looks at me like he’s committing my form to memory. “Good luck. You deserve better than all this. You always did.”
He starts his engine. I flip through the papers, feeling overwhelmed, tears in my eyes for the first time that day. They roll down my cheeks and splatter on the pavement, and how am I going to let this man drive away now? After he did all this? War didn’t have to get involved again, not after what happened, and yet he tricked Daisy and he gave me these papers and he’s saying everything, all the right things, and I just—
“Wait,” I say before he can put the truck in gear. “How about giving me a ride?”
He hesitates, and he smiles. “Climb in, lovely Melody. Where to?”
“Anywhere,” I say, getting into the passenger seat. “It’s been a long, miserable day. Take me somewhere nice.”
“Let’s go,” he says and drives off.
Chapter27
Melody
Daisy’s townhouse is on the edge of Dallas in a cute little private community. It’s not expensive, but it’s not cheap either, and I can only imagine that Daisy feels like she’s slumming it for the time being.
Nobody lives at the ranch anymore. The family moved out the day after the funeral in anticipation of the place getting sold. I don’t know where everyone else is living—only Kerry reached out with a friendly text and standing invitation to dinner, which I haven’t accepted yet, but I think I will sooner or later—and I honestly don’t care. Daisy’s the only one I need, and the only one that matters.
War stands by my side as I face down my cousin’s door. “You okay?” he asks and slips his hand into mine.
“I’m okay,” I say, nodding to myself, before I knock.
Daisy answers after a few seconds. She looks tan, her hair cut shorter, and she’s wearing jeans and a lightweight blouse. She looks good, happy, as if leaving the ranch was like banishing an evil spirit that was sucking away her vitality. I squeeze War’s hand, but I don’t let it go, and I tighten my grip on the folder under my left arm. “Hey, Daisy,” I say.
“Melody. Warren.” She looks between us and her eyes narrow. “What’s this about?” But then her face brightens. “You signed the paperwork, didn’t you?”
“In a way,” I say, trying not to smile. “Can we come inside?”
She ushers us into the kitchen and we sit at the table. “Something to drink?” she asks. “Coffee? Tea? Ginger ale?”
“Nothing, thanks,” I say, and War only leans back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, looking around with a smug little smirk like always.
“I’m glad you showed up,” Daisy says and sit across from us. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and soul-searching ever since your father died and we left the ranch, and there’s a lot I want to talk about.”
I almost burst out laughing. Daisy, doing soul-searching? And now she wants to talk? I swear, if she apologizes, I’m going to punch her in the mouth. I don’t care if she had some kind of spiritual awakening and realized that she’s been manipulating everyone and hurting me for years—she doesn’t deserve forgiveness, and she won’t find any from me.
“I’m actually only here on business.” I take out the papers War gave me a month ago at the funeral and slide them across the table. “I had these looked over by a few lawyers, including my dad’s estate lawyer, and everything here is legitimate and enforceable.”
Daisy’s eyebrows raise in surprise as she takes the pages. “I don’t understand. Aren’t these the sale documents I gave to War?” Her expression tightens as she stars to flip through the pages. Each one is marked with a couple sets of initials, includingCL. “This doesn’t really matter anymore, since your dad didn’t leave the ranch to anyone in his will. We’re going to court over it and—” She pauses, frowning. “What is this, Melody?”
“You wanted to sell the ranch. Well, we sold the ranch.”
Her expression darkens. She flips faster and finally reaches the last page in the bundle. I watch her eyes as they read the words and get to the bottom, my heart racing, my palms sweating and hands trembling. War sits close and I take heart in having him here, even if we’re not totally okay yet and I’m not sure I can let my guard down, but having him next to me and on my side gives me a ton of strength.
“Colton Leader?” Melody asks and shakes her head. “I don’t understand. Your dad died. How did he—” She looks at the date and her eyes widen. “You have to befuckingkidding.”
War speaks up then. “Here’s the thing, Daisy. When you gave me that job, you know, your little insurance policy, I realized something. I could do what you asked and hope for the best, or I could fuck you over. Obviously, I chose to fuck you.”
Daisy slams the papers down and smacks her palm flat down on top of them. “What the fuck is this?”
“It’s pretty obvious,” I say, terrified but loving Daisy’s confusion and rage. “War went to the buyers you had listed on those documents and had them draw up new contracts. He did his thing, you know, told a few white lies, and that big farming conglomerate faxed over the updates the next day.”
