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“Mrs. Stafford,” Abigail said in surprise as she finally opened the door little more than a crack.
“We need to talk,” Charlotte said impatiently, seeing that the woman wasn’t anxious to let her in.
“If this is about CJ’s injuries—”
“Are you going to leave me standing out here in the street?” she demanded.
Abigail seemed to realize that she wasn’t going away and swung the door open wider. “Why don’t you come in.”
Stepping into the neat little house, Charlotte wondered what the woman had to hide. Something, that was obvious. A man? Possibly. The bedroom door was closed. So was the bathroom door. But why hide anyone unless she didn’t want someone else knowing who she’d been with? Then again, maybe it wasn’t a man the woman was hiding.
She shoved all thought of Abigail’s secrets away as she turned to her. A young woman with secrets was often vulnerable—and ultimately for sale. “Are you involved with hospice and Inez Turner?”
“No.”
“Can you be?” she asked. “Offer to help? Get inside? Find out if she is well enough to sign something?”
Abigail blinked. “What exactly are you asking me to do?”
Charlotte heard it in the young woman’s voice. She’d already taken the bait; all Charlotte had to do was set the hook. “I need Inez to sell me her ranch.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the buy-sell agreement she’d had drawn up on her computer before going to the Turner house this morning.
The nurse didn’t look shocked in the least. Charlotte recognized the expression and smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it more than worth your time and effort. All you have to do is get into that house. Something tells me you can get to Inez if you put your mind to it.”
NEWSOFCHARLOTTESTAFFORD’Sreturn swept the county. Holden hated that some people were saying that she and her son were getting what they deserved.
He wasn’t surprised when Bob Turner called. “Charlotte came by demanding to see my mother.” He could hear the anger in the man’s voice. “Everyone else has been kind enough to leave my family in peace during this difficult time, you included. I just wanted to thank you for that. If Charlotte comes back, I’m calling the sheriff.”
Holden realized that Bob wasn’t just calling to thank him for not trying to convince Inez to sell him the ranch from her deathbed. He wanted him to keep Charlotte from coming back. The thought almost made him laugh. He’d never had any control over the woman—even when they were lovers. She’d been what his father had called a dangerous headstrong wild horse. Charlotte was the kind of woman no man could rein in—let alone break to ride. It was one reason his father had been so adamant against him wanting to marry her—and not just because she had such a small ranch to bring to a marriage. Holden had said he didn’t give a damn about any of that until his father and grandfather had threatened to send him packing without a penny if he didn’t marry Margie Smith.
He’d been young and foolish and madly in love, but a part of him had known that the threat was real. Kicked off the ranch without a penny, Holden had feared that Charlotte would no longer want him. It had been that fear more than anything that had led him to the altar with Margie. He’d told himself he had no choice.
Margie came with a ranch that connected on the west side of their own and was a good, kind woman who’d given him four children. He’d loved her.
But never like the way he had loved Lottie. She was the love of his life—and the thorn in his side.
“Bob,” he said now. “As far as Charlotte, you know my telling her to stay away would only make things worse. But I do want to talk to her about the two of us going together and making an offer on the land, splitting it since your ranch borders both of ours. Would you consider not selling until I talk to you about it?”
The man sounded relieved. “Thank you, Holden, because right now I’d rather sell it at a loss than deal with that woman. Truthfully? My mother hasn’t made up her mind completely. She might go for something like that if the idea is coming from you.”
“I’ll get back to you.” He disconnected, worried that he’d promised more than he could deliver. He placed a call, confirming that Charlotte had returned to the ranch from town, and had gone straight to the stables to saddle up for a ride.
After Bob Turner’s call, Holden knew she’d had a rough day so he thought he’d know where to find her. She’d always been a creature of habit. When she was upset, she’d get on a horse and go to that spot along the creek. He knew it well. He knew her well—even after all these years apart.
As he headed to the stables to saddle up and ride over to the Stafford Ranch, always safer than driving over there, he saw his son Duffy and Pickett Hanson deep in conversation. He knew the two had become friends over the years and, knowing his youngest son, doubted they were discussing ranching.
KNOWINGTHEREWASnothing more she could do for now, Charlotte had returned to the ranch. She was worried about CJ, even though there was staff available if he needed anything. He’d been in an odd mood all the way home to Montana. She worried that he was depressed and feeling guilty. She feared he might do something to himself.
In the house, she went at once to the guest room. She could hear him talking and for a moment wondered who was in the room with him. As she carefully cracked the door open, she saw him sitting in his wheelchair at the window, his back to her. She felt a wave of relief to find him on the phone, apparently talking to a friend, from the tone of his voice.
She quickly closed the door. For a moment she felt lost and helpless and unsure what to do next. When she got like this, she headed for the stables for a ride. It was the only thing that calmed her.
After changing her clothing, she went out to saddle her horse. She was anxious to hear from the nurse and hoped she’d been right about the woman. Someone had to get to Inez before she died. She had a feeling Abigail Creed could succeed if anyone could. Charlotte was counting on her to get that land before Holden McKenna got his hands on it.
DUFFYANDPICKETTsaw Holden coming and completed their conversation, both concerned that Charlotte Stafford would drill a new well and Oakley would try to stop it without keeping them in the loop. Duffy had promised he would let Pickett know if he heard anything.
Pickett waved to his boss and headed toward the barn. “Going for a ride?” Duffy asked his father.
“Thought I might.”
