AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hide your emotions.
“No,” he said. “If I were in your place, I’d do the same. I’d want to know what happened that made us move.”
She gazed at him, looking questionable. “I’m not certain I believe you. Some people can hide their anger very well. But realize I would never do this unless I thought something unscrupulous happened.”
At least there was that, but that didn’t make him feel much better.
“Hopefully, tomorrow, we’ll learn the truth,” he said. “And then we can put this behind us.”
She nodded.
Nathan stood and began to dress as did she and Cal.
“By the way, thank you for leaving that old swing up,” she said. “That was my favorite spot on the ranch.”
Maybe the way to deal with this situation was to make her feel like time had moved on. “How would you like to go riding in the morning? I could show you the ranch and let you see how much it’s changed.”
A gentle reminder that things were not the same. That her time had passed.
“I would love that,” she said, turning and smiling at him. Then, he would speak to his grandfather afterward.
And the old man had better give him some good information that he could use against her. Because she was a lawyer and knew how to file a solid motion.
Nathan handed Lillian her blouse.
“This was why you came to see me this afternoon,” he said. “Not because you wanted to be with us again.”
“Both,” she said. “But I also feared how you would accept the news that I was doing research into how the Sweet B was given to a man who was not a family member, without him paying a dime.”
She’d mentioned at the wedding that they shared something in common, and she wanted it back. All along, she’d meant the Sweet B Ranch. And he’d been a fool not to recognize her and find out what she wanted.
Now he knew. But there would be one hell of a fight before she got what she wanted.
CHAPTER 6
Nathan had been shocked at Lillian’s announcement. And yet, he was kicking himself for not remembering who the Bradleys were. They had been members of their community and he’d been a child at the time they lived here, but he did remember her mother and grandmother.
Her father had died when she was little, but he even vaguely remembered the man.
Cal had hidden his emotions just like he always did, and Nathan was waiting for a chance to speak to him in private.
Last night, they had gone to dinner, checked Lillian out of the hotel, and then moved her into the big bedroom with them. It felt right. It felt perfect, and if only this ugly cloud was not hanging over their heads about who owned the ranch…
This morning, he’d looked over the documents Lillian had shown him. Why in the hell would the man hand over the ranch to Cal’s grandfather? Nothing about this made sense.
“Nathan, you’re a lawyer. What did you think of those papers?” Lillian asked as they walked toward the barn. Cal was saddling their horses so they could go riding.
God, how he wanted to side with his friend Cal, but the papers didn’t look right.
“I don’t know,” he said. “You know Cal and I have been friends for a long time. Since right after he moved here. As much as I’m drawn to you, he’s my friend.”
“You realize that you just don’t give away a property to someone,” she said.
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, she was right. “Yes.”
“I know Cal is not showing how he really feels. He’s hiding his emotions, and he’s damn good at it,” she said. “This was a complication I had not planned on. I wanted to attend the wedding, do my research, and then file a motion to get the property back. But now I’m torn.”
He smiled at her. “Sometimes things happen that we’re not planning, and it’s a good thing. We had no idea we’d meet you at that wedding.”
