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“Maybe you can enlighten me.” Drew’s voice was as sweet as honey. It was perhaps the only useful lesson she’d learned from her mother, that sweet talk really could get you anything if the circumstances were right.
Claire clasped her hands together, and for a moment, Drew thought she would literally start rubbing them in anticipation of spilling the tea. “She’s back in town. Went to see Dan King yesterday about the terms of Bob’s will.”
“You’re kidding me. She couldn’t be bothered to attend the funeral, but now she’s back and bothering Bob’s lawyer?” Drew shook her head as she pretended to let the shock of this news sink in. “Why would she come back now?”
“I heard from Mildred at the quilt shop that Jolene’s been saying to anyone who’ll listen how she plans to sell the Whetstone Ranch to a developer from Montana, who wants to turn it into a golf course.”
Drew forced herself to take a slow, steady breath. That was the rumor she’d heard, too. If Claire was repeating it, chances were it was true. Or at least, it was true that was what Jolene was saying to people. Being able to do it, what with the terms of the Founders’ Compact tying her hands, was a different matter entirely. But that the woman would even think it was possible was troubling.
“That’s very interesting, but I don’t see how she could do it. First, she and Bob were divorced, so the ranch wouldn’t go to her. Bob has a brother. Besides, everyone around here knows selling to a developer isn’t allowed.” As soon as she’d said this, Drew could tell from Claire’s half smile that the woman had more dirt to share. Drew had definitely made the right choice making Claire her first stop.
“Bob has a brother, but he never changed the will. You know how men can be, thinking they’ll live forever. I guess he never got around to it.”
Despite the late May sunshine, Drew felt a cold wave wash over her and settle in her belly. “Even so, Jolene would be bound by the terms of the compact, same as any spouse.”
“I thought so, too,” Claire said, her eyes widening. “But it turns out, no. Her lawyers combed through the original wording of the compact and found a loophole. She was only bound to it while she was legally married. And while she shouldn’t be the one inheriting the ranch, and if Bob’s brother got it he would definitely have to follow all the terms, the compact doesn’t have the power to override Bob’s will in court.”
“That nullifies the whole point of the stupid thing.” If Drew could spit nails, now would be a good time. Leave it to a sneaky ex-wife to figure out a way to screw over the entire community. If Drew knew anything, it was once one ranch fell, it would be like dominoes with other folks looking for loopholes, until the entire valley was a shell of its former self. “How has this never come up before in over a hundred years? Bob’s far from the only rancher in these parts who’s gotten divorced.”
“Sure, that’s common,” Claire agreed. “But can you think of any other ranch family that didn’t have at least one child? I’ll save you the trouble. Since 1911, Bob and Jolene were the first.”
Drew clenched her fists. “She’s going to destroy a good ranch for monetary gain, tear the compact to shreds, and bring down the rest of us in the process.”
To Drew’s surprise, Claire remained quiet for a moment, looking pensive. “Maybe it’s not such a bad thing. We all know things are changing. Ranchers are famously land rich and cash poor. Only, around here, we don’t even get to claim what the land should be worth. I don’t know about you, Drew, but I’m tired of watching Mike work himself to death knowing there’s no such thing as retirement in our future. Look at your dad. He’s on his last leg.”
Drew held in her anger, which was less about anything in particular that Claire had said and directed more toward the world at large. There was no point in unleashing it at an innocent bystander. There were the legal issues surrounding the buying and selling of property for members of the compact, but that barely scratched the surface of Drew’s frustration and anger over this development with Jolene. It was useless to try to explain to someone who didn’t know what it meant to have their own lifeblood running through the soil beneath their feet.
“I guess I’d better go check on Maisie,” Drew said, convinced she’d gotten everything she could out of Claire for now.
“Oh, yes. How is Maisie?” Claire’s eyes sparkled with that gleam that said she was in the market for more gossip. “She seems like a real sweet girl. Are you friends, or—”
Drew grabbed up a bag of coffee beans. “How much for these?”
“Oh, uh… ten dollars.”
Drew whipped out a ten-dollar bill from her wallet, tucked the coffee under her arm, and touched the edge of her hat with her free hand before Claire could remember what she’d been asking. “Have a nice day, Claire. Give my best to Mike.”
By the time Drew made it back to the stand, the market was winding down, and Maisie was folding up the last of the tablecloths. Drew looked under the table, only seeing empty boxes. She turned one over to be sure. “Did you sell everything?”
“I sure did!” Maisie looked ready to burst from pride, a look that turned her cheeks pink and made Drew long to pick her up and whirl her around. “Not bad for a rookie, huh?”
“Not bad at all.” Drew’s stomach tightened as she battled with whether to feel hopeful or to fear that success had come too late.
Maisie paused in her folding, giving Drew a thoughtful look. “You seemed troubled before. Did you find Claire?”
“I did,” Drew confirmed. “And I’m fine. Just tired, I think.”
“You’re sure that’s all?” Maisie chewed her lower lip, and Drew couldn’t tell if the woman had heard rumors, too, and was testing her, or if she was simply concerned because she was a sweet and thoughtful person.
Drew truly longed to believe it was the latter, but experience had taught her to remain on guard where women were concerned. Especially wives. “I heard Bob’s ex, Jolene, was back in town and stirring up a little trouble.”
Drew waited for a response that would help her gauge how to move forward with what she’d learned from Claire, but all Maisie said was, “Oh.”
Caution.
Drew would proceed with caution.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
