Her Holiday Rancher by Cathy McDavid

Author:Cathy McDavid
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Finding a reason to go home at lunch was becoming a habit for Reese. For the fourth day in a row, she was making the fifteen-minute trek from the bank, this time with her father’s prescription in her purse. He didn’t need it until tonight and would most likely see through her excuse.

Big deal. If he objected, then they could hire a caretaker.

Seconds before Reese reached the Small Change, she saw a familiar-looking vehicle pull out. Her suspicions were confirmed when she and the truck passed on the road, and she got a good look at the driver.

Cole Dempsey! What was he doing here? Who had he seen? Did her father know?

Reese rushed inside the moment after she parked in the garage. “Dad, you here?”

There was no answer. Maybe her father was in the barn or at one of the livestock pens. He did venture outside at least once a day when he was feeling his best.

“Dad. Dad!”

“In here.” His voice came from the TV den.

Reese breathed a long sigh of relief and dropped her purse onto the kitchen counter, along with the prescription. Her father was sitting in his favorite recliner, fiddling with the remote. “How you doing?” She was anxious to know about Cole Dempsey but unsure if she should ask. If Cole had been talking to Enrico or one of the hands, she’d prefer to grill them first, without her father’s knowledge.

“I had a visitor.” Her father wore a satisfied expression.

Aha.

“Who?” Reese asked, pretending ignorance.

“Cole Dempsey.” He set down the remote. “Kid’s the spitting image of his mother. You probably don’t remember her.”

“No.” Reese decided to be blunt. “Why was he here?”

“Paying me a neighborly visit.”

She knew better than that. “Come on, Dad.”

“He’s interested in selling his share of Dos Estrellas.”

“You’re kidding.” Reese’s knees weakened a little. She wobbled to the sofa and sat. “He offered it to you?”

“Yep.” Her father leaned back in the recliner and pushed on the side handle, raising the foot rest.

Her father must be having a good day. With his tremors and loss of strength, he couldn’t always manage his recliner.

“Did he happen to mention if his brothers knew?”

“What does it matter?”

“They’re partners, Dad. It matters a lot.”

“Is he prohibited from selling without their consent?”

“No. Consent is needed only for selling the entire ranch.” Reese had found that part of the living trust unusual and interesting. Anyone could wind up owning a share of Dos Estrellas and partnering with the remaining brother or brothers, including, possibly, a rival. August Dempsey must have thought of that. He’d paid meticulous attention to every other detail.

Could it have been intentional? A test for his sons? She wouldn’t put it past August. But, if true, he’d taken an incredible risk that could easily backfire.

Hearing her father’s jovial chuckle, she was angry. “You can’t seriously be considering accepting Cole’s offer.”

Deep furrows creased his brow. “I am. Why wouldn’t I?”

“We’ve had this discussion before. Running the Small Change is hard enough. You’re in no—” She’d started to say shape, but changed her mind.

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