answered. “Then we’ll be ready for another talk. When can we visit with him?”
“I’ll call him tomorrow morning and set up an appointment,” Rusty answered. “Now we should be ready to talk honestly about us. I’ve missed you the last two days.” He scooted over closer to her.
“I wouldn’t want to run this place without you.” She turned so they were facing each other. “And I like having you around. I missed you too.”
He cupped her face in his hands and their lips met in a fiery kiss that warmed the barn right up to a full ninety-plus degrees. His hands trembled and his pulse raced when the kiss ended.
“So, we’re good then?” He wanted to kiss her again, just to see if the second one stirred his feelings as much as the first one.
“Yes, we’re good.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “Can we go over this one more time, though? We’ve agreed that neither of us will leave the ranch, but we haven’t talked about the dogs.”
“According to the will, they are mine,” he said, “but I’m willing to share them with you as long as you stay on the place.” He leaned back and frowned. “Are you keeping me around just so you don’t have to give up the dogs?”
She reached up and ruffled his dark hair. “You’re smarter than you look.”
He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss each knuckle. “I’ve got lots of surprises to show you, since you’ve said you’ll stick around for a while.”
Chapter Eight
On the day of Ezra’s funeral, Jackson Bailey had served as executor to Ezra’s estate and handed each of the sisters a copy of his will. Bonnie shoved hers into the bottom dresser drawer in her new bedroom and never gave it another minute’s thought. When she awoke on Thursday morning, the first thing she did was go straight to the dresser and get the blue binder.
She padded barefoot to the kitchen, where she made a pot of coffee and then sat down at the table to try to make heads and tails out of the legalese its pages contained. Most of it was so deep that she couldn’t understand a word of it, but the language that said the sisters had to stay on the ranch for a year to share it was plain enough. If two of them left, it went to the third one—kind of like the last girl standing. Bonnie would have to have the lawyer verify what she thought that meant, but if it did, everything could change in a hurry. Because the way she read it said that if she was the last one on the ranch, then it went to her, even before the year was up.
“Good mornin’.” Rusty came into the kitchen by the back door. “What have you got there? Coffee smells good. Let’s have ham and cinnamon toast for breakfast.”
“Ezra’s will,” she answered. “That sounds fine.”
“I’ll call that lawyer about nine. That’s usually when businesses open up in Claude. Don’t get your hopes up. He’s an old guy, maybe Ezra’s age or older, and he pretty much keeps hours when he wants to.” Rusty poured two mugs of coffee and brought them to the table. “What’s got you worried about it? I thought it was pretty straightforward.”
“I can’t understand anything I’m reading, but I wanted to at least have looked at it before we go into town to see the lawyer.” She pushed it to the middle of the table. “What’s on the agenda for today?” But then she cocked her head to one side and listened intently. “That sounds like a car or maybe a truck.”
“I thought it was a tractor with a bad engine problem coming up the lane,” Rusty said.
“Are we expecting company?” Bonnie asked.
She pushed back her chair and frowned as she started toward the door. When she stepped outside, she could see the dust boiling up as the old blue pickup truck drove down the lane. She heard the door open and close behind her and felt Rusty’s presence even before he laid a hand on her shoulder.
“Friend of yours?” he asked.
“Holy crap on a cracker!” Bonnie sighed. “That would be my mother, arriving without notice. I guess she sold her car and got a truck.” Could the morning get any worse? she thought as she took a step back. “Mama?”
“I’ve come to rescue you,” Vivien yelled as she got out of the truck and jogged across the yard.