him blind and deaf. Emptying himself , he hoped more would come of it.
They ended up collapsed together on their knees. He was draped over her back, sweat fusing them into one.
“I love you.” Did I say that out loud?
“You don’t have to say that.”
Yep. I said it out loud.
She squirmed trying to turn around to face him. He held her still as possible then realized how much more it would mean—to her and him—if he said it face to face. He let her go.
She whirled around. “You do—”
He held up one hand. “I love you. I think I have since the moment you looked at me across moldy cottage cheese.” Oops.
She choked off a laugh. “I think I’ve loved you since you wiped it up without being asked.”
“You…you love me?”
“I love you,” she said and threw herself at him.
“Thank God.” And he kissed her.
* * * *
Armed with the reciprocated love of a wonderful man, Lisa sailed into Uncle Stanley’s office the next morning.
“Good morning, Gloria. Is he in?” she asked as she headed for his partially open door.
“He’s got someone…”
Lisa pushed the door open and came face-to-face with Ben Khouli and Bob Lynch. Uncle Stanley stood behind his desk.
I hope like hell Dan isn’t expected.
A noise behind her crushed that meager hope. She refused to move. He stepped out from behind her.
“Hello, Boss Lady.”
“Dan.” She glanced at the other two bozos. “Bob. Ben.” She turned to Hightower. “How are you, Uncle Stanley?”
“Why don’t we all have a seat,” he said.
“There’s no need for me to sit,” Dan said. He handed an envelope to Hightower. “Here’s my notarized statement. I’m sure Bob and Ben gave you theirs.”
They both nodded at the floor.
“What’s the matter, gentlem e n?” Lisa asked. They hadn’t so much as glanced at her.
“Yes, gentlemen. The least you could do is greet the woman you’re trying to rob,” Hightower said.
Both jerked their heads up.
“I’m not trying—”
“Rob? Who said anything—”
Hightower held up both his hands. “Stealing her ranch is, in effect, what these statements will accomplish if they are accepted by Judge Rhine.”
Bob and Ben shifted uncomfortably. Dan puffed out his chest.
“It’s not robbery when it’s what the ol’ man wanted. He just didn’t have time to make the changes official.”
“Granddad didn’t want this,” Lisa said. “He left the ranch to me and me alone.”
“Not true, missy.”
Hightower stepped around his desk. “I will pass these statements along to the judge, along with Lisa’s. Dan, you’ll be notified when the hearing is set.”
“See that I am,” he sneered. All three of her adversaries left the room.
Uncle Stanley closed his office door behind them and sighed heavily. He put a comforting arm around Lisa and led her to the sofa.
“Don’t you give up hope. It’s their word against yours, and the will is solid.”
She laid her head on his shoulder. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose control of the ranch. The horses deserve better than Dan.”
“They’ll still have you. Even Dan says your grandfather only promised him half.”
She shuddered. “I can’t work with Dan every day. One of us would end up dead, and it wouldn’t be me because I’d kill him just for the way he treats horses. Why does he want the ranch? I don’t get it. Why did he wait until now to bring this up?”
“That is one question I intend to put to Judge Rhine. He’s a good man.”
“I’m glad of that.”
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come.”
Even though he had followed her to the lawyer’s office, indicating she needed help to handle Dan, Bob, and Ben, her heart still stuttered in delight at the sight of Efrem’s handsome face poking into the office.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked with a grin as he watched her lift her head from Uncle Stanley’s shoulder.
“Not at all, and you know it.” She got to her feet and gave him a quick kiss
They ended up collapsed together on their knees. He was draped over her back, sweat fusing them into one.
“I love you.” Did I say that out loud?
“You don’t have to say that.”
Yep. I said it out loud.
She squirmed trying to turn around to face him. He held her still as possible then realized how much more it would mean—to her and him—if he said it face to face. He let her go.
She whirled around. “You do—”
He held up one hand. “I love you. I think I have since the moment you looked at me across moldy cottage cheese.” Oops.
She choked off a laugh. “I think I’ve loved you since you wiped it up without being asked.”
“You…you love me?”
“I love you,” she said and threw herself at him.
“Thank God.” And he kissed her.
* * * *
Armed with the reciprocated love of a wonderful man, Lisa sailed into Uncle Stanley’s office the next morning.
“Good morning, Gloria. Is he in?” she asked as she headed for his partially open door.
“He’s got someone…”
Lisa pushed the door open and came face-to-face with Ben Khouli and Bob Lynch. Uncle Stanley stood behind his desk.
I hope like hell Dan isn’t expected.
A noise behind her crushed that meager hope. She refused to move. He stepped out from behind her.
“Hello, Boss Lady.”
“Dan.” She glanced at the other two bozos. “Bob. Ben.” She turned to Hightower. “How are you, Uncle Stanley?”
“Why don’t we all have a seat,” he said.
“There’s no need for me to sit,” Dan said. He handed an envelope to Hightower. “Here’s my notarized statement. I’m sure Bob and Ben gave you theirs.”
They both nodded at the floor.
“What’s the matter, gentlem e n?” Lisa asked. They hadn’t so much as glanced at her.
“Yes, gentlemen. The least you could do is greet the woman you’re trying to rob,” Hightower said.
Both jerked their heads up.
“I’m not trying—”
“Rob? Who said anything—”
Hightower held up both his hands. “Stealing her ranch is, in effect, what these statements will accomplish if they are accepted by Judge Rhine.”
Bob and Ben shifted uncomfortably. Dan puffed out his chest.
“It’s not robbery when it’s what the ol’ man wanted. He just didn’t have time to make the changes official.”
“Granddad didn’t want this,” Lisa said. “He left the ranch to me and me alone.”
“Not true, missy.”
Hightower stepped around his desk. “I will pass these statements along to the judge, along with Lisa’s. Dan, you’ll be notified when the hearing is set.”
“See that I am,” he sneered. All three of her adversaries left the room.
Uncle Stanley closed his office door behind them and sighed heavily. He put a comforting arm around Lisa and led her to the sofa.
“Don’t you give up hope. It’s their word against yours, and the will is solid.”
She laid her head on his shoulder. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose control of the ranch. The horses deserve better than Dan.”
“They’ll still have you. Even Dan says your grandfather only promised him half.”
She shuddered. “I can’t work with Dan every day. One of us would end up dead, and it wouldn’t be me because I’d kill him just for the way he treats horses. Why does he want the ranch? I don’t get it. Why did he wait until now to bring this up?”
“That is one question I intend to put to Judge Rhine. He’s a good man.”
“I’m glad of that.”
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come.”
Even though he had followed her to the lawyer’s office, indicating she needed help to handle Dan, Bob, and Ben, her heart still stuttered in delight at the sight of Efrem’s handsome face poking into the office.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked with a grin as he watched her lift her head from Uncle Stanley’s shoulder.
“Not at all, and you know it.” She got to her feet and gave him a quick kiss
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