Read Online Montana Darling (Big Sky Mavericks Book 3) by Debra Salonen - Free Book Online
Authors: Debra Salonen
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white shirt. Her curls appeared finger-combed by the wind.
He stood . I like her.
Foolish as that epiphany seemed. He did.
“You got here fast,” Ren said, getting to his feet as she approached the desk.
“Cake tasting.”
Ryker had no idea what that meant, but Ren’s sigh said he understood.
She dropped her large brown leather purse into the second chair and turned toward Ryker. “Mr. Bensen.”
“Ryker. Please.”
When she looked at him this time—dressed in his best hiking pants, boots and clean wool shirt—he thought he detected a hint of respect. Had he surprised her by contacting a lawyer? Did that make him a worthy adversary instead of some vagrant lout?
“Wedding cake,” he said, when the answer to the unacknowledged question popped into his mind. “Your brother is marrying Louise’s daughter.”
The two lawyers looked at him as if he might be suffering from Asperger syndrome.
“Sorry. Living alone for months at a stretch tends to blur the line between thought bubble and talking to yourself.”
She frowned but didn’t agree or disagree with his observation. Instead, she walked to the desk where his paperwork was arranged in two neat piles. She didn’t touch anything but her chin tilted sideways so she could make a cursory scan.
Ryker’s head tilted sideways, too, even though he was too far away to see anything.
“Hmm,” she said, exchanging a look with Ren that could only be described as lawyer-ish. She pivoted and walked to where Ryker was standing. Even in boots the top of her head barely reached his shoulder. “I apologize if I came off a bit hostile this morning. Do you think we could start again?”
He appreciated people who could admit they’d behaved badly. He had a few overdue apologies of his own if he ever returned to France. He repeated the gesture he’d made a few hours earlier. “Hello, I’m Ryker Bensen. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”
She glanced at Ren before taking his hand.
Small, slender fingers with a strong, firm grip. Ryker appreciated the way she squared shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. “To be clear, I’m not acknowledging the legitimacy of your claim in any way. As I told Ren, money changed hands. A lot of money. My money. I don’t know who has it, but I know it’s not in my possession anymore.”
Before Ryker could say anything, Ren moved around the desk to stand adjacent to the two of them. He touched Mia’s shoulder. Just long enough for Ryker to realize he did not like the familiarity this lawyer showed toward Mia.
Jealous? Me?
He was so distracted by the possibility he missed what the two attorneys were saying about writs and cease and desist orders.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this, Mia,” Ren said. “But it will take time.”
“Time I don’t have.”
A cold sensation knifed through Ryker’s midsection. This morning he’d thought she had the look of someone who’d been ill. Was she dying?
Oh, God, not again.
His stomach roiled…until he heard her say, “Winter will be here before we know it. If I don’t have clear title, I can’t get a foundation poured.”
Ryker sat, his knees giving out with relief.
“I know you didn’t set out to steal this land or screw Mr. Bensen out of his property, Mia, but it’s pretty clear someone sold it out from under him.”
Mia stepped to the desk. “May I?” she asked, reaching for the yellow pad Ren had been using. She quickly flipped over the first sheet and scribbled something. “I suggest you start with my ex. Here’s his contact information. Edward’s an investment specialist. He has fingers in various pies—big and small, all over the country.”
Ryker hadn’t expected her to handle the news so dispassionately. Almost fatalistically. Which seemed wrong. She didn’t strike him as the kind who gave up so easily.
He leaned back in the chair and crossed one leg over the other. “I don’t know what this means for either of us, but my father used to
He stood . I like her.
Foolish as that epiphany seemed. He did.
“You got here fast,” Ren said, getting to his feet as she approached the desk.
“Cake tasting.”
Ryker had no idea what that meant, but Ren’s sigh said he understood.
She dropped her large brown leather purse into the second chair and turned toward Ryker. “Mr. Bensen.”
“Ryker. Please.”
When she looked at him this time—dressed in his best hiking pants, boots and clean wool shirt—he thought he detected a hint of respect. Had he surprised her by contacting a lawyer? Did that make him a worthy adversary instead of some vagrant lout?
“Wedding cake,” he said, when the answer to the unacknowledged question popped into his mind. “Your brother is marrying Louise’s daughter.”
The two lawyers looked at him as if he might be suffering from Asperger syndrome.
“Sorry. Living alone for months at a stretch tends to blur the line between thought bubble and talking to yourself.”
She frowned but didn’t agree or disagree with his observation. Instead, she walked to the desk where his paperwork was arranged in two neat piles. She didn’t touch anything but her chin tilted sideways so she could make a cursory scan.
Ryker’s head tilted sideways, too, even though he was too far away to see anything.
“Hmm,” she said, exchanging a look with Ren that could only be described as lawyer-ish. She pivoted and walked to where Ryker was standing. Even in boots the top of her head barely reached his shoulder. “I apologize if I came off a bit hostile this morning. Do you think we could start again?”
He appreciated people who could admit they’d behaved badly. He had a few overdue apologies of his own if he ever returned to France. He repeated the gesture he’d made a few hours earlier. “Hello, I’m Ryker Bensen. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”
She glanced at Ren before taking his hand.
Small, slender fingers with a strong, firm grip. Ryker appreciated the way she squared shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. “To be clear, I’m not acknowledging the legitimacy of your claim in any way. As I told Ren, money changed hands. A lot of money. My money. I don’t know who has it, but I know it’s not in my possession anymore.”
Before Ryker could say anything, Ren moved around the desk to stand adjacent to the two of them. He touched Mia’s shoulder. Just long enough for Ryker to realize he did not like the familiarity this lawyer showed toward Mia.
Jealous? Me?
He was so distracted by the possibility he missed what the two attorneys were saying about writs and cease and desist orders.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this, Mia,” Ren said. “But it will take time.”
“Time I don’t have.”
A cold sensation knifed through Ryker’s midsection. This morning he’d thought she had the look of someone who’d been ill. Was she dying?
Oh, God, not again.
His stomach roiled…until he heard her say, “Winter will be here before we know it. If I don’t have clear title, I can’t get a foundation poured.”
Ryker sat, his knees giving out with relief.
“I know you didn’t set out to steal this land or screw Mr. Bensen out of his property, Mia, but it’s pretty clear someone sold it out from under him.”
Mia stepped to the desk. “May I?” she asked, reaching for the yellow pad Ren had been using. She quickly flipped over the first sheet and scribbled something. “I suggest you start with my ex. Here’s his contact information. Edward’s an investment specialist. He has fingers in various pies—big and small, all over the country.”
Ryker hadn’t expected her to handle the news so dispassionately. Almost fatalistically. Which seemed wrong. She didn’t strike him as the kind who gave up so easily.
He leaned back in the chair and crossed one leg over the other. “I don’t know what this means for either of us, but my father used to
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