True Love Ranch

“Did he say anything that might explain this decision?” Darcy asked.

“He did not. May I continue?”

She nodded weakly. Once upon a time, this would have been a dream come true. She and Joe had talked about having a place just like this for themselves someday. They’d talked of getting married, she remembered bitterly. Of having a home, children, a life together.

It had taken Darcy a very long time to get over that dream. How ironic that part of it should be coming true now.

“If you could both just sign here,” the lawyer said, laying two sheets of paper on the desk and holding out pens for Darcy and Joe.

Darcy suddenly realized that Joe hadn’t moved since hearing the news.

“What’s the matter, Joe?” she asked wryly. “This can’t be such a surprise to you. After all, you’ve been here, with him, for quite some time now.”

He shook his head. “Darcy, this is as much of a shock to me as it is to you. I have other plans. I was getting ready to leave Colorado.”

“Meaning you don’t want half this place?”

“Meaning I’m not at all sure how this fits in.” He looked into her eyes, searchingly. “I suppose you’ll be contesting the will?”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “To change the terms?”

“You mean to cut you out.” When he didn’t answer, she went on. “Honestly, Joe, I’m grateful that my grandfather left me anything. If he wanted you to have half of this place, or the proceeds from half, who am I to say that’s wrong? My personal feelings about you are irrelevant.”

He eyed her silently for a few moments, then seemed lost in his thoughts again.

“We do need to get those signatures,” the lawyer prompted them impatiently.

As she took a pen, Darcy was very aware of Joe’s lean physique beside her, but she didn’t risk a glance at him.

“We’d like to read this over before signing,” Joe said.

Following his lead, Darcy read the document then lifted her gaze to Joe’s.

“I don’t have a problem signing it,” Joe said.

“Me, neither.”

They signed.

As Edward Connor was about to hand over the keys, Hank Cox cleared his throat and said quietly, “Did you have them sign the other part?”

“Ah, yes,” the lawyer said. “The addendum. I was about to get to that.” He reached into another pocket of his case and took out two single sheets.

“What’s this?” Joe asked, taking one.

“These are the conditions I referred to earlier.”

Joe looked the document over. Then, with a dramatic frown, he asked, “Is this necessary?”

“What?” Darcy reached for the paper with a sinking heart. “Is what necessary?”

The lawyer’s grave nod reminded Darcy of the nod Wilton Hammersmith had given her four years ago after telling Darcy her husband had gone to South America with the remainder of her trust fund.

“Those are the terms Mr. Beckett laid out,” Edward Connor stated.

“What terms?” Darcy asked, frantically scanning the paper, then looking at the attorney. “What is this?”

Edward Connor took a breath and gave just the smallest shrug before saying, “This is a simple addendum stating that you will both live on the property, and agree not to sell any part of the stated property—either to each other or to another party—for a period of two months from this date.”

“I can’t stay for two months!” Darcy and Joe said simultaneously, then glanced at each other.

“Where are you going?” Joe asked, looking surprised.

“I’m going to California. There’s a job waiting for me there.”

He raised his eyebrows. “So you weren’t planning on staying here at all?”

She tried to give a laugh, but it came out as a quick rush of air. “Absolutely not.”

“That’s typical, always hopping from place to place.”

“I have no intention of ‘hopping from place to place’ anymore. I’m settling down in California, and with any luck at all I’ll never leave again.” She frowned. “Anyway, you’ve been here for ten years, why can’t you stay?”

“I’ve got to get to Oklahoma. I’ve also got a job waiting.” .

Darcy turned to the lawyer. “Neither one of us can stay.” .

He lifted his shoulders slightly. “I’m afraid those are the terms.”

“When was that addendum drawn up?” Darcy asked.

The lawyer looked at the paper and slid his glasses down his nose to read it. “September the nineteenth,” he answered.

“Hmm.”

“That date significant to you?” Joe asked.

Her stomach knotted. September the nineteenth was her birthday. Did Joe remember that? Did he remember how they’d planned to marry on that day ten years ago? Was he testing her, to gauge her reaction?

She doubted it. He probably didn’t remember things nearly as keenly as she did. If he had any idea of the pain those memories could still inflict...well, obviously he didn’t have any idea. He didn’t care the way she did. Obviously he never had. So the irony of the date would undoubtedly be lost on him.

She met his eyes evenly. “It was the day after my divorce became final,” she said dully.

“Hmm,” murmured Joe.

“First the True Love and now this...this forcing you and me to be together after everything that happened.” Darcy took a slow breath, considering. “I’m starting to wonder if my grandfather had a well-hidden romantic side, or if he was just a controlling old curmudgeon.”