Totally Texan

“I do, but unfortunately he’s out of the country. And his partner’s an idiot.”

Kelly’s eyebrows rose, but she simply said, “Okay.”

“Sorry. That’s not exactly true. Let’s just say we don’t see eye to eye on things.”

Kelly merely nodded, then asked, “Why do you think you need an attorney?” If he didn’t want to tell her, he didn’t have to, but apparently he wanted someone to talk to or he wouldn’t have said anything to begin with.

“Dan Holland, the landowner I bought the timber from, just called me and dropped a friggin’ bombshell.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, and one of the worst things about it is that I thought he was my friend.”

“Friendship and business are two different things, Grant. You should know that.”

“I do know that, dammit. Still, in a small town, a man’s word is as good as his signature. And I had both from Dan.”

“So what’s changed?” Kelly pressed, sensing his tempter building to no good end.

“He wants my crews to stop cutting timber.”

“And the reason?”

“Some crap about an illegitimate half brother showing up out of the blue and wanting a say in the deal Dan and his brothers had just made with me.”

Kelly was not only shocked but puzzled. “And your friend’s buying that story and wants to stop the deal?”

“Hook, line and sinker. He said that if Larry Ross—that’s the guy’s name—turns out to be legit, then he has a right to be included.”

“Sounds ludicrous.”

“It’s more than that. It’s crazy as hell.”

“So what was your response?” Kelly asked.

“I told Holland he was nuts if he let some bozo he’s never seen before waltz in and make that kind of claim, and not tell him to take a freakin’ hike.”

“I find it unbelievable that he didn’t,” Kelly said, shaking her head in dismay.

“Dan said he’d never seen me this upset.”

Kelly’s eyes widened. “I have a feeling that was the wrong thing to say.”

“You’re right. I told him if he thought I was upset now, just wait. He ain’t seen nothing yet. At the moment, I was as calm as the Pope taking a nap.”

Kelly shook her head. “What a mess.”

“There’s more,” Grant said. “Dan defended this Ross character, saying that his dad had been a womanizer, that it was possible he’d had an affair and Larry Ross could be the product of that affair.

“And apparently the woman, Ross’s mother, said that she’d kept quiet long enough, swearing to her son that Lucas Holland was definitely Ross’s daddy and that Ross should get anything and everything that was entitled to him.”

Kelly gave him a pointed look. “And your response?”

“Hogwash.”

Her lips twitched.

Grant blew out a long breath. “I told him that’s just too pat, too hokey. Ross is his problem, not mine. And if he is legit or not has zip to do with me. We have a deal that is on the up-and-up—signed, sealed and delivered.”

“He didn’t see it that way, right?”

“You got it. Apparently Larry Ross has threatened to file an injunction to stop my operation, claiming his family doesn’t have the right to sell the timber without his signature.”

Kelly was aghast and it showed.

“This is crazy, because at the time Dan didn’t even know this guy existed. But this Ross character evidently doesn’t care.

“So I told Holland to give me my money back. An injunction could wipe me out financially.”