rolled her eyes. “Like I believed that.”
Problem was, she had believed it. Until I found that picture of two big-haired blondes showing off their silicone…with Trey attached.
“What did he do?”
“Hmm,” she said, turning to look at Efrem. His eyes were focused intently on her. She couldn’t remember if Trey had ever looked at her that way. The rodeo results maybe, but not me. This man, sitting across from her with a tenderness she had trouble recognizing, always seemed to be focused on her, even in the middle of something else. Like when she had confronted Dan. Efrem had followed her, stood beside her, stepped in front of her when he thought Dan would actually lay hands on her.
“What did he do besides betray you to his uncle?”
“He cheated on me.”
One of Efrem’s black eyebrows rose. She’d never seen it move independently before and was fascinated.
“Once?” he asked.
“Doubt it.”
“Did you catch him?”
“Kind of. I found pictures someone had taken of him and two chesty blondes.”
“Geez, what an asshole.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
He scoffed. “For what? Calling an asshole an asshole?”
Their combined laughter covered the approach of a distinguished gentleman who looked remarkably like Colonel Sanders of fried chicken fame.
“Lisa? It’s wonderful to hear you laugh again.”
“Uncle Stanley!” She got to her feet and , gentleman that he was, so did Efrem. She gave the old man a soft hug conscious of age and arthritis.
“Efrem, I’d like you to meet Stanley Hightower. Uncle Stanley, this is Efrem Mantz, the computer genius I told you about.”
“Mr. Hightower. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I hope it was complimentary.” He laughed, making the lines around his eyes deepen with amusement.
“Every bit of it, sir.” They shook hands.
“I’ve heard a good bit about you, too, son.”
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at Lisa.
“I only told him about the computers.” Her face flamed as she realized what she’d admitted.
Efrem chuckled, and Hightower covered a laugh by clearing his throat.
“I was going to call you tomorrow, Lisa,” Uncle Stanley said. “I need to speak to you about the will.”
“I’ll call and set up an appointment.”
“No, just come by the office first thing.”
“I’m in no hurry to finish off the paperwork.”
“It’s not about the ranch ownership paperwork. Something has come up.”
“What is it, Uncle Stanley?”
He looked around the restaurant. The surrounding tables were mostly empty. “I’d rather do this at my office but…”
“Please, Uncle Stanley. I won’t sleep a wink knowing something’s wrong.”
“There’s a challenge to the will.”
“What? Who?”
“Dan Morris.”
A laugh burbled up her throat. “He’s got nothing to challenge the will with.” The deadly serious look on Uncle Stanley’s lined face squashed her laughter flat. “Does he?”
“That’s for the court to decide. But he does have witnesses that say your grandfather promised him half the ranch.”
Dread filled her stomach. “But that’s ridiculous. Granddad would never have said anything like that.”
“I agree.”
“Who are the witnesses?” Efrem asked.
Uncle Stanley looked at Efrem, then back to her. She didn’t like that one bit.
“Trey Adams…”
She scoffed at that.
“Bob Lynch…”
“Bob who owns the feed and seed in St. Cloud? That’s easy to understand. The ranch owes him money.”
“And Ben Khouli.”
Shock didn’t cover what she felt. “Ben Khouli? Why would he…” She broke off knowing the answer.
“What?” Efrem asked. “Does the ranch owe him money too?”
Forcing a smile she said, “I’ll fill you in later.” The last thing she wanted to get into was how Dan had purchased feed and supplies without telling her. The two checks—one to Lynch, one to Khouli—had bounced. And at $4,000 and $5,500 respectively it was a big deal. Both agreed not to prosecute as long as she paid
Problem was, she had believed it. Until I found that picture of two big-haired blondes showing off their silicone…with Trey attached.
“What did he do?”
“Hmm,” she said, turning to look at Efrem. His eyes were focused intently on her. She couldn’t remember if Trey had ever looked at her that way. The rodeo results maybe, but not me. This man, sitting across from her with a tenderness she had trouble recognizing, always seemed to be focused on her, even in the middle of something else. Like when she had confronted Dan. Efrem had followed her, stood beside her, stepped in front of her when he thought Dan would actually lay hands on her.
“What did he do besides betray you to his uncle?”
“He cheated on me.”
One of Efrem’s black eyebrows rose. She’d never seen it move independently before and was fascinated.
“Once?” he asked.
“Doubt it.”
“Did you catch him?”
“Kind of. I found pictures someone had taken of him and two chesty blondes.”
“Geez, what an asshole.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
He scoffed. “For what? Calling an asshole an asshole?”
Their combined laughter covered the approach of a distinguished gentleman who looked remarkably like Colonel Sanders of fried chicken fame.
“Lisa? It’s wonderful to hear you laugh again.”
“Uncle Stanley!” She got to her feet and , gentleman that he was, so did Efrem. She gave the old man a soft hug conscious of age and arthritis.
“Efrem, I’d like you to meet Stanley Hightower. Uncle Stanley, this is Efrem Mantz, the computer genius I told you about.”
“Mr. Hightower. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I hope it was complimentary.” He laughed, making the lines around his eyes deepen with amusement.
“Every bit of it, sir.” They shook hands.
“I’ve heard a good bit about you, too, son.”
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at Lisa.
“I only told him about the computers.” Her face flamed as she realized what she’d admitted.
Efrem chuckled, and Hightower covered a laugh by clearing his throat.
“I was going to call you tomorrow, Lisa,” Uncle Stanley said. “I need to speak to you about the will.”
“I’ll call and set up an appointment.”
“No, just come by the office first thing.”
“I’m in no hurry to finish off the paperwork.”
“It’s not about the ranch ownership paperwork. Something has come up.”
“What is it, Uncle Stanley?”
He looked around the restaurant. The surrounding tables were mostly empty. “I’d rather do this at my office but…”
“Please, Uncle Stanley. I won’t sleep a wink knowing something’s wrong.”
“There’s a challenge to the will.”
“What? Who?”
“Dan Morris.”
A laugh burbled up her throat. “He’s got nothing to challenge the will with.” The deadly serious look on Uncle Stanley’s lined face squashed her laughter flat. “Does he?”
“That’s for the court to decide. But he does have witnesses that say your grandfather promised him half the ranch.”
Dread filled her stomach. “But that’s ridiculous. Granddad would never have said anything like that.”
“I agree.”
“Who are the witnesses?” Efrem asked.
Uncle Stanley looked at Efrem, then back to her. She didn’t like that one bit.
“Trey Adams…”
She scoffed at that.
“Bob Lynch…”
“Bob who owns the feed and seed in St. Cloud? That’s easy to understand. The ranch owes him money.”
“And Ben Khouli.”
Shock didn’t cover what she felt. “Ben Khouli? Why would he…” She broke off knowing the answer.
“What?” Efrem asked. “Does the ranch owe him money too?”
Forcing a smile she said, “I’ll fill you in later.” The last thing she wanted to get into was how Dan had purchased feed and supplies without telling her. The two checks—one to Lynch, one to Khouli—had bounced. And at $4,000 and $5,500 respectively it was a big deal. Both agreed not to prosecute as long as she paid
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