number of head disappeared."
"You mean there was rustling going on?" Jenny
asked, even more shocked by this bad news. Why
hadn't her father ever told her? She wondered if they
had anything positive to tell her.
"It's been widespread. A number of ranches were
hit, mine included," Cole put in.
"Do you have any idea who's behind it?"
"No. There was talk for a while of hiring a range
detective, but the losses let up, so nothing was done,"
Cole explained.
Jenny looked back over at the banker, trying her
best not to let her distress show.
"How much money is available?" she asked, trying
to figure out how much time she had to turn things
around.
Lyle Stevens went into detail with her. He showed
her the books and explained all of the transactions
that had taken place.
Cole listened closely, too, as they went over all the facts and figures. As executor, the Lazy S would be
his responsibility, and he needed to know all that was
going on.
"So what you're telling me is that, basically, I have
only enough money to keep the ranch going for four
more months," Jenny said quietly.
She frowned as she considered the seriousness of
her situation. Things did not look good. The possibility of taking Cole up on his offer to buy the ranch
flitted through her thoughts, but she immediately dismissed it.
"If you're lucky and nothing unexpected happens,
yes," Lyle answered honestly.
"Cole's offer for the ranch is a substantial one and
quite fair. It would be enough to pay off your debts
and see you comfortably settled with an inheritance
in the bank to live on," Marsden put in, trying to
encourage her to take that course of action. He knew
what a hard job it would be to bring the ranch back
to its former glory. Paul had been having a terrible
time trying to recoup his losses. Marsden could just
imagine how difficult it was going to be for Jenny.
Jenny looked up at the lawyer, her expression determined and a bit mutinous.
"I'm not going to sell the ranch," she declared with
finality. "It meant too much to my father, and it means
too much to me."
The lawyer and the banker exchanged concerned
looks, while Judge Lawson counseled her.
"Miss Sullivan," Lawson began, "I understand that this bad news about the state of your finances is upsetting to you right now, but it's important that you
make your decisions based on sound logic and hard
facts, not just emotion. I would hate for you to ultimately lose everything because you wouldn't listen to
reason."
Jenny rose to her feet, glaring at him. "So would
I, Judge Lawson, but I have no intention of selling
out and running away from my responsibility."
Cole was startled by her fierce determination to
stay. She'd thought nothing of packing up and running away from him on their wedding day. He'd expected her to do the same now-pack up and get out
of town as soon as she'd heard the truth about the
state of her finances.
"But restoring the ranch will be a monumental
task," Marsden cautioned her. "Your father hadn't
been certain that he could bring the Lazy S back.
We've shown you what bad shape it's in. If your father had serious doubts, what makes you think that
you can do it?"
She gave a stubborn lift of her chin as she leveled
a serious gaze upon the lawyer. "The Lazy S is my
father's legacy to me. I owe it to him to do everything
I can to make sure the ranch is a success."
"While I admire your spirit, Miss Sullivan-" the
judge began.
"I'm sure Cole will work with me and help me do
whatever is necessary to make the ranch pay again,"
she interrupted, looking at Cole. "After all, he is the executor and has been entrusted with the job of making sure everything in my father's estate is handled
properly until I'm twenty-five, isn't that right?" She
deliberately didn't mention the "or married" part in
her father's will.
Marsden, Stevens, and Judge Lawson all looked
expectantly at Cole.
"Cole?" Marsden asked, waiting to see what he had
to say
"You mean there was rustling going on?" Jenny
asked, even more shocked by this bad news. Why
hadn't her father ever told her? She wondered if they
had anything positive to tell her.
"It's been widespread. A number of ranches were
hit, mine included," Cole put in.
"Do you have any idea who's behind it?"
"No. There was talk for a while of hiring a range
detective, but the losses let up, so nothing was done,"
Cole explained.
Jenny looked back over at the banker, trying her
best not to let her distress show.
"How much money is available?" she asked, trying
to figure out how much time she had to turn things
around.
Lyle Stevens went into detail with her. He showed
her the books and explained all of the transactions
that had taken place.
Cole listened closely, too, as they went over all the facts and figures. As executor, the Lazy S would be
his responsibility, and he needed to know all that was
going on.
"So what you're telling me is that, basically, I have
only enough money to keep the ranch going for four
more months," Jenny said quietly.
She frowned as she considered the seriousness of
her situation. Things did not look good. The possibility of taking Cole up on his offer to buy the ranch
flitted through her thoughts, but she immediately dismissed it.
"If you're lucky and nothing unexpected happens,
yes," Lyle answered honestly.
"Cole's offer for the ranch is a substantial one and
quite fair. It would be enough to pay off your debts
and see you comfortably settled with an inheritance
in the bank to live on," Marsden put in, trying to
encourage her to take that course of action. He knew
what a hard job it would be to bring the ranch back
to its former glory. Paul had been having a terrible
time trying to recoup his losses. Marsden could just
imagine how difficult it was going to be for Jenny.
Jenny looked up at the lawyer, her expression determined and a bit mutinous.
"I'm not going to sell the ranch," she declared with
finality. "It meant too much to my father, and it means
too much to me."
The lawyer and the banker exchanged concerned
looks, while Judge Lawson counseled her.
"Miss Sullivan," Lawson began, "I understand that this bad news about the state of your finances is upsetting to you right now, but it's important that you
make your decisions based on sound logic and hard
facts, not just emotion. I would hate for you to ultimately lose everything because you wouldn't listen to
reason."
Jenny rose to her feet, glaring at him. "So would
I, Judge Lawson, but I have no intention of selling
out and running away from my responsibility."
Cole was startled by her fierce determination to
stay. She'd thought nothing of packing up and running away from him on their wedding day. He'd expected her to do the same now-pack up and get out
of town as soon as she'd heard the truth about the
state of her finances.
"But restoring the ranch will be a monumental
task," Marsden cautioned her. "Your father hadn't
been certain that he could bring the Lazy S back.
We've shown you what bad shape it's in. If your father had serious doubts, what makes you think that
you can do it?"
She gave a stubborn lift of her chin as she leveled
a serious gaze upon the lawyer. "The Lazy S is my
father's legacy to me. I owe it to him to do everything
I can to make sure the ranch is a success."
"While I admire your spirit, Miss Sullivan-" the
judge began.
"I'm sure Cole will work with me and help me do
whatever is necessary to make the ranch pay again,"
she interrupted, looking at Cole. "After all, he is the executor and has been entrusted with the job of making sure everything in my father's estate is handled
properly until I'm twenty-five, isn't that right?" She
deliberately didn't mention the "or married" part in
her father's will.
Marsden, Stevens, and Judge Lawson all looked
expectantly at Cole.
"Cole?" Marsden asked, waiting to see what he had
to say
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