Mountain Heiress: Mountain Midwife (11 page)

“From the time I was a kid, I’d always done my fair share of drinking. I never really saw it as a problem, not even when I was having a shot or a couple of beers every day.”

His expression was as still as a mask. He did nothing to betray his emotions, but she knew that talking about something so personal was hard for him, and she was glad that he trusted her enough to talk to her.

He continued, “About ten years ago, I got injured real bad in a rodeo accident, busted my ankle and my arm and cracked three ribs. It hurt to move and to breathe, hurt like hell. Even worse, I knew my career was over.”

“Why?”

“I was a World Champion cowboy, and I knew I’d never get back to that level. To make a long, miserable story short, I got addicted to painkillers with a booze chaser and ended up in the hospital. When I bottomed out, I started going to a twelve-step program, which I still attend every year on my anniversary. I’ve been sober for nine years.”

“Congratulations.” She didn’t know what to say next and had to be careful not to destroy the fragile bond that had grown between them. He had opened up and made himself vulnerable. In this moment, she was more attracted to him than their physical chemistry dictated. They had become more than friends, more than a wild fling. She was falling in love with him.

She took his hand. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter Twelve

As he walked beside her down the hill, Zach felt almost light-headed. Talking about his addictions wasn’t something he did, but he’d told Gabby. And she hadn’t jumped all over his story, pushing for more details and offering sympathy. Instead, she’d quietly absorbed his words and offered no judgment. It amazed him that a woman who talked a mile a minute was capable of such perfect stillness.

When they reached the path that circled the original house, she looked at the window that was still broken. “I should get that fixed. Michelle would want the place to be kept up.”

“There’s a handyman she used to call,” he said. “Charlotte probably has his phone number.”

“Not Ed Striker, I hope. He’s scary. Do you remember what he said? That he wanted to get rid of us?”

He hadn’t forgotten Striker but had concentrated so much on Fox that he hadn’t paid as much attention to Osborne as a suspect. “I’m glad you reminded me.”

They came around to the front of the new house just as a shiny black SUV parked beside Zach’s truck. Kevin Fox hopped out of the driver’s seat and waved. What the hell did he want?

The passenger door swung open, and another man stepped out. He was as tall as Zach with dark brown hair and eyes. His gaze lit on Gabby. As soon as he smiled, Zach saw the family resemblance.

“Daniel,” Gabby shouted, “is it really you?”

“In the flesh.”

She dashed toward him, flung herself into his arms and hung on tight. In spite of her complaints about her big brother, she obviously adored him. When she ended the hug, she patted his arms and shoulders as if to reassure herself that he was standing there in front of her. “I didn’t expect you so soon. How did you get here?”

“I talked to the lawyer, and he bought me a plane ticket to Aspen. It seemed like I needed to be here and figure out all this stuff with Great-Aunt Michelle’s will.”

“But you said that I should handle it.”

“Changed my mind,” he said as he walked toward the porch. “This is the place, huh? How much land comes with it?”

“Daniel, I want you to meet Zach Sheffield. He’s our neighbor to the south.”

When they shook hands, Zach noticed the unhealthy pallor in his skin tone and a scar near his left eye. Whatever Daniel had been doing in the years he’d been out of touch with his sister, it didn’t involve being outdoors. Zach’s first guess was that Daniel had spent some time in prison. For Gabby’s sake, he hoped he was wrong.

She grabbed her brother’s arm and dragged him up the stairs to the porch. “I’ve missed you so much. What’s going on in your life? Do you have a girlfriend? Well, of course, you do. You always had the girls lining up.”

The front door was locked, per Zach’s instructions for minimal security, and Gabby dug into her pocket to find her key. “We’ll need to get more keys made so you can come and go whenever you want.”

“I’m not moving in,” he said.

“Yeah, we’ll have to talk about that.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Zach and Kevin, are you coming?”

“Sorry,” Kevin said, “I need to get back to work.”

“Me, too,” Zach said. He didn’t really have to leave. In fact, he’d called in two other men who occasionally worked for him to take up the slack while he was busy with Gabby. But he wanted a little time alone with Kevin Fox. This might be an opportunity to find out what his uncle was really up to. The younger Fox wouldn’t be as guarded as the wily, old lawyer.

As soon as Gabby and Daniel closed the door, Zach said, “Nice gesture from your uncle, buying a plane ticket for Daniel to come out here.”

“Uncle Jason never does anything just to be nice. You can bet he’ll charge the expense to the Rousseau account.”

Zach expected as much, and it didn’t bode well for Daniel’s integrity that he accepted help from Fox, putting himself in the attorney’s debt. “I suppose that’s fair.”

Kevin leaned against the fender of the SUV and looked up at the two-story house as though seeing it for the first time. “So this is the famous Roost—the new part, right?”

“The original house is attached at the back. You can’t see it from this angle.”

“It’s a decent property, should sell for a good price.”

“If Gabby decides to sell,” Zach reminded him.

“No way will she want to stay.” He swept his long red hair off his forehead. “She’s a city girl who’s into fashion. What’s she going to do out here? Make little outfits for the jackrabbits?”

His wide grin and freckles made him look like a kid, but Zach sensed a threat. “How long have you worked for your uncle?”

“This is just a summer job while I’m off school.” He pointed to the logo on the black-and-gold hoodie he wore over his button-down office shirt. “I’m at University of Colorado in Boulder.”

“Working at the law office must be an easy job. All you have to do is answer the phone.”

“I wish,” he said. “My uncle talks to me about everything. He’s trying to show me that being a lawyer is cool, and I should go to law school.”

“But that’s not what you want.”

“I want to be a professional snowboarder, like Shaun White, the famous redhead.” Kevin’s smug grin hinted that he put himself in the same category as White who had won countless events in the Winter X Games and two Olympic gold medals. “You know what I mean. You were an athlete, a two-time World Champion rodeo star.”

“I like to win. I bet you’re the same way.”

“Maybe I should give rodeo a try. There’s that thing coming up in a couple of days.”

Zach wasn’t above using his past. “I can get you a pass to go behind the chutes. It’s a good place to meet cowgirls.”

“You’re on.” He checked his wristwatch—a gold Rolex. “I’ve done a little riding. Maybe I could compete.”

“Yeah, sure.” The kid had an ego, and Zach played to it. “Have you and your uncle talked about Michelle’s will? I’d like to hear your opinion.”

“From what Uncle Jason says, the Rousseau family has always been eccentric, like that whole thing with the Frenchman’s Treasure. Do you think it exists?”

“Do you?”

“You know what I think? If they tear down the original house, they’ll find a secret cave underneath it. The only reason Michelle kept that old dump standing was to keep the treasure hidden. I mean, she rebuilt almost an entire wall and patched up other sections.”

How did Kevin know what kind of work had been done on the old house? Earlier he’d given the impression that he’d never been here before. The aspiring snowboard champion wasn’t to be trusted. “You had a chance to talk to Daniel on the drive from the airport. What does he think about the will?”

“The dude doesn’t know beans about his great-aunt, except that she had money. And he wants his share.” Kevin shrugged. “I don’t blame him. He’s strapped for cash.”

“How so?”

“He’s a dealer in an Atlantic City casino, and he’s working double shifts to pay off some debts.”

The job accounted for Daniel’s pale complexion, which was better than a stint in prison but not by much. Zach suspected that when Daniel wasn’t dealing, he had a seat at the poker tables. “Gambling debts.”

“He didn’t say how deep in the hole he was, but I’m guessing it’s bad.”

Apparently, Kevin had never heard of attorney-client privilege and had no problem revealing personal details. Zach pursued his advantage. “According to the will, Daniel has to wait three years before he gets the big bucks.”

“He’ll settle for less,” Kevin said. “He needs money now.”

That statement answered the question of why Fox bought a plane ticket to bring Daniel here. If Daniel was convinced to take the money now, he could influence his sister. Then Fox would be free to sell the property and make his commission. “Did your uncle offer Daniel a payoff to sell?”

Kevin scowled. It must have dawned on him that he’d said too much. “I don’t know.”

“That’s what I’d do,” Zach lied, trying to get back on the kid’s chatty side. “I’d give Daniel and Gabby some cash and send them on their way.”

“That’s the smart decision.” Kevin opened the door to the SUV. “See you at the rodeo.”

As Zach watched him drive away, he wondered about the extent of Kevin’s responsibilities at his uncle’s law firm. The kid might enjoy getting out of the office and staging fake break-ins to scare Gabby away from the Roost.

* * *

S
EEING
HER
BROTHER
brought back a surge of happy memories for Gabby. From their childhood when they were a family with a mother and father to the difficult teenage years with Great-Aunt Rene, Daniel had always been a presence in her life. He was the big brother who protected her from bullies and teased her about her clothes and held her when she wept.

Somewhere along the line, that relationship had changed, and now she was the one who worried about him. Like her, he’d always been skinny, but he didn’t look healthy. She hated that he was working in a casino. Not that she had anything against those establishments, but Daniel had always been a gambler. He didn’t need to be that close to temptation.

Seated at the kitchen table with Charlotte, Daniel entertained them with fancy card handling and tricks. He’d always been a charmer. Charlotte hung on his every word, and Daphne sat by his feet. After he dealt four hands for stud poker, he flipped his cards over to show four aces.

Charlotte was impressed.

Gabby was irritated. “You cheated.”

“That’s right. But did you see how I did it?”

“I don’t want to know,” she snapped as she swept the cards from his hands. “Nothing good comes from cheating.”

“You sound just like Great-Aunt Rene.”

“A wise woman.”

When he reached down to scratch behind Daphne’s ears, the dog looked up at him with adoring two-colored eyes. He flashed a smile at Charlotte. “Gabby was always the good girl who got home on time for curfew, made good grades and did her chores.”

Loyally, Charlotte said, “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Charlotte still glittered. She was wearing one of Gabby’s short skirts and a blue tunic blouse that brought out the color in her eyes. Her long, straight hair was pulled into a side ponytail that hung past her shoulder.

“Saint Gabriella,” Daniel said with disdain. “And where did it get you? You’re sitting here, just like me, waiting for an inheritance.”

“How much did Fox tell you about the will?”

“Enough,” he said. “We should let him sell the place. He told me he’d give us a payoff from his commission, a good chunk of change. I say we do it. Take his offer.”

Daphne gave a woof of agreement.

“What about the Frenchman’s Treasure?” Charlotte asked. “You don’t want to give that up.”

Immediately, Daniel perked up. “Tell me more about this treasure.”

While Charlotte rambled on about the Rousseau family myth, Gabby watched her brother’s dark eyes grow bright as he leaned forward and listened, captivated. When had he become so greedy? As a kid, he’d always shared with her, sometimes giving her the last jelly bean instead of keeping it for himself. Now he was the picture of avarice, licking his lips in anticipation of finding a buried treasure.

If she could convince him to stay at the Roost with her for three years, the change might be good for him. His basic needs would be covered, and he could take the time to look more deeply into himself and figure out what he really wanted to do. The idea appealed to her, as well. They’d be a real family.

“Fox didn’t tell you everything,” she said. “Michelle’s unsold artwork is worth a great deal of money. I have the paperwork upstairs from her art dealer.”

“Do we inherit these paintings?”

“Not unless we stay here for three years. One of us has to be in residence at all times.” She looked him straight in the eye. “I’ve already decided that I want to stay.”

Charlotte bounced out of her chair and gave Gabby a quick hug. “I’m so glad. It’s okay if I live here, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely,” Gabby said. “Michelle would have wanted it that way.”

Her idea of a family was taking a more solid form. Charlotte would be the little sister she never had. Daniel would be himself. With Daphne staying over here all the time, they even had a dog. And she had hopes for a serious relationship with Zach, a mate who would make her family truly complete.

Daniel leaned back in his chair with his long legs stretched in front of him. “I need money now.”

“I kind of guessed that.” She bit her tongue to keep from lecturing him. “At least, you need to take a look at the numbers before we make a decision.”

“It’ll have to wait until later.” He stood and picked up his small carry-on bag. “I’m tired. Can you show me where I should sleep?”

“Upstairs.”

She and Charlotte directed him to the fourth bedroom, which wasn’t as spacious or as nicely furnished as hers but was closer to the bathroom. Daniel dropped his bag on the floor and turned to her. “I’ve missed you, Gabby.”

“Promise me that we won’t go so long without seeing each other.” She hugged him again. “I have a million regrets about not spending more time with Michelle, and I don’t want the same thing to happen to us. Family needs to stick together.”

“I’m willing to try.”

In her bedroom, Gabby changed into a less-clunky pair of shoes while Charlotte sat on her bed and flipped through a fashion magazine. She held up a photograph of a very blonde model. “Do you think I should dye my hair?”

“It’s so long and silky that I’d hate to mess with it.”

“But it’s dull, old brown.”

“Tomorrow, I’m going to pick up my car. I could look for a rinse to brighten the color.”

“Yes,” Charlotte said. “Are you going to the place where they’re having the rodeo?”

“I think so.”

“Maybe I should go with you.” She frowned. “But if Toby stays here to watch the house, I want to be with him.”

Gabby sensed a little romance brewing between these two. “He’s a cute guy. Is he going to compete in the rodeo?”

“He still hasn’t decided, but he’ll do trick riding with some of the other guys who work for Zach. They always put on a show before the rodeo gets started.”

“I didn’t realize this was such a big event.”

“It’s not like Cheyenne Frontier Days, but it’s kind of a big deal around here. Let me show you what I’m wearing.”