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“Maybe I shouldn’t do this.”
What I felt for Sunshine made me sympathetic to Gunner. “She’s not coming back and if she does, do you really want her back?” When he didn’t answer, I said, “I heard you and Shaina the other night.”
He had a lot to say about that. “Nothing happened. I mean, it did, but I stopped it.” He explained how he was still conflicted over his feelings for his wife and didn’t want to have a rebound with anyone. He liked Shaina too much to start something when his life wasn’t straight yet.
“It’s your decision, but you should go for custody at least,” I said.
“What if he isn’t mine?”
We’d covered this ground before. “I won’t say it’s easy. But not knowing is worse. If Zoe hadn’t been mine, I’d already decided she was my responsibility. There are plenty of people who adopt. If he’s not your blood, you raised him. He’s yours and we will fight like hell for you to stay in his life.”
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
“I’ll call you back,” I said as Sunshine walked in.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Sunshine
Waking up in Mitchell’s arms was the best thing ever. If I’d known sex would be like this, I might not have waited so long to lose my virginity. Then again, I was pretty sure it was the man who made the act worthwhile.
The trouble was I was sinking fast, becoming far too attached to a man who didn’t even live in the state of Montana. His daughter was here, but if they found Zoe’s mother, would he return to his life in Chicago?
I knew I should live in the moment and not focus so much on the future. But even if I could get past my current troubles, how could I stay working for his father if we didn’t end up together? I couldn’t imagine a time where Mitchell would bring his future wife to the ranch, and I could just grin and bear it.
When my phone rang, I quickly got out of bed to silence it. I checked to make sure Mitchell didn’t wake before I answered.
“Hello,” I whispered, grabbing Mitchell’s shirt, the first I saw, and shrugging it on before walking on tiptoes downstairs to where the stalls were.
“Miss Drake, this is Raymond Grimes, your father’s estate lawyer.”
“Estate?” I still didn’t understand what estate Dad could have. We’d lived on very little when I was growing up.
“Yes. I’ve tried to reach you several times. I wouldn’t have bothered you per your father’s wishes, but your grandfather wants to meet you.”
“Grandfather?” I felt like a parrot, but all the words he used weren’t jibing with the life I lived.
“Yes. In the event of your father’s death—”
“Dad died years ago,” I blurted.
“I feared that, given the lack of communication, but your father liked it that way. But now that you’ve confirmed, we have to register that with the state and that puts his estate in jeopardy.”
“You keep saying that. But what estate did Dad have?”
“Quite a lot, actually. Stocks, bonds, land and the mountain.”
It felt like all the air had been hijacked from my lungs. “Mountain?” The word was barely a whisper.
“Yes, the one you lived on, your father owned.”
I closed my eyes, feeling a weight lift off me. My father hadn’t lied. He’d owned the mountain, which was more important to me than the rest. My parents’ final resting place wouldn’t be disturbed.
“The mountain and his other land are yours. It’s the rest that is at risk.”
Again, I couldn’t have cared less. I didn’t know about any stocks and bonds and had lived without that knowledge all my life, but curiosity begged the question. “How?”
“In the event of your father’s passing, the trust in which the stocks are held would revert back to the family if he had no heirs.”
“Okay.” I was Dad’s heir. “So, what’s the problem?”
“Your grandfather wants the trust back.”
“What did my father want?”
Raymond Grimes told me about a part of my father’s life I’d never known. Dad had grown up wealthy. His father had made his fortune in the oil business. They were at odds over how my grandfather ran his business. By the end of the call, I had a plan for what to do next.
I crossed to check that the horses had enough water when Mitchell came down in nothing but jeans.
“I wondered where my shirt went.” His grin was priceless.
“Do you want it back?” I teased as he wrapped me in his powerful arms.
“I want you back in bed.”
It was too late when tiny footsteps entered the barn. “Dad, Sunshine, I heard about the baby horse.”
I couldn’t tell you who stood more like a deer in headlights, Mitchell’s daughter or us. Avery was only steps behind her with James.
“Oh,” Avery said with a crooked smile.
“Is that Dad’s shirt?” Zoe asked.
Since it was oversized and hit just above my knees, I didn’t blame her for the question.
