6. Cord
6
CORD
W hen I met Juniper, her brother, and their mother last night—which felt like days ago—Grayson had been friendly. Today, he was standoffish. I got it. If a stranger came to town and, in less than twenty-four hours, looked like he was about to kiss my sister, I’d be tempted to knock some sense into the guy.
I hadn’t known it was her family who sat in the seats behind us until I glanced over my shoulder and saw Patricia, who, like the night before, winked at me. Had she seen us? Did she know how close I’d come to kissing her daughter?
That they’d showed up when they did and chose the seats they had when there were two hundred or so others empty definitely meant I wouldn’t be tempted to try it again. And that was a good thing. I reminded myself I had no business starting something when my life was in such upheaval, particularly in a place I couldn’t wait to get out of and head back home .
I also had to figure out a way to talk with Juniper’s uncle, preferably before I met Hoss Schultz.
As far as the job, I had no idea what to expect. A ranch manager was on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, unless they had a number-two guy they could rely on without question. I doubted there was such a hand at the Lilacs. If there had been, he or she would likely have taken over for JD rather than me.
I shook my head and scrubbed my face. Everyone who heard I’d be working there assumed I’d be taking over the man’s job. That didn’t mean they were right. For all I knew, I’d be the bottom-rung ranch hand, spending my days mucking stalls and cleaning up horse shit.
Then there was the other, more important question about what I was doing here in the first place? In hindsight, it was easy to guess the reason our father had forced Buck to spend a year on the Roaring Fork was so he’d realize how much the place—and our family—meant to him. Before he came home for the old man’s funeral, I often wondered if we’d ever see him again.
Now, he, his wife, and their son, who they’d nicknamed Buckaroo, were living in the original homestead house, which they’d renovated in the months before their baby was born. I could honestly say I didn’t remember seeing Buck happy, let alone to the degree he was now. That our father had had a hand in that was almost unfathomable, considering he made our lives as miserable as he possibly could until the day he died.
So why was I here, in a place I’d never heard of? Meeting Juniper was definitely a bright spot in what I suspected were going to be some dark days, but I sure as hell couldn’t rely on her to keep me entertained for the next several months.
I stood next to Grayson, waiting for our popcorn.
“If you’re playing a game with my sister, I’ll make you regret ever coming to East Aurora, and I won’t be alone in that.” His tone was low, and there was an edge to his words.
“I’m not,” I answered, lame as it was. “I’d say we’re friends, but how can we be even that? I mean, I can’t explain it, but have you ever met someone you feel as though you’ve known for years after only a few hours?” And what the fuck was with me running my mouth like I was? And to Juniper’s brother of all people.
Grayson turned to me and rolled his eyes. “Seriously? You couldn’t have said something to make me hate you? You had to deliver a line as sappy as the ones in the movie we’re missing?”
I laughed out loud and, at the same time, breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone I’d met in the Chance family seemed happy and good-natured. Truth was, everyone I’d met in East Aurora appeared that way.
“It’s my dad and his family you really have to worry about. His brother’s a cop.”
“I met him. He wants to talk to me about Hoss Schultz.”
Grayson’s lip curled. “He’s bad news. So is Miss Cena’s nephew, Jimmy. Everyone thinks they’re in cahoots to somehow take the Lilacs away from her. It’s just no one knows what to do to stop them. By the time there’s proof, it might be too late.”
“Do you really think that’s possible?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea, but it’s what most of the town fears.”
“It seems like the community is tight-knit.”
“We are. We’re also protective of our own.”
The girl behind the counter handed each of us a tub of popcorn.
“Six waters, please,” Grayson said to her before turning back to me. “You’ll want to grab a few napkins too. My sister’s been known to use my shirt as the ideal place to wipe the butter off her hands.”
I stuffed several into my pocket, then took three of the waters Grayson had ordered. I was headed into the theater when my cell phone rang.
“I’ll be a sec,” I said when I saw it was Porter calling.
Grayson grabbed the second popcorn and walked away.
“Hey, Port. What’s up?”
“Just checkin’ in. How are things in New York?”
“It’s a cute little town. Like CB, but without a ski area.”
“Have you seen the place where you’re supposed to work yet?”
“Nah. Tomorrow. How are things there?”
“About the usual.”
“You sure, Port? You sound off.”
“See ya, Cord.”
I held the phone so I could see the screen. “What the fuck was that about?” I said under my breath.
“Did you get another photo message?”
I turned around and saw Juniper standing behind me.
“Thank goodness I didn’t since it was my brother calling.” We both laughed.
“Is everything okay?”
“I get the feeling it isn’t, but when I asked, he ended the call.”
“So, do you want to go back in, or…”
“I do.”
“But?” she asked when I didn’t make a move in that direction.
“I’d like to talk to your uncle.”
Her eyes opened wide. “I forgot. I’ll send you his number now.”
I read mine out, then called him once I got the text she sent me. He picked up on the first ring.
“This is Cord Wheaton.”
“I was wondering if you were going to get in touch.”
I leaned against the wall and covered my mouth when I yawned. “Sorry, it’s been a full day.”
Juniper wriggled her fingers like a wave and returned to the auditorium.
“You got time to meet?” Pete asked.
“Sure. When?”
“My shift ends in a few minutes. Where are you?”
“Outside the movie theater.” I rolled my eyes like Grayson had. Technically , I was .
“There’s a tavern right next door. I don’t know about you, but I could go for a beer.”
“Sounds good. See ya there.”
I stuck my head in the theater and saw Juniper had moved to the row where her family sat. Rather than disrupt them all again, I sent her a text, saying I was meeting Pete next door but would be back as soon as I could.
When I saw him walk by, I hurried out to meet him.
“Seein’ a matinee?” he asked, looking up at the marquee.
“Juniper and her family are in there.”
He shook his head. “Paying to watch a movie they’ve seen a hundred times.”
I followed Pete inside the bar. “What are you drinking?” he asked.
“Whatever’s on tap is fine.”
“That’ll be a Blue,” he said just like Juni had last night, then motioned to a table in the back.
I nodded and took a seat with my back to the door. It made me uncomfortable, but I figured Pete would be more so.
A couple of minutes later, he set a beer in front of me, then slid into the booth.
“Let’s start at the beginning, Cord. What’s a cowboy from Colorado doing in East Aurora right before Christmas?”
“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.”
“Try me.” Based on the look on his face, I doubted he’d relent until I did.
I got it, though. If Hoss Schultz was trouble, it didn’t look good that I’d just rolled into town, saying he was my only contact.
“My father died about a year and a half ago,” I began. I told him about the trust, its stipulations, and how my siblings and I would lose everything if I didn’t adhere to what was required of me. “Four days ago, I got a call from the attorney, saying I needed to be here by Monday morning.”
“And you have to stay a full year?” he asked.
“That’s right.”
He signaled, and the bartender came to the table.
“Two more Blues and a couple shots of the good stuff. I figure you could use it,” he added after the guy walked away.
“You got that right.”
“Did the same guy tell you to make contact with Schultz? ”
“He did,” I confirmed.
“Tell me about him.”
“If you mean the lawyer, I can assure you he’s not mixed up in whatever Schultz is. I’ve known him since we were kids. To be honest, I have no idea how he graduated from high school, let alone got a law degree.”
“He’s got brains enough to hold this over you and your siblings.”
“I don’t think he knows much more than we do. It seems more like he’s the messenger.”
“Somebody’s controlling this from behind the scenes.”
I nodded. “The trustee is an LLC.”
When the bartender delivered the shots and beers, Pete raised his glass. “To three hundred and sixty-five days in East Aurora. May you make the best of them.”
“Cheers,” I responded before downing what was in mine.
“Now, let me tell you what I know about the Schultz brothers. They’re some rough customers. You might want to watch your back.”
“Understood.”
“What I’ve heard is they’ve been contracting with wineries, distilleries, and brewers around the state. They look for outfits that aren’t doing well, typically mom-and-pop places. They promise them big returns with no upfront costs, saying they can turn their business around inside of a few months. Then they negotiate a monthly management fee and bleed the business dry.”
“You’d think it would catch up with them.”
Pete took a drink of his beer. “That’s where the rough stuff comes in. They threaten the family, saying they’ll bury them if they pursue legal action. I’m not talking about criminal. This would be civil stuff. Of course the family has little left as it is, so the idea of hiring a lawyer and facing a court battle is enough for them to drop it. There have been a few who tried to take matters into their own hands.”
“What happened to them?”
Pete leaned forward. “Obviously, there’s not enough evidence to get a conviction, but at least one guy is in a coma after the Schultz boys allegedly beat the shit out of him.”
“No witnesses?”
“Only seeing the victim leave a bar. Nothing after that. But some of his family members gave statements saying Schultz did, in fact, threaten him. ”
“So they somehow got the owner of the Lilacs to hire them? I heard she’s pretty old.”
“Miss Cena will turn one hundred in a few days—on Christmas. Unfortunately, her health is so bad we’ve been unable to question her. However, according to a lawyer here in town, there’s a bona fide agreement in place.”
I studied the beer in my glass, then looked up at him. “You’re not telling me all this just so I’ll watch my back.”
“You catch on quick.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I doubt very much Schulz is behind you reporting to the Lilacs for a job. Whatever’s driving that is something else entirely.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“There are a couple of things I want,” he admitted.
“Let me hear them.”
“First, keep an eye on what’s going on at the estate. If it looks like someone’s sabotaging the operation, let me know.”
“Next?”
“Your eyes and ears. Anything you see or hear that might lead us to make an arrest, I want to know about immediately.”
I took a sip of beer, wishing we’d ordered a second round of shots. “I mean no disrespect by what I’m about to say.”
Pete nodded. “Go on.”
“What’s in it for me besides an ass-kicking if they catch on?”
“I’d think that would be obvious.” He was grinning, so I did too.
“If this has anything to do with Juniper, I’m out.”
Pete raised his head, then lowered it. “Shit.”
“What?”
“I think she may have heard you.”
I got up but didn’t see her in the bar.
“She hightailed it outta here.”
I sat back down. “I’ll call her when we’re done. I’m not seeing what’s obvious, Pete.”
“I’m gonna help you figure out what you’re doin’ here.” He rested his forearms on the table. “A minute ago, you said that if Juni is involved, you’re out.”
“I don’t want her or her family getting mixed up in this. ”
Pete nodded. “I’m glad you said that, because neither do I.”
“Look, it isn’t like I even know her. She offered to show me around town, and we had a fun day. That’s the extent of it.”
“Again, glad to hear it. If anything were to happen to her because of your involvement, it’s you I’d be coming after, not Schultz.”
“Understood.”
“You’ve got my number. Stay in touch.” He stood and threw some bills on the table, more than enough to cover a couple of beers and two shots. “As far as what my niece overheard, I’ll handle it. For now, I think it’s best if the two of you aren’t in contact.”
While I nodded, I didn’t like it. As I’d said, we had a fun day, but there was more to it. I liked Juniper. I wasn’t crazy about her thinking I meant anything against her by what she’d overheard.
On the other hand, maybe it would be better if she did. I already knew that resisting reaching out or wanting to spend time with her was going to take every ounce of self-control I possessed.
I made my way back to my truck, but rather than move it after I’d just had a few, I walked the rest of the way to the inn. The feeling that letting Pete talk to Juniper on my behalf wasn’t going to turn out well kept nagging at me.
Maybe she, her mom, and Grayson would show up at the inn again tonight and I’d have a chance to apologize.
That idea was quashed when I walked in and saw the same guy behind the desk I had last night after they’d left.