10. Cord
10
CORD
E arlier tonight, I was about to head out to grab some dinner when an SUV pulled up to the barn.
“Hello, can I help you?” I asked when a man and woman got out and walked toward me.
“This is Samantha Marquez, and I’m Beau Barrett.”
I tipped my hat to the lady and shook the hand of a man with a British accent.
“Sam has inherited the property,” he blurted. Nothing like cutting to the chase.
I thought back to the family tree I’d studied several times since Pete gave it to me, but didn’t recall seeing her name on it. “Pardon my manners, ma’am. I’m Cord Wheaton,” I said, looking between the two people.
She didn’t say anything, but Beau did. “It’s our understanding that you were employed by Mrs. Covert to care for her livestock?”
I shifted on my feet. “Not by Mrs. Covert. I never met her. Hoss hired me.” That wasn’t exactly true, but it was close enough for now .
“Hoss?” he asked.
“Yeah, um, his last name is Schultz. That’s all I know besides that he oversees the vineyards and winery. Things have been chaotic since my uncle passed away. Apparently, he and my grandfather worked for the Coverts all their lives, and no one else knew what all they did.”
“How long have you worked here?” Samantha asked. Interestingly, she didn’t have a similar accent as the man’s.
“Since December 20. A few days after my uncle died.”
“Who handled the livestock in the time in between?” she asked.
“I’m not sure about that either, other than to say there’s a full crew of cowboys on the payroll.” That wasn’t true, either. There was nothing “full” about the cast of characters I’d been slowly getting to know.
“But you’ve been hired, yes?”
“Hoss suggested I stick around until the estate was figured out.”
“You’re from Colorado?” Beau asked.
“Yes, sir,” I responded, wishing the guy would stop asking questions. So far, other than to Pete, I hadn’t told anyone the circumstances of why I was here. I sure as hell hadn’t told Hoss. My opinion of him hadn’t changed since the first time we met. In fact, as soon as I learned one of “my” crew had any connection to the man, they went on the sack list.
When the woman audibly shivered, Beau suggested we go inside. I’d never been in the main house and wasn’t anxious to tonight.
“We could go into the barn office. It’s warm in there,” I suggested instead.
They followed me, and I turned the lights and the space heater back on, then motioned toward two of the three chairs in the room.
“Let’s see if I can summarize,” the Brit began when I took a seat behind the desk. “Your grandfather and uncle worked for Mrs. Covert for many years.”
I nodded. “That’s right.”
“You said you arrived a few days after your uncle died. Had he been ill?”
“I’m not sure, sir.” I scrubbed my face with my hand. Might as well cut to the chase in the same way he had. “I guess the question, now, is whether you want me to stay on or if you want to hire someone else. ”
“We want you to stay on,” the woman responded before the man could.
“You will be working for Ms. Marquez, so the decision is hers,” he interjected.
“Should I check with Mr. Schultz for the details of your employment?” she asked.
While I answered affirmatively, the truth was, I wasn’t sure if Hoss had any inkling as to why I’d turned up at the Lilacs. Once I’d learned JD was my uncle, I figured that was why Schultz thought I’d arrived when I did.
“Understand that this is outside of your job and merely a personal question you do not have to answer.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She stood, so I did too. “How old are you, Cord?”
“Twenty-eight, ma’am.”
“For the record, I’m twenty-five. Three years younger than you are. You can call me Sam. Him, you still call sir.” She pointed to Beau.
“Yes, ma’am, err, Sam.”
When I walked them out, they said they’d be in touch.
Since I was on East Coast time, there was a chance Six-pack might still be in his office, so I called to let him know about the new development. I shouldn’t have been surprised when the call went to voicemail.
I went into town and ate at the same tavern where I’d initially met with Pete.
I was on my way home from there when I thought I saw Juniper walking down the street. Alone. In the dark. In the middle of winter. There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d keep driving without knowing for sure whether it was her.
The minute I was certain, I felt a calmness wash over me. I was so damn happy just to see her. And then, I’d blown it, saying the first shit that came to mind without thinking before I spoke.
After dropping her off at her house, I pulled out of the driveway, certain I couldn’t have bungled things with her any worse than I had.
Even though I wasn’t lying when I said I missed her, should I have said it? More than once? God, it had probably freaked her out.
So often, I found myself wishing I’d handled things differently at the tavern the night when I was with Pete. I should’ve gone after her and explained. If not then, I should’ve called her rather than believe her uncle would take care of it.
The only reason she would’ve hightailed it out of there, as he’d said, was if her feelings were hurt. I wasn’t so insensitive that I hadn’t realized that was the case. And yet, I’d let two weeks go by before I finally called. When I didn’t hear anything, I gave it one more shot, but she didn’t answer or call back.
“You should get to know more people here. Make some friends,” she’d said when I told her I missed her a second time. I’d tried that. For a small town, there were a lot of bars in East Aurora, but I’d learned which ones to frequent and which to steer clear of quickly. Anywhere I knew the cowboys who worked at the Lilacs frequented were immediately scratched from my list.
I drove home, but knowing I wouldn’t sleep after the way my conversation with Juniper ended, I turned around and went back into town, pulling up to the first open bar I found.
I was about to go inside when I came face-to-face with Beau and Samantha.
“Evenin’,” I said, removing my hat .
“Hello, Cord. We were just on our way out, but can we buy you a drink?” Beau asked.
I looked beyond them and noticed a man I’d seen with Schultz a few times. He was looking this way and appeared to be sneering at us. “Nah, but thanks. I don’t think I’ll stick around.”
I turned and walked out.
“What was that about?” Beau asked once we were outside.
“Is there somewhere we can talk? Privately, I mean?” I asked.
“We could return to the Lilacs,” he suggested. “Give us twenty minutes?”
“See you there,” I said, returning to my truck.
I parked near the cottage, walked up to the main house, and sat on the porch steps. When Beau and Samantha pulled in a few minutes later, I followed them inside.
I removed my hat and sat in the living room after Sam had.
“Cord, are you a wine drinker?” Beau asked when he joined us, carrying a bottle and three glasses .
“I am, thanks.”
“Where shall we begin?” he asked after pouring the wine and taking a seat beside Sam.
I set my glass on the table in front of me, leaned forward with my elbows on my knees, then sat up straight and scrubbed my face. “What I’m about to tell you is going to sound crazy.”
Sam chuckled. “No crazier than my story.”
I smiled. “Guess you’re right, ma’am, I mean, Sam. Now, I sound like Dr. Seuss.” We all laughed, but what I was about to tell them wasn’t the least bit funny. “My father passed away last year.”
They both offered their condolences.
“Thanks, but I doubt my siblings are any sorrier than I am that he’s gone. The man was a mean sonuvabitch .”
“Go on,” said Beau.
“You’d think death would’ve put an end to the way the old man manipulated my brothers, sister, and me, but it sure as hell didn’t. In fact, it got worse.” I looked at Sam. “Sorry for my language.”
“No apology necessary. You’ll hear plenty of swear words from Beau,” she responded, smiling.
“Anyway, our family owns ranchland in Crested Butte, Colorado, called the Roaring Fork.” I told them about my dad’s trust and how Buck had had to live on the ranch for a period of one year or all of my siblings and I would’ve lost everything.
“When the year ended, we returned to the lawyer’s office, but that’s when we learned there was more. As I said, Buck was first. I was next.”
“What does that mean?” Sam asked.
“It’s why I’m here. Actually, that’s what got me here. The why is a mystery.”
“Quite conveniently timed, given your uncle had just passed away,” Beau commented.
“I think that might have been coincidental.” On the other hand, maybe it hadn’t been at all. However, until I knew more, I intended to limit how much I speculated. “All the trust said was I was supposed to travel to East Aurora, New York—a place I’d never heard of—and get a job at the Lilacs. And, like my brother, I have to remain here a full year. I hate to disrespect the dead, but I guess it’s a good thing my uncle died when he did. I’m not sure I would’ve been hired on otherwise.”
“You don’t think your uncle would’ve given you a job, considering the trust’s stipulations?” Beau asked.
I shook my head. “He didn’t know me from Adam, sir. ”
“Was he your father’s brother?”
“No. My mother’s, and until recently, no one in our family knew she had any siblings.”
“An hour ago, I would’ve said Cena Covert leaving everything to me was the most bizarre thing I’d ever heard, but, Cord, I think you’ve got me beat,” said Sam.
“Not a distinction I desire.”
“Believe me, I understand.”
“What about the man who hired you? Hoss Schultz?” Beau asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Does he know anything?”
“As I told you earlier, all he said was that he wanted me to stick around until the estate was figured out.” I looked between them again. “Have you met him yet?”
“We have not,” said Beau.
“I have no reason for thinking this, other than my gut saying I should, but I have a feeling Hoss may have expected someone else would inherit.”
“Who did he think would?” Sam asked.
“I have no idea except, that man you saw at the bar? The one who was throwin’ daggers at me? It wasn’t the first time I’ve seen him. ”
“Where else have you run into him?”
“Here. Talkin’ to Hoss.”
“There’s something I need to take care of,” Beau said, standing and leaving the room.
“Tell me more about yourself,” said Sam.
“There’s not much to tell other than my life feels like a movie I’m watching right now.”
She chuckled. “You and me both.”
When Beau returned, he appeared troubled when he took a seat.
“Everything okay?” Sam asked, probably sensing the same thing I had.
“Yes. We’ll chat later.”
Sam nodded, and Beau turned to me.
“We’ll be meeting with the estate’s attorney sometime tomorrow. We’ll also make it a point to introduce ourselves to Mr. Schultz.”
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” I scrubbed my face like I had earlier. As much as I didn’t want to broach the subject, I had to. “I know this is a lot to ask, especially since we’ ve just met, but if there’s any way I can stay on here, I’d appreciate the opportunity.”
“Of course,” said Beau, standing. I did the same.
“I guess I don’t need to warn you to be mindful what you say to Hoss,” I said on my way out after I grabbed my hat.
He shook his head. “You do not.”
I was about to take a dinner break the following night when two black SUVs pulled up to the main residence. I walked over when I saw several men get out of each one.
“Can I help you with somethin’?” I asked before noticing the last man to exit the SUV parked farther away. “Decker Ashford?”
“Cord Wheaton? What are you doing here?”
Given he knew my brother Buck and about the situation with the Roaring Fork trust, my answer was a simple one. “My father picked me to be next.”
His eyes scrunched. “Seriously?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Shit, Cord. I’m sorry. ”
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Putting a security system in here that’s similar to the one we installed out at your place.”
I raised a brow. “That extensive?”
Decker nodded. “Beau Barrett and I have mutual friends.”
“Speaking of Beau…” I motioned to his and Sam’s vehicle as it pulled up and parked.
“Let’s catch up later, and you can fill me in on why you’re here,” he said, walking over to speak with them.
Soon enough, I’d tell him I had no idea why. Maybe he would.
“Do you know him?” Sam asked, approaching me while Decker and Beau chatted.
“Yeah. He and his crew installed a system on our ranch similar to what they’re doing for you.”
“Small world.”
“He also knows my brother Buck.”
“The other one who had to stay somewhere for a year?”
“That’s right.”
“Smaller world.”
“I was surprised to see ol’ Cord here,” I overheard Decker say to Beau. “He’s a good guy. Don’t know exactly why he’s here, but then, I doubt he does, either.”
Beau turned to me. “We ran into the man we saw at the bar last night when we arrived at the inn a few minutes ago, which is one of the reasons we returned to the estate.”
“Shit,” I muttered, looking from him to Sam, who nodded.
“I don’t think it’s you he hates,” she said under her breath.
“Deck, I’d like you to meet Samantha Marquez,” said Beau.
“It’s a pleasure, miss,” Decker responded.
Sam smirked at me, and I laughed.
“He made the mistake of calling me ‘ma’am,’” she explained.
After Ashford introduced the three men he’d brought with him, Beau suggested we all go inside.
“Here’s where we’ll start,” said Deck, pointing to a schematic of the main residence. “By the time you go to sleep tonight, the house and one of the barns will be complete, as will the entry gate and most of the perimeter. ”
Beau had a stunned expression, which Decker caught and chuckled. “We don’t mess around, Barrett.”
“What can I do to help?” he asked.
“Stay out of our way.” Deck looked over at me. “You in?”
“I am, sir,” I responded before turning to Beau. “I helped out at the Roaring Fork when Mr. Ashford and his team put a similar system in place.”
“What about lodging?” Beau asked Decker.
I cleared my throat. “I, uh, took it upon myself to ask about housekeeping yesterday. Mrs. Miller, who worked for Mrs. Covert for many years, said her staff had cleaned the main residence and the guesthouse per the attorney’s request. Not to be morbid or anything, but she mentioned all the bedding was new. I haven’t been in this house other than last night, but the guesthouse has five bedrooms.” I didn’t bother mentioning the bunkhouses.
“This one has eight,” said Decker, motioning to the schematic and looking over at Sam. “Me and my guys will stay in the guest quarters if that’s all right with you. ”
She responded that they were welcome to stay wherever they’d be comfortable.
Decker said something to the guy he’d introduced as Cru, then asked me and the other two—Snapper and Kick—to join him outside.
“Here’s how it’s gonna go,” he said, handing each of us a set of schematics. “We’ll break into teams. Each of you will have three guys helping you. I’ll float between you all.” After more review, he told the first crew to get started.
“How long did you say you’d be here?” I asked Decker.
He put his hand on my shoulder. “Not as long as you will be, Cord.”