Chapter 12 #3
“That didn’t mean you had to…” He twisted his hand around the steering wheel, gritting his teeth.
“Didn’t dear Father tell you what happened to me?” I stared at him incredulously. Wade had always been self-centered, and age hadn’t softened his arrogance. Maybe that’s why his friendship with Axe had always confused me.
Wade shifted in his seat. “Just that he asked you to come back to town ‘cause you were fired for insubordination and I guess your boyfriend dumped you.”
I’d received one compliment over the last four years from my father. For my choice in my boyfriend. He’d even encouraged me to consider marrying the guy.
I took a deep breath. Clearly returning was a significant mistake.
“Not that it’s any of your business either, but I was asked to throw a case to benefit a wealthy corporation with ties to Billings as well as a major financial supporter of the firm I work…
I worked for, and I refused. It’s called ethics.
You should learn the term sometime. Evidently, my boss thought I should easily cross the line of right versus wrong.
He was dead wrong. So, after I won the case against the organization, not only requiring them to pay millions in restitution but also managing to point to evidence that eventually garnered jail time for two of the executives, my boss and I sat down together.
After expressing his displeasure, we decided together that my continued employment with the firm wasn’t in either of our best interests.
Especially since I might have suggested turning him in to the Montana Bar Association for ethics issues.
As far as any other reason, I’m not talking about what happened in my personal life, Wade.
I meant something else entirely, like why I was delayed in getting to the ranch. ”
“Okay, what are you talking about? What happened?”
“Did you hear two of the dams along Clark Fork River broke?”
“Yeah, kinda heard something. The big rain and all. The city is supposed to have a permanent fix this summer.”
How many times had I heard that before? “With what money? I didn’t know about the dangerous conditions until I was swept into the river.
Where do you think my vehicle is? Somewhere over the waterfall likely the size of a tin can.
Everything that means anything to me is still locked inside my little truck. ”
Suddenly, my brother had nothing to say. That infuriated me almost more than anything. At least he appeared more uncomfortable in his seat, continually tapping his index finger on the steering wheel.
“Great. My brother doesn’t care that I almost died and would have had it not been for Axe risking his life to save me.”
“Course I care. That doesn’t answer why you were with Axe and didn’t call.”
Frustration, exhaustion, and perhaps determination all hit at the same time and I laughed.
“At the risk of sounding repetitive, you used to be friends with Axe even though our father did everything in his power to get you to stop. I admired you for standing up for him. Even your acts trying to protect me were somewhat chivalrous. I don’t know what happened, but I’m not getting in the middle of it. ”
“He was different then.” Wade stared at the driver’s window, rubbing his jaw.
“We all were. Besides, death will do that to you.” My brother had never been the most emotional human being, but he was certainly more deadpan than usual. “You are aware his brother tragically died.”
“Yeah, which wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t trying to play some bigtime smokejumper.”
“You know what? I don’t know what happened between the two of you.
Maybe that’s none of my business. All I know is that he saved my life.
Maybe if our father hadn’t influenced the freaking city council not to approve money for needed equipment for the firefighters in our city, Will would be alive.
You do know they augment the smokejumpers when possible? ”
He didn’t have anything to say to my accusation, which meant Axe was right.
“This is insane,” I continued. “I’ll give you the respect of answering your question then I’m done. Given the storm, there was no reception to make a call. Axe was kind enough to give me clothes, feed me, tend to my wounds, and ensure I had a safe and dry place for the night.”
He was about to take the turn onto the road heading for the ranch as another wave of anger tore through me. “You know what? Forget it. You can tell Daddy he’ll need to find another attorney for free. I’m not interested. Drop me off at Charmaine’s house.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you and I’m glad Axe was there for the rescue, but he’s not good for you.”
“Well, since I’m an adult and you have no say, you can keep your thoughts to yourself.”
As usual, he grumbled under his breath, a tic of his that used to drive me crazy. “I’m not taking you to Charmaine’s house, Kenz.”
“And why not? Are you in the kidnapping business now?”
“Didn’t Dad tell you why he wanted you to come home?”
Snorting, I half laughed. “You know as well as I do that our father doesn’t talk to me on a regular basis. Why would he tell me anything? He just assumed I’d come crawling back. Jesus. Here I am.”
Wade exhaled, twisting his hand on the steering wheel. “He’s in trouble, Kenz. You need to talk to him.”
Now my brother was going to pull out the cry for sentiment stops? “I’m sorry his great plan of ruling Missoula didn’t magically come true but take me to Charmaine’s house. I need to figure out about transportation and the rest of my life. That doesn’t include returning to Missoula.”
“Didn’t you hear me?” There was a pleading tone in his voice. Rare for my brother. “This is serious.”
He knew how to lay the guilt on, yet I took a deep breath.
“Okay, I’ll ask. What kind of trouble? If he needs investment advice for all his millions, I’m all out.”
“That’s not it. The ranch isn’t doing well. Some of it is the situation with the cattle prices. The market just isn’t what it used to be.” My brother rarely fidgeted. That’s exactly what he was doing now.
“What else?”
“Never could get anything by you,” Wade chortled, his expression hardening when I didn’t laugh with him. “He made some bad investments a few years ago, the kind with balloon payments all coming due at the same time.”
“All corrupt, I assume.”
“Jesus, Kenz. Dad is a businessman. Has he cut some corners over the years? Maybe, but he was trying to leave our family a legacy.”
“Fascinating. You’re driving a new truck that cost as much as a small house. My guess is you make a ton of money and you’re telling me the corporation is broke?”
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you and I work my butt off to try and make a difference, but times have been extremely difficult. Not that you would know since you haven’t cared about your family in years.”
The dig was one I’d expected. I suddenly realized that he harbored the feeling that I’d abandoned him.
“I find it fascinating that the rebellious brother I once knew who wanted to get the hell out of a honky-tonk town to a big city is suddenly embroiled in a life he screamed he loathed.”
Wade rubbed his jaw while checking into the rearview mirror. “Things change. You meet people. You realize your surroundings aren’t that bad.”
“Okay. I’ll buy that. What aren’t you telling me about our father?”
“He owes a lot of people and institutions a lot of money.”
I slowly turned my head. “How much money?”
“Let’s just say we’re going to lose the ranch if things don’t turn around.”
Wow. That I hadn’t expected. Yes, I’d always suspected my father had been shady in many of his dealings over the years, but to lose everything caught me by surprise.
I’d loved growing up on the ranch even if I hadn’t been very close to my dad.
It was the only real home I’d ever had. Even when living with David, I’d always known it was his place. Not mine. Not ours. An ache formed.
“That bad?”
“Yeah, that bad. Maybe he didn’t want to tell you over the phone because he knew how you’d react. Mom is beside herself. She’s furious with Dad. All they do is argue.”
“Let me guess. He didn’t tell her what was going on until it was too late. Neither did you. You always acted like women couldn’t handle business.”
Wade shifted again, his sigh heavy. “Not my place to tell her. I’m sorry about that, sis, but Dad is a very proud man.”
Proud and determined, arrogant and purposely ignorant of the law. Why was it that every man I’d known in my life was a hardhead? I thought about what was being asked of me, not that I had any clear understanding.
“What does he want from me? To find a way of getting him out of this nightmare? I’m not going to do that. He’s an adult who got himself into this mess and he can get himself out. Besides, I’m not going to be disbarred because of some shady deals our father managed to get himself into.”
When he said nothing at first, I finally realized we were already close to the ranch. He pulled alongside the road, allowing the engine to idle. “Maybe he just wants your support.”
“I doubt that. What he needs is legal advice and I don’t feel comfortable giving it to him. I’m not a bankruptcy attorney.” Plus, it would break my heart to discuss the demise of the home I grew up in.
“Yeah, he does, Kenzie. He has some good ideas about how to turn everything around.”
“I’m not going to even listen to anything that is illegal. I will not lose my license to practice law. Not under any circumstances. Take me to Charmaine’s house or I will walk.”
“Listen to me! I know you don’t owe me anything, Dad either, but just listen. Okay?”
Overwrought, I sensed my brother was as close to an emotional edge as I’d ever seen him. He could never be described as someone who wore their heart on their sleeve. “Fine. What?”
“I’m sure he’ll want to tell you himself but fuck it. You need to see something.”
“God, what? Some prized cow?”
His silence was as unnerving as the situation.
“What do I need to see?”
Wade glanced down the road leading to the ranch. Whatever he had to show me he believed in. “Will you go into it with an open mind?”
I felt a nightmare coming on. “Alright. I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise anything.”
“This needs to be our little secret at least for now.”
I laughed. What the hell? I had nothing to lose at this point.