Chapter 23
Kenzie
“You lied to me.” I wasn’t interested in mincing words or wasting time. I’d found my father at his lavish office in the heart of downtown Missoula where he had an exquisite view of the mountains.
Including the area that had recently burned.
If you looked closely enough, you could see the scarred remains of the devastated section of forest, a blight that would take years for Mother Nature to rebuild.
All because someone was greedy.
I was positive I was on the right track.
After returning to my parents’ ranch, I’d spent the better part of the morning going over the contracts for the stadium, the geological surveys the project had been required to undergo, and I’d also made a few calls to the Fire Department Bureau, hoping to talk directly to either the fire marshal or her assistant marshal. They were still in the field.
What I had learned after carefully pretending to be an attorney working for displaced owners was that arson had already been confirmed, mostly from finding a particular accelerant used on two devastating fires.
While that was all I’d been provided given the ongoing investigation, it fueled ugly thoughts that my father was up to something other than bringing a rodeo into town.
While I’d found limited information on the fire in Dallas, the investigators had deemed the fire an act of arson. I’d put in a call to Dallas County’s fire inspector, again pretending to be someone I wasn’t in hopes of garnering information. I could be a little devious when necessary.
“What exactly have I lied about?”
“This for one.” I tossed a sheet of paper across his desk I’d had printed; the colorful social media ready announcement of the rodeo had already proven a powerful draw. I’d stopped by a coffee shop on my way to see my father and the people inside were all a-buzz about the event.
And about seeing Axe on a bull once again.
He barely looked down at the piece of paper, his smirk an indication he’d anticipated my pushback. “I told you the rodeo was important. You seemed on board last night.”
“I was very clear, Daddy, that I needed time to think about my participation.”
“You had twenty-four hours. When I didn’t hear from you, I assumed you were on board. I had no idea the television station was going to run the story. They didn’t get it approved by me.”
“Bullshit.” I slammed both hands onto his desk, feeling the burn of years of distrust and frustration with him.
He was positively gloating. “You knew exactly what you were doing. You discovered an opportunity with Axe because he saved my life. You ran with it without as much as asking whether Axe would be willing to help you. Trust me. He wouldn’t have been and won’t have anything to do with this charade now. Your plan backfired.”
When I leaned back, crossing my arms, he smiled as if he had something to use against me.
Or against Axe.
“He’s not good enough for you.”
“How many times do I need to say the same thing? You have no say in my life and as far as I can tell, Axe is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met in my life.”
“He’s just like his father.”
“How so, being honest? Caring about his family? You proved to me that you couldn’t care less about your own daughter. Why the hell am I here?” I closed my eyes, wishing I could just walk away.
“I do care about you, McKenzie. You don’t know the Beckett family like I do.”
“Is this about the stupid fire Axe accidentally set as a kid?” I could instantly tell my father had no idea what I was talking about. All this time, Axe had believed he was the reason for the feud. “You don’t remember.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Interesting. I shrank back, uncertain what to think. “You heard about the recent fire at the old mill, the one near Sterling Stadium?”
“Yeah, I heard something about it.”
“It was arson, Dad. Confirmed today. Just like another fire in Missoula. While I haven’t checked the location, what do you want to bet the fire behind the reason Will Beckett died has something to do with your great entertainment complex?
” I studied him carefully, knowing from my childhood his telltale tics when he was fabricating a story.
“What about the fire that destroyed the stadium in Dallas? You hear about that? My guess is no, but the timing is suspicious. Ordinarily, the rodeo events would already be laid out for next year. Likely the year after that, but gee whiz. Suddenly, a new stadium needs to be found.” What little I’d read about the Dallas location was that it had been around for a long time, on target for being renovated.
And situated on a piece of very valuable land.
My mind was already churning with possibilities for the reason the stadium might have been torched.
“Are you insinuating I had something to do with those fires?”
“I don’t know, Dad. Did you? If I did a deep dive into your finances, would I discover absolute corruption with this land development deal?”
He was more flustered than I’d possibly ever seen him, so befuddled that beads of sweat formed above his brow. “I might be many things, Kenzie, including a man you obviously don’t care about, but I am not someone who would stoop that low.”
“Are you sure about that?”
My father managed to lock eyes with mine. In them I noticed hurt. “No, Kenzie. I’m sorry you don’t believe me.” He glanced away and there was no doubt something was rolling through his mind.
Maybe I was wrong about this aspect of his life. However, I certainly was not wrong about him.
“So what’s the deal here?” I asked.
“The final approval. I’m getting the runaround about the stamp of approval.
That’s it. The plans were approved, all the geographical tests, everything.
But until I get their rubber stamp, there can be no certificate of occupancy issued.
Since the two new board members were elected, the project has been in a holding pattern. ”
There was a ring of truth to what he was saying. If he was right in that he’d taken all the correct steps, there should be no reason for the council to place a hold on the project. “Why do you think there’s been a holdup?”
“I don’t know.”
“Let me venture a guess. The ranch, your interest in the resort, and your investment in the new stadium are all tied together. Aren’t they? If you can’t pay off those balloon loans, you lose everything.”
His shoulders slumped and after a full minute, he finally nodded. He’d invested all he had into what some might consider a speculative deal. In my mind, a fool’s bet.
Sighing, I glanced out the window. “If I find out you’re lying to me, I am gone. In the meantime, I don’t need you meddling in my personal business. It’s unacceptable.”
“I’m not lying. I just want you to have the right person in your life, Kenzie. And I want to protect your mother. She loves the ranch.”
“Yes, she does. So do I. But you only care about your investment. What you never gave me credit for was making good choices. My guess is you allowed Wade’s friendship with Axe under the condition that he pushed some crazy required oath onto Axe not to touch me.
” The thought had just popped into my mind.
I wasn’t expecting to be right. I could tell by the look on my father’s face I’d hit the bullseye. Nothing about my father could shock me any longer. Nothing. I thought about what Char had suggested in that I use the opportunity for good.
And for me.
In a way, finalizing my independence.
That’s exactly what I would do. As my mother would say, take the bull by the horns.
“You know what, Daddy? I intend on spending a significant amount of time with the Beckett family. Why? Because I not only like Stephen Beckett, who is a true hero in Missoula, but I think I’m falling in love with him.
Or maybe I’ve been in love with him but forced myself to walk away because of you. No longer. No longer.”
I honestly had never felt so damn good in my life. I was finally breaking free of some ridiculous tether my father had wrapped around me.
Love.
My God. I was finally admitting what I’d known years before.
I loved Axe. I’d been in love with him since the first day I met him. I knew it. Love at first sight. Just like what had occurred with my mother. Wow. How freeing. How beautiful.
How terrifying.
I refuse to allow him time to argue with me.
“So here’s how we’re going to play this.
” I folded my arms and kept my position in front of his desk.
“If I agree to help you, then we do it my way. And I suggest you dare not try and fight me on this. You might not know this but I’m a very powerful attorney in the state of Montana and I have some influential friends. And—”
“I know exactly how powerful you are, Kenzie. Why do you think I asked for your help? You’re a brilliant attorney and those bastards you worked for should be disbarred.
You were brilliant in the case against the Brookfield Company.
To know whose executives will be put behind bars for the irreparable harm they caused is a true testament to your abilities. ”
My father’s interruption shocked the hell out of me. For him to know details of the case meant he’d been following along with the situation for a while. Maybe. Or maybe he’d found some news article. Either way, I was caught completely off guard.
“If you followed the case or my career then you know I care about right versus wrong. Personal feelings aside, if I agree to help you, your company will be under my scrutiny. If I find any evidence of corruption, I will turn you in to the authorities myself.”
“Understood and you won’t.”
“And I’ll be investigating those on your investment team as well. Do you have any issues with that?”
“None. You won’t find anything. They’re in the same boat.”
“I’ll need their names.”
“I’ll email them to you.”
He seemed so certain of himself. “And another thing. If you want the Professional Rodeo Association to take notice, you’ll need to do more than provide some trumped-up tribute event. I’m sure they are a dime a dozen.”
“Fine. So what do you have in mind?”
Huffing, I realized I’d raised my voice several times with my father. It was entirely different behavior around him. Somehow, I liked the new me. “A charity event that will benefit various animal rescue organizations and the people decimated by fires.”
“There are expenses!”
“Of course. We’ll calculate a percentage. People understand there are expenses. In addition, Axe is not riding. I’ll do what I can using his help to find past champions.”
“We don’t need his goddamn help.”
“Take it or leave it, Dad. That’s my final offer. Oh, and I will have full autonomy over the event.”
He opened his mouth to object, his entire face pinched, but thought better of it.
With my eyes pinned on him, refusing to blink, I was prepared to stand there until he made a decision.
“Fine. We’ll do it your way.”
“Alright. Then I’ll get to work.” Spinning around, I headed for the door. I honestly wasn’t certain if I was happy or not. The event had complete disaster written all over it.
“You should know I have enemies, Kenzie. Just watch yourself.”
A nasty retort was on the tip of my tongue about how it was likely half the town, but I refrained. He was my father and for a few seconds, I’d witnessed something I never thought I’d see.
A moment when he was proud of me.
So instead, I walked out.
Maybe there were some redeeming qualities after all.