Chapter Eleven #2
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Lil untied Maya’s horse and handed her the rope. “Is that all?” she asked wearily, more than ready to leave the topic behind.
Her sister gave a slow nod. “I know you like the single life. I get it. No ties means no losses. It’s a good way to keep from getting hurt.”
Lil wanted to say she wasn’t doing that, but she couldn’t force the words out.
Instead, she said, “Fortunately, Jordan isn’t any more into commitment than I am. We’re on the same page in that regard.”
And that was why she could allow herself to let go with him. There would be no accidental broken hearts on either side.
*
Jordan had passed on the invitation to Maya’s farewell dinner, thinking that the sisters needed time together. Instead, he drove to town to meet Burke at what passed for happy hour at the Wolf Den on the off chance that his friend had run down some information about the cow shooter.
“I would have called if I heard anything,” Burke said as they sat at a table near the wall.
It was relatively early, so the bar was empty except for a few regulars. The perfect time to talk before the place started to get crowded.
“I know. But I owe you a drink.”
“You probably do,” Burke agreed. “After Grem got released, nobody gave him the cold shoulder or anything, so I guess no one took him seriously.”
Jordan lifted his beer. “Wonder what he’d say if I talked to him.”
“I’ll let you know when he surfaces and you can try. He and Joe Whitney got into it a couple days ago and Grem’s laying low. Helluva black eye.”
“Whitney is back in town?” Jordan’s former classmate was a talented pipefitter, but Jordan refused to hire him for any of his jobs due to the man’s well-known temper.
“He was.”
“Fired again?”
“Most probably,” Burkey said, draining a good quarter of his glass. “I guess skills don’t offset being an asshole.”
“What was the fight over?”
“I heard that Gremlin hit on Joe’s girlfriend.”
“Ah.”
Before he and Burke parted ways, Jordan asked him to let him know when Gremlin surfaced, then headed home knowing not that much more than he had before. That said, he had indeed owed Burke a beer.
When he pulled into the Willow Creek and parked next to the trailer, he could see through the window the three McAllen women sitting at the kitchen table. Meg was gesturing as the others listened. It kind of reminded him of how close he and his brothers were.
He went into the barn, checked the goats just because he needed something to do, then went back outside to lean on the fence and enjoy the warm night air as he wondered what the hell his next step would be, both in regard to Lil and attempting to purchase the Reed property while keeping the Willow Creek.
When footsteps sounded behind him, his nerves jumped. He hoped that Lil had found him, but when he glanced over his shoulder, he saw that it was Maya. His nerves still buzzed, but in a different way. Carl Jordan was a shadowy figure in Jordan’s brain. Maya had known the man in the flesh.
“Nice night,” she said as she leaned on the fence next to him.
“Enjoy your stay?”
“It was short, but yes. I love seeing my sisters. I’m trying to finagle some vacation days during the holidays this year so I can spend a week snowed in with them.”
Jordan watched the cows graze in the twilight. He was about to ask about her job, or anything for that matter, to deflect the possible mention of his father because he didn’t feel ready to face the reality of the man. He wasn’t fast enough.
“Do you want to know anything about Carl Jordan that I might be able to answer?”
He wanted to say no but decided he needed to take advantage of Maya’s offer, rather than kick himself later. There were things he wanted to know.
“Have you looked him up online?” Maya asked.
“Of course.”
“And all you found was his professional pages, right?”
He nodded.
She cocked her head. “You don’t look like him—”
“My mom was Hispanic. I take after her.”
“Except for the nose. Yours has been broken. His wasn’t, but there’s a similarity.” Her lips tilted up. “The other difference is that he looked down his. You don’t seem to be that kind.”
“Try not to be. Why do you think Carl left me the ranch when he refused to contact me when he was alive?” Or even hint at his existence. “Guilt?”
“With another man I might believe that.” Jordan gave her a frowning look and she explained, “Carl had a public persona. He was charming, intelligent, seemingly generous.”
“He gave his company to his employees.”
“That was generous,” Maya agreed. “As was leasing the ranch to my sisters. I don’t know why he did either of those things.”
“You’re saying he wasn’t altruistic by nature?”
“Nope. He was all about Carl Jordan. The benevolent public persona was carefully cultivated. In private he was egotistical and domineering.”
“Didn’t you write the ranch lease?”
“Yes. I also suggested that he lease to my sisters when he lost the previous tenant. I thought he’d shoot me down, but he was interested. Surprisingly so. Carl had reason for that.”
“Maybe I was better off with him not acknowledging me.”
“Perhaps.”
“He let me go into foster care, you know.”
“Doesn’t surprise me.”
Jordan made a mental note to hug Wade if he ever caught the man unaware.
Maya set her chin on her folded hands. “Will you make sure that my sisters keep me updated if more stuff happens?”
He gave a scoffing laugh. “I’ll suggest it. Do you have a theory as to what’s going on?”
“Nothing that isn’t half-baked. I need more data.”
“Me too.”
“I have to say that just wanting privacy isn’t enough of a motive for me.”
He was of the same mind, but had yet to come up with anything else, other than there being something valuable underground, as Maya had mentioned earlier.
“Why did you leave the company?”
“I went to work for a nonprofit instead.” She spoke easily, indicating no hard feelings were involved. “Carl tried to get me to stay, but Jordan Enterprises wasn’t a good fit for me. I might not have liked him, but I could work with him. Growing up on a ranch stiffens the backbone, you know.”
The screen door slammed, and Jordan glanced over his shoulder to see Lil heading down the walk. His heart lifted at the sight of her.
He turned back to Maya. “I appreciate the information.”
“Sorry I didn’t have more.” She lifted her chin as Lil approached and, for a moment, he thought she was going to say something about her sister.
Warn him off. Give him advice. Clue him into something he should know.
“Anyway,” she said, bringing them back to the topic at hand.
“You should look into who owns the mineral rights to this place, and who might have reason to want the place other than for privacy reasons. Find out who lived here before Carl owned it. Maybe a grandkid wants it back.” She wrinkled her forehead.
“That’s farfetched, but the more you know, the more likely you are to get an answer. ”
“I don’t mean to interrupt,” Lil said, holding up a phone as she approached. “You got a call.” She held out the device to Maya who checked the screen, then pocketed it.
“Not interrupting,” Jordan said, suppressing the urge to loop an arm over her shoulders.
“Not at all,” Maya said. “I have to get up early, so I’m turning in as soon as I return this call.
” She touched Jordan’s forearm and he glanced down at her, noting for the umpteenth time how different Maya and Lil were in looks while sharing the same determined temperament.
“If I ever hear anything, I’ll be in touch. ”
“Thank you.”
Before she started to the house, Maya said to Lil, “Don’t stay up too late. You’re my ride.” Then, with a lift of her eyebrows that said more than words, she headed across the gravel drive, phone to her ear.
“Whatever is she suggesting?” Jordan asked with a half-smile.
“That was encouragement. She told me to lighten up a while ago.”
“She knows?”
“She’s astute. It’s really annoying.” She turned to lean her back against the fence. “I’m tired, Jordan.”
He traced the back of his fingers down the side of her face, and she closed her eyes as she leaned into the caress. He smiled then pulled her forward and wrapped his arms around her. She exhaled softly and he threaded his fingers through her hair.
“Maya has a point. I’m tense from being on guard all the time.”
“Maybe I can help you relax.”
Her eyes came open. “Can you?”
“I have a technique.”
Her eyes widened, an amused light coming to life in the green depths. “A technique, you say?”
“Would you like a demonstration?”
“Very much so,” she murmured.
He put a finger under her chin. “One condition.”
“I knew there would be a catch.”
“You’re tired, so you should let me do all the work.”