“I, William Meadows, resident of Saddle Ridge, Oklahoma, being of sound mind---”
I cut Mr.Cohen off.“When was this drafted because we both know he wasn’t of sound mind in the last eighteen months?”Perhaps even longer.
“If you’d let me continue, I’d get to that part, but to answer your question, this will was drafted four years ago, and I assure you, William was completely coherent.”
That may be so, but he hadn’t officially handed me the reins to the ranch at that time.That shouldn’t have any bearing on anything, though, so I’m not sure why my knee is bouncing the way that it is.
“Can we let Mr.Cohen continue and ask any questions afterward?”Della asks.
“Yeah,” I mutter.It really grates on my nerves when she’s the voice of reason out of the two of us.
Mr.Cohen eyes me momentarily before diverting his attention back to the document in front of him, picking up where he left off before I interrupted him.He names me the executor of the will, and from my periphery, I notice my sister doesn’t even flinch.
The next paragraph doesn’t read as formally and is in our grandfather’s own words.He leaves me his gun collection, and Della our grandmother’s engagement ring.
“As for Meadows Ranch, my wishes are for my grandson, Maddox, and my granddaughter, Della to share ownership of it in its entirety.My hope is that you both call this place home and grow your families on the land that your grandmother and I grew ours.”
Sure I heard Mr.Cohen wrong, I lean forward, interrupting him yet again.“There’s no way I heard that correctly.Are you saying Granddaddy left the ranch to both of us?”
“Yeah, that can’t be right,” Della chimes in.
“Again, if you’d let me continue.”He shoots me a glare.“May I?”
I’m not sure I want him to, but I manage a nod.
“Maddox will maintain control over the staff and lead the daily operations required to keep Meadows Ranch thriving, but my wish is for Della to take on a more active role.I will leave it to the two of you to decide what that role is, but I hope you’ll work together to build a legacy you can both be proud of.Maddox and Della, you are the future of this land, and I have every confidence in the world, that together you will succeed in growing what your grandmother and I started.”
Unable to control myself, I push out of the chair, sending it toppling backward.Startled by my outburst, Della jumps slightly.
“This is fucking bullshit,” I holler.“She hasn’t lived here in years.She deserted this place.She desertedhim!Went searching for something better and now she gets half of everything I busted my ass to maintain?”
My jaw clenches, and I shake my head in disbelief.
What a fucking slap in the face.
Mr.Cohen straightens the papers on top of the desk but doesn’t say a word.
“I’m sitting right here, you know,” Della snaps.
I glare at her.“Yeah, and it took him dying for you to be here.”
Tears fill her eyes instantly, but to her credit, she doesn’t let them fall.I can’t stand looking at her for another second.I can’t even breathe the same fucking air as her.Not with the way I’m feeling.
I turn to Mr.Cohen.“There’s gotta be a way around this.Something I can do to keep the ranch as my own.”
He closes the folder with the will on top of the desk and taps his fingers against it before rising to his full height.Meeting my gaze, he sighs.“You can buy her out.”
I let those words sink in.He might as well have told me to rob a bank.The last time the ranch was assessed by the state, it was worth millions of dollars.I don’t got that kind of money.
“Look, Maddox, I can see you are hurting, and I can understand how this comes as a shock to you.”His gaze slides to Della.“To both of you.But emotions are high, and you’re both grieving.I think it’s best if you take some time to digest all of this, and then maybe sit down together and have a discussion.It appears there are a lot of unresolved issues between you, and something tells me, your grandfather sensed as much.Perhaps this was his way of bridging the gap.”He rounds the desk, his eyes coming back to find mine.“I must be going, but I’ll touch base when I return.Again, I’m truly sorry for your loss.William was a great man.A wise man.It’d be good to keep that in mind when you find yourself questioning his motives.”
ChapterEight
Maddox
My knuckles turn white as my grip on the steering wheel tightens, and I stare out the windshield at the iron gates that line the perimeter of the property, creating a fortress around the Fallen Demons clubhouse.
“What the fuck am I doing?”I murmur to myself, my gaze tracking all the motorcycles parked beyond the gates.
