“And with the two of you on board, Jenna could expand her horse ranch…you see, she and her husband trained horses for therapeutic organizations who help the physically and mentally challenged.But with her husband now passed, she’s had to take an extended leave of absence from Cowboys Online, and she has put me in charge.I know important people and that has allowed me to pull some major strings for you and for Nick.It’s all legal.No worries there.So, please hear me out, at least.”
The kid reached down, brought up a black briefcase from the floor, placed it onto the table, and clicked it open.She withdrew some papers and flipped through them, then separated them into two piles.
“Sign these papers.We’ll get Nick to do the same and the both of you will be on the other side of these walls and on Bear Valley Ranch by the end of the week.I have a judge who will okay the deal and make it all legal.”
Bear Valley Ranch?
Jenna.
Shit.
He blew out a slow breath trying really hard to stuff down his excitement.
Axel stared at the two stacks of sheets she pushed in front of him.
“In each pile are your Conditional Release Agreement, a Program Participation Contract, Consent to Disclosure of Information and a Risk of Acknowledgement and Liability Waiver.Signing them means you agree to the terms of Cowboys Online, the work, the rules, the supervision.Either one of you break any of the rules, and you both are back inside.Keep your head down, do the job, and you get a real shot at freedom.”
Conditional Release Agreement.
The top sheet on one pile said that exact thing and there was his name on it and the other pile had Nick's name on it.
This was either a really good prank, or this chick was serious.
Well, he would bite.He had nothing to lose.
“Alright, give me a pen,” he finally said, his voice softer than he’d intended.
“You don’t want to read it?I would advise you to read it and ask questions.”
“I will, after I sign.”
He needed to sign this before something happened to make this delusion disappear.
She handed him a pen, her smile almost relieved.
The clink of his chains as he reached for the papers sounded different now, filled with the possibility of hope.
He was curious to find out exactly how far this kid would carry this joke.
That is, if it was a joke…
* * * * *
Bear Valley Ranch, Northern Ontario, Canada
Present Day ~ August
Jenna Donnelly stared out across her mist enshrouded valley and remembered the first time her late husband, Tim, and her, had laid eyes on this little ranch shortly after it had been put up for sale.
It had been a rundown place.The three bedroom log house with the faded red shutters and curling brown shingles on the roof had seen better days.The rusty sheet metal roof and the grey planks on the barn had needed repairs.
They still did.Tim just hadn’t gotten around to doing much when it came to manual labor.She’d learned slowly that he just wasn’t that kind of guy.
She’d learned even more slowly that all he’d wanted was to latch onto a woman with a good paycheck so she could take care of him, and he could have affairs behind her back.What better way to do that then to have her away working during the week so he could do whatever he wanted with access to a nice bank account.
It had been five years since they’d come here.They had instantly made an offer because they’d fallen in love with the lush green valley that was surrounded by forests.
Five years and two months since they’d been married.He’d swept her off her feet very quickly.He’d shared her love for horses, or so he’d said.But it had turned out he’d done the bare minimum for the horses’ care while she’d been out in the city working at her job and coming home weekends.
