“They might be right,” Willa says. “Beau is talking about taking a vacation. Just getting us all out of town for a while. Maybe going up to the cabin in Montana until the dust settles.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Josie says. “Get away from the whispering. Let the town find a new scandal to obsess over.”
“Maybe,” Willa says. She looks out the window at the gray sky. “I don’t want to run. That feels like letting him win. But I also don’t know if I can handle seeing the pity in everyone’s eyes every time I go to the grocery store.”
She wipes a hand across her cheek, and I realize she’s crying. Just a single tear, tracking through the dirt on her face.
“Hey,” I say, reaching out to cover her hand with mine. Her skin is cold. “You don’t have to decide today. You’re safe here. Your men have your back.”
She squeezes my hand back. “I know. I just... can someone talk about something else? Anything? I need a distraction.”
Josie clears her throat. “Well, I have news.”
Willa looks at her, grateful. “Please.”
“Baby called me this morning,” Josie says, a mischievous glint returning to her eyes. “She’s still closing the Salt Lick for a few days, but she asked if I’d be willing to help Gus manage things for the next week. Just take inventory, handle the orders, make sure nobody burns the place down.”
“You? Working at a bar?” Willa asks, a small smile touching her lips.
“I know,” Josie says, preening. “I’ll be the best bartender this town has ever seen. I already have a list of drinks I’m banning. No more body shots for anyone who looks like they might vote against Omega rights.”
“That sounds like a lot of power,” I say.
“It is.” Josie grins. “I plan to abuse it.”
Willa laughs, a soft, rusty sound. It’s good to hear.
“Speaking of power,” Willa says, turning her gaze to me. “What are you going to do about the ranch situation? You said they won’t leave?”
I take a deep breath and set down my mug. The warmth of the cocoa fades, replaced by the cold knot of anger that has been living in my chest since I opened that box of documents.
“I found out why,” I say. “Rhett gave me the files. The leases.”
I explain it to them—the dates, the terms, the dollar-a-year rent. I tell them about the cabins, the land use, the way Anthony built them a life while telling me I was unfit to run the place.
By the time I finish, Josie looks furious and Willa looks heartbroken.
“That bastard,” Josie mutters. “I know Anthony was old school, but that’s cold. He basically adopted them and disinherited you in practice.”
“He didn’t disinherit me on paper,” I say. “He left me the deed. But he tied my hands. If I evict them, I have to prove breach of contract, and the contracts are solid. If I sell, the new owner has to honor the leases or buy them out, which devalues the land significantly.”
“He set you up to fail,” Willa says softly. “He made it so you couldn’t sell, and he made it so you couldn’t live there without them.”
“Exactly,” I say. “He trusted them with his legacy. He didn’t trust me.”
“I’m so sorry, Saramaria,” Willa says. “That’s a terrible betrayal.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Josie asks, leaning forward. “There has to be an angle.”
I swirl the dregs of my cocoa. “I’ve been thinking about it all morning. There are a few avenues. I could argue that the leases are invalid because Anthony wasn’t of sound mind when he signed the last one. He was elderly, maybe showing signs of dementia. It would require medical records, maybe a hearing, but it’s possible.” I pause, thinking. “Or I could look into adverse possession. They’ve been living there for years, improving the land, maintaining it. If I can prove they acted as owners without my permission, I could sue to eject them. But that would mean admitting my grandfather knew about it and did nothing, which hurts my case.”
“Is there a way to buy them out?” Willa asks. “Pay them to leave?”
“They don’t want money,” I say, thinking of Boone’s face when he talked about the ranch being his home. “They want the land. They feel entitled to it because they put the work in. Andhonestly... theydidput the work in. The place is running. It’s profitable. They saved it from ruin.”
Josie squints at me. “You sound like you’re defending them.”
“I’m not,” I say quickly. Too quickly. “I’m just looking at the facts. If I go in with a sledgehammer, it’s going to get ugly. Long court battles. Appeals. They could drag it out for years. And in the meantime, I’m stuck there. With them.”
